"And then, just as the Honorable Lady rose her blade to slay the monster, a moth as white as moonlight appeared, landing on the back of her hand," Nerluce said, hooking his thumbs to make a moth with his hands, bringing it close to Kierli's face.

She giggled and reached her small, chubby hands out - that could barely grip toys, much less the hilt of a sword - and wrapped them around Nerluce's hands, bringing the moth closer to her.

Nerluce smiled and patted her head. "The Honorable Lady hesitated. She knew that the white moth was the sign of the Goddess Le. The Honorable Lady realized that Le was telling her to not slay this monster and so she sheathed her sword and instead freed the monster's leg from the hunter's trap. The Honorable Lady then said-" Nerluce changed the pitch of his voice to match what he imagined the Honorable Lady's would sound like, "Go and do good in this world."

"Then what?" Kierli asked, her eyes wide with amazement.

"The monster stood. It rose to its full height. It was as tall as a house. Yet the Honorable Lady did not feel fear as she looked into the monster's great eyes. Then the monster said," Once again Nerluce changed the pitch of his voice, but this time it was much deeper and contained a bit of a growl, "You are worthy of your title, Honorable Lady. For sparing my life I will give you my most prized coat."

Kierli's eyes seemed to grow even wider as she leaned in. Like all children, she seemed to have a special love of stories, especially when they were being told to her with different voices and dramatic hand gestures.

"The monster took off his fur coat and gifted it to the Honorable Lady. This coat was impenetrable to all mortal weapons and when she wore it into battle, no one was able to defeat the Honorable Lady. They say the Honorable Lady was buried in the monster's coat and the monster itself protects her grave so that no one will use its powerful coat for evil."

"Woah..." Kierli said. "I wanna meet the Honorable Lady and the monster and-" She continued to list all of the characters from the past dozen stories that Nerluce had told her. Then she turned and ran up to Aristide - who was sitting not far from them in the grass. "Ari! Ari! Can I meet them? Can I?"

"When you get older," Aristide said. "Then you may go on as many adventures as you'd like."

Kierli squealed with delight before taking off, running through the garden on her short, stumpy legs. Nerluce sighed but smiled fondly as he watched the toddler run about. She had exceptional energy these days.

That was the primary reason why Nerluce, Aristide, and Kierli were all outside. There weren't any classes - the teachers were conferencing to see who was moving on and who wasn't - the day was nice, and Kierli hated being cooped up, whether it was in the nursery or in Aristide's chambers. She was a little kid and in Nerluce's opinion, all little kids needed to be able to run around outside at least a bit.

Aristide was less inclined to agree.

However, they'd taken her to the innermost garden so there was little danger. The water wasn't deep and very few people even knew how to get here. Even Nerluce wasn't exactly sure how he kept getting in and out. Overall, it was a pleasant day of playing and telling stories and eating outside. They'd just finished with lunch when Nerluce started his story about the Honorable Lady for Kierli.

"She's becoming spoiled because of you," Aristide commented as Kierli chased around a small, yellow ball. It was just one of her many favorite toys.

Nerluce hummed. "Is that so bad?"

"I don't know many stories. It's hard to get her to sleep at night and she whines when I reuse them." Aristide's expression was sullen.

"Then why don't I teach you some?" Nerluce offered with a smirk.

Aristide scoffed.

Nerluce laughed and scooted closer to Aristide despite his pouting expression. Between his deep-set eyes and full lips, Aristide had a face made for pouting. If he was more indulgent in himself he might be a master at it. But instead of making Nerluce stay, Aristide's pout drew Nerluce even closer.

"Hey Angel," Nerluce said.

"Hello Nerluce," Aristide said in turn.

Nerluce smiled and plopped his head down on Aristide's shoulder. Aristide didn't tense as much as he had a couple of nights ago in the stables. Nerluce was glad.

"Kierli really is fond of you," Aristide said after a brief moment of silence.

"You jealous?"

"How harshly would you judge me if I told you I was?" Aristide asked. If any other person asked this of Nerluce, he would assume that meant they were jealous, but when Aristide said it, Nerluce couldn't be certain what he meant.

So Nerluce answered honestly. "I wouldn't judge you."

"I'm not jealous," Aristide said. "And at the same time, I am. A bit." He sighed and Nerluce felt the rise and fall of Aristide's shoulders beneath his head. "But... mostly I'm happy that Kierli has someone else to look up to and worried what will happen if you are forced to leave."

"Then I won't leave," Nerluce said. "I'll become a Seraph. Like you."

Aristide's expression became something rather pained as if Nerluce's words had physically hurt him. He opened his mouth but whatever he was to say was lost when Kierli let out a high-pitched squeal.

Both boys jolted to action. Nerluce and Aristide were on their feet in a blink, Nerluce's eyes wide and his muscles tense and Aristide's sword, Kōttaiki, formed. However, there was no need for panic as Kierli was perfectly fine just... a bit wet. She'd accidentally fallen into the pond, or rather she'd been pulled in. The water spirits that Kierli had been apparently playing with squirted her and she let out another squeal.

She was just... happy.

Nerluce exhaled heavily, tension easing from his body. Aristide didn't dismiss Kōttaiki, though. Right. Spirits could still be dangerous when they wanted to be. However, these didn't seem to have any intent to harm Kierli.

When Nerluce approached, the spirits sent a spray of water in his direction as well. Spirit-kissed. That was right. It seemed the both of them were spirit-kissed. The water spirits quickly hid beneath the surface of the pond when Aristide got close, though. He scared them and perhaps rightfully so.

Plucking Kierli from the water, Nerluce pulled her up into his arms. She was soaked to the bone, her clothes dripping water onto Nerluce's robes. He didn't mind. Instead, he tapped her on the tip of the nose. "Spirit-kissed."

She giggled. "What's that?"

"It's a good thing," Nerluce said. "It's a good omen whenever the spirits play with you. Spirits have a big mouth. They'll tell all of the other spirits that this one-" He tapped Kierli's nose again, "has a kind heart. That way, no matter where you go, so long as there are spirits about, they'll watch over you."

"Really?" Kierli looked up at Nerluce in wonder.

"Yep!" Nerluce said.

"Come here Kierli," Aristide said, taking the toddler from Nerluce's arms and dampening his own robes. "We should go back inside. You'll catch a cold if you run around in wet clothes."

"But I don't wanna!" Kierli whined.

"Kierli," Nerluce said, putting a finger to his lips and pointing at the pond where the water spirits were beginning to poke their heads out again. "They're still watching us. You don't want them to think you're spoiled, eh?"

Kierli peaked at the water spirits and then back at Aristide before she buried her face in his robes. "No..."

"Good girl," Nerluce said, patting her head.

Aristide nodded graciously and Nerluce only then realized how close the pair were. They'd practically be embracing if Kierli wasn't situated between them. Nerluce's face flushed as he took a couple of steps back before the three of them headed back in the direction of the Water Affinity Dorms. However, they were cut off midway by the blue-haired disciple and Aristide's assistant in Kierli's care, Fonbi.

Like all the times Nerluce had seen her before, Fonbi's eyes were decorated in extravagant paints and a couple of large earrings hung from her ears. Nerluce didn't know much about her but if her dressing tastes were anything to go by, he'd assume she came from a well-off southwestern family.

"Head Disciple Aristide," Fonbi said, bowing to Aristide. "Junior Disciple Nerluce." He bowed to him as well.

Nerluce and Aristide both returned her bow with, "Elder Disciple Fonbi."

With greetings completed, Fonbi smiled gracefully and said, "I've come to inform the disciples that the High Priestess has announced who will be continuing to study at Ethera for the next year along with what Disciples will be made into Seraphs. Junior Disciple Nerluce, your postings are in the Fire Affinity Dorms but Head Disciple Aristide there has been several individuals who are rather... upset in the Water Affinity Dorms. We are in need of your assistance."

"Of course," Aristide said. "I'll deal with them. Take Kierli and give her a bath and a change of clothes." He handed the toddler over to Fonbi who bowed and accepted the task she was given.

"Do you need any assistance?" Nerluce asked.

"No," Aristide said. "Go see to your own dorm. I hope we can continue studying together next year."

With a wry smile and no bows, the pair parted.

The four Affinity Dorms were each located on the edge of Ethera with the Fire and Water Affinity Dorms being opposite to one another. Therefore, Nerluce needed to walk nearly all the way back across Ethera to reach his own dorm. It wasn't that long of a walk. Nothing seemed like that long of a walk after all the times he'd run up and down the mountain and all the weights he'd lifted. Next year they'd begin martial training.

If Nerluce made it.

A wave of nerves traveled down his spine as he picked up his pace and entered the bustling Fire Affinity Dorms. He hadn't gotten to take part in hunting for his name on a list last year, due to his injuries but Nerluce would almost rather be bitten by a wolf again than do this. He was crammed between two others and more people behind him, seemingly wanting to find their own names. Most were first years.

Nerluce kept his breathing steady as he found the list of second years. All of their names were there, ranked in order of the scores they'd made on the test and followed by a mark that indicated whether or not they'd be continuing to the next year.

The highest score was, of course, Aristide and as he was not a fire Affinity disciple, his name had no mark beside it. Second place was taken by Eko and then third was a boy Nerluce was familiar with but wouldn't claim to know. Both of them had small marks saying they were progressing to the next year. And then, sitting in sixth, was Nerluce, with an identical mark next to his name.

Instantly relief flooded him.

Nerluce kept looking through the names, making sure his friends were also continuing. Lyana had taken seventh place and Hamelin was in tenth. Corbett was one of the last students on the list with the marking indicating he would be moving on to the third year. So it seemed that they'd only lost one member of their room and not even to the tests.

Sighing, Nerluce glanced at the list of third years. At the beginning of the year, there had been eleven third-years. Only two had been made into Seraphs.

Nerluce had passed this year but he wasn't sure he had what it took to keep passing. There were seventeen second years - well now they were third years - who had passed. Going by that math, there would likely only be three Seraphs from their own class. One of those spots was almost guaranteed to go to Lyana - her raw power made it impossible to fail, especially if the High Priestess was pulling strings behind the scenes. Eko would probably get another.

Closing his eyes, Nerluce recalled the promise he'd made to Aristide in the gardens. It seemed so easy then. He wanted it to be so easy. But the reality of the situation was that Nerluce would be lucky to make it through another half year - especially if he didn't start improving his academic studies.

Right. That's what he'd do. He'd work harder than ever. He'd started at the bottom of the pack and look how much he'd grown. It wasn't impossible.

Backing away from the lists with his mind brimming with plans, Nerluce sat down on one of the palates near the fireplace. A couple of the others were there too - all those who'd passed - laughing and talking among one another delightedly. In the center of this was, of course, the soon-to-be Seraph, Doite.

He'd always been popular. He was friendly, talented, and good-looking. There was no way for him to not be popular. Tomorrow he'd be made into an official Seraph and so he seemed to be celebrating tonight with the other boy who'd be made into a Seraph and a couple of the second-turned-third years.

Which Nerluce supposed he was one of.

"Hey!" Doite said, brightly, springing off the sofa to come over to Nerluce. "Nerluce Hebikoti, right?"

"Yes," Nerluce said. "Congratulations on becoming a Seraph."

Doite beamed, rubbing the back of his neck, sheepishly. He seemed to be positively glowing. Like fire, it drew Nerluce in. "Thank you! Congratulations to you as well. I'm certain that you will become a Seraph next year."

That made one of them. Nerluce still smiled politely. "Thank you."

"You don't seem to believe me," Doite said with a bit of a chuckle. "I understand. Last year when a senior told me this, I didn't believe him either."

"You hold much more talent than I do," Nerluce said.

Doite seemed to brighten even further under the praise and then laughed. "Don't be silly! If you're really worried then this senior would be willing to help you out some!" He winked. "I'm sure I have a few tricks that will help you along."

Nerluce wasn't sure what to say. On one hand, he needed all the help he could get, but on the other hand, Nerluce knew when someone wanted something from him. Doite was cheerful and popular but he was also from a low-ranking family. He needed connections if he wanted to go anywhere. Of those left, Nerluce figured his family name was the most valuable.

Not that there was anything wrong with Doite's actions. It wasn't fair someone with such talent would be looked over due to something as silly as a family name. Perhaps supporting him would reap more than just training benefits for Nerluce in the future as well.

Perhaps.

"I'll think about it," Nerluce said.

Doite laughed and clasped his shoulder. "Great! Just come find me whenever you need an extra lesson or two." And with that, Doite got up and returned to his real friends.

Nerluce figured he ought to do the same.