It came to no one's surprise when Lucos picked Mathias as the second half of his team. The two had been childhood friends from the moment Lucos and his father had moved to the countryside. Mathias showed an rare ambition for a farmer's child, and an even rarer level of bravery. He made Lucos feel that, even though he did not have powers, he was worth something. Maybe even more than something.

The two would stay up at night, telling stories, laughing, and playing, taking care not to wake the rest of the family and failing miserably again and again. Mathias would go on and on about his dreams of exploring the new world, and Lucos would listen with starry eyes, wishing he could join him. But he always knew, in the forefront of his mind, that without powers he would be no help. Even as the sword that would become his weapon glinted in the firelight above him.

They were more than friends. They were brothers. So close that it practically bordered on romance.

Well, this didn't turn out quite how I'd hoped, but it was a fun experiment, nonetheless. Playing with fire is such a challenge, and the shading on this was just...wow. Needless to say, it took awhile. Thank God for the ruler function in Clip Studio.