The backyard was walled off on all the sides. And Pheonix noticed that in a corner there are logs stacked along with the bags of charcoal. On the other side there are few targets and wooden dummes and a few discarded metal pieces. There was a Store room on another side of the yard where, Phoenix believed were the metals and other tools were kept.
"Lad, let us see how you use your sword. Show me the first 10 move of the basic sword stances."
Nodding his head, Phoenix stood at the center of the yard and drew his sword. The moment he drew the sword from it's scabbard and executed the 10 moves and sheathed it back, it felt like a stroke of brush on a plain sheet from a master painter.
"Flawless...." Tina can say just a world.
"As you said, the sword suits you well." Master Leed agreed and walked into his store room. He came out holding a few items.
"Here hold this." He gave a piece of wood which was already shaped for hilt.
"No. It won't suite you." He took the piece of wood back and gave another one...
And the process continued for sometime and after trying more than 17 different types of wood and bone and horn handles, both Pheonix and Master Lee nodded in satisfaction on a beast horn. The thickness and the fell were perfect.
"What about the crossguard? Do you have any preference?"
"No, Master Lee, I just want one which can last for a long time."
"Hmmmm..... Alright I have a piece of rare metal somewhere, I can use it. Do you use both hands while fighting?"
"Sometimes when fighting, I do take support of my left hand sometimes for some added force and support." Pheonix said after thinking for a few seconds.
" Alright then, I will provide a metal pommel at the bottom. As the hilt and pommel's are readily available and not much modification required, I can get the crossguard ready and attach the hilt and Pommel within a couple of hours."
Thanking Master Lee, Pheonix decided to comeback after a couple of hours and left the shop along with the two girls.
"Senior Diana, is he your Uncle!?"
"Yes Pheonix, he is my uncle from my mother's side. He is my mothers elder brother."
"I head you saying that, Tina's aura was fluctuating on your first day. How can you notice it? Even I have difficulty noticing the changes in aura." Dian asked curiously and even Tina looked at him to see his reaction.
"I am somewhat sensitive to the change in the aura around me. When I felt that there is some restlessness in Senior Tina's aura, I asked her about her health, thats all."
Even though both of them were inconvenience by his answer, they didn't persue the matter further. They, being the students of the academy knew that, noticing mana fluctuations around you cannot be noticed by a normal person. And the theory was proven correct on the same day when Phoenix had an exchange of bouts with Master Xavier.
After saying goodbye near their quarters, Phoenix walked towards his living quarters. When he came back, he saw both girls still in the reading room. Samantha reading a book with wrapped attention and Kate dozed off, nodding her head to the wall behind her sitting on the floor.
Smiling at Kate, he started to Walk towards the reading room. Hearing the footsteps Samantha looked up and was about to say something when Pheonix put his finger to his lips pointing towards Kate.
Snickering silently, Samantha continued reading the book and Pheonix took a book, sat on the ground next to Kate and starded to read. After a few minutes, Kate's head restrd on Pheonix's shoulder and she comfortable adjusted her position and slept.
Both Pheonix and Samantha exchanged surprised looks and then went back to their studired. After almost an hour, Kate yawning opened her eye and found her head on Phoenix's shoulder and to her utter embarrassment she had even drooled on his shoulder.
She jumped and stood up blushing. "I am sorry Nic, It's so embarrassing. Please give me the shirt. I will wash it up for you." In her heist, Kate started to pull off the shirt from Phoenix.
"Kate, what are you doing!!?" Samantha stood up and shouted watching the action of her friend.
Coming back to her senses, Kate stopped pulling on the shirt, blushing and looked away from him. Phoenix adjusted his shirt back. "Mom I know I am your son, but still I am a grown one now. It would be awkward if you try to give me a bath at this time." There was a wry smile on his face.
Samantha burst out laughing and even Kate turned towards Phoenix and swatted at his arm playfully. "But seriously Nic, please give me your shirt later, I will wash it up for you. It feel embarrassing. " Kate said .
"It's ok Kate, I will just go into the pond with the shirt. Anyway from tomorrow onwards, I will not be wearing this anymore." Pheonix waved away Kate's concern."
"Did you got your sword hilt fixed?"
"It would be ready in a few more minutes. Want to head out for some tea?"
"Absolutely..." both the girls got up and straightned their dresses. "Give us a few minutes and we can go." Kate said and started towards her room. Samantha followed her and went to her own room.
Phoenix went to the store room, took out his old short and put it on. 15 minutes later both the girls came down looking fresh and regal.
The three of them walked towards master Lee's shop. Once there, Master Lee asked them to follow him to his backyard and gave Pheonix his sword and asked him to try it.
As soon as Pheonix pulled the sword out of it's sheath, he executed a few sword stances and sheathed the sword back grinning.
" It's perfect Master Lee. Thank you so much." Pheonix bowed and without asking anything, he took out the pouch given by Mr. Richards and gave it to Master Lee.
"Kid, its too much. I can't accept this. There are atleast 150 to 200 gold here and the material I used hardly costs half of it."
"Please I insist Master Lee. Besides, Mr. Richards informed me to give this pouch for the hilt of the sword." Pheonix refused to take the amount back and without any other option Master Lee had to keep it .
Do you want anything to be engraved on the sword lad?
" If you can, would you be able to please engrave my hero's name on it?"
" Why not lad. Tell me what should be written on it."
"Simon Dragonheart " Pheonix said winking at the girls.
"Good, good. Let's hope you also will become someone like him in the future." After saying that, master Lee started to engrave .
It proved exceptionally difficult to engrave on the blade but with right tools and persistence, Master Lee not only engraved the name but also engraved the emblem of Dragonheart's family.
Phoenix bowed his head deeply in respect and took his leave. When Master Lee was about to close his shop, he noticed another pouch where Pheonix was sitting with a small piece of parchment below it.
" For the broken engraving diamond tip tools"
Reading this, Master Lee let out a booming laughter. "Kid, you are an excellent observer."