Wooden Nest

Risea's announcement held an undeniable weight. The Grand Warden's summons came sudden again, but held more urgency than before.

Milo and Lok's stare at Risea, not uttering a word. Their silence protruded mutual understanding between them. They were on the brink of an adventure, feeling prepared to confront whatever trials lay in their path.

"Alright! What are we waiting for?" Lok said with excitement as he pushed his chair back and jumped to stand. Milo spun to one side of the chair and stood.

"Let's go then." Milo answered, looking at Risea with a smile. Risea shockingly smiles back. Lok turns around to bid his grandparents farewell.

"Thank you for the meal! I'm not particularly good with goodbyes but-"

"Goodbyes? We'll be accompanying you, boys." Nido says before Lok can finish his sentence.

"You will?" Lok asked, stunned at the thought. Ayref only nodded

"It's not at Primdrasil, after all. It's a place any of us can go."

"Any of us can go?" Milo repeated.

"Enough with the idle talking, we don't want to be late." Risea asserts as he turned around to head to the entrance. Milo and Lok followed him immediately, but Nido and Ayref paced slowly behind them towards the door.

"Wait!" Ayref shouts, "I forgot my coat in my room, let me go grab it-"

"No grandma I'll get it for you!" Lok says as he dashes to her room quickly, coming back with the coat in his hands. He wraps it around his Ayref's shoulders as she placed her hand on his cheek.

"Thank you dear." She says warmly. Lok smiles brightly, holding her hand as they made it out of the household.

-

With their destination unknown, the four left the house, venturing south of the elven city, Primdrasil, that glowed beneath a pink-hued sunset. The city was a marvel molded into nature, an architectural beauty that coexisted with the forest.

But an uncomfortable stillness hung over the city that evening. The once bustling shops, usually filled with chatter and laughter, were silent, their shutters closed. The streets, typically teeming with life, lay deserted. The unusual tranquility scratched at their sense of ease.

As they journeyed further into the city, they went through the trade district. An abandoned food cart caught Lok's eye. It was Nirdirham's! Even after a filling dinner, the sight of grilled beef skewers, left unattended on the cart, made his stomach grumble loudly. With a mischievous grin, he strolled over, helping himself to a couple of skewers and tossing one to Milo.

Lok's grandparents chuckled heartily at the sight, their laughter bringing life into the quiet city streets. Lok's cheeky antics were always a source of amusement for them. Risea, however, could only palm his face in an frustrated gesture, letting out a sigh. But underneath the stern exterior, one might have detected a hint of reluctant amusement. After all, the boys, in spite of their growth, were still young at heart.

As Milo chewed on the beef skewers, he recalled a question he wanted to ask Lok.

"Say lok." Milo says to grab his attention.

"Mphm?" Lok responds with his mouth full.

"Remember when you brought me here for the first time? There was an old man crouched by a bucket of fish holding a white crystal that seemed to freeze them. What was that about?" Milo asks.

"That is a Gaia crystal, people who aren't Gaia users like us can use them to do magic. However they're only limited to elemental magic because Gaia crystals are purely elemental. For example, that old man you saw? He was holding a Cryos crystal that emanates the frigid essence of ice.

"Oh! Also! Nirdirham's cart, how does he grill his skewers? Inside the grill is a Ignis crystal that he uses to cook his skewers at a constant temperature." Lok finishes with a satisfied smile on his face. Milo looks at Lok with a smile, knowing that Lok loves explaining things.

Crossing the deserted cityscape, they headed towards its southernmost point, where a sight unfamiliar to the boys rose from the ground - a colossal wooden nest. A third the size of the mighty Primdrasil, the structure stood large, its immense size and design casting an imposing silhouette against the dimming skies.

"Was that here before?" Lok asks, questioning his memory.

"No," Risea says, "Esron recently built it during your absence."

"Looks like a giant bird's nest. I can do better." Nido says.

As they drew closer to the giant nest, a soft glow emerged from inside. The nest, which had appeared as nothing more than a massive wooden structure from afar, now revealed a sense of life hidden within. There was the sound of a lot of people's conversations overlapping with one another inside it.

They found the figure at the base of the nest as familiar as the back of their hands – it was Grand Warden Esron.

"Ah, there you are! I've been waiting for so long!" Esron's voice echoed through the emptiness. His voice brought a brief moment of comfort to the boys. Acknowledging the presence of the elderly pair, Esron lowered his head in a respectful nod.

"Father Nido. Mother Ayerf." He greeted with respect.

Behind Esron were two tunnels, burrowed into the very heart of the wooden nest. At the entrance of the left tunnel, a faint glow escaped mimicking the illumination of the nest. The right tunnel, in contrast, was shrouded in darkness.

"I shall lead our parents to the stands." Risea announces to Esron. Nido and Ayerf followed Risea. With their silhouettes forming in the faintly glowing light, they walked towards the left tunnel.

"Come now, lads. Let us go through the right tunnel." Esron says.

"What's in there uncle Esron?" Lok asks.

"You will find out soon enough." Esron answers vaguely, a smirk on his face.

Milo and Lok, after a moment of hesitation, followed Esron into the mysterious right tunnel.

-

As Milo and Lok stepped into the tunnel, the darkness inside consumed their vision. Esron's silhouette, once so solid, faded into the dark. Then, as abruptly as night replaces day, a floral bulb suspended from the unseen ceiling burst into luminous life, lighting up their surroundings.

Esron stood at the center of this sudden illumination, his fingers pointing towards the floral bulb. The sudden bright light revealed an expansive room, its proportions quite large within the walls of the nest. Its most noticeable feature, however, was the variety of weapons that filled it.

"Tell me, boys," Esron began, "how did your time with Gabble fare? Did it sculpt you into the warriors we had hoped?"

Taking a moment to answer, Milo replied first.

"It was more than we could've anticipated, your grace. We were trained not just physically, but mentally too. Thanks to Gabble I think we both have a better understanding of our abilities."

Listening attentively, Esron nodded, evidently pleased.

"That is splendid. Keep these lessons at heart. Now select the weapon that calls to you, that resonates with your spirit. Once you are done, follow me." Esron says as pointed at the selection of melee weapons.

Esron then left through the exit on the other end of the room, his footsteps slowly fading away, leaving Milo and Lok in the room. Milo points at the daggers behind Lok.

"There, by the far wall." Milo says, knowing his friend's choice. Lok pointed behind Milo as well in retort.

"And there, on the opposite side, you'll find your precious shortsword." Lok says, pointing in the other direction with a chuckle.

"What do you think is out there on the other end?" Milo asks.

"Knowing my uncle, it's definitely a grand farewell trial he put together for us. Emphasis on the grand by the way." Lok says, sparking laughter between them.

"Clever play on words." Milo compliments.

"Why, thank you good sir." Lok jests, cheekily bowing.

Donning their chosen weaponry, the two lads went about the long process of armoring up. Tightened leather sheathes hugged the curves of their bodies. They untied and then firmly re-tied their boot laces. Leather bracers snapping into their arms.

They didn't know what was waiting for them, but it was an anticipation similar to bracing for a storm. With their gear and weapons in place and their minds steady, they moved side by side, following the path Esron had taken.

As they ventured further down the passageway, a faint light began to shine along the tunnel walls, growing brighter with every step they took. Along with this light came a distant, growing roar, a sound that seemed to come from the heart of the nest, swelling in volume and intensity the closer they got to the light. The light soon began blind them from its intensity, coming to a crescendo of a primal roar.

Emerging from the tunnel, Milo and Lok found themselves standing within a massive battleground in the heart of the giant wooden nest. As their eyes adjusted to the intense light, they took in the scene around them. The nest, they realized, was a colosseum, brought to life by Esron's hands. Its stands filled with the cheers and clamor of the city's elves.

"So that's where they were going..." Lok comments, his voice soft.

Positioned in the seats of honor was the Warden's Pavilion. Esron sat there, flanked by Risea and the other eight Wardens. Nido and Ayerf, occupied seats next to them as well.

An arena built for titans, and yet it was Milo and Lok who stood at its center. With a gravitas that commanded attention, Esron rose to his feet. His voice echoed throughout the colosseum.

"Before we release you onto your journey, you must prove your mettle in this trial. Now, Milo, Lok," he paused, looking at the two young men in the colosseum's center, "let us witness the results of your training!"

His announcement caused an immediate response. The colosseum erupted in loud cheers that shook the ground. The elven population roared with intensity. Milo and Lok, firm and ready, stood in the eye of this storm.