"Lady Aiyonyora!" An older clearly mature looking elf dressed in very humble-looking armour, greeting Grace with a giant smile like we were familiar acquaintances.
"Uncle Themaer!" Grace gasped in joy completely out of character running towards him for a hug.
"Why does that name ring a bell?" I questioned everyone the name distinctly trigger a part of my brain.
We let them both converse a little before approaching making ourselves known. "Oh! Uncle Themaer please meet my friends, Emilia and Daisy." She introduced us. "And everyone this us Uncle Themaer remember I told you about him the other day." She smiled
"Ahhh my most humble greetings." He bowed his head with a giant smile one hand placed on his chest like some sort of soldiers salute.
"Ummm hi?" Daisy replied clearly a little unsure how to respond.
"Greetings?" I answered back a little unsure myself with a very awkward hand salute back.
"I young miss adjusting to the human society we?" He chuckled with a smile.
"I'm doing very well thank you, uncle." She answered for us in an instant, "Besides what brings you all the way over here?" Grace asked pulling her uncle to a quiet spot where we could all talk.
"Aside from asking a favour from your dad and spending a fair bit of coin just to get a ticket here. I wanted to see for myself how young miss is doing." He smiled.
"It's actually amazing here, way better than the life father and mother had planned for me," Grace answered back clearly showing some signs of resentment.
"Don't be so hard on your mother and father, they have been through a lot." He looked at her clearly disheartened a little but still defending her parents.
"So you came to watch Paul in his upcoming duel?" She questioned curiously.
"Actually I came to watch you." He smiled making Grace almost but into tears. "You think I'd miss young miss's first-ever duel?" He smiled like a proud father coming to their child's first football game.
"You didn't have to..." Grace answered sheepishly.
"Nonsense I wanted to, besides I hope you've been training well! we don't want you losing your debut match and giving us elves a bad name." He chuckled with a giant smile.
"With your training and the best mentor in Atlantis, there's no way I will lose," Grace answered jumping at the opportunity to tell him.
"Oh?" better than myself?" He looked at her completely intrigued.
"You know maybe just a little." She said pinching her two fingers egging him a little.
"So who is this mysterious new mentor that I need to thank for looking after young miss's training," He smiled, "Wait don't tell me, the Black Dragon Slayer himself?" He gasped in disbelief.
"I wish although I think his skill set doesn't really match my style." She smiled.
"Really? I imagined he was a man of many talents from what I've heard." He smiled.
"I believe he forgoes the more traditional methods that we use in place of magic." Grace smiled.
"Well, I can't deny the advantages of magic." He smiled back, "So you have met the famed Black Dragon Slayer?" He asked with a raised eyebrow his voice filled with intrigue.
"Well actually Emilia is like best friends with him and Daisy was saved by him when she was younger." Grace smiled.
"Oh?" He looked at us curiously, "Tell me is he as capable as his accolades make him out to be?" He questioned.
"Trust me this place and he is beyond anything I could ever imagine, we were visiting a city that was attacked by Dark Elves. He somehow managed to defend the city from a city-wide series of Moonbeams." Grace answered him in awe.
"Wow really? all my himself? no support from other casters?" He smiled back at her thoroughly intrigued,
"Nope none at all, all by himself," Grace answered him making him look at her thoroughly intrigued.
"Have you met him before?" I questioned.
"I haven't had the pleasure no, I believe he hasn't visited Enmnora so far." He answered me.
"Oh that's a shame, but I suppose it's a good thing." I smiled.
"Maybe so," He smiled in return, "So what are you up against in your upcoming duel?" He questioned Grace.
"Rumors has it he's a monk." Grace informed him.
"Oh, that might be a difficult fight." He looked at her a little worried.
"Yeah, his ability to catch my arrows is quite the predicament," Grace admitted to him.
"So you have been working on your close combat and keeping your guard up so they don't get a stunning strike on you?" He questioned.
"Yeah, Scarlet and Ashley have been excellent teachers." Grace nodded.
"Scarlet the Indestructible?" He questioned in shock.
"Yep, that's her," We all nodded.
"Wow, Taltnis may have been the best place you could have gone to, being trained by such famed heroes." He smiled proudly.
"Nowhere as awesome as you uncle." She hugged him with a smile.
"Young miss, I also wanted to tell you something important." He said to her with a solemn tone.
"What is it, uncle?" She questioned looking at him.
"I met with some old friends not long ago, after a few drinks and talks, I've decided to leave your mother and fathers side and return to adventuring." He said after a few seconds of silence look very saddened by something.
"Father and mother are okay with this?" Grace asked a little shocked,
"Yes, they said this was okay." He smiled.
"Oh," Grace answered extremely shocked at the news little unsure how to answer.
"Don't worry young miss if your father or mother requires my services they have ways to contact me," He smiled trying to reassure her.
"But how can I message you?" She questioned looking very worried.
"Remember when you were young, and we practised a spell that let creatures send messages for us," He smiled.
"Of course, it was my first ever spell, mother was so mad I didn't follow her footsteps." She laughed.
"Well...." He smiled and with a high pitched whistle holding out his arm a magnificent brown eagle came into sight flying down landing on his arm, causing Daisy and I to lean back a little in surprise at how large the eagle was, its wingspan end to end was easier taller than me and when perched on his arm it was at least as tall as my legs.
"Arina!" Grace smiled stroking and petting the eagle with familiarity and trust.
"Ohh can I touch him?!" Daisy jumped with excitement making the eagle glare at her looking very ferocious ready to defend itself.
"Oh... maybe not." Daisy cowered back into me.
"Arina is just a little defensive when meeting new friends." Grace smiled. "Are you sure uncle? she's been with you for as long as I can remember." Grace asked her uncle.
"Don't worry she's bonded to the both of us." He smiled petting the eagle comfortably, "So I want you to take care of Arina for me, she's bound to enjoy the freedom here and the new environment." He answered.
"I can't she too important." She rejected his offer.
"Also I want you to have her so she can also protect you when I'm not around, and if ever you need to send me a message, she will always find me." He smiled.
"Are you going far away?" She questioned a little worried.
"You know the life of an adventurer, it depends where the life and adventure take us." He smiled.
"Are you sure you're gonna be okay? Mother and Father won't be by your side." She questioned looking worried.
"There is nothing to worry about, remember I am Commander of the King's Guard and my other not so glorious title were earned through battle." He smiled.
"That's true...." She answered still looking worried, "So how is sister? is she doing well?" Grace questioned.
"Yes, your sister is doing well, much like your mother she's excelling very quickly in her studies and duties as a princess." He smiled.
"Ughhhhhh, Is mother and father still angry at me?" She questioned a little down.
"The fact you turned to a human school instead of following the path of most Elves? Of course, they are," He chuckled but the answer made Grace look more saddened, "Young miss, don't worry I believe that you did the right thing, we shouldn't live life to other peoples expectations. Do what you need to do." He smiled giving her a pat on the shoulder and ruffling her hair.
"Does she still remember me?" Grace questioned looking at the eagle changing the conversation.
"Of course," He joyfully smiled.
With a whistle and a held-out arm reaching out to Arina she stepped onto Grace's bracers her long dangerously looking sharp talons gripping on to Grace tightly. "I don't even know if we are allowed pets," Grace answered looking at her.
"Hmm, that could be a problem." He answered trying to think of something.
"You can ask Paul!" Daisy suggested.
"You can grant me ordinance with the illustrious Black Dragon Slayer?" He asked curiously.
"Of course! He's my boyfriend." Daisy smiled making Grace and I look at her in shock.
"Oh? you're a little young aren't you, judging by your horns....." He questioned her a little unsure.
"Don't worry I'll get a meeting for you." She smiled giving me a nudge with her arm.
"Oh, yeah yeah, he would definitely meet with you." I smiled in surprise trying to help out.
"Only if it's not too much to ask, I'm sure he's busy securing Atlantis and training for his upcoming duel." He answered me.
"I'm sure he will make time." I smiled reassuring him, "Also are you staying here for the week?" I inquired.
"Yeah, I think we're scheduled to leave the day after the duels, and apparently there's gonna be an itinerary for each day till then." He answered.
"Oh, I wonder what the school has planned." I wondered.