They continued their climb of the mountain the next day, making sure to rest at every flat section of the path they could find. Sometimes they only sat down for a minute or two, relaxing and catching their breath. Occasionally, they took longer breaks, setting fifteen to twenty minutes aside to drink some water and eat a small amount of food. Though they weren’t very hungry on these breaks, they knew it was important to eat something, or they would run out of energy in the middle of a climb, which could be lethal.

 

Judging by the frequent glimpses of the valley below them, Enri felt sure that they were making good time. As he had never climbed a mountain before this, he had no way of knowing that his original estimation, that it would take about five days to climb to the peak, was not quite accurate. As the sun was descending on their second day, Enri realized that they were getting very close to the peak. This realization came during one of their last fifteen-minute breaks, as he had a chance to view the valley below.

 

He drew in a quiet breath as he saw how far they had come. At some point during the day’s hike, they had passed the clouds, and they now looked over the plains from a great height. The sky around them was crystal clear, a deep blue, uninterrupted save for a few sparse wisps of cloud. From this distance, Draco looked small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, with the feasting grounds center no wider than his thumb. He thought idly of the good meal he had shared with Vadova and the others, then turned his attention back to the peak.

 

The mountain ended in a dull point, just over half a kilometer above them. Though it was hard to tell from where they stood, it looked like the peak consisted of a large flat area, maybe sixty feet across. The path continued on right to the peak, and they could see the far end of it faintly now, but it winded through trees even to the very edge. This puzzled Enri for several moments. He’d expected there to be fewer trees near the top, not more. The miniature forest was even denser than at the bottom of the mountain so that Enri couldn’t see through it for more than a few feet.

 

“We’re nearly there.” Came Markus’ voice, shaking him out of his silent contemplation.

 

Enri nodded slightly but gave no other comment. He continued to stare at the new clump of trees ahead of them, unable to shake the feeling that they were somehow familiar. Even from a hundred feet away, he could feel a vague sense of energy coming from them. They gave off a comforting feeling, much like that of a warm meal after a cold day, or the hug that Mandra bestowed upon him when he’d been grieving the passing of his mother.

 

“Can you feel that?” He asked Markus, finally breaking the silence.

 

Markus turned to him in confusion, though Enri didn’t see the gesture, engrossed as he was by the trees. “No. What should I be feeling?”

 

Enri turned to face him, his confusion matching that on Markus’ face. “Huh? That’s weird… It’s almost like… the trees are calling to me.”

 

Markus looked definitely alarmed now. He didn’t know much about magic, but he’d heard rumors about people being led into mysterious places by magic, never to be seen again. His alarm was mixed with a faint sense of anger as if he thought Enri was pulling some elaborate joke. If he hadn’t known how serious his companion was, he might have suspected it.

 

“Right then. We don’t go in.” He said firmly, starting to turn around. He went a few paces back down the path, before realizing that Enri hadn’t moved. “You can’t be seriously considering going in. It’s clearly a trap.”

 

Enri shook his head slowly. Though he couldn’t explain it, to Markus or even himself, he knew, deep down, that it wasn’t a trap. It was as if, he thought, that a long-lost friend was waiting for him up at the top and that he’d forgotten they were to meet until now. A vague smile crossed his face. Normally, such behavior and thoughts would scare him, as they clearly scared Markus, but he somehow knew that he had nothing to fear from what was at the peak.

 

“Maybe it’s the hermit.” He said faintly.

 

“The hermit?” Markus asked, bewildered.

 

“Maybe he’s up there, and his essence is what we’re feeling.” He turned to Markus again, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. “Shigeru told me to come to find him, so he can’t be hostile. Maybe this is supposed to assure me that we’ve reached our goal.”

 

Markus’ alarm was even greater now. He walked back over to Enri quickly, and stared into his face, glaring. “Shigeru also nearly killed you, you know. So maybe his idea of a test isn’t what you should call safe.”

 

Enri was confused by Markus’ response. How could he not feel the peaceful energy in the area? How could he not sense the same ancient, friendly energy? For Enri, it was as if, for the first time in his life, he had arrived home. He knew that he should complete the journey, that he was destined to reach the top of the mountain, as though he’d known it all his life, and only realized it now.

 

Markus took a deep breath, then looked from Enri to the peak, then slowly back again. He couldn’t understand this odd behavior. He’d expected Enri to flatly ignore what he saw as a blatant magical trap. Surely, as soon as he’d sensed the change in the environment, he would have put up his guard and backed off. Then the weirdest fact of the evening hit Markus. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, shocking him out of his alarmed state.

 

Enri shouldn’t be able to sense, well, anything from the trees. He knew from previous conversations that his companion couldn’t even sense the faint energy from arcane sources, like most people. While the average person got a faint tingling when the use of magic had occurred nearby, Enri was impervious. Quite apart from not being able to use magic, he couldn’t even identify it. So unless he saw something move or act in a way it shouldn’t, he shouldn’t know that anything was out of the ordinary. And the trees ahead of them looked plain enough to Markus, so there should have been nothing to sense.

 

Markus turned this over in his head for several seconds, then shook himself back to the current situation in time to see Enri start walking towards the peak. There was no sense of urgency or hesitation in his stride as if he was completely at peace. Markus hurried to catch up with him, studying Enri’s face. There was no slackness there, no blank stare to indicate that he was being controlled. He didn’t seem to be in any sort of a trance, but he definitely wasn’t behaving as he normally did.

 

Enri looked around as Markus caught up with him, but didn’t stop walking. He smiled broadly, feeling a welling up of contentment inside his chest as he turned back to the peak. This smile scared Markus more than anything, but he kept his peace. Some instinct warned him not to try to restrain Enri, but to let him continue on. Being a strong believer in the value of instinct, Markus made no attempt to interfere with him but quickly scanned the trees around as they entered under the dense canopy.

 

Enri seemed indifferent to his surroundings, not bothering to scan the trees around for danger. He walked confidently, strolling easily through the trees, quite at his ease. He knew that his goal was near before he even saw it, and quickened his pace. Behind him, Markus moved quicker as well to catch up, his breath coming faster, more out of tension than physical exertion. Then, without warning, they broke out into the open, escaping the dark canopy of rich greens and greys.

 

Before them was a sight that robbed them both of breath. The mountain and Enri had observed earlier, did in fact end abruptly, leaving a flat surface nearly twenty meters across. It was perfectly flat and would have been wholly unremarkable had it not been for the brightly growing purple circle of runes in the exact center.

 

The runes shone as if written by glowing ink, and they were were carved into the ground in runes that Markus could not read. He didn’t know many languages, so he was not surprised by this, but was nevertheless put off by them. Then, just as he finally had the thought to grab Enri and drag him from the peak, seeing as there was no monk or hermit in sight, he felt an eerily familiar shiver run down his spine, the faint feeling that something magical was happening nearby.

 

Enri stopped just short of the circle of runes, and crouched down, staring at the writing etched into the ground. “What an odd phrase.”

 

Markus moved closer. “You can read this language? What does it say?”

 

“Here in the circle of Ahya, the worthy shall find themselves. Step inside lost one, and find your place.” Enri intoned quietly, then snapped around to Markus in confusion. “Wait. You mean you can’t read it?”

 

Markus shook his head, peering down at the runes. They looked like nothing more than irregular scratches in the ground to him, but they obviously made sense to Enri, who knew far more languages than he did..

 

Enri tilted his head in confusion. “But it’s written in Common,” he said with a slight frown.

 

His words took several seconds to register with Markus, who was moving to the side slightly to survey the rest of the flat area. Not only was it perfectly flat and level, but it was also, he realized, a perfect circle. It was as if a huge stone disc had been constructed and place here, where the peak should be. Then he realized what Enri had said, and he stopped his pacing, stunned by the reply.

 

“No, it’s not.” He snapped back. “I could read it if it was.”

 

“But that’s what…” Enri’s voice trailed off, and a suddenly suspicious look came over his face. “At least, that’s what it looks like to me.”

 

Markus frowned, trying to keep up with the event. “It looks like Common to you? How can it look like one language to you, but a difference to me?”

 

Enri could only shrug, just as confused as he was. He walked around the circle, trying to view it from all angles, and remained silent until he had walked all the way around, coming to stand beside Markus once more.

 

“What kind of spell do you think it is?” He asked, mildly curious.

 

Markus shrugged in his own turn. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen or heard of this before.”

 

Markus turned slowly on the spot, trying to find the source of that arcane energy he had felt. It took him a minute to realize what it was, and that it wasn’t coming from the circle etched into the ground. The circle itself, apart from its slight glow, looked completely nonmagical to him. He pointed out onto the plains and swept his arm in a circle around them.

 

“I don’t feel anything coming off of that, but I do feel something around us in the air. I think we’re being scryed.”

 

Enri looked round at that, staring into the air around them. As usual, he couldn’t feel what Markus was describing, but he wasn’t surprised by that. “We’re being scryed? But I thought it was really hard to tell when you’re being scryed?”

 

Markus nodded. “Normally, yes. When you scry someone, it’s a secret. But you can choose not to do it discreetly if you want. And whoever is watching us certaintly isn’t bothering.”

 

Markus knew, from his brief studies in basic magic and patrol training, that there were methods to counter scrying, but he couldn’t remember what they were. He unconsciously hunched his shoulders. He didn’t like the idea that they were being watched, and even worse was the idea that he had no idea who the watchers were. He could tell from the amount of pressure that there were more than two of them, but from where or what angle, he couldn’t tell.

 

“Well, it seems like there’s really only one thing to do,” Enri said, bringing Markus back to their present situation. “One of us should enter the circle.”

 

Markus looked at him in some concern. “That’s madness! It could be some kind of trap. Surely you can see that.”

 

Enri nodded, more to reassure himself than Markus. “Yes. It could be a trap. But Shigeru told me that if I wanted to know more about the true nature of magic, I should come here. So I’m inclined to believe that it’s safe.”

 

Markus considered that for several seconds, thinking through what Enri had said in his own methodical way. Finally, he shrugged again. “I suppose you have a point.”

 

Enri grinned. “It’s rare that we’re able to agree on something,” he said mildly.

 

In spite of himself, Markus smirked. “True. But here’s something you won’t agree with. Just in case it is a trap, I’m going into the circle. Not you.”

 

Enri opened his mouth to argue, then, after a moment’s thought, closed it. He knew he could not dissuade Markus from his choice. His companion had always been headstrong and stubborn, refusing to be diverted once his mind was made up.

 

“Oh, very well, if you insist.” He took a step back from the circle and gestured for Markus to enter. He knew that the only way to stop Markus would be to force him, and he knew that fighting between themselves was to be avoided at all costs.

 

Markus nodded, knowing how difficult it had been for Enri to accept his decision. He set his pack down on the ground and pulled a pair of red gauntlets from within. They were, in fact, the same gauntlets that Shigeru had given him after his duel with Enri. He hadn’t worn them since he’d tested them in the Dagorra Forest, but he felt that, perhaps, he might benefit from a little more power.

 

Taking a deep breath, Markus walked to the very edge of the circle. He paused for a moment then, bracing himself. After what seemed like several long minutes, he took one step into the circle. Or at least he tried to. The second his foot made contact with the air over the circle, there was a brilliant flash of violet energy, and with a loud bang, he was thrown backward several feet.

 

Enri cried out in shock as Markus was hurled back from the barrier, and was afraid that Markus would be knocked off the top of the mountain. He hurled himself at his flying companion, determined to try and catch him, but Markus landed with an explosive grunt, well away from the edge of the stone circle. Enri breathed in a silent sigh of relief and turned back to the circle in the ground.

 

The runes were, as before, glowing slightly. There was no sign of any retaliatory action from them, and they lay just as quietly as before. He heard a faint groan from Markus as he drew in a large breath and got, cursing, to his feet. Realizing that he wasn’t injured, only winded, he felt another surge of relief.

 

“I don’t think it’s supposed to be you,” he said, with another glance at the circle. He could still feel the great sense of contentment and destiny about the area, and he knew, instinctively, what he was supposed to do.

 

He took one tentative step towards the circle, as though it was a stranger moving his limbs, not himself. He felt no sense of fear or panic as he drew closer, sure that this was the right thing to do. He could only feel warmth and safety, along with that indefinable air of destiny, as he approached closer. Finally, he came to the very edge of the purple circle of runes. Vaguely aware of Markus watching him closely, he put one foot forward and walked into the circle.

 

As he’d known deep down, he was able to cross into the circle without any resistance. The energy within them even seemed to accept him, pulling him into what felt like a warm embrace, warmer even than those he had received from Mandra or his mother. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel out of place, or different, or unwanted. This was the point that his entire life had led to.

 

As Enri had crossed the runes, they had sparked, glowing even brighter, causing Markus to shield his eyes. Then, just as quickly, they had faded back to their dull glow. As Markus blinked rapidly to clear his vision, he lowered his hand and saw, at once, the four figures that had suddenly appeared.

 

They stood within the very limits of the circle, spread out evenly along the inner edge, all facing Enri, who now stood at the very center. Both Enri and Markus could recognize two of them instantly. They had spoken to Samuel Bragg back in Milagre, of course, and even though he’d never met the Shigeru in person, Markus had absolutely no problem recognizing the noble, powerful figure of the God of War.

 

Enri turned around where he stood, noting the people that appeared as well. He also recognized Shigeru and Samuel at once, but, like Markus, he didn’t have the faintest clue who the other two were. Besides Shigeru and Samuel, there were two men, older in appearance than even the God of War, who perpetually looked to be in his late thirties. The younger of the two strangers were dressed in fine silk robes that looked comfortably, ivory in color and adorned with many Nihon-Jan characters.

 

The oldest man, who looked to be well into his eighties, was dressed more plainly. His robes looked like that of a monk’s, with one exception. The same symbol that been on the shoulder of Atsu Shimonseki’s robes was adorned on the old man’s shoulders as well. He looked the most plain of all those who had appeared, but he had an air of self-assurance and natural authority to him that belied his plain appearance.

 

Shigeru looked solemnly around, noting Enri and Markus where they stood, then switching to the other three silent figures. He bent into a shallow bow towards Samuel, his face giving nothing away.

 

“Master Bragg. How good to see you again,” he said, his deep voice calm as could be.

 

Samuel waved a hand lazily in reply. “Long time, Shigeru. How goes the war preparations?”

 

Shigeru almost sighed. “They are progressing, but not as quickly as I’d like.” Then, turning to the younger stranger, he continued. “Good day, brother. I trust that you are well?”

 

Enri’s gaze snapped to the man in the silk robes. Brother? He was sure he’d heard Shigeru correctly. He strained his memory, then remembered. This man was Reito Tokugawa, elder brother to Shigeru, and the current acting head of the Tokugawa family, and leader of Issho-Ni, the force of elite martial artists and warriors dedicated to protecting the innocent.”

 

Reito’s tone was quiet and grave, but cordial. “On excellent health, brother. The family clamors to join you in your coming fight, as I’m sure you are aware.”

 

Shigeru only smiled faintly in reply, then addressed the old man. This time, he bowed much lower, momentarily breaking eye contact. “Master.”

 

The old man returned the bow in silence, straightening back up before Enri and Markus fully processed what Shigeru had said. Master? Though Enri. But Shigeru is centuries old! His brother I can understand, but how is this man still alive?

 

But then the thought occurred to him that this must be some form of summoned, spectral version of the man. There was no way for the man to still live unless he was a god, but he definitely lacked the divine sense that radiated so clearly from Shigeru. His gaze switched between him and Samuel, a slight frown forming on his brow. He’d spoken to Samuel with almost as much respect, but Samuel couldn’t have been more than three or four years older than himself.

 

Before he could even think to ask a question, though admittedly picking one out of the thousands in his head would be impossible, the oldest, the one Shigeru had called Master, cleared his throat, and Enri’s attention snapped back to him at once.

 

“Well. I think it is clear why we are all here, even if this is the first time it has ever happened.” His voice was deep like Shigeru’s but seemed to come from a place of wisdom millennia old. His voice was resonant, like a gentle gong, providing a surprising sense of calm to the situation.

 

The other three nodded silently, their eyes fixed unblinkingly upon Enri. The content feeling he’d gotten from the circle had vanished, and in its absence, panic began to flood his body. He had absolutely no idea what was going on, and his face said as much. He tried to take a step to move, but his legs seemed glued to the spot.

 

“We are here, as the current Paragons, to awaken this boy. To awaken him, and to help him find himself. In short, we are here to give birth to the  Acolyte of Ahya.”