It took a while for Atlas to find his footing amongst the established pair. In fact, he still finds himself trying to navigate between the oddities of the two. The arguments seemed never-ending, and for absolutely everything. From the outside, someone would think Soleil and Elidi absolutely hated each other. Two years have passed since Atlas began calling this mountainside home. Soleil has taken it upon himself to rebuild his house; he didn't have much of a choice, seeing as there was no longer room for the lot of them. Atlas spent most of his hours sleeping during the day and exploring at night. A trait Elidi found a bit frustrating, as she felt her best in the morning. But today was a bit different. "Let's go to town," Soleil says, standing at the edge of the cliffside. He stares down onto the houses and streets below. 

"I don't wanna." A pitched voice whines. Elidi lay sprawled out on the ground, her hair in a cut bob. She sported a linen top, belted leather shorts, and a short sword at her side. Soleil had started training the two in sword fighting, a useful skill to have. 

"I'd like to go," Atlas says, hovering over Elidi. His face and body are fuller, more nourished than before. The bruises have since healed, and for the first time in his life, he was able to carry himself without fear of not finding his next meal. He smiles brightly, his once sunken grey eyes sparkling against the sunlight. He, too, carries a short sword on his hip, although his is a lot cleaner than Elidi's. 

"It's been a while since we've gone into town. It would be nice to see if any new merchants have arrived. I'd like to see if there are any new books." Atlas speaks softly. He squats, putting a petal on Elidi's cheek. At first, it seems like a sweet encounter; his eyes linger over hers, and she smiles in response. But then he decides to grab her nose and squeeze as tightly as possible. "Ah-!" she yells out, instantly rising to her feet. Soleil snickers in the background. "You!" She continues. Atlas whistles while running around, playfully dodging her attacks. He can't help but notice her unseriousness; if she really wanted to hit him, she could.  Atlas steps back, nearly tripping, only to be caught and picked up by Soleil. He found himself tossed on Soleil's back almost like a rag doll. "Alright, it's decided. Elidi, I'll race you." Soleil smirks, dashing down the steep edge. Although he is their self-proclaimed "caretaker", Soleil possesses the same childlike charm as the two young ones.

 The jagged edges and tight corners are easily traversed between the two. They jumped, weaved, and danced between each other. A feat that left the townspeople impressed. With a laugh between Soleil and Elidi, the two landed at the town's entrance with a thud. The townsfolk clapped and laughed; they had become accustomed to their shenanigans. Elidi threw her head back in defeat. "Another point for me," Soleil sang. Atlas slid off his back quietly, dusting himself off. He couldn't help but feel a twang of embarrassment every time this occurred. He wasn't strong or fast enough to get up or down the mountain by himself. 

"Soleil, a new merchant just arrived from the main city bearing a plethora of magical reading material!!" Jenna, the owner of a famous bakery in town, came running towards Soleil. "I know you've been looking for some specific magic books, and I think this guy might have something you'd be interested in." She grabs Soleil by the arm and leads him towards the stand. A magic merchant coming to a town without magic is surely interesting, Soleil thought to himself. "Well, you know I can't say no to that." He says, already thinking about how to barter with the new merchant. 

Elidi zipped around in bursts of lightning flashes, making her way towards every food stall she could lay her eyes on. Atlas walks on his own, quietly observing the vendors. It's nothing he hadn't seen before, but being in the shopping area did unnerve him a bit. Although life is seemingly alright now, it's hard to get past those feelings of loneliness and desperation from when he used to roam these streets on his own. 

"How old are you, young one?" An older man wearing extremely unfamiliar attire approaches Atlas. The man looked as if he were wearing a variation of a military uniform; on his chest pocket lay multiple unrecognizable medals. Atlas turns, checking his surroundings to ensure there isn't anyone else the man could be talking to. But to his surprise, the older man keeps his eyes fixated on him. "I'm 11," Atlas states. His hands began to tremble. There was something intense about this stranger, something that made Atlas feel as if this man could be a threat to him. The older man studies Atlas with a trained eye. "You possess an abnormal amount of magical energy within you... What type of attribute do you have?" The man asks. Atlas tilts his head. "I-I think you've got the wrong person, I don't have any sort of abilities." Atlas rubs the back of his head, slowly stepping away. The older man grabs him by his arm. "Oh no, you must jest, I can sense some incredible power. See, I'm a scout from the kingdom of Elmaris. I'm not sure if you know this, but we have the most successful magical education. The school is run and funded by the royal family itself. We're entering a new era of education, and we're searching for potential mages. We've extended our search to the more unfortunate ar-" The man is cut short as a heavy hand on his shoulder shocks him into silence. "The kid said he doesn't have any magical powers. Can't you see that you're overwhelming him with information?" Soleil states his hand gripping tightly onto the man's shoulder. The air surrounding the two began to feel weighted and tense. The man brushed Soleil's hand off his shoulder with a disgruntled grunt. 

"And who might you be?" The man states, readjusting his uniform. Atlas notices a sudden shift in his balance. He raises his arms, steadying himself. Something was happening between the two, but Atlas couldn't figure out what. Soleil crossed his arms. "I should be asking you the same thing. I haven't seen you around here, and usually when a noble pokes his nose around these parts, it isn't for a good reason." Soeil spoke with disinterest. "What I came here for is none of your business, commoner. Since you recognized I'm a noble, I expect you to understand proper etiquette. Address me by my name, Darian." The noble approached Soeil, inching errily close to him. Townsfolk began whispering. They had noticed the shift of energy in the air. Elidi came running to the scene, sensing immense power building; however, as soon as she attempted to step next to Atlas, she fell to the ground.

"Elidi, what's wrong!" Atlas yelled. He tried to lift her off the ground, but as if she were carrying weights on her back, he just couldn't manage. "I-I don't know, I can't stand up. Something is holding me down," Elidi stated, attempting to fight against the sudden gravity shift. Darian huffed, eyeing Soleil with disgust. "I'm rummaging for new talent in these parts. Children possessing magical abilities are being born outside of our kingdom's range, and our queen is generous enough to be considerate of the fact. Now, won't you be reasonable and get out of my way so I can continue talking to this boy?" The noble stared Soleil down. Veins on his neck began to bulge, and his face was tight with concentration. Soleil stood calmly, a smirk formed on his lips.

"See, I just happen to be this boy's caretaker, and if you think you're going to take him anywhere, you're going to have to talk to me first." Soleil yawned as if trying to bait a reaction out of Darian. He scoffed, "You filth, you don't even possess a fraction of th-" Darian's words were cut as his legs began to buckle. The ground under him shook and cracked with pressure. "How dare you!" Darian yelled, his knees now pinned to the ground. Elidi coughed as her body relentlessly pushed into the concrete, her chest tightening. "It hurts!" She screamed. "Soleil, help!" Atlas cried out, desperately attempting to lift the poor girl off the ground. With a sigh, Soleil closed his eyes, and suddenly there was a shift in the air. That intense downward pressure disappeared. Darian straightened himself, adjusting his uniform once more. Without a word, he stepped past Soleil.