Stream had always considered himself a loner. He’d never needed to make or maintain friendships. Not only because of his mixed blood discouraging the races from speaking to him, but his skill level with the bow had always been a prominent deterrent from even other mixed blooded youths to try and befriend him.

Add the fact that his father was considered one of the most dangerous individuals alive within the City of Palaces, and Stream’s normally isolated life was considerably unraveled. Nothing ever changed. No one ever bothered him.

So for his entire life to change in what felt like days was a lot for Stream. Now that Arson had entered his life from what seemed to be from absolutely nowhere, Stream felt he struggled to juggle the changes to his day to day.

After their fight against Light and the other elves, Stream tried to retreat into his life of introverted hiding in plain sight. This would have worked if their actions within the dueling grounds had ended there, giving the absurdity of what had occurred time to die down. However, Arson dragged Stream there every day, and the pair began to fight more and more ridiculous odds.

At one point a group of ten orcs challenged the duo as they sparred with one another, and Stream had tried to wave them off. Only for Arson to accept the duel, starting a series of events that left him staring at the ranking board for the young scions of the races.

“What the sparks have you done…”

Stream looked over to the shrugging Arson, the young Cultivator staring up at their aliases side by side on the team rankings in seventh place. Arson leaned over whispering to Stream chuckling as he spoke.

“Honestly think it's rigged, we’ve beat everyone above us already…”

“Wait what, really?”

“Yeah, most of the people above us we either beat before we broke into the top 100, or over the past few days, those names don’t look familiar to you?”

Stream looked back at the board, and quickly frowned. The more he read over the names, the more he realized they were all incredibly familiar. Not in the way it would be for someone to hear the name of a distant relative, but more like conversations about a topic when a specific detail sat at the edges of your mind. The memories sitting like a feather spinning on the surface of Stream's skin, tickling his mind as he struggled to remember.

“Man, you are such a light weight,” Arson said patting Stream on the shoulder as he turned to walk off. Stream turned to follow when the first of many memories struck him.

“Wait, didn’t we have drinks with sixth place just a few days ago?”

“Yeah, we did, and before then we had drinks with the previous seventh place, and you were drunk enough to call out their team’s captain, telling him that you’d like to take his beautiful mother to the shady side of an orchard and show her how you pick fruit,” Arson reminded Stream with a chuckle.

“No I didn’t, that was you…”

“That may be true, but you enthusiastically agreed, so many times in fact that we were immediately challenged to a duel the following day after your eloquent monologue might I add.”

“That’s it, I’m not letting you take me drinking anymore, we’ve been in a duel…”

Stream trailed off, the realization striking him like a thunderbolt.

“You’ve been getting me drunk and riled up enough to bad mouth the ranked teams in the dueling grounds,” Stream noted more to himself than Arson.

“Took you long enough, but it's not like you didn’t want to, I got the idea from you on our first night out, you were so drunk you admitted to me that you’d long felt that you could singlehandedly take on most of the ranked teams in the dueling grounds by yourself. Something about you being annoyed with everyone thinking that you went on the last prime hunt because of who your dad is, and not your own merits,” Arson said to Stream as he waved at a group of beautiful young elves that waved in his direction. The pair walked free of the dueling grounds and Stream stayed silent, struggling to find a response.

“Why?” was all Stream managed to say, truly wondering what Arson’s motives could be.

“Why not, you're better than everyone here, and walk around skulking in the shadows like you are afraid of confrontation, while it's really a conversation you are afraid of. This way everyone wins, I get to train with strong fighters, you get to let the real you out, and tell as many people to shove it as you want.”

Stream looked at Arson who merely glanced at Stream, rolling his eyes at the bewildered expression on the young mixed blood’s face.

“Doesn’t matter, they aren’t going to let us climb any higher on that board even if we take on all six teams above us at once and win, they already have to include us in the prime hunt and that’s good enough for me, rather waste the rest of my time actually preparing for what is to come than keep beating up talentless fighters.”

“You don’t really believe the rest of the teams are talentless do you?”

“No, not really, but it doesn’t matter how strong they are if you and I can beat them with simple tactics and teamwork.”

Stream nodded. More to himself than in response to Arson. He’d long felt that way himself, but he never believed that he would meet someone that agreed with him, beside his own father of course.

The two walked through the city for a while, until Stream noticed that they were walking in the direction of a shop that he wouldn’t approach from ground level even if someone paid him an entire season cycle’s worth of coin.

“Ha, come on Stream, put your big boy pants on, I need to get some work done and your little friend's shop is the only one I’ve seen with acceptable work,” said Arson. Stream looked up at the workshop’s sign. The moving picture made of glyphs shifted from a hammer, breaking down into small gears that linked, spinning perfectly through one another before transforming back into a hammer.

“How, how did you know…”

Arson burst into laughter, talking loud enough that Stream knew that those inside the shop probably were able to hear him from where they were from the shop.

“About your crush!”

“Shhh, they're going to—“

“Who doesn’t know already, you have sung her name drunkenly on stage at your favorite tavern for half a fortnight, little giant, if she hasn’t heard about it already I’d be shocked!”

“I’m going to sparking gut you like a fish one day, rich boy!”

“I’d like to see you try…”

…

Arson walked into the tinkerer's workshop and smiled as he raised both his arms. He spun slowly to take in all of the gadgets and weaponry, and even armor that lined the walls and was stacked on the tables for sale throughout the workshop.

“Hello, second family, it is good to be home!”

“Come here, boy, I’ve wanted to ask you about this component you made since bloody yesterday…”

“Yes sir, Mr. BlueFlame, you don’t mean the parachute function for the bow do you?””

“You already knew this would intrigue me, boy, that’s why you left this out in plain sight and left a mess for me to clean, I would have ignored it otherwise.”

“Of course not, sir,” tried Arson but the man’s wife’s laughter told him that neither one believed him.

“You’ve got him so wrapped up that he didn’t even eat his breakfast, lad. Hurry up and show us your intentions for this, I’d like to be actually be able to enjoy lunch with my family.”

“Sorry, Ms. BlueFlame. I’ll eat whatever he didn’t get to, but I hope you and Camilla at least had a good meal.”

“Bah, the girl hasn’t stopped working on the upgrades you designed for her before you left, she’s no better than her father, I’ll be fat eating for three if you keep this up.”

“Never, Ms. BlueFlame, your elegance could shake a kingdom, it’s why your husband picked you, as you picked him for his equally as brilliant mind.”

Arson knew the compliment got through when the small patch of scales on either cheek of the woman’s face shifted colors, her husband scoffing a barely restrained laugh at her embarrassment. She swatted at the man, who lifted a hand beckoning Arson over to join them once more.

Arson smiled at the family of Dragonkin that worked within the currently empty shop. The mother and father standing over Arson’s project, as their daughter worked on improving a crossbow on the table beside her parents. None of the family raised their head from their work, their daughter only rolling her eyes before she spoke up.

“For a scaleless runt, you sure do have a lot of confidence in yourself,” said Camilla BlueFlame. The beautiful Dragonkin stood as Arson approached, hugging him from the side, only glancing up at him with a soft smile before returning to her work.

Arson could see why Stream was so infatuated by the young female dragon kin, her dazzling blue eyes and long curly white hair framed her crown like horns perfectly, in a way that told Arson she was absolutely beautiful.

If it wasn’t for Anastasia letting Arson know he was eternally bonded to his mate, he’d truly wonder why he didn’t find any of the young females his age within the races attractive. They were obviously seeking out Stream’s and his attentions, but for Arson the thrill of the chase never rose, even though he couldn’t even place a single feature of his partner’s visage in his memories.

I must really love this Troy…

Arson pulled away from Camilla as he strode toward her parents. Her equally as beautiful mother stood next to her father who was far shorter than the seven foot tall woman. The sight always making Arson snicker, as he was unable to not notice the height difference between Camilla and Stream was nearly identical.

At least when he’s not angry, I guess.

“I told you to bring my Little Giant next time you came,” said Camilla. Arson’s and Camilla’s parents' eyes all widened, the group all speaking at once.

“Your Little Giant?”

The group all shared a look and smiles met the faces of all three.

“Yes, my Little Giant, he might as well be from what I’ve heard. "oh Camilla you should hear how he sings your name, it's so poetic",” said Camilla in an obvious imitation of those who’d told her the rumors being spread, or maybe even who’d seen the sight firsthand.

“So where is he? You promised, and if you broke that promise…” Camilla lifted her extremely advanced hand crank crossbow toward Arson in threat and a voice came from the doorway making her jump, and fire the weapon as she peered over her shoulder.

“Am I really your Little Giant,” asked Stream, standing just inside the doorway, his cheeks reddening by the blink.

The young mixed blood’s stealth skills were incredible, as Arson hadn’t even heard him come in, nor did the runic bell go off at the door’s opening.

“Oh so she can call you Little Giant and it's not a problem, I see how it is,” Arson said catching the crossbow bolt inches from his face, setting it down on the worktable without looking up from his newest project. The BlueFlame husband and wife, sharing another wide eyed look at the feat, before they both grinned, shaking their heads.

“Of course it is, she’s beautiful, and you're a spoiled brat,” said Stream, looking away as Camilla jumped to her feet and rushed over to him.

“Hey you,” Camilla said bending at the waist and planting a kiss right on Stream’s cheek. Arson whistled at the sound, looking up to see a completely red faced Stream.

“Looks like you're going to have to find a better income than tricking terrible archers into impossible lessons, if you're going to take care of Camilla, or her weapons will be what is putting food on your family's table.” Somehow Stream’s face reddened further, and the scales on Camilla’s face shifted in hue sharply.

“Ignore him, he’s just jealous,” said Camilla, looping an arm through Stream’s own and practically dragging him toward Arson and her parents.

“Doubtful, I’ve seen him turn down more beauties in a night than I’ve probably shown interest in in my entire life,” mumbled Stream.

Arson looked up at the pair and shrugged.

“I’m taken, seems like the plane can strip anyone of memories, but not the love I feel for my lady,” said Arson, placing a gear in the middle of the contraption he worked on.

Finally Stream looked down at what was being worked on and his eyes went wide. The young mixed blood reached out, brushing his hand against the armament, completely enthralled by what Arson was working on with Camilla’s parents.

“What is this…?”

“Something the boy has been working on for you, I think,” said Camilla’s father and his wife nodded along in agreement.

“It has three functions,” said Arson, looking up at Stream.

“Give me and the old man a moment and we will have you try it on.”

After a few more adjustments. Arson lifted what looked to be like the right arm of and armor suit, sliding the equipment onto Stream’s arm. His friend gaped as the arm was attached perfectly. A snug fit, made even more seamless as a hiss of mana emanated from the upper shoulder components.

“The first mechanism is simple, it uses mana to both thicken in areas just before being struck, providing a near perfect armor that blocks for you as long as you put it between you and whatever is attacking you.”

Stream nodded, unable to take his eyes off the armor, which only made Arson’s smile widen as he continued.

“That same function is what will allow you to grow, and not destroy the arm and its inner components, they grow when you do.”

“That’s amazing…”

Arson didn’t give his friend time to struggle with the fact that he’d taken into account that Stream had his own peculiarities that made him unique, moving on before Stream could make things awkward as he normally did when Arson brought up the details that Stream was ashamed of, while Arson thought those same qualities made him amazing.

“Second, is an arrow construction tool built into the forearm.”

Arson turned over the armor, making Stream turn his hand palm up.

“This is by far the most impressive thing I’ve seen made within these walls, and it doesn’t even end here, if he was being honest about the upgrades, that is,” mumbled Mr. BlueFlame to his wife. Ms. BlueFlame nodded in agreement as she set a handful of various stones on the table.

Stream looked between Camilla’s parents in disbelief, until Arson lifted a regular rock and smiled at him. Arson then opened a small hatch on the forearm, the compartment opened to show a small empty inter dimensional space that swirled with red, blue, and green light.

He dropped the rock into the space, and closed the hatch. He then turned Stream’s arm palm down, and opened a secondary hatch on the topside of the forearm, and pulled free an arrow, before quickly closing the hatch and handing it over to Stream.

“Don’t leave that second hatch open too long until we upgrade it, I haven’t worked out all the bugs yet.”

“What happens if I do?”

Arson again shrugged, before he made a gesture with both hands that indicated to everyone gathered that the secondary hatch being left open could have explosive results, continuing as if the detail was minor. Or that Stream didn’t have a potential bomb now strapped to his arm.

“Just look at the sparking arrow, I said I would fix it and I will,” said Arson said as his friend’s mouth slowly dropped open to complain.

“These three runes here, change the function of the arrow, while these three change the size,” explained Arson pointing toward a line of seven glowing runes that sat between both the hatches on the interior of armament.

“What do these do?” asked Stream, pointing to the three runes Arson had shared changed the function of the arrows made.

“The first one makes an exploding arrow, while the second makes a smoke bomb arrow, and the last is a grappling hook head arrow,” Arson said excitedly. Mr. BlueFlame elbowed Arson, holding up two fingers, and Arson nodded, closing his eyes as he raised a single finger, momentarily struggling to remember something.

“Mr. BlueFlame added a duel rune function that is rather genius, it allows the function of two types of arrow to be fused into one.

‘I’d practice with all the functions individually and with each pair before you two go back into the dueling grounds,” suggested Mr. BlueFlame.

“Okay, I will, but what happens if I press all three rune functions at once,” asked Stream, lifting his opposing hand to do what he inquired over.

“No!”

Stream froze as everyone in the room yelled at him in unison.

“What, what’s wrong with pressing all three runes?”

Arson looked away from Stream, and Mr. BlueFlame sighed before he too made an explosive gesture with his hands.

“Noted… do I even want to ask the final function or does it also explode?”

“No, just close your fist,” said Arson, once more excited about what he’d built for his friend.

Stream closed his hand and Arson couldn’t help but laugh as the young mixed blood’s eyes nearly bugged out from his head.

“I call it a OneHand Bow,” said Arson, a compound bow building itself from Stream’s own mana directly in his friend’s grip as he spoke.

“It has two modes, auto fire, and manual, the first mode fires for you continually, pulling arrows from the secondary hatch until you run out of materials to form your arrows, while manual allows you to fire normally, like you are used to.”

“Woah, how did you afford all this Arson? I know I call you rich boy, but I know you don’t have any money.”

“Your future wife’s parents let me build it once I showed them the designs, I originally came here to find Camilla and drag her to the dueling grounds to join our team, but after talking with them for a while, I wanted to do more to repay you and Acu for training me as much you two have recently,” said Arson.

“Wait, Camilla, join our team? No, wait, you're trying to distract me. None of that tells me how you paid for this, nor how you know how to make something like this?”

“I paid for it by giving them the design, and as for your other question, I honestly have no idea how, I just do, and I enjoyed every second of it.”

“Hmm, so what do I owe you for all this then…” Stream said with suspicion filling his tone as his brow furrowed and he stared down Arson.

Can’t blame him Arson, you are about to ask him for a favor…

Arson looked around at everyone with a growing smile on his face.

“Oh nothing, just a small trip to the library.”