Teamwork or Defeat?

The mock combat exercise started with Group 1 quickly setting up their defenses. Caine raised walls of rock, and Farrah used wind to spread dust and debris, making it hard to see their movements. On our side, Tabitha surrounded our flag with a ring of fire to keep attackers away. However, Jared and Mira stood apart from me, their stiff posture showing they didn’t want to work together.

“We have to work as a team,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm even though I was frustrated. “If we don’t, we’ll lose for sure.”

Jared glanced at me, his voice dripping with disdain. “Don’t tell me what to do, human. Just try not to mess this up.”

Mira didn’t say anything, but she avoided looking at me. Tabitha groaned. “Stop arguing. We’re wasting time.”

Elara stepped in, her voice steady and clear. “We need a plan. Mira, can you make a mist to hide us? Tabitha and Valkyrie can attack, and Jared can weaken their barriers. I’ll use my magic to guide us and track their movements.”

Mira hesitated but finally nodded. “Alright.”

We took our positions. Mira raised her wand, which glowed blue as she said, “Ὄ εὐδωρ ἑφημερίδεω ἠδωρ!” A thick mist spread around us, hiding our movements.

Tabitha aimed her wand, which burned with red light, and chanted, “Πυρ ἐνια λύκσων καῦσατον!” Flames shot forward, cutting through the fog and heading for the other team’s barriers. I followed her lead, using my magic to create a fiery attack with molten earth mixed in. “Γἀῳ θεμέλεω λίθος ἐπικαύω!” I shouted. My spell hit Caine’s rock wall, cracking it slightly.

Suddenly, a bright flash of lightning came from Magnus. He shouted, “ὀ τίταννος χαρακτήρ βροντηχείτω!” A bolt of lightning crashed near us. Mira’s mist softened the blow, but our poor teamwork was making things worse.

Jared finally acted, his wand glowing green. “ὀ φρόντισμα φιδίον ἀπολύτω!” he said, summoning poisonous vines. They slithered toward the barriers, but his attack collided with Tabitha’s flames, canceling both out.

“Watch where you’re aiming!” Tabitha snapped.

The fight grew more chaotic. Our group’s poor teamwork was obvious. Meanwhile, Group 1 worked like a team. Farrah’s wind made our attacks miss, Dion’s water put out Tabitha’s fire, and Caine kept repairing their defenses. Magnus and Amon launched well-timed attacks, keeping us on the defensive.

Winona’s voice rang out. “Group 1, excellent coordination! Group 2, your teamwork is a disaster. Fix it, or you’ll fail.”

Her words stung, but they were true. We were losing, not because we weren’t strong, but because we couldn’t work together. I stepped forward, trying one last time to bring us together.

“Listen,” I said firmly. “We need to combine our strengths. Mira, keep the mist going. Elara, guide us. Jared, weaken their barriers without clashing with Tabitha’s fire. Tabitha, focus on attacking. I’ll defend and disrupt their team.”

Tabitha nodded, but Jared sneered. “Why should I listen to you?”

Before I could answer, Magnus shouted, “Group 1, move in!” Lightning burst through our weak defenses. They captured our flag, and the match ended with Winona’s voice echoing over the field.

“Group 1 wins.” She walked over, her expression serious. “Group 2, this failure was predictable. Without teamwork, you will always lose. Remember, in real combat, this would have cost you your lives.”

She looked directly at me. “Valkyrie, you tried, but leadership isn’t just about trying—it’s about getting results. Do better.”

The words hurt, but I nodded. “Understood.”

As we left the training area, the loss weighed heavily on me. It wasn’t just about losing—it was the fact that, no matter how hard I tried, the gap between me and my teammates seemed impossible to close. Still, I refused to give up. If teamwork was the key, I would find a way to bring us together, no matter how hard it was.

***

The silence of Master’s house was a welcome change after the chaos of the mock combat. The soft crackle of the fire filled the room, and I sank into a chair, holding a cup of tea he had handed me. It was warm and comforting, but the frustration of the day still lingered.

I looked across at Master, who sat calmly with his own cup. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “I tried to lead today, Master,” I said, my voice tight. “But nothing worked. They don’t listen to me. How am I supposed to get them to trust me?”

Master didn’t answer right away. He took a slow sip of his tea, his eyes thoughtful. After a long moment, he set the cup down and looked at me. “Ignore them until they notice you,” he said simply.

I blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t have to prove anything to them,” Master continued, his voice steady. “You’re much more than they realize. Leadership isn’t about forcing people to listen to you. It’s about showing them, through your actions, that you are worth following.”

I bit my lip, turning over his words in my mind. “But how do I keep going when everyone doubts me?” I asked quietly. “I try, but it feels like I’m getting nowhere.”

Master’s expression softened, and he leaned back in his chair, fingers lightly tapping the armrests. “You have something they don’t,” he said, his voice taking on a deeper tone. “Humans have a resilience no one else has. The ability to rise again, no matter how many times you fall. That’s your real strength.”

I blinked, trying to wrap my head around what he meant. “What do you mean?” I asked, feeling my heart quicken.

His faint smile grew, but there was a trace of something sorrowful in his eyes. “I’m human, too. Not a princess like you, but an heir, a noble. I faced the same doubts and struggles. The burden of a title I didn’t want. In the end, I passed that burden onto my younger brother.”

I felt a wave of surprise hit me, my throat going dry. “You... were an heir?”

Master’s smile turned bittersweet. “I didn’t want it. So, I forced the responsibility on him. Maybe he resents me for it, but it was the right thing to do. He’s the one who carries it now.”

I could hardly believe it. Master—someone I always thought of as beyond human—had been a noble heir too. He had his own struggles, his own pain, just like me. Hearing him admit it so casually was jarring.

“Doesn’t it... hurt?” I whispered. “To give up something like that?”

Master didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he looked at me with a faint, genuine smile that I had never seen before. It was different from his usual calm expression, softer and warmer. It caught me off guard, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure what to say.

Then, to my surprise, he flicked my forehead gently, and I couldn’t help but let out a quiet, “Ouch!” He smiled even more, his voice light but full of meaning. “Just be yourself,” he said. “That’s all you need to do.”

He paused for a second, meeting my gaze with an intensity I wasn’t used to. His words lingered in the air, but before I could respond, he stood up, turning to leave.

I watched him go, still processing what he had said. Just be yourself. It seemed so simple, yet it felt like exactly what I needed to hear. I had been trying so hard to prove myself to others, to earn their trust and acceptance. But maybe, just maybe, I had been going about it the wrong way. Instead of trying to fit into their expectations, I should focus on being true to who I really was.