Chương 22: Of carps and homecomings

Kite enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his face where he had stopped on the slight slope where he, Dragonfly and Serene were currently following a small forest path along a glittering stream. The trees surrounding them had even more vibrant colors as the frost had melted away and the feeling of early spring was in the air. They were now nearing the end of their second month out on the road as they had traveled from village to village in search of contracts.

After their close call with the unexpectedly strong and numerous ice elementals, they had rested for two days during which Kite had recovered back to look like his usual self. After that and making sure a message was sent to the Adventure Society in Gilded, the group had moved on. They were humbled, but still in good spirits.

The following weeks had brought a cavalcade of monster hunting, a few investigations into strange occurrences and even tracking down a missing person, the latter found via Serene's sharp aura senses. Fortune had continued to show them kindness, and there had been no other serious injuries. On the contrary, they had been able to defeat enough monsters for Kite to manifest quite a few items through his powers.

Most had been of little use, as Kite already had more useful equipment of similar types, but some had been deemed useful enough to be handed out among the trio, such as a pair of boots for easier traversal of snow. Many had been different kinds of weapons, where one in particular had found its way to Kite's personal arsenal.

WWJS: [Item] Seeking Hornet Iron rank - Rare Throwing star [Effect] Returns to user after attack is completed [Effect] Pay a small amount of mana to have the weapon ricochet toward one additional nearby target. Any special attack imbued into the throw will be applied to the secondary target as well. It had been manifested after the trio had cleared a nest of heartseeker hornets and their bronze-rank queen.

Fortunately, the swarm of kitten-sized hornets had been iron rank and the true threat, as the queen had little to no fighting capabilities. Serene's channeled area healing had gotten a good workout during that battle. The affair in question had been rather miserable, but Kite was happy with the dividends. The throwing star had a diameter of about the length of Kite's hand and was made of a brass-colored metal, decorated with stylised black hornets.

Since Kite had several attacks that mostly needed to hit, such as his Disrupting strike or the mana-draining Chakra implosion, he was very happy with the weapon easily affecting two targets instead of one. The trio was currently heading westward. Kite had been very happy that his companions had acquiesced to steering the final part of their trip toward Starberry peak, as he hoped to finally return to visit his aunties. He realized that it had soon been a year since he left last spring with Uncle Walker.

Kite was brought out of his reverie when he perceived a slight glimmer from the nearby stream. It had a slightly different feel than the rest of the ripples on the stream's surface, and he gave off a slight nudge of aura toward his friends which indicated for them to stop. While very simplistic, the trio had worked out a small series of aura 'nudges' to wordlessly communicate. It wouldn't work too well if they had to retract their auras too much, but it was a good practice of fine control as well.

Dragonfly had grumbled a bit about other aura practice she would rather do, but had to admit that the basic tricks might be useful one day. Moving toward the glimmer, Kite stepped out on top of a pair of rocks before he reached down toward the source.

"I thought as much." he said as he retracted a small scale shimmering with rainbow colors.

"What is it?" Dragonfly asked as she leaned closer from the bank of the stream to get a better look.

"It's a scale of some kind. Uncle Walker has found quite a few of them during his travels, all in different streams, and has been collecting them. I thought I might bring him another one. He hoped that they would bring him luck." Kite said, readying himself to go back.

"It looks like you might not have been the only one looking for the source of that which glittered." came the amused voice of Serene with a small chiming laugh. Her comment halted Kite in his tracks, and he looked around. From the nearby water, a fish had stuck its head above the surface and was looking straight at him with golden eyes. It had a pale pink color and slightly flowing fins of a slightly deeper shade of pink, and was around the length of his lower arm.

On both sides of its mouth was a tendril, akin to a mustache. As Kite met the blank gaze of the fish, he thought he could detect a faint magical aura from it. He was certain that it wasn't a monster, but knew that there were many other creatures in this world that had a magic of their own. After a lengthy silent stare, Kite asked: "Did you want it? The scale?" He thought it bobbed slightly, but it might have been his imagination.

Thinking himself a bit foolish, he still bent down and offered the scale to the fish, expecting it to flee as he came closer. The small creature remained still for a few seconds, before tentatively closing in and taking the proffered scale in its gaping mouth. To the group's collective surprise, it quickly proceeded to swallow the scale. Just a few moments later they could all feel a small burst of aura as the faint magic within the fish suddenly expanded, maturing to a full iron-rank aura.

Along its length, Kite could see that some of its own, smaller scales had changed color to a shimmering and vibrant rainbow hue. That was apparently not the extent of the transformation, as it suddenly floated up from the stream, carried on top of a small cushion of water. Kite stood frozen in disbelief as it stopped in height with his eyes, the blank eyes staring at him intently.

"I… I'm glad you liked it." he finally said.

"Unfortunately, I don't have any more." He wondered if he was imagining that the fish looked a bit dejected, and hurried to add;"But I actually have more at home, where I live. I could come back one day and bring them to you? Would you like that?" While he spoke, the fish had resumed its intense stare. In the silence that followed, it seemed to hesitate before ever so slowly floating closer and closer to Kite's face before finally giving his nose a light bump.

As the fish touched him, he felt something from the creature. It was a faint conveyance of an undeniable meaning. Without knowing that many details, Kite instinctively understood that it offered him something. A bond.

"You.. want to be my friend?" Kite asked, disbelieving of the encounter he currently found himself in. Slight bob Kite looked at his companions.

"Do any of you know this kind of fish?" Serene looked amused and Dragonfly was holding in her laughter. Both shook their heads.

"I don't know what that is, but how could you say no to that face?" Dragonfly got out between snarks of barely contained laughter. Kite turned back to the blank, fishy stare. It seemed surprisingly comfortable out of the water, its small mustache wiggling expectantly.

"Opportunity to fortune…" He thought silently to himself before speaking.

"Well, I like friends." Kite stated with a smile.

"If you want to be my friend, I will gladly be yours." The fish responded with what Kite thought was a happy bobbing in its little floating cloud of water before it began to glow, a gray light spilling from its little body. Kite was surprised to see himself glow as well as he could feel himself change as an intangible connection was formed.

WWJS: Racial ability [Human ambition] has evolved into [Forger of Bonds] [Forger of Bonds] Evolved from Human ambition Essence abilities advance more quickly, with a further boost if used in conjunction with allies. You may form a familiar bond, binding that familiar to you until either of you die. As you increase in rank, your familiar will increase alongside you. You have formed a familiar bond with Celestial Carp. A rather dizzying amount of sensations flowed through that bond.

For a short while, Kite saw himself standing there. Feelings of gratitude, love and admiration apparently welled up inside the little fish as it gazed on Kite, and he got the distinct feeling that it was a female. It was so unexpected that he saw himself fall backwards into the stream, the connection breaking from suddenly being immersed in cold water. Dragonfly's uproarious laughter reached him as he emerged from the shallow stream, surprisingly not by his own power.

It was as if the water was actively lifting him, righting him to stand on his feet as the drops were expelled from his body. The little fish was the obvious, if unexpected, source of such control over the water. It then promptly floated over to Dragonfly and spit a small stream of water in her face, causing her to fall over spluttering in surprise. Kite felt some indignation from the fish as it apparently wanted to defend him.

"It seems that your new friend is most loyal." Serene giggled before turning to the carp.

"Welcome, little fish. I am Serene, also a friend of Kite."

"And this is Dragonfly." Kite introduced with a wave towards the glaring woman as he was climbing out of the stream.

"She is also a friend." He got a small wave of disbelief from his new companion.

"She is nice. Friends are allowed to laugh at each other, as long as the misfortune is slight." he explained with a smile.

"Did it bond to you with a gift evolution?" Serene asked, curious.

"I have heard that the evolutions are flexible, but not that they can be initiated by another creature."

"I haven't heard of it either." Kite admitted, "but I believe Fortune has favored me yet again." The carp bobbed happily as it continued to float in slow circles around Kite.

"What will you name it?" Dragonfly asked as she got to her feet. She eyed the fish suspiciously, but apparently dedicated to playing nice for now. Kite turned to the fish.

"You are quite pretty, little fish. I would like to name you Glint, if you are alright with that. It was a glint in the water which brought us together after all." The newly named fish seemed pleased with the praise and the name, and thus Glint joined them in their travels. That very evening, Glint and Dragonfly seemed to have become the fastest of friends despite the rocky start.

Glint's slight water-controlling abilities had ingratiated her to Dragonfly as she could repel rain in a decent area around them, demonstrated when a sudden spring rain fell heavy over the forested valleys. The woman won the carp's favor in turn as she took any opportunity to feed her breadcrumbs and even caught some insects to offer the fish.

As they traveled onward, they discussed different means of constructing some kind of container for Glint so that she could rest easier when she didn't want to levitate on her cushion of water. Carrying her and some water in a bucket was an acceptable start though, and the new company became a pleasant distraction for the group as their journey carried them toward their destination. Kite was going to visit home.

Four days and some monster battles later, courtesy of Sage, they finally reached their destination which marked the beginning of the last leg of their journey.

"There it is!" Kite said while pointing at the village on the peak. Little seemed to have changed over the past year, and the wooden walls and tiled roofs looked just like Kite remembered. And there, on the very top of the peak, stood the two-story house he had called home for almost his entire life.

"This is your home?" asked Dragonfly as she took it in.

"It's no Gilded, but it does look cozy."

"As long as it has beds, I would be quite happy." Serene added.

"Unless something has changed, there should be plenty of room in the guest house. Come on, let's see if my aunties are home!" Kite cheered as he set off on very familiar paths. Graceful Dove under the Moon, also known as Auntie Dove, was humming happily as she walked around her garden. Here and there, she muttered a spell as she channeled her magic into the soil to enrich it in wait for the planting. She stopped and felt the sun on her face.

"Dear Crow, isn't there something special with the spring sun?" she asked, happily.

"I wouldn't know, dear. You are glowing enough that I haven't noticed if the ones in the sky have shown themselves yet." Curious Crow flies Swift, or Auntie Crow, answered with a smile without looking up from the array blueprint she was working on. Dove, wildly blushing as she still always did when Crow praised her, halted her retort as she felt her wife freeze and drop her pen.

"What is it, dear?" she asked, knowing that her aura senses were not as sensitive as Crow's. Crow turned to her with a smile as her animated hair began to stow away her tools and pen.

"I believe the winds brought us some fortune, love." Walking up through the village had taken its time, as Kite had been stopped quite regularly by acquaintances and neighbors with myriads of questions. Begging off most with promises to return later, Kite had only the time to lead his companions up to the small fence surrounding his childhood home before Auntie Dove came striding from around the house, auburn locks almost flying behind her in her haste.

Auntie Crow was not far behind, but as usual she preferred a more dignified and measured approach to most things.

"Little Kite! You've returned!" Dove cried happily before catching Kite in an embrace which reminded him very thoroughly of her bronze rank. She smelled of herbs and home. As they hugged, Kite thought that he might soon match her height but still had a centimeter or two to go. As she let him go, Auntie Crow also came in for a hug. She in turn smelled of ink. And also of home.

"Welcome back, little Kite" she said as she looked up at him.

"And you've brought company, I see." Kite turned to his two companions who had been hanging back respectfully to let the family reunite in peace. He waved them forward as he introduced the two women.

"These are my companions, Dragonfly over Sun's Reflection and Serene Breeze. We have joined our paths together during our adventures so far, and I have come as far as I have thanks to them." He then gestured to the bucket which Dragonfly currently carried.

"And this here is Glint, a recent addition to our company." As he spoke, the carp came levitating up from her bucket to see what was going on.

"And these are my aunties, Graceful Dove under the Moon and Curious Crow flies Swift. They are my dearest family." This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. After the round of introductions, they were all ushered into the house as Auntie Dove made tea. Then it was time for stories. As Kite began to tell them of everything that had happened since he had left home, it felt like a dam opening up.

He realized how much he had wanted to share with them over the months he had been away, if only for the reason that he wanted them to know. He talked about his journey to Gilded, of the encounter with young master Providence and the meeting with Dragonfly and Master Force. Of experiencing the city and how he shared the apartment with Uncle Walker. Of his examination and subsequent contract. About how they helped Verdant steps with their spirit problems. And his journey to and subsequent training under master Stone.

And of their adventures coming here. The only things he left out was the Jade-Sky token and the venture they were about to undertake for the Adventure Society. As he talked, his aunties asked questions, gasped, laughed or just listened in silence. His companions joined in as well, adding to his stories when they could. When Kite seemed to have run out of words, a comfortable silence fell over the kitchen. The teapot had been refilled, and food had arrived and disappeared on the table. Night had fallen outside.

"Well love, it seems like Kite's first year as an adventurer might even be a bit more exciting than ours were." Auntie Crow noted with a smirk.

"I must commend you as well for your aura control, Kite. It is coming along nicely so I can assume you have been diligent."

"It is thanks to these two," Kite said with a smile while gesturing toward Dragonfly and Serene.

"They both help me practice in their own ways." He was unsure, but he thought he could see Auntie Crow's eyes flicker ever so slightly toward Dragonfly during his last comment. However, she gave no more indications of that as she continued.

"It does sound troubling, however, that the remnants of the fallen sect seem to be acting out. Those troubles started when you were but a child and we only heard about it from Walker."

"Such vile paths." Auntie Dove added with a shudder.

"I thank Fortune every day that you didn't join them when you were offered, dear".

"You were offered to join the Unbreakable Chains sect?" Kite asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"I was, about thirty years ago while I was still at iron rank. Apparently, my hair essence met their criteria enough for them to justify trying to recruit me for my skills with formations and arrays." Crow answered.

"But I had already met your aunt and our plans were quite different. Neither of us wanted the prestigious but demanding life of a sect. We wanted a nice house in a cozy, small village somewhere away from that kind of politics. It turns out that Fortune favored my choice in many ways." she finished, a strand of hair gently stroking the back of Auntie Dove's hand.

"Promise me you will be careful if you meet such people in the future, Kite. Monsters are merciless but rarely cruel. People on the other hand…" Dove said before trailing off, her meaning quite clear.

"Have you fought many other essence-users then? Any stories about that?" Dragonfly asked eagerly.

"Hmm, not that many but-" Auntie Dove giggled.

"Did we ever tell you about the contract we took back at iron rank? The one with the bandit who had the rooster essence?"

"If I remember correctly, he had quite a different name for it." Auntie Crow smirked. Together they began telling some stories of their own. They had rarely spoken about their adventuring days when Kite was younger. Knowing about the often violent life, he could understand. And now, he could also understand even more as he got to see a new side of his aunties as they regaled their guests with stories. That night, Kite fell asleep in the room that had been the last thing he saw for almost every night of his life.

It felt smaller, somehow.

"Or maybe it is just my world that has become a lot bigger." he mused, right before sleep claimed him. The day after they had arrived at Starberry peak, Kite was sitting next to Auntie Crow in a meditative pose out in their garden. While the winds hadn't truly picked up the warmth of spring yet, the suns still provided ample warmth. Glint was floating about the garden on her cushion of water, inspecting the different plants.

She was joined by Sage, who Kite had released from within his aura to satisfy the familiar's growing curiosity. Auntie Crow was currently guiding Kite through a meditation to help him get used to sharing senses with Glint. Over the hour of practice, it had become gradually easier to distinguish the different emotions coming from the curious carp, as well as less nauseating to perceive the world through a creature with a quite different anatomy.

"I believe you'll have to keep an eye on Glint, little Kite. Dove always longed for a familiar, and might just attempt to lure her away from you with as many treats as she can sneak to her." Kite chuckled at the thought of Glint being fishnapped by his auntie.

"Well, at least I would know that she'd have a good home." Neither of his aunties had any familiars of their own, but Auntie Crow had enough books and knowledge to provide him with some basic guidance regarding the familiar bond.

"Glint is a curious creature though. I haven't heard about her kind, although it is not a subject I am very knowledgeable in. And Sage…" she trailed off, watching the curious symbol-being hover around. At the moment, it floated hypnotized in front of a small paper pinwheel which spun in the wind.

"I have not the faintest idea what it is. You should consider seeking help in identifying the both, if only to understand them better. But I am glad that you have company, no matter the kind." Kite's humanoid company had been drafted into helping Auntie Dove gather herbs in the forests below the cliff on which Starberry peak rested on.

"Speaking of company, are you and Dragonfly lovers, Kite?" Apparently, Kite did not remain as calm and collected as he wanted to her question, as she smiled and continued.

"I thought as much. While I couldn't read it from your aura, her reaction when you spoke about aura practice was quite a giveaway. When I started looking closer, I thought I saw some similarities in how you approach the finer nuances of your auras." Kite was blushing quite thoroughly at this point. Auntie Crow had always had good aura perception, but Kite had to admit that he hadn't thought them quite as sharp as to pick out this kind of information.

His mind was currently tying itself into knots on how to give voice to the subject. While the thought of talking about it with his close family flustered him quite a bit, it had always been Auntie Crow he had these kinds of conversations with. It was, after all, she who had sat him down on his thirteenth birthday and explained the concepts and details regarding sex and procreation.

"It is acceptable to want to have private parts of life, little Kite. I will not pry overly much, but your auntie is concerned about your well-being as well." she explained gently.

"If I may ask, how do you feel about your current relationship, whatever form it might take?" Taking a deep breath to collect his thoughts, helped along by her question, Kite was able to form a coherent line of thought stable enough to put into words.

"I… I like it. We kind of stumbled into it, but it seems to have gone well. I had this book about paired aura practice-""Ah, yes. The Dyadic Tempering of Auras if I'm not mistaken. I thought I recognized the hint of those techniques in your auras." Forestalling his obvious question, she continued.

"Please, little Kite. I have been an adult and an essence user quite a lot longer than you. I can even loan you the book with more advanced techniques when you reach bronze rank. Please continue where you were." Kite's mind simply packed up her words and stowed them away for later dissemination, as it simply couldn't handle more flustering subjects at the time, before he continued. The words came easier after that, helped along by Auntie Crow's familiar wry humor.

He told her about his return to Gilded, how Dragonfly had asked if he wanted to practice with her and their conversation afterwards. Auntie Crow nodded as he finished.

"It seems like we have done a rather acceptable job when raising you, Kite. While it was long ago, I still faintly remember the more disorganized thought processes involved. It seems that you have matured quite a bit over the year and that it helped you both communicate clearly on the matter. Just remember, Kite, that situations may change. Feelings are complicated. Show them respect, whatever they may be or how they change. And keep putting them into words. It is always good practice."

"Thanks, Auntie Crow. For everything." She patted his head, having to reach upward quite a bit these days to do so.

"You are such a nice boy, little Kite. And I believe that your fish is trying to get into one of Dove's bags of seeds. We should probably intervene, unless we want carp for lunch today." Two pleasant, relaxing days passed as Kite and his companions spent their time in Starberry peak. Overall it was pleasant, where the trio helped his aunties with some daily chores while they in turn helped the group.

Auntie Dove dipped into her stores of herbs and materials to create more pills for the group, as well as working personally with Dragonfly in regards to her fire powers. Dove also possessed the fire essence. While their power set was quite unlike each other, the older woman still had a lot of experience to lean into, and Dragonfly was eager to learn.

Auntie Crow took the time to polish up Kite's knowledge of rituals, and even deemed him ready to learn some more, mostly focusing on utility in everyday adventuring life. Serene participated as well, curious to at least gain some basic knowledge on the subject. During that time, Kite had noticed a subtle hint of withdrawal from Dragonfly. Outwardly she was her vibrant self, but it felt like she had withdrawn slightly.

The feeling had increased gradually over the two days, and it was on their third evening in the village when he decided to ask her about it. He made up a reason to have her help him bring in some water from the pump in the garden, and led her toward where it stood near the fence which circled the property. It was a simple affair, with a tap controlled by a magic rune. After filling a few buckets, he remained standing there looking out over the woodlands bathed in the light of the sunset.

"How are you?" he asked, thinking it best to start simple.

"What? I'm fine. Your aunties are nice." she answered, but it still didn't shake the feeling he got from her. She smiled as usual, but it was a bit dulled. Kite didn't respond, only continuing to look at her as he gave her aura a gentle nudge, the equivalent of a gentle shoulder bump. She looked at him for a long moment, before sighing and putting down her held buckets. Dragonfly sidled up to him and leaned her head against his arm.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Kite, because I don't mean it the way it might sound. But I'm jealous of you. Of this." she waved a hand toward the surrounding garden and the house. As he didn't say anything, only leaned into her a bit to urge her to continue, she pressed on.

"If some things had gone different. If I had been stronger at the time, if the walls hadn't been breached or if help had arrived sooner… This life could have been mine. Well, not exactly this. Our house wasn't as big, nor was our garden. But I might have had a family to return to." The words seemed to be coming easier as she spoke, and she needed no more prompting to continue.

"If things had been different, my parents might have been bronze rank now like your aunties. I don't think that they even had all their powers awakened yet. And they could have been here to listen to tales of my adventures, to give sage advice or just lots of hugs." Her voice broke slightly.

"Seeing all this just brought up all the things I never got to share with them, and it hurts. I thought I was over it. I will be ever grateful to Master Force for taking me in and giving me everything. And your aunties are awesome, and it makes me happy that this is where you had the chance to grow up. It just hurts more than I realized it would. It used to make me angry, to have me train harder so I could kill every monster there is. Now it just makes me feel sad."

Kite had been standing there, focusing on listening and sensing. Both at her words and how her aura shifted as she spoke. He then sensed a pattern he recognized, the one he thought meant that she needed a hug. So he wrapped his arms around her and held her for a time. She sniffled a bit, but mostly melted into the embrace as she always did. Dragonfly had always been a good hugger. After a few minutes, she stepped out of the embrace with a slight reluctance to look up at him.

"Thank you, Kite. How did you notice? I'm not sure I had completely noticed myself yet."

"I have gotten quite familiar with your aura and well, you. Something just didn't feel right, and I felt that asking was a lot better than just leaving you alone with whatever it was."

"Well, now you've seen me emotionally naked as well as physically." she said with a slight smile.

"And you are very pretty either way." he answered lightly, drawing her back into the hug.

"Damn right I am." a muffled, faint voice could be heard against his chest. The group stayed for two more days, although not all the time spent in Starberry peak was rest and relaxation. The day after his talk with Dragonfly, one of the villagers came with a reported monster sighting. Starberry peak usually had an empty notice board, since most monsters were handled directly by Auntie Dove and Auntie Crow.

That was why they and Kite's group stood listening to old Bough, whose grandson had been the one to spot the manifestation as it was still ongoing.

"- over behind the peak to the northwest, near the tangle." the old man finished.

"Well then, we shall go there at once to have a look. I think this might be an excellent opportunity to let the younglings show us what they have learned." Auntie Crow stated with a smile. This led to all five of them traveling down from the village on the peak and back into the woods where Kite had played growing up. Kite knew of the area called the tangle, although he had only been there along with his aunties as it was about an hour's walk from the village.

It was an area where many roots surfaced and wove into each other, creating an almost solid mat of gnarled, wooden tendrils beneath. As the group neared the area, they could spot movement ahead between the trees. About a hundred meters away, a huge ball of tangled roots was making its way between the trees, rocking back and forth as it crossed the uneven terrain.

"Oh, it has been a long time since an autumn pawn manifested around here. This should be fun!" Auntie Dove cheered.

"What is an autumn pawn?" Kite asked, not knowing what to make of the spherical being.

"It is a creature that usually manifests only up north, here in the autumn lands. It is a kind of forest wisp which animates and forms a versatile shell of roots. They begin at bronze rank, such as this, but if it manages to roll far enough south to a territory with higher magical density, it can evolve to silver rank. Those are called autumn knights. There are rumors of higher ranked specimens, but none confirmed as far as I know." Auntie Crow explained sagely.

"How about you spry younglings give it a go? We'll be here if you need us." Auntie Dove asked, excited at the prospect of seeing their little sprout and his companions in action. Kite looked at his companions, who nodded determinedly.

"Let us handle it then, aunties. Mind keeping Glint company while we fight it?"

"Of course, dear. I think I even have something for her to snack on here somewhere!" Auntie Dove exclaimed while eagerly taking the bucket with the carp. Glint happily splashed about before she floated up to hover expectantly before Dove. Kite and his companions began advancing toward the rolling sphere, Serene picking up a resounding song while Dragonfly summoned her burning axe. Dove and Crow watched them head toward the sphere, which seemed to have picked up their auras and had changed course to intercept them.

As they saw the young ones charge ahead, Dove leaned closer to Crow and asked; "Do you think it was mean of us to not warn them beforehand?" in a whisper.

"Adventurers need to learn on the job dear. Besides, an autumn pawn isn't that bad. Just a bit frustrating." Crow answered with a smile as a strand of hair picked a breadcrumb from the bag they brought and threw it to Glint with a flicking motion.

"They seem to be off to a strong start. Serene has good timing with that wind spell."

"Indeed she has! It surely won't like that fiery axe much. Will probably respond with- aaaand there she went."

"Kite seems to be able to keep up the pressure though. See the timing of his barriers? I must admit I'm surprised he can bring them about with such precision. That master which Walker sent him to seems to have known his business." Crow said with an approving nod.

"And Dragonfly seems to return. That sure is a lot of spinning and fire."

"Yes dear, but not as impressive as you. You definitely burn hotter."

"Oh hush you, I don't have time for blushing right now." Dove hissed. Blushing.

"Oh Kite, watch out for- Hmm… That wall is new."

"He has awakened all his powers now. There are a lot of surprises. His dispelling attacks sure seem to frustrate the monster. It is very fond of those roots."

"Oh Crow, look. Is it just me, or is Dragonfly getting faster?"

"You are quite right, dear. All those lashings of the roots seemed to have helped. Didn't they say she had a confluence which needs a bit of a beating to really get going?"

"Well, it didn't seem to help her clothes much. I hope Kite isn't too distracted by it and makes a mistake. That was a good swing by the both, though. Nice timing."

"I wouldn't worry about distractions too much dear. They are already having sex."

"What?!" Dove gasped, blushing furiously.

"Oh, you didn't notice? Kite held it together rather well, but Dragonfly gave it away with her aura. Oh, good timing yet again, Serene. It is like watching the conductor of an orchestra."

"But.. but… Our little Kite-""Is a grown man now, dear. Besides, they're even practicing the dyadic tempering. It's good training."

"So- so are they a thing? Should we be expecting to be grand-aunties?"

"Hold your heidels, dear. They seem to prefer it casual. Adventurer life and all that. Even had a proper talk about it, all mature. They do grow up fast. Speaking of growing, when could Kite produce a void rift of that size?"

"But why wouldn't he tell me?" Dove exclaimed, looking like a hurt puppy.

"I don't think he would have told me either, dear, at least not now. But since I figured it out, I thought I might make sure that he was alright with their relationship. And besides, you know how you get around more intimate subjects. There was a reason why it was me who gave him the talk when we saw where he and Brook seemed to be heading."

"What do you mean? I can handle it just fine."

"Oh really?" Crow asked with a dangerous smirk.

"Then, tonight, why don't we practice some of the third volume of the dyadic tempering? You know, the technique where I-" Crow broke off as Dove had become a spluttering mess, blushing from head to toe.

"I think I made my point clear, love. And I do find it ever so pleasing to make you blush. Speaking of heating up, I think they might have found the trick to dispatching the pawn. Let us see how they handle the root cannon. … … Well that wasn't so bad. That dark wall sure seems handy for those more spectacular attacks. And I believe this is it. Yes, that's it done. Come along now, dearest Dove. Let's go cheer on our victorious young ones. And do keep it a secret that you know now, alright?"

When the group was about to set out on their journey back toward Gilded, the farewell was as emotional and joyous as the greeting had been. Auntie Dove hugged each of them in turn, keeping Kite a little longer in her arms.

"My little Kite. All grown up and mature." she cooed while patting his head. After hugging Auntie Crow farewell, Kite spoke up.

"Thank you for everything, aunties. Know that this place, and you, will always be my home. And I thank Fortune every day that it is so. I love you both." They left the village, waving farewell to the pair of women in the house at the village peak as well as to villagers that they passed. Kite felt like the visit back home had soothed his soul, and thought that at least a bit of that feeling had rubbed off on his two companions as well. With a cheer in their step, the trio started their journey back to Gilded.

It was still some months off before autumn and the hunt for the fallen sect's members would begin, but Kite had something he needed to do before then anyway. There was a certain token in his bag which needed to be used.