Ethios awoke the next morning, still at the edge of the lake, near the tree where he had fallen asleep the night before.
He looked around, studying his surroundings once again. Nothing had changed—except that now, he was lying on a bed instead of the tree's trunk.
His eyes searched for his mother.
After a few seconds, he found her, also asleep, resting on her own bedding not too far away.
Ethios decided not to disturb her so early in the morning.
He walked closer and sat by the water's edge. No trace remained of the previous night's massacre. His mother had made sure of that.
The cool breeze coming off the lake filled his chest. To him, it felt wonderfully refreshing. For a child who had spent his life confined within a royal palace, the open air was a freedom of its own.
He gazed at his reflection in the water. Though fatigue lingered on his young face, happiness outweighed it.
Ethios looked around. He wanted to seize this chance. He longed to explore this world further, to learn every detail of it. After all, leaving the palace was a rare occurrence—once every few years, at best.
Before him, a water creature rested quietly. It belonged to the same kind of beings he had glimpsed last night, while riding the magical cloud with his mother.
The creature was unusually still, which made things easier for him.
Step by careful step, Ethios waded forward. By the time the water reached his waist, the creature was within arm's reach.
He leapt forward and clutched its dorsal fin. The sudden motion startled the beast, sending it darting through the lake with astonishing speed.
What Ethios hadn't realized was that these creatures could dive deep beneath the surface. Luckily, this one didn't. Instead, it leapt in graceful arcs, bursting from the water into the air, then plunging back down.
Ethios panicked. He didn't know how to swim. Letting go wasn't an option—but holding on made it nearly impossible to breathe.
Water flooded his lungs as he failed to draw air beneath the surface. Still, he knew that releasing his grip would mean certain death.
Desperately, he clung to the creature's fin while it thrashed violently, trying to shake him off.
In the end, his small body lacked the strength to endure. He lost his hold and plunged into the lake alone.
He fought with everything he had to stay near the surface. For a while, he managed. But he could not keep his head above the water long enough to breathe. Eventually, the lake swallowed him, and his strength faded.
Just as consciousness began to slip away, a soft yet powerful hand seized his shoulder and pulled him from the depths.
Breaking through the surface, Ethios cared little for who had saved him—he only craved air.
A strange, painful pressure gripped his chest. Moments later, he vomited the water he had swallowed in his desperate struggle.
When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the magical cloud. Turning his head, he saw his mother.
Her gaze was filled with fear and worry—but also anger. In truth, she was furious.
"Ethios! What in the world were you thinking!?"
Sitting up, Ethios lowered his eyes to his feet. He couldn't bear to meet his mother's furious stare.
"I just… wanted to take another ride on the lake."
Alexa's voice was sharp.
"Couldn't you have asked me first?"
For a few moments, Ethios said nothing. He hadn't wanted to wake her so early… but perhaps climbing onto a wild beast's back wasn't the wisest alternative.
"I'm sorry. I… I didn't want to disturb you."
While he struggled for words, Alexa's anger softened. She pulled him into her arms and pressed a kiss to his head. Her wrath had never been about disobedience—it had sprung from fear.
"Please… don't ever make me worry like that again."
Relief warmed Ethios at her forgiveness.
"Yes. I promise."
---
Not long after, mother and son sat together near the lake, speaking of many things. Alexa often guided their conversations toward Ethios's thoughts, questions, and dreams. These talks comforted him deeply.
To have someone who understood him—that was a blessing. They helped him grow quickly too. Though only four years old, he was sharper than most children his age, even older ones.
In the middle of their talk, Ethios asked,
"Mother, you're a warrior, aren't you? Father once told me that some even consider you the strongest in the Union."
A faint smile curved Alexa's lips.
"Well, I wouldn't call myself the strongest. But yes… I am a warrior."
Her modesty puzzled Ethios. When the world declares you the best, why deny it? But another thought soon overshadowed his curiosity.
"I want you to teach me."
Alexa tilted her head slightly, wondering what he meant.
"Teach you what?"
Ethios stood, taking a few steps back to face her.
"Teach me how to fight."
She fell silent for a moment, then laughed softly.
"Ethios… you're still just a child."
A frown crossed his face. He felt insulted.
"Your father started training you the moment you could walk!"
Alexa's smile faded at the mention of her father.
"When I was young, tensions between the Union and the Alliance were at their peak. My father refused to see any of us unprepared, so he taught us from the earliest age. And he was right. The Second War began when I was only eighteen."
A quiet pause followed. Alexa looked at her son. He said nothing, but the determination in his eyes blazed like the sun.
With a weary sigh, she relented.
"Very well. I suppose there's no harm in teaching you some basics."
Ethios's face lit with joy. To be taught by one of the greatest warriors of the Akimo people—it was a dream come true.
Alexa rose to her feet, arms folded.
"In our people, there are two kinds of fighters. The first are those who wield weapons. The second are those who wield magic. Some walk the line between, using both blade and spell."
Ethios listened with rapt attention, absorbing every word.
"Generally," she continued, "it's impossible to master both. To be a great swordsman and a great mage at the same time is like being the world's greatest carpenter and the world's greatest architect simultaneously. But combining them to a small degree is possible."
Ethios understood his first lesson. One had to choose—sword or sorcery. His voice rang with excitement.
"I want to wield weapons!"
His mother's lips curved into a slight smile.
"Then remember this: the very first lesson for a warrior of the blade can be spoken in a single phrase."
Eagerly, Ethios leaned forward. This must be the foundation upon which every swordsman built his skill.
Alexa met his eyes.
"Be the sword."