The road stretched far into the horizon, flanked by sparse trees and dry fields, the kind that whispered of better lands beyond. Dust rose underfoot as the caravan pressed on, the creak of wagon wheels and the occasional snort of a horse the constant rhythm of their journey.
Zephyr walked alongside the young guard. He looked around seventeen, perhaps eighteen, though the hardened set of his jaw hinted at a life that had already tasted struggle. His armor was simple—worn leather with a steel plate strapped to his chest—yet his hand rested easily on the hilt of his sword, suggesting he knew how to use it.
They had walked in silence for nearly an hour before Zephyr spoke.
"You've been on this route before?" he asked, keeping his tone light, though his mind burned with questions.
The boy's eyes flicked toward him, wary. "A few times," he replied, voice tight.
Zephyr didn't push. He let the quiet return, waiting. Time had a way of loosening tongues on long journeys.
After a while, the boy sighed, his shoulders easing. "Our group usually runs between Hoshin Bay, Ryuharbor, and sometimes Taisora.
Ryuharbor's the biggest. Hoshin's lively too. Most trade flows through those ports. Taisora… not so much."
Zephyr chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Taisora's barely more than a few fishing boats pretending to be a port."
The boy cracked a small grin. "When you see Hoshin Bay, it'll blow your mind. Colors everywhere, ships from the Merchant Isles, spices in the air… Feels like the whole world gathers there."
Zephyr tried to picture it—docks bustling with foreign traders, laughter and shouting mingling with the salt air. A different picture from the bleak alleys of Taisora.
They continued like this—small exchanges—until Zephyr shifted the conversation toward what truly interested him.
"What do you know about… magic?" he asked, careful.
The boy's face grew guarded. Not fearful, but respectful, as if stepping into sacred ground. "All magic comes from the world. That's what the Church of Gaia teaches. You'll hear it everywhere."
He straightened slightly, voice taking on a rehearsed rhythm.
"The body holds power, the mind shapes it, but the world decides if you keep it. Your strength is not yours alone. It is borrowed from the world."
Zephyr mulled over the words. Borrowed. Not something you owned.
The guard continued, his voice settling into familiarity now that the topic had shifted into safer waters. "Everyone's affinity gets tested when they come of age—What kind of element your soul connects with. Could be fire, water, earth, wind..."
Zephyr raised a brow. "What if you have no affinity for any element?"
The boy flexed his fingers. "Then you walk a different path. Become a knight," he said.
"We use magic to strengthen our bodies, sharpening our senses. Not as flashy as throwing fireballs, but we survive."
He paused, then added, "But even if you do have an affinity, it's not so simple. You need a pathway to wield magic power."
"A pathway?"
The boy nodded, his voice lowering slightly, as if explaining something precious. "A pathway. Each one is different. If you have fire affinity, there are pathways to mastering fire. Same with ice, earth, all of it. You need a manual—something that teaches you the stages from Tier 1 upward."
"The tiers?"
"Yeah," he said, as he listed them from memory.
"Tier 1—Initiate. You awaken your power, the first step.
Tier 2—Practitioner. You gain control over it.
Tier 3—Adept. You start specializing, refining your magic.
Tier 4—Disciple. You weave it into your body—it becomes part of you.
Tier 5—Master. Your power flows naturally, like breathing.
Tier 6—Transcendent. People say that's when you even start bending the world's will, making it follow your whims."
Zephyr's mind latched onto that. Transcendent. Bending the world.
The guard smiled faintly, a boy's ambition peeking through the soldier's mask. "Now I'm just Tier 1 initiate knight. But someday…" He stopped, his face tightening. He had said too much.
"Watch your tongue." A sharp voice snapped.
An older guard approached from behind, walking in stride with them—his gaze like iron. The boy stiffened. Zephyr stayed quiet.
The older man studied them, then softened slightly. "Curiosity's good, lad," he said to Zephyr. "But paths… they're not to be spoken of lightly. Everyone walks their own. And remember this—never reveal your pathway to another. That kind of trust can cost you more than you're willing to lose."
His gaze drifted into the distance, as if recalling something long past—something that had proven his words true.
He let that hang in the air before turning to the Zephyr. "Knights are not lesser. Remember that. Especially in Hoshin, you'll see many of us. Once a Knight closes the distance, mages fall like anyone else when steel finds their throat."
Zephyr nodded as absorbed the words.
The caravan stopped by a river as the group took a brief rest. Horses drank while guards spread out to check the perimeter. The morning air still carried a hint of coolness, but the suns were climbing steadily, casting longer shadows across the ground.
Zephyr sat nearby, watching the merchant's servants cook over an open flame. The scent of roasting meat and simmering broth drifted through the air, making his stomach twist painfully. He'd been on the run ever since he reawoke.
How long was I even 'dead?'
When was the last time this body had sustenance?
He was starving. His body felt light and weak. Every sizzle of fat on the fire, every waft of spice-filled steam, only made it worse.
Was food part of what he had paid the guard for? He hadn't thought to ask. Maybe some extra coins would suffice.
Zephyr reached into his pocket, feeling the weight of the pouch he had swiped. He loosened the strings and checked inside. Three silver and a few bronze coins. Ten bronze coins made a silver and ten silver made a gold coin.
Damn.
The money wasn't much. Not if he was going to start afresh in a new city.
He exhaled sharply and tightened the pouch. He'd wait until the food was ready and ask for a portion. If they gave it to him, good. If not, he'd see if a few coins could change their minds.
Still, his mind drifted.
Affinity. Pathways. Tiers.
Would he have an elemental affinity? Fire, ice, earth? Or would he walk the path of a knight?
His heart pounded at the thought of wielding such power—but another part of him, the curious, inquisitive part, dared to dream even farther. Physics. Gravity, electromagnetism, the nuclear forces—the laws that held everything together.
Could magic touch those?
What if the pathways others followed were just steps toward something greater—something they hadn't seen?
He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing as he watched the rising heat distort the air above the fire.
Borrowed power.
But what if he didn't just borrow it? What if he understood it?
What if he made it his own?
The twin suns continued their ascent as Zephyr's thoughts stretched beyond the riverbank.