Eric and Samuel followed Ehran outside of the dojo and along the stone path that wrapped the building. It was the first time he’d been behind the dojo, Eric realized. There was a beautiful rock garden here, with an ornate fountain in the center. The fountain had colorful, shiny rocks inside it, which caught the light and made the water sparkle. There were many narrow dirt paths between patches of fine gravel, which had been carefully combed and shaped to make spectacular designs.

Banners were placed around the garden, each bearing a different Japanese or Chinese character in black on a white cloth. Eric knew a fair amount of Japanese from his time on Earth, so he could recognize the Kanji around him, but the Chinese symbols were completely foreign. Those that he could read were Peace, Body, Mind, Soul, and Balance. There was an equal number of Chinese and Japanese banners, so he assumed that the Chinese said the same.

Just past the fountain, a dirt path led to a perfectly circular stone dais, twenty feet in diameter raised from the ground by a few inches. It was clearly chiseled by a master craftsman, with etched designs of more characters in a ring around the edge. In the center of the disk, two wolves were etched in mid-run, circling each with perfect balance and unison. The stone disc looked fairly normal apart from the delicate carvings, but Eric couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of power and balance radiating from it.

“Is it magical?” He asked, unconsciously keeping his voice low as he turned to look at Ehran. “None of those letters look like runes.”

Ehran smiled slightly at the question, but it was Samuel who replied. “The dais itself is not magical. The magic you are feeling is born from souls past, who all meditated within. It is called the Stone of the Masters.”

Eric said nothing more on the subject, staring wide-eyed at the disc. The idea that thousands of people had placed such significance on one item was amazing. Their conviction was so strong that, even far into the future, he could feel their will reflected back at him. It was an inspiring yet oddly bone-chilling experience to be near it. How was it that he couldn’t feel the stone’s influence whenever he’d been inside the dojo? He must have come within a few dozen feet of it at times, separated only by a wooden wall.

As if Samuel had sensed this question occurring to him, he spoke while Ehran stepped onto the stone. “The Stone of the Masters only awakens when it is needed. It has come to life now because it senses the presence of a Master who wishes to pass on his learning to their apprentice.”

That was a scary thought, at least for Eric. It gave whatever knowledge Eric was about to share with him extra significance. All of a sudden, he doubted whether or not he really deserved to know what Eric intended to teach him. Yet he stood still, waiting patiently to see what Ehran’s next action would be. Whatever happened, he knew that he had to honor his teacher by accepting this lesson.

The markings around the disc had flared brightly with life as Ehran stepped over them, flashing with light as the dormant magic was going to surround the visitor. Ehran walked to the direct center of the disk and sat cross-legged between the two running wolves. He closed his eyes then, and the lights seemed to flare a bit brighter as if acknowledging his presence. It was an eerie sight.

“I am Ehran Maveron Tokugawa,” Ehran said, his eyes still closed tightly. “I am student to Shiora Rai Tokugawa, Tobito Jin Tokugawa, and Shigeru Yama Tokugawa. I am Master to Eric Breeden, and I have come to share my wisdom. I ask my ancestors to guide my student to greatness, so that he may follow in your footsteps.”

Now the lines of the wolves flashed with light as well, their eyes coming to life with violet energy. Just as the runes gave off light, the wolves now actually lifted from the stone itself, appearing in mid-run, just as they were depicted. They circled Ehran several times, then came to a halt, and threw their heads back. Their howls were silent, but Eric felt the power of them reverberate through his very soul. They were massive beasts too, easily seven feet tall at the shoulder. Then, just as quickly as the two had appeared, two more came from nowhere, forming a circle around Ehran.

Each of the wolves turned to survey Eric, staring at him with a quiet intensity. Then they faced forward again, and dropped down, lowering their heads in an unmistakable bow to Ehran. He bowed in return, coming to his knees and lowering his head until it touched the stone. White energy seemed to drift off his body, reforming behind him and condensing into a fifth wolf. This one was much more solid-looking than the others, but it was also clearly ancient. It stood nearly twice as tall as the others, its head as big as Eric’s body.

Eric froze as he stared into the old wolf’s eyes. It was clearly a powerful, fearsome beast. Yet, as he stared at it and they made direct eye contact, he could feel a strong sense of recognition. The aura of the wolf was identical to Shigeru’s, but older. And strangely, it radiated the same sort of ancient power that Samuel did. Was it an Ancient? Eric couldn’t tell. The wolf held its gaze as if waiting for Eric to react, and he belatedly dropped to his knees, his head bowing deeply. By the time he glanced back up, the wolves were gone.

“The masters of old recognize your spirit,” Ehran said. He was now standing, directly in the center, his robes billowing as if in a slight breeze. “Come join me, Eric.”

Slowly, as if his legs were made of rubber, Eric got back to his feet and walked to the stone. It seemed to take him a lifetime to reach it, and step across the barrier. The markings on the edge flared again as he crossed them, and he felt some of his energy sapped away. It wasn’t an alarming amount, and he knew that, somehow, his own life force had just been tied to whatever ritual this was.

“Eric Breeden. You stand on the Stone of the Masters, to receive my blessing and the blessing of masters past. Today, you will take your first full step in mastering my teachings, and develop your own. From today, you are part of a proud line of defenders, masters, and teachers. You will forever bear our mark, and gain the strength that is passed down the line. You are to use our power to strengthen yourself, and when your time comes, to mark another. Do you understand?”

Eric nodded numbly. “I understand.”

“Do you promise to use my teachings to find new strength, and spend your every last effort towards mastery, so that you may continue the line?”

“I do.”

From the corner of his eyes, he could feel the energy that had been taken from him flare up around the circle. It drifted gently into the air, then drifted to the center. As it collected in one place and formed the body of a young wolf, he watched with wide eyes. The beast that formed was tiny compared to the others, barely two feet tall. But it was pure white in color, with light blue eyes that seemed to hint at ancient wisdom just out of reach. It lifted its head to Ehran and shook itself vigorously. As it did, it faded once more, and the dregs of light returned to Eric, seeping into his skin. A flow of warmth cascaded throughout his body.

A powerful yet gentle wind swirled around Eric, ruffling his hair and filling his mind with static. Then it was all gone, and the light faded from around him. The Stone of the Masters had gone to sleep once more, until the time that it would be needed again. Eric stared at the window of text in front of him, feeling the same sense of euphoric disbelief he’d experienced when he’d first received the Apprentice Buff. Here, at last, was something unique to his name, something that only one other person in the world had. A true gift from his teacher.

“Congratulations, Eric,” Ehran said quietly, a slight smile on his face. “You haven’t been my student long, but you’re a better student than I could have ever hoped for. This gift isn’t much, but it is the start of something great. All it needs now is your willpower to help it grow.”

The window of text faded as Eric looked up at his teacher’s face, and he bowed deeply. “Thank you, Master Ehran.”

Ehran returned the bow. “Please keep my teachings close to your heart when you run your missions. And when it is all over, please feel free to come back. I have much I can still teach you.”

Hours later, Eric was laying in his bed at Raven’s Hall, unable to sleep. He could still feel the warmth from the wolf inside him, and every time he strained his ears, he could hear it, a small and weak creature, breathing inside his soul. He’d never thought that something so wonderful could come from his time in this strange world. Mastery of a new style of combat was one thing. But the thought that he had been so firmly linked to a proud tradition of warriors, masters who looked on him from centuries past, was new.

Emma was laying in the bed beside him, fast asleep, unaware of the restless state that Eric was in. He hadn’t told her about the temporary cease to his apprenticeship with Ehran, or of the missions that he would now be taking on. He hadn’t even shared the detail about the ritual, or the small wolf that had been bound to him. Would it really be as large and powerful as those other wolves, ancient and proud? It seemed impossible, and yet those past masters must have started in the same place as him, barely above an apprentice, with so much left to learn.

He rolled over and closed his eyes, thinking of his life back on Earth. He’d wasted day after day, only summoning the energy to go to work or for grocery shopping. He wasn’t exactly lazy, but his passion had been clearly lacking. The only things he’d lived for were his writing and for games. He’d been good at those things, but he’d never been close to master level. But here, with a little help, he was on his way to finally being exceptional at something. He also had passion, loads of it, enough to drive him forward. All that was left, as Ehran had said, was to apply his willpower, and see it through.

He fell asleep without noticing, his mind filled with images of the wolf inside him. It was pacing around the streets of Fairbanks, curiously regarding every new sight and smell, its blue eyes quiet and discerning, drinking in the new information. Then he saw it as a full-grown wolf, crouching low seated behind him, as he kneeled before a mass of people. He couldn’t make out the faces of the people in front of him, but he looked a little older, and a lot tougher.