Elder Dravik did not look away as he continued to study me, his heavy gaze steady and deliberate.
"Did you initiate the duel first?" he asked.
"No, Elder," I answered without hesitation. "He was the one who challenged me. I only accepted."
A rough sound escaped him, somewhere between a grunt and a scoff. "That little punk," he muttered under his breath. "He challenged first and still lost. Hmph."
I blinked, unsure how I was supposed to react to that. His tone carried irritation, yet it did not feel entirely directed at me.
He returned his full attention to me.
"Did he misbehave with you? During the duel or after losing?"
"No, Elder," I replied quickly. "Sham fought fairly. He did not act improperly. He is a good person."
For a brief moment, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of Elder Dravik's mouth.
"Good," he said.
Then his expression shifted again, growing more serious.
"From now on," he continued evenly, "take Sham with you on the hunts."
The words left me momentarily stunned. "Huh?"
For a moment, I simply stood there, trying to make sense of his words.
Take Sham with us on the hunts?
Sham was undeniably strong. I had just experienced that firsthand. But this instruction felt sudden, deliberate.
Why now?
I instinctively turned my head toward Vaela and Charlie.
Vaela met my gaze without hesitation. Her expression remained calm and composed, almost as if she had anticipated this outcome from the beginning. There was no surprise in her eyes, no confusion. Only quiet acceptance.
Charlie, however, looked as puzzled as I felt. His brows were faintly drawn together, and his posture stiffened slightly, though he said nothing. He, too, was clearly trying to understand the Elder's reasoning.
Elder Dravik observed my expression carefully, as though he could see every question forming in my mind. After a moment, he let out a slow, measured breath.
"I know what you are thinking," he said.
His voice was firm, but not harsh.
"Even though he is popular among his peers, he does not truly have friends. He does not make them easily."
I listened in silence, the words settling deeper than I expected.
His tone shifted subtly, losing its earlier edge.
"But he thinks of you as one."
That caught me off guard more than anything else he had said so far.
Me?
"I want you to be friends with him," Elder Dravik continued, his gaze unwavering. "Take good care of my nephew."
My head snapped up at once.
"Nephew?"
The word echoed in my mind as I stared at Elder Dravik in disbelief. Then, almost instinctively, I turned toward Vaela and Charlie again, searching their faces for confirmation.
Vaela's expression did not change.
If anything, her calm only made it clearer that she had known this all along. There was no surprise in her eyes, no reaction at all. Just quiet acceptance.
Charlie, however, looked as stunned as I felt. His brows lifted slightly, and he glanced between the Elder and me, clearly trying to connect the pieces.
"Nephew?" I repeated, unable to keep the disbelief from my voice.
A faint, knowing smile curved across Elder Dravik's face, the kind that suggested he had expected this reaction.
"You may go now," he said calmly.
The dismissal was gentle but final. There was no invitation for further discussion, no opening for questions.
Understanding that the conversation was over, we bowed respectfully.
Then we turned and took our leave.
As we made our way back along the village path, the late afternoon light stretching long across the ground, I could not hold the question in any longer.
I turned toward Vaela, who walked a few steps ahead with her usual steady stride.
"Sister Vaela," I said, trying to keep my voice level, "why did you not tell me that Sham is Elder Dravik's nephew?"
She did not even slow down. She simply shrugged, as though the matter were insignificant.
"You skra-not asked," she replied casually.
I stopped walking for a brief second, staring at her back in disbelief. "That is not something people usually need to ask," I muttered.
She turned her head slightly, catching the expression on my face.
And then she laughed.
It was not her usual restrained chuckle. It rang out openly along the quiet path, bright and unbothered. A few villagers glanced our way as the sound carried through the air.
Charlie walked beside me, clearly attempting to maintain his composure, but even he failed to suppress the small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
I let out a quiet sigh, shaking my head.
Somehow, I had the feeling I would never win against her in a battle of words.
Vaela eventually parted ways with us at the fork that led toward her home. She lifted a hand in brief acknowledgment before turning down her path, her figure soon disappearing between the clustered wooden houses.
Charlie and I continued toward ours in silence. The village had settled into its usual rhythm, the sounds of distant chatter and tools striking wood blending into the background. By the time we reached our home, the light had softened, filtering warmly through the branches of the great tree that rose through the roof.
We resumed ability control practice.
This time, the focus was not durability but precision. I worked on forming smaller shields faster, adjusting their size and angle at will. Charlie shifted positions deliberately, forcing me to react without hesitation. Sometimes I created narrow barriers no wider than my forearm. Other times I shaped curved arcs at odd angles, testing how quickly I could redirect the flow of refined energy from my core through the connection to the book.
The translucent barriers flickered into existence one after another, each forming more smoothly than before.
Despite the unexpected revelation about Sham, nothing had changed in the most important aspect.
Training continued.
The days that followed slipped back into a steady rhythm. Each morning began beneath the great tree, drawing nature energy inward and refining it patiently within my core. Afternoons were spent sharpening control over my shields, shaping them smaller, faster, stronger. When time allowed, I practiced sword forms until my muscles burned and my breathing grew heavy. Controlled sparring replaced careless exchanges. Every movement had purpose.
Before long, another hunting day arrived.
Charlie and I stepped out of the house at first light. The sky was painted in pale shades of blue and gold, and the air carried the cool scent of dew resting on leaves. The forest beyond the village still lay under a thin veil of mist, undisturbed and watchful.
We walked toward the meeting point near the village edge, our footsteps steady against the packed earth. As we approached, I spotted Vaela already standing there, arms crossed, her posture relaxed yet alert. She glanced at us as we neared, acknowledging our arrival without a word.
And beside her stood Sham.
He rested his sword casually against his shoulder, posture relaxed but eyes sharp as always. The early light caught along the edge of his blade, giving it a faint glint.
"Morning, Sister Vaela," I greeted as we approached.
She gave a short nod in acknowledgment, her expression composed.
I turned toward Sham next. For a brief moment, we simply looked at each other. There was no challenge in his gaze this time. No competitive edge pressing beneath the surface. Instead, he offered a small, easy smile.
I returned it without hesitation.
Without further delay, the four of us set off toward the forest. The village sounds faded behind us as we crossed the boundary and stepped beneath the tall trees. The air grew cooler, heavier with the scent of earth and moss. Leaves crunched softly beneath our boots as we moved deeper in, our formation naturally settling into place.
Another hunt had begun.
The trees grew denser as we crossed fully into the hunting grounds. Sunlight filtered through layers of thick branches, breaking into narrow beams that barely reached the forest floor. The air felt heavier here, richer with the scent of damp soil and bark. Subtle sounds surrounded us, the rustle of leaves stirred by unseen creatures, the faint calls of distant birds, the occasional snap of a twig somewhere deeper within.
We adjusted our pace instinctively, spreading out slightly while maintaining formation. Vaela moved ahead with practiced ease, her eyes scanning the terrain. Charlie walked just behind me, steady and attentive. Sham kept to my right, alert but relaxed.
After a stretch of quiet, I glanced sideways at him.
"Have you gone on hunts before?" I asked.
"Yes," he answered without hesitation.
"With whom?"
"Skra-went with uncle," he said. "And skra-friends."
I let that sink in as we stepped over a fallen branch. "Your uncle is Elder Dravik, right?"
He nodded once. "Yes."
Understanding settled more firmly in my mind. That explained his composure in the forest. He was not new to this.
We continued forward, careful and measured, moving between shifting shadows and patches of filtered light. The forest felt alive around us, watching, listening.