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ADA GLYNN’s POV :

“Am I a bad mom for not wanting Luka to go to the exam? “

"Why would you feel that way?” replied El, who was sitting next to me on the porch watching Luka and Gav spar.

“I love him from the bottom of my heart and if it were in my hands I would give him the world. But that would apply for any mother right?”

“But you can’t help but feel anxious. I see, and what’s the reason behind that?”

“I can't shake this worry about Luka. I mean, I don't want him ending up like my brother Ariel.”

“Your brother huh, what happened to him? If I may ask”

“It’s a long story”

Eleanor turned to me with a smile on his face “If you’re willing to share it with me, I’m all ears”

There was something about Eleanor that really made him easy to talk to.

“Well, I grew up in the Brimstone household, A family known for birthing warriors and generals. They didn’t care whether you were a woman or a man. All they cared about was strength and status. “

“Yes, I heard of them”

“My father, Aragon, was the right hand of the king as well as a general. He led armies to victory against the other kingdoms. He tamed monsters and slayed dragons. He was the symbol of bravery and fierceness.

Then, we came to this life. Me and my brother who was 4 years older than me. We loved each other, we cared for one another. But it all changed.

My brother manifested his blessings at an early age, six years old to be precise. Well not as early as my little Luka.

He showed promise and a sense of fighting. My father, while he didn’t show any kind of kind gesture towards him, he was quite proud of him. But then there was me, a girl who has reached the age of 11 without showing any signs of manifesting her blessings.

My father, enraged, put me through harsh training, unbearable situations in order to force me to manifest them.

But I didn’t..”

“I see..” said Eleanor as he nodded his head slowly.

“As months passed, my father who couldn’t bear it anymore, exploded “A talentless filth isn’t worthy to bear the Brimstone name” and then ordered to banish me from the household.

My brother didn't turn a blind eye. But I wished that he did.

He stood against father and pointed the sword at him, in a gesture that showcases that if anything happens to me he would stand against the Brimstones.

As proud as my father was, he got furious. “How dare you oppose me ! “ he yelled with a fierce tone. “I bred weaklings, SHAME ON ME ! “

“Bring me his head!” my father shouted ordering his soldiers to kill my fifteen year old brother.

He fought hard, but they overwhelmed him.

At the end, they killed him and threw his body into the ocean.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. It must have been hard for you”

“Father didn’t have any remorse towards those who oppose him, whether it was family or not”

“What happened then?”

“Years passed after I left the household and took refuge in Ironforge.

There, I met kind and caring people. They took me in and taught me how to heal the injuries and care for the wounded. I felt useful and recognised.

Then, Amidst a fierce battlefield against the dwarves. I met a wounded soldier lying half dead on a deserted rock.

I rushed to help him. “I have to be useful” I thought to myself.

I stayed by his side and cared for him. Till he regained his senses.”

“So that was when he met you” Said Eleanor as he looked at Gav “Then? what happened”

“ “Thank you, I owe you my life” he murmured while barely holding his pain.

I remember my eyes sparkling, my heart feeling lighter and a wave of tears came flowing.

Despite the peculiar situation, he didn’t question me. Instead, he gently held my head close to his heart without uttering a word. “

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“To think Gav would do something like that. Ahah, the war must have changed him”

“It must have” I chuckled. “ And look at him now. Sparring against our son. Training him to become a stronger warrior.”

“However from what I see, you’re worrying over nothing”

“huh?” I turned to Eleanor

“Gav may have his downsides, but there is one thing I’m sure of. He would always put those he loves before himself”

I turned to the duel in front of me, watching my husband and son cross their wooden swords.

Thinking about it now, I'm so grateful I crossed paths with Gavin. Maybe I rushed thinking my son could end up the same as my brother.

How could he, with a loving father such as Gavin.

“Thank you for listening El”

"Don't mention it, it's my pleasure. I'm sure you've already realized, but your son is going to be safe. And if things come to the worst, I'll be there to protect him. Consider it payback for what Gav has done for me."

As I was thanking El for his kind words. I heard Luka shouting :

“I won ! Mom, I won against dad ! “

“Great job, Lu! You really showed him who's boss.” I replied as I clapped my hands

“Good job Lu !” repeated Ariana who was sitting on El’s lap.

Ahah what a cute little girl.

LUKA GLYNN’s POV :

For the past two years, my skills have immensely improved. I’ve gotten better at controlling my body movement and perception thanks to the endless training sessions I underwent with Gav.

And what made me even happier, was that El and Ariana decided to stick around till after the test. Well, it was my father that persuaded Eleanor but he quickly obliged.

However, it was for the better. Although He wasn’t a fighter, rather an Arcanist mage. El was a strategy fanatic. He was so serious about the importance of knowing what to do, when and how to do it.

After each session, Gav would point out the technical mistakes I made. “You need to put more force behind your slashes” He'd advise one moment, only to counter the next, “No, Conserve your energy when you strike !”

I might as well just surrender and not fight at all, then I will have reserved all of my energy. How about that?

On the other hand, El would scold me for choosing the wrong approaches while also explaining different situations and strategies. Although his explanations offered top-notch advice, without the intellect from my previous life, I would have struggled to understand a single word.

PUTTING ALL OF THAT ASIDE !

The one thing that kept me motivated the most was Ariana.

Yes ! Well it might seem weird but hang on a bit !

It was hard at first for us to break the ice, but one thing led to the other and we somehow hit it off.

When I wasn’t busy training, Ariana and I hung out. Sometimes, we'd venture through the woods nearby, making sure not to wander too far. After all, if my days as an explorer had taught me one thing it would be to never trust a shady spot, especially with Ariana tagging along. But hey, it wasn’t all caution and seriousness. We'd often goof around, challenge each other to climb the tallest tree or skip stones across the pond. And when we were at home, we'd just chill, trading stories and snacking away.

How could a middle aged man hang out with a 6 year old kid, you say? Well, to start I was 6 years old too. But let me explain it this way:

You know when You were a kid, you would play with kids your age, most of the time at least.

And as you get older, your friends around you do too.

You might think that it’s because you grew up and matured. But that’s a narrow minded approach. Your entourage is what defines you and contributes to your maturity.

Also, she was the first true friend I ever had. She genuinely supported me every chance she had. She would come checking on me whenever Gav would smack the wooden sword on my head and cheer me on whenever I landed a hit on him.

A month flew by, and before we knew it, it was time for our journey to Crownspire Citadel, where the grand arena awaited.

While Gav and El went to the stable at the entrance of our village to bring a carriage. Me, Ariana and Ada prepared the necessities for the two day journey. And before I knew it, mountains of clothes, food and bags spawned on the porch.

“Mom, do we even need all of this?” I questioned my mom with a surprised look.

“You never know what will happen ! We have to prepare for everything ! “ She replied with a confident tone.

Well, I guess moms would always be moms. Some things never change.

A couple hours later, the carriage which was covered from the top was here.

To be frank with you, I expected horses or something to be strapped to it but NOT TWO WOLVES! Should I even be calling them wolves? They certainly had the appearance but on top of it, Horns with the shape of an ‘S’ were popping out. The wolves were blue gray, with white patterns on their back contrasting the red color of their eyes. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve believed they were demonic beasts.

After installing everything on the carriage, each one hopped on and took their places on the sides.

Throughout our voyage, we passed rivers, valleys and towns. Ariana was waving at everyone while gazing curiously at the events that were happening.

“Lu, Lu, look how they’re moving those HUGE bags on their backs !! Papa ! Why don’t they use magic? Oh they can't, I forgot” She shouted innocently while pointing at the hard working workers.

“Lower your voice ! “ Scolded El as he forced her to sit down. “Didn’t I make myself clear when I told you to not make strangers notice you?”

Ari sat down, with dropped eyelids and downturned mouth.

The journey continued, whenever Ariana was brimming with energy she would stare at the passing scenery, getting excited at the smallest things you could possibly imagine, grabbing my hand, urging me to join her. And when her battery empties. She takes a nap while leaning her head on my left shoulder.

My mom, who was sitting in front of me, would stare at us with a cheeky smile on her face, while father snored heavily.

It was hella embarrassing but at the same time, it eased my nervousness.

As the journey neared its end, the Citadel's gate emerged from the horizon.

"We're finally here" I murmured, brimming with anticipation.

Moments later, the gate doubled in size, and the carriage came to a halt before it. An armored guard approached us.

"Identify yourselves and state your purpose" the guard demanded with a steady tone.

"We're citizens of Silvermill, here for the ranking exam" Gav replied, presenting a silver badge adorned with a dragon's head, which I recognized as a citizenship badge, necessary for travel and border crossings.

The guard paused, gazing at El and Ariana, who had their hoods on. Then he turned to Gav. "On your way."

As the guard walked away, the carriage started moving again. And as we passed through the immense gate, an entire city stretched out in front of us, reaching as far as our eyes could see.

"WOAAAAAAH!" Ariana exclaimed in wonder.

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