"It's not gonna be that easy, young Daron."
Daron looked at Michael with confusion.
"Why not? Don't we just find some place for sale'n nab it? Ya gotta be loaded if you're a dragon, right?"
"A dragon I may be, and rich as well, but there are a few flaws in your logic, my boy. Though I may be rich, as a dragon, you could say I prefer keeping my treasures untouched. And secondly, this will be the foundation for starting your physical training."
The four of them walked around, until they found themsef on flat ground at the top of a hill just above the town. The top of the hill was prone to even stronger winds than where they had been before and losing balance would mean tumbling all the way down. Despite hearing the strong winds, when they stood close to Michael, the boys did not feel them at all.
"This is where we'll be living for the next two years. I'll start your theoretical training with this general piece of knowledge, which I pray to al things holy that you learned in your years of unrewarded studies. Magic is based on three main entities; The mind, the body and the soul. And to start training your bodies, you're both going to build our home."
Orin carefully analyzed the area as Michael was speaking. The hill had a large forest not far away from it, with a river and pond right next to the forest.
"I see. So the area itself will be challenging our skills in survival, and building the house in such conditions will allow for continuous physical training, am I mistaken?"
"Not entirely, Orin. Though the winds and house themselves won't be the entire training by themselves. You and Daron will first be building the house all by yourselves in these winds before I reveal the rest of the training. We'll be spending our nights at an inn in town, where Cass and I will be resting until the house is finished."
"No offense, chief, but this's gonna take a while with just us two workin' on it. Ya sure it's gonna be good fer our trainin'?"
"Trust me, I believe you two'll be finished building it in less than a week. I also expect that you take no breaks and work until you can only tumble down the hill so Cass can fix you up and you can have some water and get back to work. And we have a few requirements for how we want our home to be, so here're the blueprints."
Michael handed Daron a small stack of paper sheets with architectural plans for how they were supposed to make the house. The house was designed to be a lodge, made out of logs from the nearby forest. The plans showed it to be moderate in area, but with two stories. There were also plans of an ondol heating system beneath the first floor.
They showed that the largest room, by the entrance door, would be for eating and making meals. The other rooms on the floor plans were marked to be for storage, a pantry, a small bedroom for Michael and two larger ones; one for Cassandra and one for Orin and Daron to share.
"How'dya have time to make such detailed plans while we were walkin'?"
Cassandra raised her arm up.
"Heh. It was I who drew it, while you were unconsious."
"Still… surprisingly fast. Ya got skill! I like it!"
Daron smiled from ear to ear, joyed that he could experience the feeling of apreciating other people's skills rather than exclusively experiencing his own lack thereof.
"Of course! Soon, the two of you can match up to me, so you'll probably be less impressed. But I can get used to the compliments."
Michael lifted up a pocket watch from his coat's breast pocket.
"Oh my, would you look at the time, it appears your shift starts now. Good luck, boys! And don't forget to only stop working when you come tumbling down from fatigue. Cass will heal you right up!"
Michael and Cassandra stepped down the hill casually, and the winds caught Orin and Daron by surprise, nearly blowing them away instantly.
"Alright! Looks like we gotta get to work! Right, bro?"
"You are right. We will not be getting anywhere by just standing idle here."
For the rest of the day, until the sun had set, the boys tried numerous times to start building the house. They chopped down several trees and started building, but was never able to get halfway past building the foundation before it would be blown down.
As the sun had set and their muscles could do nothing but ache, they both fell from their weakness and tumbled down the hill, with their momentum stopping from crashing into a cobblestone wall. Shortly after, a window on the wall opened and Michael's head poked through.
"Cass, you have visitors."
Cassandra walked out of the house and healed the two of them back to full strength. They no longer felt the pain or fatigue from overworking, though they did feel dehydrated from all the sweating they had done. And the sweating did not go unnoticed.
"Good, now that you're both healed up, I have one more task for you two before you go to bed. Are you ready to hear it?"
"I'm up fer anythin', cief!"
"There's a bathhouse on the other end of town that's open until midnight. I'm gonna need you two to TAKE A DAMN BATH!!!"
The two boys simultaneously affirmed his order.
"Yes sir!"
"Though, we are short on money. How do we afford such luxuries, master?"
"I told you I'd cover for you, right? Did you already forget? Oh well, doesn't matter anyway. Here's a puch of coins. Hand them to the nice man at the reception and your baths for the next two years should be covered."
He handed Orin a pouch full of what sounded like money. Him and Daron started walking toward the bathhouse.
"It would seem he is quite set on us living here for two years, huh?"
"Yeah. Two years worth o' baths in a single payment, buildin' an entire house'n the mystery around 'im. It all makes me feel so… curious."
They arrived at a building with a sign that read "Baths and laughs! Tavern and bathhouse for adventurers!"
"This must be it, huh, bro? Lame-ass name."
"Yes, so it would seem."
They stepped in and saw the establishment was apparently empty, with the exception of an elven man standing behind a counter. Elves were not a hard sight to see, but were much less common in this day and age, due to recent spikes in dilutions of elves from more half-elven children being made with a human parent.
The elf had a bandage covering his right arm up to his elbow and some minor burn marks on his face. Otherwise, he looked and dressed normally. He greeted them joyfully at the door.
"Hello, dear patrons! Welcome to Baths and laughs, what can I interest you two with?"
"We were sent here to pay for the next two years worth of baths in advance. Michael sent us, are you familiar with him?"¨
A look of surprise, followed by joy, appeared on the elf's face as Michael's name was mentioned.
"Mike sent you?! Michael Stylus, the dragon!?!?"
"Yeah, guy just became our teacher today. You familiar with 'im?"
"Familiar? Of course I am! Me and him go way back! I even traveled with him for a while as a fellow mage, before we entered the big leagues in the CMA. I was even comparable to him back then."
Orin looked up at him with a look of respect.
"Then I must ask you a question. Why does a mage such as yourself run a bathhouse?"
"I decided to enter a partial retirement after an injury I got from a fight with another mage. Almost incinerated the whole thing, so now, my right arm is just barely functional."
"Partial? Are you telling me that you are still doing work as a mage despite your arm being crippled?"
"I guess this was one reason to why Mike sent you two here. Well, here's something important you should know about being a mage. Despite any challenges or obstacles to your status as a mage, keep developing your spells around them and make new strengths."
"Good to know, thank you, kind sir. My name is Orin Willow and this is my brother, Daron Shine."
"Brothers, huh? You two don't look that much alike, and your surnames are different? But no matter, my name is Coveto Rubinus, the dragon of gasfire. Feel free to ask any questions about magic if you feel the need, but only if you're completely stuck in training with Mike."
After getting aquainted with Coveto, Orin and Daron entered a wardrobe, put away their stuff and entered a men's bath, which, surprisingly, had no people in it. Sitting in the warm bath, they could feel years worth of muscular strain and stress slowly fade away. They had not felt such physical relaxation in years.
"Haven't felt this calm in years, huh Ora?"
"What do you mean, Dara?"
"Y'know what I mean. This's the first time in years that we've been able to sit back'n relax."
"Yeah, you may be right, Dara. Though I feel utterly pathetic. I could not even best that girl Cassandra in physical combat. It makes me wonder, are we really this weak?"
"Would seem so…"
Daron stared with an empty expression into his face's reflection on the water. Orin looked worried at him.
"There is something on your mind, you can tell me."
"…"
"Alright, you do not have to tell me if you do not feel ready to. But when you do, make sure to tell me immediately."
Daron looked up and back down again.
"… Truth is… I dunno what it is I'm feeling. I'm trying to piece together how I'm feeling, but I don't know what this feelin' is…"
"Feeling…? What kind of feeling?"
"That's what I'm tryin'a figure out. Y'know when Cassie healed me after we got our asses handed to us?"
"Yes, I recall. Why do you ask?"
"When she came up to my face'n comforted me for losing to her, I felt something was different in my mind."
"Different…?"
"Yeah, I couldn't hear her anymore…"
"You could not hear her anymore? But she was up in your face? Oh, you mean her…"
"Yeah… I suddenly felt her voice disappearing from my mind. Seven years o' hearin' her constantly, not even able t'ignore it. But it was suddenly just… quiet."
"Please do not tell me that you are suddenly falling in love with some girl already? You literally met her today! Though it is not unreasonable that you would after seven years of just us two."
"Gimme a break! Why wouldya come to such a conclusion, eh?! It wouldn't even make sense!"
"Why are you getting so defensive about it? I was only joking. Although you were quite fast to accept master's offer when Cassandra sat down with us…"
Orin looked at Daron with a devious grin, showing obviously what he thought of his earlier decision to become Michael's students. He had no intentions of hiding his opinion on the matter, though mostly for friendly banter.
They sat in complete silence for a few minutes before the silence made Orin speak up again.
"So… what do you think of him?"
"Hmm? Y'mean the Chief?"
"Yes. It seems I already know your thoughts on Cassandra, hehe."
"Hey- watch it!"
"But no matter, what is your opinion on master? I know we only met him today, but do you think we can trust him?"
"I think we can for now. Though this whole trainin' thing's a bit weird, I've a feelin' we can trust him 'cause of our mutual interests."
"Mutual interests? Elaborate."
"He decided to settle in this random-ass, middle of nowhere town for two entire years, jus' to teach us proper magic. He also knows our goals'n he's choosin' to stay mysterious 'bout his. I think he's got some similar goals as we got. Same with Cassie."
"I guess we will just have to figure out what his intentions are as we go. And if he is a dragon, as he said, he will probably not hesitate to slaughter us if he gets a reason to…"
" I doubt he would, but my question… If he's a dragon, where's the scales? Same with mister Coveto, there's no scales on 'im. Do they hide 'em to fir in?"
"Maybe. It would be best not to wory about it. I think tomorrow, we should find someone to teach us stuff about construction."
"Yeah, bro! We got this!"
After finishing their bath, they dried up and got dressed before going back to the counter by the entrance. Coveto was still standing there, seeming to be reading some kind of letter.
"Hey, boys. Are you leaving now? Make sure to tell Mike to stop by so me and him can catch up!"
"Can do, mister Coveto."
"Mister!? I'm only twenty-seven, just like Mike!"
"Sorry, m'bad."
Orin and Daron left the bathhouse and walked back to the inn and knocked on the door to Michael's room. Michael opened the door and looked at them with an expression that did not need words for them to understand that he was wondering what they wanted.
"First off, we do not have a key to the room we will be sleeping in. Second, an alledged friend of yours runs the bathhouse on the other side of town. His name was Coveto Rubinus, if I recall correctly?"
"Coveto's here…? He's still alive…? Heh, I guess it takes more than that to take down a powerhouse such as him. Good work, boys! Here's your key. I'm gonna go and pay my good old friend a visit."
Michael handed them a key and left the inn, locking his room on the way out. Orin looked at the key, which had the number three carved into it. He then spottet a door with the same number and unlocked and opened it.
The room was small and mostly empty. With two beds, a chair and a small table that looked like it would collapse from a single book being placed on it. They lay down in their own respective beds and was ready for their first good night's rest in years.
"Good night, Dara."
"G'night, bro. Let's have a productive day'o work tomorrow."
"Yeah…"
As they gently fell asleep, Daron blacked out, only to see a vision of his sister once more, bleeding out over him and trying to comfort him in her last moment of life. Tears ran down Daron's eyes as he was sleeping.