Seth and Joana had wide grins on their faces when they saw Kalen and Shiori appear from the lower rocks.

"Finally." Seth said. "The two freakishly athletic lovebirds returned."

Kalen winked at Seth. "Why bet with us if you weren't going to jump?"

Seth was a short and thin boy with disheveled brown hair who, in Kalen's opinion, liked betting way too much. Every time a situation appeared in which Seth could challenge someone's ability to get something done, a bet would most certainly come out of his mouth. For Kalen it was always extra motivation to test his limits, while coming up with pranks his friend wouldn't be allowed to refuse.

Seth stared at Kalen sternly. "It was a freaking forty meter jump! You.. crazy.. person without fear." He paused, lowering his head in defeat. "I was so sure I was going to win this time."

Kalen shrugged. "It wasn't that big of a deal. We have jumped from high spots before."

"Come on, Kal." Joana said, removing a towel from her backpack and giving it to Shiori. "That wasn't just another common jump. We have never jumped from anything even close to half that height. I am sure most of our older friends wouldn't go through with it, but you two simply accepted the bet in a heartbeat."

Seth sighed. "That's it, I give up. I'll never bet against Kalen again."

Kalen, Shiori and Joana all looked at Seth's desolate state with pity eyes, before turning to each other and losing control of their suppressed desire to laugh. If this is the last prank, Kalen thought, then I better come up with a good one.

"You know," Joana said. "maybe you could travel to the capital and train to become one of those wielders."

"Those magic warriors some travelers talk about?" Shiori asked.

Joana nodded. "I heard stories these warriors are able to do things most people couldn't believe. Kind of like how Kalen keeps leaving us dumbfounded. And recently you too, Shiori."

Kalen heard those stories too. Incredible feats which made the people of Iroyama gasp whenever a traveler told them.

Warriors who could create fire and lightning out of nothing, freeze the air around them and even mold the earth. Regular soldiers could never match their strength or speed, and only a few of these warriors was enough to squash the last rebellion against the Emperor.

Kalen wondered if those warriors were able to hear the same calling in the air he did. Maybe that would explain some of their feats and at the same time what he could do. But magic? That was too far-fetched for him to believe.

"These warriors don't really exist." Kalen said. "They are made up by travelers who like attention from townsfolk. I've heard some were given free nights at the inn just because they tell amazing stories and get the bar filled with people."

"Those are truly great stories though." Seth noted. "There was one in which the warrior was surrounded by a team of assassins. He knew it was impossible to defeat them all, so he sacrificed himself by bringing the entire building down with a strike. What a hero!"

Kalen walked up to Seth and gave him a side hug. "Then how did anyone know about the story if he sacrificed himself?"

"I don't know." Seth said slowly. "Maybe one of the assassins survived?"

Joana chuckled. "Or maybe the warrior was so powerful he came back from the dead after."

All four of them laughed at the idea of a zombie mage warrior. Kalen's eyes fell on Shiori and he couldn't help but feel hypnotized by the beauty of her smile. There was something more in her eyes at that moment though. Kalen noticed a sparkle in them. He knew her well enough to guess what she was thinking.

"Anyway," Kalen said. "My family is leading the Festival Committee this year and my mother made me promise I'd help. Gotta go."

"Me too." Shiori added.

"Please," Seth said. "make sure this is actually a fun night. The last one was so boring I thought I was aging twenty years just by being there."

Kalen raised a brow. "Hoh.. Who was leading last year's? Yes, the Moranes. I am sure they will be thrilled to know you enjoyed their vision for the Festival this much."

Seth narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't!"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Kalen said with a wink, walking away beside Shiori.

Joana roared with laughter and Kalen heard her trying to assure Seth he didn't need to be so worried. The Moranes were the only family in town with connections to merchants who sold good, tender and juicy meat. One did not want to get them upset, unless they planned on going vegetarian.

Shiori chuckled. "It's a good thing the bar is set so low for us. I agree with Seth, last year's was really boring."

"Well," Kalen said, a mischievous grin forming in his mouth. "I have nothing to complain. That night I got to see my girlfriend drunk for the first time. She was soooo cute."

Shiori blushed. "You silly. I got carried away with Joana and the other girls. See? That tells you what we had to do to have fun."

"I'm just teasing." He said. "Although, you were definitely super cute messing up your words explaining why we were meant to be together." As he put an arm over her shoulders an elbow hit his abdomen. He muffled a fake sound of pain and smiled, glancing at Shiori trying to hide her embarrassment.

These lighthearted moments were the reason he was so happy. Simple, ordinary moments in their humble life on a peaceful small town at the edge of the continent. Yet, he wouldn't change a thing in them. Indeed no... Not a single detail needed changing.

"You're thinking about life at the capital aren't you?" Kalen asked, his grin fading.

"Wouldn't it be incredible?" She replied, gazing at the sky. Her previous embarrassment instantly replaced by genuine enthusiasm. "Imagine living all the stories we grew up hearing about. Instead of our town's tiny Festival, we would be going to the Palace Gala the Emperor throws every year.

"The lavish dinners and spectacular concerts. Long streets of stores where we could buy anything we wanted and all the other amazing things they say about the city. It must be a place like none other!"

He wanted to tell her those were all fluff overemphasized to embelish the lives of the travelers behind the tales. That their reality was far less glamorous and he had heard about the struggles — in some cases even misery — many living in the capital weren't able to escape from. But he couldn't.

The look of wonder on Shiori's face showed a girl who dreamed with the allure of a society she had only ever heard in stories. Denying her of such fantasy because he was already happy enough where they were, he knew, would be nothing but selfishness on his part.

"I don't know." Kalen said. "I think I would feel out of place in a city like that."

Shiori stopped, glanced at him, then frowned. "Out of place? You? I doubt it. You'd fit just fine." She grabbed his arm and resumed walking by his side, letting her head rest in his shoulder. "Besides, I would be there too. There's nothing we can't conquer together."

A sea breeze blew past them. In his mind, the calling reached out one more time, but Kalen ignored it. He was caught off guard by Shiori's sweet words and felt guilty for undermining her idea of the capital. She was right. As long as they were together, they could be happy anywhere they went.

"You're right." He said. "Let's talk with our parents. Maybe we could start saving money to travel there next year."

Shiori chuckled. "I am way ahead of you. Already been saving for awhile."

Kalen sighed. "You were just waiting for an opportunity to get me to agree. Weren't you?"

She didn't reply, instead, she extended her arm and made a V sign with her fingers. Ahead of them, the first few houses at Iroyama's seaside appeared, just as Kalen finally made the decision he had been struggling with for some time.

"I want to show a new viewpoint I found." He said. "Would you go with me tonight after the Festival?"

Shiori nodded. "It's a date!"

If things would change or not, Kalen couldn't possibly know. What he could do, however, was make sure Shiori knew how important she was to him. Let's hope it fits her finger, Kalen thought.