Crisp morning air hit Vaeris's face, gently blowing his hair as he walked through the garden towards a secluded part of the estate. He wore a pair of black pants and a clean white shirt. His katana rested at his waist; his spear coiled around his wrist in it compact form.
During training, the weapon had shrunk and wrapped itself on his wrist—convenient, he thought.
Soon, he reached a clearing where a large teleportation circle glowed faintly. Nearby, his parents and grandfather spoke with the person in charge.
Inside the circle stood children his age—sons and daughters of the estate staff and distant relatives who had awakened their mana cores. His close cousins were older, already at the camp or Academy. He was the youngest.
The training camp lay deep in the Starchrest territory. First, they would be teleported to Velmora, the largest Starchrest city. From there, they would run southeast to the camp. How far? No one said. It was a test. The first to arrive would earn the highest ranking.
All of them were briefed on it beforehand.
At Alaric's order, the teleportation circle flared to life.
Vaeris met his parents gaze, nodded once and vanished with a flash.
*****
Velmora stood high in the mountains, where ancient trees towered above fast, clear rivers. Though far north, the valley remained green shielded from the cold by an ancient array. Snow came only in deep winter.
At the city's edge, a teleportation tower pulsed with light.
Vaeris steadied himself as the dizziness of the spatial jump faded. Without a glance at the disoriented children, he stepped outside.
The streets bustled—merchants calling out prices, buyers haggling, soldiers moving quietly through the crowd, children running around and playing.
The city itself was built into the cliffs and valley floor, its stone buildings designed to blend with nature—arched balconies and terraced pathways.
The city of Velmora was accessible only through narrow winding paths.
It was a city shaped by the aesthetics of ancient elven sanctuaries—elegant, enduring, alive.
Vaeris moved into the city without pause. If he wanted to get to the training camp fast he would need a map of the surroundings.
Moving swiftly, he found one. The path to the camp ran through rough mountain terrain, home to magical beasts. The mountains were patrolled and cleared periodically—but caution was still necessary.
Grasslands surrounded the mountain base. The camp, he guessed, was somewhere near the plains at the mountain's base.
With the route fixed in his mind, he moved. Through streets and alleys, each turn precise, his steps confident. A single glance at the map had been enough.
Minutes later, he reached the eastern edge of the city. The path ahead wound out of the valley—just enough for two small carriages to pass side by side.
After half an hour of walking, he cleared the rocky pathway. Cold air struck him as he emerged. Without hesitation, he accelerated—covering hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye, the landscape blurring as he ran southeast.
He encountered magical beasts along the jagged path—each one cleaved clean in half before it even sensed death.
After running for a full day, he stopped before a small cave. Roaming at night was dangerous.
Stronger predators hunted under the cover of darkness. Vaeris was confident—but not foolish. Out here, carelessness meant death.
Inside, he dispatched the small creatures lurking in the shadows—silent strikes, no blood spilled. After confirming there were no hidden tunnels, he set up camp.
A small fire crackled. He cooked meat from his earlier kills, eating quietly.
When finished, he leaned back against the stone wall, hugging his sword close, and drifted into light rest.
Near midnight, his eyes snapped open.
An oppressive presence pressed against the cave's entrance—heavy, wild.
A heartbeat later, a deafening roar split the night.
ROARRRRR
Author's Note:
I struggled quite a bit with editing and wording this chapter, there were many ways I could have approached it. In the end, I focused on how Vaeris himself would move through this part of the story: swiftly and with purpose. I'm fairly happy with how it turned out.
That said, I'm always looking to make the story more engaging so if you have ideas or feedback, feel free to share them in the comments. Thank you for reading and for your support!