Keldon’s legs dangled off the back of the cart, fiddling with his skill orb as the stone monument shrunk into the distance and disappeared from the horizon. As the caravan rolled down the dirt road, leaving the Scar, there suddenly came a drastic shift in scenery.

  He had been flipping through Salem’s notebook, reading his notes about his newly acquired skill orb when he’d noticed the constant rumbling of rolling dirt beneath him smooth into a cleanly paved road. Keldon looked up from his notes. Symmetrical bricks lay in a straight path across a field of golden wildflowers, yellow wheat, and stunted shrubs. A pack of mice scurried across the path, as a red fox with two tails gave chase.

  There was a sharp line drawn between The Scar and nature’s flourishing. Sweet pollen tickled his nose as Keldon took in a deep breath of fresh air.

  But unfortunately, he didn’t have the luxury of time to enjoy nature to its fullest at the moment.

  “Alright, that’s enough of that,” said Keldon.

  He stuck out his left hand, waving his hand in a half-circle and mentally commanding his skill orb to appear. A small ping of anxiety popped in his chest. Was there a chance the Skill Orb wouldn’t appear?

  But to his relief, Salem’s skill orb in the form of a red needle manifested into reality, faithfully announcing itself with a small hum.

  For the first hour or so, Keldon fumbled with the magical device confused. He’d never used a skill orb properly before so he didn’t really know how to activate it properly. Luckily for him, it seemed Salem had enough foresight and had left him instructions on the back as Keldon was finally able to pull the skill list up.

  *Skill List*

  *Authority of the Sun (Unique Skill)

  *Greater Origin of Flame (Lv.4)

  *Superior Origin of Flam (Lv.2)

  *Pillar of Flame (Lv.?) [Faux]

  *Greater Fire Resistance (Lv.6)

  *Heat Absorption (Lv.3)

  *Fireball (Lv.7)

  *Passive Skill: Berserk [Faux]

  .

  .

  .

  And the list just scrolled on.

  “You were even more impressive than I thought…” murmured Keldon, scrolling through the extensive list. However, after the initial few, he’d noticed that many of Salem’s skills had a small textbox next to them labeled [Faux]. He flipped to the newly written section at the back of the notebook.

  [Faux Skills are fake skill activations to use to cover up the usage of your Name magic . I’ve labeled what each one looks like so you’ll know how to imitate it. Doesn’t have to be perfect because most Skill users put their own flair on abilities anyways.]

  “So that’s what he’d been doing cooped up in the cave back then,” thought Keldon.

  He really did have so much to thank Salem for.

  “I have to live up to his expectations,”

  However, it seemed his lack of sleep had finally caught up to him. Keldon’s eyes trailed across the dense lines of text, finding his attention wavering and having to reread whole paragraphs. His eyelids felt like lead, as Keldon caught his head bobbing from sleepiness. He yawned, pinching himself on the cheek to keep conscious.

  Focus. Focus.

  Focus...

  …Fo-…

  Zzzzz

  #

  “Psst.”

  He felt a tap on his head.

  Keldon rolled over.

  “We’re here,” said Sims.

  …

  “Wait…what?”

  Keldon lifted the notebook off his face, the sunlight jabbing him in the eyes.

  He winced, peeling himself off the floor of the caravan as he tried to let his vision adjust to the blinding light.

  “Merchants!! All documents must be at the ready or you’ll be sent to the back of the line! Individual travelers! Line up in row 1, groups in row 2! Cut in line and you’ll be out here another day!” came a voice far in the distance.

  The scent of water filled his nose as he started to realize what was going on, scrambling to his feet.

  Instantly, he was blasted by an overwhelming surge of new information.

  Their caravan had melded into a line of many carts over a smooth whitestone bridge that stretched hundreds of feet above a glistening moat river. Strange creatures with 4 wings and rat heads squeaked as they soared above, landing on the red brick gate that separated the city from a towering wall of protection.

  Tall guards with tanned skin in red and gold armor ushered in a small group of merchants passed an intimidating stone gate as Sims and Darian pulled the caravan forward, chatting between themselves as they rifled through stacks of documents.

  Darian looked back to Keldon with a wave.

  “Morning Keldon! Have a good rest?”

  But Keldon couldn’t keep his eyes from wandering around him. Just the size of the bridge alone stretched as far as one end of Greenhearst to the other. His gaze fell onto the mortar and brick wall, as way off in the distance, he could see the outline of a gleaming white palace planted in the base of a mountain.

  “Are we here?” asked Keldon, swallowing the lump in his throat.

  Sims looked up from his papers and smiled.

  “Welcome to Kharburn, my friend,”

  A flood of emotions slammed into him. He was here… he was finally and truly here!! It was everything he’d imagined and more! Keldon looked to the people around him. A tall old man with dark skin and a long bushy beard smoked his pipe. A rotund schoolboy with a bright pearly expression and a caterpillar mustache gnawed on the end of a chicken bone. A prim woman with fierceness in her eyes scowled, fixing her appearance in a hand mirror.

  He looked over to the cart directly behind them, seeing a bored elderly woman with a missing front tooth. He waved as politely as he could. The two of them made eye contact as Keldon put forth his friendliest smile. The elderly woman made a confused look, snapping her eyes away.

  Did he do something wrong?

  He heard Sims’ laugh from the front of the caravan.

  “Oh Keldon, such a country lad,” said Sims.

  “NEXT!!” yelled a guard.

  The caravan lurched forward as Keldon shifted in his seat, still amazed but now slightly more embarrassed.

  “Papers,” said the guard.

  Sims handed the guard the stack of papers who thumbed through them in a blitz.

  “Keldon, hand me your papers and I’ll pass them to the guard,” said Darian.

  Keldon turned to Sims, giving him a look as his head had just turned into a gnat.

  “What papers?”

  The guard’s face twisted from stern to bitter frustration as he jabbed his fingers behind them.

  “Back of the line!!”

  A ball of guilt dropped in Keldon’s stomach.

  Sims snapped the reins, turning around the caravan with a shrug of his shoulders as they rolled past waves of stares.

  “I’m so sorry,” said Keldon, crawling up behind Sims. “I didn’t know I needed papers,”

  But Sims just waved his hand at Keldon and chuckled.

  “No worries lad, you’ve only written me a ticket for another day of vacation,” said Sims.

  “I’d assumed you would have had papers since you had been traveling with someone. You can just pay the toll through the individual line. You’ll be able to get into the city before nightfall then.”

  “Oh okay!” said Keldon.

  He reached into his pockets for the small amount of savings he’d owned from working at the Hissings. But reaching through the coin purse, his finger poked through a hole at the bottom.

  Oh no.

  “Sims… I don’t mean to be rude, but any chance I can borrow a few deniers? I’ll pay you back, I swear!”

  A grim expression crossed Sims’ face.

  “I’m afraid I didn’t bring any Denier with me. What about you Darian?”

  “I don’t like carrying money, the jingling hurts my ears,” said Darian.

  “Shit! I mean, shoot. What now?” asked Keldon.

  Sims shifted his eyes, looking around for anyone who could be watching as he curled his finger in a beckoning motion and leaned in close.

  “Go southeast from here, it should be roughly ten minutes at a walking pace. Keep to a straight line and you’ll find a boulder with a daisy  next to a heart-shaped brush. It’ll lead you down to the sewers where I’ll give you directions to a quiet alley,” said Sims.

  “You know how to sneak into Kharburn huh…” said Keldon.

  He stared Sims directly in his dark eyes, unsure what to make of the information. But if Keldon knew how to read expressions, then Sims was being as genuine as they get. Besides, what other choice did he have?

  “Okay got it. Thank you. Really. Words can’t express how much I appreciate all this,” said Keldon.

  “You can repay me once you’ve graduated,” said Sims. “Darian, give the boy a haircut while I draw him a map.”

  He couldn’t remember whether or not he’d mentioned to Sims and Darian what he was going to be up to in the capital. Although, with most of his mental capacity taken up by meeting with Yan, it could have easily slipped his mind.

  But before he could give the topic anymore thought, Keldon found himself whisked into a red stool. With a flourish of his hands, Darian wrapped a large sheet of cloth around his neck.

  "A number one or number two?” asked Darian.

  “What does that mean? I usually just cut my own hair,” said Keldon. It was usually cheaper that way.

  “Long or short will do just fine then,” said Darian.

  “Whatever looks better I guess,” said Keldon. He had never been particularly picky when it came to his appearance.

  “Whatever you say, boss,” said Darian.

  Darian rolled out a strip of cloth containing all sorts of strangely shaped scissors, as he picked out a pair of scissors with a combed blade. Satisfying clicks and snips ran from his fingers in a flurry as strips of brown hair fell from his head. He pulled out dozens of bottles of strange tonics and rubbed them through Keldon’s hair as pleasant bubbly feelings relaxed Keldon’s nerves. It’d been so long since he’d received a real haircut, he had almost forgotten how pleasant it really was. Once he’d settled down and made some money, he would definitely have to visit a barber again.

  “All done!” said Darian.

  “Oh. Done already?” said Keldon, hoping that it would have lasted just a little bit longer.

  “Yessiree, have a gander,” said Darian, holding up a mirror to Keldon.

  Keldon took the hand mirror from Darian.

  “Woah.”

  He could barely even recognize himself anymore. His hair was bouncy and soft, and the sunlight reflected off his hair with a light sheen. His sides were trimmed and straight as a razor and overall, he just looked and felt very clean. Is this what self-confidence felt like?

  “Some of my finest work to date,” said Darian with a nod.

  “Impressive,” said Sims to Darian, handing Keldon a folded slip of paper. Sims reached out for a handshake, looking Keldon in the eyes.

  “See you on the other side lad,” he said with a smile.

  “How will I know where to find you?” asked Keldon.

  “You’ll know,” said Sims with a knowing smile.

  Keldon looked at Sim’s hand with gratitude and instead pulled him into a tight squeeze.

  “Haha! Alright, settle down. This isn’t a goodbye. Merely farewell for now,” said Sims, pulling Keldon off him.

  “What a stickler,” said Darian. “Here, I’ve got enough hugs for the both of us.”

  He scooped Keldon up in a bear hug as he squeezed the air out of his lungs in a rib-crushing embrace.

  “hOo. Can’t breathe!” squeaked out Keldon.

  Darian dropped him with a sheepish grin.

  “Sorry ‘bout that, hard to control my strength sometimes,” said Darian, giving him two reassuring pats on the shoulder.

  Keldon leaned onto his knees, struggling to catch his breath.

  “You… You don’t s-say,” said Keldon. “But thanks too, Darian. For sticking up for me.”

  “Always happy to lend a hand,” said Darian.

  Sims stretched out his left hand and swirled it into a half-circle. A diamond-shaped skill orb materialized into reality, giving off an iridescent light in the sun and hitting Keldon in the eyes. Sims put his right hand on Keldon’s wrist and whispered under his breath.

  A warped light spread from Sim’s hand, spreading over Keldon’s entire body as his hands and legs disappeared in front of his very eyes. He could still feel that everything was still there, fortunately, though he felt a bit tingly.

  “You’ll still be able to be touched and heard, but you’ve only got roughly an hour of invisibility, I’d suggest you get going.”

  “Right, I’ll see you soon,” said Keldon.

  Keldon scurried together his belongings, throwing them over his shoulders as he gave a glance up to the sun. He dashed off in a straight line southeast, praying that he still knew how to tell directions from the position of the sun. He kept as far away from others as humanly possible, and a few minutes later, the only trace of Keldon that had been left were the tufts of hair that littered the caravan floor.

  Sims looked once. Then, he looked again. And then, only after he was sure Keldon was gone, did he adopt a neutral expression.

  “Well, that’s that,” said Sims, dusting off his hands.

  “I’m sure gonna miss the little feller for now,” said Darian.

  “As will I,” said Sims. He turned to the caravan, “I trust that our actions were done up to your satisfaction, Clara.”

  Clara nodded, hopping off the caravan with a yawn.

  “You mustn’t be so careless next time; I believe the boy grows suspicious," said Sims.

  “I know,” said Clara in a soft voice.

  “Then the rest is up to you,” said Sims.

        Clara bore a serious expression, taking out a crimson red ribbon and tying her auburn hair into a tight ponytail. She stretched both hands out in front of her, swirling both hands in a half-circle. Two skill orbs warped into reality. One, a glistening orb of light, and the other a marbled smoky black. She muttered underneath her breath and with a flick of her fingers, she whispered an incantation.

  And without a sound, she vanished.