They headed out of the inn. This morning, no black-robed mages leaped out at them from the aspens. A gentle breeze blew, cooling the bare heat of the high atmosphere’s intense sun. Ike lifted his hand to shade his eyes. “Bright.”

“Nothing like it. I love these high mountain mornings,” Mont said. He sighed happily and stretched his hands to the sky. His brightly-colored jacket fluttered on the breeze.

“Did you live up here, before you went into seclusion?” Wisp asked.

Mont nodded. “I’ve spent more years up here than I’d like to admit. I love the mountains. If I could never leave, I’d be happy.”

Ike glanced at him. “I don’t think I could live like that.”

“Not fond of the mountains?” Mont asked.

Ike shook his head. “No, the mountains are beautiful. I just mean that there’s nowhere I want to settle down. I can’t imagine spending the next ten years in the same place, let alone centuries. I want to see everything. See the whole world.”

Mont chuckled. “It isn’t for everyone. If everyone was meant to find a place and never leave it again, we’d never have discovered so much of this beautiful world. Go out and see the world, young man. And come back and share what you’ve found, if you remember your old friend Mont.”

Ike laughed. “It almost sounds like you want to see the world.”

Mont waved his hand. “No, no. I’m very happy in my cozy home. Nice and dry, with a warm fire and my kitchen and pantry nearby, a bottle of homebrewed whiskey at my side… but I’m more than happy to hear tell of the outside world, from those who wish to see it.”

“I understand that. It’s like getting your web perfectly set up and cozy, where you can just relax while dinner catches itself…” Wisp’s eyes grew misty.

“Web? Are you a spider, then?” Mont asked.

“Maybe. What are you, then?” Wisp turned back at him.

Ike looked at Mont. That’s true. If he’s staying at that inn, he must be a monster of some type. Well—it’s true that I stayed there, but I’m the exception that proves the rule. I can process aether. A normal human who can’t would be instantly detected by the foxes.

Mont chuckled. “I’ve been called many things throughout the years. What do you think?”

“Some kind of deer spirit? A wolf?” Wisp guessed. She nodded at Ike. “He seems to draw wolves to him, like some kind of wolf caller.”

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“Hey,” Ike protested.

Mont looked at Ike. He raised a brow. “What about you?”

Ike looked the man up and down. With those garish clothes? “Maybe… a butterfly? Or some kind of, um… tree?” He nodded down the hill. The shivering silver aspens aside, the mountain was covered in the cacophony of fall, oranges, yellows, reds, and the last traces of green mixed together. It reminded him of the jacket Mont wore, with its mixture of bright reds and oranges.

Mont chuckled. He nodded at Ike. “The boy is closer.”

“Yeah? So-o, what are you?” Wisp demanded.

Cracking a grin, Mont wiggled his brows. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Wisp stomped her foot. She gave him a look. “Aren’t you supposed to be hundreds of years old? Where’s that maturity, huh?”

“I could say the same to you,” Mont said, pulling himself to his full height and giving Wisp a look.

Wisp clicked her tongue. She spread her hands to Ike. “This man is being entirely unreasonable.”

“I don’t know about that. He is giving us a Unique skill basically for free,” Ike pointed out.

“I can’t guarantee a Unique skill. It could merely be Gold or Rare,” Mont said casually.

“That’s still a significant thing to give away,” Ike argued.

“Give away is a strong term,” Wisp muttered.

Ike nudged her. “Are you mad that you have to do work, now? Instead of making me do all the work?”

“Nah. More like you’re mad that I’m gonna snatch that Unique skill,” Wisp said, cracking a smile.

Mont snorted. “You two know each other well.”

“Yeah. We’ve been through a lot together,” Ike agreed. Even if we haven’t spent a lot of time together, in the absolute, we’ve accomplished a lot. Overcome so much together.

“I haven’t gotten bored enough to eat him yet,” Wisp agreed.

Mont laughed. He shook his head and walked on.

They circled around the top of the mountain, leaving the inn behind. Mont led them down a little, away from the barren mountaintop and down into the lower heights where trees still grew. Aether and mana grew stronger as they walked. Ike breathed deeply, absorbing it into his core. The two mixed neatly, growing his reserves in his core. He circulated it through his body as he absorbed it. Although he’d adapted to aether, it still wasn’t perfect. He could use some more adaptation to the rougher, more wild way aether flowed. He practiced a few different skills to continue getting used to aether, including Ice Armor and Lightning Clad.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t use aether, or that it impeded his skills. Instead, he simply wasn’t using aether to its absolute utilization. He was drawing out as much power from aether as he did from mana. But aether had explosiveness to it. A burst power that mana simply didn’t have. He wasn’t truly utilizing the full strength of that burst power, but he wanted to. That was what he was working to adapt to: not simply ‘using aether,’ but utilizing aether’s unique power to its utmost.

Beside him, Wisp hummed. She occasionally hopped into the trees and climbed up high, looking at something, only to return to their side a few moments later. She didn’t mention whatever she was looking for, and Ike didn’t ask. If she wanted his help, she’d ask for it. If she didn’t, it was her own problem. After all, she was stronger than him. There was no guarantee that he could even help her.

Mont simply walked. He walked slowly, casually, enjoying his time. For all the world, he appeared to be on a morning stroll. He whistled to himself, his hair fluttering in the wind. Abruptly, he stopped. His expression went from casual to dead serious.

Ike looked over, his hands flickering with ice and lightning. Wisp paused, peering down from the branches of a nearby tree.

“Silence. We’re near,” Mont ordered.

Ike fell in behind him. Wisp hopped down from her tree. Together, the three of them approached a tight stand of trees.