The next morning, Kaysi awakens early to make coffee and breakfast for everyone. As he goes to wake their guest, he finds that he’s already outside for their morning spar. The older man brings him in for breakfast and learns more about what brought Ayron to Laudmuth and the incident that occurred over six months ago.

  The solaris peeked through the curtains of Kaysi’s window the next morning, alerting the older man that it was time to rise. His eyes squinted at the bright light that dared to shine in his eyes, eventually placing a hand over his face as a make-shift shield. It was Sundi morning, the day the tavern was closed. Normally, he spent the day preparing for the rest of the week; creating purchase orders with vendors, scheduling events, and balancing their finances.

  Yesterday, he was given the unique opportunity: the chance to train an experienced foreigner. During his days as an instructor, individuals from all over the planet would seek him out. If they were strong enough to make it to the elite tower, level 324, they had the opportunity to train under him. Kaysi mentored countless pupils over the years, each of them teaching him something in the process. The older man liked to think the myriad of fighting styles he’s come up against made him a wise warrior.

  Ayron’s unreadable aura made Kaysi even more intrigued about fighting him. The older man had a sense that he was a force to be reckoned with. Did the foreigner have access to enki techniques?

  While assessing his house-guest in the tavern, Kaysi became perplexed. Ayron had the look of an experienced warrior. However, the older man could barely sense the output of ki. Even with the average Ardorian, the instructor could sense a baseline level of energy. Was it possible that he’s able to diminish his ki signature? That was a technique known only to the most experienced warriors.

  It’s been a long time since Kaysi fought anyone, and she was excited for the chance to spar once again. Nowadays, the older man trained his children when they requested it, which admittedly, wasn't often. They were both members of Raider’s Tower and chose to spend their days off at the guild.

  Slowly, Kaysi got out of bed. He changed into his sparring outfit, a dark red gi with a black belt made of woven cloth.

  The outfit was weighted to enhance training. ‘It’s like a suit I never have an occasion to wear. Feels good to put this on every once in a while, can’t let my skills get rusty.’ the older man mused as he walked down the steps to the tavern. He loved the corner property he inherited from his grandfather, a home and business all-in-one. Upstairs was a four-bedroom, two-bath townhome, while the bottom floor housed the tavern. It made it easy to get up and go to work every day. The older man makes a beeline for the kitchen, heading straight towards the coffee pot.

  Within minutes, the smell of a fresh up wafted through the tavern, even reaching upstairs. The older man sat at the bar with his large mug, needing a pick-me-up before he started breakfast. Seconds later, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

  “Mmmm, coffee,” Jaysi slowly came into the tavern, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

  “I made plenty,” Kaysi mumbled into his own cup, still not completely awake. “I’ll make breakfast once I wake up.”

  “I want pancakes,” the young woman mused, barely listening to her father as she walked into the kitchen.

  The father chuckled, shaking his head, seeing that his daughter wasn’t entirely conscious either. Kaysi wandered when the others were going to rise. As he finished his first cup of coffee, his son entered the tavern.

  “Oh!” Jak jumped slightly, startled by his father’s presence. “I thought you were already outside.”

  “Why would you think that?” Kaysi raised a curious brow.

  “I thought I heard someone walk downstairs early this morning.. I assumed you were warming up before the spar.”

  “Hm,” the older man pondered as he stood. “Must be our house guest.” Kaysi walked into the kitchen, seeing his daughter at the island, mixing the batter for her pancakes. “Making enough for everyone?”

  “That’s my one flaw - portion control. I'll probably make enough for a small army.” Jaysi laughed, showing her father the nearly full bowl of batter. The older man laughed as he shook his head, grabbing a second cup from the cabinet. He filled both cups to the brim with coffee, deciding to check on their guest. Kaysi opened the restaurant door.

  Across the street, there was a large park that the family used for their training sessions when they weren’t at Raider’s Tower. There, the older man noticed their house guest rubbing a large branch across his shins. Eyes widening in surprise, Kaysi walks towards him. The instructor’s seen this technique before. It was a way to condition the legs to take impact. Normally, it was done with a broomstick covered in cloth to prevent splinters, not a jagged piece of wood.

  “Coffee?” Kaysi raised a cup in the air. His voice startled the young man. “Sorry, didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”

  “I’m not fully awake,” Ayron admitted, tossing the piece of wood to the side before standing, his knee crackling as he did so. “Thanks,” the young man mentioned as he took the cup, blowing on it softly before taking a sip.

  “Jaysi is making pancakes for breakfast,” Kaysi commented. “Hungry?”

  Ayron’s left eye twitched, and his lips turned down in the slightest frown. “No, I’m okay, thanks though.”

  “Something wrong?” the older man inquired. “It’s not a good idea to spar without eating something.”

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  “If I eat pancakes, I’ll be asleep in a half-hour, completely worthless in a sparring match.” Ayron chuckled softly. “I need protein, preferably something that was alive at one point.”

  Kaysi guffawed, taken aback by the young man’s phrase. He laughed so hard, he nearly spilled his coffee. “That won’t be a problem. We’ve got plenty of meat in the kitchen. After we eat breakfast, we’ll get to sparring.”

  “Sounds good.” Ayron nodded as the two headed back inside.

  The older man’s curiosity got the better of him, wanting to ask this question for several moments. “You said before you came here that you were in a Piquian hospital? Was it for your knee?”

  “Among other things,” Ayron mentioned with a shrug. “According to the doctors, I’m lucky to be alive. I spent six months in that hospital. They gave me a portable cane, but I can walk perfectly fine without it. I don’t know how sparring will go, but I want to give it a shot; after being cooped up for that long, my body’s ready for a good battle.”

  “Six months? I could barely stand six hours.” Kaysi admitted in utter disbelief. “What could’ve put you in the hospital for six months?” After a few moments of silence, the man realized the foreigner probably didn’t want to talk about his recent trauma. “I’m sorry, I-”

  “No, it’s okay.” Ayron opened the door to the tavern, gesturing for the older man to walk through. “I was also in therapy in those months to help me cope with the situation, and civilian life once again.”

  Kaysi sat at one of the pub tables, gesturing for his guest to follow. “I’d love to hear the story. Something tells me you have a lot of tales besides this one.”

  The young man gave a dark chuckle. “Perceptive,” he commented.

  “The first round of pancakes is up!” Jaysi hollered as she walked through the kitchen doors.

  “Hand those over,” the father grinned. “When Jak makes his breakfast, have him make extra for our friend. He’s a carnivore like your brother.”

  “Alright,” the young woman sighed, placing one on a plate in front of the young man. “You’re not getting away without tasting it, though.”

  “Fair enough.” Ayron chuckled as he pulled a piece off, tossing it into his mouth. “Mmmm, delicious!’

  “Hey, Jak! Make some extra eggs and sausage, we’ve got another meat-eater on our hands.” Jaysi called to the kitchen as she walked back.

  There was a moment of silence as Kaysi started eating his pancakes. He observed the young man across from him picking at the piece of desert bread. Ayron had a faraway look in his eyes, as if he were reminiscing. “You don’t need to go into the gory details.” The older man said between bites. “I just want to know how you ended up in the hospital for so long.”

  “Our vehicle was on its way back to headquarters after a mission. As we’re passing through a village, we hear shots being fired at the vehicle. The newest member, who outranked each of us, suggested we dismount.” Ayron’s face goes rigid, a small fire igniting in his chest. “Everyone else wanted to stay the course. He decided to pull rank before opening the door. The idiot stepped out of the vehicle and right on an explosive.”

  “I don’t remember much after that.” The young man admitted. “I remember moving the door off of me, getting one of the other guys out of the vehicle. The next thing I remember is waking up in a helicopter. I was told I was given adrenaline to start my heart, and I immediately ‘shot up from the dead’, before passing out once again. After that, I woke up in a Piquian hospital.”

  “Shrapnel took one of my kidneys, my knee was shattered, and I have pieces of metal still embedded in certain places, as they didn’t think it was necessary to remove them.” Ayron finished with a sigh.

  Kaysi’s mouth opened and closed, unable to find words. His face conveyed his complete and utter shock. “Oh my…”

  “I spent six months learning how to walk again and getting my strength back.” Ayron was looking towards the wall, tapping his fingers as if he were calculating something. “I was cleared with no limitations and given the cane if I needed assistance.”

  “That’s one hell of a story,” the older man admitted. “How did you end up here??”

  “On my way out, I misread one of the doors, thinking it was a bathroom. It looked like an evil scientist's lab, inside a hospital. A man in a black robe stood behind me, clicked his fingers, and a grey void opened below me. Next thing I knew, I was here.” Seeing the look of pure disbelief on the owner’s features, Ayron continued. “I wish I were making this up, but that’s my life.”

  Jaysi walked out of the kitchen at that moment, carrying their largest omelet.

  “Did you use a carton of eggs and a quarter cow??” Ayron said, mystified by the beautiful steak and egg creation before him. Even Kaysi was impressed, the scent traveling across the table. It smelled delicious.

  “I used the leftover steak from last night’s shift. It made a beautiful breakfast, if I do say so myself.” Jak mentioned as he carried his own omelet to the table, eating it as he walked through.

  Suddenly, there was a unique knock with a rhythmic patter at the door. Kaysi’s head turned, wondering who was here at this hour.

  “Come in!” Jak hollered before looking at his dad. “Nikai asked to come over. He wanted to warm up before going to the guild. He has a match later today.”

  “That gives me an idea.” Kaysi’s lips turned up in a smile.

  “For?” The son’s brow raised in question as he watched his friend walk into the tavern.

  “I know you came to spar with me, Nikai.” Kaysi turned his head, seeing Jak’s friend. “Before I entertain the idea, I want you to spar with my newest student.” The older man winked at the foreigner, hoping he would play along.

  “I didn’t know you were taking on new students! No fair!” Nikai grumbled, crossing his arms. “I’ve been waiting for years.”

  “You’ve barely reached tower three.” The tavern owner snickered. “It wouldn’t even be entertaining for me. I help with warm-ups because you’re friends with my kid, and you’ve come around long enough, you’ve kind of become one of my kids.” Kaysi pointed towards their guest, Ayron. “This guy, he’s a different story. I’m actually curious to see what he’s made of.”

  “The feeling’s mutual,” Ayron commented between bites. “I’m curious how an ‘elite tower instructor’ spars.”

  “I’ve got an extra gi, you’re welcome to borrow it. It’s a couple of years old, but it should fit!” Jak smiled. “After yesterday’s encounter, I want to see what you’re made of.”

  The foreigner nodded between bites. “Thanks, much appreciated.”

  “Get your bellies full, and we’ll start the battle!” Kaysi mentioned excitedly as he shoved the last bite of pancake into his mouth.