Zerine and Neil sat after Zara released them from the obstacle course training. Both were breathing hard and covered in sweat.

“I still can’t believe you can hit all the targets,” Zerine panted, flopping backwards, throwing her arms out, landing with a soft thud in the grass. Her performance on the courses hadn’t improved. In fact, it had been the opposite since introducing the targets. Targets that she had to hit to progress or get launched off the course.

“You’ll get there. Aiming a bow has far more involved than the instincts you get with your magic,” Neil panted back before chugging water from a flask.

“Don’t sell yourself short. You're the only one around our age that can do all the obstacles courses and hit the targets. And the control over you magic is impressive and takes just as much work if not more than firing a bow,” Zerine replied. She dumped her flask of water over her head. Why did their training area have to be so warm all the time?

“Varino does these in her sleep,” Neil said.

“Don’t compare yourself to the D-rank tiny, adorable monster.”

Neil laughed. “I gave up on that after she sent me flying twenty feet from a tiny punch our first sparing match.”

“Good,” Zerine said and sighed, looking up at the cloudless sky in the dimensional space.

“So, there is only a special dinner planned for tonight for your birthday?” Neil wondered.

“It's just some of my favorites and we splurge on some deserts. So, nothing fancy, just like last time,” Zerine replied, watching a cloud rapidly drift over head before vanishing from sight.

“And you're just going to do more training, tutoring, and whatever else you get up to?”

Zerine turned her head to look at him. “Did someone tell you to ask me?”

“Nooo? Why?” Neil repelled, looking the picture of confusion.

“Forget it,” she said, turning her head to look up at the now cloudy sky. “I played with the creatures in the compound, did alchemy, and trained. Oh, but I canceled tutoring for the children of the compound tonight. I will still work with Mili, though.”

“And that’s what you're going to do for your birthday?”

“Yep, like normal.”

“Hypothetically, what would you say if I were to ask if you wanted to join me on a fun exploration of the city?” Neil asked, finding himself a little nervous, even though he had no ulterior motives other than to get Zerine out and do something fun.

Zerine turned to look at him. Her eyes took in his relaxed posture and slightly nervous smile. In her senses, she found Neil was just being his usual honest, caring, good friend.

“I would say probably not because I would need a chaperone for anything outside of the compound.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right,” he said, sighing. Since the assassination attempts, any people leaving the compound had one of the Gold-rank members escort them. It was a precaution, but after an attempted kidnapping of Shara, it proved to be the right call.

“Oh, I would gladly keep an eye on you two,” Zara said, making both of them jump from her sudden and silent appearance.

It took Zerine a moment for Zara’s words to sink in. When they did, anxiety crawled its way through her. The city training with Sashi and Zara always left her tired. And she didn’t want to admit it, but she felt like she had made little progress in getting more control over her ability. To make it worse, she was pretty sure it was nearly noon, the busiest time. She was fine with going to the city and talking to people, but there were too many people.

“Umm, but we still-” she was saying, but Zara just raised an eyebrow and Zerine trailed off, then sighed. She would not get out of this. Now that the initial shock had passed, she realized it wasn’t just her instincts that spiked the anxiety. No, it was the fact it would be probably the first time she had done something like this. Realizing that she was going to do it just so that the anxiety wouldn’t become a fear which would hold her back in the future.

“Alright, I would like a shower or bath before we go,” Zerine said.

At her words Zara grinned and Neil looked surprised, which turned into a grin.

“Perfect. Then tomorrow we can make up the time,” Zara said, which got matching groans from Neil and Zerine. Zara laughed. “I’m kidding! Come on, let’s go, you two.”

***

“And here is a great place for lunch,” Neil said, opening the door for Zerine and Zara.

“Did that sign say Cliff Bakery?” Zerine wondered.

“Sure did,” Neil said, falling into step with Zerine.

“I think I’ve stopped at their street stall before,” Zerine said, thinking back to her city training.

“Well then, you're in for a treat,” Neil said, guiding them towards an open table.

“I’ll sit on my own so you two can chat freely,” Zara said and before they could say anything, she was gone.

Neil slid an enchanted wood slate towards himself as they sat down. Channeling his mana through it, the day’s menu appeared.

“Is this the place with the great smoothies?” Zerine wondered, sitting next to him and leaning over to see the menu.

“Yeaaah,” Neil replied, trailing off when he realized her proximity to him. The faint scent of flowers from her shower wafted over him as she leaned closer.

“It is! Oh, these are great. I don’t think I’ve actually had their food, though,” Zerine said, shifting back to her seat. And Neil found he could breathe again.

“How did you not get any food when you bought a smoothie?” Neil wondered.

Zerine shrugged. “Usually when I go with Sashi and Zara to city it’s after training, so I’m more thirsty than hungry.”

Neil nodded as he scanned the menu. “I can see that. Although you missed out on some great sandwiches.”

“Can’t wait then. I already decided on what I’ll get,” Zerine said.

Neil glanced at her. Zerine was looking around the busy bakery and restaurant. She always seemed alert, but right now Zerine seemed far more relaxed than what she had at the start of their outing.

“I’ll pay and order it, so what did you want?” he wondered.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

“I would like the Emerald Sunrise smoothie and the Hearty Lunch sandwich,” Zerine said. “And I cou-”

“Nope! I got it,” Neil said, standing up. “The drinks will be delivered right after I pay for it, so keep an eye out for the floating drinks.”

After paying for their meals, Neil was turning to go back to their seats when he saw one of his friends from class heading towards him.

“Hey, Neil!” Cory said cheerfully, wiping flour off of his hands with his apron. Cory was a tall human with sandy blonde hair and gray eyes. “I thought today was one of your days at…the… Is that Zerine Cooper?” Cory said in a stage whisper, pulling Neil off to side, his gaze locked on to the purple hair and eyed beauty.

“It is one of my training days and yes, that is her,” Neil said. He and Cory spent time together on the days he didn’t go to the Trevel compound. Some days they did training, and others just hung out.

“And your here…with…her?” Cory said, his gaze locked onto Zerine, who was taking a sip from her smoothie. Based on how her face lit up after taking a sip, it was exactly what she had wanted.

“What happened to her? She looks different. A good different,” Cory said quickly. “Weelllll…damn Neil,” he added in a teasing tone.

Neil lightly elbowed Cory. “Stop gawking. And yes, that’s really Zerine.”

Cory wouldn’t let him get a word in as he spoke even faster from excitement. “You realize barely anyone has seen her since that attack at the Trevel’s place? Well, apart from you. Some have said they’ve seen her around the city or temple, but man…she’s changed a lot. Are you two…you know?”

“Nooo,” Neil said, chuckling. “We’re just friends.”

“Reeeally…you talk about your training and time with her a lot,” Cory said, his gaze finally shifting to Neil, a suspicious gleam in his eyes.

“Yes, really,” Neil said, sighing, then realized the sigh probably wasn’t the best-

“Hmm, that sigh says you wish you were more,” Cory stated, but his tone sounded like it was more of a question than anything.

“Friends, Cory,” Neil replied.

“So if today you’re supposed to be training, why are you here? And did you see that Beastkin cat lady?” Cory said gesturing towards Zara. “She is a Gold-rank from what my Da said when she came in. And he would know.”

How much am I allowed to say? Neil wondered. He played it safe.

“No, really?” Neil said, feigning surprise.

“Yeah, but back to why are you free? Normally today I would see you looking like a zombie.”

“Well, it’s a, umm, it’s Zerine’s birthday, so we got permission to have some fun before it got too late.”

Cory’s eyebrows shot up into his sandy blond hair. “No shit!? And you’re totally not on a date? Is she like fourteen? fifteen? And,” Cory’s gaze narrowed, then widened in shock. “She still doesn’t have her crest!? That flickering presence and lack of an aura is so subtile with everyone here.”

“We aren’t on a date just taking the rare free time she has to have some fun,” Neil said quickly, but Cory’s flat looked told him exactly how much his friend believed him.

“Alright, tell me what you’ve been up too, then I’ll let you get back to your daaate,” Cory teased, and Neil sighed.

Zerine took another sip of her smoothie. It was exactly what she had needed. Today was one of those strange in between winter and spring type of days where mother nature said fuck it. It was a beautiful day, even warm, but if you weren’t in the sunlight, it was as if the heat was sucked out of you.

The day’s weather meant there were even more people out than usual this time of year. This meant Zerine’s instincts had slowly become too much for her to deal with. That didn’t mean she wasn’t enjoying her time. Far from it. Zerine had actually done better than she had anticipated, even relaxing more. It didn't stop the headache from starting, but her smoothie was currently handling that. She had added some powdered herbs that Sashi had made for her to help with the headaches.

Not only did the powered herbs help with the headache, but enhanced her senses and mind’s ability to keep up with the constant information. It was only a mild effect, but it was enough to keep her from being overwhelmed.

Thank the gods my idea worked. Albeit tweaked a bit, she thought, taking another sip, feeling the headache slowly disappearing as the information flowing into her mind became easier to control.

The slime racing incident, as the compound’s inhabitants had fondly called it, was a side effect of her trying to mimic what Sashi had made for her after hearing Zerine’s theory. Her theory was that her instincts had out past her mind’s ability to keep up with all the information. Something that getting her crest may help get back in balance. The mind being enhanced through the ranks.

Sashi had agreed and create the powder after doing some research. But since Sashi was going to be ascending, Zerine had wanted to learn how to make it in case Bernard was busy. After her first success, Varino had gotten curious, which then lead to the chaos. But it also led to what probably was the clearest her mind had been in years. While the others had giddy expressions and made insights on projects or ideas, Zerine’s mind had organized her instinct and thoughts, making it easy to control.

I wish I could have that all the time, she thought wistfully. Sashi had made Zerine swear on her soul that she would only use the powder when a headache was starting or if she felt overwhelmed by her ability. Sashi and her parents had said it would be bad if she became reliant on the powder instead of trying to gain control of her ability without it. She understood their reasoning, but that didn’t stop her from wishing that they would have just let her use it more frequently.

Her gaze flicked to where Zara was sitting with her back to a corner looking towards her and the entranceway. Zara subtly gestured to her own cup, clearly asking if Zerine had used the powder. Zerine gave her a tiny nodded. Zara winced, but gave her a tiny reassuring smile, which she returned.

Neil, sitting back down, made her gaze flick back to the table. Her smile grew as he placed her plate in front of her.

“My lady,” Neil said, grinning.

Zerine snorted a laugh. “Thank you, oh, so very much, sir Neil,” she said, matching his theatrical tone.

He chuckled, and they both tucked into their meal.

Afterwards, Neil took Zerine to another shop, both not noticing that Zara was no longer following them.

“How many of you little fuckers are their following members of the household?” Zara snarled. One hand lifting a woman into the air.

The woman’s comrades were all frozen in the alley where Zara had gathered them after ambushing each and everyone of them. She had picked up on their little tics off and on throughout the day. They hadn’t noticed her due to a mix of magic and her own training. The only time she was near Zerine and Neil had been when they entered the bakery, needing to check it out with her senses before they stayed for their meal.

“Come on, I know you have death magic associated with who hired you, not other parts,” Zara said, lightly shaking the woman in her iron grip.

“You’ll never get anything from us,” one of the froze people said icily.

Zara’s cat era flattened as her head turned slowly to the one who had spoken.

“Let's see,” she said. Her eyes suddenly had swirls of red in their golden depths.

“Hmm, negative karmic magic towards the Thunder Fairy and the Baron. Then there are your affinities. what else…”

All the surrounding people looked terrified, realizing that her gaze laid bare far too much.

“Zara, what do you have here?” came Sashi’s voice. The Iridesium-rank mystic appeared, not even disturbing the air from her sudden appearance.

“Just the women I needed to take away some death magic. These fools were following Zerine and Neil. Even if she didn’t realize it, Zerine’s gaze found each one of them, too. But I think she was enjoying her time with Neil too much to realize what she was seeing,” Zara said.

Sashi raised an eyebrow. “Hmm, interesting. Well, we better take them to the guards first, then I can get the information we want.”

“We?” Zara said, raising an eyebrow. “I have to get back to those two before something else happens.”

“Good point. I’m certain Ava will be happy to be present.”

“I contacted her already, but she is busy with the queen or something, so it’ll be Cal who's home.”

Sashi nodded, looking at their prisons.

“They’re part of that Lotus group based on a tattoo some have,” Zara, which got surprised gasps. The tattoos were suupoed to be hidden by powerful magic.

“Hmm, that is not a good sign,” Sashi said. “It appears at least one of them has a suicide spell created by a peak Gold-rank. That one will take time to break.”

“Even that much is telling,” Zara commented.

“Yes,” Sashi said thoughtfully. “You better get going. I can handle it from here.”

“Good luck,” Zara said cheerfully before she vanished. Sashi’s gaze turned icy.

“The Lotus is fake. I wonder who you all actually work for?” Sashi wondered. Her prisoners all shuttered knowing they were screwed.

***

“Thank you, Neil. I really enjoyed this,” Zerine said as they approached the entrance to the small compound.

“I’m glad. So, you would do this type of thing again?“

“Definitely,” Zerine said happily, and before Neil could do anything, Zerine moved up and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, I’ll see you at the dinner, right?”

“Umm, yeah,” Neil said, stunned.

“Then see you later. Tell your folks I say hi,” Zerine said before vanishing into the compound.

Neil just stood there for probably a minute.

“I wouldn’t read into that, meaning you're dating, but as a thank you,” Zara said, making Neil jump.

“Um, yeah. It isn’t the first time that has happened to me. I just didn’t expect it from Zerine,” he said.

“I figured you were a ladies’ man,” Zara said. Neil couldn’t meet Zara’s gaze, which made the older woman laugh. “But I’m your escort to your house. So, shall we?”

Great, now I get to be self-conscious and embarrassed the entire way home, Neil thought.