Conner's hands moved with practiced ease, pulling the weeds out with the roots intact and watering Elder Iryna's plants with precise amounts. With the gardening tools she provided, he skillfully shaved down the surrounding shrubs and trimmed their edges to retain their original perfectly rounded shapes.

  "Well done, my dear. I knew keeping you around would pay off eventually." Elder Iryna winked from her lounge chair in between sips of her lemonade as she bathed in the sun's rays.

  Ignoring her playful jab, he double-checked the garden to make sure he'd cared for each crop, trimmed each bush, and pulled every weed. Afterwards, he went back inside to wash the sweat from his face and returned to the elder to help her walk.

  With one hand secured in the crook of his elbow and the other on her cane, they made their way up the path for their daily dose of meditation. By now, he'd gotten into a smooth rhythm with his daily life.

  Every morning before sunrise, he'd gather stream water from the ravine before Elder Iryna woke up. Breakfast was usually prepared by the time he returned and afterwards, he would tend to the garden while the elder saved her strength to venture up the hill.

  Truthfully, he wanted to get started on his meditation training as early as possible so naturally he'd learned how to tackle each of his chores with swift efficiency. This, of course, lightened the load on Elder Iryna which she greatly appreciated. Even so, as time passed, his concern for her deepened as she grew increasingly sluggish and would rest more often.

  As they reached the hilltop in twice the amount of time it used to take them, he very gently helped her down to the grass. After she was settled, he joined her at her side and the two focused on nature's tune, slipping into a zen-like peace.

  Conner's channels pulsed softly throughout his body, deepening his state of serenity. His senses heightened when meditating, becoming more sensitive to astris as he felt the fluttering motes caress his skin in a comforting embrace. The pace of his training was monotonous but it yielded results compared to the fruitless training he did before.

  When he opened his silvery eyes, he took in the sight of astris eagerly drawn to him, whirling around his form in a graceful dance of shimmering white. An individual's aura was directly correlated to their channel's strength. Although more astris particles were more ardent around him, he couldn't help but wonder how much longer it would take to develop an aura as pronounced and refined as Elder Iryna's.

  A soft thud startled him out of his thoughts and he snapped his head to the source. To his horror, the elder had toppled over onto her side and was gritting her teeth.

  "Elder Iryna!" He jumped to her aid. "Are you okay? Here, let me help you up."

  He gently lifted her upright, her form quivering from the fall, even though it was cushioned. With his hands still on standby should she fall again, she gave him an appreciative smile.

  "Thank you, Conner." She took the time to rest. "This old body isn't what it used to be."

  "I told you not to get up without my help." He lightly scolded, more annoyed than angry.

  After a moment, she turned to him, examining his astris signature through the lens of Keensight. "Your channels have made so much progress since your first day."

  "There's still room for improvement." He replied modestly.

  "There's always room for improvement, dear. Unless you're my age, then your progress tends to stagnate."

  After letting her watch the breathtaking view of the mountain range, he helped her to her feet and they carefully made their way back down the path. When they got back, he escorted her back to her room. As she sat on her bed, her brows shot up in remembrance.

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  "Oh, by the way. There are some ingredients I need for supper but we don't have them in stock at the moment," she touched his arm. "They usually sell them at the market in town. Would you be a dear and fetch them for me?"

  It was around this time that he'd catch up on his light research on astris from the book she'd given him so he couldn't help but feel a bit unfortunate to have to spend his free time running errands. Nonetheless, he agreed and she gave him a written list of items.

  He took the time to make himself decent and wash his face before throwing on a light coat and making his out the door.

  The stone buildings ahead became more detailed as he walked the winding path. The bustling streets and distant hum of daily life grew more clear as he approached. Carved from ancient stone loomed hooded mages, jutting their majestic staffs to pierce the sky as they stood proudly on pedestals on either side of the entrance like sentinels. Guards clad in bulky armor and equipped with spears gave him a nod of acknowledgment as he passed through.

  Hooves clopped over the stone roads as carriages cut through the center of the buzzing crowd. Slowing his pace, he took the time to admire the vibrant energy pulsing through the streets, unlike his rural village. However, just like in his village, magic charged the air as the townspeople intertwined the elements into their culture and way of life.

  A burly man with short red hair melting into his untrimmed beard coned his soot-streaked hand over his mouth, his exhales igniting controlled bursts of flames as he worked molten metal into shape. Passing an open field, kids giggled and laughed as an adventurer cast soft wind tunnels to levitate them all at once. To Conner's left, an elderly woman waved her fingers over a pot of flowers, drawing moisturizer from the air until droplets clung to the plants.

  Further ahead, he spotted a crowd gathering around the square as bursts of magic swirled into the sky and exploded with a spectacle of shimmering particles. Curious, he made his way over and cut through the awestruck crowd of people until he found what they were looking at.

  A group of performers spun and leaped with acrobatic finesse, weaving elemental flare with their dance recital. Musicians tugged their strings and beat their drums as the audience, mostly children, looked on in astonishment. As the performance drew to a close, the onlookers broke out into applause and dropped silver, and occasionally gold coins, into the street performers' bucket.

  Conner's somber gaze fell to his hand for a moment before he realized he'd gotten distracted. Pulling out his list, he made his way to the market. Looking through each stall, he gradually ticked off every item on the list.

  After gathering what he needed, he began to retrace his steps back to the town's entrance when he stumbled upon an armor and weapons shop. Since arriving at Elder Iryna's home, he hadn't had the chance to touch up on his swordsmanship. He was still sitting comfortably on his allowance so it wouldn't hurt to browse their selection.

  The bell overhead jingled as Conner entered, alerting the shopkeeper to his presence.

  "Welcome. Let me know if you need help with anything." The short, balding man smiled before going back to adjusting the straps on a gauntlet.

  Conner nodded appreciatively before skimming over the assortment of weapons and armor. Luxurious armor was displayed proudly near the front windows while elegant swords lined the wall to his left and brutish axes stood on racks to his right.

  As he looked around, he couldn't help but feel out of place. Fortunately, the shop had a neglected clearance section tucked away behind a display case of gaudy wands and staffs. Carefully maneuvering his way through the cluttered mess of dented armor and battle-scarred weaponry, he looked for something suitable for himself.

  Most of what he unsheathed were still in...passable condition but a handful of swords showed signs of rust. The swords from his village were lightweight but not only were these swords deteriorating, they felt heavier in his hands.

  He picked up a sword missing its sheath and held it up to the light. As he did, the loose blade rattled.

  He looked back at the sign, checking to see if he'd somehow misread "trash heap" as "clearance". Confirming the sign implied these armor and weapons were being sold, he looked back at the defective sword in his hand.

  'Are they really okay with selling equipment of such quality?'

  As he came to the end of the selection, he'd finally found something promising. Pulling the blade from its soot-stained scabbard, he gave the sword a swing or two, pleased to find its weight distribution was something he was relatively accustomed to.

  Its overall design was modest and hadn't yet been tainted by rust while the blade, though not exactly pristine, was far less degraded than the others before it.

  'We have a winner.' He thought, satisfied as he slid it back into the sheath.

  After purchasing his "brand new" replacement, he strapped it to his waist and left the shop. Double-checking his list, he confirmed he had everything and began making his way back to Elder Iryna's cabin.