Chapter 5: Trial by thunder

Kael carefully took the stolen jewelry from the thief's hands, his fingers brushing against the delicate, intricate designs. He could feel the weight of the situation settling in his chest. The thief was subdued for now, but who knew how long that would last?

"So… How do we do this?" Kael glanced at Bayle, still holding the thief's arms with an easy but firm grip. "Do I take the jewelry back to the store and you take him to the police station? Or… the other way around?"

Bayle smirked, her posture relaxed despite the earlier chaos. "I mean, you aren't used to this city, right? So how about I take him to the police station and you return the jewelry? You'll be in and out, and I won't have to worry about you getting lost along the way."

Kael shot her a look—part amused, part defensive. "I don't get lost."

"Yeah right" Bayle chuckled

"Thanks for the help again, see ya around" Bayle smiled as she took the thief her, she had him in a tight grip as she walked off

"See ya", Kael said, "Now where was the store again?" Kael shighed 

The streets of Eldoria were bustling with activity, people haggling in the market, carts creaking under their heavy loads, and vendors calling out their wares. It was all a bit much, honestly. Kael wasn't sure where the store was, and he sure didn't want to end up wandering aimlessly again. He hadn't been in the city long enough to have memorized the layout, and getting lost in a place like this felt like an easy way to end up in even more trouble.

"Alright, think," Kael muttered under his breath, shifting the jewelry in his hand to his other palm. He hadn't really paid attention to where Bayle had grabbed the thief—he'd been a little more focused on making sure he didn't lose track of the guy.

He turned to the nearest person, a man with a heavy sack of grain over his shoulder, and asked, "Hey, you know where the jewelry store is? The one with the gold and gems?"

The man gave him a quick, appraising look before pointing down the street. "Just two blocks down, you can't miss it."

Kael nodded his thanks, trying not to seem too relieved. That was easy enough, at least. He still had no idea what he was getting into, though. Was he supposed to just hand the jewelry back and leave, or was there some complicated process? What if the merchant asked too many questions?

With a soft groan, Kael shook his head.

As he approached the store, a small, neatly carved sign swung in the breeze, reading "The Golden Charm." The windows sparkled with displays of shining gems, and the door itself was a polished wood that gleamed in the daylight. It looked like one of those places where you'd expect everything to be just a little bit too perfect.

Kael sighed, feeling the weight of responsibility settle back into his chest. It was just jewelry. He could handle this. Right?

He pushed open the door, the soft chime of a bell announcing his presence. Inside, a worried middle-aged woman behind the counter looked up, Jesp standing next to her, his arms crossed as he tried to calm her down.

"Oh, hey, you finally made it. Did you get the jewelry?" Jesp asked, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Yeah, I did. Here you go, miss," Kael replied, placing the stolen jewelry carefully on the counter.

The woman's tense expression softened almost immediately as her hands hovered over the pieces, her fingers brushing over the gleaming stones with reverence. She glanced from Kael to Jesp, her gaze lingering on both of them, almost as if trying to gauge whether they were truly on the up and up.

"Thank you," she said, her voice quieter now, but still tinged with suspicion. "I was starting to think… well, I'm glad you came through."

Jesp flashed Kael a grin, crossing his arms with a casual swagger. "See? Told you it'd be easy."

Kael shot him a look. "Yeah, I guess so."

The woman took the jewelry with a quick nod, her fingers wrapping around the pieces with careful precision. Kael found himself momentarily distracted by the way her touch lingered, as if the jewelry held more meaning to her than just value.

"Bayle should have taken the prisoner to the police station by now. I can trust her, right?" Kael thought to himself. She'd helped him out back at the alley, but still, it wasn't like he knew her that well.

"So, that's it then?" Kael asked, looking between Jesp and the woman, just to make sure there weren't any last-minute surprises.

"Looks like it," Jesp replied with a cocky grin. "Nice work."

The woman gave a small smile in return, her tension finally melting away. "I'll make sure the store's secure from here on out. Thanks again for returning these."

Kael didn't feel the need to stick around any longer. The job was done, no complications, no strange twists. "Alright then," he said, turning to leave. "Take care."

As Kael stepped back out into the bustling streets of Eldoria, Jesp caught up with him, holding a small bag in his hand.

"Here," Jesp said, handing the bag to Kael with a sly grin. "Picked these out for you."

Kael raised an eyebrow, taking the bag from him. "Clothes? I totally forgot about that with all the chaos."

Jesp chuckled. "Think of it as a reward for your first quest—official or not." He winked.

Kael glanced inside the bag, noting the simple but well-made clothes inside. Nothing too fancy, but definitely a step up from the raggedy ones he'd been wearing. "I appreciate it," Kael said, his tone a little less guarded than before. "This'll do."

Jesp leaned in with a grin. "Told you the city's not all bad, right?"

Kael couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, the weight of the day easing a little. "Yeah, maybe it's not so bad after all."

As they got back to the guild, Kael spotted Davit from afar, who was already making his way toward them, grinning like a cat who'd just cornered a mouse. His spiky ears practically stood on end with excitement, and his mischievous grin only made Kael's stomach sink further.

"Ah, I'm in danger," Kael muttered under his breath, half-laughing at the absurdity of it all.

Jesp, who'd caught Kael's look, simply raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you are. You might want to leave that bag with me." He held out his hand. "I'll go report to one of the bosses about the whole thief incident, maybe get you some points for the quest and rank up soon."

Kael reluctantly handed Jesp the bag, already bracing for the upcoming pain, he could tell from Davit's smile that he was gonna experience what that Leon did to him.

Davit finally arrived, his grin widening. "Don't try to escape, Kael! The training session starts now!"

"Alright, alright," Kael grumbled, stepping forward. He cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath, mentally preparing for the hour (or two) of being knocked around. "Let's get this over with."

 "Good luck, Kael. You'll need it." Jesp said with his usual grin, he then shook his head as he walked off, clearly amused by Kael's fate.

Kael lingered for a moment, watching the bustling streets around him. The city felt both overwhelming and oddly comforting—like a place full of stories he hadn't begun to uncover yet. He took a steadying breath and turned toward Davit, his thoughts already drifting to what awaited him next.

Davit gave a mock salute. "Don't worry, you'll be fine... ish."

As they walked toward the training grounds, Kael couldn't help but glance at Davit's spiky elf ears. He'd been curious about them ever since they first met, but he never really had a good moment to ask, and it always seemed like a question that might be better left unspoken. But after a few moments of silence, curiosity won out.

"So," Kael began, his tone a little more careful than usual, "how come your ears are so spiky? It's cool if you don't wanna answer."

Davit's easy-going smirk faded almost instantly. His face darkened, and the playfulness in his eyes disappeared. Kael immediately regretted bringing it up. He knew the guild was made for people who were looking for a new family or a place to belong, and sometimes that meant sensitive subjects.

Davit took a slow breath, clearly trying to steady himself. "You know elves right? Well, I'm a half-elf," he said, his voice quieter now, the weight of the words sinking in. "My late mother was an elf."

Kael's stomach dropped. He knew the feeling of loss, of never really knowing a parent. His own memories of his parents were blurred, faded by time and circumstances. He'd always wondered about them, and it seemed he wasn't the only one with those kinds of gaps in his story. But unlike Davit, Kael had Margaret to help with that feeling by becoming something like a mother to him

"Late mother, huh?" Kael murmured under his breath, almost to himself. "Guess we have some stuff in common after all."

Davit's expression softened, a flicker of something distant behind his eyes. Kael felt bad for prying, but it wasn't as if Davit had given him a hard time—he hadn't even seemed angry. Still, he didn't want to bring up any bad memories, especially not ones that might be painful.

"Sorry," Kael quickly added, glancing at the ground. "Didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Davit let out a small sigh but didn't seem offended. His voice was gentler now, less sharp than Kael was used to. "It's fine. It's been about 17 years since then. Orin told me about where they found you and how you ended up here, so... I guess we're kinda similar there."

Kael felt a strange sense of relief, and a bit of comfort in hearing that. Maybe they weren't so different after all. He gave Davit a brief nod, grateful for the softer words, even if they didn't say much about the past.

"Thanks," Kael said quietly, before the familiar feeling of awkwardness settled in again. But Davit didn't let the moment linger for too long.

"NOW," Davit suddenly switched back to his usual self, the mischievous grin returning. "To more important issues! We've got to figure out how to counter Sparky and his lightning."

Kael blinked, momentarily confused. "Sparky? Oh, you mean Leon?"

"Yep. Sometimes I call him Sparky. Other times, I call him Anger Issues." Davit gave Kael a pointed look. "Come on, keep up."

Kael chuckled a little, feeling the tension ease between them. "Alright, alright. I'll keep up. Let's just hope you won't turn me into toast while we're at it."

Davit shrugged. "You'll survive. Probably."

As they approached the training grounds, Kael felt a little lighter. It wasn't the smoothest conversation, but at least he knew a bit more about the person he was training with. And maybe, just maybe, Davit wasn't as impossible to deal with as he'd thought.

"You ready?" Davit asked from far away

"Yeah, on your signal" Kael took a deep breath and tried to consetrate 

GO!" Davit's voice echoed through the air, and before Kael could blink, the world turned to light. A sharp crackle cut through the silence as a streak of electricity shot toward him, closing the distance in an instant. Kael felt a jolt—a flash of pain and force that stole the air from his lungs—as Davit's fist connected with his chest. The impact threw him away, his vision flickering with spots of light.

"Too slow," Davit said with a grin, his hair sparking faintly as static clung to the air around him.

Kael fell back, clutching his chest where Davit's lightning-infused punch had landed. His breath came in sharp gasps, his heart racing as static crackled faintly in the air around him.

"Okay... what was that?" Kael wheezed, trying to shake off the disorientation. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Davit grinned, hands on his hips. "Kill you? Nah, just making sure you're awake. You think Sparky's gonna hold back when he's tossing around lightning bolts? You need to keep up, Kael, or you're toast. Literally."

Kael scowled, irritation flaring alongside the black wisps forming around his fists. "Next time, give me a heads-up before you hit me like a thunderstorm."

"Where's the fun in that?" Davit teased, electricity flickering along his hands. "Now, are you just gonna stand there whining, or are we gonna keep going?"

Kael clenched his fists, feeling the familiar heat of his flames begin to coil around his arms. The black flames didn't roar like ordinary flames—it was silent, almost weightless, but it carried a smoldering intensity that sent ripples of heat through the air.

"Fine," Kael growled, his stance shifting as he prepared for the next round. "But don't complain when I start fighting back."

Davit's grin widened. "That's what I like to hear."

The next instant, Davit moved—a streak of lightning charging straight for Kael. But this time, Kael was ready. He planted his feet, raising one hand as a surge of black fire erupted from his palm. The flames didn't just block Davit's attack—they lashed out, forcing him to veer away at the last moment.

Kael smirked. "Not so fast."

But before he could catch his breath, the air crackled around him, the smell of ozone growing stronger. His instincts flared a second too late as two streaks of light broke away from Davit's path, materializing into sleek forms that prowled the ground like living electricity.

Kael barely had time to react before the first one—a tiger-shaped construct of pure lightning—lunged at him from the right. He twisted, black flames coiling around his arms as he deflected the attack with a searing burst. The impact sent the tiger shattering into sparks, but the second one was already upon him, striking from the left.

Kael threw up a wall of flames, but the tiger was faster. It circled around the barrier, its electric claws grazing his side as he dodged, the sharp sting of static jolting through him.

Davit's laughter rang out over the crackle of energy. "Come on, Fire boy! You didn't think I'd make it that easy, did you? I'm an A rank wizard after all"

Kael grimaced, one knee hitting the ground as the residual jolt from the attack left his muscles twitching. His flames flickered weakly around his hands, dimming under the strain.

"You're enjoying this way too much," Kael muttered, his voice tight as he forced himself upright again, black fire sputtering back to life.

Davit crossed his arms, his grin widening. "Damn right I am. You're stubborn—I'll give you that. But come on, Kael, if this is all you've got, you're not ready for what's out there."

Kael clenched his fists, ignoring the ache in his body. The tigers had reformed, prowling in tight circles, their glowing eyes locked onto him like predators waiting to strike. He knew he couldn't outlast them—not with his energy flagging—but giving up wasn't an option.

The flames around his hands twisted and flared again, this time with reckless intensity. "Ready or not, I'm not gonna make this easy for you," Kael growled, lunging forward.

The black fire surged, wild and untamed, as Kael hurled himself toward the nearest tiger. His flames connected, engulfing the construct in a fiery explosion that momentarily dimmed its glow. But before he could press the advantage, the second tiger was on him, slamming into his back with a burst of crackling energy.

Kael cried out, the impact driving him to the ground. The air left his lungs in a painful rush, and his flames sputtered out entirely.

Davit stepped closer, the playful grin replaced with a more serious expression. "Alright, that's enough." He waved his hand, and the tigers dissolved into harmless sparks, their energy dispersing into the air.

Kael groaned, struggling to push himself onto his elbows. His body felt heavy, his limbs sluggish from the repeated hits.

"Not bad," Davit said, his tone oddly approving as he crouched next to Kael. "You've got guts, and you don't back down. But you're too reckless. Those flames of yours—they've got potential, but you're wasting half your energy throwing them around like that."

Kael gritted his teeth, his pride stinging almost as much as his body. "You didn't have to hit so hard, you know."

Davit chuckled, standing and offering Kael a hand. "Hey, you'll thank me later. Out there, nobody's going to hold back. Better you learn now, with me, than when it really matters."

Kael hesitated for a moment before accepting the hand, letting Davit pull him to his feet. His legs wobbled, but he managed to stay upright, though just barely.

"Lesson one," Davit said, his grin returning. "Control beats brute force every time. You'll get there—eventually."

Kael's gaze hardened, though his exhaustion was evident. "I'll get you next time."

Instead of clapping Kael on the shoulder, Davit stepped back, his usual playful air replaced with something more thoughtful. "You've got the spark, little dude. Now you just need to learn how to wield it."

Kael staggered into the guildhall, his steps heavy but determined. The familiar warmth of the main hall washed over him, a sharp contrast to the chill of the evening air outside.

"Oi, Kael, you look like you went ten rounds with a thunderstorm. What happened?" Abel asked visibly concerned.

Davit grinned, cutting in before Kael could respond. "He did go ten rounds with a thunderstorm. Well, a very stylish one, courtesy of yours truly."

Kael rolled his eyes but let it slide, too tired to spar verbally.

"You really did a number on him" Dorian pointed out, sipping his tea as always

"Hey!" Davit said, feigning offense. "He's not a normal newbie—he's got celestial magic."

Kael grunted, finishing a cup of water Jesp gave him and setting the cup down. "I'll be in my room. I need to… sleep."

Davit watched him go, the grin fading slightly as he turned to Orin and Dorian. "He's got potential. Just needs to learn how to keep his head in a fight."

"He's got you and Jesp for that," Orin said with a shrug. "Though, maybe ease up a bit next time?"

Davit smirked. "No promises."