As he scaled the walls, Dreiki processed what Oruk had said to him. Lawtrick was not good around people. He was extremely competitive, and he his his true anxieties behind a boisterous mask of strength and confidence. Dreiki reflected on his journey up until now. Would someone like Lawtrick have done it better? Would Luna be following Lawtrick? Would Ezo be around?

Was there something Lawtrick lacked, which Dreiki had? Did there even need to be something? As he came to the top of the wall, Luna offered a hand to pull him up. The view was staggering from up here. Nothing but clouds and the occasional peaks which poked above them. And yet there was still one thing missing.

“Where is Arukuniir?” Dreiki asked.

Savekio had already begun to unpack their belongings, “Best to rest for now. We’ve arrived somewhat early. Arukuniir will be ready to awaken tomorrow.”

Dreiki nodded, turning to Lawtrick, “So who won?”

Lawtrick crossed his arms and looked away, “I would’ve if I didn’t take those extra bags.”

Oruk groaned, smacking his forehead, “Guess I owe you five silver, Dreiki.”

“You don’t have five silver right now?”

“Of course not! Haven’t been in a city or town for a little while now, so i’m flat broke. I was hoping Lawtrick would win.”

“I’ll keep a tab open for you, then.” Dreiki chuckled.

The group had settled into a routine for setting up camp by this point. They still had some leftover meat from Lawtrick’s previous hunts. By the time the sun was sinking under the clouds, they had a meal of cooked chimera liver and goat head soup ready.

“So, my disciple, have you found your purpose here?” Savekio said, “You’ve had a week to observe Arukuniir’s final disciple.”

“Lawtrick, would you ever consider Oruk a rival?”

Lawtrick looked up from his meal, cheeks filled with food like a chipmunk. He gulped it down, “Oruk? Nah. He’s too weak.”

“Alas, I wouldn’t want to rival you,” Oruk said, strumming his lute.

“And what about someone like Luna? She is strong.”

Lawtrick raised an eyebrow, “Still weaker than me.”

“And what about Savekio? Or Ezo?”

Lawtrick grumbled, “They wouldn’t count. Not as rivals.”

“And me?”

“You make sense.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re Uncle’s final disciple.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“Uncle wouldn’t have picked you if you didn’t have what it took.”

Dreiki sighed, “So that’s it.”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Do you have your answer, then?” Savekio said.

“I do. Lawtrick has great instincts, incredible talent, and a huge amount of raw power both physically and magically.”

“Thank you!” Lawtrick said.

“But he lacks the ability to look deeper on things, and he doesn’t have discipline to learn new things, such as cooking. He’s not patient, and he’s afraid of social interaction.”

“I feel attacked! Me? Afraid? Never!”

“Oruk hasn’t been in a city since the two of you met, and you’re always ‘saving him’ so he won’t leave, right?”

Lawtrick tensed, “As expected of my rival! Calling me out like that…”

Oruk laughed, “It’s all good, buddy. I’m not gonna leave you anytime soon.”

“Lawtrick is everything I am not, and I am everything he isn’t. Is that correct?” Dreiki said.

“More or less. Arukuniir wanted his son to grow beyond his limitations, but as a lonesome hermit himself, he could never teach those skills.”

“Weren’t we living alone in the woods for the past couple years?” Luna said, “Not sure how a second lonesome hermit is supposed to help.”

“Oh, I was quite the social butterfly in my prime. I’m well connected, but I came to want peace during my final days. Still, I did not spend those days alone for very long.”

“You’ve told Arukuniir a lot about me, haven’t you?” Dreiki said.

“How could I not brag a little bit? Thus far, you have passed every test I’ve given you and then some. You have surprised me at every turn, and shown yourself to be worthy of the blade on your hip.”

Dreiki blushed, “But I am not strong. No matter how hard I train.”

“What you lack is strength, but what you have is the key to true strength. My training was never intended to grant you immeasurable power. It was meant to teach you how to wield it once you’ve found it.”

“And how long until I find it?” Dreiki said, remembering everything that had happened in the Tibur camp. The Siren Ceremony and the War Games. About the incident in Yvian. About Ezo and those three bullies. In every single challenge he’d faced, it never felt like he’d truly won. He was always lacking the strength to determine his fate.

Savekio pressed a finger to his chest, “That is what we are here to do. Before you is a rival who possesses what you lack. You have the patience and wit to wield great power some day. Teach it to Lawtrick, and he will teach you how to find your true strength.”

“I see. Thank you.” Dreiki nodded, “But there’s one thing that always bugs me. Why do any of this? Everyone seems to know what ‘Savekio’s last disciple’ means except for me. What does it mean to inherit your sword?”

“The answer to that requires your patience. The world is suffering. The traditions which we have followed for centuries have slowly decayed into meaningless struggle. Time heals all wounds, but it also drains all meaning. Your mother never destined you for anything but a normal life. As my disciple, I do not aim to put the burden of the world on your shoulders. Your responsibility as my student is to understand the world around you better than I can. What you decide to do with it, is not the business of an old xio like me who will never see what it becomes.”

“In other words, it’s not my destiny to do any of this. It’s my choice.”

Savekio nodded, “I cannot make you believe in yourself. I cannot make you lead revolutions, overthrow kings, and live a life of conflict and struggle. You may take what you learn from me, and use it to live a life of peace. To ensure my blade never again tastes blood.”

“Awww but that sounds boring, Uncle!” Lawtrick said, “What’s the point of learning how to fight if you never fight?”

“We learn to fight so that we never have to,” Savekio said, “In a world of posturing and pride, it is the warrior who is at peace knowing they can handle whatever comes.”

“In other words, I’m meant to teach you how to live peacefully, Lawtrick,” Dreiki chuckled.

“War is a lot more fun! Hunting and fighting is cool.”

After a night of casual conversation and telling stories, Dreiki finally retired for the night. Even though he had adjusted to the thin air, it still left him exhausted. Luna had slept with him every night since encountering the Serephim under the ice. Sometimes he would wake up to her tail squeezing his leg as she quivered in fear of her dreams. Ezo seemed to always sense when she was distressed too, sleeping on the other side of her whenever she was shaking from her nightmares.

When Dreiki woke up to shaking, it took him a few moments to realize it wasn’t Luna who was shaking. It was everything else.

The discordant alien tone of the Seraphim rang, its fiery light burning brightly above them like an artificial sun. There were no words, but Dreiki instinctively understood what its intentions were.

It was here to take Luna.