Bruk and his group started to laugh at the idea of what Johan just said, not in a mocking way but it was just funny to them. “Johan my apologies, I truly didn't want you to feel embarrassed right now, it's just funny how everyone says the same thing after hearing about Eljun!” Bruk said and then seconds later Calak continued.

  “You see Johan, learning Eljun or Megin takes time but there is a place where young people like you go to learn about it and see if they can enter the Brion Exam. Though it's not here in Borg but rather in a sister city called Langa. It's quite a bigger city than Borg and there is a place called Eljunsprang, as the name suggests it's an institute for people who hope to become Brions or Dryw.” Calak said with a sigh when he looked at Pali and Rynm.

  Pali finished his boar slider and as he almost choked on the last piece he drank some wine. “I graduated there myself and was scouted by Calak.” Pali replied and chugged down the remaining of his corbel. Rynm looked at them as he was drinking. “To be honest it would be a miracle if you could get there but as you said, you are poor and the entrance fee is not cheap. Let me tell you that! My parents had to sell one third of my family’s critters so I could enter The Awakening Ground.”

  Johan couldn’t help but listen and be taken away by how amazing it all sounds for him, he barely believed that there is indeed magic and now knowing there is a chance he might awaken and start his own adventure to become a powerful Dryw or Brion. It was clinging to him but as Rynm talks about what he had to do in order to get there, it spread a seed of hesitation within him. After all, he is poor.

  Meanwhile at the bar, Merin looked at the table from afar, ‘This is interesting. Our young Johan wants to grow so bad and leave this town. How much I would love to see him leave but-’ Merin sighed and looked at Lona who was cleaning the bar while he was in thought or seemed to be somewhere else. “Lona! Come with me to the back. I need help with checking the supplies.” Merin said and not many paid attention to it, even Johan seemed not to notice Lona’s face that turned from bright smile to apprehensive look.

  While the doors closed behind Lona and Merin, other two waitresses came out instead while their clothes were ruffled and clearly put through some pulling and tugging and their faces had various marks on their cheeks and necks. Johan only saw them for a second before his attention drove back to the group and Joy at his table.

  Johan looked at the corbel that Bruk gave him that was filled with ale. He didn’t know if the person he is now has a good or bad experience with alcohol, such as beer and whiskey but ale at this age is somehow different and way stronger, and questions if Johan ever had ale or drank in general,”Sorry, it just sounds so good. I would love to join you or be able to get at the Eljunsprang! To get out of this hellhole of a town!” Johan said and looked at them. Then after some seconds of silence Calak said.

  “You know what? We have around half a month to get to our next job, so we will meet tomorrow here at the Inn and take you into the Blackwald and give you some basic knowledge, and if you awaken your Floá enough you can present it as your entrance fee and study at the Awakening Grounds if you of course bring some Niten as proof.”

  “WHAT?!” Johan replied and Pali with Rynm added their slightly drunk laughs, “That’s Calak a truly kindest soul in all of Borg!” Calak and Bruk laugh as they clink their corbels together!

  “Skoal!!!”

  They yelled and continued toasting and cheering.

  After some time the toast slowly died out when Pali became drunk and barely holding up. So what Rynm did was simple: he got up holding Pali and walked him out of the door, “Forgive us but we should get going, this prick seems wasted as hell!” Rynm said to the table and as they were leaving, Merin looked at them and smiled, “Please Come again.”

  Bruk, Calak and Johan stayed at the table for a little longer. Johan also seemed distracted for a little while lost in thoughts. ‘I am happy for this chance and I cannot waste it! If I fail now and then I won't be able to learn anything, I can't get out of Borg or start my dream. I can write stories and become someone with both power and skills. I want to be famous. I want to be a revolutionary of this world's literature!’

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  Bruk looked at Johan who was lost in his own world and sighed, “You see Johan, we have quite a short time. We will spend time together so it would be better if you get back home and get some sleep before tomorrow!” With that Johan snaps out of his daydreaming.

  “You are correct Sir Bru-” But before Johan finished, Bruk raised his hand "Enough with the Sir… I am Bruk Kraggur, the leader of a Brion group called Boarskulkers.”

  ‘Boarskulkers?...’ Johan tried to look shocked, but the corners of his lips crooked.

  “Thank you Bruk, your kindness showed me that even someone like me can have something to achieve, ”Johan said and got up from his seat before lowering his head, “Thank you once again Bruk and Calak, I will be gladly under your regime! And I will appreciate all of the training you will give me!”

  With that Johan left the Inn while Calak and Bruk stayed there. Suddenly Morin sat at their table pissed off.

  “Can you two old fucks explain why you are helping Johan?” Morin said out loud, “Do you even know what you are messing with!?” Merin continued but Bruk looked at him and stayed calm.

  “What I see is a young boy who can't do even a single walk around without being stared at and cursed on. Is it wrong to help people? Morin Llorn or should I call you Morin Of The Highdeath? What does a man like you doing here anyway? Clearly you are using the young girl for your pleasure. That's something a Highdeath is known for isn't it?” Calak said as his hand slowly lowered at the hilt of his longsword.

  “I am not here to act on who I was and you are not here to judge me for what I did as Highdeath, but you should stay away from Johan! That boy does not need your consent Calak, or if we address ourselves by our previous titles, Calak Viggo, The Wasted Exile of a royal crownguard of the Seleniar Family?”

  Suddenly both sides rise and Morin grabs Calak by his shirt’s collar simultaneously. Calak draws his hidden dagger towards Morin's throat. Bruk on the other hand stayed calm and watched them, not just him but the rest of the inn, “Well well well don't we show enough?” Bruk said as his hand slid and caressed his thick and massive beard.

  “Well let’s just all calm down before this inn is reduced to nothing but a bunch of firewood shall we?” Somehow, Bruk’s calm tone made both Morin and Calak relax and get off each other. Morin still seems to be mad or even consumed by hatred towards what had happened while Calak seemed to calm down almost immediately, “Tell us about the boy. Why does Borg The City of Spires hate a young teenager such as Johan?”

  Morin then got up “Very well Lona! Tell the rest to pay and get out. We are closing early today, "Morin said to Lona, who was completely messed up from her hair being messy and her tunic with apron dirtied from a lot of stuff found on the kitchen floor and some old furniture. People in the Inn were not happy about the early closing, but since Morin was there and strong enough to beat those who didn't like it, all of the remaining people left quickly.

  “Johan Wanless he lives in a really crappy place that was given to him by who knows by who but what matters is that Johan Wanless is someone responsible for The Great Avalanche that happened fifteen years ago! that avalanche killed 9 people which all of them were people who claimed to be ancestors of the Yndrazill Clan, then 13 Brion Squads Never returned from the mountains and if you add that there are around 200 dead people to his name and he was not older than five!” Morin said and looked at them “During the Great Avalanche I lost my group, my child and my wife and you expect me to not hate him for what he had done?”

  Calak and Bruk stared at each other before looking back at Morin, “You can't be real that's all? How can you hate someone for that? How do you even know that it was him in the first place Morin…” Bruk said and Calak saw, “Even then it's been 15 years, the boy has no idea he ever did something like this.” Calak said but Morin looked at him “How do I know? Well I can answer that as well, you see 15 years ago in Borg, lived a powerful dryw do you know who that man was?”

  “Who?” Calak asked curiously, and Bruk seemed to be eager to know as well, “Tell us! Tell us!” Bruk whispered as he looked at Morin, who sighed and looked away.

  “The world’s Most skilled Dryw, Lief Yndrazill, The Prime Supreme Channeler!”

  Calak and Bruk looked at Morin before bursting into laughter, “Morin! Lief Yndrazill?! Don't be ridiculous! That name is long lost. There is no way someone from the first Olden can be alive now, Morin, Lief is one of the Legendary Seven Stars of the Starwatch that existed in Ein Olden! That's like I don't know seven thousand years? Maybe more!” Calak then stopped and looked at Morin again, “But what does it have to do with Johan, even if The Prime Supreme Channeler truly was here 15 years ago, why do you hate Johan and not the so-called Lief?”

  Morin drank from the corbel and continued after Calak finished, “Simple I believe Lief’s time was coming to an end, and he casted some kind of Seidr! and used Johan's body as a vessel!” This made Calak and Bruk look at Morin more intently, “So your entire hatred for that boy is nothing but a false belief?! Don’t be crazy Morin, a 5 year old Johan is a vessel for a Seven thousand year old Dryw, who created the Great Avalanche to mask his so-called death? Reincarnation?” Both Calak and Bruk got up, “That's insane! So you blame a child for your late wife and child’s death… I am sorry Morin, but I do not believe that nonsense, no wonder why Highdeath cut all ties with you! You are clearly going insane!”

  Then both Calak and Bruk left the inn.

  In the dark alleyway.

  Johan sat down on the bed and looked over the crappy place and with a filled gut, he filled the fireplace with some wood he had picked on his way home, and lit it with a match he had, “This is my chance, I can't fail! All that is on the line is my future!” Johan takes off his clothes and wears something more fitting for the bed he hates so much, but as he sits on the bed, he can't stop thinking, ‘If I, Johan Wanless Faust, will ever reach some high statues and will be known for, I need to come with some good looks! I know a cylinder would be amazing indeed! Indeed!’ And with that, Johan laid down and tried to fall asleep so he can wake up early tomorrow, and make sure he will meet the Boarskulkers!