Wallace stared at me for a long time. I watched as he reached up with one hand to dab at his bloodied lip, pulling his fingers away to stare at his reddened skin. Then, he looked back up to me, his face unreadable.

Finally, he tilted his head back and laughed.

"Damnit. Thought I had you for a second," Wallace muttered, shaking his head.

I held out one hand and smiled, "You almost did. I had not considered you could flow your mana into my sword with direct contact."

"Neither had I until a few days ago," Wallace replied as he took my hand. I pulled him upright, and he continued, "But I knew I needed to catch you off-guard. Even without the rest of your tricks, that damned spell of yours makes you too fast."

"Honestly, I was hoping you would forget about that," I admitted, earning another laugh.

Wallace shook his head, "Not a chance. That was my biggest worry, really. I figured you'd charge and bat me around like I owed you gold."

Had I gone all out from the start and struck without mercy, I likely would have. I might not have my full magical arsenal, and I was better with polearms, but I did have mana effectively three stages beyond his. The most optimistic gambler in the world would not take that bet.

"I tried," I responded, only half-lying, "But you were faster than I expected. That spell of yours will become something truly exceptional someday, given a little more refinement."

Wallace waved one hand, "Yeah, maybe. Not there yet, though. I could've only held it for another minute or two at best, and based on how you feel, you could've fought for at least twice as long."

I did not deny his claim. Instead, I glanced around at our audience and said, "Maybe we should find somewhere a bit more private before we share anything sensitive?"

"Sounds good to me, so long as you're buying me a drink," Wallace poked his lip again, "I think you owe me that one."

"Just so long as it remains one drink."

A half-hour later, we were neck-deep into a meal. We had chosen a restaurant built onto a repurposed boat, one I had seen many times before but usually avoided. I was not fond of seafood, and the prices always seemed excessive, but it felt like a good time to expand my horizons and spend a little extra gold.

"So," Wallace said between bites of seared fish, "What's the plan? I'm assuming you want to leave Colkirk soon."

I nodded, picking at my food with one hand while the other sat in a small bowl filled with ice. As it turned out, magical reinforcement did not bolster durability much, and fists were remarkably easy to injure with a poorly thrown punch.

"As soon as possible, yes, but precisely when will depend on a few factors. I have to check with someone first to give you anything more exact."

Wallace took a long pull from his drink, sighing as he set it down before replying, "And you want me to come with you?"

"Yes."

"Why? I mean, I'll do it. I lost, after all, but why me? Are you trying to get to my uncle because I can't—"

"No," I shook my head and smiled, "I know that is an unlikely proposition, to put it lightly, but that is not why I want you to come with me. Your magic is fascinating, and I think you have enough talent to become an excellent mage, given time and motivation. Besides, I still have yet to learn your trick for looping mana. Who better to provide feedback than the person who created it?"

"Just using me for that, huh?" Wallace remarked, holding up a hand as I went to protest, "No, no, I get it. Honestly, if you denied it, I would be more suspicious. There's no reason for you to suddenly turn selfless."

I debated protesting anyway, just out of principle, but he was right. Part of me did want him to improve, but the bulk of it came down to more self-interested reasons.

We ate silently for another minute before Wallace continued, "So, if we're going to be traveling together, maybe I should know a little more about you. I told you plenty already, so it seems only fair. "

I paused for a second, then nodded, "True enough. What do you want to know?"

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His eyes took on a sly gleam, and Wallace leaned across the table with a grin, "Is it true that you and Duke Estton's daughter—"

"No," I interrupted.

"Oh...what about his son?" Wallace asked. I glared at him, and he held up both hands in mock surrender, "Hey, I told you my shameful past. Besides, charming not one but two nobles is more impressive than embarrassing."

"I barely have enough time to sleep every couple of days. What part of me suggests that I could balance even one relationship, much less two?"

"I'm just asking. You couldn't have not heard the rumors."

I rolled my eyes, "I have. No, I was not romantically entangled with either of the duke's children. And no, I do not wish I was, nor did I ever attempt to pursue those sorts of relationships with either. I also do not plan on approaching them in the future. Happy?"

"Not really. Kinda boring, if I'm honest," Wallace remarked, cracking open some kind of shellfish, "What about the other stories? Are any of those ones true?"

I rubbed my forehead, "Maybe I should start from the beginning."

And so, I did just that. I spoke for a long time, starting with my Awakening and summarizing my life since. I omitted some sensitive details, such as my visions and future, but it still took me nearly a half-hour to go over everything.

At first, Wallace looked almost uninterested. Soon, however, he set aside his meal and focused wholly on me. He began asking pertinent questions, and I suspected he was dissecting my story against the rumors he had already heard from others.

Finally, I fell silent. Wallace stared at me for a long while, then said, "So, you were born a commoner, got lucky as hell, trained as an advisor for years, became a mage, realized you had a useless element, and still decided to go rogue?"

When he put it like that, it felt somewhat...well, stupid.

"I was ambitious," I replied, shrugging.

"Feels more reckless and short-sighted. No offense."

"I would say 'none taken,' but lying seems like it would start us off on the wrong foot."

"Agreed, which is why I won't pretend I get it. Feels like you had a full house and folded, hoping to get a royal flush."

I blinked, "...ah, yes, I suppose it is precisely like that."

Wallace stared at me, "You've never played cards before, have you?"

"Not once, no," I confirmed.

"I'll show you sometime," Wallace said, "But honestly, I don't get it. Why did you leave? I mean, I can understand feeling stuck, but I just don't understand abandoning your lord entirely."

I drummed my fingers on the table, then replied, "I wanted to become the greatest mage possible, and realized I could not do that while acting as an advisor. Besides, the Esttons did too much for me. They did not deserve an advisor who was no longer wholly loyal and invested in his role."

There was another shameful thing I had trouble admitting even to myself and would certainly not tell Wallace.

At the end of the day, I was selfish. I wanted to do what I wanted to do, and working as an advisor would hinder those goals. So, I put myself over my friends, my lord, and my prior obligations.

Wallace nodded a few more times, "Fair enough, I suppose. I still don't understand, but I'm not sure I need to."

I let it hang for a few seconds before saying, "We should get some rest. I suspect your core is near-empty, and your channels are worn out, yes? Take tomorrow to recover, and we can reconvene the day after next."

"Right, right. Wait, are you expecting to leave so soon?"

"No, I do not," I responded as I stood, placing a few gold coins down on the desk, "But as I said, I do still have to master that looping trick of yours."

The man stared at me for a few seconds, then snorted and shook his head, "You know you can take a few days off, right?"

"Like I said, I am ambitious," I replied with a thin smile, "Have a good night."

I left him behind, returning to my room, and, after a full night's sleep, set off for the camps outside of Colkirk. It took me a half-hour to fight through the dense crowds and reach where I had stayed months earlier when I first arrived in the city.

The ramshackle tents had given way to a single, canvas monstrosity large enough to fit at least fifteen people. It had open sides, revealing multiple rows of shelves practically overflowing with goods, from dyes and inks to clothes and jewelry. I could see multiple traders, all dressed in clean, crisp, matching clothes moving between the patrons.

As I drew closer, one of those traders spotted me and strode over with a broad, toothy smile.

"Vayne, my friend!" Darius shouted as he walked out from beneath the tent. He had his arms spread wide, laughing as he came within a few feet of me, "I was worried you'd forgotten about us."

I matched his smile, "Never. Unfortunately, I have been busier than I would have preferred these past few months."

"We've heard. The traders heard rumors about a young man besting mages with a spear rather than a spell. Is there any truth to them?"

I shrugged, still smiling, "I prefer not to deal in rumors."

"A wise choice. Now, I'm sure you're not here just to visit, are you?"

"No, I am not," I confirmed, "I have a question for you. Or rather, two questions."

"Questions, eh?" Darius gestured back towards his wares, "Come in, come in. I'm sure I can assist you with whatever purchase—"

"It is not about buying something," I interrupted, "At least, not something so physical."

"Oh?"

"Yes. First, when do you plan to leave Colkirk? And second, do you have room in your caravan for two more people and one ill-tempered cat?"

Darius stared at me for several seconds. I watched as his eyes shifted, going from warm, open, and friendly to cool and piercing, "May I ask why?"

"You can," I replied, not bothering to elaborate."

Darius seemed thrown for a moment but recovered, "No offense meant my friend, but we cannot accept just anyone. Even a man capable of besting mages with just a spear."

I held up my left hand, pulling enough Aether together to form a green sphere, "What about two mages?"

"I...might be able to find space for you. But I must ask you for something in return. We typically do not have much room, you see, and all members of our caravan pull their weight."

"Of course. We would come along with you and act as guards. You would not need to pay us so long as you provide food, water, and shelter. In exchange, we will protect you from bandits, magical creatures, or similar scenarios."

"Deal," Darius said without hesitation, and I almost laughed. He had played me like a fiddle, feigning hesitancy to make me overly generous. Truthfully, I did not care all that much. I might have been able to extract some coin from him, but money was secondary to the speed and comfort provided by enclosed carts.

"Fantastic," I held out my hand, and after we shook on it, continued, "When do you expect to set out?"

Darius glanced at the sky, studying it briefly before shrugging, "It could be three weeks or three months. Depends on what weather the Founders choose to grace us with."

"I see...well in that case, I will make it a habit to visit several times a week."

"Good, good," Darius glanced over his shoulder and back towards his wares, "Ah, but I'm afraid I have to cut this short. I've already been away from my stall for too long."

Based on what I could see, his workers had it well in hand, but I was not one to deny a person his quirks. So, I smiled, thanked him, and turned to make my way back to the city.