As the sun set behind the high mountain ranges on the western border of the Eastern Kingdom, the wheels of the horse-drawn carriage rolled smoothly along a well-paved, stone-lined road.
When Kael looked out the window, he noticed that the landscape had completely changed. The wild and untamed nature of his village had given way to a flawless order here. On either side of the road, massive, pruned plane trees stretched out like a tunnel, and beams of light filtering through the leaves filled the interior of the carriage.
Kael slipped his fingers onto the hilt of the sword he held tightly in his lap. He hadn't spoken much with his uncle Zephyros along the way, but his mind wouldn't stop racing. His mother's weary smile and the way she waved goodbye played before his eyes like a film reel. "Can I really do this?" he wondered.
"We're almost there, Kael," said Zephyros, as if waking from a deep sleep. "We've left the damp air of the village behind. This is where the kingdom breathes."
As the carriage approached the massive iron gates of the mansion rising on the western border of the Eastern Kingdom, Kael held his breath. The houses in his village seemed tiny next to this structure. The high stone walls and marble columns dazzled Kael's eyes.
The mansion was surrounded by tall, silver-inlaid iron railings—built not only for protection but also to display grandeur. The structure was so massive that for a moment, Kael couldn't decide if this was a barracks or a palace. The surrounding gardens, fountains, and carefully placed statues seemed alive, as if every stone had a soul.
Kael turned to his uncle, his voice trembling with excitement: "Uncle... is this really your home?"Zephyros responded to Kael's innocent astonishment with a hearty laugh. "Ha ha! Yes, my boy, this is my home. But don't think of it merely as a house. It was given to me by the king as a reward for defending the kingdom's borders and placing the power of the wind at his service. Every stone you see is a symbol of a victory won."
Kael saw the gardeners and patrolling guards outside, and these words echoed in his mind: "If you achieve great success in the name of the kingdom, one day you too might receive such a reward from the king."
When the carriage stopped at the gate, a majestic man in silver-embroidered armor was waiting for them. This was Varkas, Zephyros's childhood friend and chief guard. After losing his family in a tragic incident, he had sought refuge with Zephyros and become the estate's unwavering protector.
When Kael stepped out, it was as if he were facing not a man but a living statue carved from marble. When Kael looked up, he saw the stern expression on the man's face; there was a thin, old scar running from just above his right eye down to his cheek.
Zephyros jumped out of the car and gave his old friend a hard slap on the shoulder. Varkas responded to Zephyros's playful gesture with only a slight nod, but his eyes immediately locked onto the strange, ancient sword strapped to Kael's back. That sword was no ordinary hunk of iron, and Varkas had sensed it at first glance.
"Welcome, Zephyros," said Varkas, asking without taking his eyes off the boy: "Who is this young man? Is he your friend?"
Zephyros smiled and pushed Kael forward. "Kael is my brother's son. I brought him from a village in the Eastern Kingdom for training."Varkas's brows furrowed; his astonishment was evident in his voice:
"I never in my life would have guessed you'd bring someone here to train. While so many nobles are begging at your door, and you haven't accepted a single student...
" Varkas bent down to Kael's level. He was so massive that even when he bent down, he was still taller than Kael. He extended his massive, calloused hand: "Hello, young man, I'm Varkas. I'm the guardian of this estate."
When Kael shook Varkas's hand, he thought his bones were going to crack. Varkas was surprised that this boy didn't tremble as he shook his hand and didn't look away. The calluses in Kael's palm didn't feel foreign to him; this boy was used to hard work, he thought to himself
Varkas smiled slightly as he withdrew his hand. Turning to Zephyros, he whispered, "There's that sparkle in his eyes, Zephyros. I can tell a warrior from a coward by their gaze.
" When Varkas shook Kael's hand, he had noticed the unwavering courage in the boy's eyes. The years spent on the battlefield had made him a judge of character. He thought to himself, Zephyros has truly found an interesting child."
At the entrance to the mansion, Zephyros paused and turned to Kael. "Listen, son. I won't be the one to train you." "I don't use a sword, so I can't teach you swordplay. As for magic, since I use wind, I can't fully help you realize your potential. You'll have separate teachers for both swordplay and magic. You're lucky—not everyone gets such a special education."
Kael was surprised, but he also realized that his uncle had planned everything down to the finest detail. When they entered, they were greeted by the head butler, Elias. Elias bowed with a flawless curtsy and spoke:
"Welcome home, Master Zephyros. Your home has missed you."
"Hello, Elias," said Zephyros.
"This young man is my special guest. Show him to his room and the shower, and give him some clean clothes. When he's ready, have him join me for dinner."
"As you wish, sir. Elias," he said, opening the mansion's massive double doors wide.
"This way, Young Master Kael."
The moment Kael stepped inside, the fresh air from outside gave way to a faint scent of incense and old paper. The entrance hall was so high that when the light from the massive crystal chandelier on the ceiling struck the marble floor, Kael felt as though he were walking in the sky.
Elias began speaking as he took each step with military discipline yet in complete silence: "This mansion is one of the oldest architectural masterpieces of the Eastern Kingdom. The paintings you see on your right are portraits of Lord Zephyros's lineage and the guardians of these lands."
As he walked, Kael couldn't help but gaze at the massive oil paintings on the walls. The men in the paintings seemed to be watching him. In one, a wizard wielding a staff commanded the storms; in another, a knight stood in a pool of blood.
This place felt to him like the center of a completely different world—a realm of nobility and power.
"Sir," said Elias, pointing to the intricate carvings on the banisters of the stairs. "Every motif here is protected by a special varnish mixed with dragon bone dust. Please don't hesitate to touch it."
Kael hesitantly touched the cold wood with his finger. The banisters were so smooth that his finger slid right over them.
They passed by the imposing knight statues, clad in silver armor, lined up along the corridors. As Kael looked into the emptiness inside the armor, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. Elias continued his explanation, leaving out no detail:
"That large library door you see there opens only with Master Zephyros's permission. Some of the books inside are protected by seals that will turn a non-reader's fingers to ash if they touch them."
Kael swallowed hard. He realized that this luxury was not merely a display of opulence, but was also shrouded in a mysterious and dangerous power.
The servants bowing to greet them at every corner, the incense burning in every room they passed through, and the weight of the velvet curtains on the walls were almost suffocating Kael, yet at the same time, this grandeur was drawing him in.
Finally, Elias stopped in front of an intricately carved oak door. "Here is your room, Master Kael. Please, make yourself at home."
His astonishment grew even more as he entered the room. Silk pillows, soft quilts, and a massive desk...
Then Kael made his way to the shower. As he stepped into the warm water, he felt the dust and grime that had accumulated on the road over the past few days—and most importantly, the fatigue weighing on his shoulders—melting away.
The water had been prepared with special oils scented with lavender and pine. Kael closed his eyes in the water and, for a moment, forgot everything. In that bathtub, he was just a 14-year-old boy; he had neither the dragon sword on his back nor the kingdom's heavy politics. But as the warmth of the water caressed his skin, he felt the meaning within him gently glow, as if responding to this peace.
When he stepped out of the shower and looked at the clothes left on his bed, he realized once again just how meticulous Elias was. Unlike the coarse, rough fabrics from Kael's village, the clothes were made of a dark blue fabric as soft as silk yet as durable as armor.
The pants were flexible enough not to restrict his movement, while the jacket was tailored to make his shoulders appear broader.
When he stood before the mirror, he had trouble recognizing himself. With his hair freshly washed and dressed in these noble garments, he looked every inch the "Young Master." But his gaze was still that of the old Kael—determined and a bit anxious.
"My belongings," he whispered to himself. He checked the sword he'd left on the table and the small trinkets his mother had given him.
He was wearing the first outfit of his new life, but his heart still beat in that cottage in the village. He straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and stepped out of his room, walking toward the grand dining hall where his uncle was waiting.
The scents that hit her nose made her head spin for a moment. In the center of the hall stood a long table made of dark, polished ebony, long enough to seat at least twenty people. On the table, candles burning in silver candlesticks added a warm atmosphere to the room.
Zephyros was seated in the wide armchair at the head of the table, sipping from the crystal goblet in front of him. When he saw Kael, he raised his hand cheerfully:
"Have a seat, Kael. The cleansing must have done you good, wouldn't you say? You can't discuss magic on an empty stomach—let's enjoy this feast first."
When Kael sat down at the table, he was met with a riot of colors he'd never seen before. As Elias and his assistants approached silently and lifted the silver lids, steaming dishes emerged one by one:
The dining table was practically a work of art. On silver plates lay meat roasted to a deep crimson, accompanied by vegetables sautéed with fresh mountain thyme, exotic fruits, and desserts drizzled with fragrant honey. Kael had never seen so much food all at once in his life.
As they began to eat, Kael asked curiously, "Uncle, are royal mages always this wealthy?"Zephyros laughed and said,
"Almost always, yes." "There are those who live modestly, but the position of royal mage is even higher than that of nobility. We take orders directly from the king. In the Eastern Kingdom, there are seven royal mages, each representing an element: Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, Light, Nature, and Summoning. I represent the Wind."
Kael asked, "So is it very hard to become a royal mage?"
"Yes. First, you have to graduate from the academy or be at least a 7-ring mage. The strongest mage known right now is Luminos, the 9-ring Light Mage in the Central Kingdom. He's in a league of his own compared to us."
Kael was shocked. If even his uncle was that powerful, what did 9 rings mean? "Uncle, is there really that much of a difference between 7 and 9 rings?"
Zephyros grew serious. "Look, son; power increases 100-fold from 1 to 3. From 3 to 5, it's 500-fold, and from 5 to 7, it's 1,000-fold! Beyond 7, the increase is even greater than 1,000-fold. With each ring, power increases by a multiple of the previous ring's level. So the difference between 7 and 9 is enormous. Moreover, light magic is very unfair; the wind's 5th ring is only equivalent to the light's 3rd ring."
Kael felt overwhelmed by what he had learned. Zephyros continued: "The world is vast, Kael. Human power is limited, but there are gods, spirits, and high elves who have surpassed the 10th ring. You must train yourself well so that no one can overpower you and so you can protect your loved ones. Tomorrow, the swordmaster Grimm will come to train you. He is known as the 'Shadow Warrior'; he's a bit cold, but he's good."
"I'll do my best, Uncle—I won't let you down!" Kael said resolutely
After the lavish meal and the heavy, unsettling information about the ring system, Kael retired to his room. His stomach was full, his body clean, but his mind was overflowing with what Uncle
Zephyros had told him: the immense power of the 9-ringed Luminos and the existence of gods who surpassed the 10th ring. He blew out the candles in his room, leaving only a single one burning on his desk.
When he sat down at the desk, he stared blankly at the empty sheet of paper in front of him for a moment. Then he dipped his quill in ink and began writing to his mother:
"Dearest Mother, I have arrived at the manor. My uncle welcomed me with far greater splendor than I had expected. Life here is so different from back in our village, Mother... The swords hanging on the walls, the paintings that seem to stare at you as if they were alive, and the servants... Sometimes I feel like a stranger here. But don't worry, I never let my sword or your advice out of my sight for even a moment."
He paused for a moment; a small drop of ink from his pen fell onto the paper.
"My uncle won't be training me himself—he's hired special masters for me. Tomorrow I'll meet a swordmaster named Grimm. He described him in such a way that a mix of fear and strange excitement filled my heart. I'll do my very best, Mother; I won't bring shame upon you."
After folding and sealing the letter, she rose from the table and sat by the wide window. Outside, the boundless lands of the Eastern Kingdom stretched out. The moon in the sky was larger and brighter than ever;
Every time Kael looked at the moon, he remembered his friend Ashael. He thought of her calm voice and the days they'd spent together.
"I wonder what she's doing right now?" he whispered into the darkness. "Is she happy while I'm here in this luxury, or is she also looking up at the sky, thinking of me?"
He raised his hand and looked at the moon-sealed ring on his finger. The engravings on the ring seemed to glow faintly in the moonlight. Kael could sense that this ring and the sword on his back were not merely objects, but the keys to his destiny.
As he lay down on his bed, he surrendered himself to the softness of the silk sheets. The sun rising tomorrow would herald not just a new day for Kael, but also the beginning of a bloody and sweaty training that would push his limits
Kael closed his eyes as he looked at the moon-sealed ring on his finger. In this new life sprouting from the darkness, though he did not know what lay ahead, he was now at the beginning of a path from which there was no turning back.