The Everburn Mage

4. Cherished

In truth, Leora hadn't a clue as to what she should expect.

The last she'd seen of him was around almost a year ago yet, to her, it felt like an eternity. Would he be the same knuckle-headed dunce as she remembered? People change over time, after all. While at first anticipation accompanied by excitement flourished within her, throughout the course of her long journey to Ponsetta City, what eventually replaced those emotions was fear and anxiety. Sitting in her passenger seat, the question which commonly inhabited her consciousness re-emerged.

How has Rune developed?

Once the locomotive opened and its sharp whistle relayed across the station, Leora took her first hesitant step in a city she'd never visited. A distinct odor of smoke and mildew wafted in the air. Rays of the sun which glistened through the glass roof above touched her creamy skin. And a gust of wind made her honey hair tied into a ponytail frolic. The entire station was filled to the brim with commotion and nameless strangers. But it was inside this collage of rambling unknowns her gaze fixated on the person she'd come to see. And at the same time, he returned with a stare of his own, swiftly followed by a smile and a wave of his hand.

Before she knew it, a tidal wave of nostalgia saw fit to ambush her. As if her body reacted on her own, the girl sprung from the train's exit, expertly and swiftly navigated through the moving forest of people, and ran straight for him. Waving her hand in the air, she yelled the name of her friend for the world to hear.

Robbing him of the chance to reply, like a cat, Leora pounced into his arms. Miraculously, her unexpected greeting didn't result in them tumbling to the floor like in the past. Instead, Rune managed to catch her whilst reaffirming a solid stance. However, this did not mean he maintained his composure entirely. As soon as she embraced with her abrupt hug attack, flustered astonishment took up residence on his face.

"Nice to see you again, Rune!" she cheered.

"L...Likewise," he stuttered. "It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"I'll say! You look..." Her words refused to leave her mouth. Taking a long look at him from top to bottom, it was evident that he indeed changed. Everything from his appearance to his demeanor. Even underneath the clothing he wore she could tell he wasn't the same scrawny child she remembered. Although, she couldn't help but laugh at how flustered he got from just a mere hug. He might have matured on the outside but on the inside, she reckoned a piece of his innocence lingered.

"Now, I know what you're thinking and before you yell at me, I tried my best to stay clear of unnecessary fights." It was then Leora took notice of the collection of tears and sears decorating the right sleeve of his red jacket. Additionally, the white glove which used to cover his scorched hand had completely disintegrated. "Regardless, things just sort of happened..."

Leora admitted a sigh. "Honestly, you're hopeless. However, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. This isn't the first gift of mine you've somehow managed to destroy."

"Give me a break! It's not like I was trying it to get it thrashed!"

"Excuses, excuses. I guess this means you'll have to reimburse me in some way, right? Oh! How about you buy me some new medical supplies for my birthday next month!"

"M...Medical supplies?"

"Yeah, they're pretty expensive but you can handle the expenses, can't you?"

"With a combat mage's salary?! Like hell, I can!"

Holding her hand to her mouth, more of her laughter erupted. "Relax, Rune! I'm just kidding! Goodness, you're still so easy to tease!"

"And you're still an expert at getting under my skin..."