After another gruesome year, the elders had finally agreed to give Keita a much-needed holiday. He could barely wait to get out of the town of Gonz, where his lessons had been taking place.
His hands were calloused; his body developed into a nice, lean and muscular shape. He looked much more manly and mature than before.
On his way back, he learned that Zukov had also come off an extended period of seclusion, after losing in some tournament.
Keita knew that those coming off long seclusion periods needed to socialize and dispel the training sickness, or as he would have called it in another world, acute depression.
Therefore, Keita looked forward to spending the days with his brother.
First impression, both boys had undergone a massive change. Even Abi was shocked, looking at the two of them. They were both bigger, and much more muscular. However, there was a look of maturity about both of them.
While Keita had been hard at work, learning to craft, Zukov had not been lazy. He too had been growing his powers. While he was not meditating and cultivating his abilities, he was training his body.
All this was part of his regimen, a system in place by his tutors. The results were clear for all to see. He was powerful and in control. However, at the moment, he was not in control of his mouth.
Just as Keita expected, Zukov was a chatterbox, barely letting his brother get in a word. They talked about their experiences, Zukov even tried explaining the fundamentals of training.
At this point, Zukov did not really care if Keita heard anything he was saying. It seemed he just needed someone to talk at. He was no longer confined to the rigorous training schedule.
Keita sat down listening, enjoying his brother's tales. He had learned to appreciate his brother's company, and even if he had memories of a different lifetime, this did not diminish how much his brother meant to him.
And so, as Keita listened, Zukov proceeded to tell him of the tale of this magical new mount. The thing causing waves among vasilis.
The Sun scepter sect, remember them? Apparently, they still bore a grudge with the Rono clan, and especially the two brothers that had thoroughly embarrassed them. While Keita had been cooped up in some town away from everyone, Zukov had been subject to their attempts at harassment.
Several times they had tried to undermine the boy, but none succeeded. Unfortunately for them, Zukov was no pushover. He was extremely powerful and held a lot of influence. Moreover, he now had a refined weapon. His Second Tier vasili level was no joke either.
The sect members had tried harassing some of the younger generation members of the Rono clan. They ended up victims in association.
However, Zukov had heroically defended his cousins and relatives, solidifying his position as the leader of the younger generation, both in the clan and even around town. Many junior vasilis would flock to him.
Keita could see the charisma of the boy had grown rapidly since they had last met, and he was looking more and more like a leader. Even he wanted to follow his brother.
Then the boys got into some gossip. At some point, Zukov met a girl, but he was too embarrassed to explain more. He only mentioned her name, and how annoying she was. Keita gave him a crooked smile as he dug for more information. Zukov, bless his soul, was too embarrassed to say more.
Through various prodding techniques, he finally got the story out. There was a new girl in town, a vasili. She had captured the fancy of all the little boys, and Zukov was no exception. Keita had been away.
Matti, one of the Sun scepter sect members, had also tried his hand at wooing her. No one got anywhere. However, she had heard of Zukov's reputation, and she had been seen as friendly to his side.
Well, none of the enemies were having any of that, and as little boys do, they started taunting and harassing her. Which only served to draw the girl closer to his side.
All in all, things had been looking up for Zukov and his accolades, until the Sun scepter sect captured a magical elk nest and several of these elks.
Just like in the human world, the animal world included several kinds of beasts. Some beasts could evolve and develop vasili abilities. Those that were mutants of their normal counterpart, such as the wind hawks, were considered monsters.
There was another kind of beast whose entire members of the species had specific magical abilities. For instance, the phoenix had excellent control over the flame, while dragons could breathe fire. Such beasts were known as divine beasts.
The magical elks were divine beasts that could manipulate the wind element. For the sect to capture an entire nest meant that they had a good supply of powerful land mounts with magical ability.
In the sect, Matti was the undoubted leader of the younger generation. To be able to compete with Zukov meant that he too was overflowing with talent. This was why he had the support of his sect's elders.
While he did not have a double potion talent, Matti was extremely brilliant, with high aptitude and comprehension skills. His talent was also without limit, which meant that he could keep growing Tier after Tier, without a ceiling.
Such people were extremely valued in their respective powers, and Matti was no different. Hence, he would always receive the top resources, and was the first pick on many occasions.
For instance, once the sect members were done taming the elks, Matti had managed to get his hands on one of the younger elks. This was a rare honor, especially for those in the younger generation.
With this, Matti had gone ahead and challenged Zukov to a riding competition, knowing full well that the Rono clan did not have anything close to the elks. All Zukov could use was a pony, something that paled in comparison.
Naturally, Zukov lost out in the end, causing him to lose face. His mount, a young horse, did not have the natural gifts the magical elks possessed. Moreover, Zukov himself was not that experienced in riding and handling of mounts.
The sect members felt that they had gained some much-needed revenge for their honor. Zukov's prestige had been battered, but there was still hope.
"You have not seen the end of this! When I issue a challenge next time, you better come running!" Zukov recounted the words he had used, and both boys burst out laughing.
"Think you can help me out like last time?" Zukov joked once he was done telling the story.
"What are you talking about, my talents lay in metal works," Keita retorted.
"I know, I just thought that you could make me something," Zukov insisted, voicing his desires. He had no expectations, just voicing his thoughts. He did not expect Keita's answer.
"Well, there's an idea I've been fiddling with," Keita said, his mind going into deep thought.
"Really?" Zukov was ecstatic. He had not expected his brother to have something for him. Unknowingly, he had already started seeing his brother as something greater than human.
Anything his brother made was bound to topple anything his opponents had. In the face of his brother's engineering, what was a magical elk.
"I am not sure, and don't make any moves before I have confirmed it," Keita answered, as his mind spun. He did not notice the light coming from Zukov's eyes, and the look of determination.
"Good! Let me get the ball rolling!" Zukov shouted.
"Wait, what are you planning?"