In Windhaven, Antorique Veluard's hometown, as well as in most rural villages far from Valtoria, formal education was precarious and often almost nonexistent. Locals usually inherited their parents' tasks, and the majority were content with that, inheriting properties and tasks to the next generation.
Tori's family, on the other hand, had a different idea. Young Antorique showed a prodigious capacity for learning. He could read and write, without having received any tutoring, let alone formal education, before the age of three. And from then on, he could be seen absorbing knowledge of all kinds, spending hours and hours in front of some old book that Mr. Veluard found or could buy at a low cost. Not only that, he understood and applied abstract concepts without difficulty.
Thus, considering that the young firstborn of the Veluard family intellectually achieved what many others did not at a very young age, the family decided to gather money and send him to Valtoria. Only in the capital, formal education had the quality for the prodigious child to become an educated professional and leave Windhaven. Of course, Tori went through local tutors in preparation, until the time came for him to go to Valtoria.
The first years in school were pleasant for Antorique, as, although his upbringing contrasted with that of city children, his ability to learn and adapt ingeniously quickly gained him acceptance. The content of the teaching, on the other hand, at first fascinated him... Until, over time, it became easy and repetitive, and he found it boring... As would begin to happen with almost everything.
In this stage, and before "going crazy," awakening his "magical" ability, though he wouldn't call them his friends, Tori met a couple of people he found amusing. Among them, an eccentric boy from a family of officials named Eustace, and his inseparable counterpart, slightly older and from the working-class neighborhoods, Nathaniel.
After the turning point, where Tori would leave school and begin to transform into the man he is today, he largely forgot about his time in formal education. However, over time, he began to receive correspondence from Eustace, Nathaniel, and a couple of others. Surprised that they still wanted to keep in touch, but with the idea that it didn't make much sense, Tori occasionally responded to the correspondence from Valtoria when there was some interesting news, which usually came from one of Eustace's whimsical ideas. It was thus that, having finally broken ties with his family years later, the vagabond decided to accompany, almost blindly, his old schoolmate, Eustace Vrlic, on his latest "venture."
"So the mage lives at the end of the world, and you had the great idea of not taking an established route to delay even more, as if that wasn't enough," said Alexa, with a look of disbelief.
"Of course! If we want to get there before he leaves..." responded Eustace, ignoring the part where the journey had been considerably delayed thanks to his curious idea.
"In the first place, you should have told him not to move from Windhaven... Oh! Right! You weren't even planning to go for him," added Nathaniel ironically, a resigned smile on his face. Nate, Tori and Eustace's former classmate, now a prominent merchant in Valtoria and its surroundings, had suggested to Eustace to transport Tori as a basic gesture of courtesy before starting a partnership. The carriage they were traveling in was, in fact, his property.
"Bah. He would surely make his own way there anyway."
"A guy who travels precisely because he doesn't have a coin," added Alexa. Young, with a tan complexion and straight hair falling into a mane. The woman, trained in hand-to-hand combat and the use of firearms, worked as a security guard for Nathaniel.
"Who knows! Mages are crazy and can perform those strange freak feats!" No sooner had Eustace made his argument than the carriage began to move violently from side to side, leaving him on the verge of falling from his seat.
"Alright, alright, Eli!" Nate commented, trying to contain his laughter. He was addressing the youngest member of the group. A young girl, who would perhaps reach adulthood at most. Elizabeth, using a bubble of qi, an area in which she had significant expertise, maintained the stability of the carriage on terrain that was clearly not designed for its use.
"Oh! A little reminder for your friendly friend, Nate," said the girl, winking.
Elizabeth had been born and raised in The Breach, the most dangerous and abandoned area of Valtoria. A no-man's-land, neglected by the police, it was a refuge for criminals, fugitives, all kinds of outcasts, mages, and Fengnians. It was one of the latter who found the newborn Eli and cared for her in her early years. It was this same man who taught her the basics of Fengnian arts, to give the girl a tool to survive.
Due to a series of coincidences, Elizabeth ended up, along with her two stepbrothers, under the care of Nathaniel and Emily, his wife. "In any case, despite supporting Mr. Eustace's presumption of idiocy with all the certainty in the world... Hm... I think, perhaps we were lucky not to take a traditional route," the young woman added.
"Hm?" Nathaniel looked at her curiously.
"The barriers... something dangerous and out of the ordinary lurks on the roads between Valtoria and Windhaven. Although fortunately, we have already left that area," the girl replied, pensive.
"Ha! I told you 'my' way was the best!" Eustace said, as if he had always been aware of everything.
"What a clown!" Alexa said, looking back. The woman accompanied the poor coachman hired by Nate. Finally, the cold, the endless plains, in many parts frosted, the fierce wind, and, in the distance, the small buildings, indicated to the five travelers that they were about to arrive at Tori's hometown.
Far from there, on the outskirts of Lilystone, Caterina Bellini had finally made a decision. Her injuries were not too severe to start with; her main problem had been the almost complete consumption of her body's energy. Rose and Jasmine's treatment had worked quite quickly and well in that regard, making her regain consciousness on the first day, or at least the ability to listen and process information. However, the survivor of The Sword of Faith had chosen to rest half asleep in the witch's refuge from the moment she understood that important conversations were taking place there. From these, she obtained enough information to, after reflecting on it, adopt a course of action.
