Days rolled by and the vicinity slowly changed.
They could tell from the movements around them. People heading toward the center of the city.
Since their location was halfway between the center of the city and the edge, people would normally pass by and head on toward the mayor's gathering there.
"It seems we're not having neighbours any time soon, huh" Reya said, watching a group of people walk by.
Meanwhile, every other person lay sprawled on the ground, panting from their usual daily exercise.
"Alright. Let's get on with it then!" Reya said. "Get up"
"What, wait. I need to recover more" Matt said, chest still heaving.
"Hmph. You're all pathetic" Reya said with a light huff.
But then, Icard and Eric were already up, ready to begin.
Seeing them, Matt grumbled before forcing himself up.
Atop the roof of the building block just across the street were two pairs of eyes observing them silently as they sluggishly got up.
All of them got to their positions and began their practice.
To train Alia better, Icard had suggested she use her ability to hold Reya's makeshift metal punching post.
That way, Alia gets to practice control better by keeping Reya's punching post from flying off.
Meanwhile, Icard guided Eric and Matt, giving them more subtle hints on how to use their abilities better.
And soon enough, Icard noticed them glaring down at them from the building across.
'Erwalds?'
However, uninterestedly, he took his eyes off them but soon glanced at them again and tried to identify them.
He knew they were both observing their potentials to see if they would join.
But knowing Erwalds were quite picky, he wasn't really expecting them to pick interests in them.
Besides, one was a Dragon-kin, and the other was a Severn, quite powerful and picky than average.
And since he wasn't displaying his powers like the others, they would assume he wasn't an incarnation which would make them hesitate.
But then, he wasn't really pressed to put on a display to pique their interests.
The dragon-kin, a green scaled small dragon-like Erwald and the Severn, a blue scaled Erwald related to sea beasts species.
They both observed for a little longer. Meanwhile, Reya and the rest were completely oblivious.
The Erwalds stuck around for sometime before they finally turned to leave.
'I thought as much' Icard said in his mind.
But just before the Erwalds could turn about, a lightning bolt struck where the incarnations they observed were, taking everyone, including the Erwalds off guard.
They immediately returned their gazes there.
The bolt of lightning struck in the front yard where Icard and the rest exercised.
A small cloud of dust had erupted, covering the spot where the lightning struck.
Icard and the rest gave it distance immediately as it had landed in their midst.
"What was that?! Another lightning?!" Alia screamed in fear, backing up from that place and hiding behind Reya who had also been shook from it. The same with Icard, Eric and Matt.
'Lightning bolts only remind me of the person' Icard thought to himself, but he had to confirm.
He peered into the dispersing dust cloud and could quickly see his white fur through it.
"Katar?" Icard whispered.
The dust soon dispersed fully, revealing Katar who just sat there nonchalantly, with a bored expression.
"It's that kitty!" Alia screamed in dread but then Eric had already closed in already, pouring flames at it from his hands.
However, Katar let out an electric pulse that negated Eric's attack.
Eric drew back.
"Wait...Eric!" Icard tried to calm him but he closed in at Katar again, fists enflamed.
He compressed his flames again and shot at Katar who evaded it.
'The fire brat has constructed a skill?' Katar thought.
Eric kept throwing fireballs at the snow cat, trying not to give him an opening.
Icard wanted to stop him but he noticed Katar wasn't actually irked by Eric's persistent attacks.
Actually, he was testing them again. And there, he understood.
[Second Floor Access Confirmed]
[Skill Activation: Blue Icicle]
An icicle formed on his hand and with it, he joined in with Eric.
Like in slow motion, Katar could see them coming. Approaching from the left was Reya too.
He could feel her force clearly and could tell she had a bit of control.
He then shot upwards, evading them.
"Damn it!" Reya muttered forcing herself to break her charge as her eyes followed him.
Icard stopped and hurled ice shards at Katar next. Eric also shot a fireball at him.
Both attacks came at him but he shot downwards again in a bolt of lightning, evading their strikes and throwing them back from the force of his lightning.
"Your movements are too rushed" Katar said. "And your controls are crappy"
"What the hell is it talking about?" Eric muttered. He had already taken damage from Katar's counter now and panted now.
However, Reya jumped into action next.
'She withstood my attack?'
Just before Katar could move, a green aura enveloped him, seizing his movement and startling him a bit.
"This is...?"
Before he could do any more, Reya's fist descended on him. He could see her energy essence emanating from her hand and could tell she put all her energy into that strike.
"Putting this much into a single attack early on is foolish" he said.
And so, before she struck, he simply electrocuted her enough to make her fall over.
"Hmm. Their skills are still shoddy but it's better than starting from scratch, I guess" Katar mumbled, looking at the aura on him.
He glanced at Alia who fidgeted and let go of him.
'Hmm. This one has strong control. But what about the other brat' he thought, refering to Matt who just stood cowering at a corner.
Just then, Icard came from behind, with his large frost hammer plummeting toward Katar who leapt away, evading his strike.
'This brat! That was close!'
Icard didn't stop. Next, he swung the icicle he had formed earlier at Katar.
'Another skill? He is really impressive'
Wielding two frost weapons, Icard engaged relentlessly.
'What focus. His movements are not wasted either and he fights like he has a good combat experience. Perhaps Gremit was right'
While Icard came at him, once again, Eric too joined, coming from the opposite direction.
He threw another fireball at Katar who was barely able to balance properly after evading Icard's hammer.
Finally, Eric's fireball landed, exploding on Katar. Icard followed next, swinging his icicle at the small cloud of smoke before him before Katar yelled,
"Stooop! That's enough for now!"
Icard stopped instantly, nearly breaking the icicle on Katar.
"You want to stop?"
"Yes" Katar said.
Icard withdrew his icicle at that. However, Eric wasn't done.
He poured another torrent of flame which Katar had to counter with another electric pulse.
"Eric, wait!" Icard bellowed before Eric stopped, panting from his expense of energy.
Katar huffed loudly, shaking off the earth on his fur.
"You all are so helpless" Katar said. "Your control is crap. You all are crap. Hmph"
Then he began walking toward the door.
"You all should be thankful I saw a bit of potential in you" he said indifferently. "Be thankful"
Then he disappeared into the house, just like that. While they all watched, most lost for words.
Even Icard was at a loss for what to do. He wanted this, but since he lost that chance, he didn't expect Katar to return any time soon.
'Wait. Does this mean he has joined us?' he asked himself.
If that was the case, the thought of it made Icard grin widely. He couldn't hide just how glad he was at the development.
"Did that cat just walk inside our house?" Reya muttered, staggering from his electrocution earlier.
"And it's... talking" Alia mumbled with a blank face. "A talking kitty"
"I don't know what's happening but we need to..."
"Guys" Icard called, interrupting Matt and they all looked at him.
"That's an Erwald, guys. And he's not here to fight" he said.
"Whatever it is, it tried to kill us last time" Reya said.
Eric sighed.
"My only question now is, why the hell did it just walk inside like it lives here" Eric said with a calm tone.
Icard could tell they weren't comfortable, so he had to make them understand.
"Look. Eric, you remember Albert, right? Do you know how he got so strong?" Icard asked and silence followed.
"It's the porcupine he was with, guys. The Erwald guided his and the others training properly. That's why the were strong enough to survive" Icard explained.
"So, you're saying the strange cat that tried to kill us last time can make us stronger" Reya asked confusedly.
"Yeah. Erwalds are known to search and ally with individuals or groups with good potentials. The fact that he's here right now, means he's seen something and wishes to join us"
They all watched him awkwardly again.
"Albert told me all this" Icard added.
Later that evening, Katar lay at a corner in the house, just chilling, while the group snuck around to peep at him.
Icard too.
'They'll just have to get comfortable with this' he thought to himself.
But then, the question still remained - why did Katar decide to come back here?