***East of Anbriot's forest in Karusha.

Miller were the first one to open his mouth: "Hey Jackob.. Are you pulling my leg here? Are you sure Henrik said that?" with slight mistrust he prodded his old friend.

Jackob snorted at his friend while rolling his eyes.

"Do you think I have the balls to pull your leg in this situation?" he said while glancing at the third person in the room.

"Well last time it was clearly..." as Miller tried to explain himself he suddenly got cut off.

"I don't have time for this grandpa. Do you approve or not?" a soft yet strong voice carried over as Senna quickly tried to get them back on track. She looked intently at her grandfather.

After listening to Jackob's explanation she had first found it utterly ridiculous. But after getting the full story it seemed like a worthy shot. The inner and middle parts of Anbriot's Forest were still mostly unexplored. Not forgetting the legendary Expanse... The thought of going treasure hunting in these parts made Senna's blood boil in excitement...

The reason Senna was present with these two old farts was largely because of Jackob's request. He wanted someone skilled and trustworthy to verify their remotely gathered data. In fact, the most crucial point was to figure out if manatech could function in that environment as the mana in the area was now considered pretty stable.

Millan was looking intently at his granddaughter. He worried about this impulsive lass in his heart but still silently nodded towards both of them. Senna was, despite her looks, a very capable person with a bright and clear mind. It was understandable that Henrik would ask this favor from Senna.

Senna owned a small and agile airship known as Auridian. It was widely known in the city as a fast moving ship with enough storage to hold all the manatech that the test required. As well as enough space for the crew Magican's Guilds staff that would accompany her on the trip.

It was the obvious choice as this mission would require both speed and maneuverability if it would have any chance of success.

After exchanging a few words Senna left the room to gather up her crew and prepare the mission. She would also have to visit Jackob to finalize the details tomorrow morning.

The next morning Senna woke up and walked down the stairs into her parent's living room. After coming home last night she had gone to her parent's house to tell them that she would be gone for a while. When they heard about her destination they tried to talk her out of it and had silently cursed at that old man for not keeping his mouth shut. After a lengthy discussion they finally gave their silent approval. With it being late she had stayed over and eaten dinner while talking about various lighthearted subjects.

When she finished her breakfast she left for the inner district for her meeting with Jackob.

Walking into the brightly lit hall in the Magican's Guild. She walked over to the reception table and pressed her hand down on the magical circle engraved on the stone table. After a short flash of palish blue light she waited for a moment before a neatly dressed old lady walked out and stood behind the table.

"What can I do for you today?" she asked with a slight husky voice.

"I'm here to talk with the Guild master concerning an request he put in" Senna smiled politely at the old lady as she explained the reason for her visit.

"Oh.. You must be Senna then" she responded with a knowing look, then continued "Follow me to the reception room please"

The Magican's Guild really lived up to their reputation Senna silently thought as she sat in the large comfortable couch. The room was simple yet elegant as small yellow crystals were hanging from the ceiling in circular patterns giving a bright yet natural light in the room. The four couches were places in a square around a long and elegant table with a bowl of fruit standing in the middle. Pictures and various relics lined the walls making one wonder about how much money was placed in this small room...

As Senna's occupational issues started flowing forth she suddenly heard the door to her left slowly creak open as the Guild Master entered the room. Henrik was not the oldest Magican in the branch but he was widely known and respected as one of the greatest mages in the country. As he sat down in front of Senna he opened his mouth.

"Thanks for coming. I gather you have accepted my request?" he said with a small polite smile.

Senna and Henrik had actually known each other. Her father and grandfather had worked together with Henrik in the inner branch before moving to the outer city. When Senna was a child she would often follow her father around the Magican's research lab and get into trouble with the researches.

"Yeah yeah. You know I can't let a chance like this pass me by" Senna said with an overly obvious fake smile plastered across her face.

Senna was used to Henrik making fun of her. That's why she stopped calling him 'Uncle Henrik' after she figured out that he liked bringing the small and adorable Senna endless troubles. This had apparently upset Henrik as he never had a child of his own and really liked the feeling of being called Uncle...

After a short pause Henrik said "I'm glad to hear it..." after finishing his sentence he looked at Senna with a smile that slowly turned into a straight line.

"Don't you have something to say young lady?" he said with obvious displeasure written all over his face.

Senna looked at him with a smirk and continued "Yeah. I'm going to set out after a few days and I hope your people are ready by then. I'll meet them at the airfield in three days when the sun rises" after running that sentence through she stood up and walked towards the door.

As she grabbed the door handle she looked back towards Henrik as he looked at her leaving.

"Old Man Henrik" she laughed as she left the room.

In the silent room Henrik sat starring at the door for a moment before shaking his head with an hopeless expression

'Damn brat I'll make you call me uncle even if it's the last thing I do"