Geron lifts an entire wall above his head and tosses it out of the area as he cleared a quarter of the schoolgrounds.
''Hmmm looks like the boy is going to be alright'' He says as he chucks another piece into the sky.
Though i wonder if everyone will be so accepting of the situation, especially...HIM, Geron thinks to himself as he lifts another piece of wall ready to throw.
Dorna sits in silence with her knees still folded to her chest as she is resting herself.
the more angry i want to be the more disappointed with meself i am. She thinks.
if me brother willingly died and bestowed the gift on the kid because he feared it befalls into the wrong hands he made the right call.
Im just so shattered that he is gone now...the pillar of strength, the insurance that everything would be alright.
The comfort he brought into everyone's lives, gone... she thinks as she buries her forehead into her knees.
I'm still so weak and not havin' em around just makes me feel like we're not gonna make it.
Geron, fool that he is looks to be far more accepting and it makes me feel like im too stubborn, as her hands clench around her calves.
Milia lays her hand on Dorna's head calming her with soothing numbing energy.
''I'm sure your brother would hold nothing against you, that pillar of strength you were thinking about earlier, he still has inspired so many people with his presence and gave us a lot of time to grow into what we are now. it would have been ideal keeping him around, of course! but this is our reality now that this new boy is thankfully with us! take solace that his gift, memories & life gave us the chance to get this far''
Before Dorna can reply a magic seal appears at the cleared quarter Geron cleaned earlier. ''Oh this is just unfortunate....'' Geron utters as winds pick up and center on the seal silhouettes appear of a group of figures. The seal pops and Zimzo appears in place with a bunch of people that start clearing out more rubble along with Geron whom welcomes the party with open arms.
''I see the conflict is over, but that orange explosion still hangs in the air.
did Baronia leave us with a newly created sun?'' Zimzo chuckles.
Dorna looks up from her resting position, as she says. ''Not a word about my brother.''
Zimzo raises his eyebrows in surprise as he asks if he should teleport anyone else in other than maybe a few medicinal units since the patients on the rendezvous point are all stable.
Dorna doesn't reply, Milia walks up to him and tells him its fine, everything is under control and that he should send word out that the Holy 8 need to be gathered to make a judgement call.
Zimzo snaps his vision to her and asks her why, she tells him what happened and that she wants to suggest something after their new ally explains everything that transpired to the board.
He nods, ''well minus you 3 and myself, i have only the other half to fill in.
but that boy, better explain himself well'' Zimzo vanishes. Milia returns Dorna while her assistant Ronah has 5 patients in the healing gel with 2 novices assisting his energy generation.
Geron together with the squad cleared out half the schoolgrounds as they start pulling apart the ruins.
''There he is! our newest addition to the crew!'' He heartily announces to the workers. as the boy looks up in confusion the crew start welcoming him whole heartedly shaking his hands,
conversing with him and praising his healing capabilities of which word has spread rapidly, asking him about his cloak.
Geron laughs as he sees how overwhelmed the boy is by the influx of attention and friendly faces.
''So what do we call you, boy?'' Geron asks with a grin, as the youngster is laughing, getting grabbed and tossed all over he says ''i dont remember'' Geron pauses, ''hahahaha! we will decide on that later! as he lifts up the boy and tosses him into the air, at a worker, whom catches him and throws him to another worker.''
As they play for a while Dorna walks up and watches the scene for a bit as she leans against a wall that hasn't been tossed yet.
She smiles as she observes the heightened morale and amongst everyone seeing what they're doing.
Milia laughs as she yells ''if they drop you, you're gonna have to heal yourself!''
Ronah shouts ''strike some poses darling! make it fabulous!''
The boy strikes multiple poses referencing various media he has vague memory of from when he was alive.
As the crowd applauds and laughs with him going through them.
Eventually the night falls, and the school grounds have been cleared fully.
Dorna lights the fire as she clashes 2 of her swords together shooting out flames at the giant pile of gathered up wood making a bonfire so huge it warms everyone on the field without having to get close.
Everyone sits down around the fire talking amongst each other as the boy stares into the fire with a smile on his face as he feels at ease for the first time in years.
Milia approaches him as she sits down next to him, ''so! how do you like your first day with your new life? its only uphill from here!''
He looks at her with a smile on his face and says, ''i like it! the people are so welcoming! do they know everything that i told you guys?''
"No, not yet. we're thinking of keeping it a secret for a bit because we're not sure how everyone is going to respond" she says, still smiling.
Dorna walks up, lays her hand on the boys head as she walks past Milia and sits down on the other side as she says ''I heard you don't remember your name from Geron.
That's kinda sad'' she says while biting down on a heap of meat. ''Subtle as always, aren't ya?'' Milia sighs at Dorna, ''anyways. since she brought that up, do you want to give yourself a name? we cant just call you young man or principal after all.'' she chuckles.
''Still thinking im going to become principal, are you?'' he says while rolling his eyes. ''of course!'' Milia says while bumping his leg with her own. ''We've had our gods champions always be the principal for as long as we existed! we've only had 2 though...but its tradition at this point!''
Dorna nods slowly as she chews the meat she bit off, ''ish tru y'kno?'' she swallows her bite, ''our previous principals were highly skilled in many fields.
''Since there's a total of 8 fields you can specialize in there's a lot of speculation on what combinations are the best since lots of people want to pick 2 fields and combine them for their own flavor of combat or assistance in battle.''
She says as she takes another bite from her meat, Milia nods, ''There's 8 fields like our voracious speedster just explained. and with that said she has picked her own 2 fields which are speed & creation.
Dorna can create all types of weaponry from her own energy, as long as she has wielded the weapon at least once before.
Her second field she picked was speed, where she can move at speeds most people will have trouble perceiving let alone react to.
Combined with her creation she can deal devastating blows by her momentum and weaponry.''
''flat'ery will get ya anywhere, pretty nurse.'' she says while pointing her meal at Milia while winking, ''Oh what a charmer, and its DOCTOR by the way'' Milia says closing her eyes & with a flick of her hair.
The boy nods in acknowledgement, ''alright, so i know 3 fields now, creation, speed, healing. so what field other than healing did you take, Milia?''
''I havent picked a secondary yet because i cant decide on one that can really enhance my methods other than energy control, which wont add anything to my arsenal but just decrease the requirements for what i already do'' she says puzzled.
''Okay, so energy control is the 4th mastery. what other ones are there?'' the boy asks.
Milia opens her mouth ready to speak as Dorna slams him on the arm and says : ''so here's what it is right? there's power, speed, defense, energy control, healing, destruction, flight and creation.''
Milia frowns as she nods twice, ''yeah that's the gist of it.''
Geron walks up with a tankard and an even larger slab of meat on the bone than Dorna has he sits legs crossed in-between the fire and the boy.
''So! have the ladies been keeping you good company? or were you waiting for the real partystarter!'' Geron laughs as he chugs from his drink.
''Oh pleas whenver you shw up all the foodh is gone, you a prty ender!'' Dorna says to the best of her ability with a full mouth.
''hahahahaha! oh Dorna! ever the competitive jokester! so boy! have you decided on a name yet? we cant just keep calling you boy now can we?'' Geron says heartedly.
The group falls silent as they look at their new member, ''i have no idea actually.'' he says. ''my identity has basically been taken by my previous mistress just referring to me as ''slave, boy, asset, worthless, waste of sp-'' Dorna interjects ''what a fuckin' tramp,'' stealing a sip from Gerons drink.
''Agreed'' Milia adds. ''The ladies are right! that woman was a foul creature! she deserved far worse than such a merciful instant death by the hands of that traitorous Lavi.'' Geron says while taking a bite.
''She is the one that caused this whole conflict for us you know'' Geron says lowering his tone to express grief.
''That tramp was so jealous of my brother being chosen to have the gift instead o' her she wanted him dead the moment it got passed on.'' Dorna explains while looking at the fire.
Milia adds ''She was so spiteful from the very beginning and we suggested to exile her but Baronia would not have it, he hoped she would loosen up over time, and just let her do what she was doing.
which was plea with our god to create a being that could be tamed by her for the war we're inevitably gonna have to fight in 7 years.''
''Our god fulfilled her request and granted her 2 of the creature, so they could reproduce.
Many Morax's were made and released into nature as we had no room for them.''
''Oh yeah! you started calling them that earlier today.'' Goren interjects.
Milia nods as she continues, ''The 2 Morax parents obeyed her every command which is how our school got destroyed, Baronia poisoned. Students crushed, and everything that happened.
She was surely laying in wake to strike when he was about to die,'' Dorna growls.
''What i dont get right?'' Geron asks, ''How did your mistress know what was transpiring and to abduct Baronia. did she just so happen to pass by? or what?''
The boy looks at Geron, ''she was going around your school grounds a lot and observed your previous principal up close with disguises. there wasn't a day where she'd go by to see if there was an opportune time to strike.
At times she'd have me drench a sword in the foul liquid she planned to use in advance because she was sure that'' He braces his chest for a foul raspy woman's voice ''this will be the time that he would be vulnerable'' He goes back to his regular voice ''until she grew sick of crafting new blades and making the fluids to use and just waited with the liquid until she finally had him.''
The trio listening in shock, ''crafty cunt!'' Dorna growls as she steals another sip from Goren's drink.
''You could get your own you know?'' Goren laughs.
''i could'' she says, as she takes the last bite from her meat.
''Don't you want any food?'' Milia asks. ''it stimulates your energy generation you know!''
''I never had any food actually, i wasnt allowed to generate energy unless told so. i had no permission to do anything until she told me it was okay.''
''Well im going to get you a good slab of meat and a tankard of good brew!'' Geron says while moving over to the kitchen staff.
''Can you get me a slab too?!'' Milia excitedly asks him. ''OF COURSE!'' Geron Shouts back raising his fist as he walks.
''So we're runnin' in circles 'ere when it comes to yer name, we 'ave to decide on one.'' Dorna says while giving her knee a slap.
Milia adds on ''You have a gentle soul and aren't really big on conflict, do you want your name to kind of reflect that?''
The boy ponders as he thinks about it, ''i don't know actually. i never really thought about having a name. or maybe i did at one point but my life was just serving my mistress, so things like a name, future, identity and all were never something i would even consider being a thing.
but there is a flower that i really like, its the Panindum, it is a miracle worker for burns and ruptures!'' He excitedly explains.
The girls shake their head, ''noooooooo thats not it!'' Milia giggles, ''ya might as well name yerself flowerboy, im sure that would be a name people respect.'' Dorna laughs.
Geron walks up to the group and hands both the boy and Milia a slab of meat and a tankard of ale having one extra for Dorna.
''So! he says while sitting down again, how's the naming going?''
''Our latest addition wanted to name himself after a bloody flower is how its going!'' Dorna says through her laughter as Geron joins laughing.
Milia giggles as she hides her face into her newly acquired food.
''Alright than smart asses! lets hear you suggest something!'' the boy says aloud.
Geron strokes his fingers through his beard while staring at the newbie, Dorna stares and makes waves in her drink while thinking, Milia is too invested in her meal to notice the question.
The young one looks around at the three of them as they're doing their thing.
Goren sits up straight as he lays his hands on his crossed legs and says, ''I GOT IT!'' the group snaps their vision to him startled and asks him to say it then.
''Baronia thought rightfully highly of you so i believe we can give you a name close to his as an honor in his passing the torch!''
Dorna nods as she says, ''i like that idea, so how do we shape that to suit 'im?''
Milia adds, ''What about Barand?'' the group thinks about it for a second before Dorna says, ''no that aint it.''
''Geron agrees, its not quite fitting of him, something a bit more....friendly sounding.'' he says raising his hand off 1 knee.
The boy sits there thinking, ''What about Baro?''
all 3 of them look at the boy and think about it.
''Baro'' Milia says, ''Bahro'' Dorna repeats, ''BARO!'' Geron yells, ''i like it!'' he adds, the 2 girls nod and agree.
''yeah! it has a nice ring to it!'' Milia says excited. It 'as a nice ring to it Dorna says nodding to the group, ''im sure me brother would approve.''
''then we agree on a name! from now you will be known as Baro!'' Geron excitedly shouts raising his tankard.
The other 3 raise their drinks and they toast to their new ally being settled in.
As the fire dims down through the night as everyone shares stories and relaxes after the horrible evening, there is comfort, knowing that there will be a tomorrow for all of them. Whatever that day may bring, will be met with renewed spirits.