It had almost been a week since Ghezin had first told me about cycling and I was progressing well enough. As long as I wasn’t actively stressing my body I could absorb enough to offset my output, successfully pulling it off. The problem arises when I start to do physically demanding things, my soul sends out ether to support those limbs, and I can’t regulate it properly causing it to create fluctuations. Walking around was about the best I could manage.

“What is your name?” The sudden voice I heard startled me causing me to lose focus and stopping me from absorbing ether.

“And I was doing so well. Oh, and I haven’t told you?” Ghezin from across the hall shook his head, “It’s Arthur” I answered. “Now since I’m distracted, got any tips on moving while doing this?”

“Thank you for giving me your name, however, this ‘technique’ as you put it, is best learned by one’s lonesome” he started, “I probably have a different way of thinking about it that would end up confusing you.”

“Had to ask, oh and also, could you interrupt me randomly?” I asked.

“It has been a while since I met someone so devoted to one task, I will on one condition that will further help you. Every time I interrupt you, you will tell a story about any part of your life, during this try to continue to cycle to improve your ability to do this automatically.” He explained.

“Alright, try to do it every other hour or so, change up the pattern,” I said right before getting back to focusing on absorbing ether.

I got into a rhythm for the day, absorbed ether, and then focused on moving just one limb steadily. I don’t know how much time passed when Ghezin first spoke to me again but it had felt like hours. This instantly broke my concentration but I continued my conversation with him. While I told Ghezin about my first time trying to infuse my body with ether to improve its strength, I tried to start absorbing ether.

I was instantly met with failure time and time again, either by stopping my story midway through or by failing to absorb ether. This happened time and time again and I realized how much of a problem this was, I couldn’t even talk to anyone without failing to conceal my ether.

For the rest of the day, I continued trying to focus on keeping a steady stream of ether flowing into my soul while my body performed various actions. Every once in a while Ghezin would say something and I would start to tell him a story as per our agreement. Throughout the day I told him a story about my first crush, quite an… interesting topic, but Ghezin seemed to appreciate it.

By the time night fell I was at the point where I could sit still, and still have the ability to move my eyes without being detected, small movements were also possible. Some progress but not enough for me to truly say I could hide my etheric presence before we made it to our destination, at least if Ghezin was correct in his assumption of arriving tomorrow or the day after. However, at least he thought it was impressive at the rate I was learning.

“Well continue if you want however, I won’t be awake to interrupt you. Slumber is calling me” Ghezin said while interrupting me. I managed to continue to cycle until I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head which caused it to stop for a few moments before I continued.

“Damn that hurt, who’s hitting me in the back of my head” I looked up to see Ghezin with a shocked expression that I fully thought meant I was on my way to see Dulandir himself. When I turned around to view the ever-approaching death I noticed a blue mess of feathers. “Surogh we’ve been over this, let’s not hit my head, now move so I can see what my friend is looking at so intensely,” and when I grabbed him and put him in my lap I noticed that nothing at all was behind him, “Ghezin, what are you gaping at?”

“I don’t know what shocks me more, the fact that you have a name for him, or that he seems more than fine in you treating him like a pet. Arthur do you not know what he is?” Ghezin’s expression was dangerous, I honestly felt like I was holding onto a beast that was sacred to his people.

“Not really,” I replied while looking at Surogh. “I mean I’ve known him for a good four years now, should I?” It’s not like my father ever met Surogh, and he was my teacher about beasts.

“I don’t know how rare they are outside of Eldora, but they are known as legends to us, even to the Kythrax of Thaloria they are considered sacred,” He started.

“And you have still yet to tell me, Ghezin what is currently perched on my head” Surogh, who seemed extremely content with himself, was currently on my head staring down at me.

“Surogh, as you’ve named it, is a phoenix, well at least a type of pheonix,” He said it so matter of factly that I would’ve believed him almost no matter what he said, but he said phoenix. They weren’t a once-in-a-hundred-years kind of monster, but I had never heard of a blue one before.

So I picked up Surogh off my head, and looked in his eyes, studying them for anything. “I mean, they are rare, but how rare are blue ones, I have never even heard of them before,” I asked both Ghezin and the bird in my arms.

“If you want the easy answer,” I heard from in front of me, “I have only seen a phoenix twice and I have never in my long life even heard of a blue phoenix, either in legend or anything else. I wouldn’t believe it from anyone, but all the signs of a phoenix are there, so unless my eyes aren’t to be trusted, that should be a phoenix.”

If knowing that you were holding a possibly ancient if not incredibly dangerous beast was not terrifying I wouldn’t know what was, so I did the first thing that came to my mind.

“Surogh, for an ancient being, you are oftly attached to me, would you mind at least pearching on my shoulder? My neck is getting stiff from supporting both of us.” Was asking the bird that could potentially set this entire ship on fire to move a good idea? Probably not, but I wanted out.

My question was rewarded with a squawk, then after some shuffling and a few hairs getting pulled out, Surogh moved onward to my lap and curled up, eventually making a soft hum.

“Never would I even imagine seeing a sight like that, I’m surprised you dare to just sit there, I certainly would not,” Ghezin stated.

“Well, I’ve known him for four years and asked him weirder things. It is nice to know what he is though, he never came with me to see my father. I think you are the only other person who knows he exists” Ghezin looked happy, maybe for the first time since we ever met. At least to this extent, all his prior emotions looked so muted compared to this.

Ghezin looked about for a moment before saying anything, “I’m glad I met you, Arthur, even though it was in these circumstances, and I don’t think you will ever fully understand it”

“Maybe you are right, maybe you aren’t but I can still thank you for everything you’ve done to keep me working and to keep my mind away from these somber times” I replied, fully meaning every word.

“Getting all respectful? Doesn’t sound like you at all. I suppose it might be time to follow Surogh’s example however, he seems to have dosed off and it would be rude of us not to join him”

I laughed, then replied, “You’re right, it would be rude of us to not join Surogh, can’t have this ancient thing waiting for us” I instantly laid down, despite Surogh’s complaints, but he soon found another spot on me to rest.

In the dark cell before I drifted off to sleep I heard Ghezin speak, “And to think that this kid is cycling ether throughout the entire day. It’s insane” I was completely unaware of the fact that I was subconsciously cycling it, but this brought a smile to my face, I was making progress.

I wasn’t sure when I had fallen asleep but I awoke to the sounds of ships and waves crashing against the shores. Surogh had already made his escape, and Ghezin was already awake. I shook off the weariness of sleep and then made sure I was still cycling ether. At some point while asleep I stopped cycling, it took a few moments before I started again.

“Well looks like you are finally awake,” The sudden voice off to my side said.

I first made sure I was still cycling but then replied, “I’ll always get up eventually Ghezin, anyways do you know where we are?”

He thought for a second before answering, “Most likely Vari, but we could’ve ended up in Zephyr, either is bad for us though”

“Vari is near Thaloria right? Up in the north?” I waited for a second, Ghezin nodded and then I continued, “Give it an hour and we should know” I had a feeling he knew exactly where we were, but if he was scared then it was better I didn’t know.

We waited in silence for what seemed like hours, waiting for anyone to come and retrieve us, or give us any notion of why we were there. During this time I put all my effort towards walking around my cell, while still cycling ether.

By the time we were retrieved, I had confidence that I could hide my presence while on the move. A guard, smaller and shorter than Ghezin, came to take us to the deck of the ship. Before we went to the deck, he gathered around fourteen others in our section.

The halls of the ship were bland much like our cells, but when we reached the deck I felt as if I had been blinded. Spending days, if not weeks in a cell with a single-window feeding light into the ship had my eyes become unaccustomed to the seemly blinding world.

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By the time my eyes adjusted, I could see that there were thirty or so other people. They mostly consisted of Kythrax and Human but there were a few Aviora. I was surprised, you didn’t see the bird-like race of nomads often. They came in a myriad of colors, mostly consisting of browns and greys. Their beaks came in different shapes and sizes, and their hands and arms looked akin to wings.

“Everyone on the deck, go towards the wagons and follow the guards. Just comply, if any of you could fight back you wouldn’t be here,” I couldn’t make out who the voice had come from, but it came from the bow.

Slowly the groups of people made their way off the ship and onto the docks. We were herded like cattle into wagons, but I managed to be beside Ghezin the entire time.

The wagons were simply wooden cages on wheels, meant to discourage us from escaping.

I heard Ghezin sigh and then say, “From one cage to another,” I agreed. I wholeheartedly agreed with both the sigh and the statement.

We were there for at least an hour while the guards were preparing to leave. During that time I examined the city, trying to find any discerning factors.

It was mostly built from wood, there were a few stone buildings around, but I couldn’t see any manors. They seemed to be with the times, with stone roads, and carriages pulling cargo from the docks. There were hundreds of people moving all around us, while the younger ones stared, the older ones seemed to know what was going on.

We started to move through the town rather slowly after that hour. It allowed me to see many things. The market was full of people and stalls, all selling different things, some infused, while others were not. The stalls ranged from food to gear for adventurers, some seemed to be outlets for stores.

Eventually, we made it to a warehouse, our residence for the coming days. It was shit, I’m certain a barn would’ve had better conditions. It was run down, terribly nauseating, and had many weak beasts living inside the walls.

“First we are treated like cattle, then stored worse than them,” I remarked. It made me want to try something, as pointless as it would be.

Then I heard Ghezin talk, “Next thing you know we are going to be eating worse than them,”

Not missing a beat I added, “We already have been, don’t you remember that slop?” Ghezin chuckled, then settled against the wooden cage, leaning his head back against the bars.

I walked over and sat beside him, then whispered, “We just going to be sitting here or are we going to do something?”

“I’m going to fall asleep, I’m assuming we might stay here for a while so might as well get comfortable, I suggest doing the same,” He answered, then he closed his eyes.

Did Ghezin mean something, or was he genuinely telling me to fall asleep? I decided to listen to him, he hadn’t led me wrong before now, no reason to not believe him.

I put my head down and my nightmares found me. These had been going on since I had been taken, but every night they got worse and worse.

This nightmare had reached its crescendo when I woke up, but I awoke to Ghezin shaking me awake.

Immediately I asked, “What?” While doing so I looked around to see if there was any reason for him to wake me up.

“Watch,” and he only said that one word before leaning back on the bars, however, he didn’t close his eyes this time. Instead, he watched the rest of the prisoners and saw something, but I didn’t know what. Eventually, I thought I sensed something, something ether related came from the crowd. Was someone using ether? Did they hide the fact that they could use it?

Then it happened. In an instant, a few of the bars were burned off, and most of the prisoners ran. They all started running and I got up to chase after but I felt a hand pull me back down.

When I looked over my shoulder I noticed that Ghezin pulled me back, and then he said “Don’t, you will either die, get forced to reveal what you are cycling, or just get caught and brought back under worse circumstances. It’s not worth it, I promise you.” Staying in that cage was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but he was right. The people that were brought back were covered in injuries and a few were returned as corpses.

I remember being trapped inside that warehouse for a day or two, and my captors didn’t feel like removing the corpses. Using them as a reminder, or a deterrent to people trying to take us. The smell they created was horrible, and just seeing corpses put me off. Even if I didn’t try to look at them I knew they were there, my eyes always seeing at least one in its peripherals.

It put me off, it wasn’t my first time seeing the dead, but I think anyone in my situation would’ve been at least a little off-put by the stench alone. Ghezin handled himself far better than me, I don’t know if it was an act but it was impressive regardless. His being so stalwart helped me, it felt like it kept me sane.

Throughout it, I kept up with my cycling and kept my ether in check while I slept but the bodies kept putting seeds of doubt in my mind. Finally giving me a clear view of the consequences of what might happen if I ended up failing to suppress it.

These were my thoughts before I heard Ghezin speak up, “You’ve been cycling constantly for at least two days, I think we can say you’ve learned it. That aside, how are you holding up?”

“I’ve been better, feel a bit weak, and all using ether so differently feels off. Like a sore muscle in a place you didn't know existed. Make sense?”

“Plenty sense. If you feel the need to talk or have questions, just ask. About anything, ok?” Ghezin said while looking concerned.

I quickly replied “Yeah, no problem. I’ll do that,” trying to alleviate some of his concern. I was fine, right? There were no consequences to using ether like this? Well, hopefully not. Ghezin would’ve warned me already.

As the days passed, more people were being held within the warehouse. The town guard did not care and even offered to help guard the warehouse for some coin. Even after they saw multiple kids get stolen away from their families they just sat there and watched, revolting. Soon the carriages were full of people, replacing the dead that used to be here and adding a surplus. By the time they were finished, I had counted that we were around sixty, around double what originally landed herewith.

I remember one of my conversations quite vividly, I was sitting where I usually did with my head against the bar behind me. I was quite content but was then reminded of Surogh in the most curious way and smacked on the top of my head.

“Wake up,” Now I was pretty sure that Surogh wouldn’t have sounded like a girl if he could talk, and I’m confident Ghezin didn't either so I kept my head down. I thought that it was just a dream or my imagination but the voice persisted, “Don’t ignore me, I’m right here,” If only I could relax.

Having no patience I responded, “What?” As I opened my eyes I noticed that she was waving her hand in front of my eyes. My voice seemed to surprise her and she jumped back when I asked my question. There was a long pause as I waited for her to answer. Eventually, I asked, “Did you need something?” Nothing, “Alright,” and I closed my eyes and leaned back again.

“Sorry for disturbing you,” After hearing her speak up I felt something sit beside me, then heard her sigh.

“You ok?” I asked out of reflex.

“No, and if you are ok then something has to be wrong with you,” She stated as if it was simply a truth to the world.

“So why are you sitting here?” I asked, “Surely you wouldn’t want to be near someone who ‘has something wrong with him’”

“You can’t be that bad, you’re only what, fifteen?”

“Close enough, but I don’t see how age is relevant here”

She thought to herself for a moment or two before saying, “I don’t believe that you are ok, at least not fully, and therefore you only have a little wrong with you”

“Well you aren’t wrong there,” I said. I wasn’t ok, at least not fully and so we sat there. I had nothing else to say, as there was no point in arguing over it. She was just as shaken from the entire ordeal, probably more so.

I swear I almost didn’t hear it, but she said in the faintest voice, “I miss home”

I turned to look at her, she was probably fifteen, maybe sixteen, but she could’ve been younger. She had disheveled grey hair, the same color as my father’s. Her white eyes were like the peaks of mountain tops, the faintest bit of yellow making them glow.

I chuckled to myself then said, “Well if you didn't, then something would have to be wrong with you”

“Wise words, obviously the person who originally told you should be thanked for how true they are,” She replied. Subtle hint.

I sighed and then said, “Oh but where could I find them,” She put a finger to her mouth as if thinking, then brought a fist to her hand.

“Let’s ask your friend, he seems to be paying attention,” She then turned to Ghezin who was sitting on the other side of me, “So do you know who told him that?”

Ghezin smirked, then stroked his imaginary beard, “Well I know I didn’t, so I believe that means you must’ve told him… yes that sounds right” I turned to Ghezin to give him the most deadpan stare I could before turning back.

“Well, it seems I must thank you, but how am I supposed to do that without your name?” I asked.

“That’s an easy fix, I’m Rana, may I know yours?” She asked.

“Arthur, and thank you, Rana,” I finished. Then I felt Ghezin tap me on my shoulder.

Then he leaned in really close and whispered in my ear. “You stopped cycling”

I gave him yet another stare.