[25] START

The three foot messenger sparrowhawk landed on the bare and bulky forearm of Galarax. He petted the bird all around its golden-feathered body, running his hands along its wings, which could open up to a six feet wingspan. Then he flicked open the lid of the cylindrical container, tied to the sparrowhawk's collar, to insert the message-scroll he wrote for Olenor the gearsmith.

Galarax raised his arm, the sparrowhawk spreading its wings to take off. The bird took off skyward after being rubbed on the neck.

He looked up, glancing at the blue sky through which the bird soared with unmatched speeds. Lisha had trained it well.

"Speaking of training," Galarax thought, turning around, looking at the forest in a distance. "He should be done."

***

Galarax strolled past the tree underneath which he used to rest almost a month before, leaning against it soon after.

"He's gotten way less scrawny," he thought, looking at the hardworking boy who stood in the middle of the calm lake. "Actually…he's gained quite a lot of muscle…"

Sliff smiled as he opened his eyes, the lake starting to ripple. "What took you so long, Galarax?"

Galarax shrugged. "Stuff. So…you done or just taking a break."

"I'm training," Sliff said, shrugging. "Look, I wanna show you something."

"He speaks differently now… Less uptight, more confident," Galarax thought with a smile, nodding at Sliff. "He trains with so much passion…"

Sliff inhaled deeply, pulling his fists beside himself, closing his eyes. He opened them swiftly, exhaling with his mouth.

"Woah," Galarax said, leaning toward the lake. "Very well, kid."

Sliff stood on the bottom of the shallow lake, all the water around his feet being pushed away by his Lumasurge. Some of the water lifted from the surface of the lake, spiraling upto the boy's calves in thin strands.

"That's just even more potential for Lumapulse, kid," Galarax said, walking over to the lake. "You'll be able to Harness your Luma much better, now."

Sliff smiled, walking out of the lake, putting his shirt and shoes back on. "That's why I trained my Lumasurge for hours before I went to collect the nulaiphs. That's how the past ten days went so smooth."

"So you actually hit the five-thousand mark?" Galarax asked. "Where's the basket?"

The whole training involved only a singular basket to make the collection of the fruits even more challenging by adding more work.

Sliff gestured to follow him, after he turned around.

Galarax smiled, following the kid. "He's leading now… I'm so proud."

Sliff walked around the waterfall, toward the forest of hollowbarks.

Galarax gradually stepped to a halt, looking in amazement at the stumps left by Sliff. "How many are these?"

"Fifty-two."

Galarax patted the kid's shoulder. "Nice job, shorty." He paused to measure the kid who barely came to his shoulders, but now reached beyond his neck. "You've grown taller, shorty."

Sliff snorted. "That doesn't matter." He walked leftward, sliding to the side and gesturing at the fruit basket. "Ta-da!"

"Holy hell, kid," Galarax said, stepping toward the overflowing basket which had hundreds of nulaiphs spilled around it. "With this…you've collected way more than five-thousand."

Sliff wiped his nose, smiling proudly. "Did I?"

"And only fifty-two trees," Galarax said, rising up from the ground. "That means you didn't cheat by just knocking out tree after tree."

"Thanks to your Lumasurge training, Galarax."

Galarax shook his head. "Forget about me, kid. All this…you did this!" He spun Sliff toward the tens of hollowbark stumps. "You've come so far."

"Right…" Sliff said softly, turning toward Galarax.

"Hum? What happened—?"

Sliff bowed with watery eyes, showing the gratitude he felt. "No matter how many days pass, Galarax, I can't stop but think that I don't deserve all this. But in just a month and a half, I've come so much closer to my dream. I just…can't show you how much I appreciate you putting your time and effort on someone as useless as me… Thanks, Galarax. Thanks…master."

"Now, now, kid," Galarax said, straitening up Sliff's posture by his shoulders, frowning emotionally. "You'd never wanna see me cry, would you?"

"Of course not, Galarax," Sliff said, his expression hardening. "I wanna see you smile even more. If anything…I'm willing to die for you."

"Kid…"

Sliff pounded his chest. "You're the closest person I've ever gotten to a father, Galarax… I just…can't let you go."

Galarax smiled, a tear rolling down his face. He placed a hand on Sliff's shoulder, wiping the tear off. "I'm not going anywhere, Sliff. I'm always here for you, alright? You deserve all this because you're a warrior, never forget that. If anything…I'm here to see you reach your dreams."

"Galarax…" Sliff said through a relaxed jaw. His lips started twitching downward, before he gritted his teeth, tears starting to leak out of his eyes. "I…"

"Now, now, kid—"

Sliff buried his head in Galarax's chest, wrapping arms around him.

"Sliff…" Galarax said looking down at the sobbing boy. He smiled, embracing the kid warmly, rubbing his back. "You will achieve your every dream, Sliff. Just keep going like you always do. Your drive is your real talent. Wear it proudly! As proudly as a warrior wears his honor. Your drive is your honor, young warrior! Fight to protect it."

Sliff nodded, leaning away, wiping off his tears. "I will, Galarax. I will!"

***

When Sliff opened his eyes, he found himself in quite a silent place. Usually in the afternoon hours, the Ravens made quite a ruckus down in this underground safe-house. Then he remembered the message that arrived two weeks ago.

The twins were seen near the Mayval forest.

The Ravens started to move out of the safe-house to avoid any visits from the Desperado. But they could only do it the same way in which they moved in—in small groups.

Sliff picked up his backpack, the one that was given to him by the purple-haired girl—whose name he learned was Yiva. Her friends—Kofli and Majena—were quite nice, once Sliff got to know more about them.

He had judged them too quickly and he would never do the same again.

"They were not even a little like Verica and Nesina," Sliff thought, shaking his head. "I don't want people to judge me easily…then, why did I judge them so quickly? They helped me be less lonely… They're actually very nice."

"You ready?" Kylix asked from the doorway.

Sliff remembered the pink-haired girl from the council meeting, though just like the other Raven girls, he judged Kylix quickly too.

"Let's get going then."

Sliff nodded his head, following Kylix out of the room. "Right." He strapped on the Raven cloak that she had given to him. The cloak was all black in color, safe for the dark-blue lace around its neck, which looked more like a scarf from the back because of the two laces left hanging.

He had thought Kylix was just another self-centered girl like the ones he met before her—except Iyana, of course—but it turned out that Kylix was like the big sister of the Ravens, helping everyone in training and what not.

Kylix glanced over her shoulder as they were walking toward one of the entrances of this safe-house. "You just woke up but you look ready for war."

"Umm… I'm not a deep sleeper."

Kylix laughed. "All you do is sleep, so we can't say that."

"That was a really bad lie, Sliff…"

"By the way," Kylix spun around to face him, walking backwards. "Do you exercise in there when we're not looking? You are not the same person I remember from a month ago."

"Umm… You saw me a month ago?"

Kylix nodded. "You were meat on bone. The cheapest meat."

Sliff wanted to fold into himself. "She looks and acts too differently."

Halting and leaning toward him, Kylix moved a hand over her head then shifted it toward his head to measure the height. "You've grown taller too."

"Thanks…I guess…" Sliff said, turning his head sideways as he flushed. "She's…too close…"

"Oh well," Kylix said, turning around and continuing to walk. "It's not like being tall makes you powerful or anything."

Sliff followed. "Right…"

***

They got out of the hollow mayve tree, shutting the steel door with the bark attached on its outside.

"Look at that," Kylix said, glancing from side-to-side.

Sliff gulped, activating his Lumasurge. "So they caught us, huh?"

More than twenty men in black suits surrounded them. Gangsters. Up ahead stood men built like giants. Twins.

"It's on."