The home of two legends

Night came and both Sheyken and Falgur were in their room. They were like children who were about to go on a school trip the next day, so excited and not knowing what to expect such that they could not sleep. Sheyken was holding a mana crystal that Sazi had come to give them. They could not ask her why she decided to start working at the guild as she was in a hurry to get back. She told them that the mana crystal was compensation for the beasts they had hunted down, with the 3 Vatagroes and their blood being the major contributors for them even getting a mana crystal in the first place. She said Algazuma asked her to tell them that he shall beat them to his prey.

The boys did not know what he meant by that as they were not on the hunt for anything at the moment. They chose to put his statement at the back of their minds as they could not believe what was in Sheyken's hand.

"Brother, it takes that much for a normal human to get themselves a mana crystal while hurting unevolved beasts."

Falgur said in protest as he thought about the both of them almost being killed just facing one Vetagroes. Even the other beasts they killed were powerful enough to kill any skilled normal warrior. They could not see a way on how a normal person let alone a child could get one if even themselves having while having Blessings straggled.

"I guess the world we will be entering is nothing but unforgiving Falgur. I do not see a way on how others can enter it without finding a master or being of a family that dwells in magic."

He set on his bed remembering that conversation until he heard a knock on the door. Expecting it to be someone his eyes were dying to see, he stood up and made sure he was dressed properly and then went to open the door.

"Hey boys. Sorry, I could not come earlier, the decision for us to go came so abruptly from the guild master such that even Seduralto is panicking on what to pack."

Sheyken could not in any given lifetime he had had not have taken note that she had said 'us'.

"Can I come in?"

"Awe, sorry Salina, you can."

He scolded himself for not saying any line from Falgur's notes.

"Thank you."

When she got in, the fresh air she brought with her took his nose by surprise such that it followed her for a moment until his mind got hold of it again, preventing it from acting on its own.

She cast the same spell as she had done before so to make their conversation private.

"The Guild Master has decided that we need to go the day after tomorrow to Zerxebel. There are three reasons for this. First, so you boys can start your learning there which those of royalty and those of prominent magic families would take from their homes. Your enrolment into a school or guild that will train you and teach you in the mysteries of mana, be it Beast warrior or mage will be when you are nine years old. a year from now. The school you will be attending will be that will introduce you to the magical world and teach you other stuff you need to learn that you will not have time to when you start your real lessons, like history and other languages amongst many others you can choose from."

She pursed and looked at the boys to check if they were listening. She continued after seeing that Falgur was paying attention and Sheyken was also paying attention but trying to look straight into her eyes. She paid it no mind and just continued making Sheyken look at Falgur and thinking that his advice sucked.

"I say this because you already possess mana crystals and which only one is the minimum requirement to get into any guild or school that teaches mana arts. So, your place is almost assured but there will still be one obstacle."

"Obstacle?"

Falgur asked.

"Yes, there is always a competition held every year in each kingdom. After you present your mana crystal or something of equivalent value, you will be allegeable to take part in it. There, you will need to fight, survive and clear obstacles while trying to impress the Guild masters and chancellors of the respective schools that will be present."

The boys smiled.

"As a woman from Senjira, it pains me that it seems next year we will not be having anyone participating again, but as a woman from Senjira, the town that guards Finisrepo, we consider you our own. So please, do not hold back and go all out ok"

"Of cause, we shall remind them why we respect the Trial Forest as it is what shapes us."

Falgur said. Sheyken nodded as he did not know what to say.

"Good, if any of you get first place, you will get a kiss on the cheek from me or Sali."

Salina said like it was nothing. Seduralto had told her to promise them that out of the blue and she thought it was just a mine promise to the boys. Something they would go and forget about like kids would do.

"What!!!!"

"Did I hear you right?"

"Is that a promise?"

Two boys stood up like they were a pack of wolves who saw prey at the far distance and would do anything to chase it down. Salina was perplexed. She panicked a little, not knowing what got into them.

"I promise,"

If you had never seen two wolves smiling, that would have been the day as Salina did not know what to make of it all.

"Cough, cough. Sit down. I still have not finished."

The boys now holding a promise in their hands like it was something tangible set down like obedient dogs.

"Ok, we are lucky that next year it will be held in Zerxebel as this year it is being held in Iraxebel."

Sheyken took note of the name Iraxebel. It was where the two boys that he had killed in the Trial Forest after they tried to kill him.

"Each Kingdome gets to host it every year with it changing according to the king's wishes but one cannot host it twice before every kingdom had hosted one. Zerxebel is just a tow months walk through the desert from here. It is also great that you will get to familiarize yourself with the Kingdome before the selection exam. Make sure to learn about the beasts found there."

The boys nodded.

"That brings me to the second reason. Many adventurers will need to exchange their materials as the guild cannot handle all of them and they have accumulated over the years. Many do not want to waste mana crystals by using the Teleportation station as they need each and every last one they can get their hands on in order to buy what they need. Especially blood and healing positions, as having one would save anyone on the brink of death. The guild also needs to stoke up on materials and suppliers not found around here. I will be going as your escort and together with Seduralto because of that."

The boys loved that and showed it with their smiles and in turn, made Salina smile which in turn made Sheyken smile creepily making her ask herself what was wrong with him.

"The last reason is that some people grow tired of the town and seek a new place to stay from time to time. They use this opportunity to travel with us and get safely to another Kingdome. The Initiate case has made many want to relocate this year. So, we will be granting them their wishes and thanking them with us, and giving each family a hundred gold coins for living in our town and contributing to its growth. This will allow them to settle in wherever they do without the burden of wearing about money. We only do this for those who were born here, otherwise, we will be broke by now."

"Your town is something else Salina. I think we might not find any other place that cares about their people like you do."

Sheyken said.

"Well, we should have already caught the culprit who is behind these incidents if that was the case."

Salina said with a tint of spite in her voice.

"Anyways, you boys get some rest today and tomorrow, you will need it for the journey."

She said as she undid her spell and got up to leave.

"Are you alright?"

Sheyken asked.

"I am on the hunt, that is keeping me occupied for the moment. Do not worry Sheyken, I think it would take more than what happened to keep a berserker down."

She said as she left, leaving the boys smiling.

The next day the kitchen was still busy but with no one being in the Mystic. Sali had told them that it was closed until that night. It seemed Sisilana had been cooking up a storm from the time they had told her that they will be leaving.

They went to Lariote's house that had been fixed by Selduralto with a single wave of her hand. Inside, they found Lariote still in bed but awake and with a bandage that sparkled with light around his wounds.

"Wait, wait, wait, you can see?"

Sheyken was surprised as he saw Lariote's left eye which was not bandaged moving to look at them as they went in.

"Hahaha, young legend, I am surprised you have the time to visit me."

He said standing up with difficulty from his bed.

"This is thanks to you. The Guild master's initial observations of my wounds suggested that, but after he successfully operated on me and removed the arrows, it seemed he had gained so much experience from his traveling's that he was able to not damage my brain any further during the removal. Light magic is truly something else. I might be dead if it was not for him and you taking the chance for Selduralto to interrogate me away from her."

The boys laughed awkwardly.

"Hearing that I was almost interrogated by her still haunts me more than almost dying."

The boys now wanted to know her interrogating techniques.

"So, what is up with that sparkly bandage?"

"Awe, it is a magic item the Guild master made just for me. He said if it works as he intended it to work, I might last for more than 10 years living. He did not know for how long but. He is truly something else. Maybe after talking to you boys, he forgave me for what happened to Alati. I know Algazuma might just still kill me if he saw me though."

"Yeah, that guy is scary."

Sheyken said and remembering that Victicus had told them he already knew who it was that did this. He thought that he would have helped Lariote even if he never talked to them.

"Hahaha, you can say that again. So, what brings you here?"

"We came to say goodbye. We are living for Zerxebel tomorrow."

"Awe, there is no need. I will be coming with you."

"What? What about your wound."

"The magic item is already doing its job. I will never be able to take it off though because I might just die if I do."

Lariote stood up and then kneeled down to Sheyken.

"You are responsible for saving my life. Until I do the same, I shall be by your side until I die. I hope you can accept me as your first follower and servant, even though I will never be able to advance ever again because of my wound."

The boys were shocked. Sheyken did not know what to say and he took time to respond making Lariote lower his head to the ground hitting it.

"I beg of you. Me serving the legend of Senjira and having the potential to grow will be my honor."

Falgur slapped him at the back of his head for keeping quiet for so long and making the man beg. Remembering Min-jun's principle of trust he passed on to him when he was 14 years old, he knew what to do.

"No, Lariote, it is me that is honored to have you by my side. Rise, you do not ever have to kneel to me again."

"Yes, master."

The response took the boy by surprise.

"Lariote, come on. Just treat me like you have been. That would be the ideal way for us to function properly and I do not want people to know that you are my servant yet."

"Ok, Sheyken... As my master, I do have an agent matter I have to tell you about even though Seduralto asked me not to say anything about it anymore, it would also prove the extent to my abilities to you."

"Ok, what is it."

"I was able to take the hand of the person who shot me and killed Alati that night."

"What?"

"Yes, I cannot remember the incident or what I had seen or found at the tent's settlement but one of the beasts under my control gave it to me when I summoned them trying to see if I was still capable. It told me I had summoned it unconsciously. It seemed I had heard Alait's last scream and that is what had made me summon it as the witch was leaving."

"Damn, man. He took the words you said to Seduralto from you and acted them out.... 'Can you be faster than a thought even through death.' He almost did just that."

Falgur commented and Sheyken was also impressed.

"It was a female witch's hands that had some type of hole on its palm. I gave it to Selduralto as the Guild master said she is the one in charge of the case. He did say that that must have been the hand she used to fire the projectile that was in Alati's skull with."

"You could not trace her whereabouts?"

"No, it seems she ran to the vast desert."

"Well, at least you were able to get a consolation prize for Alati."

Sheyken said.

"Thank you for the praise. Since I cannot increase my strength anymore, to serve you well, I shall practice being efficient in my spells from now on."

"Good to hear. I guess we will see each other tomorrow then."

"Yes, I too have to get my things in order before we leave."

They left and then went to the market again to see if they missed anything they would need. They saw Esiyana there but she was busy trying clothes with her mother so they just waved at her and said goodbye to her from afar. She could not hear them as she was just excited to be having new clothes.

They got to the Mystic late and the place was finally buzzing. Sali told them to go to the kitchen where they found stakes and stakes of food in containers and with some whole roasted beasts that Sheyken head given Sisilana to cook for them out in the open. She told him to store it in his Storage item and asked him to check it daily to make sure it did not go spoilt. That confirmed to Sheyken that there were different storage items with different functions in Uros and his' had multiple functions.

"Boys, this is a special dish I made for you from the Vatagroes meat and a drop of its blood. I put a spell on the container making it to not spoil until you reach the age of fifteen. You must never eat it until then ok. You must also eat it when you are back here. You will have to promise me that you will come to visit us when you are fifteen years old no matter what. That is all I ask from you boys."

"We promise."

They both said in unison. With Senjira having a Teleportation station it was a promise they could keep without a problem. Sheyken just made a note to put mana crystals aside for it and never to touch them until they turned fifteen.

Sisilana then went to Falgur and looked at him in his eyes.

She went close to his ears and spoke.

"Sali will be waiting for you. If you go and mess around and not come back to check on her, I will hunt you down and paint your brain tissue on the bottom of my frying pan."

Falgur's stomach turned. Unfortunately for him Sheyken also heard what the old lady said. They said their goodbyes with Sisilana thinking to say something to Sheyken but thought otherwise since the age gap between him and Salina was great.

"Remember to never take a threat from a mage lightly in this world."

Sheyken said teasing Falgur, making his stomach turn again.

Lasore was at it again in the dining hole.

"Brother, don't you think we should live him here. He is having so much fun and the people love him."

"No Falgur. We are the only Finis to come out of Finisrapo in ages. We need to protect him since the village is no more. Besides, he is our guardian. We should teach him how to raise kids."

"And how are we going to do that?"

"By contently giving him headaches. Maybe that will make him stop drinking."

Sheyken said with an evil smile.

"Awe, the legends are here."

One adventurer said.

"Let us hear their parting words."

He took the boys by surprise as the place quieted down. With Sheyken not knowing what to do, Falgur came to his rescuer.

"Thank you for having us and showing us such hospitality. You call us your legends and we shall never disappoint you on the title you have given us. The name 'legend' was given to us here in Senjira and that is where that our story truly starts. Thus, this makes Senjira our home. So, with this being the home of two legends, we promise to give it our best in next year's selection competition and lift the name of Senjira high so that many know it."

Seeing a Finis say that Senjira was their home, the crowd's hearts could not help but be touched. This made them erupt with joy. The Mystic was in joyful laughter and harmony till the demon of the kitchen came out and told everyone to go sleep since they had to go early the next day. Her promising to find anyone drunk on the street and give them a good spanking made sure everyone went home to sleep.

The departure day came and the boys were surprised to see more than a hundred people facing the still freezing desert. The rising sun made the scene look like they were about to go on an epic journey with Seduralto and Salina looking especially focused like they were going to war.

"Is the desert that dangerous?"

Sheyken asked himself seeing the two ladies' faces. Falgur was the one surprised more though. On his sights was a girl he did not expect to see that morning. Esiyana was in the crowd with her mother and facing the vast desert too.