The Elemental Relics

Ali thought they were going to find lodging this late into the night but Kurata led them to an alleyway behind an inn. The alleyway was dimly lit and, except for a cat that hissed at them before it ran off, it was empty. The teenager knocked on the backdoor where he was greeted by one of the staff working there. They exchanged a few quick words before the staff member disappeared back inside.

"Are they from the cult too?" whispered Ali.

Belen nodded her head and signaled Ali to not speak further on the matter. Several minutes later, Kurata returned with an address on a piece of paper.

“Let’s go and get that bounty then!” said Kurata.

As the excited teenager led the way, Ali pulled Belen to the side.

“Wasn’t he a shy kid when we first met him?” he whispered. “I was certain he became a completely different person since we separated.”

Belen went to explain the growth Kurata had gone through since Ali abandoned them. All the errands and interactions helped build the teenager’s confidence until he reached his current state. She said that his only flaw now was his contribution to combat. Neither his offensive abilities nor support abilities proved to be very useful. During their errands, they left combat tasks to her due to the unreliability of Kurata.

“That’s why he’s making it up by being useful elsewhere.”

As he gets more combat experience, I’m certain he’ll be confident in his abilities too. At that point, one would be foolish to make him an enemy.

The group proceeded with Kurata checking the addresses on the buildings. Eventually, they arrived outside an inn. Kurata raised a hand and pointed into an alleyway. As the group stepped in front of the alleyway, Ali could sense eyes staring at him from the poorly lit alleyway. The individuals he sensed were all hidden in the darkness so he couldn't tell their exact number. Kamis suddenly stood in front of him. In response, Ali silently summoned Tian behind him out of sight of those in the alleyway.

“What do you kids want?” said a voice filled with authority. “We don’t have time to babysit anyone.”

“We’re looking for Isakoa,” replied Kurata. “More specifically, we’re just looking for his head.”

“Fascinating! Isakoa, you deal with these four kids. Kill them and you can join my group! Understood?”

A figure leaped out of the darkness straight at the group. Kamis summoned his shield to brace himself for the attack. The two of them collided but the bulky teenager didn’t budge at all. Using the opening, Ali darted to the side until he had a clear line of sight on his target. He spammed five of his air slashes while Tian attacked from the other direction. As the teenager readied for another barrage, Kamis unsummoned his shield. Puzzled, Ali walked closer to see their target was already dead.

“He’s weaker than a minotaur,” said Ali, annoyed by how quickly the combat ended.

“Of course he is,” said the authoritative voice in the darkness. “Surely you don’t think your final test will involve a high level criminal. The goal of the test is to see whether you can collect reliable information and act quickly on it. Bounties on these weak criminals don’t last very long because they pay reasonably for relatively low risk. Good work! Go see Ahuru! You have passed! Enjoy your promotion!”

Kurata once again took the lead but Ali ran up to him.

“Kurata, how did you know we needed to act tonight?”

“They mentioned that, if the kill is taken by someone else, then we fail. We were in a position to tackle the foe tonight so I decided not to wait the following day. I didn’t expect you to completely crush him though.”

“Ya, he was disappointing alright.”

“Now we’re C rank members!” said Belen. “I cannot wait to get my new room on the airship.”

“Airship?” muttered Kamis.

While Belen and Kurata discussed excitedly among themselves, Ali walked beside Kamis to explain what little he knew. He shared his experience of going on an airship where he met many instructors and learned many things. When he finished sharing all that he knew, even Kamis' expression changed completely. For once, Ali could see a teenager with hopes and dreams as opposed to an adult who had accepted his role in life.

“Just what I expected from my students,” said a person who materialized from the shadows. “You did it with flying colors and even impressed the proctor.”

“We’re ready to join the C rank now,” exclaimed both Belen and Kurata. "Take us to the airship!"

“Get some rest tonight! You four will get picked up tomorrow by a cart that will take you to the airship. Don't forget to say goodbye to me before you leave.”

Belen and Kurata raced up the stairs to their respective rooms, leaving Ahuru, Ali and Kamis in the dust. The teenager turned to Ahuru.

“Will I get my old room back?”

“We never removed your nametag.”

“How about Kamis?”

“There’s an empty one beside yours.”

"Thank you," said Ali.

Following the exchange of words, Ali and Kamis wished Ahuru a goodnight. As they walked up the stairs, Kamis spoke out.

“Why did you join the liberation army? You have a community where you belong and can become stronger with so many people mentoring you. You…you even have Belen as your girlfriend. Why did you leave for the liberation army where you are a mere pawn? ”

“She’s just a friend! We don’t have that type of feeling between us!”

Once Ali emphasized there was nothing between his and Belen, he went on to explain what he wanted to get out of the liberation army. After speaking to Ahuru on the topic, the teenager found himself better at expressing his thoughts on the matter. Kamis listened intently the whole time and didn’t ask any questions afterwards. The two of them then entered their respective rooms to get some rest. Ali hadn’t realized how exhausted he was with the completion of two tests. As soon as he laid down, he fell asleep.