Argus and Priscilla slowly walked through the park in the academy compound, making conversation as they enjoyed the sights.

"I must say, you've led quite the interesting life," the woman said.

"I've had my share of adventure, yes," the headmaster chuckled. "I must say, though... I've met many elves on my journeys, but none were as interesting as you, my dear."

Priscilla giggled playfully. "You flatter me, Argus. I didn't know you were such a charmer."

"There are many things about me you don't know yet." He smiled back at her, a youthful spark in his eyes.

The elf leaned closer to him and put her arm under his. "I don't suppose you have any more stories you could tell me?"

"Stories are nice, but they are not the only way to get to know a person." He smirked mischievously and turned towards her, running his fingers through her hair.

Priscilla smiled back at him, cupping his wrinkly cheek and getting so close that he could practically feel the warmth of her breath. She leaned in, pecking his cheek before quickly pulling away. "If you tell me another story I like, perhaps you'll get to know me in a different way."

"You are such a tease, Miss Pampleton," the man spoke quietly, a bit flustered. "But I've been around for long enough to know how to deal with a woman like you."

Seeing Priscilla's questioning glance, Argus pointed to his other cheek. "Make it even. Then you will get your story. It is only fair, right?"

"You're not afraid to ask for what you want." Priscilla tilted her head, smiling. "I like that."

She leaned forward, about to peck him on the other cheek, when he turned his head and kissed her on the lips. When she pulled away in shock, he smiled playfully. "That is how you deal with a woman like you."

Her shocked expression changed into a timid one and her cheeks reddened a bit. "Oh... I see..."

"And now that I've gotten your guard down," he continued, gently grasping her long elven ear in his fingers, "I go in for gold." Saying this, he started to slowly massage it, making her wince and let out a soft moan.

"H-how do you know..."

"How do I know your weakness? Believe me, when you go to Eldar Falls twice a year, you get to know elves really, really well. Their strengths... and their weaknesses."

As the two were kissing on a bench, Priscilla in Argus' lap, a huge shadow suddenly fell over them, a huge roar sounding much too close for comfort. Startled, the pair fell off the bench and looked at the huge earthworm. Then, they both turned towards each other and nodded.

"The sooner we kill this thing, the sooner we can get back to what we were doing!" the elf puffed, jumping to her feet and clenching her fist, her three elemental marks lighting up.

"Great minds think alike!" the old man chuckled and cracked his knuckles. "Don't let my appearance fool you! You've got nothing on me, little girl!"

She grinned wildly. "Oh, it's on, grandpa! I'm going to leave you breathless!"

***

Twilight was falling by the time Velvet and Arianna reached the village of Drywaken, where their carriage was waiting for them in front of a local inn.

"Finally!" Velvet exclaimed. A white eagle with a black tail and wing tips landed next to her and turned back into her usual form.

"Barely," Arianna added.

"We finished with the cave before noon, but we still almost got caught by the night," the other girl said. "I hate the walking part of adventuring... But let's eat something now! I'm starving!"

The innkeeper was very surprised to see two young girls checking in. The brown-haired girl with the pointy hat more than gladly told him the story of how they defeated the cave goblins and the earthworm and recovered the 'treasure'.

"I've seen many travelers come through here," he said, "but this is a first!"

After giving the two girls some food and drink on the house, the innkeeper was thanked gratefully as Velvet and Arianna filled their rumbling stomachs.

"This is the life!" Velvet exhaled, lying on one of the beds in their room. "So this is how it feels like to be an adventurer!"

"Do you feel like Thoracc yet?" Arianna chuckled.

"Hmm...a bit, maybe," the other girl said. "But this is nothing yet! Thoracc saved entire villages and helped countless people! And he had many friends from all over the world!"

Smiling, her friend reminded her that they were only children. Velvet nodded seriously at this. "You're right. But ohh, I'm so excited!" She jumped up and hugged Arianna tightly. "Thank you for doing this with me!"

"Hey! What's gotten into you all of a sudden? I'm glad you are my partner too, but let's not get carried away. There is still one more task we need to complete." Her eyes darkened when she remembered what it was.

Velvet squeezed her tighter. "Don't worry about it! You helped me do my task, so it's only right for me to help you!" Arianna smiled at this, then remembered the chest. She reminded Velvet of it, the latter finally letting her go and making her way to the corner of the room, where their trophy was sitting.

After placing it on the bed carefully, both girls stared at it in wonder for what seemed like hours before Arianna finally encouraged Velvet to open it with a gentle nudge. Velvet slowly reached out and undid the hinges, lifting the lid up slowly. Inside was a book on advanced light magic, two vials of healing water, and a note. Velvet picked it up.

"What does it say?" Arianna asked impatiently. Her friend started reading out loud.

"Dear aspiring light course student,

If you are reading this, it means that you have completed your journey. You and your partner have shown the courage, skill, and teamwork to fight all the way here and recover this chest.

Let us be the first to say we are proud of the person you have become over these last five years. No doubt there were ups and downs. Highs and lows. Yet here you stand now, at the end of your path. But an end is also always a new beginning. Your studies may have ended. Your learning, however, has not. There is still so much more for you out there. You just have to go and reach for it.

We wish you well, wherever your life may take you from now on, and hope that the knowledge we have equipped you with will serve as a foundation for all your future magic endeavors. Lastly, we wish to thank you for placing your trust in us. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to become a part of your life and help you on your way to becoming a great sorcerer/ess.

Congratulations on your graduation!

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Sincerely yours,

Headmaster Argus Finkleshore and your teachers." At this, Velvet fell silent, staring down at the paper.

"Are you alright?" Arianna asked after a long pause. She saw a tear drip down on the note. Then another. Velvet lifted her head, smiling happily. "I've dreamed of this for so long," she said, letting the tears flow freely.

"And now you made it," the corners of Arianna's lips tilted upwards. "Sounds almost surreal, doesn't it?"

Velvet nodded and wiped her eyes. "But now it's your turn. You helped me graduate. And I will also step up and do my part for you. I promise I will do everything in my power for us to pass your task. I got you into this mess by accepting these conditions. So I have to also solve it."

"You're a really good friend," Arianna said. "But really, we don't have to force it. Today is the end of the third day. If we go back tomorrow, we will come back two days early. If we go to the wyvern cave, however, we would barely be able to make it. And if anything goes wrong..."

"Stop!" Velvet's smile faded, replaced by a determined stare. "I know what you're trying to say. It's not happening!"

"It's too risky," Arianna shook her head. "We might not make it back in time. Then neither of us will graduate. Isn't it better that at least one of us graduates for sure?"

"Out of the question!" her friend shouted and jumped up on the bed. "Either we both graduate or neither of us does! Besides, time will not be an issue, because I have a plan already!"

"You have a plan?" Arianna cocked her eyebrow in disbelief. "Care to share it then?"

"Nope. I will tell you about it tomorrow!" Saying this, Velvet jumped over to the other bed and laid down, pulling the blanket over her head. "Blow out the candle, will you? Let's get some good sleep tonight. Tomorrow will be a long day of traveling!"

Reluctantly, her friend obliged. She made a gust of wind, blowing out the lone candle, before lying down and closing her tired eyes as well.

***

They spent most of the next day traveling to Matheinerius, a small village under the Ardor mountain range. Starting at dawn, it was already high noon when they arrived. This time, they would not be getting the luxury of sleeping in a comfortable bed. Only stopping for lunch, Velvet ordered the carriage to get them as close to the mountains as possible, then return to the academy. Arianna's jaw dropped.

"How are we supposed to get back without a carriage?"

"With this!" Velvet leaned forward and reached into the pocket of her uniform, pulling out her teleportation tablet. "My theory is, if we both break it together while holding hands, it will teleport us both back to the academy!"

Her friend sighed. "And if it doesn't work?"

"It will. Trust me. I did my research before we left the academy. The teleportation tablet does not know we are two separate lifeforms. We just have to be an equal distance from it!"

"Alright then." Arianna nodded. "I trust you."

"Good. Now let me tell you the rest of my plan. So usually we should enter the wyvern's nest, recover the egg and get out, right? Well, not if we use this tablet to return! What we will do is run in, grab it and teleport back to the academy!"

Arianna's eyes went wide. "If we do it like that then..."

"...we can actually make it back in time!" Velvet finished.

"Wow. I'm honestly impressed. That's not stupid at all!"

Her friend crossed her arms. "You thought I was gonna say something stupid?"

"Well, about that..." Arianna smiled sheepishly.

"Hmph!" Velvet puffed. "You should have learned by now to have more confidence in me!"

"I do, I do," her friend quickly backtracked. "It's just, your methods are sometimes...a bit out there. You know what I mean!"

Velvet uncrossed her arms and chortled. "I know, I know. I'm just messing with you."

The two girls spent the rest of their ride reminiscing about their years at the academy, arriving at the bottom of the mountain by sunset. The coacher bid them farewell and turned the carriage around, riding into the night. Velvet and Arianna started to ascend up the mountain until twilight fell, after which they set up camp under a few lonely trees. When it became pitch-dark, they sat by a fire and cooked some meat, part of their supplies from Matheinerius.

"It's only the end of the fourth day and we're already at the mountain!" Velvet announced gleefully. "We can do this!"

"You know, you're really making me start to believe we can." Arianna smiled.

When they finished eating, they put out the fire and observed the clear, starry sky for a while.

"What do you want to do after you graduate?" Velvet asked her friend, breaking the silence.

"I...haven't really thought about that," Arianna answered.

"Will you come on an adventure with me?" Velvet smiled, holding out her hand.

This question again. Arianna dreaded it. "I don't know," she finally got out. "I think...I want to do more studying first. There's still so much left to learn."

"Ah," Velvet said in a low voice, dropping her arm. "So you don't want to?"

"It's not like I don't want to. I just...don't think I've got what it takes. You saw me back there with the goblins. Truth be told, I was ready to break that teleportation tablet. And I probably would have, if you didn't throw me your staff. Then again with the earthworm. I got caught off guard and it would kill me if you hadn't teleported it away. I'm no good at this. But you are! I think you were born for this. Me on the other hand...I'm a paper witch. Good on paper and in studies, but terrible when it comes to practice."

"Stop putting yourself down!" Velvet said sternly. "You're amazing, Arianna! You just don't see it yourself yet. So I will tell you instead. Heck, I will show you what you can do!"

"Thank you," Arianna smiled weakly, "but you really don't have to try so hard for my sake. I am content with studying, reading—"

"And wasting your talent?" Velvet cut her off. "No way! I just know you will do great things, Arianna! All you're missing is some confidence!"

"I don't know how you can be so confident all the time," Arianna smiled wanly at Velvet.

"Because I don't second guess myself. You shouldn't either. Heck, your judgment is better than mine a lot of times!" Velvet began laughing.

Her friend laughed with her. "I guess that bit is sort of true." Arianna took a deep breath. "Alright then. I will do my best to be more confident. Let's see where that brings me."

"That's the spirit! Now let's get some sleep, shall we? We've got a wyvern nest to pillage!"

Thank you for reading this part of the story!

" "That's the spirit! Now let's get some sleep, shall we? We've got a wyvern nest to pillage!" [https://img.wattpad.com/bfe991eee57c4b165778642e86f1888efc72126b/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4b7a4d62354756654e5f51665f673d3d2d313237303331313432362e313731383165656663633039343061363936343133373331363631302e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Only one task left! Can Velvet and Arianna make it in time?