Indeed, Jin had missed how remarkable nature's touch was. How good it felt to have the wind on his face. For the first time in a long time, Jin felt free to do anything. Even his short, shaggy brown strands flew in the wind; the icy whistle announced the waves that froze his nostrils. With each breath, he felt a thermal shock that any normal person would hate. But they were what kept him awake; they also reminded him how grateful he was to be alive. There was no one to judge him that the decision he had made had not been the right one. For him, what needed to be said had been. He was beginning to realize that in this world, people with the awakened nucleus seemed to prioritize power above all else.

He looked up at the sky above, wondering where his father was. He had so many questions to ask his old man. Clenching his wrists along with the horse's thick reins, the glint in his eyes held melancholy in its purest form.

Maybe it was the way he'd been raised. As a purist for the first sixteen years of his life, Jin had valued principles his father considered essential. Not in developing an extremely skilled elemental artist, but in building a boy with a solid character. A boy who didn't care what kind of affinity aroused between the nine elements.

For all intents and purposes, going to Sanctum had lately been Jin's decision. And the failures and disappointments that came with this alternative would naturally be treated in the same way. His father wouldn't blame him for what he did or didn't do. And right now, a date with him was what he wanted most in the world.

But dreams rarely came true so far from home.

In the current situation, the only friend he could count on was whoever traveled with him. His eyes intently focused on the dirt road ahead of them. His hull landed on the musky earth so gently that the rider could wander through his mind without worry.

Jin's mind wandered. The silence and stillness of the green plains of the province of Quelas provided him with the time with himself he had long needed. There were things he had done. Things he'd seen and hadn't stopped to think about and process them.

In a short space of time Jin had awakened his inner core affinity, overcoming barriers he found impossible to overcome after his failure at Sanctum. A finding that would probably have been correct had he not found himself in trouble against a race that overshadowed even the tallest warrior.

But that hadn't been the only thing he had awakened, no. He remembered hearing a female voice, in the heat of the fight. Even though he was alone during that fight, his heart told him the opposite. Thinking back, since that day he was experiencing minor headaches. He didn't think it was a big deal, as they came and went at random times in the day.

However, the early stage elemental warriors that Jin found himself in had severe adverse effects if they used their Inner Technique too much. Jin had seen with his own eyes how bad Eliza had looked when she went too far. And although she didn't necessarily mention migraine episodes, Jin thought it was a possibility that couldn't be ruled out. As his brother said, the best remedy for pains he couldn't do anything about was pretend they weren't there. And Jin had taken that advice to heart, as well as most of his brother's tips.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

With each gallop, the horse's fur slid over Jin's legs. Although cotton was a relatively comfortable fabric, it was far from ideal. The year 943 A.U was drawing to a close with the arrival of the twelfth full moon in the next fortnight. The smoke that escapes his nostrils with each breath was a reminder that it was long past time to switch from cotton to wool.

On summer days when running clutching the mane of his father's mare to the pillory. Those were the days. His crooked walk, as if awake with back pain when getting out of bed, evidenced the discomfort. Until more recently, at the age of fifteen the situation had not changed much and the discomfort was still there. Riding a horse without harness with only the thighs to keep him balanced at speed as Vendrick had already warned him was foolish.

And he didn't disagree in any way. No, his brother was completely correct. But that didn't necessarily imply that Jin needed to harness his father's horse. The mare looked so much more beautiful in her most natural form, in her most beautiful form where the splendor of her brown coat could be seen even by the curious farther on the horizon. And he had also freed the destrier he rode. The only friend he had in this journey, a true friend.

"Do you have a name buddy?"

Jin asked, his hand caressing the horse's mane. The animal's anxious whinny startled him, seeming to understand the naturalness of the question. The surface tickled her palms, each loving pat being like hundreds of the highest quality brushes stinging her gentle hand.

“Easy, easy there,” he whispered as he loosened the reins around its bulky nose, “How about Virtue?”

The quick, rigorous steps suddenly turned into a smooth trot with such comfort that Jin felt floating down the road. "You seem to enjoy it, Virtue it is."

Virtue's tail was swinging freely and evenly at each step. Looking physically more relaxed with his new name, Jin could’ve sworn his lower jaw was hanging down in such a way he seemed to be smiling.

Horses had been men's friends since the days of Azazel, companions and loyal to men during hard times and going into battle fearlessly, with absolute confidence in the rider. They did not receive the same affection and love as other domestic animals like dogs and eagles despite being kind and covering the usefulness of both. In Jin's mind they had always been underestimated, as were the squires and knight wives who were overshadowed by the achievements of their husbands and companions.

Before the elders on Ravnos invented the universal method of training eagles to carry letters among the noble houses, one animal stood out more than any other for the job. According to Alaric, who made the crossing at that time were the horses; no riders needed, as long as they were properly fed on the first trip they blindly trusted that the second trip would also be rewarded by the recipient of the letter.

Jin slightly tilted his head, reaching for his pockets. It was only fair that he too shall grant Virtue a reward, he owed it to him. From there he grabbed an apple he had bought in Fanrir and held it in front of Virtue. His warm tongue wrapped around the fruit and eagerly tasted what was offered in front of him. Jin assumed for a second he thought some of his fingers were about to become desert; luckily for him, Virtue was satisfied and his musky fingers were spared. All he could feel was the warm saliva dripping to his hand as he caressed the alluring mane from above.

It had been days since they left, and all he could afford to share since then had been grass and water. Virtue’s pace quickly increased as he recognized the landscape in front of him. It came in blurs of green plains and grey walls. Sanctum was upon them.