There were extremely rare events that were certain to draw a worldwide attention. Ordinary wars could have been counted amongst them, but those were likely to only garner the majority of their attention from the affected regions. A Grand war, on the other hand, could definitely be counted amongst such rare events, seeing as its effect spanned multiple continents.

The power manifestation of a Spirit King was something that hadn't taken place since the Civil War when the Great families emancipated themselves from the clutches of the Great Empire.

All over the continent, on multiple locations, silence reigned and battles were halted when, at first, a vast construct of frosty white spread across the sky, blotting out the sun and bringing with it a terrifying aura unknown to all but a few.

Though some people panicked, others waited, tense, but calm all the same. They sensed the apathetic feeling in that aura, like it took no notice of them the same way a human being would do to an insect.

They didn't have to wait long.

All over multiple battlefields, where Soldiers were desperately fighting back the abominations unleashed by the Solarians, ginormous pillars of roiling energy descended on the land, their descent shaking both the essence and the land itself.

Wherever the Defiled were, the pillars landed, and where it landed they were no more. Those fearful, hungry, unending creatures were reduced to nothing but ice sculptures, the greatest art collection to have ever been created.

They were left there as a memento, a memento to the power of a Spirit Queen.

***

"Kei, when you suggested we go on a vacation, I never imagined something like this."

Keilan, whose eyes had been previously closed, opened a single eyeball. "Mhnn, and what did you expect?"

Damien looked around at the lake they were hovering above. Lost for words, he simply said, "Not this..."

There sitting, crosslegged, over a lake situated in the middle of a sea of trees. Sunlight streaked from the sky, illuminating the liquid in glittering lights. The trees were green the majority, though some took on vibrant colors such as sky blue, pink and orange. Close by and also in the distance, they could hear the hoots and squawks of birds, mixed in also were the shifts of grasses as other animals shuffled around, making noise that was certain to attract any predator skulking nearby.

The island— Their island was fairly tame compared to most, as they'd already cleaned the place off of all monsters when they'd claimed it. What was now left were the simple, ordinary animals, animals that were left to roam about as they pleased.

"Damien." Keilan laughed. "Compared to the chaos out there, yes, we're on a vacation. At least, now we'll have time to train up on how to use intent."

"If only I could get it as fast as you. All I keep accomplishing is just half measures," Damien grumpily muttered, his eyes on the floating ball of fire which they were supposed to turn cold simply with their will.

[Quit the chatter and get back to work!] Instructor Gray growled at them; his face scrunched up in a way that made him look more humorous than intimidating. [And if you actually paid attention, Damien, you'd know that Keilan's faster grasp of intent stems from his affinity alignment.]

"What does affinity have to do with this, now?" Damien sighed.

Immediately taking the opportunity to lecture, Gray answered. [Affinity alignment goes a long way in your progression through the realms and your overall power. You can reach Spirit King with a powerful Essence, but as soon as you meet someone with a lesser essence but with a greater affinity alignment, you would be landed on your ass in no time.

[Take you both for example. Damien, you wield the essence of destruction, a grand essence, only equal to to few. Keilan, on the other hand, wields the essence of the wind. The Wind is a fairly powerful element, sure, but compared to the essence of destruction? It is powerless.

[Now, if Keilan, with his wind essence battles you, who would win?]

"Me, of course," Damien scoffed. What sort of question was that?

[Wrong,] Gray wagged his tiny forefinger at Damien. [The only way you could defeat Keilan is through raw power, which you, admittedly, have in abundance, far more than everyone if I might add. But when it comes to control, Keilan would wipe the floor with your face.]

Damien gave Keilan a side glance, seeing the other guy whistling as he looked around, pretending that he hadn't been listening to Gray's hype up.

"Dear mister excellent controller," Damien began, a smile slowly creeping up his face."Would you care to teach this lowly one in your secret arts?"

The other guy narrowed his eyes then, instantly taking on an aloof air, his nose tilting upwards like some of those nobles who acted like they got a shovel stuck up their butt. "My secret arts are not for the likes of you, peasant." Keilan huffed. "You are better off with that faulty element you call destruction."

Damien's eyes widened, "You little Shi—"

[That's enough. Both of you.] Gray interrupted. [We're already on a dwindling timer as it is. If you both continue like this, you won't learn anything.]

When he was sure that they were paying attention, he continued.

[Like I said at the beginning, the easiest route to intent-wielding is imagination. You imagine what you want, place it firmly in your mind, and then release it into the world, with your will as fuel and your soul as pillar to back it up, and voila, reality succumbs to your will,] he then gestured at the now raging crimson flame, Damien watching as in barely a second, it turned white-blue, a frosty aura rising from it.

And what truly caught Damien's amazement was that, despite its icy nature, the flame never ceases moving, its movements fluid as before.

***

The wooden bow creaked noisily a string was slowly pulled.

"You keep making noise like that, and you'll surely wake up the entire island," Keilan admonished.

Without looking at him, Damien replied. "Why don't you let me do my thing and then you do yours when it's your turn, mm?"

The other guy shrugged. "Alright. Fine then. My lips are sealed short. Nada. Zitz. Zap. Zrum."

This time Damien turned towards his brother with a glare. "Now who's trying to wake up the entire island?"

Unfortunately, his voice, or more probably, Keilan's, startled their prey, the deer instantly sprinting deeper into the forest.

"Now see what you caused." Keilan snickered. "You did tell me to shut up, and I did." He shrugged. "Wasn't my fault that the deer reacted to your voice."

Damien did not have a reply to that, so he simply ignored him.

Slowly, they traced the deer's path, stalking it as it continued fleeing. Normally, they could have killed the animal in an instant, and even catch it in the blink of an eye had they used any of their physical attributes, but since they were training, instructor Gray had restricted them walks only, no running, jumping, or anything that could take them across a large distance in a short time.

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So here they were, following a deer for the better part of half an hour until, eventually, they caught up, staying back only a hundred feet behind.

Their assignment, assigned by their dear instructor, was to shoot at the deer, and while the arrow was in flight, halt its passage with nothing but their intent.

Yeah, simply, right? Damien scoffed. The assignment was a nightmare. He could barely halt the movement of a flame, talk less of an arrow in flight. Thankfully, for the poor animal they were going to be subjecting to their inhumane practices, their arrow tips were blunted. In the event of a failure, dear deery would only suffer a little sting.

Slowly, Damien aimed, sweat beading down his face as the bow creaked again. Fortunately for him, the deer did not hear.

Aiming his arrow at the rump of the deer, Damien took a deep breath, slowly releasing it as he let loose the arrow.

With a twang, the arrow took flight, soaring through the air in a graceful curve, its passage smooth and beautiful.

And then it landed not more than twenty feet before them.

Damien turned a glare at Keilan to see the other guy rolling on the leave-filled ground, choking on a barely contained laughter. Unfortunately, again, that seemed to get the deer's attention, its head snapping upright and its eyes swiveling towards them before it fled again.

"Now, this one's on your head," Damien growled.

"W-w-worth it. I... can't believe... y-you once t-thought t-to take up archery," Keilan laughed out loud, its loudness scaring some poor birds away for their nest.

"This is just a setback."

"A setback, eh?" Keilan smirked. "Or your amazing aptitude for archery revealing itself?"

They immediately set off again, chasing their one-of-a-kind deer. It didn't take them long to find it, nestled in between two trees as it feasted on some fruits that had fallen from the tree above.

Unfortunately, it seemed they were no longer the only hunters around. About seventy feet, and hidden by a bush, a limen calmly watched the deer.

Its dark colored fur learnt gave it a natural camouflage as it stalked from one tree generated shadow to another. Its golden-colored eye slits contracted as it focused on the deer. tiny wooden horns, which curved out from the side of its head to form a half circle—like a crown—over its head gave it a truly intimidating look as its broad head lowered close to the ground, its breath barely disturbing the grass.

Overall, the six-foot-tall creature looked fearful. Unfortunately for it, it wasn't going to find any meal here, as with barely a sound, an arrow took flight, another following close behind. And in a move that made Damien sigh in resignation, Keilan slowly willed the air away from the arrow aimed at the deer, decreasing its movement as he deprived it of a platform to move on, leaving it to land noisily at the foot of the deer, startling it into another flight.

The Limen, though, wasn't that lucky.

An arrow, blunted at the tip but moving at full speed, impacted the predator with a barely heard thud on its rump, eliciting a startled hiss as the creature leaped upwards.

The animal, quickly figuring out where the attack had come from, turned its golden slits at them, baring its large fangs, before it scampered into the forest, away from the direction the deer had gone.

"You cheated!" Damien said, turning a glare at Keilan.

"Oh?" The other guy quirked an eyebrow. "And how's that?"

Damien pointed at the emerald bow with detailed designs of intertwined arrows on its body, "That, is definitely not allowed."

"Says who?"

"Says Gray. You definitely heard when he said not to make use of any outside assistance other than our will."

"Oh, but I didn't, dear brother. The bow and arrows I used were already approved by Gray himself."

"Liar!"

"If you say so," Keilan shrugged. "We'll just have to ask Gray when we get back."

Damien could only grumpily follow as they made their way back.

***

It took them another thirty minutes to make their way back from the deep forest and into the island's edge, a time which they devoted half to capturing a boar for dinner.

Luck smiled on Damien as he watched the boar dance around Keilan, leaving the man to fumble and crash multiple times before they finally caught the animal.

For the rest of the walk home, Damien couldn't keep the smile away from his face.

"Hey! Gray!" Damien shouted as they stepped into the large clearing. "Did you allow Keilan to use an essence constructed weapon for training?!"

[Yea—] Gray instantly popped up outside the two storey wooden house they'd built, his answer interrupted by the voice of a little boy who was already running straight for them.

"Keiyhan...! Keiyhan...! Keiyhan!" little Adrian laughed happily as he ran towards them.

"Ohhhh, my little knight." Keilan, his grumpiness at being embarrassed by a boar instantly forgotten, instantly dropped the carcass as he caught up with the boy, using his essence to pick the boy up, glide him gently a few feet up, and then land him onto his arms. "How have you been?"

"Been," Adrian repeated, giggling loudly as he ruffled Keilan's hair.

"Hey!" Damien spread his arms wide. "Where's my hug?"

Turning toward Damien, the little boy stretched his hands. "Damen...! Damen...! Damen...!"

At the sound of his name, Damien's breath caught. This was the first time Adrian would be speaking his name. "Oh, my little speedster." Tears welled up in his eyes as he took the boy from Keilan's arms. "My little, little, speedster."

They coddled like that for some time, before someone appeared to take him away from Damien. "Alright, it's time for his bath," Lena said, swiftly picking the now sad boy from Damien's hands and then tickling him, instantly, his big smile bubbled up again.

"Hi, Lena," Damien greeted.

"Good evening," she replied, her blue eyes landing on the carcass on the ground. "I see you brought dinner."

"Well," Damien grinned. "We couldn't return without bringing a nice gift, eh?"

[And how did you manage to catch this nice gift?] Gray instantly butted in, hands folded as he hovered over Lena's shoulder.

The lady glanced at Gray, not minding his appearance at all.

When they'd decided on the vacation, Keilan had also offered for Elas to come with; and the man, happy to spend some time with them before everything went to shit again, instantly agreed. Lena could have stayed back, but in her words "This vacation would be more fun than staying back in the town and having to answer a bunch of questions I don't want to." So she also decided to come with.

Damien, seeing that she, along with Gray, would be the ones watching over Adrian while he and Keilan trained, decided to introduce the little man to them.

The introduction was a thing to behold; who knew that someone as knowledgeable as Elas, knew absolutely nothing about a being like Gray? A being who also had far more knowledge than him. It was an absolute ecstasy for him as he immediately took to badgering Gray with questions.

"Gray!" The man shouted from the top floor. "How do I sift the information I want from the wind?"

Gray released a long, drawn out sigh, turning to Elas, he shouted back. [Just press down on the Wind essence with your will and request for what you want; if your will is strong enough, you'll get the information you want.]

"And if it's not?" Elas asked.

[Well, then,] Gray shrugged. [I hope you have something to cure extreme migraines.]

Satisfied, Elas waved at Damien and Keilan, and then returned back to the room from which he came.

"What's that about?" Keilan asked.

[Apparently, your friend found out that Wind essence was one of the top best for information gathering, and now he wants to learn how to sift out information from it.]

"Why? Isn't he a Mind essence wielder? Why doesn't he use that?"

Gray gave Damien a deadpanned expression. [The Mind essence, for Monarchs, is not one that can be used remotely; it requires touch inorder to take information from somebody, and that information is usually not guaranteed to be correct.

[The wind, on the other hand, is like a library you can access from anywhere. It has the cumulative knowledge of this planet's history, all of which are mostly assured to be correct.]

"Wait," Keilan perked up. "How do I not know this?"

[Because you haven't delved deeply into the essence of wind, yet. Luckily, I am here to change that.]

***

That night, after a heavy meal of wild boar meat, Damien, Keilan, Lena, and Gray sat down under the night sky as Elas began narrating stories about some of the most embarrassing moments of his life. Adrian had already been laid to sleep, having consumed more food than should have been possible for his tiny stomach.

"So, there I was, having crept into the room through the window, watching in surprise as my target was having it with his mistress, loudly too.

"Party spoiler that I was, I decided to immediately end their fun. Slowly, I approached from behind the lady as she rode my target, screaming all sorts of obscenities that made me pray for forgiveness as I heard them.

"Though, in my defense, I was right that he wouldn't have been able to see me as his mistress was blocking his view while his face was turned upwards, loosing all kinds of derogatory words at her. Little did I know that they were already at their climax.

"So, I slowly crept forward, hidden by the shadows dancing in the room, and then by some unfortunate luck, my target caught a glimpse of me as he jerked upwards.

"Being a lord realm himself, it was quite easy for him to throw the lady aside, leaving me in full view as his little friend barfed, all over my face!"

"Oh, Celestials Balls!" Damien put down the little slice of meat he was about to throw into his mouth, turning away and catching Keilan as he spat out the drink he'd just taken in.

"Ohh, I didn't hear the end of it when I got back to submit the mission success. No matter how I tried, I couldn't get the smell of off me, and I kid you not, everyone perceived it.

"So there I was, hastily running through the halls towards the mission's department, while a whole lot of people frowned suspiciously and then smirked as they no doubt figured out what the smell was!"

Lena covered her lower face as she shook her head; and Gray... Gray just stood there, looking at everyone in confusion.

"I don't get, what little friend was that? There wasn't any mention of somebody else in the room."

Damien stood up abruptly, dropping his plate on the floor. "Nop! No. No. No, I will not be the one to explain that to you. Ask Keilan."

"Ask who? Please, Gray, I don't even know what a little friend is... Elas was the one who brought it up. Go to him."

Gray then turned hopeful eyes towards Elas, to which the man sighed as he gestured at a wooden chair nearby. "Alright, take a seat, let uncle Elas give you a lesson on the human reproductory system."

By the time Elas began, Damien had already made himself scarce.