Casey blinked. “I’m sorry. I was just kidding around. I don’t want to go to war with you.”

“Of course you don’t. I’m a Westley and he’s an Archer. The question is: who are you?”

“I’m Casey,” she said.

“No, but what family are you from?”

“My last name is Everton,” she said. “My parents are over there.”

“Oh,” said Sybil. “You’re one of the fake-veins.”

Sybil and Cyrus giggled at her. She didn’t like being excluded from the joke. They were speaking in a coded language she didn’t understand.

“What’s a fake-vein?” she asked.

“Don’t tell her,” giggled Sybil. “Tell me: what do your parents do?”

“They own a stationary shop,” said Casey, proudly. “Our family sells really cool pencils, pens, and paper. I’m learning to do origami. I can show you if you’d like.”

They laughed even louder now. It was venomous.

“A shop!?” they laughed with theatrical cruelty. “Wow, how pathetic! They should just get rid of the traitless from the tower-zone!”

“Well, nice to meet you, Casey,” said Sybil. “See you never!”

With that the two kids laughed and walked off together.

Casey stood there all alone.

She looked over to see her parents, equally confused and ostracized at this meeting.

She wiped a tear from her eye.

One day, she thought. I’ll show them. I’ll show them that being born from traitless parents is a strength and not a weakness.

I’ll show them I’m proud of where I come from.

That a fake-vein can beat a pure-vein with enough effort.

One day, she said to herself, I’ll make them regret their dismissal of me.

* * *

Casey stood across the arena from Sybil.

The Westley girl looked as if she was mustering the strength inside her to unleash another devastating attack.

Casey had no other choice but to use her final move. She had been hoping to save it as a trump card until later in the tournament, but it was now or never.

She pulled out a small paper crane from her pouch.

“Really?” balked Sybil. “Is that your big ace up your sleeve? A stupid piece of folded up paper?”

Casey muttered, gritting her teeth angrily, “I once offered to teach you how to make a paper crane and you laughed in my face. Now, I’m going to make you regret that.”

Casey twirled her hand creating a gust of wind around her and as she did so she opened up her pouch, unleashing one paper crane after another, until she sent forth a whole flock of origami cranes in a swarming tornado at Sybil.

This was Casey’s trump card. Her ultimate move.

The Thousand Paper Crane Attack!

85

“What’s this!?” shouted Sakura to the arena down below. “I’ve never seen an airbringer do something like this before. This is truly a unique use of the trait!”