While my time on the road couldn't exactly be called fun, it would certainly be a lie to say it wasn't more fulfilling than the lifestyle I had been living before my untimely death. My days were filled with endless training, learning, and preparing.

From hand to hand combat, I moved on to sword training. While I call it training, the first few days felt like I was Arim's punching bag. I had thought I would be starting out with the stereotypical sword swinging to improve my muscles, but Arim went straight to sparring and had me focus entirely on defense.

As much as I hated being beaten to a pulp every night, I understood the rationale behind it. By forcing me to focus on defending myself, I improved several key areas simultaneously. The first was obviously learning to block with a sword. The second was learning to reinforce myself and my weapon under pressure.

I suppose it should be mentioned that items could be reinforced like your body so long as you maintained physical contact with it. Once you stop touching it, the mana imbued within the object quickly dissipates and it returns to normal.

In a way, this taught me something about Arim. While doing menial tasks I sometimes saw the other recruits working with their assigned instructors. Almost all of them had gone straight into teaching their students various forms and techniques. It struck me that by making me learn defense first and foremost, Arim was more interested in preparing me to survive than to fight.

After getting my ass beat for a solid week, we moved on to learning how to actually use a sword. Arim tried to teach me what he knew about djudirian flow, but surprisingly my aptitude for it was very bad. It seemed that whatever flashes of muscle memory I had been experiencing stopped happening, and without them even learning the basic forms was a struggle.

When Arim went to Zeph to tell him about our stunted progress I was surprised with how frustrated Zeph seemed. Even with my compatibility with the style being low Zeph wanted Arim to continue teaching me it. Arim agreed on the condition that he could teach me bits and pieces from other sword forms on the side.

I spent my sparse free time trying to get closer to Bodelee and Nika. I would have liked to try and spend more time with his brother Bodelin as well, but he was almost constantly glued to Annora, and to be frank, she intimidated me. I tried to avoid Zeph as much as possible as well. With our slave/servant relationship in a weird undefined place, I felt that the more I avoided him the better my chances of retaining my independence seemed.

At some point in our journey, Arim asked me during training, "Why don't you socialize with the other recruits? I've seen how you avoid them at every opportunity."

The question caught me off guard, "I just figure we're all busy with our individual training so there wouldn't be much time for conversation."

Arim snorted, "Don't play me for a fool, boy. You and I both know they usually gather together for dinner. You always either try and butter up the dwarf or cook, or you go off on your own. So? Why avoid the other recruits?"

"I think I would rather make friends with people who have been around longer."

"You're not very good with people, are you? You're just trying to secure influence with people you think are important, aren't you?"

"I… hadn't thought of it like that."

"What exactly did you think you were doing then?"

"I'm just not sure it's worth forming bonds with people who might not stick around."

"Hm. I guess that's a more innocent way of looking at it. But you should realize that while avoiding certain people might not make you friends, it could still make you enemies. Most of you are young, and young people are impulsive. If they think you're purposefully avoiding them they may get the wrong idea."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But still, as you said, I'm bad with people."

"Well, to each their own, I suppose. Just remember that if they do end up sticking around those impressions will last."

Arim let the topic drop and we continued training.

******

About two months after our journey began, the convoy came under attack. Though 'attack' might not be the most accurate description.

The scouts saw the ambush in advance and the caravan was called to a full stop. Seeing that something was amiss, the would be ambushers charged out of the thick foliage toward the merchant caravan. Simply put, they were met with annihilation.

Myself and the other recruits hadn't gotten to witness it ourselves because that was a lecture day, and Albatos didn't dismiss any of us, despite the fact the convoy was actively under attack. So later that night I heard how close to two dozen men were mercilessly bombarded by magic then cut down. Some of them had tried to return fire, but since almost our entire company could use anti-magic area, their futile resistance amounted to nothing.

If nothing else, the incident taught me just how valuable a skill like anti-magic area was. Magic was a force capable of rendering the laws of reality obsolete, so it was natural for magicians to feel like they owned the world. However, anti-magic area was a tool capable of completely disarming even the most awesome magician. So it made sense why we were all being taught how to fight both physically and magically.

Not long after that, I decided I couldn't take it anymore. I'm not one to pry into other people's business, and with the warning I received early on I had thought it best not to meddle. But after more than two months of seeing this woman silently slink out of camp every damn evening, even I couldn't help but be curious.

Sure, she could be doing something private, but I didn't care. I wanted to know. I figured the worst that could happen should I get caught was being beaten up, but honestly, at this point, I had gotten used to that due to daily sparring. So after the night’s training, I watched as Black left the camp and headed alone into the dark woods.

It was a clear and cloudless night, but the trees blocked most of the moonlight, making the forest seem dark and foreboding.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Reinforcing my eyes to better see in the darkness, I follow at a distance. I watch as she makes her way through the dense trees. She gets far enough away from camp that the light of the campfires are barely visible and then, all of a sudden, I lose her. Like a shadow, she disappeared into the dark of the forest.

The hell?

I approach the last spot I saw her as quietly as I can, looking around to see if I might see her again. Suddenly something catches the back of my shirt and I'm pulled to the ground. Before I can react, I'm pinned to the ground in an arm lock.

I should realize by now that stealth is a lost cause for me.

"You're Arim's student, right? What do you want?"

I feel the grip on my arm start to twist it in a very uncomfortable way. I quickly blurt out, "I was just curious!"

I feel the pressure on my arm lessen, "Curious? Of what?"

"I see you leave camp nearly every night. I asked around and nobody had any idea what you do while you're alone, so I was curious."

I feel the hand gripping my arm tighten, but the pressure doesn't increase, "And you couldn't have asked before trying to spy on me?"

I sheepishly smile into the dirt, "Sorry, you always give off this aura that says 'leave me alone or die.'"

She says nothing to that and remains silent for a couple of seconds. Then I feel her release my arm and stand up. "Do whatever you want then," and she walks off.

Huh? That's it?

Standing up myself, I turn and watch her stalk off.

Does that mean she doesn't care if I follow? Guess there's no harm in trying.

I follow her through the woods, taking a winding path through the trees. Occasionally she stops and examines her surroundings before continuing, sometimes in a different direction. I get the feeling she's looking for something, but since her intense aura is still active, I don't dare ask what.

Eventually, we exit the foliage of the forest and find ourselves atop a steep cliff overlooking a rocky slope and a lake several hundred meters below us. When she stops at the cliff’s edge, I feel a chill run down my spine. Suddenly I feel like it wasn't such a good idea to follow after all.

Oh shit. Was she quietly leading me on looking for a good place to make it look like I had an accident?

I tense up and ready myself for an attack that never comes. Instead, she sits down near the cliff’s edge and gazes toward the stars.

I wait for a minute, ready for her to leap up and take me by surprise, but she just continues to sit there, seemingly oblivious to the fact I'm even still there. Relaxing my guard, I lean up against a tree and examine the scenery while waiting to see what she does.

The cliff we're on has a great view of the valley below and the mountains around it. We've been passing through this mountain region for close to a week now and I had been getting annoyed with constantly having to walk up and down slopes and help push or pull some of the wagons. Yet now that I stood here under the pale starlight, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the landscape was. I had always been an inner city guy in my past life, but standing here I realized why some had resisted the call of civilization, and chose to live closer to the wild.

The lake below was particularly stunning. Its clear waters reflected the stars above with almost perfect clarity, like a crystal mirror sprawled across the ground. Looking close I could also see some animals scattered around its edge, lapping up water from the star covered pool.

After several minutes of taking in the environment while waiting for her to do something I look back at her and find her still doing absolutely nothing, gaze fixed skyward. I notice for the first time that the aura that had made her seem so hostile before was completely gone. It had vanished as though it was never there, and all it left behind was a normal, slightly demonic looking, girl, stargazing without a care in the world.

"Is this what you do? Every time you leave camp, do you just go out and find spots like this?"

"I don't usually find ones this good."

"Camp usually has a pretty good view of the sky, why not stay there?"

"The people ruin it. Places like these, I don't think they can really be appreciated around a big group. I'm surprised you haven't left. All the others that ever followed me would have by now. Nobody else here cares much for things like this."

"Truth be told, I never much cared for things like this either. The world I knew was too busy and frantic to give much thought for things beyond my reach. I guess you could say this is a first for me, standing here and enjoying this view. Also, where I come from the stars were always dim and seemed ordinary. I never gave them more than a second thought. Ever since I've come here it never ceases to amaze me just how bright they are."

"Hmm."

"Do they mean something to you, the stars? The view below us is incredible, but you haven't looked anywhere but up this entire time."

"I dunno. I guess."

I feel her aura start to creep back so I decide to stop talking and she does too. Clearly, she isn't fond of sharing.

After several minutes she actually says, "No matter where I go, the stars are the only thing that ever stays the same. Everywhere I go there's sadness, always different and yet the same. Our world is colored in shades of gray and black, and I hate it. Sometimes there's good, but it's fleeting. It never stays, and in the end, the gray always washes it out. The only beauty I've ever found to be unchanging is the night sky. It's always been there… calming and reminding me that beauty can always be found in life. All I have to do is look up."

"What kind of places have you been to, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I hail from the empire across the sea."

"Bolisia? I have a friend that recently departed for that land, could you tell me what it's like there?"

She stayed silent for a minute before responding, "I don't know."

"What?"

"I have no idea. It's people, it's culture, I never learned of these things during my time there. I just… I don't know."

"I see."

Even if her aura hadn't returned in full force it was obvious from her words that she didn't want to talk about her time in the empire. I didn't press the subject and felt it was my time to leave. Feeling as though even uttering a 'goodbye' would result in a target being placed on my back, I wordlessly left the cliffside. Making my way back through the forest and after getting only a little lost I return to my tent and rest for the night.

Our escort continues, and as time passes I make a small effort to follow Arim's advice and connect with the other recruits. I fail. I guess you could say I've just always been shy, but I'm not used to approaching new people to start an ordinary conversation. I was good at starting con pitches, sure, but calling upon those memories is something I'd rather avoid. Now that I'm on my own, away from Alice, I feel like I finally have an actual chance to start over from 0. No excess baggage, no mission to accomplish, just me and the job I've chosen to pursue.

So with me having very minimal social skills I never actually try talking to any of the other recruits. I just… watch. I watch very awkwardly from afar. During my half assed attempt at getting to know my peers, I do learn several things.

Vurt, the elf that seems exceptionally talented, has become the de facto leader of the group. He's also already managed to woo one of the girls, Holeria. Despite how arrogant he is I can't help but be majorly impressed with how good his people skills are.

At some point during the journey, Albatos had stopped teaching us conventional magic and had switched to a focus on anti-magic area. At close to three months into our journey, there were only two of us who had managed to expand an area of our own. Vurt and myself. The others didn't get much of a chance to catch up after that, since we soon arrived at our destination.