“They’ve sent a what?”

“A subjugation squad. C’mon, let’s go.”

My mentor grabbed me by the wrist, yanking me to my feet, but before he could even go more than a few steps, Scyla stood up and stood in his way.

“Can I help you?” My mentor growled. Scyla, who overwhelmed me with her vitality over the past hour, still seemed far too insignificant to confront the dark-haired man.

“We were in the middle of a meal.”

My mentor looked back at the table, eyebrows arching as he returned to watching Scyla. “No many meals I can think of that don’t involve food.”

Scyla simply placed her hands on her hips, her look that of someone who wasn’t about to back down any time soon.

My mentor rubbed at his eye before sighing. “You’re the youngest of the Eorial kids under Esher?”

“I am.” Scyla puffed her chest out with pride.

“Well, your family has been hounding me since they caught wind of me being here. You’re an annoying bunch, but you’re good at what you do; I’ll give you that. If you managed to entrap the kid here, you’re cleverer than your siblings. So, what is it you’re after?”

Scyla began to open her mouth, but my mentor stuck his finger out before she could utter a single word, silencing her.

“On second thought, never mind. I bet I can guess. Well, young Eorial, I’ll make you a deal. I do know how your family enjoys these backroom deals. Currently, there is a subjugation squad here in Theronhold-”

I saw as Scyla’s eyes widened at the mention of a subjugation squad, but I was just as clueless as before as to who or what they were.

“-now, they will catch wind of me, of us, shortly, I’m sure of that. Unless, of course, a certain enterprising Eorial were to purposely suppress information circulation.”

I saw as Scyla’s eyes which had just been widening in surprise, were now filled with a hungry gleam.

“What do I get in return?”

“Straight to the terms. Good, I can appreciate cutting out excess. Buy us five days, and you can have this.”

Grabbing from within the folds of his clothes, my mentor pulled out a ring unlike any I’d seen before. The band was gold, or at least I figured it was gold; it was as if it had absorbed a rainbow of darkness into it, luster exchanged with shadows. Within it lay a gem that would have been mistaken for a cheap small diamond if it weren’t for being the color of twilight.

“Is that-” Scyla’s voice came out breathily as if she were struggling to form words.

“You have a good eye. This here is an Ornnax ring with a nightstone gem. I once wore it everywhere I went, but now I’m beyond such things. It no longer has enchantments or magic of any sorts within, but nightstone has the capability to-”

“To be re-enchanted endlessly.” Scyla finished, her eyes twinkling.

“Leave it to an Eorial.” My master nodded before continuing. “While it doesn’t have any magic within, you can think of it as my personal signet. Use that as you will. Perhaps it can give you the influence needed to build yourself a foundation as a contender for your family games.”

There were many things I would have expected to see, perhaps Scyla bartering better terms or maybe her look of curiosity that I had come to recognize.

I didn’t expect her to drop to one knee, pressing an arm against her chest as if my mentor were some king she was paying respects to.

“You have my eternal gratitude.”

“While that is a nice thought, I’ll start with just the five-day head start. Sound good?”

“Of course.” Scyla was still bowing down as my mentor turned toward me.

“Alright, that’s enough fooling around. While I might suggest considering your…. Friends better in the future, young Eorial here seems like she has some worth, but she found you rather than the other way around, so don’t get yourself a big head.”

“Yes, master.” I nodded.

“Now, time to go.”

My mentor turned around, walking out of the fine dining establishment as if he owned the place, with all the authority of a king. There were only one or two other small groups within the restaurant, but even they seemed to bow their heads as he walked by, as if subconsciously trying to hide from his gaze.

Wonder if that has anything to do with him being a magical beast that they naturally feel the need to hideaway.

If anything, it made Scyla seem that much more impressive. She had set herself in front of the man-beast as if he were nothing but an insulting person.

Well, not like that is wrong either.

I had begun to walk away when suddenly I heard a voice call out from behind me, Scyla standing tall as she watched me.

“Rook. Until we meet again.”

I wasn’t sure what was the proper thing to say, so I opted to nod instead before turning back around and hurrying after my master.

Little foreboding, though, don’t you think?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Looks like our head start is about over.”

“What?” I turned to look at my master as we sat around a bonfire, the night stars twinkling high overhead.

“They’re coming.”

“What do you mean? I don’t understand anything you just said.” I waved my hands, cranky and tired after six days of hard travel. True to his word, shortly after dragging me out from the restaurant I had been at with Scyla, we had immediately set out for the Pond of Elvermarzon, a seven-day journey by foot. I had suggested we try to get ourselves some horses, but my master had shut that down with a quick shake of his head.

“Horses tend to get skittish around me. The longer the exposure, the worse it gets.”

“Why?” I had asked, surprised the horses could somehow sense something which most mages couldn’t.

“Animals, unlike humans, have always retained their instincts against a predator. Even the sturdiest and most resolute horses would break after only a day or two around me.”

The matter settled; we had slipped out from the city the same day, keeping our heads low as we traveled the main road out from the city, at least until nightfall were we slipped off the well-worn route to the south, veering off towards the direction where the Pond apparently lay.

Without the easy road to travel on, the journey had been arduous, the elevation slowly climbing with each step as the ground turned harder and rockier. I knew that central Haerasong was largely deserts and rocky mountains intermixed with oases. Dunehold, the regional capital of central Haerasong, was founded on one such oasis, but I hadn’t expected the woodland terrain of the north to bleed away so quickly. Dryer, thinner air, combined with hard ground that I was unused to walking on, my mood had soured rapidly as we made our way as quickly as possible to the Pond of Elvermarzon, hidden away within a minor mountain to the south.

“I said they’re coming. Your little girlfriend-”

“One, not my girlfriend, two, only just met her like an hour earlier.”

Even given the apparent rush we were in, my mentor cast me an amused look. “Whatever kid. She did her part, managed to keep ‘em off our tail for a full six days. I must say I do have quite the eye for potential.”

“But I was the one who found her.” I retorted.

“No, she found you. You wouldn’t have seen the resource that she was. I did. So, therefore, this is my success, not yours.”

“Sure.” I grumbled.

“Regardless, she did a good job, but it was inevitable that they would eventually find out. Because she bought us an extra day, we may be able to make it all the way to the Pond before they reach us.”

“Shouldn’t we get moving right now, then?” I asked though part of me was hoping he would say no.

“No.”

Thank the lords and gods above.

“First of all, it’s dark out. While I can see just fine, you’re only human. I don’t need you breaking an ankle on me because you didn’t realize you were stepping into a crack in the ground. Second, you need to rest while you can. The Pond will be enough of an ordeal for you as is.”

“What do you mean ‘enough of an ordeal’?”

“You’ll find out. I can’t put it into words, as I haven’t experienced it myself.”

“You haven’t?” I raised an eyebrow, surprised that there was something my master hadn’t experienced given his lifespan.

“Of course not. The Pond only accepts those with the blood of Sages running through them.”

“Blood of Sages…?”

“An expression, it’s not a literal bloodline thing, though you would likely be set either way given your… circumstances.”

Right, I’m technically a reincarnation, just a failed one.

“It means that only those who follow the footsteps of Sages can be accepted into the Pond’s waters, and those without magical capability are outright rejected from the cavern.”

“Cavern?”

“The Pond in a cave atop a small mountain.”

“How small is ‘small’?”

“We’ll reach the mountain tomorrow.” My master spoke over me as if I had said nothing in the first place. “It will take us around half a day to reach the top.”

Right. So not that small at all.

“You still haven’t explained how you know they are after us now.”

“We’ll call it a gift of mine. When my name is spoken near a shadow, I can hear what is said.”

“That’s handy.” I poked a stick into the fire as a new thought entered my mind. “Why haven’t you told me your name yet?”

“Names mean something powerful, beyond magic, beyond spells. Names represent who we are. I have lived generations of lifetimes and have had many identities, titles, and names. To give you my name would be inviting you into my story.”

“Aren’t I already in it?” I questioned. It was one of those moments where the way my master spoke, his mannerisms, seemed to change, retreating within himself as if talking from a distant point, a storyteller rather than a person explaining their own life.

“You are not. You are merely coinciding with a point for now. One day, perhaps I will give you my name. For now, you can continue to refer to me as master.”

Had it been me from when I first met the magical beast, I would have argued, only shutting up out of fear that my proclaimed mentor was a magical beast of the highest degree.

Now the reason I went silent had to do with neither of those. Rather, I had already hitched my wagon to his horse; for better or worse, I was with him until we reached the Pond.

Then what?

It was a question I hadn’t thought about in detail. Part of me had expected to continue to wherever was next, but the way my master spoke made it more and more evident that he had no intention of sticking around me for the long haul.

At what point he would decide it was time to part ways was anyone’s question, but I was sure that he would eventually leave me behind to go off to who knows where.

So what then?

I stared into the fire, letting all the possible futures dance before me. I could always return to Theronhold, track down Scyla, and see about casting my lot with her. The thought wasn’t entirely unappealing, but there was also the fact that the world she belonged to was one I had no experience with; I was a stranger to it.

No. I shook my head. Scyla isn’t the answer.

My next thought was of the esteemed academies of the country, training mages of the future. I could look to enroll where I would be given guidance and education in magic, its history, and its depths.

But really, what’s the point?

I wasn’t a mage, not really. One day I would be capable of using magic, or at least my mentor made it sound that way, but I would never be a true mage. My ability to use mana was gimped in comparison to my would-be peers. At this level, I wouldn’t be able to develop the necessary mana core to maintain external magic use for more than a spell or two.

I’d at best be a laughingstock, ignored and neglected. At worst, I’d be thrown out, a complete waste of my time and what little money I had.

Which, might I add, my mentor gave back to me after we met back up. Turns out I was right; he had ‘borrowed’ my money when he had been out and about, along with my sword, for whatever reason.

No Scyla. No magic academy. What else?

I could always return home.

I cracked a smile at the thought. I hadn’t been able to take the idea seriously for more than a split second before I threw it out.

No. I won’t be returning home.

No Scyla.

No magic academy.

No home.

There was one thing, though, one thing I’d envisioned since I was young.

I could become an adventurer, just like my mother before me.

I closed my eyes as I savored the thought. An adventurer.

It felt right.

Opening them once more, I saw my master looking at me, a curiosity on his face that I had rarely seen him wear.

“What” I questioned after a moment.

“You. I affirmed your lack of overt ambitions myself, yet it never ceases to amaze me.”

“Were you reading my mind?” I stammered out, surprised he had so accurately understood what was going on in my mind.

“Please, if I could do that, I’d have resolved most of my problems long ago. No, but after nearly a month around you, it’s easy to read you between the looks on your face and your pulse.”

“You can hear my pulse?”

My master stared at me for several seconds.

“Right. Magical beast. That should be obvious.” I muttered under my breath.

“So, what did you decide on?” My master leaned back on his arms as he stared up at the largest of the moons above.

“An adventurer. My mother was once an adventurer, and I’ve always wanted to be one.”

“A good choice.” My mentor nodded, still staring up. “Adventurers are an interesting bunch. Some are there for fame, some are doing it for riches, some are basically mercenaries for higher, and others simply love the adventure, as corny as it may sound. You never know what group any one adventurer might fall into if any. It’s a perfect place for lying low as you begin to touch into the very beginnings of your path, whatever direction that may ultimately take.”

“Thanks… I think?”

“Go to sleep kid.” My master reclined fully on the ground, his arms cradling his head as he stared up. “I’ll keep watch. I don’t need to sleep nearly as much as you do. One way or the other, this ends tomorrow, so get what rest you can.”

I nodded, making myself as comfortable as I could on the ground with the single thin blanket I had, letting the stars above lull me into the depths of sleep.

Just...what…ends…tomorrow…?

--------------------------------------------------------

“Alright, kid, up and at em. We’ve got to cover ground today.”

“Huh?’ I stirred as my mentor ‘gently’ kicked me awake. “Where…wah?”

“Subjugation squad. Pond. That catch you up?”

“Right.” I rubbed my eyes. One moment I had been staring at the stars, the next, I was being woken up roughly. “Question.”

“What?”

“How exactly-” I stopped as I pushed myself off from the hard ground. “-are they going to reach us in a single day? Even with horses, isn’t it a bit much to cover this much ground that fast?”

“They have beasts bred for traversing nearly all terrain at incredible speeds over long periods. In return, they have short lifespans, but short is subjective. Does it matter to us if they live five or ten years if they reach us in a day?”

“I guess not.” I shook my head.

“Good. If you understand, let’s get a move on.”

It was early enough that when we began to set off from our campsite, after hiding the evidence that is, the sun was still only barely rising. I could imagine that had I been back home, I would have been sound asleep, only waking up after the sun had fully risen and begun to shine through my bedroom window.

My bedroom…

It was strange to think that close to a hundred leagues away, my home was standing the same as ever, my room likely in the same state I had left it, the only difference being the lack of people living there anymore.

Or perhaps the village people had burnt the place down as the bad omen I could imagine them painting it as.

I shook my head, casting the thought away. Even if it felt as if today was much like the last few days, I knew better than lull myself into a false sense of security. At least, not when my master had made it abundantly clear that something significant would occur today regardless of what it was.

With that, I turned my attention to the journey at hand.

Just keep going, one foot in front of the other.

The sun, in what seemed to be an act of some vengeful god, traveled through the sky at both a rapid pace that made me fear that we would be caught any minute while also crawling by slowly enough that I felt my anxiety beginning to overflow, wishing that we could just get this over with.

It didn’t help that I saw my mentor making a face when I would steal a glance at him every once in a while. It wasn’t a look of fear, but he was obviously tense, knowing something, able to sense something that I couldn’t.

I hate this, hate not knowing.

Hours after we had initially set out for the day, the sun sat in the sky just short of directly overhead. For over an hour, I saw a group of hills on the horizon that gradually grew taller over that same period until the hills were mountains towering directly before us.

“This is it?” I turned towards my mentor, expecting some sort of quip. Obviously, it was the mountain we had to climb, but he was silent, a far-off look on his face.

“Master?”

My mentor snapped out of it, turning towards me with what was obviously a forced smile.

“Of course, this is it. Do you see any other mountains around?”

“Uhm, actually, yeah.” I pointed to the side, several other nearby mountains making up a ‘small’ mountain range.

“Bah.” My mentor waved it off before pointing forward. “C’mon. Follow me. There is a path that will take us to the top.”

“Whatever you say.” I shrugged, following his lead until something caused me to turn around. Whether it was chance or my instincts, I’m still not sure.

“W-what is that?” I pointed towards the horizon, where I could make out what looked to be a localized dust cloud.

“That-” My master grimaced. “Would be our pursuers.”

“What?” I snapped back to look at my master. “I thought you said we might be able to make it without being caught since Scyla got us an extra day.”

“Keyword was ‘might.’” My master shook his head. “But I’ve been tracking them since they set out. They’ve made better time than I expected.”

“How is that possible?” I felt desperation rising in my throat as I thought of being caught.

“How should I know? Do I look like a horse breeder?”

I was silent, unsure what to say.

“Well, if you understand, then follow me. There is still a shot we make it there before they reach us.”

“Do you mean it, or are you just saying that?” I stared at my master, and it was his turn to remain silent for once.

Nothing more said we began our trek up the mountain. My master hadn’t been lying when he had said there was a path; after a short bit of searching through the mountain brush, we found a trail of aged stone that hadn’t yet eroded. When I looked at my master for an explanation, he simply shrugged.

“What can I say. Magic is an endless field of knowledge. I could live for another ten of my current lifetimes and still not come close to understanding everything.”

With that explanation, or lack thereof, we made our way further up the mountain as the air grew heavier, even with the increasing altitude. It wasn’t just the denser air; the temperature gradually grew warmer, a humidity to the air as if we were traversing through a rainforest and not a mountain range in the middle of some badlands.

After two hours of traversing upwards, I cast a querying glance at the bottom of the mountain, where my blood ran cold.

I could faintly make out our pursuers nearly on the mountain already.

“At least they can’t take the horses up the mountain, right?” I said with a nervous laugh.

When my mentor remained silent, I raised the question again.

“Right?”

“Just keep going.” My master answered dryly.

Oh my gods, they can take the horses up the mountain.

An hour passed.

And then another.

At the very least, even with the horses, they had been forced to slow down considerably as they followed us up the mountain. The thought of the group being somewhere below us terrified me to the point where frantic energy redoubled my efforts.

But it wasn’t enough.

Only a short hike off from the top where the Pond was supposed to be, my master held out a hand, signaling us to stop.

“What is it?” I questioned. I was shifting about, antsy to make it to the top.

“They’ve caught us.”

“What?” I glanced about, but there was no one in sight. “What do you mean?”

“In a few minutes, they will be on us.”

“So? What do we do?” I waved my hands around, frantic energy bursting through me.

My master was silent for several seconds before he finally spoke.

“Go on ahead without me, kid.”

“What?” I stared at him, baffled by what he was saying.

“I said go on without me. The Pond is just up this path; you’ll find a small cave opening. It’s in there.”

“What about you?” I felt my jaw stiffen. As terrified as I was about the idea of being pursued by a group that was enough to give my master a moment’s hesitation, I couldn’t simply leave him behind to face them alone.

In response, my master smiled at me, his teeth growing savagely sharp like the fangs of a….

Well, of a wolf.

“Well, I guess it’s time I finally show off a bit.” My mentor flexed his hand where his nails had elongated into proper claws.

Even with that said, I wasn’t sure. I looked between my master and the path ahead, trying to decide what to do.

“Kid, each one of the mages is likely the caliber of at least a fourth ring sage. You haven’t even reached the point of a single ring Sage. Do you really think you can help me at all?”

I broke. He was right.

Damn it, I hated it, but he was right.

“Fine!” I shook my head, turning away from my mentor as I tried my best to keep a composed look. “But you better be here when I come back.”

“Sounds like a deal.” I heard him snort from behind me.

And just like that, I abandoned my master. I couldn’t look back, not when I barely had it in me to walk away in the first place. I couldn’t help him, not really, but I knew there was a piece of me that couldn’t agree with that. If I turned around now, I would end up staying.

So instead, I scurried up the remaining portion of the mountain as fast as possible. A few minutes later, I heard the distant sounds of a battle breaking out, agonized screams filling the air.

Those better not be your’s, master.

I sucked in a breath, and as I did, a cold surge of clarity and resolve filled my mind. It had never been meant to calm myself and keep a lid on my emotions, but the first stage of my ruptured body was proving more and more useful for just such things. And the best thing was, it took next to nothing out of me; I would be capable of keeping it up for minutes at a time.

Just a little further.

Over time, even the sounds of the distant battle faded away as a new sound began to replace it, one that took me the rest of the climb up to figure out.

Oh.

Cresting the mountain, I could see far off in any direction I looked, but as impressive and humbling as such an experience was for someone who had spent their entire life surrounded by nothing but nearby woods, it wasn’t what caught my eye the most.

What did was the jungle oasis atop the mountain. A small river bubbled out from within the mountain, lush jungle trees filled with fruit casting the area in cool shadows. My eyes followed the small river, where it flowed into a crystal-clear pond within the mouth of a cave, pink crystals popping out from the cracks in the cave’s stone walls.

“So this is it.” I whispered. The thought of the battle below, of whether it was still being fought, were swept away by the cavern pond before me.

“The Pond of Elvermarzon.”