Outside, Alissa led Rin to the center of the formation. Once inside the barrier and at the shore of the lake, Rin actually did faint from the sheer wealth Alissa flaunted. When she woke up a very embarrassed Alissa was holding her head on her lap and looked apologetic.

“I’m sorry, I thought you’d be used to the mana here since the academy has to have something similar.”

Rin couldn’t believe this airhead was so powerful as she felt the mana in the air around her. It was like Rin was soaking in a hot tub and every muscle in her screamed to just relax and go limp as comfortable electric currents shot through her body. “We do, but it costs hundreds of merit points to use just for a day, and even more to get in the core area like this.”

“Oh, well no need to be shy here, you’ll be able to enter the barrier as you please. From now on, I thought we could start sparring here. From what I’ve seen your biggest weakness is your soul. This’ll help it catch up to your body in no time, but it’ll also hurt a lot.”

Rin knew this was a once in a lifetime chance and couldn’t let it go. “Please help me, Big sis.”

Alissa grinned at her newest little sibling, “That’s the spirit! All you have to do is hold on as long as you can.”

They sparred for nearly three hours, Rin completely exhausted fighting in the mana dense environment, overstimulating her soul. As her body fell forward, she was happy to feel a familiar frame gently catch her.

Walking back through the door, Alissa had a sleeping Rin on back.

“You didn’t go too hard on her, did you? I like Rin.”

“If you’re that worried Ady, I’ll give you the exact same lesson tomorrow so you can see for yourself.” As Alissa smiled sweetly at Adrest, he couldn’t help but curse his damn mouth.

Successfully shutting Adrest up, Alissa set the sleeping girl on their couch and threw a blanket over her. “She should wake up in an hour or two, I’m going to take a shower first if you don’t mind. Belle, want to join me?”

Belle got up from the bench and ran off with the purple haired menace up the flight of stairs leaving Adrest alone. He stood up and decided to see if he couldn’t throw something together as a nice surprise for their hardworking hero.

As Rin came to, she felt incredibly comfortable. The soft heat of a fire, the warm weight of a blanket over her, and above the small cracks of firewood, she could hear the din of quiet conversation. Rin opened her eyes slowly to see a familiar wood ceiling above.

She stood up, a little wobbly at first and greeted the three sitting at the table, everyone already cleaned and in pajamas. They paused the card game seeing Rin awake.

“Welcome back Rin!” Adrest spoke for the group as he stood and offered her an arm while guiding her to an awaiting seat, “Training with Ali will do that, maybe this’ll help though.”

It was finally warming up and with it being a nice evening, Adrest used science to make his own ice-cream, using the same method he’d learned as a kid. He already had cream and sugar they’d asked Rin to pick up, and the rune in their refrigerator went well below freezing. It was only when the girls were back downstairs and watching him in curiosity, was Adrest finished mixing the cream, happy with the consistency and putting it in the now freezer for later.

As Adrest scooped out bowls for everyone the girl’s looked on in anticipation, no one having any since the previous summer. Rin felt a comfortable cool feeling settle in her stomach after her first bite, and she felt her exhaustion slipping away, her heart healing.

Adrest felt the extra work was worth the effort as he ate in silence, enjoying the view as each young woman showed her enjoyment in different ways. Belle was sweetly grinning as she nibbled on tiny spoonfuls. Rin was eating with a big goofy smile and sparkling eyes that thanked him. Alissa on the other hand was already done and holding her bowl towards him for more.

The next month was the harshest period of their life for both Adrest and Rin. They were pushed to the very brink by Alissa every day, sparring, endurance training, harsh tasks, Alissa threw it all at them.

Multiple times a day Adrest had to drag himself to the Lodestone to heal while clinging to consciousness, Rin and Belle now given the same luxury. The first time she was healed, Rin stared at the shadows on the ground in wonder. “It’s like it never even happened.”

Adrest had also started training in the formation core, now that he adjusted to it somewhat. Though it still felt like trying to move through tar and trying to breathe on a mountain peak. In such conditions he couldn’t last as long before passing out as outside, but Alissa insisted it was more efficient as each time he fainted, his soul was almost instantly repaired and ready for another round. The best motivation for Adrest though was seeing Rin’s efforts beside him each day.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Comparing himself to Rin, Adrest still felt it wasn’t good enough and strove to last longer and fight harder every time. He wanted to stand alongside the two of them someday, not just hide behind their backs.

In this style a month passed. The group was gathered around the remains of a dinner and Rin looked nervously around gathering the courage to speak.

“I think I have to leave I the next few days if I want to make it to Reish for the tournament in time.”

Adrest and Belle became visibly sad, Alissa looked contemplatively at Rin eventually saying, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk about too. Do you three remember Zoya from when I fought the Earthen Titan? Well, at the end of that she invited me to her territory, to help me train a bit before a very important tournament.”

“Well, you have to go don’t you Ali? Being more prepared is never a bad thing.” Adrest could see where this was going.

Alissa nodded, “I need to get at least the top ten, but ideally first or second. I’m not completely confident of that right now, but With Zoya helping me for a few months I should be fully prepared to take first.”

Belle started to cry at the thought of being without her Big sis Ali for many months, but wiped them away, knowing that this was important for her.

Alissa saw the act and gently smiled at the girl she considered her precious little sister, “I’ll be back before you know it. You’ll be so busy, you won’t even have time to think about me.”

Ignoring the questioning faces, Alissa turned to Rin and said, looking apologetic, “I’m sorry to spring this on you, but I’ve been going back and forth on the idea for a week now. What would you think of taking Adrest and Belle along to watch the tournament, they both need experience beyond the forest and a small town. And I’d feel completely safe knowing they’re in your hands Rin.”

Rin was stunned nervous under the weight of her friend’s trust. Alissa interrupted her before she could reply, “I won’t let you do it for free though. I’m still a little scared you’ll run into something that you can’t reason with or intimidate with the Guild, so I’ll give all of you a blessing.”

“A blessing? Like a god’s?” Adrest asked.

“Kind of. It’s called the Dragon’s Reverse Scale. It’s hard to explain how it works but in times of life-threatening danger, my visage will appear along with our clan’s insignia and bloodline. Any creature, human or otherwise will back off and scurry as far away from you as possible seeing it.”

With such an intimidating name, reminding Adrest of similar stories he’d read on Earth he had to ask, “What happens if someone blessed dies anyway?”

Stone faced Alissa coldly answered, “The one who gave the blessing is immediately alerted when it is activated. If an attacker kills the owner of the Blessing, their bloodline, aura, and soul are recorded in the bloodline memory of every dragon in every clan. We will feel an instinctual hatred for all those connected to the killer for generations until they’ve been wiped out, hunted to extinction.”

Switching back to her cheerful self, Alissa waved them over, “Now line up, I need to do each of you separately.”

Rin had no reason to say no seeing Alissa go so far, and felt safer knowing they had the greatest insurance policy in the continent behind them, and got in line.

Adrest was first. Alissa, making the taller boy kneel in front of her, used a claw to prick her thumb, a glittering and multicolored drop of blood was squeezed out. She took the drop and carefully marked the center of Adrest’s forehead.

He was feeling nervous below, never seeing this pious, regal side of Alissa before as she muttered under her breath and held his cheeks in her hands. She slowly leaned forward and gently placed her lips on the circle of blood she placed, leaving an imprint of her lips.As her lips left the frozen Adrest, the blood glowed, taking on life as it reshaped and hardened itself. As the light died, they could now see a near invisible scale take its place, with just the tiniest suggestion of purple hidden in the edges.

Adrest didn’t know what to say with the others staring at him so intensely. “How do I look?”

Alissa handed him a small mirror and he inspected the new scale, it took him a few seconds to even notice it, that was how transparent it was.

“Okay, you’re next Belle!”

The process was repeated two more times, and at the end Adrest could see Alissa looked visibly tired, he wrapped an arm around her after, letting her lean into him.

“Thanks Ady, using three drops of essence blood isn’t a big deal, but it’s really tiring.”

Adrest and Rin’s eyes grew hearing that, “Essence blood!?”

Rin grabbed Alissa’s other side helping her to the couch. As they sat down, Alissa was happy to lean on Adrest as she closed her eyes, “It’s no big deal, I’ll recover it completely in a week, and feel mostly fine by tomorrow. Just do me a favor and make a big breakfast Ady?”

“You earned it Ali. I’ll carry to you bed later, so just go to sleep if you’re tired.”

Alissa was asleep before he finished the sentence, earning warm smiles from the other two on the couch.

“Mind if we stay like this for a while Rin? I don’t want to wake her up.”

“Hehe, no problem. But if I fall asleep, you have to carry me to bed too.”

Adrest nodded along to the nonsense, and leaned his head back to find the rabbit somewhere behind him, “I’m sorry to leave it to you Belle, but do you think you can clean up the table, I’ll wash everything in the morning.”

“I can do it!” Belle was always happy to help and rushed off to clean. Adrest was going to pass the time quietly chatting with Rin, but looking over he saw the teen had her eyes closed, head leaning into Alissa under her,

Adrest was speechless how she’d fallen asleep so fast, but shook his head, it was only one extra trip. He passed the time by watching the fire until a happy Belle trotted in front of him whispering, “Everything’s cleaned and locked up. Big bro Ady, could you read me something since everyone else is asleep.”

Adrest made room for Belle on the armrest, which she excitedly jumped into with a book in hand, as Adrest narrated an old historical romantic they’d picked up, he looked over when a small weight hit his shoulder.

He sighed as it looked like he had three trips up the stairs to make. He waited another half hour or so, not wanting to wake anyone from moving them before he got to work, saving Alissa for last as they usually slept together in one another’s room.