Safe from the dangerously dreary forecast, it was a full-blown party. Without prompting, the kids scrambled into action, gathering tinder for a bonfire. The allure of Puck Boar meat had the kids so entranced that they didn't seem to mind doing all the work without prompting. Sean dragged over old, sizeable timber while the other boys started pulling apart burnable vines. Even the youngest, Ji, was full of energy trying to carry larger logs like Sean, only to topple like a seesaw. After some sniffling, Ji trudged over to help Agatha stack instead. Eli only chimed in occasionally to correct stacking mistakes that would lead to a collapse.

Lizzy remained stuck on cleanup duty, collecting all their strewn about wares and doing inventory. She didn't know how she was supposed to fix the entire cart without conspicuous magics, but she managed to finagle one of the wheels back on. That just left five more...

"What did I do?"

She grumbled.

"I heard that, missy."

The kids giggled, much to Lizzy's dismay. Managing to squeak one more wheel on while Sean sneezed was all she had time for. Most of the inventory was still good. The only real damage was some minor pottery that wasn't properly sculpted in the first place. They were better for the loss, but Lizzy marked it if only to deepen the whole she was about to crawl out of.

That was how she got to see the cost of the Puck Boar meat.

Elders... it really cost two splinters of Nexuswood?

That was half her monthly earnings.

Puck Boar meat came from its namesake. It was one of the few omnivorous predators that exclusively ingested essence-rich ingredients. They didn't stop growing, getting larger with age and consumption. The largest recorded was twice the size of an adult Lorga. The one Eli purchased was barely the size of an Elden teenager, but that was enough, apparently.

Glancing over at the searing meat, Lizzy could smell the hole burning in her pocket.

The kids danced around the fire, their portions attached to long sticks. It wasn't part of any tradition she'd ever seen before. It wasn't an effective way to cook either, but it was good fun the kids had thought up. Eli must have approved. Small portions, at least. The main delicacy was roasting above the bonfire.

Setting down the clipboard into the wagon, Lizzy joined them. Eli preempted the question she knew was coming and lobbed a hefty stick at Lizzy. It was deftly caught, twirled, some sizzling grease flying off, and righted with the meat-end upward. Lizzy puffed out her chest and entered the dance circle with gusto. She sang along to the silly lyrics the kids came up with.

"Duck, buck, and Puck!"

"Bring us luck, luck, luck!"

"Fill our bellies."

"Till our tummies are silly!"

"Billy?"

Ji questioned. He couldn't come us with anything to rhyme. The kids laughed and chanted.

"Bill-y! Bill-y!"

Seeing their smiles and the way Lizzy chanted along reaffirmed something for Eli.

Kids? Partners? They could be a handful and act like little monstrosities at times, but they brought something so pure to everyday life. Their joy was infectious.

"Bill-y!"

Queen Eli laughed.

=

With full bellies, the kids were lethargic. That meat was more mana-rich than anything they've ever eaten before. Lizzy was still picking the meat out of her teeth. It had been a hardy meal that made her blood boil for a fight. Her mana supply was still diminished, but the meal gave her enough energy to want to let loose.

"You fancy a friendly duel, Eli?"

Eli's back straightened. She'd been examining Ji's leylines. They weren't developed fully yet. The muddy lines blended in with Ji's skin to the point Eli had to squint.

"Now? You're serious, aren't you?"

Lizzy sat up, patting her gut.

"The best way for a meal to settle is with action."

"I don't think this is the place."

Eli gestured around her. At the kids still present and the storm that was still blowing. The weather seemed to have lightened somewhat but wasn't travel-worthy.

"Come on. We'll keep it simple. The kids might learn a thing or two. You guys use this place for duels, right? How about you duel with some adults for fun. We'll show you something a trick or two to pull next time you run into some of the meaner ones. Won't we?"

"Eli..."

Lizzy was doing it again. Leveraging the kids to get her way. Eli didn't mind much in this case. Duels were fun. She just worried about revealing too much. Kids talk, even to mean adults.

Seeing Lizzy's face, Eli knew there was no dissuading her significant other.

"Okay. We can do some light exercise. You kids want to watch?"

Ji threw his arms up lethargically. The others bobbed their heads. Sean had a question framed as a boast.

"We can all use fire magic."

Eli's nose tickled. Sean was bragging that they knew fire magic, which was two steps above physical enhancements. It was unusual for kids to know casting magic so young, doubly so for Ji.

"That's impressive. I don't think I know any fire magic."

Eli lied.

"We were going to use physical enhancements and maybe a bit of Earth."

"Hmph. I bet it'll be boring."

Sean managed to look down his nose at the two significantly taller women.

Lizzy harrumphed. She wanted to put the brat in his place. Peeved, she countered Sean.

"Maybe you'll be surprised. Where's your dueling square? ...What? If if you didn't have one and were throwing Fireballs in here, this place would be rubble."

Sean grumbled. Agatha bounced up to her feet, nearly tipping over from her speed. Arms out to either side, she pretended to be a bird as she swerved around imaginary obstacles to the far side of the structure. The others followed at their own paces. Agatha dragged her feet along parts of the ground, clearing bits of hay. When that didn't work, she grabbed a straw broom and swept most of it away. It was a small ring prioritizing close combat.

Eli confirmed that the weary runes were functioning.

"Thank you, Agatha. This is an impressive circle you have. I was worried you didn't have one."

"Any proper mage has a dueling circle. It's only natural."

Sean lifted his hands and shook his head as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Eli chuckled and agreed. Lizzy's eyelid twitched.

"Rules?"

"I don't know; what do the kids think? Should we go to first clean hit or set a time limit?"

The verdict was three-two for a time limit.

"We'll do two minutes. Then we can switch out."

One of the other boys chimed in, tilting his head.

"You want to fight us? We are strong, you know."

Eli kept forgetting how it must look. Brown-haired. Claiming not to know any fire magic. These kids replaced themselves on top, as was natural. Being a brown-haired adult that didn't know fire magic was a low bar.

Smiling, she decided to correct that misconception.

When the pair stepped into opposite sides of the ring and planted their feet on the starter runes, the magic formation activated.

"Ready?"

Agatha waved a hand enthusiastically, her high-pitched voice eager.

"Start."

Eli made sure to broadcast her actions clearly, starting with an Enhance Strength. The leylines branching around her muscles tightened, glowing slightly stronger. She saw that Lizzy cast and Enhance Speed, her stance lowering. Casting more than one spell would be a giveaway.

That's how they started. A simple bout with punches and kicks. They were more choreographed exchanges of blows than anything. Lizzy would dance around, focused on movement and distraction, while Eli would aim exactly where she needed to and put everything into her strike.

Ji oohed when he heard the force of her strikes. Clapping at how Lizzy bent out of the way just in time. Agatha found it fascinating how Lizzy would strike multiple times in the same spot, but Eli would counter like she didn't register the blows.

As things heated up, they moved faster and started to land more blows. Lizzy took a direct hit to one of her ribs but was otherwise fine. Both their breathing became more controlled. That's when they incorporated a bit of Earth magic.

This is what fascinated the kids, including Sean. The two women used Earth magic in such a weird way.

Lizzy created crude gauntlets to protect her hands and arms. That itself was normal in the kids' eyes. But then she started shifting the ground. It moved with each step, and only where she stepped, making it look like she was skating on ice.

Eli drilled her feet in the ground, dominating the area within arms reach and preventing any tampering by her opponent. Instead of creating an entire armor set of earth, she conjured two small pieces of condensed Earth to intercept blows she couldn't orient for. Lizzy would think she angled at a weak point only to find a floating rock deflecting her fist.

All too soon, the two minutes were up, and they separated. Both smiling, their chests fluctuated with their calming breaths. Soon they were back to normal. Eli looked to the kids. All of them were agog.

"That. Was. Awesome!"

"How did you do that? Earth can move on its own?"

"Wowie."

"I call next!"

"I wanted to go next."

Lizzy was smug, rubbing her nose. They set the rules for the next duels to first strike. The next battle was one of the boys named Bip. Bip used a fireball immediately, to which Lizzy countered by moving out of the way. She was smug but was startled to see a second smaller one moving faster. She dodged this one too but was baffled by the third. She was about to cast something back when she saw Bip spinning, disoriented.

Casting that fast was rare in adult mages because it would be wasteful. Bip ended up being too woozy to continue and had to be dragged off. Lizzy decided to stay for the next match since she hadn't done anything. Agatha was the next up. She used a variant of Earth magic, most commonly know as Tripvines. They were more difficult to control, but Agatha seemed to be a natural.

Restricted by set limitations, Lizzy wasn't able to get close enough to Agatha. The little girl was smart, moving around as she cast rather than standing still. Lizzy dodged any meaningful strikes, so they were forced to call it since no one made headway.

Lizzy walked away pleasantly proven wrong. Fighting children who challenged traditional expectations because they hadn't learned common sense yet was broadening her thinking. Underestimating them was likewise a fault. She watched as Ji went up to fight the other boy, Dewie.

Dewie was the quietest of the lot, but his magic was powerful. He conjured a hammer made of packed earth and used fire to enhance his blows. Ji, the youngest, sank underneath the ground. Eli nearly jumped out of her skin. That was a highly advanced technique. More surprises came when Ji popped his hands out of the ground and pulled Dewie's feet down. Dewie tripped. His nose smacking the ground counted as the first blow, making Ji the winner.

"You fell for it again. Why didn't you jump?"

Sean criticized. Dewie slumped.

"I thought I could hit him first."

Eli interjected with a raised hand.

"Does Ji always do that?"

Sean confirmed.

"Mhm. It is all he does. He isn't good in a fight, so he hides. No one but Rez can hit him."

Lizzy quirked her head.

"Why not use that flaming hammer to smash the ground under your feet."

There was a collective silence as they all stared at Lizzy.

All at once, the kids smacked their foreheads. Dewie hit himself a little too hard and rubbed the sore spot. Lessons learned. Sean and Eli squared up. Eli smiled when Sean pronounced all his attacks, naming each of them.

"Flaming Fist! Blazing Roundhouse! Fire Fly's!"

While most of his moves were mundane martial arts on fire, his use of scattering embers like confetti was commendable. The fluttering pieces of conjured cinders stung wherever they touched and were nearly unavoidable. Eli was afraid that they would burn through her hat or mess with the illusion, so she used her physical enhancement to end the fight early.

"Ouch."

"Sorry. You scared me, so I went all out. You are really strong."

Rubbing his sore arm, Sean blushed. Lizzy hid a laugh.

"Yeah? Well. I won't go easy on you next time. You-You better prepare yourself."

So he said, pointing a finger before walking away.

"Who's next?"

There were a few more duel pairings. The last match was a rematch with Bip and Lizzy. Bip was more careful, using smaller fireballs to last longer. He threw larger ones when Lizzy got too close. Lizzy regretted being unable to use her trusty shield spell, as the magical fire was licking her skin as it passed. Fortunately or unfortunately, Bip ran out of magic again and needed to be dragged away by an annoyed Dewie.

"What's going on here?"

The kids froze up. Eli and Lizzie looked to the new arrivals. Sun shining through the stable doors, a pair of teenagers glowed. The speaker was a boy with bright orange hair. Next to him was an athletic girl with cropped shoulder-length hair.

Orange was a rare color. Mostly for its penchant among the military caste. They often served as the vanguard of battles and were almost always aggressive in their fighting styles. The power level wasn't any different from the girl's green; they were both in their first color phase. Though, judging by the boy's vibrancy, he may be nearing his second color.

"Sean, you let strangers in here?"

Sean flinched.

"No. I didn't. They found us."

"What do you mean they found you. This place is supposed to be hidden."

Agatha and Bip chimed in.

"It's not Sean's fault, Keel. Their Lorga led them here in the storm."

"They shared their food."

The orange-haired teenager, Keel, snarled.

"I don't care. They don't belong here. You two. Leave. Now."

Eli held up her hands placatingly. This kid had all the signs of a troublemaker. Eli and Lizzy didn't have the status to disobey.

"It was our mistake. We shared the Puck Boar to apologize."

"Puck Boar?"

The green-haired girl. Her voice was lighter, more mature.

"Is there any left?"

"There's no way brown-haired merchants have Puck Boar meat. It is too far above their heads."

The girl glared at Keel but said nothing. Bip argued.

"It's true. It was delicious."

"Doubtful. I'm sure they served you scraps, and you didn't know any better."

Ji waddled forward, pulling a small piece of wrapped meat out of his pocket. He broke it in half and reached up to the two teens.

Keel snatched it and examined it several which ways before throwing it in his mouth. The girl had already finished, a pleasant smile touching her eyes. Keel was unmoved.

"Is there more?"

Ji shook his head sadly.

"Hrm. Well. You two still need to leave. This is our place, and if you tell anyone about it, I will personally take care of you."

Lizzy angled a finger towards the cart delicately. She hadn't managed to fix it entirely. Keel threw back his head in a groan.

"Rez, fix their cart so we can be rid of them."

"Don't order me around, Keel."

Keel growled but held his tongue as Rez did as he asked. Lizzy watched as vines sprouted from the ground, wrapping around the broken wheels and attaching them in place with little effort. Some vines remained to hold it together, but the others quickly dissolved into nothing.

"All fixed. I assume that's your Lorga. I'll bring it over."

"We can do that. We wouldn't want to burden you further."

Lizzy said it mainly to be courteous. Rez shrugged.

"I like animals."

She walked over to the beast of burden. It was grazing on something in the rafters. It brayed when noticing the approaching girl. It backed up into a corner.

"Hah! Even the big one is afraid of you."

"Shut up, Keel. At least I am capable of intimidation."

What followed was an ineffectual attempt at coaxing an animal. When the Lorga somehow jumped into the rafters playing a game of limbo during the equivalent of a highwire act, Rez conceded she was the wrong girl for the job. Eli managed to lure it back down with some food and eventually set it back up into a harness. Everyone else was busy holding their breaths, waiting for Keel to blow his top.

It never came.

Eli and Lizzy climbed onto their cart, waving discrete goodbyes. Keel threatened them again, but they were off before things got worse.

=

A fiery explosion rocked the surroundings. Pieces of timber, debris, and sinew spewed shrapnel outward from the blast radius. The impact crater was empty save a spinning wagon wheel covered in vines.