A/N: Here's another one! I hope you guys like it.

In the first chapter, I said I had the first 10 outlined. I've kind of breezed through that but I have been expanding the outlines. I am trying to make sure I have at least two chapters outlined ahead of the one I'm writing. Also, I've shocked myself with my own pace. I was not expecting to put out 10 chapters in 9 days, but it happened, and I want to keep going. Your reviews have been a huge help to both my thinking process and my motivation so thank you so much.

I'm trying to make sure these chapters are over 4k words to keep them at a good minimum length, although I've hit 5k with the last few. Is this a comfortable length for you?

Please leave a review if you have any questions or comments about anything. I've answered a couple questions in the note at the bottom.

Hearthfire

Chapter 10

Torrhen

Torrhen was quite satisfied as he leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of mead. He had broken out a bottle of his strategic reserve of Black-Briar Mead. It wouldn't need to be strategic for much longer though. Torrhen… might have swiped a copy of the recipe and the schematics for the still from Maven's distillery, years ago. Since Maven was long dead, and there were no Black-Briars in this world to get upset about it, he'd set up a private distillery in a building to the back of the Hestia Familia's property, near his forge. It certainly wasn't large enough to make any money off of it, but since it was supposed to be for him and his Familia to drink, that wasn't a problem. He could always expand later if he wanted to.

Part of the reason for his satisfaction was sparring in the training yard in front of him, where Lili was practicing hit and run tactics with her new crossbow while Bell did his best to tag her before she could fire off a shot. A week had already passed since they had secured Lili's freedom from the Soma Familia and he had to admit, now that he'd had some time to talk to her, he liked the girl. She had a very strategic mind and had become fervently loyal to Bell and Hestia. He got the feeling that she was still intimidated by him, but she was willing to learn so it was alright. She'd get over it.

One of the first things that had happened after Lili had joined them, was the whole Familia sitting down to discuss her skills. Her disguise magic was impressive but hampered by her not being able to change her size. Very few races were the same height as a Pallum once full grown. Torrhen had taken offence at her saying she had no talent as an adventurer, though.

Everyone had some kind of talent that could translate to the life of an adventurer, they just needed to find out what it was. After some experimentation, they had concluded that Lili was best suited to be a rearguard. Her talents lay in strategic thinking, archery, and hit and run tactics. Since Lili preferred a crossbow, Torrhen had gotten out one of his old Dawnguard Crossbows. It was unenchanted and a bit above her level, but not so badly that it would affect her development or fighting ability. After a few lessons and some training in how to best coordinate the crossbow to hit and run tactics, Lili had taken to it quite well.

Despite beginning to improve her combat ability though, Lili had insisted on continuing to serve as a supporter. Since it was next to impossible to use her new crossbow or her new combat style in conjunction with her old supporter bag, Torrhen had broken out his leatherworking equipment to make a few proper enchanted bags. They wouldn't be as expansive as his special one though. It had taken over a month to make and required several difficult enchantments. No, the ones he was making were the standard expanded bag that wealthier adventurers, mages, and military officials would carry back in Tamriel. They weren't that hard to make and only took a few hours.

Lili had been over the moon when she received it because it was small enough to give her a full range of motion in combat, was lighter than her old one, and had a larger carrying capacity than her old one. He had made one for Bell too, so they would be able to carry more than enough supplies with them on any Dungeon run. He'd gone ahead and made a few more as well, for potential future members or to give as gifts. Their meeting with Loki would be in about a month and a half, and the bags might make a good gift for a potential ally.

Torrhen had been very happy to hear about Hestia's conversation with Loki and the idea of a potential alliance. After she had explained her thought process, Torrhen had agreed with Hestia's preferred choice in ally whole-heartedly. He'd fought beside several of Loki's members at Monsterphilia and they were good kids. Well… ok, he'd been having fun. They were fighting. By the time he'd found them, most of the situation around the city had been under control, so he'd had a bit of fun. He'd stepped in because the elf girl had been hurt but fighting the plant monsters had been partially for the fun of it. Maybe he should gift them a few potions as well.

That had been another thing from Tamriel that Torrhen had started to introduce to this new world. A few days ago, Miach had come to Hestia with a request. His captain, Naaza, needed Bloodsaurus eggs for a potion project, and Miach had asked Bell and Lili to obtain them. Since Miach was Hestia's friend and his shop was one of her investments, Hestia had agreed. Torrhen had gone with them out of curiosity, so getting the eggs hadn't been much of a hassle. In talking with Naaza afterward, he had learned that she needed to eggs to make a new potion with dual effects. Miach had then sold the recipe to Dian Cecht in exchange for erasing the debt Miach owed him.

Torrhen's discussion with Naaza had prompted him to start showing her some Tamrielic potions and how to make them. After that, the two had started experimenting with ingredients native to Genkai in order to find substitutes for ingredients exclusive to Tamriel. They'd already recreated quite a few recipes and Naaza had been thrilled when Torrhen agreed to give her Familia exclusive rights to selling them. Torrhen could obviously still make them for himself and his Familia or could give them as gifts, but the Miach Familia would have exclusive market rights.

He'd even made an alchemy table for Naaza and a set of laboratory clothes enchanted with Fortify Alchemy. She'd hugged him when he gave them to her and had begun coming over with Miach in the evenings to pick his brain about various alchemical formulae that she was experimenting with. It seemed that, without even realizing it, he'd picked up an alchemy student. Not that he minded. Alchemy wasn't something he'd ever gotten to teach before, so he was having fun.

There was just one other thing that had contributed to the satisfaction Torrhen felt at that moment. While the renovations were still not finished, two days earlier, the leader of the Goibniu Familia team had declared the living quarters to be finished and the Hestia Familia was finally able to move out of the basement. They'd held a private party to celebrate with Miach, Naaza, and Hephaestus joining them. They'd also taken the opportunity to announce the name they had agreed on. They'd been brainstorming for weeks, until finally settling on a name. So, even though the renovations wouldn't be finished for another month, the Hestia Familia had officially moved into Hearthfire Hall.

The name had come about when Torrhen had been talking about one of the homes he'd lived in during his years as Harbinger. For some reason, Hestia loved the name Heljarchen Hall. Before that, the leading contender had been Hearth Mansion, which was fine, if a bit on the nose. After some debate, they had settled on Hearthfire Hall, and everybody seemed happy with it.

The Hall currently consisted of two floors, though they could expand in the future. The second floor was primarily bedrooms and bathrooms though it did have a few offices that, once they grew bigger, would be important. There were four offices on the top floor that branched off of a central lounge room. Hestia's office would primarily be used when she was looking at investments, meeting with other gods or potential recruits, or updating the status of members. Bell's was officially the Captain's office and would eventually be used as a planning room for expeditions or for Bell to use when doing Familia-related paperwork. There was another office that would be the Vice-Captain's and serve a similar purpose. The Vice-Captain would also serve as the treasurer, so those documents would be kept in the Vice-Captains office.

That was Lili's office. Since she was their second active member, had an impressive strategic mind, and was still very passionate about earning and saving money, she was perfect for the job. It had taken some convincing for her to accept the official title, but she had eventually given in. The last office on the top floor was Torrhen's. Even if Torrhen eventually came out of retirement, his official title in the Familia would still be Trainer, putting him in charge of training for all members. In the future, nobody would enter the Dungeon until he had given them the ok to do so.

The first floor would house lounges, kitchens, the dining hall, the library, the armory, entertainment rooms, and other various things. The basement, now that they had moved out, was going to be expanded and turned into a series of storage rooms. The last thing that would be completed would be the outer walls and the gate house.

Turning his attention back to his sparring students, Torrhen stood as Bell, rather impressively, flipped over a crossbow bolt and tagged Lili with his training knife. "I think that's enough for the day, you two." He said, draining his tankard. "Well done. I think you guys are ready to head back into the Dungeon, let's say the day after tomorrow." The two of them looked rather excited at that.

As they were packing all the training gear away, Bell came up to Torrhen, looking nervous. "Mr. Torrhen," he said, "I was hoping to ask you about something."

"What about, kid?" Torrhen asked.

"Well, I was hoping you could tell me why I haven't learned any magic yet. I've been improving really well, but I still haven't developed any spells." Torrhen sighed. He should have expected this. Bell loved the idea of magic.

"To tell the truth Bell, even though everyone has the potential to develop magical abilities, it can be very hard for some people." He said, leading Bell back toward the house. Lili had already run ahead to put her crossbow away. "Those with a lower magical aptitude will find it very difficult to develop magical skills on their own. Unfortunately, I think you are one of those people."

Bell looked crestfallen. "So, I probably won't ever be able to use magic?" He asked in a depressed voice.

"I didn't say that" Torrhen said. Bell's head jerked up. "You will never be a mage or a wizard, Bell, but you can use magic. People with a lower aptitude often need a push to learn a new spell."

"A push? What kind of push?" Bell was eager.

"A Grimoire" Torrhen sighed.

"What's that?"

"A Grimoire is a very special book that forcibly teaches the reader magic. They can only be used once, so they are extremely valuable. There are two different varieties though. The Grimoire's of this world are random. There is no way of predicting what kind of magic the reader will learn." Bell was listening attentively. "The other kind of Grimoire is one from my world. They can still only be used once, but there are different types, each of which is guaranteed to teach a specific spell. If you read a Magelight Grimoire, you are guaranteed to learn Magelight, and no other spell."

Bell was looking excited and Torrhen knew what he wanted to ask. He did have a few spellbooks lying around. Maybe there was one that would suit the kid. Torrhen sighed again. "I think I have a few Tamrielic Grimoire's." He said. Bell's eyes were shining now. "I'll take a look and, if there are any that suit a beginner, I will let you use one." He did know how to make them, but he probably shouldn't mention that just yet.

Bell hugged Torrhen, excitedly. "Thank you, Mr. Torrhen! You're the best!"

"Just remember, Bell" Torrhen said, as the kid let go. "Just because you have a spell, doesn't automatically give you the ability to cast it with ease. You have to develop it, just like any other stat."

"I'll remember, Mr. Torrhen. I promise!" Bell said with a grin, running ahead of him and into the manor. Torrhen followed him into the house and made his way up the stairs to his room. The builders had already gone home for the day and the offices weren't ready yet, so most of Torrhen's stuff was still stored in his bag. Flipping open the top, Torrhen used the magical display to search through the books stored within.

He had quite the expansive library which had been further augmented by the books he'd bought after arriving in Orario. They'd all be stored in the downstairs library or in his office once construction was finished. He didn't have very many spellbooks though. He should probably look into making more since they'd come in handy after they'd recruited more members.

Tabbing though the list, Torrhen grimaced at how few beginner level books he had. He didn't have any Novice books, save for a Lesser Ward, but he did have a couple Apprentice ones. The ward spell wouldn't work well for Bell. While they worked well on elemental and magical attacks and could be modified to block physical attacks with practice, Bell likely didn't have the aptitude to sustain a ward spell. Better to find him a single shot attack magic.

Torrhen pulled out one of the books. Firebolt, an apprentice level destruction spell. That was perfect for Bell. The cost wasn't high, it didn't require an aptitude for magic, and it was a single shot, quick cast magic. He did have a Lightning Bolt spellbook, but it was probably better to start with a fire spell. Lightning spells were ridiculously dangerous, even at lower levels since very few things were resistant to lightning and they always had the possibility of disintegrating a target.

Holding the book under his arm, Torrhen made his way to the room they were using as a dining room until the proper dining hall was finished. The others had already begun eating when Torrhen entered and sat the book down next to Bell.

"Don't." He said, as the boy's eyes lit up and he reached for the book. "We don't know if you'll lose consciousness when you open that. Most people pass out the first time. It gets better with the second or third though. You don't lose consciousness after that." Bell nodded, before practically inhaling his food. He then sat impatiently, waiting for the other to finish. Finally, after the plates had been cleared away, Torrhen gave Bell permission to open the spellbook.

Bell sat on the couch and cracked open the book. His eyes glowed briefly before rolling back into his head as Bell sank into the couch, unconscious. Hestia let out a small noise of distress, but Torrhen put a hand on her shoulder.

"This is normal. He'll come around in a few minutes." He said. Sure enough, about 5 minutes later, Bells eyes opened, and he sat up. "Did it work?" Torrhen asked.

"I… I think so." Bell replied. "Goddess, will you update my status?" Hestia nodded and Bell moved to expose his back to the goddess, removing his shirt. It didn't take long for Hestia to give Bell the update. Transferring it to some paper, she laid it on the table for them all to see. Liaris Freese had been hidden but the magic was there, plain as day.

Bell Cranel

Race: Human

LEVEL: 1

STR: B-737

VIT: E-355

DEX: B719

AGI: A-817

MAG: I-0

TOTAL = 2628

SKILLS:

MAGIC:

Tamrielic Magic

Destruction: 20

Firebolt: A Tamrielic Destruction spell. Quick Cast. Casts a ball of fire towards opponents. Mind cost: 71. (Cost increased because of low Destruction level. Use Destruction spells to increase Destruction level.)

Bell was shaking with excitement. "Can I go test it now?" He asked, practically bouncing with anticipation.

"Sure, kid." Torrhen laughed. "Let's head out to the yard and give it some practice."

"Woohoo!" Bell let out a cheer and dashed for the door, eager to play with his new spell.

Ais

Ais wandered into the guild building, absentmindedly looking around for a glimpse of white hair. The white-haired boy had been on her mind since she'd saved him from that Minotaur on the 5th floor. He'd been doing well, for a Level 1, until he was blindsided. Later, she'd seen him leaving the Hostess of Fertility, just after Bete's drunken rant. She'd been impressed that he hadn't spoken up or run since Bete had been making fun of him.

The boy had also been accompanied by an older man who she hadn't recognized. She'd later fought by the man's side during the Monsterphilia disaster, but she hadn't realized it was him until later when Loki mentioned that he was in the same Familia as the white-haired boy. His skill had been very impressive to Ais. According to Loki, his name was Torrhen, a retired member of the boy's Familia, and he had to be Level 6 at least. Loki thought his level might be higher though.

She had also heard that during the same disaster, the white-haired boy had beaten a Silverback alone. If that was true, he was progressing at an incredible pace. Silverbacks spawned on the 11th and 12th floors, and the boy had been on the 5th only a few days before. Her curiosity about his development aside, Ais had yet to apologize to the boy for the Minotaur incident or for Bete's drunken rant. She also wanted to personally thank the older man, Torrhen, for healing Lefiya and helping during the fight with the plant monsters.

The part of her that craved progress wanted to spar with the older man. During the fight, he had been impressively fast. It didn't even seem like he was fighting all that seriously. She needed to know how strong he was and if he knew any better methods for Ais, herself to get stronger. Judging by the way the boy had apparently improved, she was hoping he knew a few tricks. The childish part of her just wanted to see the 'Bunny Boy' again.

A voice cut off the childish thought. "Lady Wallenstein?" The voice asked.

"Yes?" Ais turned to see a brown-haired Half-elf in a Guild uniform looking at her.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, it's just that I've been meaning to thank you." The Half-elf said. Ais tilted her head, confused. "My name is Eina Tulle, I'm an advisor with the Guild. A few weeks ago, you saved one of my adventurers, Bell Cranel, from a Minotaur on the 5th floor."

Ais' eyes widened. "She knows the Bunny Boy! Er… I guess his name is Bell." Ais' had to ask the question. "He's not afraid of me, is he?"

"Eh?" She looked startled. "No, no of course not! He was very grateful that you saved him."

"Really? Thank goodness." Since the boy had run away screaming, she was afraid he had been frightened of her. Now was her change to ask about him! "Would it be alright if I talked to him then?" She asked.

The official looked startled again. "O… of course! Why do you want to talk to him though?"

"I wanted to apologize for the Minotaur incident." Ais said, "and I need to thank another member of his Familia for healing my friend during Monsterphilia and for helping during the fighting."

"That would be Mr. Torrhen, Bell's mentor." The official smiled. "I would be happy to make the introduction." She said, turning to lead Ais toward one of the booths sitting to the side of the hall. "Bell is actually supposed to meet with me in a few minutes. His Familia just got a new member, so they've taken the week off to train together. This meeting is just a little formality to announce that they're going back into the Dungeon tomorrow."

The two sat down in the booth and, just like Eina had said, the white-haired boy, Bell walked in a few minutes later. He stopped dead when he saw them. Why was he backing away?!

"Come sit down, Bell." Eina said. The boy turned red but followed her instructions. "Lady Wallenstein wanted to speak with you." She said.

He looked up, startled. "I wanted to apologize," Ais said, "for the incident with the Minotaur."

He started shaking his head, violently. "No, no!" He said. "I should be the one thanking you, for saving me!" Ais shook her head, this time.

"If the Minotaur hadn't gotten away from my Familia, you wouldn't have been in danger." She said.

"I… I guess that's true." He said, looking down at his knees "but I'm still grateful that you saved me!" Ais barely resisted the temptation to start rubbing his hair. He was adorable!

The guild official spoke up. "Lady Wallenstein also mentioned wanting to speak with Mr. Torrhen," she said. "Do you mind taking her to speak with him after we're done here?"

"S… sure!" Bell said. The two quickly took care of business, and Bell led Ais out of the building. "Our house is this way," he gestured down one of the streets, "it's still going through renovations, but we were able to move in recently."

They were silent for a few minutes before Ais asked another question. "The older member of your Familia, Torhen… he's your teacher?" She couldn't hold back the curiosity. Both about the boy's growth and the man's strength.

"He is!" Bell perked up. "We met while I was on my way to Orario and he's taught me basically everything I know about how to fight and be an adventurer."

"Is he a good teacher? You seem to be improving very quickly."

"He's the best! It's like he knows everything about adventuring and he's super strong." Ais nodded at that. The two quickly made their way though the streets, occasionally getting strange looks from those they passed, who were probably wondering why the 'Sword Princess' was with some scrawny kid. It wasn't long before Bell led her up to a small manor that looked to be still under construction. "It's not finished yet," he said, "but welcome to Hearthfire Hall. Home of the Hestia Familia."

Ais was no longer looking at the building though. Off to the side in what was clearly a training yard, stood two figures. One was very short. A Pallum girl, who was shooting at targets with a crossbow. The other figure was standing behind her. An older human man, with dark hair and tan skin. That had to be Torrhen. He turned at their approach, eyes widening slightly when he saw her.

"Hello there!" He called. "Care to introduce your friend, Bell?" The boy went very red.

"This is Ms. Ais Wallenstien. She's the one who saved me from the Minotaur. We met at the Guild, and she said she wanted to speak to you, Mr. Torrhen." Bell said, still blushing.

He looked surprised. "Well now," he held out a hand for her to shake, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Wallenstein. I'm Torrhen, and this is Lili." He gestured to the Pallum girl, who looked nervous.

"Hello," Ais said, taking his hand and nodding at the girl.

"Bell and Lili are supposed to be doing some training this afternoon, do you mind if we talk while they get started?" He asked. This was perfect!

"Of course not," Ais said. She'd get to see his training method, maybe even figure out the secret behind the boy's growth.

"Just like yesterday, you two" Torrhen said, "Lili, I want you to try to hit Bell and get away before he can hit you. Bell don't get hit and try to tag Lili before she can get a shot off. Go ahead and get started." He walked over to a table and set of chairs that was set up near the training grounds, with Ais following. "So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked.

"I wanted to thank you," she said, sitting down with him and watching the spar begin, "for healing Lefiya and helping us fight at Monsterphilia."

"There is no need, I just happened to be nearby and wanted to help," he said. Ais couldn't take her eyes off of Bell, the way he was moving was completely different to how he had when fighting the Minotaur. He was faster, more fluid. He looked like he was fighting more like a veteran Level 1 than a newbie adventurer. Hadn't the guild lady said he had only been adventuring for two months? "I take it," Torrhen's voice interrupted her thoughts, "that wasn't all you wanted?"

Ais couldn't help the blush at being caught staring. Still… the man was a teacher. Maybe he would be willing to answer. "I heard about him defeating a Silverback," she said, gesturing at Bell. "Only a few days earlier, he was still on the fifth floor. It didn't make sense and now, it hasn't even been a month, and he's moving like an adventurer on the verge of Level 2. I don't understand it. How does he improve so fast?"

Torrhen sighed. "There are many things that can affect the improvement of an adventurer. Skills, talents, different ways of thinking. For Bell, there are several factors in his growth. First, is potential. That kid has amazing potential as an adventurer, he just needs some help to bring it out. The second, is a goal. There is a person that he is desperate to catch up to and is willing to push through all hardships to do it. Third, is me." Ais was confused at that. "When was the last time you had a sparring partner who was so far ahead of you, you couldn't even imagine keeping up?"

Ais knew the answer to that. "Years ago, when I was Level 3 and Finn had just hit Level 6."

"Having someone like that around, someone you are determined to surpass, is a huge boost to motivation and drive. It can help you improve just as much as having a rival who is equally matched to you, sometimes more."

That made some sense to Ais. Too bad the only person in the city who was a higher level than her now was Ottar, and he wasn't likely to be willing to help her improve.

"Teaching others can also help you improve." Torrhen said, to her surprise. "It's mostly a mental thing, but teaching someone, helping them grow, can be good for your own development." That was slightly confusing, but she understood. She watched as the Pallum girl dove under one of Bell's swings, rolling and sprinting away, loading her crossbow as she went. "Do you want to join them?" Torrhen asked.

Ais' eyes snapped to him, thinking about what he had just said about teaching someone weaker than her. If nothing else, it might be interesting, plus it could be fun. She nodded. Torrhen stood and called to the others.

"Hold up, you two! New exercise!" Bell and the girl came to a stop. "Ms. Wallenstein here," he gestured to her, "has offered to join you. Bell, I want you and Ms. Wallenstein to spar. While you do, Lili is going to be trying to hit both of you with her crossbow but, she must change her position every time she fires." This would not be a difficult exercise for Ais, but it might be fun. She also might get another insight into Bell's improvement.

Bell looked nervous as she stood before him, holding a practice sword, waiting for the signal. "Now!" Ais bent backward, avoiding a crossbow bolt and dashed toward Bell. He was surprisingly agile, managing to dodge her first strike. Unfortunately, he was not able to stop her second as her leg came around and slammed into his face. Bell crumpled to the dirt, unconscious.

Ais was worried. She hadn't meant to knock him out. She leaned over him. "Is he alright?" She asked Torrhen as he knelt next to Bell.

"He's fine." Torrhen said. "It's not the first time he's been knocked out during training." Sure enough, Bell came to in a few minutes and they went at it again. This pattern continued over the course of the next hour with Bell lasting longer and longer each time. The crossbow girl had also come surprisingly close to hitting Ais a few times. Finally, Torrhen called them to a stop.

"Bell, Lili, go sit down. I want you to watch this," Torrhen said. He moved into the center of the training yard and held Ais' sword, Desperate, out to her. At his hip was a beautiful silver and black scabbard holding what looked like a hand and a half broadsword.

"He wants to spar," She realized, drawing her sword.

Torrhen stood there for a moment before slowly drawing his own sword. A sudden, intense pressure hit Ais. It was suffocating, she could barely breathe. It was as though her lungs were being crushed! She hadn't felt like this in years! The feeling of facing an overwhelming foe. Torrhen chose that moment to talk. "I spoke earlier both of teaching one far weaker than yourself, and of training against an opponent far beyond you. You have done one. I now offer the other. No magic, no skills. Just swords, and our skill in wielding them. Do you agree?"

Ais straightened her back. "I do." She said.

She watched as Torrhen slid into a ready stance, anticipation tingling throughout her body. Without warning, her opponent burst into action. Almost faster than she could react, his sword was blurring towards her neck. She barely got her blade up in time to deflect the crushingly powerful blow, moving to strike back only to be forced onto the defensive again by Torrhen's blinding speed. She did not know how long they fought like that, sinking into a rhythm of twirling blades and glancing blows.

Never once did she have the upper hand. It was as though he was deliberately moving just a little too fast for her to keep up. All thoughts beyond the duel faded. In that moment, her only goal in life was to defeat the opponent standing before her. To match his speed. To match his strength. To surpass him. To win! Suddenly, with a twirling blow, her opponent's sword slammed into her wrist, and her sword dropped from her hand. The blade was at her neck before she could react.

Ais stood there, panting, trying to get as much air into her exhausted body as possible. She had not had a fight like that in years! Maybe never! Not even fighting Udaeus solo had felt like that! It was exhilarating. It was thrilling! I was helping! She could feel herself improving, getting faster and more accurate as the spar continued. She wanted more. She wanted to go again. To try and best the immovable mountain in front of her.

Her hopes were dashed when Torrhen sheathed his sword. He was barely sweating and didn't even look winded! "I think that is enough for now," he said. She began to protest, but he cut her off. "Our Familia trains every morning at 6:00, before Bell and Lili go into the Dungeon. You are more than welcome to join us. Each time you do, once Bell and Lili's training is finished and they head off to the Dungeon, I will happily spar with you as I have today.

"I will be here." Ais said. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this resolute. The last time she'd had a goal that seemed impossible. Despite its impossibility, she would do everything in her power to achieve it. She would train with Bell and Lili. Teaching them and learning how to restrain herself in their spars. Then, she would face the mountain. She would improve. With Bell and Torrhen's help, she would learn and grow stronger.

Freya

She stood high in the Babel tower watching her new interests below. The older was powerful but she was unsure of the extent of his ability. Ottar would serve as a test for him. As for the younger… she would need to send Ottar into the Dungeon to prepare a suitable test for the boy.

A/N: I covered a lot in this chapter! Lili's training. Naaza's training. Potions from Tamriel. Moving into the new living quarters. Firebolt! Training with Ais!

Did you like what I did with Ais? Did her personality feel right?

What did you think of the name for their home? I've had that one planned since before I started writing.

To answer some questions:

On FFN

demigodninja21: I do know that ebony is technically Lorkan's blood, but I wanted to make a distinction between dried, crystalized blood, and the blood of a living god. The blood of a living god would be much more powerful in my opinion, so I went with that.

Laplase: I suppose, technically, if his level went up, he would probably become a god. His stats already kind of say he's ready to level up. I don't want him to become a god though, so I don't think I'll be leveling him up.

On Ao3

Bigtime12: He does know every shout. I'd say his favorites are probably Dragon Aspect, Fire Breath, and Unrelenting Force. There's just not been a call to use any but Dragon Aspect yet.