Homecoming

As the sun rose, it shone through the heart of Gabble Grove. Milo and Lok have already said their goodbyes. Gabble showed an unprecedented emotion. This farewell was different from all the farewells it would usually give the trained batches. Gabble was saying goodbye to Milo and Lok, not just as their mentor, but as their friend.

As the archway began to weave shut, Milo stopped to turn back to face Gabble.

"Gabble, we'll visit." he promised.

-

Departing from Gabble Grove, Milo and Lok made their awy towards Primdrasil, the heart of Elven society. As they made their entrance, their changed appearance was immediately noticeable.

Their long hair, now reaching their shoulders, flowed freely, giving them a warrior-like appearance. Their bodies were leaner and harder. Astonishment flashed in the eyes of the city's elves as they took in the boys' transformed look.

Upon seeing Milo and Lok, the civilians started moving in unison, rushing in a one direction as if drawn by an inaudible command. It was as though a secret message had passed through the crowd, their shared destination a question mark that both Milo and Lok could not answer.

At the entrance of Lok's home, Milo and Lok pause. The door swings open and there in the foyer stands Lok's grandmother, Ayref. For a moment, she is rendered speechless, her usual jolly silenced by the sight of the two boys who left months ago, now standing before her as young men.

"Oh my! You boys have grown! Your hair... it's almost as long as mine!" She exclaims. Her eyes zip from their long, unkempt hair to their tight, sturdy bodies that denote intensive training.

"Gabble put us through a lot!" Lok says with a content smile.

"A lot is also an understatement." Milo followed. Ayref looks at the boys as she felt overwhelmed with pride. She began walking towards them to give them a hug, but she was stopped by something discomforting.

"Phew! you both reek!" She yelled as she held her nose. Milo and Lok's faces turn red in embarrassment.

"What did you expect?!" Lok responds in a futile attempt to defend his case.

"Expect? I thought we raised you to look after your basic hygiene!" Ayref shoots back.

"I know! We did our best to stay clean!" Lok responds.

"Well clearly! It's pointless arguing, upstairs with you two! Go bathe right now!" Ayref yells back, as she lifted her walking stick and chased the boys to run up the staircase.

Lok and Milo ascend the staircase laughing at Ayref's welcoming behaviour. Once in the bedroom, Lok enters the bathroom first. As the water washes over him, layers of dirt and sweat leave the surface of his skin. Milo takes a seat outside the bathroom door.

"Lok?" Milo calls out, but there was no response.

"Lok? Can you hear me?" Milo tries again.

"Yeah! What's up?" Lok finally responds, his voice slightly muffled from the water running in the bath.

"These four months passed by so fast, don't you think?" Milo says, his voice muffled as well through the door.

"Right? What was that saying? Time flies when your having fun!" Lok says, letting out a little laugh.

"So you take torture as fun, interesting." Milo insinuates, trying to trigger Lok.

"It's fun when you're the one torturing, like when we grabbed one of Gabble's limbs and tickled it until he was too exhausted to continue training us for the day." Lok says, bursting into laughter as he recalled this fond memory.

"Gabble learned from that too fast! And the next day, the limbs were coated with thorns!" Milo chimes in, laughing. The bathroom door opens and Milo, who was leaning on the door, falls backwards towards the floor.

"Your turn." Lok says, smiling as he looked down at Milo.

Standing up, Milo closes the door behind him. The warm water embraces him, each droplet relaxing his tense muscles, washing away layers of fatigue. As he scrubs himself clean, he notices the calluses on his hands and feet. Traces of healed scratches peek through the bubbly soap.

Emerging refreshed, Milo finds Lok pulling his hair back into a short ponytail in front of the mirror. Lok looks at Milo through the reflection and turns, reaching out to give Milo a hairband.

"I'd rather cut my hair. It's a bit much to handle." Milo says, kindly declining Lok's offer. Lok pauses, a sly smile slowly forming on his lips.

"Well, I think grandma would be more than happy to help with that." he responds, his tone light.

-

In the heart of Asragd's abode, Milo found himself seated in a wooden chair, the center of the lobby. A small, gleaming metallic bowl has been placed on his head. He anxiously watched Ayref move about confidently, which didn't quite match how absurd the situation is.

At the doorway of the room connected to the living room, Lok stood with his grandfather, Nido. Their silent giggles filled the air as they exchanged mischievous glances. The very idea of Ayref yielding a pair of scissors seemed to them as comical as it was preposterous. After all, she was known for her delightful pastries and flavorful herbal teas, not her hairdressing skills.

Unfazed by the muffled laughter and skeptical glances, Lok's grandmother flourished her pair of scissors.

"Hold still, Milo." she commanded. Ayref posture and body language show unwavering determination. For a haircut.

Lok and Nido exchanged another glance before the action unfolded in front of them. It was one thing to joke about Ayref's hairdressing skills, but another thing entirely to witness the potential disaster live. The scissors descended.

Minutes passed, filled with rhythmic snipping of the scissors and the occasional muffled grunt from Milo whenever Ayref pulled his hair slightly to straighten it. The anticipation in the room built, much like the pile of Milo's discarded hair increasing on the floor, until finally, Ayref stepped back.

Removing the bowl off Milo's head, she revealed a perfectly executed bowl cut. Milo's once shoulder-length hair now framed his face neatly, giving him a more mature appearance. There wasn't a single hair out of place.

Both Lok and Nido were stunned. Their jaws dropped in disbelief whilst Ayref stood tall, her hands on her hips, a satisfied smile spread across her face.

Nido composed himself, pointing his walking stick at Ayref.

"Bah! You got lucky! That haircut is impossible to mess up!" He spat.

"As if you can do any better." Ayref responded in cheeky banter. Nido smiled at his wife, both bursting into laughter.

-

In the dining room, the four of them gathered around the dining table filled with dishes. Everyone was invested in their delicious meal until Ayref, always the heart of the family, initiated conversation.

"So, boys tell me more about Gabble. How did your training go?" She asked as she leaned forward. Lok quickly swallowed his food to answer.

"Well, grandma, Gabble taught us the fundamentals of our Gaia. Because we never used our Gaia in consistent combat, we never really found ways to improve."

"But," Milo continued, "Gabble's really clever. Whenever we trained we'd be given a unique insight on how to use our powers. Like, for example, instead of speeding up my body to move I just speed up a limb to attack. That way I am not exhausting myself by using a lot of Gaia-"

"Oh! Oh! Also! Speaking of that! We were also taught how to manage our Gaia flow, with surging and suppressing so that we don't recklessly deplete our Gaia." Lok chimed in excitedly. Nido slowly looks up from his plate to face the boys.

"That's brilliant, however being a Gaia user is no trivial matter. On the contrary, it is a profound responsibility. If misused, it can cause so much chaos. So you must shoulder this great responsibility of this great power." Nido states with seriousness painted on his face.

"Don't worry dear, the boys have found the right guidance-" Ayref responds on behalf of the boys before being cut off by the overly concerned Nido.

"I know, but I want to do my part like I did with Esron and Risea when they were little. Do not ever use Gaia for your selfish desires. The universe will conspire for your eventual downfall." Nido educates, his attitude to the delivery of the final sentence was filled with wisdom.

The table was overtaken by silence as Milo and Lok took grandpa Nido's advice. The elephant in the room, their upcoming journey, was finally addressed by grandma Ayref, breaking the silence.

"You two will be leaving us soon." She said.

"Don't worry, Grandma. We've trained hard. I believe we are more than prepared." Lok responded with a reassuring smile. Nido turns to face Milo, his previous seriousness betraying him.

"And make sure you keep Lok from diving headfirst into trouble, Milo. We know his tendency for mischievousness." He said.

"Hah! I'll keep him in check." Milo laughed.

Due to their training, Lok and Milo found their plates emptying faster than usual, the result of their heightened appetites. The richly prepared dishes disappeared quickly into their empty stomachs.

Just as the last laughter faded into the room, the sound of a familiar footfall sounded from the entrance of the house. The door creaked open to reveal a tall figure, covered in the deep gold of a Warden's cloak. The flickering chandelier light shined against his face, highlighting the familiar stern expression of Risea.

The dining room fell into a hushed silence as Risea slowly walked in. His eyes scanned over the food, a hint of softness creeping into his otherwise frowning features.

"Come dear! Join us for dinner." Ayref asked her son politely. Her sweetness was irresistible.

"I'm fine. I hate to disturb this meal but, the Grand Warden wants to see the both of you now." Risea said, placing his hands behind Lok and Milo's chairs.

The room fell into a deeper silence than when Nido finished his sentence before. Milo and Lok's anxiousness was growing by the second. Their journey was about to begin, much sooner than anyone expected.