A large, clear blue lake surrounded by tall, freshly bloomed trees and flowers. The calm water reflected the light of the late afternoon sun, causing it to shine like crystals were floating on the water's surface. Families are seen enjoying the return warm weather that spring brought, children playing, running around a playground, and old men were seen fishing off a wooden dock.

  This is Crystal Lake Park.

  Lyn and Achilles were separated, having their conversation with a small group. There was a pair of brunettes, a blond man, and a gray-haired woman. The brunettes were both engaged with their group, the man had blue eyes and his hair was short, while the woman's eyes were an amber in color and her walnut brown hair was long and loose. These are Sigurd and Astera Vastage, the rulers of the lush lands of Greenvaile.

  The other pair was the blond with brown eyes of Thorrin Fullbringer, a large, bearded man who wore his many scars proudly as a reflection of his past adventures, and his wife, Diana. Her midnight blue hair was braided together into a bun it with a small ponytail and her eyes of a similar color could only watch as the children played. This lovely pair who rained over the savannas that dominated Ozrio. You'd think that these rulers would be discussing what would be taking place during the meeting tomorrow, but in reality, they were just friends catching up.

  "So Lyn, how is Red's magic training?" Astera questioned. "I know I've seen him practice every time I visit. Is he making progress?"

  "He's made some progress, but it's slower than he would like." She informed her friends.

  "So it's the same as last time then, poor boy has he not progressed? He's been going at it non-stop for almost four years now. I wonder what's hampering his growth." Astera could only ponder what the cause was.

  "So Lyn, was your little fire gem hard at work when you left?" Diana could still recall how proud the boy was when he managed to make a small flickering flame.

  "Not today, when I left, he was cloud watching. He said he was going to wait for Lucina."

  "What, he didn't want to come see 'Auntie' Diana?" The pouting royal only served as something to laugh at, that was, until the reason for his absence crossed her mind. "Wait, Lucina, who's that? We normally don't have others get involved with summits. May I ask who she is?" Diana grew curious as to who this new arrival was.

  "She's Lumara and Indigo's daughter. They met a little over a week ago when we visited Eden." Lyn told her friends.

  "Aw, Red has a little girlfriend, how cute. Did you set them up?" She couldn't help but smile at the thought, jabbing her elbow into her friend's side, giving her a smug look.

  "So how are Lumara and Indigo doing? It's been years since I last saw them. I really should go to Eden Village, it's been far too long since I last visited." Astera remarked.

  "They're doing good. They're living the life they always wanted, a nice, quiet life in the countryside. Honestly, I envy them." Lyn spoke, but her voice turned annoyed when she addressed the Ozrioian royal. "Diana, do you think I would do something like that?"

  The only response she got was Diana's laughter. "Well, I'll have you know that Jason was looking forward to seeing Red today, but I guess the act of courting a young lady does take priority." She reluctantly came to terms with the boy's choice. "So Astera, how are the twins?"

  "Well, they're fine, but they're finally starting to move out of that trouble-making phase. Honestly, their little pranks were amusing, but now they're tiresome." Astera spoke. "Although Ardee has started to become more of a solo act when it comes to her antics, while Amber has been becoming less dependent on her sister, so she hasn't been going along with her sister's plans lately."

  "That reminds me of when Roy started walking. All he would do was follow Red. No matter what he did, Roy would just mimic him." Lyn spoke with a memory filled smile.

  "Those years truly are the best aren't they?" Astera joined Lyn on her walk down memory lane.

  "That they are, but I think I prefer these years more."

  The conversation between the ladies continued to go back and forth. Topics changed from their children to how they have been, and even just reminiscing. While they talked, their husbands were lost in conversation as they reminisced about their past adventures back when they were younger.

  "I still remember the first summit when I met ya. You were trying so hard not to look like a dumbass in front of Igneel. 'What can I do for you, Lord Igeenl?' 'Do you need anything, Lord Igeenl?' 'Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you, Lord Igeenl'." The large man laughed, mocking his friend.

  "Come on, Thorin, l wasn't that bad. I just have high respect for Igneel."

  "I'm sorry, but I think that's called brown nosing." Sigurd joined in laughing.

  "Get off my back."

  This only caused Thorin and Sigurd to laugh harder. But it was cut short by Thorin. "Remember when we used to go dungeon diving. We used to compete to see who had the higher kill count or the best kill. Remember when I threw a bomb down a hellhound's throat." He stated fondly, showing off one of the many scars he had received all those years ago.

  "Yeah, talk about causing a chain reaction, you caused the tunnel to collapse, we had to spend hours just to find the way back outside. Those were the days. Honestly, I would love to plunder a dungeon for old time's sake." Nostalgia filled Achilles' voice.

  "As much as I would love to go to a dungeon, we can't. I mean look over there..." Sigurd gestured to the children. "... we have a new set of responsibilities now. We can't just go thrill seeking because we want to go down memory lane."

  Their gaze turned to see four children chasing each other. Thorin's son Jason, a boy who had his mother's eyes and his father's hair, gave chase to Sigurd's twin girls, Ardee and Amber. They both had brown hair like their parents, but when Ardee's hair started to have a grayish-blue striped bang that ran along the right side of her head took form. That wasn't the only difference between the twins. Amber's eyes were the same color as her mother's, while Ardee, on the other hand, had inherited her father's cerulean blue.

  "Yeah, I know what you mean. I guess those days are behind us now. But I'm glad I have the family I never had."

  "Not necessarily."

  "What do you mean, Thorin?" Sigurd questioned.

  "Well, think about it like this. When the kids get older, they'll eventually want to have their adventures. So when they want to explore a dungeon, who better to show them the ropes than us?"

  "I think that may be the smartest thing you have ever said, but it's too soon for that kind of thought," Sigurd spoke, jabbing the man's side.

  "Not necessarily, I mean, Achilles isn't your boy, gonna be sixteen soon, right?"

  "Yeah, in August. Wait, you don't mean."

  "Yeah, after that, let's have the three of us take him to a dungeon."

  Both men were left with different expressions. Achilles was left shocked, while Sigurd was left thinking.

  "Are you crazy? That idea is insan–"

  "Honestly, it's not that bad."

  Achilles could only look at Sigurd; several thoughts ran through his head, but the main one that kept coming up was that Sigurd agreed with Thorin. "I'm sorry. I think I misheard. Did you just say you agreed with him?"

  "Honestly, yes. I mean, think about it, not only does it provide us an opportunity to help train the next generation, but it also allows us a better way to help not just make stronger bonds between kingdoms, but with the people as well. I mean, there are plenty of people who make their living from the dungeons. From finding them, mapping them out, and even collecting the monster stones, which helps with the technological boom that we have been experiencing in the last few decades."

  "See, I told you it's a good idea. The kids get first-hand experience and guidance, and we get to relive some of our glory days. It's a win-win." Thorin boasted.

  Looking into the sky, Achilles couldn't help but imagine the situation. "Honestly, I would love to take him to a dungeon just the two of us. That way I can show him what I can do, maybe if he saw me in action, then he'd look at me the same way he does Lord Igneel." Leaving his mind, he gave his piece. "Yeah, maybe in your eyes, but good luck telling that to Lyn."

  "Cross that bridge when you get there." Thorrin couldn't help but laugh at his answer.

  "So what are you boys talking about?" The men turned to see it was Astera who called out to them.

  "Nothing, dear. Did you need something?" Sigurd responded.

  "Not really, I just came to get you all. We're about to head back to get dinner ready." So the two groups joined back up and started to leave the park, only to branch off as they made their way back to their respective homes for the evening.

  ——————————————————

  The sound of racing footsteps echoed down the empty street as Red ran down the road. However, he wasn't the only one; Lucina, Arthur, and Fir were right on his tail. The quartet was running towards the waves and shouts of Ash and Hector standing behind a white chalk line.

  The group soon came neck and neck. The sound of rapidly hitting the ground filled the empty street; they raced to the line, each having a short moment in the lead before another took their place.

  Soon, one pair of feet pulled ahead, leaving the others far behind, getting closer to the finish line. The other two tried to catch up but were ultimately in vain as the first to cross the line was...

  "Victory is mine!"

  Fir was the one to cross, her cry echoed throughout the empty streets, panting with her arms raised high.

  The fight for second place was still ongoing, but a blonde blur was able to pull ahead, leaving the two remaining racers in the dust crossing the line. After crossing, Arthur turned, only to see a fierce fight over who would come last.

  Red and Lucina were in a dead sprint, both refusing to come last. Their footsteps got faster as they got closer, each one managing to pull ahead for a moment before the other took the lead. Running shoulder to shoulder, trying to pull ahead of the other. As they got closer, the fire in their eyes only grew. Their steps became faster, lunged further, and then.

  A pair of legs crossed, and a rolling dust cloud rolled across the finish line before settling. The onlookers could only laugh as the dust cleared, only to reveal and crimson-eyed boy and azure azure-eyed elf, lying on their stomachs

  ""I win!"" The pair shouted, leaping up from the ground. Before they turned to stare at the other.

  ""What do you mean you win, I crossed before you!""

  ""No I crossed before you!""

  ""If you hadn't tripped me, it would be obvious that I crossed first!""

  ""What!? You tripped me!""

  ""Stop copying me!""

  The others could only watch as they were ignored by the pair, as they kept arguing with each other over who crossed first. It almost seemed like sparks were flying out of their eyes. To Noble, he could only snicker at the sight of the two. If anyone else watched the scene, it would look like a well-practiced comedy routine with how in sync they were.

  "Hey, Ash, are they always like this?" Fir questioned, as she watched the two bicker.

  "Honestly, I don't know. This is the first time we've met Lucina."

  "Well, they certainly argue like a married couple." Hector laughed.

  Arthur joined Hector's laughter. "Yeah, but it's funny to watch."

  They all just watched the pair as they continued to argue. Neither party wanted to get involved and simply hoped the issues would resolve themselves.

  "Find then let's race again." Lucina declared a challenge to Red.

  "You're on."

  "All right, first one to that water fountain and back wins."

  "Yeah, just don't go giving yourself a head start like last time."

  While the spectacle continued. They were about to start until another voice chimed in. "I'm sorry, but I think it's time for all of us to go home. It's getting late, and didn't you say that you two would be back in time for dinner?" These words caused the arguing pair to freeze in their tracks as they turned to face a black clade figure descending from the rooftops as her lavender hair fell to her side.

  This made the competitive spirit between the two cool down at the reveal, causing the pair to look at the sky. Now painted in the oranges and yellows that marked the ending of the day as the sun began to set.

  "Yeah, it's getting late, so Mom will probably have dinner ready pretty soon." Hector spoke up, placing his hand behind his head.

  "Same here, the old man has been getting on my back lately if we're out too late." Arthur added.

  As they were talking about returning home, one individual's happy expression started to sour at the realization that her newfound friends were leaving. Her excited ears fell, and the happy sway of her tail halted. This was the most fun she'd had in a long time, she simply didn't want it to end.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  However, this change didn't go unnoticed. And the first to speak was Ash. "Hey, Fir, what's wrong?"

  This question caused the group to turn their attention to the fox girl.

  "Well, you guys are the first friends I've been able to make sense we came here and well..."

  "That's what you're upset about? Fir, you're our friend too. Right, guys? Ash questioned the others.

  "I thought it was clear." Hector told her.

  "Yeah, you're one of us now." Arthur added.

  "Look, I already told you. If you're Ash's friend, you're mine too." Red finished.

  "You can never have too many friends. So I'll happily have another." Lucina smiled at her.

  Fir's smile returned. But soon joined Lucina as a confused look grew on her face as the boys put their right fists together, almost making a circle, leaving some space missing. They both looked at them, confused, until Lucina figured out what was going on and did the same as the others, placing her right fist in the circle, leaving space for another. Fir followed suit, finishing the circle. This action caused them to smile as Red's voice drew everyone's attention.

  "From this day forward, you guys are one of us so all I have to say is..."

  ""Welcome to the group.""

  ——————————————————

  They walked down the street, Maryan led them back to their respective homes and their waiting families, talking amongst themselves.

  "You know, today was pretty fun, maybe we should invite them to one of the training sessions." Arthur simply mentioned.

  "Yeah, leave me out of anythnign hand-to-hand, I kinda don't want to get punched in the face again."

  Ash was simply laughed at, causing the ashen-haired mage to frown. "Come on, don't be like that." Hector spoke as he hit Ash's shoulder. "We'll run you through the basics. That should help ya."

  "My brother, close combat training? Haha, that's a good one, Hector." Laughing, he threw his arm around Ash. "I'm the one who got the talent for close-quarters combat. But my brother is a born mage."

  "Yeah, the last thing I need to worry about is Ash here taking my spot in the group." Red joined in as the quartet burst into laughter.

  Maryan and Lucina couldn't help but roll their eyes at the boys as they observed their actions.

  "Maryan, I'm sorry about earlier."

  The veteran assassin simply smiled. "It's alright. After all, Lady Morgen forgave you, so I'll let it slide given that you were trying to 'protect' Red. Just don't let it happen again."

  Once they arrived at their first destination, Lucina took notice of the two-story building, it was another structure made of quality wood and stone. However, unlike many of the other homes they passed this one has a sign above the front door that simply reads—

  'Welcome to the Cromed Apothecary'

  It was a building where the apothecary was located on the main floor, and the upper floor was where the lights escaped through the windows and into the event darkening outdoors, signifying the main living space.

  As they were about to go their separate ways, Red called out to his friends

  "Ash, Arthur. I'll see you guys later."

  "See later ya, pal."

  "Yeah night."

  They ran to the building, waving goodbye to the group as they started to make their way to Tastu's home to make sure Hector got home on time.

  ——————————————————

  Making their way inside the apothecary. "Looks like Mom and Dad really cleaned house today."

  Ash could only agree as his eyes wandered the floor. The oak wood shelves that normally held many of the potions that his family prepared for the day were almost barren and jars that held medicinal herbs and roots were nearly cleaned out.

  "Hey, Ash, lock the door. I'll meet ya upstairs, ok?"

  "Sure."

  As he locked the front door, his curiosity got the better of him, so he checked behind the counter, where on the back wall hung a large photo of the day the stop opened, where their parents, Victor and Shauna, stood smiling with their brother by their side in front of the building. Clearly, it was another good day for business, and if the almost empty shelves weren't proof enough, the several bags filled with Runix only served to confirm this observation. Charcoal eyes stared at the bags of money, how the lights almost seemed to reflect off the polished wooden floor, and he could even see his very hands.

  "I really have been blessed, haven't I."

  He couldn't help but reflect on his family and the talents he had been gifted, watching the night override the day as the magic lamp posts started to illuminate the streets

  As the aroma of corn and steamed vegetables pulled his attention back to the stairs he couldn't help but think of a certain black haired renard.

  Making his way upstairs, turning off the lights, he couldn't help but take in the aroma of corn and steamed vegetables. Anticipating what the main course was made him rush up the stairs to the second floor. The smell of lemon started to become more pronounced, passed through the stairwell,and he entered the living room. Making his way through, passing a large sectional sofa that was placed in the corner on the opposite wall, stood a brick fireplace. Family photos painted the tan colored walls, finally arriving at the kitchen, where he saw it. On top of the stove, there was a pot with ears of corn boiling and a pan with a lid covering the carrots, broccoli, and green beans with a hint of garlic. The smell was divine.

  But there it was, the main course, the smell alone caused his stomach to growl, but the sight of it made his mouth water.

  Grilled cod.

  A woman with shoulder-length, dark blond hair turned to greet her returning son.

  "Well, welcome home, Ash, you boys got back right on time. Go take a seat, dinner will be ready soon, your brother has already set the table." Shauna informed him.

  It was clear where the boy got his looks as he shared most of his features with her, most notably, they shared the same charcoal black eyes, but it was the combination of both her eyes and his father's hair that gave him his name.

  The man in question was sitting at the table, newspaper in hand, his eyes peering through his glasses as he read about the news of the day. But hearing the return of his sons caused him to forgo his reading.

  "Hey, how ya doing Ash?" Victor couldn't help but pry into his kids' day.

  "I'm good Dad. So, how was business? I saw the bags of Runix downstairs."

  "Yeah, we were swamped most of the afternoon, I was just tellin Arthur about how we wished you kids were here. But yeah, a lot of our stock sold like hotcakes." There was pride in the man's voice, but then exhaustion soon took over. "But now I'm gonna need to get in contact with some adventurers about gathering some herbs and monster parts so I can brew some more product. They always overcharge."

  "Oh, come on, Dad, you could just send me and Ash out to the forest, and we could get some of the herbs."

  The emerald-eyed man was about to respond until a feminine voice chimed in. "You know, I think it's a good idea. It will help give you boys something to do." Shauna entered the dining room carrying a large tray in each hand that held tonight's dinner.

  Her speed was inhuman.Plates and glasses of milk appeared in front of the men. Ash's eyes were shining, his mouth drooling at the sight of the cod, the smell of buttered corn on the cob, and steamed vegetables. He didn't even wait, plunging his fork into the fish, stuffing a sizable chunk in his mouth. The taste was perfect as the natural flavor of the cod, the lemon, and the butter all fused together. He blissfully ignored whatever his family was talking about. He was about to take another bite, he froze. Something his mother noticed. "Hey, Ash, something wrong? Did I not make it the way you like?"

  Turning to face her. "No, it's not that, it's just that today, well, you see—

  "It's about Fir, isn't it?" Arthur cut him off, only to get an agreeing nod as an answer.

  Victor and Shauna only stared at each other and then turned to their younger son. "So who's Fir?" Victor was the first to inquire.

  "She's this zoophian I met today, and well, her family doesn't live in the best circumstances, and well..." He tried to continue, but his voice failed him.

  "You want to help this girl, then right?" Shauna questioned her son, only to be met with a simple nod.

  "So Mom, Dad, what do you think, can we do something to help them?" Arthur spoke up in his brother's place

  The pair simply thought about how to approach this situation. "You know this could be a good opportunity." Victor thought aloud.

  "Wait, what do you mean Dad?" His words stole Ash's attention, preventing him from eating.

  "You see, with how well the shop has been doing during the years. Your mother and I have been thinking about expanding and setting up another location in the city center. I already found a small building that we can convert and all w–

  Ash couldn't help but cut him off. "All you need is someone else to help run it right Dad?!"

  "Yeah, so it's possible that we could hire them and go from there."

  At the news, the ashen-haired boy stood up and darted toward the stairs only to stop. "Where do you think you're going?"

  The voice of his mother stopped him, turning to face her, he spoke. "I was gonna go run back over to tell Fir and well–

  "I'll go with you tomorrow. It's late, do you really want to let my hard work go to waste?" Shauna started to guilt-trip her younger son.

  "Come on Mom, let Ash go see his little damsel."

  That word 'damsel' caught the attention of both their parents. And his mother turned serious. "Ash, Arthur. What happened?"

  The pair of brothers just looked at each other, saying nothing Ash returned to his set and continued to eat, ignoring his mother's question, much to her annoyance.

  ——————————————————

  Red, Lucina, and Maryan arrived back at the Riser Estate. The sound of rumbling stomachs caused the two to run ahead of Maryan could only watch as the pair ran to the front door. She could only wonder where these two got all their energy.

  "Come on, Lucina, the dining room is this way."

  The pair ran through the house making their way to the dining room. Even without Red leading her, Lucina was pretty confident she could find her way to the dining room due the the smell of food that filled the home, it only caused her stomach to rumble further. Following him to the dining room, it wasn't what she expected.

  The room itself, while large, wasn't overly big; there was a nice round wooden table. She could see a few people already sitting, namely Roy and Morgan, who, once they took notice of their presence, simply smiled and waved. She next saw Achilles could be seen sitting waiting for dinner. However, her gaze soon locked onto the pair of older adults. The one that captivated her gaze first was the one-armed man with scarlet red hair that had faded with age; to say she found the old man intimidating would be apt, but the woman next to him, appeared to be a year or so younger than him. But her apprentice gave off a different aura, where the old man felt intimidated by the woman next to him, Lucina couldn't help but feel calmer around her and as she started to approach the pair she simply pulled Red into a hug before addressing the young elf.

  "Well, look who finally came home. So you're Lucina, right?" The older woman asked.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "You can call me Hellia, I'm his grandmother, and Mr. 'Gruff and Tough' over there is his grandfather, Igneel." She told the young elf, gesturing to the older man who waved to her. Lucina simply returned the gesture.

  "I'm happy you two are back. But son, we need to talk about following instructions." The calm voice called out. This caused Red to freeze in place with a scared look, panting his face. Lucina turned to see the voice, and an ecstatic expression grew on her face.

  "Miss Lyndis!!" Lucina rushed, making her way to the boy's mother. "I've been practicing, just like you taught me!"

  "That's good practice makes perfect. Now who's hungry? Dinners ready."

  Maryan could be seen helping Lyn carry a large bowl of spaghetti, salads, and a tray of garlic bread. Red and Lucina both joined the others at the table, ready to eat. Lyn set out silverware and plates in front of the kids and soon everyone started to eat. Both Red and Lucina had smiling faces as they ate, they both knew that nothing could beat a mother's cooking.

  The room was calm; only the quiet sound of chewing could be heard until a voice broke the calm.

  "So Red, why did you leave? I'm quite positive that I told you to stay home with your brother since you didn't want to come with us. I'll have you know both Diana and Astera were disappointed by your absence." The statement by the boy's mother caused him to freeze in place yet again, trying to think of a good answer as to why he ignored his mother's order this morning.

  But the poor boy couldn't think of anything; he was a visible stuttering mess.

  "That's simple, Lady Lyn. You see, Lucina wanted to see some of Phera, so I told him to go show his little lady around while I watched Roy." Morgan spoke up saving the boy, but she had other plans in mind. She wasn't about to let another chance to tease the boy slip past her.

  "Is this true Red?"

  Lying is not one of Red's strong suits, and Lyn of all people knew of his weakness. Whenever he would lie his face would tighten, causing him to grin; this would only worsen if he was forced to look someone in the eye.

  The poor boy could be heard muttering, trying to find the right words to say as his mother continued to eye him.

  "Come on, Lyndis, leave the boy alone, let's not forget you were quite the trouble maker at his age or do I need to start telling him some stories?"

  Hellia's words caused his mother to straighten up as she grew silent, causing her questioning to stop. There were things that she, too, didn't want to explain to her son. And like that the boy was saved yet again, this time by his grandmother.

  The rest of the dinner continued normally. With each group telling the others what they did from Red showing Lucina around and then meeting with his friends. Achilles and Lyn informed them on how both the Vastage and Fullbringer families were doing . Igneel and Hellia simply just talked about how they spent the day, but they didn't go into much detail. Roy, however, told everything about his day, from how it started to what he did all day with Morgan from the story to the games they played in the backyard.

  While everyone was simply eating and talking about how their day went, Lucina's eyes kept darting back to the one-armed man, namely his right side. She tried her best not to stare and to just keep eating.

  An action that didn't go unnoticed by the old man. "Something the matter, kid?"

  The new focus she found herself in was unnerving. "Sorry sir, I didn't mean to stare."

  "Don't worry about it." He chuckled at her. "I'm used to it after all, the boy wouldn't stop bothering me until I told him what happened that day."

  "Hey, I wasn't that bad."

  "No, you were. I recall a time when you wouldn't stop bothering him until he told you." This time, rather than saving him, Hellia attacked, causing the group to laugh.

  "If they're like this, I wonder if the rest of the other royals are this nice." Lucina couldn't help but wonder as she joined in on the fun.

  ——————————————————

  "And here we are, this is my room. I'll take you to one of our guest rooms after this, but feel free to look around."

  The door opened to reveal the room of the crimson-eyed boy. They had a nice layout to it with the bed centered against the east side wall, but her eyes kept traveling the room, comparing it to her own. It was bigger than her room, and the color choice for the walls was nice.

  "I'll be honest, I'd thought your room would be way bigger." She almost sounded disappointed as she looked around.

  "What do you mean?"

  "You're a prince, I'd always thought that royalty lived in castles the size of mountains and their rooms were the size of small buildings."

  "Well, many of them are. But Roland was just a simple farm boy before he founded Phera and unified Ielos once he killed the Crimson Blaze Dragon. All he wanted to do was live a simple life, but as my grandpa would say... "Life tends to have other plans for us." or something like that." The boy said, trying to mimic his grandfather as best he could.

  Roaming around each corner of the room, finding herself drawn to a bookshelf that held family photos and figures of dragons on the top, but what was next to the desk stole her attention was what stood in a display next to the desk.

  Sky blue eyes continued to wander the room until her gaze was captured by a small bookshelf. Stories of heroic tales decorated each shelf, many of them she recognized. However, what stood out wasn't the numerous stories of heroic adventures, but a small brown leather-backed book with a black trim and threading, along with an emblem of two swords crossed over a dragon head made of metal.

  Curious as to what the pages held, she opened it, wanting to satisfy this newfound need. At first, the pages were filled with badly drawn red-bladed swords, but with each page, they gradually got better and their look became more defined and consistent. There were a few small differences, like the length of the blade, the shape of the crossguard, and even different runes. As she kept turning, looking through each page as she continued to see these designs, and some were even circled with names. But one page almost jumped out, grabbing her attention.

  It had a page all to itself. A drawing of a boy adorned in armor on the hill. This person wore a red short-sleeve shirt underneath and a black jacket with short sleeves that ended just above the elbows. The pants matched the black color of the jacket, which matched a pair of black boots with red laces. There was light armor that covered several parts of his body, there was a chest piece that covered most of his chest, and varmbraces that ran from his wrist to the elbow. Even his upper arms had smaller sections of armor that covered parts of his shoulder. His legs had sections that covered his shins and thighs leaving the knees uncovered, likely for better mobility. Finally, some holsters held two different blades. On his back was a scabbard that held a sword with a black handle above his right shoulder and there was a brown belt around his waist that led to a smaller sheath where a knife can be seen resting.

  "Hey, are these your drawings?"

  Before she received an answer, let alone turn to see the next page. In a flash the book was snatched from her grasp only to see a red faced boy sitting at his desk slamming the desk drawer shut leaving the book hidden. "Sorry, that book is one I don't like showing off." He didn't want to make eye contact.

  "Well I think it's cool. That person was meant to be you, right?" Her only response was silence. "Come on, tell me, I promise I won't laugh. You know it's nothing to be embarrassed about." She kept pushing, trying to get an answer. "Well, whoever drew those has a good eye for detail."

  "Yeah, you're right. Well, it's meant to be a better version of me. I want to go on my own adventure and see places my parents and grandpa saw. Helping people, exploring the dungeons. You know, be a he... help people, I wanna help people."

  That last word almost went unheard as he grew quiet, but the twitch of an ear caught that subtle change of tone. "And this book, well, it's my starting point." He couldn't help but smile as his eyes were glued to his desk as if looking passed the wood and at the book itself.

  "Well, when the time comes, let's explore together and make our own story. After all, it's always better to have a friend at your back, what do you say?"

  Turning to meet her, he only saw a fist and a smile angled at him. Waiting for his response.

  "Sure sounds like fun, let's do it." With whose words Red matched her gesture as a pair of fists made contact, forming a contract they both planned to honor some time in the future.

  "So can I go through your bookshelf?"

  "Sure but how about I show you to your room so you can drop your stuff off."

  But they weren't the only ones to have heard those words, for a silver-haired maiden just beyond the walls took her leave, making her way to bed, curious about what new events could unfold during tomorrow's meeting.