The two gutter rats K adopted as students were called Knight and Rouge. Both boys were 10 years old. Knight was taller and sturdier than other boys his age; when the group robbed K in the city, he made the most contact, patting K's pockets and cutting him off. Rogue, on the other hand, was small compared to boys his age, but he made up for his size by being swift. His hands were the first to reach into K's pockets.
At first, the boys were reluctant to stay with K. He had, after all, taken them from their family and brought them deep into the magical forest. Determined to return to their friends, the boys pocketed much of the food K gave them in the first week. Once K let his guard down, they ran from his tree. But without knowing the way back to the city, they were lost until K found them.
After several failed attempts to get away, the boys gave up and took to K's lessons. He taught them all the magic he knew. Despite being fast learners, they were humans. And humans, unlike elves and other magical creatures, could not master all the magics.
Although the boys had strong affinities for earth and wind magics. Knight mastered earth magics, while Rogue mastered wind magics. K watched in awe as the boy's ability and creativity grew with every new spell.
For five years, the boys lived and trained with K. They learned not only about magic but also about magical creatures and the elements. But as they learned separate magics and their personalities grew, the boys, who were once best friends, drifted apart. Despite their waning bond, their individual bonds with K grew.
The day they celebrated their 5th year with K, Rogue disappeared without a word. While K was unbothered by Rogue's disappearance, Knight pondered the actions of his once best friend.
Rogue had always been especially thrilled about robbery. And K's lessons gave him more freedom. Every day he would steal or attempt to steal something of value from the tree house. But K always caught him and returned the item to its place. Knight knew that Rogue's disappearance meant something had been taken. K did not seem concerned that Rogue had robbed him.
Knight, on the other hand, always believed they should steal only when things were too difficult and they had no other way to get food. Knight would often keep an eye on Rogue, sometimes thwarting his theft. Knight's affinity for earth magic made tracking and trapping easy, much to Rogue's annoyance.
K watched without intervening as the boys quarrelled and scuffled over the years. He knew that meetings and partings were a part of nature, much like creation and destruction were a part of magic. The loss of their friendship would hurt the boys, but their separate paths may eventually lead them back to being friends much later in life.
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