Getting tougher.

Despite the rain the weather was warm and John decided to shed off most of his clothes for the walk back, keeping only his boots and trusted boxers. Ferulia didn't suffer from the water, in fact she looked even happier to see her fire get dimmer. It would take a lot of time and training her to control her new gift before she would embrace the flame in her core.

"Cali! How old are you too anyway?" he asked them, realizing that he never asked before. Both looked like young adults, but being elves it meant little.

"I'm only 500 moons, my little sister is 437 moons old. How about you, my King?" she replied. John did quick calculations, if their lunar months were anything like Earth's, he would have to divide by 12 or 13. Using 12.5 as a guess he discovered that Cali was about 40 years old and Ferulia 35, he had no idea how old it was for her people, though.

"Is a moon 28 days? OK, that is what I thought. We don't use moons to calculate age in my world. I would be around 225 moons, which makes me an adult for my specie. Human don't live really old, it is a fourth of a fifth of a normal life span for a human. Hold old are you by your species standards? " he inquired.

"By 380 moons were are considered adult and can take a full part in society. But it is only by 500 that we can take a spouse and think of having children. Until then we are aramatis we live, learn, taste, experiment, getting ready for our full life beyond that. We are both judged adult, but aren't eldaris yet, matured you would say." she said.

"It is about the same for me, between 18 years and 21 years we are judged adults, but there are still a few things we cannot do. We are there, we are all going to be training hard tonight. And getting to know each other, " he explained.

John smiled at the surprise he found in the glade. Vines had grown on the surface of Sylvia's tree and there was a circle of 12 flower buds over the opening she had disappeared into to cure herself. He had not noticed it when getting the elves, but it was now clear that 9 of the 12 were open now. Sylvia would return during the night and John sighed in relief, knowing that she would be well soon. The state in which he had found her had horrified him, making way too real the possible consequences of his actions, even more so than the loss of his hand.

He had to get better and above all to plan for things going bad when he did them.

"Cali, I will spar with you. I really need to get better at fighting and I could use a partner for that." he announced. The huntress nodded in agreement. "Ferulia, we will work on helping you control your flame and make me more resistant to it."

"Stop calling me that!" screamed the fire elf. She was crying and her feelings were making her tears evaporate. Her sister ran to hug her, but John used Move to create a hand and hold her back, he didn't want for her to be burned again.

"What is happening? Did I mispronounce it?" he asked her. Taking her hand, ignoring the pain.

-4hp

"I'm an abomination, I don't deserve the name of the Goddess. I... can't... I can't... use her name!" she sobbed. John used a spell to heal his hand, not checking the slow ticking of damage he received by holding her hand.

"No one here hates you, I like you, your sister loves you. Fire isn't evil, it can burn for sure, but it can also give light in a dark night, warmth in a cold day, cook food and help build things. If you want a new name, you shall get one. What about Vesta? It is the name of an old goddess of home and fire, a benevolent guardian, revered in each home long ago." he explained. She looked at him, thinking about what he just said.

"Ves... Vesta ? You really have good gods linked with fire? I think I like it... How will I learn to control myself?" she asked.

"Come sit here. Near the pool. You have to learn to control your emotions. I will try to trigger it and you will try to keep the flame inside." he explained.

He jumped in the water near her after removing the rest of his clothes. As soon as his boxers disappeared her mouth opened in shock. Cali was equally amazed by it. It was probably more than twice as big as the largest one she had ever seen.

"Cali, come here and try to attack me. One punch at a time." he announced. He had just activated his Mana Shield and had got himself ready.

For the next minutes he applied himself to caress and pet Vesta, touching her in spots he knew would trigger her flame and getting his fingers burned in the process. The shield was slowing down and lessening the blows enough for him to deviate most of them using Move.

He took a few blows and was grateful for the healing powers of the water.

He had improved his Mana Shield to lvl3 and Fire Resistance to lvl5. It would have been nearly impossible without the fountain, it would have required too much healing otherwise.

Cali and Vesta were both panting and paying much more attention to the flinging of his hard dick than the training exercise.

It was time to end this and do something else.