Light, fast-moving clouds drifted inland, carrying drizzles towards the forest. Slight winds, accompanied by the clouds, caused the red flaming poinciana flowers to bleed onto the yard. The falling flowers followed the already fallen, thus painted the periphery with its thousands of crimson petals.

Nimbly stepping into the flower carpeted veranda, among the roseate lanterns. The woman completed the festivities of red. She gracefully sat on the rug, while the smell of perfume, carried by the winds overpowered every essence of the flowers.

The feminine smell immediately s.h.i.+fted the groups' attention, they turned towards the figure quietly resting on the veranda.

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"Mom."

"Undisciplined rascal, where did you stay the entire day! Why do you look so unsightly?" She asked in a tender loving tone.

"Something important came up, so I went to Rais's house," unlike her, Ludos responded to his mother with a stern tone.

"Come, Rais, sit over here," she called out, retaining her loving temperament. Then she glanced at Ludos, "and you go clean yourself!"

Although she disliked other kids, she always grew delighted seeing Rais. Rais greeted her politely, replying to her doting smile with his own. Though sliding to the side, he sat beside Illma while the women glanced over the cover of the notes.

"Oh these, meridian channel opening and mana gathering techniques, they are yours, Rais?" Casually glancing up, she asked Rais.

"Sister Dinna arranged it for Illma to practice, I just added a few things."

Although Anila made use of unorthodox means on Rais, she avoided such when it came to Dinna to avoid murdering someone else's daughter.

"Oh, that goofy good for nothing girl."

"How come? My sister is extremely well put together." Rais immediately defended Dinna since he knew under her forgetful, and spirited nature, she remained extremely determined.

"Oh, if little Rais disagree, then I must have made a misjudgment, still what she learned from that inferior academy will not help Illma."

"It takes genuine manuals to familiarize with mana and true qi properly, unfortunately, such manuals are only housed within powerful family and clans." Without glancing within, she expressed her feelings in a helpless tone.

Without disagreeing, Rais smiled, nodding to affirm her. However, that would only be the case if these were some of the shelf cheap manuals from an antique shop. When Anila made Dinna practice these, he had seen their result.

Although Rais sensed mana and true qi from Ludos's mother, she still seemed unaware of her own daughter's progress. He also failed to understand why, despite having a decent knowledge, she had not taught them anything before. Though recently, she seems so eager.

"These are good, I am happy with these," Illma murmured to Rais seeing him nod to her mother's remark.

"I know, Illma, don't fall behind," she read his lips while flipping through the papers in front of her face.

"I will try," silently, she did the same back.

Moving the papers in front of him, Illma asked in confusion. "Rais, these runes seem similar to the magic runes you made me memorize."

"Hmm, though there is no such thing as magic runes or true qi runes. Although applied differently, All runes are the same since they are a fundamental part of nature."

"How are they useful for true qi?"

Mostly it strengthens qi cultivation and skills, though the runes usefulness is numerous, it can act as a catalyst, a guide or storage, unlike magic where it's the core component.

After eagerly answering Illmas questions, Rais stood up, noticing Ludos running into the yard.

Bending down near her ear, "we are leaving, If you want me to carry you, just say it."

At the same time, bringing some cold water in his hand, Ludos threw it towards his sister. Falling on her ice colored eyes, under the arched wheat blond bangs, it ran down cheeks to her slight cleft chin. Dripping on to her loosely fitted frost dyed dress, purposefully made for her older self to grow into.

"It's time, jump out the window," Rais pa.s.sed Ludos in a hurry.

"No need, the rain is here, I don't need any extra clothes," he sped away from the home, following excited Rais. Ludos's mom called after them loudly, but the darkness of the night swallowed them whole.

Stepping into the drizzle, Illma wanted to follow them, but the shackles of reality bounded her. She remembered what Rais had said, but couldn't act on it. She fell behind.

"I asked Illma to follow, but too bad, I guess."

"My sister is too timid, she wouldn't have come, even if you had pulled her."

"Maybe it's different for older siblings, or she feels restricted since she is a girl," Rais reasoned her decision.

"Rais, sometimes you are too sympathetic, though if you think that's the case, carry her over your head, I won't stop you."

"Hmm, maybe I will," Rais showed a joyous smile.

"You serious?"

Within the yard, snapping out of dazed state, Illma jumped back on to the veranda.

"Do you think that little boy likes you?"

Speechless by the unexpected remark, she turned towards her mother.