Dawn brought with it an icy wind from the mountains. Richard and Elyndra dismantled their makeshift camp in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The temple experience had left a deep mark on both of them, albeit in different ways.
Richard put away the map they had studied the night before, mentally memorizing the route to the Temple of Deep Roots. According to Elyndra's calculations, the journey would take at least two weeks, perhaps longer depending on the obstacles along the way.
"We must descend along the north side of the mountain," said Elyndra, adjusting her cloak against the wind. "There's an ancient path that will lead us to the valley, and from there, we'll follow the course of the Naran River to the edges of the Umbral Forest."
Richard nodded, his mind divided between planning the journey and exploring his new capabilities. Since absorbing the second fragment, he felt the world differently. The air was no longer simply something he breathed; he perceived it as a living entity, full of currents, patterns, and energies he had never noticed before.
"Does it always feel like this?" he asked, as they began descending along a narrow stone path. "It's as if I can feel every air current, every vibration."
Elyndra gave him an appraising look.
"Each fragment changes your perception permanently. The air has always been full of these patterns and energies. Now you can perceive them because they're part of you."
They walked in silence for a while, negotiating the difficult descent. The path was treacherous, with sections eroded by time and weather. In some stretches, there was barely room to place their feet, with a dizzying precipice on one side and the rock wall on the other.
During one of these particularly narrow passages, Richard noticed that Elyndra was moving with more difficulty than before. Her breathing had become labored, and for the first time since he had known her, he perceived fear in her eyes when she looked at the abyss.
"Let me help you," he offered, extending his hand.
Elyndra hesitated, a visible conflict on her face. Finally, with a slight nod, she accepted his help.
"Your wound still hasn't completely healed," Richard observed as he guided her through the difficult stretch.
"Damage caused by certain types of magic doesn't heal like normal wounds," she replied in a tense voice. "Especially those caused by blue fire."
Richard remembered the mage from the organization he had faced in the desert. The same blue fire he had used against him.
"Is there anything we can do?"
Elyndra shook her head.
"Only time. And perhaps..." she stopped, as if she had been about to reveal something important.
"Perhaps what?"
"Nothing important now. Let's focus on the descent."
Richard didn't insist, but the evasion registered in his mind. Elyndra still kept many secrets, and although he trusted her more than before, he knew she wasn't telling him everything.
As the sun rose in the sky, the heat began to replace the morning cold. The landscape also changed gradually, with bare rock giving way to sparse vegetation. Small bushes and hardy herbs clung to the cracks between rocks, and occasionally, a solitary tree twisted by the wind offered welcome shade.
During one of these breaks under the shade, Richard decided to experiment with his new ability. He extended his hand toward a small rock and concentrated on "Wind Manipulation." The stone rose shakily, floating a few centimeters from the ground.
"Impressive," commented Elyndra, observing him. "But too forced. You're not working with the air, but fighting against it."
"How should I do it, then?" asked Richard, letting the stone fall.
Elyndra stood up and positioned herself next to him.
"The air is in constant movement, Richard. It's not something static that you simply push. It's a dance, a continuous flow." She made a fluid movement with her hand, and a gentle but perceptible breeze swirled around them. "Don't try to dominate the wind. Suggest a direction to it, join its natural flow."
Richard tried again, this time concentrating on feeling the existing currents. It was like immersing himself in an invisible river. He discovered that there were patterns, eddies, and flows that he could perceive thanks to "Current Comprehension." Instead of creating a force from scratch, he began to work with these patterns, amplifying them, redirecting them.
This time, when he moved his hand, the stone rose smoothly, held by a circular current of air. It moved with more stability, and surprisingly, Richard noticed that it consumed less mana this way.
"Much better," approved Elyndra. "True power isn't in brute force, but in understanding and harmony."
They continued practicing for an hour. Richard discovered that he could create small whirlwinds, deflect objects in the air, and even amplify sounds by directing the currents appropriately. It was like learning a new language, one made of flows and pressures instead of words.
When they resumed the descent, Richard felt more connected than ever with the element that now, in a way, was part of him. He could feel every change in the wind, every ascending and descending current. The world seemed to have acquired a new dimension.
Toward midday, the path widened, joining a broader road that wound toward the valley. Larger trees began to appear, offering more generous shadows, and the distant sound of running water indicated the proximity of a stream.
"We'll rest by the stream," decided Elyndra. "We need to replenish water and regain strength."
The stream turned out to be more voluminous than Richard had anticipated, with crystalline waters descending in small waterfalls from the heights. They knelt on the bank, filling their canteens and refreshing themselves after the arduous descent.
Richard observed his reflection in the water. Physically, he hadn't changed since he began this journey, but there was something different in his eyes. A depth, a knowledge that wasn't there before. He wondered how much more he would change as he absorbed more fragments.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Elyndra, sitting beside him with a sigh of relief.
Richard hesitated before responding, organizing his thoughts.
"About how all this is changing me. The System, the fragments... Sometimes I feel like I'm losing myself, becoming something different."
Elyndra nodded with understanding.
"Change is inevitable on the path you've undertaken. The question is: are you becoming something better or worse than your former self?"
"I don't know," admitted Richard. "I feel like I'm gaining power, knowledge, abilities I never imagined. But I also feel like some of my humanity is diluting with each fragment. It's as if..."
He interrupted himself, noticing that Elyndra had suddenly tensed, her gaze fixed on something beyond the stream. Richard followed her gaze and saw a figure among the trees, watching them.
It was a tall man, dressed in simple but good quality clothes. His silver-gray hair framed a face of indeterminate age, with eyes that seemed to change color according to the light. In his right hand he held a staff of polished wood, decorated with intricate carvings.
"Greetings, travelers," said the stranger with a deep and melodious voice. "It's not common to find company on these forgotten paths."
Richard instinctively stood up, positioning himself slightly in front of Elyndra. He felt the mana flowing to his hands, ready to activate "Wind Manipulation" if necessary.
To his surprise, Elyndra placed a hand on his arm, a subtle gesture to relax.
"Greetings, Walker," she responded, using a term that Richard hadn't heard before. "The path has brought us here, as it has you."
The man smiled, revealing perfectly white teeth.
"Ah, you know the ancient courtesies. That's rare in these times of haste and carelessness."
He crossed the stream with sure steps, jumping from stone to stone with the agility of someone much younger than he appeared. As he approached, Richard noticed something strange about him. It wasn't exactly his appearance, but something more subtle, as if the air around the man vibrated differently.
"They call me Thaelen," he introduced himself, making a slight bow. "I am a simple traveler, like yourselves. Although perhaps not so simple, right?"
His gaze rested on Richard with a disturbing intensity, as if he could see beyond his surface.
"Richard," he introduced himself tersely, still cautious. "And this is Elyndra."
Thaelen nodded slowly, as if the names confirmed something he already knew.
"A pleasure. May I ask where you're headed? These paths can be treacherous for those who don't know them well."
Richard looked at Elyndra, unsure about how much to reveal. She took the initiative.
"We're heading east, following the Naran River," she replied with a kind but cautious smile. "Our final destination is still... to be determined."
"Ah, the east," Thaelen nodded, leaning on his staff. "An interesting direction. The Naran River will take you to the edges of the Umbral Forest. A place of great beauty, but also of great dangers for the unwary."
"Do you know the region well?" asked Richard, deciding to obtain useful information if possible.
"I've traveled these paths many times over the years," replied Thaelen with an enigmatic smile. "The Umbral Forest, in particular, is an old friend of mine. I know its paths, its secrets... and its guardians."
The last word immediately aroused Richard's interest.
"Guardians?"
"Oh, yes. The Forest is not simply a collection of trees and animals. It has consciousness, in its own way. And very ancient protectors who watch over its integrity."
Thaelen crouched down and picked up a small, smooth stone from the stream, observing it with fascination before continuing.
"But I wouldn't want to overwhelm you with stories of an old wanderer. Would you mind if I shared your fire tonight? I have food to offer, and perhaps some useful advice about the path that awaits you."
Richard looked at Elyndra again, who after a moment of consideration, nodded subtly.
"You'll be welcome," said Richard, although he maintained his caution.
Thaelen smiled widely.
"Excellent. Company makes the path less lonely, don't you think?"
As they prepared a small camp by the stream, Richard couldn't shake off the feeling that this encounter wasn't casual. There was something about Thaelen, something he couldn't fully identify. He didn't seem threatening, but he was definitely more than he appeared to be.
That night, seated around a modest campfire, they shared the food that Thaelen had offered: surprisingly fresh bread, aromatic cheese, and dried fruits that seemed to revitalize with each bite.
"So, Thaelen," Richard began after satisfying his hunger, "you said you know the Umbral Forest. Have you ever been to its heart?"
The question seemed innocent, but Richard carefully observed the man's reaction. Thaelen looked at him with eyes that now seemed more green than gray in the firelight.
"The heart of the Umbral Forest is a place that few have reached, and even fewer have returned to tell about it," he replied cautiously. "There is a reason why the locals call it the Forest of Eternal Silence."
"And that reason is...?" pressed Richard.
Thaelen looked at the flames for a long moment before responding.
"Time doesn't flow there as in the rest of the world. Those who venture too deep may find themselves trapped in moments that stretch indefinitely, or compressed in fleeting instants that contain entire years."
Richard and Elyndra exchanged a significant look. The description matched exactly what she had said about the Temple of Deep Roots.
"You speak as if you've experienced it personally," observed Elyndra.
Thaelen smiled melancholically.
"Let's say I know someone who entered as an impetuous young man and left as a wise old man, all in what for his travel companions was barely a blink."
A heavy silence fell over the group. Richard contemplated the implications of what they had just heard. If the temple could alter time in that way, what guarantee did they have that they could leave without being affected?
As if reading his thoughts, Thaelen added:
"However, there are ways to navigate its temporal whims. The forest responds to intention and perception. Those who enter with fear or excessive ambition tend to be the most affected by its distortions."
"And those who enter seeking knowledge?" asked Richard, unable to contain himself.
Thaelen's eyes shone with a flash of recognition.
"Ah, knowledge. The noblest of objectives, but also the most dangerous." He paused, studying Richard carefully. "The forest can offer you exactly what you seek, but the price is always proportional to the value of what you wish to obtain."
The conversation drifted to lighter topics after that, but Richard couldn't stop thinking about Thaelen's words. The strange traveler shared stories about the lands he had traveled, some so fantastic that they seemed impossible, others so vivid that they could only be true.
Later, while Elyndra slept and Thaelen observed the stars sitting on a nearby rock, Richard took the opportunity to speak with him in private.
"You're not a simple traveler, are you?" he asked directly.
Thaelen smiled without taking his eyes off the night sky.
"What is a 'simple traveler', Richard? Are you one?" He turned his face to look at him. "We are all more than we appear to be, especially those who have been touched by ancient forces."
Richard felt a chill upon hearing these words.
"You know about the fragments, don't you?" he murmured, keeping his voice low so as not to wake Elyndra.
Thaelen remained silent for a moment, as if carefully considering his response.
"I know many things, Richard Wonder. Among them, I know that you've begun a path that few have traveled before. A path that will transform you in ways you cannot yet imagine."
The use of his surname, which Richard hadn't mentioned, confirmed his suspicions that Thaelen wasn't who he appeared to be.
"Who are you really?"
"An observer, at this moment. Perhaps a guide, in the future." Thaelen stood up with a fluid movement. "But tonight, I'm just someone offering advice: when you reach the Temple of Deep Roots, remember that time is not a river flowing in one direction, but an ocean with currents and tides that intertwine."
Without waiting for a response, Thaelen returned to the camp, leaving Richard with more questions than answers. That night, Richard slept little, alternating between watching the mysterious traveler and contemplating the stars, wondering what other secrets and dangers awaited them on the path to the next fragment.
At dawn, when Richard awoke, Thaelen had disappeared without a trace. Only a small object on a flat rock indicated that it hadn't been a dream: an ancient compass, with symbols instead of cardinal points. Next to it, a note written in elegant calligraphy:
*"To navigate the sea of time. We will meet when necessary."*
Richard kept the compass, feeling that he had just acquired both a valuable ally and, potentially, a new enigma to solve. The journey was just beginning, and the path to the third fragment promised to be more complex and dangerous than he had imagined.