Chương 194: Student

A vague, ominous creaking resounded throughout the whole complex of dark stone and gilded walls. While most of the sounds were rather mundane - cracks spreading through stone or metal warping slightly - it also held another, distinct quality; as if the sounds themselves were muted and quenched far too early, snuffed out. Or rather, swallowed. Even so, it was enough for a consciousness to once again surface from its torpor.

"Alas, will this remain my fate; the most glorious potential and fate snuffed out before it even had a chance to bloom? Before I could be bequeathed unto the worlds of the cosmos?" Laevyeth's words were similarly devoured and muted by the cracks of nothing which had begun to impeach upon her prison, the pale not-color dissolving the reality slowly but surely. It was nothing new, and neither were her words of lamentations.

Laevyeth had probably said them all many, many times before, but her periods of torpor made both memory and timekeeping somewhat challenging. Even so, the indignity of her situation always returned with the same fervor. She was someone amazing after all. Her mistress and creator had said as much. At least in the beginning. Before…

"Oh mistress, why have thou not returned yet? Kept thine vow? You in your resplendent mantle as a ruler of the cosmos? The time draws near, and your most glorious creation still lingers. Surely, you haven't forgotten? Surely-" Laevyeth did not know how long she begged. Then raged. Then sobbed. But she was rather sure that the cracks of collapsing reality had drawn just that much closer before all her energy had eventually been spent, the edges of her senses growing duller as the torpor drew closer yet again.

Part of her, a small part, wished that she wouldn't wake up again; that the cracks would reach her where she remained forgotten and shackled to one of the gilded walls while she still slept. Trading one oblivion for another shouldn't make too much of a difference, after all, would it? But most of Laevyeth still raged and fought against her bonds. And the indignity of it all. She was the bud yet to bloom, the seed of glory still hiding beneath the surface of the soil - whatever soil actually was.

Laevyeth had only gotten the vague impression from her creator's touch after all - the aria yet unsung, the- the… Laevyeth's world faded again, her consciousness whisked away. And all around her, the literal world of which her prison was but a small part faded with it. One mote of reality at a time. Little Sun Sprite couldn't sleep. In and of itself, this wasn't unusual for her. Not since her parents died, at least.

Tossing and turning in her bedroll was an old, familiar dance she had danced many a time, and it mattered little if the bed was new or familiar. But this night, huddled up in a row of bedrolls along with the other children of the village beneath one of the few remaining roofs, Sprite's insomnia had taken on a new, more terrifying quality.

Memories flashed before her, glimpses of yesterday's events repeating themselves before her mind's eye; the walls crumbling, the screaming, vicious fangs and movements often too quick to follow. The tightness of the oven around her, rough and soot-covered stone scraping her shoulders. So tight. Almost too tight. No, suffocatingly tight. She- Sprite sat bolt upright, untangling herself from her bedroll in a few frenzied motions.

Even so, she was careful not to make a sound so as to not wake the other sleepers in the room. She wasn't the only one whose sleep was troubled, after all. Through the gloom, Sprite took a long look at her bedroll, its warmth not the comfort it ought to be. Not like…

"Would you like to come with me? As my student?" The words echoed through Sprite's mind, as they had done many times before. And then and there, she made her decision. Or rather, two. As silently as possible, Sprite rolled up her bedroll and tucked it beneath one arm as she gingerly stepped over and around the other sleeping forms belonging to people she had known her entire life. Most were kind, or at least decent, but there had always been that distance between them. Sprite was always welcome…

but just never properly invited. The chill night air of spring was crisp and fresh, but a shade of winter's sting still remained behind. It caused the hairs on Sprite's bare arms to stand on end, but she ignored it as she stepped out onto the dirt path outside, her goal in sight. There were no villagers on guard or militia dozing against the remnants of the walls. Normally there would have been, even after a less devastating monster attack. But tonight there was no need, because Sprite's savior kept vigil.

Dragonfly sat meditating in the middle of the open area between the houses, floating a few centimeters above the ground. Even in such a tranquil state, Sprite thought that she exuded power and warmth. The memory of her attempted stab - even if it still made Sprite more than a little embarrassed - and how it had stopped dead against the bare skin of Dragonfly's palm still filled Sprite with awe, and she still remembered the feeling of safety as she had been carried out in the woman's arms as if she weighed nothing.

And it was that memory of safety that caused Sprite to tentatively approach the meditating woman. Ready to bolt at any sign of disapproval from the adventurer, she slowly walked closer, stopping around a meter away as Dragonfly cracked one eye just a little and gave Sprite a look from the corner of her eye followed by a slight smile. Taking the gesture as approval, Sprite slowly unfurled her bedroll on the grass next to Dragonfly, and crept back into its still warm insides.

Silence continued to reign between them for a while, with part of Sprite wondering if the decision to seek out the adventurer like this had been a bad one, and if it made her look too pathetic and desperate. But she shoved those feelings to the back of her mind, instead following through with her plans. Coming out here was only one of her decisions, after all.

"I want to be your student." Sprite hated how her voice broke a little after hours of not uttering a word. Not that she spoke overly much on a good day though. There was rarely any need. Her words did cause Dragonfly to open her eyes and give Sprite one of those long, searching looks that gave the girl the impression of the older woman seeing straight through her, feelings and thoughts alike. Then, just before the fear of having overstepped threatened to creep back, the adventurer spoke.

"Are you sure? Really, really sure? Because this will mean change. Everything you've known will be left behind. And things will continue to change. I travel a lot, and I won't always be able to take you with me, especially not in the beginning. Even though I promise that you'll always be cared for, it will still mean a lot of waiting. And training. Oh, will there ever be training," she said, smiling to herself as if remembering something fondly.

"Also, there will be danger. I fight monsters, and that's what I can teach you. It's easy to think that the power to fight will make things alright, easy even. But that's only true up until you're the one doing the actual fighting. I will not lie though… It's both terrifying, and some of the best and most important thing there is," Dragonfly finished, the hint of a fierce smile breaking through the otherwise somber words.

As it seemed important to Dragonfly, Sprite clamped down on her immediate response and at least gave a show of giving the matter some consideration. But the words were soon out of her mouth anyway.

"I still want to. I still want to come with you." Once again, Dragonfly gave her that discerning look from before, before one corner of her mouth quirked upwards in a half-smile.

"Give it some more thought until tomorrow. Sleep on it. Then look at the things you would leave behind in the light of a new day. After that, we'll talk about it some more." Sprite couldn't help but feel some slight frustration and disappointment at the lack of direct confirmation in Dragonfly's words, but once again held back any protests. She needed to prove that she could listen; that she was mature enough. That she understood. As such, she gave her intended teacher a nod of confirmation.

Dragonfly hadn't protested her presence so far, and Sprite thought that if she was to toss and turn somewhere, she might as well do it here. And that was her last conscious thought before falling into the deepest sleep she could remember. As he exited the portal, having waved his farewell to the ever cheerful courier Riz just before entering, Kite smiled and took a deep and relaxing - if unnecessary - breath of the warm spring air.

"This time of the year is most flattering to the family compound, don't you agree?" he asked Glint who was currently floating beside him in her original form.

"A most pleasing home, my bond. But it will be more pleasing when that woodworker I sent after will arrive to modify my quarters. This young mistress will settle for nothing less than the proper aesthetics after all," the familiar noted, managing to work in a bit of proud haughtiness into her otherwise limited piscine expressions.

"Well, you have worked hard for your share, and it is only fitting to spend it on things that are important to you," Kite replied patiently, a smile tugging at his lips. It was rather remarkable to see how Glint had flourished after becoming able to properly communicate and interact with society at large, truly coming into her own.

And while it had some downsides - with Kite's funds having borne the brunt of it before they had settled on their current system of Glint receiving a proper share of contracts and other work Kite did where she helped - it also brought so many possibilities for the both of them.

As the pair approached the gate, Glint zipped off ahead of Kite and over the walls as she was off to add her latest set of treasures to the growing little hoard she was keeping in her small house within the compound, as the growing collections had simply outgrown the dimensionally expanded flask hanging from Kite's belt.

Seeing his familiar going on her merry way, Kite instead took a moment to let his spirit gently sweep over his home, both announcing his return to the essence-users present as well as getting a sense of who were currently at home.

"So Auntie Crow is still out, which means that the array in Bastion which she was going to put into place probably encountered some issues. I would bet a great deal that the buyer failed to provide some specification or detail that they found unimportant… But nobody would take that bet," he thought, the topic being a common source of consternation for his adopted mother.

"Auntie Dove and Raven are both in the kitchen, and Dragonfly is out in the yard with… Oh, who is this then?" Noting the unfamiliar, normal-ranked aura that probably came from a child, Kite curiously made his way straight to the spacious yard in the compound's center, built as an easy place to gather as well as a space for sparring and other physical exercise.

There, he saw his lover going through some basic motions meant to help one find the proper balance and efficiency of movement that could one day become a foundation for more intense combat training. Next to her, face tense in concentration, a thin and willowy elf girl tried her best to mimic the different moves.

The child had the deep, dark blue hair which was common among the elves of Hua-Xi gathered into a thin braid and Kite gauged her to be somewhere between ten and twelve years old even though that was an age that was sometimes challenging to determine at a glance. As he approached, Kite also got some clues as to how this scene came to be when his aura brushed against Dragonfly's in greeting. That slight spiritual touch alone sent back a flurry of emotions; worry, care, self-doubt, focus and pride.

Still, he thought it best to actually make sure rather than make assumptions.

"Dragonfly!" Kite's call came just as his lover looked up after properly sensing his spiritual nudge, and her little companion looked up with a startle that caused her to wobble and start toppling over while in the middle of a long, meticulous step to the side.

"Kite! Welcome back!" Dragonfly called in return while casually leaning over and steadying the child, who in turn met Kite's gaze for a short moment before casting it down towards the ground as she sidled closer to the Dragonfly.

"Did things go well with Gauntlet?"

"It did. Unpleasant people planning unpleasant deeds, but we stepped in before-" Kite began, but decided that some details weren't appropriate for the younger part of the audience and chose to shift focus.

"-unpleasant things happened. But where are my manners?" he instead asked, crouching down at a decent distance from the elf girl and giving her a friendly smile and a small bow.

"Greetings to you! My name is Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune, but everyone around here calls me Kite." Only silence and downcast eyes was his response, and even though Dragonfly tried to gently give the girl an encouraging nudge, no reply seemed to be forthcoming.

"This is Sprite. Little Sun Sprite," Dragonfly explained, eventually coming to the girl's rescue.

"She's… well, she's my student." His suspicions confirmed, Kite gave Dragonfly a look which said that he was most eager to hear the full story behind these particular developments before turning his attention back to Sprite.

"Well then, Sprite, your teacher is a fine warrior. And from the look of things when I arrived, I can see that you're already working hard. Dragonfly will no doubt learn a lot from you as well. Fortune be willing, you'll both help each other along on the path towards the heavens." Even though Sprite gave no response this time either, Kite could sense a bit of resolve in her aura at his words among the slight fear and anxiety that the new situation and environment no doubt still gave rise to.

"But don't let me disrupt your training," he finished, standing up.

"I'll go and greet Auntie Dove and Raven, and see you both at…" Pausing, Kite looked up to the spring sun shining above.

"Dinner, I believe? Heavens, portaling across the world sure can mess with one's sense of time." As he left, Kite's expanded field of vision saw the girl finally dare to look up and properly regard his back as he made for the main house where his aunties and Raven lived, green eyes regarding him intensely before she started slightly as Dragonfly began taking her for a slow run around the compound.

"- and when she just clung to me like that, a little ball of soot and fear, I realized that it had to have been just like that I looked at the time I met Master Force. And that it was time to pass on the great kindness she showed me a dozen years ago," Dragonfly explained where she lay snuggled close to Kite in the bed they shared, the moons and stars clearly visible on the night sky outside the window. This story has been stolen from Royal Road.

If you read it on Amazon, please report it"So I made the offer, even though I was sure to give her time to think on it before we talked some more about it the day after. Sprite was determined, though, no doubt about it. While it sometimes feels like cheating with normal-rankers, given how we can read their auras, it was nice to know that she truly wanted it. Heavens know it has helped me ever since. The girl doesn't really talk much."

"Well, it does sound like she's been through quite a lot, even before the monster attack. Auntie Dove seems to think that it will just be a matter of time though, and she seems to sleep remarkably well even in such under such new circumstances," he noted, sensing the thoroughly relaxed aura of the sleeping Sprite in the small room they had cleared for her on the bottom floor of the house. Said house was technically Dragonfly's even though Kite rarely slept anywhere else.

"At least as long as I'm around," Dragonfly answered with a helpless shrug.

"I had to leave for a day to get supplies for her and the compound, and could feel the lack of sleep in her aura when I returned. Honestly, it all feels a bit overwhelming for me too. Kite, I've basically adopted a child. A student, sure, and I know that it's done all the time. It felt so right at the time, and still does, but I'm just worried. Can I give her what she needs? What kind of life does she want? Oh heavens, she's what? Twelve? Kite, she'll be going through puberty soon!

Master Force always made things seem so simple…"

"From your perspective, perhaps," Kite noted, giving his fretting lover a kiss on the forehead.

"While she's the only one who can truly answer that question, I would hazard a guess that she felt the same as you. And if you think about it, you're a silver-ranker as opposed to Force's bronze at the time you met. Money for the bare necessities for the two of you will never be a problem. And perhaps even more important, you're not alone, Dragonfly. I'll help too whenever I can, as will my aunties. You've seen how Dove fusses over her.

Also, you've always told me of how grateful you are to Force for the foundation she provided for your life. Now you've done the same for Sprite. Heavens as my witness, Dragonfly, you're amazing." What began as an attempted comfort soon turned into a full admiring tirade, with Dragonfly only flushing more and more for each moment until she finally buried her face in Kite's chest.

"Mercy, Kite, mercy! There's only so much comfort appreciation a girl can take in a single breath," she grumbled, but her aura belied her true emotions as Kite could clearly sense some of the anxiousness giving way to relief and warmth.

"But thank you. Dove told me as much as well. Don't misunderstand me; she's my student and I will take responsibility for her. But as you like to say; the climb towards the heavens doesn't have to be made alone." The pair lay intertwined like that for a while in comfortable silence before Kite eventually spoke again.

"This would be my suggestion for our new circumstances; We'll let Sprite settle in for a bit more, letting her get more comfortable with the compound and the family. Then she can start following us along for some contracts. Not the actual hunts, mind you, and we can limit things to shorter trips. See how she takes to the lifestyle and work from there. If we make sure to set out from one of the cities with a guildhall, then we always have a place for her to stay during the dangerous parts.

Should she find the life too hectic or not fare well, she can stay here at the compound instead. If that is acceptable for her esteemed master, of course. I would never mean to overstep," he finished, some faux humility creeping into his words at the end.

"Well, I suppose that esteemed master Dragonfly can accept your advice this time. But don't get too presumptuous, lowly Pathbreaker. My ways are as ineffable as they are improvised. My secret technique 'Making it up as I go' knows no bounds!"

"Kite! Good to see you! Come in, come in!" Jarvan LanCaire called as he waved Kite forward, either not noticing or nor caring about the slightly displeased look that Carmella Dobrazza shot him. They were in her office, after all, but after plenty of meetings there over the years, the blonde man had begun to really make himself at home.

"Jarvan, Carmella. My greetings to you, honored Branch Directors," Kite greeted in turn, as he sat down next to the pair in the spacious office decorated in blacks, reds and gold.

"Still such a polite young man. You could stand to learn from him even now, Jarvan," Carmella replied, the smolders glowing eyes twinkling as Jarvan held his chest as if struck by a most hurtful arrow.

"But Kite, tell us! We've seen Dragonfly more frequently around these parts as of late, toting around a little elf. What is this new development?"

"Ah, that must be Sprite, Dragonfly's new apprentice. A local girl who seemed to have no true place of her own, and with enough steel in her to make Dragonfly take notice," Kite explained, accepting a small glass of something which glowed bright orange from Carmella with a nod of thanks.

"We have begun taking her along to get her more familiar with the kind of life we lead. A shy girl, but definitely dedicated."

"Well, it's good to see that the two of you continue to be a good influence on the young," Jarvan toasted.

"Noel has grown so much since being entrusted with the branch here in Bastion, Kite. His mother and I are so proud. Hearing of this makes me rather nostalgic actually. It wasn't so long ago that you and Dragonfly ran around Gilded while hanging onto the coattails of Walker and Force."

"A lot of things can indeed happen in seven years," Kite agreed, before making an attempt to get the meeting onto its intended track. During the years of regularly coordinating with the two branch directors, Kite had become even more acutely aware of Jarvan's almost impressive ability of going out on different tangents.

"And speaking of progress, how are things going? Any other leads or traces we should be aware of?"

"Alas, things are still calm. Almost frustratingly so," Carmella sighed.

"I know I should be happy that we seem to have managed to keep most of the unsavory elements in check, our main target of investigation included. But knowing that they are most likely continuing to conspire in the shadows elsewhere without me being able to intervene is making me restless."

"But at least Anasta seems to be onto something in the capital, as long as the last message she sent is to be believed. They hope that we can keep up the pressure so that it won't be as easy for certain undesirables to retreat north to recuperate," Jarvan added.

"And I must say that the guild continues to be a blessing in that regard. With your members moving to and fro across the northern regions, they can easily pass on information that might be of interest to us. Also, fewer contracts remain unclaimed out on the more far-flung boards, which means that less and less suspicious activities get passed off as just another monster attack."

"So… just carry on?" Kite asked to clarify.

"Just carry on," Jarvan confirmed.

"It's not like you should lack something to occupy your time in the meanwhile. As you might have noticed, the wall of silver is very much real. Rupert, Fantina and I didn't get far beyond it before taking our little extended break, so I know the feeling." Kite was nodding along when the branch director's words caused realization to strike, and a polite - if slightly mischievous - smile started spreading across his face.

"Why Jarvan, when you word it like that, it sounds like I've basically caught up to you now." The look on the other man's face was priceless, and Carmella just made things even worse for him by bursting out into a deep, throaty laugh.

"Oh Jarvan- he's got you now!" she managed to get out between chortles, causing Jarvan to shoot her a sour look of his own before straightening a bit in his chair.

"Well, while that might technically be the truth, there is still the matter of age and experience. Certain things can't really be quantified, you know?" he defended himself, and by doing so walked straight into Kite's second trap.

"Wise words, esteemed branch director, wise words," Kite readily agreed, stroking his chin.

"As you say, there is a certain quality to one's path that only true experience can bring, forged and tempered in the heat of danger. Then surely, you would not mind taking a few bouts in the sparring arena? To share some of that great experience that only comes with the vaunted heights of age?" This time, Jarvan's expression upon realizing the trap too late was so thoroughly horrified that Carmella could no longer manage to remain in her chair, falling to the floor in her fit of pure, unadulterated schadenfreude.

Little Sun Sprite swung her practice staff again, sweat dripping across her brow in the late summer heat. The others were still inside, finishing dinner together, and it had taken a great feat of willpower for Sprite to turn down Auntie Dove's offer of another plate of steamed dumplings to instead go out and resume her repetitions.

"I will only take what I need from them. No need to burden them more than necessary," she thought, trying to put the tasty delights from her mind, scattering the temptations through swing after swing. But even with her training gear adjusted for her slight frame, the exercise was hard. And Sprite had vowed to keep at it until it no longer hurt. A vow that was a lot easier to keep steady in one's mind before it felt like one's arms were about to fall off.

"Fifteen, sixteen, seven- agh!" Sprite's mental count was interrupted when the now slick staff slipped slightly in her grip, its lower end rapping her across one shin. The sudden pain caused her to stumble, and Sprite soon ended up curled up on the soft grass of the compound belonging to Kite and his family. And her teacher too, at least in a sense.

"No. Again. You have to be better." Her own self-criticism like a lash at the back of her mind, Sprite was just about to pick herself up and pretend like there weren't any tears to blink away when she suddenly heard the soft rustle of someone settling down next to her.

"Ooof, I do remember that hitting the shins really hurt back when Uncle Walker started teaching me. I was about your age too," Kite remarked from where he had sat down next to her, holding out a hand to help her up. Kite, the silver-ranker; a vaunted position of powers only spoken of in stories while Sprite grew up. Kite, her teacher's lover and equal, even able to defeat Dragonfly in most of their spars. Kite, who seemed to have eyes at the back of his head constantly aware of his surroundings.

To summarize, the very Kite who still felt terrifying to Sprite. She had even seen the pair fight together, from far away while protected by Glint. Her teacher's destructive potential was inspiring, carving through hordes of monsters in flaming glory. And it was a straightforward kind of power. One that left Sprite wanting to just bask in Dragonfly's fires.

Kite, on the other hand, seemed to be a constant presence among the beasts, his many hands somehow on every scale with barriers and attacks flickering in and out faster than Sprite could follow. His power was immovable and hard to grasp, flaming projections and sparkling bolts winking out before him as if they weren't there. Sprite wasn't sure why that scared her more than the obvious destruction of her own teacher, just knowing that it did.

But that was a fear she quickly tried to swallow as she instead scrambled back to her feet, ignoring the offered hand of assistance as so many times before, and giving the man a bow.

"Apologies. You had to see me fail," was her simple statement. Even after spending most of spring and the summer under Dragonfly's tutelage, Sprite was still unsure which title to use for Kite. Just his name felt too informal, and he had outright rejected master, claiming that he was neither the master of her or his family.

"As I have seen myself fail many times, both then and now," Kite agreed, no judgment in his tone. Still, Sprite knew that it had to be hidden somewhere beneath those words. How could they not?

"And if you'll excuse my candor, I do believe that you might fare better if you ate your fill rather than stopping yourself most of the time. You're going to need food for growing as you mature as well as fuel for your training and it needs to come from somewhere."

"Apologies. I will not slip again. My will-""Matters surprisingly little without the energy to fuel the rest of you," Kite gently chided as he interrupted her. Sprite was about to protest - she knew her own spirit and how it was lacking after all - but Kite interrupted her by producing a basket of sweet buns and a jug of water from one of his dimensional bags, handing them to Sprite faster than she could follow, even less attempt to reject the offered food.

"While I would never force you, I would like to give a kind recommendation that you eat these while you can. Because I happened to overhear that Dragonfly was pondering some more laps inside the sands of the astral space for you in the near future. And I for one wouldn't want to take on something like that with a half-empty stomach," he said, giving Sprite a wink as he stood up and left without saying anything more.

The girl sat frozen for a while, staring after his retreating back before his words truly registered in her mind. And while she had initially intended to wait until he was out of sight before digging into the food now in her lap, the thought of the purple sands awaiting her broke the last of her resolve. Because terrifying or not, Kite's words definitely held merit that even Sprite's pride couldn't deny.

"The heavens never cease to surprise, my erstwhile student. How long has it been now? Six years?"

"Six years and change, Master Stone. I'm honored that you still remember me," Kite replied with a smile as he sat down opposite the huge man that had trained him in the fundamentals of using his barriers during what felt like a lifetime ago.

"While we gold-rankers have excellent memories, I would not have forgotten either way. You were my last student before ascending after all," Unyielding Soul of Stone said as he waved to one of the waiting staff to start bringing food and drink into the private room that had been reserved for them at one of Heavenward's finer restaurants. As with most high-rankers, the years had been most kind to the man who had briefly been Kite's master, with him looking ever more like his namesake.

Master Stone was a powerfully built mountain of a man, both tall and wide. Gold rank had only further emphasized all the sharp lines of his face, and he had started growing out a neatly trimmed black beard since Kite saw him last which only further added to his rugged good looks.

But one notable different compare to last time was that the huge man seemed more at ease and happy than he had during his time spent as a hermit up north"While I had already heard of your exploits and your ascension, allow me to congratulate you in person. Gold is a most impressive milestone. With how busy you must be, I am again honored that you took the time to see me."

"You would be surprised how many doors power opens, Kite. But given that you've reached silver at a decent speed, I would be surprised if you hadn't already noticed it at least a bit," Stone said, pausing to thank the waiter that had just finished pouring drinks for both of them.

"Outside of special projects such as me helping construct the sea wall down south before the next surge, I'm at a place in life where people usually come to me with offers of work and contracts rather than the other way around. Which suits me greatly, as it leaves me plenty of time to spend with my family. Four children now, with a fifth in the vat. Even with all the hired help, they still keep us most busy. But not enough so that I can't find the time to take a break and see and old student who reached out.

Your letter was most welcome."

"Then congratulations are in order again. I did hear of your marriage shortly after your return to Heavenward," Kite said, posing his questions between bites of food.

"With you being blessed fivefold like that already, you sure didn't waste any time."

"Heh. No, we did not. Given how long we had to wait to actually be allowed to marry, both my wife and I were most eager to actually get to have the family we had been dreaming of for so long. So we got to it before her family came up with some other inane reason to try and impair our union and life together. Walls are pretty pointless if you have nothing important to protect, after all. A lesson I'd suggest that you take to heart.

You may still be young, but don't be afraid to care about things and people, otherwise all those long years during your climb towards the heavens will just feel empty." Kite paused a bit at that, giving the somber advice some proper consideration which in turn seemed to please the older man.

"Still the same introspective one, huh? Good. That'll help you in the long run," Master Stone noted with a cryptic smile.

"But what about you, Kite? Tell me of your path to silver."

"Well, things have indeed been busy these last few years. Did you ever hear of the change within the Victorious Sunset sect? It shouldn't have been too long after you left and-" Kite said, beginning the telling of a story that would take them through most of their multi-course meal together. He did leave out some details, such as the hunt for Discord's clergy and the discovery of his connection to Ardent Horizon Seeker, but managed to otherwise give a decent retelling of his adventuring life.

"So it turns out that you're that Pathbreaker that made such ripples in the dueling circles of the city a while ago. And not only that, you're involved in the guild up in the north too. Will the heavens smite me for having had a hand in shaping such an agent of chaos and change?" Master Stone jokingly said as Kite had finally finished.

"I do hope that you won't lament the bond between us too much, Master," Kite retorted.

"Unless you yourself are part of one of the sects, now honor bound to uphold their tarnished reputation?"

"No, you need not worry in that regard," Stone noted with a deep, low chuckle.

"When you've reached gold rank, it doesn't really matter that much if you're an outcast. Sure, the sects will try and gripe and grumble about it, but they'll still come to me for my expertise in construction and defenses. But your little guild sounds interesting… A way for outcasts to have some manner of support system beyond their immediate connections while still remaining mostly free and unbound.

Keep up the good work and I might even send my children your way once they come of age, should they choose the adventuring life. But speaking of adventuring and essences -" the older man said, glancing out at the afternoon sun still decently high in the sky outside "- I believe that there is still some time before I need to get back to the family.

If you wouldn't mind, why don't we head over to the Adventure Society campus and find ourselves a training hall so that you can show your former Master how well you've kept practicing on your foundations?"

"That would be my pleasure, Master Stone, especially as I don't expect Glint to return from her little outing of courtship until well into the evening," Kite replied, rising along with the older man.

"I will do my utmost to not disappoint."