75 Sitting In A Tree

Riku walked up to me in large strides before he gave me a big hug. Ki and Ren then both took turns smiling at him with a broad grin before they all fist bumped. I saw Riku's brother Setsu felt a little left out so I called him over while Riku's mother looked on with a serene face.

The fields were fresh and the hum of the insects made the atmosphere feel all the more peaceful here. The long grasses and the rustic household that Riku lived it made me feel like my heart was at peace.

It was like I was in a dream.

We all walked inside while Ki, Ren and I were told to leave our weapons at the front door, The smell of a hot roast was cooking away in the oven assaulting my nostrils and making me hungry. It didn't take long before Ki and Ren got to know Riku's family and we were all ushered outside the back of the house.

There was a small farm out back with a couple of spirit animals that were reminiscent of cows and sheep from Earth, they called happily as they saw us all. Kibbles had jumped off my shoulder and ran up to the beasts. They all took turns smelling each other before Kibbles bounded through the grass and landed on one of the beasts back.

The beast seemed uncertain at first before it began to carry Kibbles around as if it were a royal carriage. Kibbles stood proudly on his new steed and everyone laughed as his cape fluttered in the wind.

" Yuku this place is the best!" Kibbles voice ran through my head.

" All right you two go off and play" Riku's mother said looking at Setsu and I.

" Sure!, Ren Wanna come?!" Setsu looked over at Ren excitedly.

Ren's soldier appearance had Setsu rattling of question after question to him. I guess he looked up to him and they instantly hit it off.

Ren blushed and then nodded. It was probably because he was not used to the admiration he was receiving.

Riku, Ki and Riku's mother all sat around and drank some tea while Ren, Riku's brother and myself found a nice tree to climb in the backyard to see the view.

" Be careful up there okay!" Riku's mother shouted.

" YES MOM!" All three of us shouted in unison before laughing.

Riku's mother just laughed heartily as she continued her discussion with Ki and Riku. We had found a few spirit beast bugs and looked over at each other pointing them out before looking at the endless fields in front of us that seemed to stretch out for miles.

I took a deep breath of fresh country air and closed my eyes as I sat on a sturdy branch.

[ Is this heaven? ]

" Yuki! Yuki Guess what!" Setsu called with a smile.

I looked over and saw that Setsu was clinging to a branch upside down, his tunic was tucked into his pants so his belly didn't show. His teeth were shining a pearly white as he grinned with a broad smile.

" What?" I said looking over at Setsu.

" Spirit beasts ate your shoes!?" I said with a giggle.

" YUKI!!!!" Setsu moaned.

"Just tell me, I am not good at guessing!" I replied after a moment.

" I'm going to school with you next year! My grades were high enough to get a scholarship!" Setsu said with a proud face.

" You took the test?" I replied surprised.

" Oh course! My brother IS the best teacher in the world!" Setsu said before explaining the procedure.

Apparently he had to wait in line for a long time and then there were some jerks that picked on his because he was poor. He said he then met the first prince who stood up for him and introduced himself. Everything that he was saying to me reminded me of one of those face slapping webnovels that i used to read and I couldn't help but laugh.

"What magic do you use?" I said after a listening.

" Same as big bro!" Setsu said.

[ Riku has magic?! ]

I looked in shock through the leaves to see Riku sipping on some tea and laughing with Ki. I looked back at Setsu that looked almost like a miniature version of him and I titled my head.

" I did know Riku had magic." I said after a moment.

" WAAAAAAT?! " Setsu said as he nearly fell out of the tree.

Ren looked over and smiled as he stood on a branch with perfect balance.

" Of course he doesn't, Riku doesn't teach Yuki magic theory!" Ren said as he looked over at me.

" But he was called "The Thunderclap" when he went to school! His Arc magic is amazing!" Setsu said with a excited tone.

" Really? Is it lightning magic?" I was imagining Riku walking around like Raiden from a video game with Arcs of lighting flashing in his eyes and became super excited.

" mm it's a deviation from fire magic or so bro told me!" Ren said smiling.

" Hey you and Ren should duel" I said suddenly.

I knew that Ren was a lot better at holding back then I was and I didn't want to ruin Riku's back yard but I wanted to see lightning magic for myself and Ren's darkness would be able to put up a good fight.

" heh I am not very good yet" Setsu said embarrassed.

Setsu shouted over to his Riku in an excited tone " REN WANTS TO DUEL YOU BRO! KICK HIS BUTT!"

" I didn't say that" Ren looked over at Setsu and myself before sighing.

I looked over to see Riku's face had a strange look on it before he turned to face Ki and his mother to talk again.

" Looks like he is not up for it." I said as I sighed disappointedly.

" Would seeing us duel make you smile?" Ren asked.

" As long as neither of you got hurt" I said as a reflex.

" Alright one make Yuki smile special coming right up!" Ren said as he jumped from the tree without so much as blinking.

He did a perfect sumersault before he landed and Setsu and I couldn't held but clap.

[ Ren's so cool! ]

I watched as he walked over to Riku and whispered in his ear. Riku looked over at me a few times before he said a few more words to his mother and Ki and went inside. His mother looked over in Setsu and I's direction seemly sad before flashing a smile and Ki raised an eyebrow.

" What do you think happened ?" I said to Setsu.

" No Idea but I think brother went to get his gloves" Setsu said surprised.

" His gloves?" I said curious.

" You will see" Setsu said as he smiled.

A few minutes later Riku walked out in dark blue training gear and wore a pair of what looked like chain link gloves covered in material he stretched his arms and then his legs before tapping Rens shoulder and handing Ren his sword. They talked for a little then walked over to the tree Setsu and I were sitting in.

Riku looked up at Setsu and I before saying " I'm not really fond of battle but since you seem so eager I will only play around with Ren once"

" Your really gonna duel?!" Setsu said excitedly.

Riku nodded once before he made up some rules with Ren and started to walk away from the main field.

" Don't cause too many scorch marks!" Riku's mother shouted.

" We won't!" Riku shouted back.

Setsu and I scrabbled out of the tree before following them to a dirt patch that was covered in black marks.

" We fight here" Riku said.

Ren looked at the marks on the floor before whistling in amazement.

" That's some practice you have done" Ren said smiling.

"Mm helps clear my mind" Riku said and tapped Rens shoulder.

I heard some sounds behind me and looked to see Kibbles had taken his rode his new found mount over before it lazily sat down.

" I want to watch too!" Kibbles said/

[ Just keep the beast out of the ring! ]

Riku and Ren stepped onto the earth patch training ground and smiled at each other before bowing.

" Oh they are using the academy rules" Setsu said with his hands in fists.

" First one to get hit three times loses" Setsu replied.

" That seems fair" I replied.

Ren stepped back and unsheathed his sword before Riku took the wrappings of his gloves.

The duel was about to begin!