Elize's training started the very next day. There were no day offs. Gant made her run, thought her to use knives and sword, made her train with the dummies, although, all she was doing, was cutting herself. She was crying and sobbing every day, not because she was missing home, or wanted the life of a normal child, but because of the pain and suffering she was enduring on her training. Gant also thought her how to hunt in the dessert, and how to find water. Sometimes, Elize got hurted badly during the trainings, however, she did not get any day to rest. If she hurt or broke an arm, she was training the legs, and vice-versa. One of the methods of training was the play of hide and seek. They played the game outside, in the dessert, where there was no place to hide. At first, she ran in the cave, she was easily found. Then she tried to just lay in the sand, and not move. The sun, however, was too hot. Gant found her every time, with great ease. She never could find Gant though. She was searching him in the cave, and was wandering outside, checking the ground everywhere. When she was sreaming that she was giving up, he was just calmly answering from behind: "No need to scream this loud". 

As months and years passed, she became physically more capable. She handles the knives and swords well, and now can provide for herself in the dessert. One day, she understood the purpose of the hide and seek games. When she was seeking Gant, she just stood still, made a single step, but heard two of them instead. She turned around, but there was no one there. She pointed the finger on her shadow, and said: "Found you!". Gant, in his shadow form, moved away from Elize's dark silhouette, turned in his normal self, and congratulated her, he told her, that she starts to understand. 

More years passes, Elize is now 13. She knows how to transform herself in a shadow. She mastered the weapons Gant gave her. She can hide in Gant's shadow, and stand in a duel against him. Soon, Gant decided that it is time to leave the dessert. 

- Move out from the dessert? 

Asked Elize, when he informed her. 

- We will most likely not turn back here. 

Elize felt a little sad. This cave, kind of became her second home. 

- You should not get attached to things. Or people, told her Gant in a cold demeanor. 

They packed. Moved out of the cave. Gant whistles, and a black horse came out of nowhere. 

- What? You had a horse all these years? Wait, is it the same horse as back then?

Gant didn't reply, he just mounted the horse. 

- Get on, he said. 

So they started moving. 

They are riding through the dessert. Gant says:

- Your training is not complete. We are going to our brothers. 

They rode for hours, without any stops. They arrived in a town. It has paved roads, street lamps at every corner. All the buildings have three or four stores. Motels, taverns, cafees, armories, it has everything. A lot of people fill the streets, some on horses, some on foot. It is a pretty crowded town. For sure has more people than Elize's village. Most of the people have wings. Some of them are bat-like, most of them are swan-like, black colored. Almost all the people have black hair and eyes. Some of them have horns. 

Elize feels uncomfortable, it has been years since she seen other people,and in such a big number. Most of the people, that they were passing through, gave her and Gant long stares. Some of them, looked away frightened. One of them whispered: "It's the shadows... no good." 

They stopped at a tavern, it is called "Centaur". It is made of stone, has four stores. The first floor is the loudest one. Bards are singing, people are dancing and drinking. This scene is fresh and amazing for Elize. Gant takes her to the next floor. It is not as loud, but it is still full of people. Most of them sit at their tables, drinking and talking loudly. Gant and Elize moved to the next floor. It has fewer people, They are the most silent ones, they still drink and have agood time, but seems like don't enjoy the dancing and singing that much. They reached the 4th floor. It has many doors, it is the floor with the rooms for rent. Gant and Elize entered one of them. The room is pretty large. It has three beds and two windows. One bed is to the right wall, other one is to the left one, third one is in the middle. The windows are beetween the beds. In the room are 12 persons. All of them are wingless, just like Gant and Elize. One of them spoke:

- Welcome back. It has been a while. 

Elize remembered, in the first day she met Gant, he was not alone. These must be his brothers. Gant replies:

- Indeed, 7 years is a while. 

Elize checks the persons again. All of them have black hair, there are a few women among them. Black eyes. Nothing particular about their facial features. Other one of them spoke:

- So what of your special disciple? 

Gant replies:

- I trained her physically, she knows how to become a shadow. However, she needs practical training. 

- You want to take her on a mission? 

- If you have something that requires two shadows, I would appreciate very much, if you will offer that job to us. 

Other shadow (though, none of them are in their shadow form) said:

- You rode your horse through the town. People are suspicious that we are here. 

Gant replies:

- As far as I know, we don't gather for meetings, in towns that have jobs for us. 

Other shadow says:

- Also, why would the tiwn be suspicious of us, there are a lot of human souls here, (which are wingless). 

Another shadow says:

- Look at his disciple, she has horns and lizard eyes. 

- Hmm...  We never had brothers with lizard eyes, and the hirns are too big. 

Elize blushed, and feeled ashamed of her appearance. Gant took a note of what the shadow said about the horns. He did not react. However, Elize knew he took a note of that. 

One of the shadow, noticed Elize blush and said:

- I can see she is still weak. Alright, once we will receive a one man mission, we will give it to you. Train her as you see fit. 

- Very well, replied Gant. 

The persons from the room turned into shadows and disappeared into the environment. Elize can sense and almost see them, as they move through the dark, outside the room, down the stairs. 

Once Elize stops sensing the shadows, she asks Gant:

- The mission we will do... Is it... Like the one you did when you found me? 

Gant sits in the bed next to the right wall. He says:

- Yes. I am sure you will be able to invoke your strenght sooner or later. Just like then, when I found you.