After the dinner table fiasco, Hump, with a big frown, tasked some of the house cleaners to clean the mess while other went to draw baths for pie-soaked bunch. Jon and Izali exploded on their daughter Azeri ridiculing her as the remnants of the awaited dessert dripped from their red faces. Little Bon tried to lick the remnants of the peach pie from his hands as his parents stopped him to clean him be cleaned. Morin smacked Izik and Borgis for ruining the dinner after esper-pitting against Azeri.

  “What did you hit me for? I didn’t do anything!” Izik yelled as he rubbed his head where Morin smacked him.

  “He is right,” Borgis huffed, unaffected by Morin’s smack. “The girl needed a lesson in controlling her esper.”

  “You shouldn’t have given her a lesson during dinn-” Morin stopped yelling, sighed, and rubbed his temples. “We could have arranged an esper session the next.”

  It’s not my fault they could not control their own daughter, Izik thought to himself, but said nothing and kept rubbing his head. “You didn’t need to hit me after she left me no choice,” he said after a while.

  “I regret nothing,” Borgis said, gleaming with excitement. “It was an impressive bout, even if it was short.”

  Morin sighed heavily. He then placed his hand on Borgis’ shoulder, and simply said, “Sleep.” Borgis suddenly started snoring loudly with his eyes closed as he stood. “Take him away,” Morin said to the help, but they were perplexed as to how they could take a man of Borgis’ size anywhere.

  Izik forgot how terrifying Morin was with his esper.

  “Do you want me to put you to sleep as well, Izik?” Morin smirked as he raised his hand.

  Izik shook his head strongly.

  ***

  The next day, after everyone washed away their bitterness from yesterday’s dinner and slept away their frustration. Morin had agreed with Jon and Izali Beel to make some sort of training session between the guests and the children of House Beel, since there was not much else in common between them.

  “We have to make Azeri settle down,” Izali said. “She is important for us to have an unwavering bond between House Beel and Abrahym. Her dreams of adventures serves the family no use.”

  “If only Ruber wasn’t stupid enough to marry a no-named woman,” Jon scowled. “If only we were all tempted by beauty and figure…” he then mumbled to himself.

  “Excuse me?” Izali pierced him with her eyes.

  “O-of course you are blessed by the goddess of beauty, Emilyn herself!” he quickly reiterated as the grey strands of hair on his head erected. “But she is not of a great house such as you. Our reunion made our families the biggest merchants in these lands.” He gave her a smoldering look miserably.

  “No matter, the king believes in a future where his family and yours become one.” Morin told the couple. “This training session should serve to bond Izik and Azeri to grow closer, whatever closer may be.”

  The sky was blue and the sun was angled on a lush green field behind the Beel castle. An abundance of sheep roamed the horizon and the guests of House Beel as well as the young’uns stood on the fields together.

  "There are 5 fundamentals to using and manipulating your esper." Morin said as he stood in front of Izik, Azeri, Borgis, and Bon. "Can anyone tell me what they are?"

  Silence befell the Izik and Azeri. Izik knew the answered but refrained himself. Only the wind and the bleat of sheep from the distance answered. After a while, an excited Bon raised his hand, as did Borgis.

  "Borgis, why are you standing with them?" Morin sighed." You're supposed to help me train them. Stand next to me, you fool."

  Borgis lowered his head in shame and did as Morin said.

  "Bon, tell me the 5 fundamentals."

  "Number one: Manifesting your esper!" Bon said as he exhaled with his eyes closed, enveloping himself in a transparent white aura. "Number two: molding your esper!" He now groaned as he focused on his right arm with a struggling expression until the aura focused on his arm at the shape of a ball.

  "Number three: transform your esper into your compatible element!" Bon struggled even more, whimpering as his body shook, until the ball contorted and rotated until it turned into a sphere of water. Young Bon struggled to keep the ball of water intact, which suddenly burst as the boy laid on the grass, heavily breathing.

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  "Good job, Bon." Morin exclaimed as everyone clapped to the sweating boy, making him grin with a blush.

  "My tutor hasn't taught me the final two…" Bon said exhaustingly.

  "It's quite all right. Can someone finish the final two?" Morin eyed Izik and Azeri.

  "You can use a catalyst to enhance your esper, either an object, a rune, or a living esper catalyst." Izik answered.

  "Correct. Borgis, if you may?" Morin gave Borgis a glove with a transcription on it.

  "Of course. This is the esper before a catalyst. "He spread his arms to create a boulder one meter on diameter. "Now, observe. "He wore the glove on his left hand, and with a glow from the transcription, the boulder grew to be twice its size.

  "Wow!" Bon yelled in excitement. "That's so cool!"

  Borgis grinned as he gave Bon a thumb's up. He lowered his left hand while the transcription stopped glowing, leaving the boulder to crumble and then fade away.

  "Good, now five?" Morin asked.

  "Never overexert your esper." Azeri answered with a sigh.

  "Correct. Your esper is your life source, or soul. If you overuse it, it might threaten your own life."

  Bon wowed in surprise.

  "We already knew that." Azeri groaned. "Now, can we get to sparring?"

  Morin sighed. "Fine. We will start with Boris and Izik, but everyone must warm up until Sister Serene arrives."

  Azeri frowned and put her palms together, taking a deep breath. Her aura oozed from her toes to the top of her head in a continuous stream. Borgis dropped down and created three sets of heavy stones and started doing pushups. Izik sat down and closed his eyes, focusing his esper. He thought about his older brother. Which affected his concentration. Bon sat on top of the giant stones and focused on molding his esper.

  After a while, a young woman with deep brown hair and green marble eyes joined the group.

  "Master Sereme!" both Bon and Azeri exclaimed.

  "You certainly took your time, Serene." Morin said with a stern look.

  "Sorry, I had to help an old lady on the way." She smiled awkwardly, rubbing her head. "Borgis, Prince Izik. It is always good to see you."

  "Likewise," Borgis huffed as he kept doing pushups.

  "Good to see you, too, Master Serene." Izik said as he stood up and gave a bow. He always admired Serene since she first taught him to use esper.

  "I'm sure you did." Morin clapped his hands, "Okay, now that Sister Serene is here, we will show how a proper spar is made between esper users."

  Morin and Serene stood in front of each other as the rest stood aside. They both raised their right to the center of their torso, palm open to the side. A ring of air whooshed around them as their robes and hair flowed with the air.

  Borgis served as the judge, standing the closes. With his arm raised high into the air. "Whoever lands the first hit, wins. Ready, fight!" He yelled as he lowered his arm. Morin stood his ground without making a move, while Serene engulfed her hand with a stream of water. She aimed her index finger on Morin as the water crawled to the tip of the finger, blasting off towards her opponent. With flick of Morin's finger upwards, a wall from the ground erected, blocking the aquatic shots.

  With a swift strike to the stone wall, a buckshot of pebbles launched on Serene, who had air swirling around her.

  "Fly!" Serene screamed as she launched into the air, a surge of wind covering her lower body.

  "You've improved since your apprentice days!" Morin said with a smile.

  "How do you expect me to have students if I was still at the level of an apprentice?" Serene laughed as she aimed both hands with balls of water spinning violently. "How about this?" she fired the waters sphere one after another.

  "Morin dodged her attacks as he dashed to the side, creating a big boulder in his hand. He kept dodging Serene's projectiles. He found an opening between Serene's shots and hurled the boulder at her.

  Serene easily dodged the spiky ball and scoffed. "Is that the best you can do, master Morin?" She raised her hand to create a massive ball as a blue gemstone on her neck glowed. "This is it."

  "Always pay attention to your surroundings." Morin said as his left hand glowed purple. Serene looked behind her and the stone broke apart into smaller fragment that launched at her.

  Magnet, Serene thought as the massive spinning ball of water stopped growing. "I'm not done yet!" She screamed as she blocked the stones with the spinning ball.

  Before she could react, Morin was behind her, grabbing her shoulder. "That was good." He said with a smile.

  "Morin wins!" Borgis huffed as Serene's ball of water dissipated, and both her and Morin floated down.

  Bon's eyes glowed as he jumped with excitement. "That was so cool! He shouted.

  "You always have to finish it in style, don't you master?" Serene sighed.

  "It's just how I do it." Morin smirked. "You've improved a lot since last time we've sparred." He gave her a thumb's up.

  "Impressive as always, Master Serene, Morin." Izik smiled.

  "You need to teach me more of those moves, Master." Azeri pouted.

  "Me too! Me too!" Bon screamed excitedly."

  "That was a glorious battle, you two." Borgis huffed with excitement. "Now, it is time for me and Izik to show you ho-"

  "I want to spar with Izik." Azeri interrupted. "You can spar with Bon here." She patted Bon's head.

  "I'm not sure." Izik scratched his head. "Have you ever sparred with anyone before? It can turn ugly."

  "I have sparred with Master here, but she never fought as intensely as she did with Morin," Azeri whined. "I sparred with others from the town, but no one could use esper that well. That's why I want to challenge someone experienced."

  "But-but" Borgis desperately frowned.

  "It would be good for Azeri to challenge someone with some experience like young Izik."

  "I agree," affirmed Morin. It would draw them closer to each other, hopefully.

  I feel bad for Borgis, Izik thought, but I guess I need to do this to get favor from Azeri, even though I don't want to. "Fine." Izik sighed. "Ready yourself."

  Borgis looked down and sniffled.

  "Don't worry!" Young Bon smacked Borgis' leg. "I will beat you!" He gave a thumb's up.

  "Young Bon…" Borgis wept with a smile. "It will be a glorious battle." He gave young Bon a thumb's up.

  Izik and Azeri stood against each other as Morin stood between. "One strike determines the winner. Whoever hits first, wins." Morin retreated backwards, giving the two some space.

  Izik lifted his arm, palm to the side, and Azeri followed suit.

  "Ready, fight!" Morin screamed, as Azeri swiftly dashed on Izik.