As the first light of dawn stretched over Frostbridge, Orion found himself at the appointed spot, the same place where a small boy had kindled a flicker of hope the day before. True to his word, Alden was already there, his small frame a silhouette against the waking city.

Orion approached, his new sword hanging by his side, a silent guardian to the beginning of something he could scarcely define. "Good morning, Alden," he greeted, his voice carrying the crispness of the morning air. "You are punctual. That is good."

The boy nodded, his demeanor earnest. "Sir, I am ready to learn," he declared.

"Then we shall start at the foundation," Orion said as he paced before Alden. "Tell me, what do you understand of cultivation?"

Alden's brow furrowed in thought, his gaze falling to the ground. "Nothing, sir. I know nothing of it," he confessed, his voice small.

Orion shook his head, not in disappointment but in acknowledgment of the task ahead. Orion regarded him with a gaze that seemed to pierce through to the marrow. "Cultivation, Alden, is the art of drawing upon the world's latent energy, threading it through oneself to strengthen the fabric of our being.” He gestured to the air around them, to the earth beneath their feet. "This energy is everywhere, in everything.”

He saw the wonder in Alden's eyes, the thirst for knowledge. Alden listened, rapt, as Orion continued. "We start by reinforcing the bones. They are the framework of our physical essence, the stones that build the fortress of our body." He tapped his arm, the sound resonating more with the gravity of his words than the actual physicality of it.

"Muscles come next, granting power and mobility. The nerves, they are our conduits for sensation, for reaction. And the brain," Orion touched his temple lightly, "is the seat of will, of consciousness. Each step is integral, and the greater your understanding of these parts, the more adeptly you can weave the energy within you."

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Alden's eyes were wide, his mind racing with the possibilities. "Where did you learn all this?" he asked, his curiosity as palpable as the morning dew.

Orion's reply was tinged with the reminisce of distant memories. "From a life that demanded the knowing, from experiences that carved these lessons into me," he answered with a hint of evasion that suggested a past too complex to unravel in a single telling.

The boy nodded, though Orion could see the questions multiplying behind his eyes. He decided to refocus the boy's attention. "Alden, tell me, are you concerned about the beasts outside the city walls? The ones that have been growing bolder?"

Alden's confidence seemed to falter for a moment, but then he lifted his chin, his voice steady. "I am not worried, sir. The gods will protect us."

Orion's response was a soft sigh, his gaze lingering on the boy. "The gods have their plans, and we have ours. We must be ready to protect ourselves, should their gaze be turned elsewhere."

As the training began, Orion showed Alden the basics, the starting point of a journey that would test both their limits. He taught him the stance, the way to breathe, the art of being present in the moment. "Cultivation is as much about the mind as it is about the body," he explained. "Focus is key."

The morning waned as Alden took his first tentative steps on the path of cultivation under Orion's watchful eye. The boy stumbled, frustrated by the concentration it required, but Orion was patient, correcting and guiding with a firm yet gentle hand.

As they paused, Alden panting slightly from the effort, Orion turned to look towards the forest that bordered Frostbridge. Alden, flushed with the exertion, looked up to Orion. "Will I be able to protect the city like you?"

Orion regarded the boy with a somber sincerity. "In time, perhaps. But first, you must protect and cultivate yourself. Our own strength is the first bastion against the chaos of this world."

Alden followed Orion's gaze, and in that moment, the boy seemed to grow older, a seriousness settling over his features. "I will learn, sir. I will become strong," he vowed, his voice a whisper but his determination a roar.