“They’ve sent a what?”

“A subjugation squad. Now c’mon, I’ll explain as we leave.”

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, blocking his path.

“Can I help you?” My mentor growled. Scyla, whose vitality had overwhelmed me the past hour, seemed insignificant before the dark-haired man, an almost literal force of nature.

“We were in the middle of a meal.”

My mentor looked back at the table, eyebrows arching as he returned to watching Scyla. “Not many meals I can think of that don’t require food.”

Scyla placed her hands on her hips, glaring with an expression that made it clear she wasn’t planning on relenting so quickly.

My mentor rubbed at his eyes, visibly exasperated with the prideful display. “I take it you’re the youngest of the Eorial kids I’ve heard about, then?”

“I am,” Scyla answered, puffing her chest with stubborn pride.

“Your family has been hounding me since they caught wind of me. 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 at least more clever than your siblings. So, what’s your angle?”

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 can guess. How about this, Miss Eorial? I’ll cut you a deal. I’m aware that your family loves this style of backroom deals. Recently, as in within the last few hours, a subjugation squad has been spotted snooping around in Theronhold-”

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

“-who I’m certain came here after being left a tip of someone matching my description. I could give them the slip rather easily if I was alone, but sadly, I am not. As things stand, they will locate us before long. Unless, of course, a certain young enterprising Eorial were to suppress the information circulation.”

Scyla’s eyes, still wide with surprise, filled with a sudden hungry gleam.

“And 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 the folds of his clothes, my mentor pulled out a ring unlike any I’d seen. 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, but nightstone can be -”

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

“Leave it to an Eorial.” My master nodded before continuing. “You can treat it as my personal signet and use it as you will; I don’t care. Perhaps it can even give you the boost needed to gather the affluence required to be recognized as a valid contender for your… family squabbles.”

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 like my mentor were some king she was paying respects to.

“You have my eternal gratitude.”

“While that is a nice thought, how about we start with that five-day head start I mentioned. 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, the young Eorial here seems to have some worth. Though I reckon she found you rather than the other way around, so don’t get yourself a big head over it.”

“Whatever you say.” I nodded, not bothering to argue the statement.

“Good, now then it’s time to go.”

My mentor turned around, walking out of the fine dining establishment place with the authority of a monarch. 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 being a magical beast makes them unconsciously feel the need to hide from him.

If true, it made Scyla more impressive for standing tall before him. By confronting the man-beast as if he were nothing more than a rather insulting individual, she had set herself apart from the rest of the usual rabble, something I suspected as part of why my master had been willing to work with her.

All these amazing people, and then there is me.

We began to walk away when I heard Scyla call out one last time.

“Until next time, Rook.”

Unused to these situations, I awkwardly nodded to her before scrambling to follow my master, who had continued walking without me.

Damnit, I was really looking forward to eating.

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

“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 predators. 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, where we slipped off the well-worn route to the south, veering off toward 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. What I knew of central Haerasong was that it was largely deserts and rocky mountains intermixed with the sporadic oasis. Dunehold, the regional capital of central Haerasong, was founded on one such oasis. Still, I hadn’t expected the woodland terrain of the north to bleed away so quickly. Dry, thin air, combined with the hard ground that I was unused to walking on, led to my mood rapidly souring as we made our way as quickly as possible to the Pond of Elvermarzon, hidden away within a mountain to the south.

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

“One, not my girlfriend. Tw, I only knew her for like an hour.”

Even given our apparent rush, my mentor cast me an amused look. “Whatever, kid. She did her part and 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 and not yours.”

“Sure,” I grumbled.

“Regardless, while she did a good job, it was inevitable that they would eventually find out. She even bought us an extra day, so we may be able to make it the rest of the way to the Pond before they find us.”

“Shouldn’t we get moving 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 on 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 describe it, as I haven’t experienced it myself.”

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“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.

“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 is inside a cave atop the 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 around half a day to reach the top.”

Right. So not that small after all.

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

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

“That’s handy.” A new thought entered my mind as I poked a stick into the fire. “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 for generations and had many identities, titles, and aliases. To give you my name would be inviting you into my story.”

“But aren’t I already in it?” I questioned.

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

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

Now the reason I went silent had to do with neither of those. 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. Still, how 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. Still, I was sure that he would eventually leave me behind, off to where only the heavens and gods above could say.

So what then?

I stared into the fire, imagining what the future held for me within the dancing flames. I could always return to Theronhold, track down Scyla, and see about casting my lot with her. The thought wasn’t entirely unappealing, but the fact remained 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. If I looked to enroll, I could be given guidance and education in magic, its history, and its depths if lucky.

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. I couldn’t develop the necessary mana core to maintain external magic use for more than a single spell.

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, the few academies that did teach the subject of magic would surely be on the costlier side.

Money, which I might add, my mentor had finally returned.

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 perhaps one thing, though, something I’d envisioned as a child.

I was suddenly a kid again, swinging around a wooden practice sword, declaring myself ‘king of the adventurers’ or something along those lines.

When times were simple.

I wasn’t a child anymore, but the thought felt right. It felt the most appropriate of all the possibilities before me, something I could work with.

Opening my eyes 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 ambitions, yet it still amazes me.”

“Were you reading my mind?” I spluttered, taken aback by how accurately he understood what was running through my mind.

“Please, if I could do that, I’d have resolved most of my problems long ago. After nearly a month around you, it’s easy to read you between the look 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 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 mercenaries for hire, and others simply love the adventure, as corny as it may sound. You never know what group any adventurer might be categorized as. It’s a perfect place for lying low as you begin to touch the very beginnings of your path, whatever direction you 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 possible on the ground with my single thin blanket, 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 a lot of ground today.”

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

“Subjugation squad. Pond. That catches 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 the hard ground. “-will they reach us in a single day? Even with horses, isn’t it too 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 only live five years but, in return, can 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 the sun was only barely rising as we set out. 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 the same as I had left it, the only difference being the lack of people living there anymore.

Or perhaps the village people had burnt my home down as a bringer of misfortune.

I shook my head, casting the thought away. Even if it felt like today was much like the last few days, I knew better than to lull myself into a false sense of security.

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 a terribly fast pace that made me fear that we would be caught any minute while also crawling by so slowly that I felt my anxiety clashing with pure boredom, waiting for something, anything to happen.

I hate this. I hate not knowing.

It took hours of travel before the mountains far in the distance had grown close enough that they were no longer mere bumps on the horizon but towerings constructs of the earth.

“This is it?” I turned toward my mentor, expecting some sort of sarcastic remark. Rather than return my obvious question with a striking quip, he remained silent, lost in thought.

“Master?”

My mentor snapped out of it, turning toward me with a forced smile.

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

“Uhm, actually, yeah.” I pointed to the side, several 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 wasn’t so sure.

“W-what is that?” I pointed toward 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, in opposition to 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.

Gods damn it, they can take the horses up the mountain.

An hour passed.

And then another.

From what I could tell, even with the horses, they had been forced to slow down considerably as they followed us up the mountain. The thought of the group below us terrified me as frantic energy redoubled my efforts.

But it wasn’t enough.

Near the mountain’s apex, 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.

“They’ve caught up.”

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

“In a few minutes, they’ll 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 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.

My master shot me a toothy grin, his teeth sharpening and elongating like the fangs of a….

Well, of a wolf.

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

Even listening to the bravado he spoke with, 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 to have the magical reserves akin to 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 finally broke. He was right, after all.

Damn it, I hated it, but I couldn’t deny he was right.

“Fine!” I shook my head, turning away from my mentor as I tried to maintain a composed expression. “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 was aware there was nothing I could do to help in the first place, but a part of me still couldn’t come to terms with it. If I turned around now, I would get in the way.

So instead, I ran as fast as I could as I climbed what little remained left of the mountain. Only a few minutes later, I heard agonized screams filling the air; our pursuers had evidently made contact with my mentor.

That better not be you, master.

I sucked in a breath, and as I did, a cold surge of clarity and resolve filled my mind.

Just a little further.

Over time, even the sounds of the distant battle faded entirely as a new sound replaced it, one that took me by surprise.

So this is what he meant.

Cresting the mountain, I could see leagues in every direction I looked. Still, as impressive and humbling as such a visa was for someone who had spent their entire life surrounded by nothing but nearby woods, it wasn’t what really caught my attention.

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, which 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 cavern pond distracted me from thoughts of the battle below as I admired it.

“So this is the Pond of Elvermarzon.”