It was nighttime, and Shinrou Rokuro made his way through the forest, his troops lying on the ground inside hastily erected tents. Campfires dotted the area, casting flickering light among the trees that served as illumination, for the canopy above blocked out the light of the stars. The entire camp buzzed with activity, as the soldiers who had emerged from the battle unscathed busied themselves attending to their comrades. The air was filled with constant moans and groans of pain.

Fortunately, with the abundance of dead horses, there was no shortage of food supply. Meat sizzled and cooked over open flames throughout the camp.

His footsteps led him to a small open wagon containing a metal cage. There wasn't much space, but it was enough for the girl, bound and gagged, her incessant screams silenced. Her leg was wrapped in bandages, yet the bloodstains on the cloth hinted at her ongoing suffering.

Beside her, the wolf lay with a bandage tightly around its head. The poor creature remained unconscious.

The captain stopped a few paces away, his gaze fixed upon the pair. Suddenly, he sensed a presence behind his back and turned around to find Yasu approaching.

"I fail to understand why you would waste our resources on this wolf," Yasu remarked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because it's a shame that such a magnificent creature had to be injured. I had the means to save it, so I did. Do you have a problem with that, captain?" Rokuro inquired, raising an eyebrow.

The older man shook his head and departed immediately, clearly unwilling to engage in an open confrontation.

Shinrou then shifted his gaze back to the wolf. He watched the beast for a moment, but the sound of footsteps made him shift his attention to an approaching soldier.

„Sir, is this a good moment?” the man asked.

„Yes. Speak.”

„The scouts found two bodies of the soldiers. They were…”

„What about the boy?” Shinrou interrupted him.

„They couldn’t find him. They searched for the traces but didn’t find anything. He must have fallen into the river since there weren’t any traces nearby,” the soldier explained, bowing slightly as his gaze dropped to the ground.

„Yes, you should feel ashamed for this failure. We all should,” the captain concluded. „Tell the scouts to get some rest. In the morning they will gather the supplies and everything they might need, and then they will follow the river looking for traces. They need to find this boy and bring him back. Without him… They have nothing to look for in the Empire!” He raised his voice speaking the last words, then his gaze shifted back to the wolf. „Oh… And tell two mages to accompany them.”

„Yes sir,” the soldier bowed before he rushed away, to fulfill the given order.

Yue-liang lay at the edge of the riverbank, basking in the golden rays of the sun that left a playful dance of light upon his body, in perfect rhythm with the swaying leaves above. The serene melody of bird songs intertwined with the whistling wind completed the enchanting symphony of nature.

The cool water gently lapped at the boy's feet, partially submerged in its embrace.

Beside him, perched on a weathered log, sat an old man dressed in a dark gray robe, his deep hood pushed back to reveal a bald head, sunken eyes with dark circles, and a face adorned with well-earned wrinkles.

With a groan, the boy finally roused from his slumber, attempting to crawl a little further away. As he placed the injured hand on the stones covering the riverbank, a loud hiss escaped his lips, forced out by the pain. He first looked at the found, but then his gaze grazed the feet of the stranger, causing him to gasp and scramble to partially prop himself up.

"Do not fear, my child. I am not your enemy," the old man reassured him, his voice radiating peace and unwavering confidence.

"W-who are you?" Yue-liang stammered, almost losing his balance and teetering backward, right into the river, before regaining his footing just in time.

"Be careful. I struggled so hard to pull you from the water, and now you nearly slipped back in," the old man cautioned. "You ask who I am? I have no name, but I have journeyed far to offer you my aid. You see... You have received a gift, and many will seek to claim it for themselves. I'm sure you already know this, as you did not slay those two soldiers on that rock without a reason. Ah, yes… I saw their lifeless bodies."

"W-what are you talking..." the boy attempted to ask, but his words wedged themselves in his throat as memories flooded his mind. He remembered it all—the shameful escape and the two men chasing after him. "Yura..." he gasped, glancing over his shoulder, but nothing in the surroundings seemed even remotely familiar.

"Your friend? Well... If they nearly caught you, they have either captured her or already taken her life. If I were to make my guess, they probably would keep her alive as bait for you. However, that would be a fool's errand, because only a fool would step into such a trap. The wise choice would be to accompany me, to learn how to wield your gift, and then return to rescue her from their clutches. Well..." The old man groaned as he rose to his feet. "The decision is yours to make." With that, he began to walk away.

The boy watched him for a moment, memories flashing through his mind. He remembered Whurel, offering to teach him how to fight, and then the decision to stay behind, while the enigmatic warrior left. It was as clear as day, that this decision led to the catastrophe.

"W-wait!" Yue-Liang exclaimed, rushing after the stranger.

An inn nested by the crossroads played host to an unusual guest. Seated in the corner of the bustling main hall, where the shadows enveloped him, a massive man sat quietly, sipping from a mug. Yet, despite the daylight streaming in through the open windows, the other patrons couldn't help but steal occasional glances at him. It was evident that he made them feel uneasy as if he posed a threat.

Conversations filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere within the inn, but amidst the buzz, the mysterious man remained fixated on the entrance, as though expecting someone to arrive at any moment.

His premonition soon aligned with reality when a figure, in a dirty cloak and wearing a deep hood, entered the establishment. Leaning on a long wooden staff, the newcomer made his way to the corner table and without a word, took a seat opposite Whurel. His intrusion earned him a handful of curious glances.

"You took your sweet time," the warrior complained. "I had to find the kid, rescue him from trouble, hide him, train him, and even make it all the way here before you decided to show your ugly mug."

With a swift motion, Heb threw back his hood, revealing his tattooed, bald head adorned with piercings. Raising his left hand slightly, his fingers danced in the air, causing the shadows to lengthen substantially. Suddenly, they both ceased to capture as much attention as before. In an instant, the staff transformed into its true form—a long metal bar with several rings at the top—and flew to rest against the wall of the establishment.

"It's not easy for me to travel, and you know it, so stop complaining. You nagg worse than my mother did when she was still with us," the mage retorted. "Where is this kid you spoke of? Has he found the stone?"

"Yes. I was too late. I was even too late to reach him first. The Eastern Empire had been transporting him to their capital, but I intercepted them. Now they're hiding in the forest with the man you mentioned. Although he is a bit different from your description," Whurel explained, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. As he spoke, he gradually allowed himself to lean against the table, resting his forearms upon it and drawing closer to his companion. His voice grew into a quiet mutter as well.

"Them? And why did you leave the kid?" Heb's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to comprehend this piece of information.

"There was a slight complication..." The warrior shrugged, but his eyes darted to the side, revealing his evasion.

"Just say it."

Whurel sighed. "The boy wasn't alone. They were moving a girl with him, his friend, as I later discovered. She was likely supposed to be used as leverage to manipulate him. I couldn't simply abandon her on the road, so I took her as well... And then that little wench betrayed me. She threw a tantrum and convinced the fool boy to remain in the forest with her." He ended with another sigh.

The archmage remained silent for a moment, his fingers pressing against his temples as he massaged them. A groan escaped his lips before he took a deep, calming breath and placed both hands firmly on the table. "You will have to return there and bring them to me."

"Why not go together? You will be able to persuade them with your knowledge much better than I ever could. You are good with words when you want to be," the warrior's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Because you fool, no sane mage would recklessly intrude upon another mage's domain. I won't step foot into that forest unless it's the last place left in this world. Now gather your belongings and go. I will wait here."

Mumbling something under his breath, Whurel swiftly emptied his mug before rising to his feet. He shot daggers with his eyes at the bald man before approaching the stairs to go and retrieve his belongings from the room he paid for.