Nestres watched Hylo and Fruzzy go back and forth. Battering each other with solid strikes, followed by Fruzzy shouting what Hylo did correct and incorrect.
Their bond reminded Nestres of him and his sister. Long before he decided to become an Heir, he used to be an ambitious elite.
Renowned for his bravery against several Legions flooding into Galaad. But what they never realized was his secret hobby he enjoyed doing with his sister.
One day, a Goliath ripped the skies open. Eldigo's otherworldly tentacles flooded the island. Ripping trees off their roots, claiming homes, and taking lives.
However, as tornados riddled their precious island, Nestres and his sister saw it was that time again. For years, they've always watched Goliaths, even fought a few.
Never won a single encounter, but didn't lose either. This time was no different. Both took their bows and hurried to counter Eldigo.
For hours, they ran underneath it. Firing endlessly and escaping tornados as they came. His sister charged through incoming debris, even withstood heavy damage.
But she never relented. It was in their blood, as Zegi, to see the resolution of a conflict. Regardless of if they won or didn't.
Nestres remembered seeing her get sucked into a watery tornado, prompting him to chase after her. And like a true older brother, facing down death alongside his younger.
The wind kicked them back and forth, threatening to take away their weapons. However, their grip was sturdy.
Water splashed over their bodies, further gassing them out. In portions, they were completely underwater. Causing them to bleed arrows from their quivers.
Forty seconds after they got sucked up, the tornado disappeared. Leaving them to free fall.
Powerful gusts of wind impaired their vision, making it difficult to tell what was directly beneath them. Utter grit and adrenaline propelled them to dodging obstacles and reaching safety.
As they ran from falling debris, more tornados descended from the gray sky. Creeping closer over the orange hills.
Until a Wind Ripper Feral appeared out of nowhere. He effortlessly traversed through the gales, getting closer to Eldigo.
He thrashed his legs, releasing counter-gusts of wind. Disturbing nature's flow enough to disrupt tornados.
The siblings watched the Noble Mind screech like a banshee. Creating a temporal rift that staggered Eldigo. It tried to break free from time's savage hands.
But the Noble Mind was keen on taking down the Goliath. The Feral reached one of the tentacles, then slashed with an open palm.
Immense power rippled through the region. Sending shock waves all over, even destroying all remaining tornados.
Causing more debris to rain from above. Nestres took the lead, running through the open field to escape from the crash course of several homes and logs.
They came down like heavy thunder, almost knocking them off their feet. Neither of the siblings noticed the Feral's temporal screech.
Unlike last time, this one killed off dozens of tentacles. They became nothing more than white, feathery husks of themselves. Even the tiny suction cups ceased function.
Nestres looked up, seeing the Feral put the killing blow to the final tentacle. Eldigo crawled back into its reality, escaping the wrath of the Noble Mind.
"Its over!" his sister cheered.
"Thankfully. Although, that was pretty fun. But sis," Nestres turned to look at her. "You could've used more logic instead of just aimlessly running around."
She laughed. "Okay, Nestres, okay. If you think you're so good at surviving against Goliaths, I dare you to become King and survive ten attacks!" she joked.
Despite her obvious mocking, Nestres took it to heart and fought tirelessly to become Heir. Eventually landing him where he stood today.
He snapped out of the flashback, realizing Fruzzy was talking to herself. She spoke clearly and loudly, suggesting she wasn't alone.
Hylo sat beside her teacher, enjoying the rapidly healing waters. She closed her eyes, imagining a ruthless battle where she became the victor.
"... You think?" Fruzzy brought her hands down to her hips. She listened closely, then nodded. "I'll see. Maybe... what? Uvurim again? Do they want something inside that region?"
Nestres approached Fruzzy, trying to see if he could spot Gatruda.
"He's right here," Fruzzy directed Gatruda's attention to Nestres.
Gatruda made themselves visible for him. Ruda shot up to greet Nestres, while Gat sat with her arms crossed.
Ruda hugged Nestres, then pointed at his partner. They fell quiet, then listened closely to what Gat had to say.
"I've spotted a Goliath breaching through to Uvurim. It's Vhul-Adune, this time." Gat mumbled.
She felt angry at the thought of the Goliath that killed her coming back to confront another region. Especially one that she admired from afar.
"Ruda tried his bestestest to fiiight scary monster!" Ruda chimed in.
Nestres nodded, accepting what this meant. "We'll have to combat Vhul-Adune over a risky region. We'll need more Noble Minds to ensure Vhul-Adune doesn't bury Uvurim."
Fruzzy thought over who could be the best for this situation. Several names came to mind, namely the Far Fetcher and Oppressive Seer.
"So far, the Far Fetcher, us, and Ventelu are going over to shut Vhul-Adune down. I'm hoping you could bring some extra pre-Nobles so they can get that boost to their Will Power," Gat suggested.
Nestres instantly thought of Ether and Hylo. He checked over her as she continued to dream away, thinking of a new battle this time. Where she was the underdog.
"We'll take Hylo and Ether. After this, we'll bring Ventelu back here so I can speak to the guy. Anyway, start rifting Fruzzy and the rest, I'll go check on Ether," Nestres ordered.
He sped away back home, hoping Ether would accept his offer. Leaving the rest out by the training pools.
"Quick, Hylo," Fruzzy picked her up with one hand. "We're going to fight a Goliath right now. Just stay back and focus on attacking when you can."
Gatruda opened a tear in reality to the outskirts of Uvurim. Where Ventelu and Zeek patiently waited.