Esiyana's Blessing

"I know what you are thinking. Algazuma might be the closed mage to a Beast warrior out there."

Lariote said to Sheyken and Falgur as they walked around the still volcanic-like environment where Algazuma had fought Sidruline. It was in the direction of where they needed to go in order to reach Zerxebel.

"If he leaves such a natural disaster when he fights, then he deserves the name he has been given by the people."

Sheyken said and ended there as he knew if he asked anything more related to Beast warriors, he would be asked to make Ruby bleed again, something he was not yet prepared to do. Next to them was Esiyana who had been quiet and if it was up to her Lariote and Sheyken would be dead. The only person she trusted at that point was Falgur but she also knew what they had done and will keep on doing to her was for her own growth. Her hate for witches was now comparable to those of the boys and three days ago she had vowed to do everything she could to become stronger and kill every Dark witch that does wrong after hearing about her mother.

Since she had been keeping her Blessing a secret to even her mother Lariote had thought it would be hard to get her to tell them. He was surprised by her answer her asked her.

"I do not know what a Blessing is. All I know is that when I get hurt my wounds heal after some time with it leaving no scars. I never told anyone because I thought it was something normal."

It was a typical answer for a child who was a girl and would hardly play games that were physical like the boys would. Lariote only noticed after concluding that she had a self-healing Blessing that her skin was as neutrally beautiful and without any cuts or blemishes as the witch he had killed.

As he touched the bandage on his head, he had an idea and after telling Sheyken about what he found and what he wanted to do Sheyken was interested in his plan as he too had acquired some kind of healing ability.

Two days passed with Seduralto and Algazuma not showing themselves. Only Seduralto finally showed herself on the last day of them being at the oasis and she was visibly distressed. Lariote had gone to her and told her what he found out and what his plans were for Esiyana. Seduralto who was stressed out had no problems with his plans and had quickly gone in her tent with her communication diary at hand.

"Esiyana, I shall make you an offer that has the potential to change your life."

Lariote had said to the little girl who was next to Falgur and still having teary eyes. She nodded for him to continue.

"Do you want to be my disciple?"

Esiyana who had never thought she would be a mage after her father died and left them with just the house and the mana crystals that powered its magic tools was surprised. Knowing how much her father who was a mage was respected and how much power he had, she quickly stood up from next to Falgur and went in front of Lariote, and bowed down on both knees with her head touching the floor not wanting to miss such an opportunity.

"Please master, please can I be your disciple."

Seeing her already calling him her master and trying to beg when clearly she did not know how to Lariote smiled.

"There is no need to beg Esiyana. Lift up your head."

Esiyana did not and after a while, Falgur had to forcefully lift her head from the floor.

"I have three conditions and if you accept them, you can become my disciple."

"Yes, master. I accept them."

Lariote tried to hide his laugh with his hand as he saw a cute child already accepting conditions without even hearing what they were.

"Esiyana, listen carefully ok, the conditions are for you to never betray me and my master who is Young legend next to me. The second one is that you are never to pass on in any shape or form my clan's techniques to anyone else without mine or my clan's permission. The last one is that when I am gone, you will serve my master for 10 years and then you can do whatever you want to do after that."

Sheyken was was next to Lariote was surprised about the third condition and so was Falgur.

"Lariote, isn't 10 years seem like a long time?"

"It is a short time for a mage."

"I accept."

Esiyana wasted no time, making Falgur and Sheyken who still wanted to voice their opinion stop in their tracks.

"Then I welcome you as my disciple. Sheyken, Falgur, Please leave us as we have to swear this to Uros, or I will not be able to take her as my disciple. The is no other way as it is a condition put by my clan if we take in outside disciples."

The boys who wanted to see how this was done had no choice but to leave the tent and hope to find out later. After a while past the boys were called back into the tent. when they entered they saw Esiyana smile for the first time since hearing about her mother.

After seeing how her Blessing worked which was very different from Sheyken's healing as when they gave her a small cut and with her screaming like they had cut her limb off the blood that went outside of the cut was absorbed back into the wound as it closed. It was different than in Sheyken's case as any blood he lost or flesh would never be absorbed back with his ability only closing the wound. He would have to drink a blood portion if he lost too much blood.

Since Esiyana was now basically one of their crew members, he had a plan to accelerate her ability. He told Lasore about how he could heal too which almost made the man question his logic from shock after seeing it with his own eyes after Sheyken cut himself and thought Sheyken had two Blessings. He then told him about his oil and what he was planning to do.

"Esiyana, from this day on, you will go through some small pain every evening. Be strong as this is the beginning of your training. You will cry and beg for us to stop but we will not. If you object now, you will not be my disciple anymore, ok."

"I do not object master."

At was hush but needed as Lariote and Sheyken started Esiyana's training the very same day she become his disciple.

From that night and on every other night they spent in the desert, Esiyana and Sheyken would be strapped on chairs so they could not move and with gages in their mouth. Since they were dealing with healing abilities and had the need to cut fast so the wound will not heal before they could apply the oil, Falgur, using his dagger would cut them both all over their bodies then apply the oil himself afterward while using his lighting speed. They would do this until Esiyana passed out or Sheyken would say it was enough as they had to watch his blood loss. Seeing this and still finding it had to believe Sheyken also had such an ability, Lariote felt sorrow since he would not get to see Sheyken at the height of his power as he would unconsciously put his hand on his head.

Sheyken did not know why Esiyana did not like him as it was Falgur who would do the cutting of her body. He did not realize that she was in the room when he suggested how they would train her.

The month passed by with Salina leading the group as Seduralto was vanishing with her communication dairy always in hand. This concerned Salina as she would not even talk to her. Sheyken had not thought what she said would course her such distress and he wondered what was going on.

"Lariote, we never got to know why Sazi was chosen to be the next receptionist for the guild, do you know why?"

Falgur asked as he saw two mountains on the horizon with their peaks covered in snow. He had thought of Senjira at that moment since their new destination seemed nearby. He was also remembering all the things that happened there, the good and the bad, and with many questions still unanswered.

"I thought Sali would have told you. I guess you two were not that close."

Lariote said, teasing him. Esiyana just puffed her chicks and for the first time went to walk with Sheyken. Falgur punched Lariote on the shoulder for doing him wrong.

"Hahaha, After Alati in a way was a symbol that showed that us and the normal townspeople could work together and do not have to look down on one another, Seduralto had decided that the guild receptionist will always be a normal person from thereon. Sazi was the perfect candidate as she is hardworking and the adventurers and townspeople already adored her."

"Huh, makes sense."

Falgur said after thinking about it a little. After a day passed, they made it to the foot of the two mountains. Vegetation was all around them and the heat of the desert was no more. To make things better for them, Lasore was as sober as a judge. Sheyken had stopped giving him his wine since he had something very important to discuss with him. He had whined for two weeks but had left him alone after seeing that Sheyken was dead serious about him being sober this time.

They continued traveling in between the two mountains and after walking for a day on a path that was man-made, they came across a group of bandits with all of them being mages. They were 13 of them and they were the kind that you would tell were bad men from afar.

"Awe, lucky us. Such a large group. Tell you what, if you live your belongings here and some women with us, we won't have to slaughter a bunch of you."

A big man who looked like a weight lifter, who was bold and had a gold front tooth spoke. On his side was a long crescent blade.

"I do not have time for this."

The boys heard the annoying voice of Seduralto from the back of the group. She come to the front and approached the man like she heard nothing that they had said.

"Oi, did you not hear us? Well, you do look nice. Do you want to volunteer to stay? Well, I am a mage apprentice after all. You are lucky to have my interest."

The man said licking his tongue.

"Boss, that one is mine."

Another bold man who was round together with his face and wearing nothing on top so to advertise his round belly said pointing at Salina. She was wearing her ninja outfit as always, but any man could tell that beauty was behind her mast.

All the adventurers laughed. They had been walking behind the normal people since the danger was still the beasts from the desert and they did not want the group to be surprised since Seduralto had been preoccupied for the past month. Only Salina and Sheykens group were up in the front.

"Boss, it seems like we have a crazy bunch that laughs at the face of their deaths."

The bandits also laughed as one scrawny-looking man said. His words come out funny as he was missing his front teeth. The man who had first talked and who they called their boss was not laughing.

"I know that face...."

He said trying to back away.

"Please, I did not mean to stop your group."

He said as a hand grabbed his throat. The bandit was bigger and a foot taller than Selduralto, making the scene funny as she lifted him up in the air by his throat like she was lifting a teacup. The man who had pointed his hand that also held a dagger pointing at Salina while licking his lips got his hand chopped off by an invisible slash while Seduralto threw the man she was chocking and at the brink of death at the rest of the bandits knocking all of them like a balling ball as the path they were on was narrow.

"Boom!"

As the dust settles, many had fainted with the rest screaming and wondering why the woman had such power. Their leader had fainted with his limbs twisted like he was just in a car accident.

"Let's move. Exzola, you know what to do."

Seduralto said as she continued on. The mothers of the children that were there had closed their children's eyes as soon as they saw her approaching the man like they knew what was about to happen. They followed her without feeling sorry for the bandits as one of them even kicked one who was still screaming with his arm at an awkward angle. She regretted it as it was like she was kicking a boulder.

Exzola, approached the man with an evil smile. He hummed a song as he took everything they had on them including their clothes and underwear, putting them all in his storage ring except for the underwear. One bandit cried seeing this and Exzola approached him like a caring brother.

"Shh, don't cry."

He said softly like he was talking to a child.

It will be ok. This stuff does not even belong to you since I am sure you took it from someone else or bought it from the earnings you got from stealing other people's stuff. Shh.... do not cry, just know that with your underwear, we have a witch that can do so many twisted things to you when you steal again."

When the bandit heard what, he said he cried even more. Exzola continued to wipe his tears.

"Shh... brother, I feel your pain. Being good will be a difficult thing to do from now on, but once you start, you will find that it is easy."

Exzola then stood up with a sorry face. He gave the man a gold coin.

"A man's third leg is his pride. One must never let anything bad happen to it."

He said showing him the underpants. The man cried even more with his tears falling like a sprinkler.

"The gold coin is more than enough for you guys to start afresh. Do not waste it."

He said as he left. The group had been long gone and after a while of walking, he looked back to make sure no one was following them.

"Fuck, these things smell nasty."

He said as the underpants all froze in a split second in his hand. They then instantly turned into small microscopic pieces of Ice as they flew away in sparkles. He took out some water in his storage ring and washed his hands.

"Guys, at least change your underpants. You are a disgrace to mankind. Those things smelled like they had not been washed in weeks."

He said in disgust, not able to keep his cool anymore. He then joined the rest of the group after a short walk. Night came Salina let everyone know that they would arrive at their destination the following morning. This made everyone anxious and happy as many did not know what to expect. Only Esiyana was miserable as she hated the night since it meant only one thing for her, pain.

"Boss, who was that demon?"

A bandit asked as they had all woken up. They had also stopped the bleeding of many of them with healing spells. Only the one who had his hand cut off was still in pain and in need of medical assistance.

"Someone we were unlucky to run in too as I had wished to never meet her in my life. We are lucky to be alive boys. With what Dimma told me of what her subordinate had said after taking everything from us, it looks like our days of leaving the easy life are over."

Their boss said as all of them subconsciously touched their third leg trying to protect them from the curse they were sure was coming their way.