(Safreya)

“Saf? Hey, Saf? SAFREYA!” Amalda shouted, stirring Safreya from her infirmary bed. “Hey, sleepy head. You’d better hurry. The great farewell is in two hours.”

Safreya rubbed her eyes before returning her spectacles to her face. Thankfully, Amalda made sure that they hadn’t broken when Safreya fell. “That’s right,” Safreya said. “I was selected. But, Ama…”

“Don’t worry about me,” said Amalda, rubbing her hand through Safreya’s messy brunette hair. “But, if you could, I’d like to be the one to send you off.”

The great farewell came three hours after the selection. After the selected ate dinner and said goodbye to their families, they were allowed to choose one person of schooling age to follow them all the way to the border. It was supposedly a passing of the torch, meant to leave part of the selected’s ambitions with their hometown.

“Of course!” Safreya said, wrapping her arms around Amalda. “There’s nobody else I’d rather have.”

Sefreya wanted to cry. She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to leave Amalda. However, the selection was the opportunity of a lifetime. Her adult self would hate her if she didn’t get the chance to learn at the capital over something so trivial. She'd gotten used to the life of an average human, but that was never the life she was destined for. There were things that she needed to see. Also, if there was still any chance that he was alive, Safreya prayed that she'd find him in the capital.

“Listen to me, Saf. Once you get there, I want you to join the zoologist guild. Stay at the capital forever,” Amalda said, tears welling in her eyes. “I’ll look forward to catching you, so don’t you dare look back for me.”

“I accept,” said Safreya with steeled resolve. “But I’ll be waiting patiently for you, so you’d better catch up.”

(Mallea)

Mallea had studied hard her entire life. She’d become, in her opinion, a great blacksmith for her age. She believed that she had a great relationship with her parents. As evidence of that, she had an emotional farewell with her parents that culminated in a wonderful meal. However, Mallea didn’t have a single friend her age.

When it came time to choose the person who would accompany her to the great farewell, Mallea was clueless. She would have cherished a last moment with her family or mentor, but she had already gotten those. That wasn’t what the great farewell was for. It had to be a fellow student.

“Are you sure that there’s nobody you can think of?” Jakob asked, “no underclassmen that looks up to you?”

Mallea shook her head. She, Asher, and Jakob all waited with a driver and a horse-drawn carriage outside the town exit. It was time for them to choose the student to send them off. However, Mallea was dumbfounded. She had no siblings, either. Every close relationship she had was with an adult.

“If you can’t think of someone, then I have a request,” Asher told her. “I have two siblings. Could you choose my younger brother? I’ve had the worst anxiety trying to choose between them.”

Mallea’s eyes lit up. She was glad that her situation could be useful to her new travel companion. “Yes, of course!” She said with exuberance. “I’d be happy to; that would be a wonderful use of my pick.”

Jakob nodded and signaled to one of the two capital guards. The man promptly headed for Asher’s house. Mallea felt a light nudge from Asher. She jumped in place, startled by the interaction. She’d quickly learned that Asher was a gentle giant, but her body still told her to be wary of such an intimidating figure.

“I appreciate your help,” Asher said with a smile that could illuminate the world’s deepest cave. “You had no friends up until now? That surprises me.”

“Up until now?” Mellea asked, perplexed by Asher’s wording.

Asher threw his arm around Mellea and drew her in close to him. Usually, Mellea would have shoved him away. However, she could tell that there was nothing malicious in the motion. He handled her the way a man treated one of his comrades in arms.

“Well, we’re friends now, aren’t we?” Asher asked. Mellea’s eyes opened in wonderment. That smile, she thought, is the sun itself. Forget the diamond blade. This man should be the king of Solluna.

“Right,” Mellea said in a half-whisper, “friends. It’s quite a natural fit, isn’t it?”

“A blacksmith and a warrior, you mean?” Asher asked. “I suppose it is.”

Mellea knew that it was important for a person to have goals. Her goal had always been simple and straightforward. However, becoming a black hammer was no longer her only goal. She hadn’t even fully realized why before the words left her lips.

“My weapons are going to help turn you into the greatest warrior in the world,” Mellea said. She immediately hit herself. How arrogant, she thought, what a stupid thing to say.

Asher paused for a moment. Mallea’s face was flushed with embarrassment. Then came the reaction that Mallea should have expected: a warm chuckle and the smile that could conquer a nation.

“I like it!” Asher said, “and I’ll make sure that my skills help you become the most renown smith in the world!”

Before the two had another moment together, the third member of the selected students arrived. Safreya, sniffling with fogged-up glasses, led another girl to the carriage. Mellea could tell the moment they approached that it would be an emotional farewell. No matter how much she loved her parents, Mellea’s day had been filled with only jubilation. She had forgotten just how much the other two were leaving behind.

(Asher)

Asher observed the other goodbye while he waited for the twins. Safreya and Amalda stood face-to-face, unsure of what to say. Asher knew just how hard goodbyes could be. He’d now been on both sides of the great farewell.

There had been an upperclassman that Asher looked up to, a young woman one year his senior. She’d been selected as the tenth-year representative two years prior and had lived in the capital ever since. When she and Asher said their farewells, Asher imagined it must have looked something like the scene before him.

“I guess this is goodbye, huh?” Amalda said, wistfully watching Safreya walk toward the carriage. However, before joining Mallea and Asher, Safreya turned back one last time to face her childhood friend.

“Listen, Ama; I think I l-” Safreya wasn’t allowed to let the final words out. Amalda pressed her finger against Safreya’s lips, careful not to let her say anything that would bind her to Mazgrove forever.

“Tell me whatever you were going to say once I’ve caught up with you,” Amalda told Safreya with teary eyes. Before they parted, Ama rested her hand on Safreya’s cheek. Asher could tell how desperately both wanted to lean in, but neither could manage it. He pitied them. It truly was a horrible thing to bid farewell to someone you loved.

I guess it’s my turn now, too, Asher thought as the twins approached the carriage. But how could I ever say goodbye to you?

The twins looked silently at Asher, waiting for him to speak first. He’d practiced the moment a thousand times in his head, but seeing those two pairs of big glossy eyes look up at him was more than he could bear. Still, Asher knew that he had to say goodbye.

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“Listen, you two, you need to look after Mom from now on,” Asher told the twins. “I’m gonna be sending back a lot of money, so things are gonna be getting a little easier, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” the twins answered back.

“Clovis, you’re in charge of anything that requires brains. Ashleigh, you’re in charge of anything that requires muscles.”

The twins giggled. “Yes, sir,” they replied.

“Ashleigh, I taught Clovis how to braid hair, so you won’t be high and dry without me,” Asher said, fighting back the liquid that steadily coated his eyes. Ashleigh had held her head high with a warrior’s pride. However, Asher’s words were her breaking point. The girl collapsed on her knees, trying her hardest to wipe away tears.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry,” Ashleigh cried. “I wanted to see you off like a warrior, but… I can’t.” Asher placed a comforting hand on the top of Ashleigh’s head. “Don’t worry,” he said, “true warriors aren’t afraid to bare their soul.”

Tears dripped onto Asher’s cloak as his sister pressed her head against him. Her muffled sobs reverberated in Asher’s chest. Clovis looked away from the scene, unwilling to see either of his siblings in such a state.

The idea of leaving the twins in tears broke Asher’s heart, but he had run out of time. “I love you two, and I’ll miss you,” Asher said as the twins parted ways with him. “Don’t worry. Someday, I’ll have enough money for us to live together in the capital, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” the twins whimpered.

The three selected students boarded the carriage with Jacob and the guards. Asher hadn’t realized initially, but the horses that headed the carriage weren’t horses at all. They were pegasi. The creatures’ wings unfurled, and the carriage began to rise into the sky.

Sefreya and Asher rushed to the back of the carriage to wave goodbye one last time. The twins and Amalda waved back, doing their best to see them off with a smile. Jakob could see the pain on the young people’s faces the moment that their cherished ones were out of view.

“So, is there anyone in the capital that you lot are looking forward to seeing?” Jakob asked, doing his best to distract the youngsters from their sadness.

“The other Setrics,” Asher replied, “I want to prove myself. But more immediately, there’s a girl that I want to see. Kylie Novasca.”

Jakob raised an eyebrow. “Kylie? She’s a student of mine. A Green Arrow in the Archer’s Guild. An exiled member of the Setric family and a childhood friend of that prodigy, huh? You might be an interesting one, Asher.”

“Not sure about that, but I suppose I’m not bad with a blade,” Asher said, trying his best to be modest. He didn’t want to appear arrogant in front of a Violet Arrow. Still, Asher’s confidence was why he couldn’t wait to get to the capital. He needed to show Kylie the type of warrior he’d become.

“I’d like to meet my aunt Desmia, a black hammer and the pride of Mazgrove,” said Mallea, “but I’ll be grateful for every smith willing to help me master forging magic weapons.”

“A good statement!” Jakob exclaimed. “As a member of the warrior’s college, let me tell you this: our expert crafters are the kingdom’s true prize. We wouldn’t be able to wield magic weapons without them.”

Magic weapons were rare in a small town like Mazgrove. Asher had always wanted to wield one, but they required great skill and resources. Magic weapons could only be created using proper parts from magical animals combined with unique materials. As a result, the most exceptional magic weapons often came as a collaborative effort between the scholar’s college and the crafter’s college.

“About your aunt… Desmia is always off on some project or another and won’t be in the capital for a few weeks,” said Jakob, “but I’ll have the guild alert you when she’s back in town.”

Mallea nodded gratefully. Asher would have been disappointed by such news, but he supposed it was only a few weeks. Mallea would be reunited with her aunt eventually. Next, the group turned their attention to the skittish Safreya.

“There's someone I'm hoping to see, but it's a long shot,” said Safreya with a sad smile. “ I also want to see Solluna’s zoo of magical animals. If any of you would join me, I…”

“Let’s do it!” Asher exclaimed. “This upcoming weekend. If you don’t mind, I may have a guest for us.”

“Sounds wonderful to me,” Mallea said. “Since we’re all in different colleges, we should meet once a weekend. Keep in touch.”

Asher looked outside the flying carriage at the scenery beneath him. Green treetops lined both sides of the road from Mazgrove to the capital. Noticing a splotch of tan on one of the trees, Asher squinted as hard as he could to make out the irregularity. A nest, he realized, but what sort of nest?

The whinnying of the pegasi and shaking of the carriage told Asher everything he needed to know. The beasts were about to reveal themselves. Jakob opened the small door that separated the carriage driver and the guards from the occupants.

“Guards, my quiver!” Yelled the Violet Arrow.

The panicked guard, who couldn’t have been more than a half-decade older than the passengers, shook his head. “Sir… I… I think I left it at Mazgrove.”

Jakob’s face turned pale white. Underlying the panicked sounds of the pegasi was an ominous rattle as, from out of the trees, a horror emerged. A brown serpent with bat-like wings, its body the length of five men, was headed straight for the pegasi.

“That’s… the diamond-back flying rattleserpent…” Said the terrified Safreya. “They’re distant relatives of dragons, and pegasi are one of their favorite meals. Even if master Jakob had his quiver, non-magical weapons are worthless. Their scales have evolved to be immune to piercing.”

“So, how do you kill it?” Asher asked as the carriage continued to shake, “if those pegasi go down, so do we.”

“The individual scales are so big that you can get underneath them with a dagger or knife. If you use it like a fulcrum, you pry a scale off and get a clean shot at its exposed head. But the skills to get on top of one and stay on it… we’d need someone with the skill level of a Blue Blade or Lancer,” Safreya said, hanging her head.

Adrenaline pumped through Asher’s body. “Is that so? Any of you have a dagger?” He asked.

Mallea pulled a sheath with a beautiful dragon sale dagger from her travel bag. “I have this,” she said. “It’s magic. The metal burns hotter the tighter you grip the scale handle. If anything could do it, this could.”

“Hand it to me, child,” Jakob said, “I may be an archer, but I’ve been trained in-”

Asher ripped the dagger from Mallea’s hand. Asher, spotting the beast, jumped off the flying carriage as Jakob and the others screamed behind him. Reaching his arm out, Asher tightly gripped the wings of the flying serpent and made his way on top of the creature.

“Sorry, beastie, I know you’re just looking for food,” Asher told the hissing serpent. “But those horses are carrying some precious cargo.”

Following Safreya’s expert instructions to the letter, Asher dug the dagger deep into a scale atop the serpent’s head. Shifting his weight forward, Asher pried the scale off the snake. The more the creature shook and squirmed, the harder it was for Asher to hang on.

Next, he tightened his grip on the dagger as Mallea had instructed. Once the metal had begun to heat up, he plunged the dagger into the serpent’s head with a loud scream. With a final hiss, the flying serpent began to fall from the air. Asher held onto the dagger planted inside the creature for dear life, wincing at each tree branch that smacked him in the face during the descent.

What great advice by Safreya, Asher thought. It went exactly as she said. Still, she was wrong about one thing. It doesn’t take a blue-ranked warrior to slay a beast like this. Kylie could have done it in her sleep.

Asher pulled the dagger from the snake, cleaning the blood from it with a few fallen leaves. Just as Asher had begun to wonder how he’d get to the capital, the flying carriage flew between the tree tops overhead and landed by his feet.

Jakob poked his head out of the carriage. Asher could tell that the violet arrow had mixed emotions, but the dominant look on his face was undoubtedly a glare of frustration. “Just… get in the carriage,” Jakob told Asher.

Safreya poked her head out from the carriage excitedly, shooing Asher back to the dead serpent. “Get the fangs! The fangs!” Safreya yelled, “flying rattle fangs are magic; they secrete venom even after death.”

Asher, excited to be helpful to Safreya and Mallea, cut the fangs from the serpent. He used a bundle of leaves as gloves to safely hold the natural weapons. Making his way back to the carriage, Asher gently handed the dagger and the fangs to Mallea.

“Hopefully, you can make a pretty crazy weapon out of those,” Asher said with child-like enthusiasm.

“You’re just giving them away? Those are worth a lot of money!” Safreya lectured. “You can only be so nice, you know, weren’t you supposed to send money back to your family?”

“Mallea can pay me back the price of the materials after she sells them as fully functional weapons,” Asher replied. “I may not be a little genius like you, but I’m no fool. Just trying to help a friend.”

Mallea nodded, examining the two fangs in awe. “Asher… Safreya… this sort of a trio is a little too perfect, isn’t it?”

“It’s quite a symbiotic relationship,” Safreya replied, “Asher’s hunting power, my animal knowledge, and Mallea’s forging skills. Together, we’ll make a lot of money and enhance our standings in our guilds.”

“Asher… every legendary hero has a legendary blade, right?” Mallea asked. Asher nodded. It was true; the greatest warriors had magical weapons with names just as famous as theirs. “Just leave that to us. Together, we’ll forge you into the next diamond blade.”