Caelus had painted a grim, complicated picture of the kingdom they were about to enter. It was a land of ghosts and tyrants, of open threats and hidden daggers.
Riku leaned forward. He rested his chin on his steepled fingers. He looked at the map, then back at Caelus.
"The Triumvirate and the Great Houses are the big picture," Riku said, his voice thoughtful. "But what about the small picture? Where do normal people live?"
Caelus looked at him, confused. "Normal people? They live where they are told. In the mining towns. The farming villages. The fishing ports. Why does that matter?"
"It matters because that’s where you find real people," Riku replied. "Not just politicians and generals. Tell me about the smaller towns between here and the capital. Are there any local powerhouses we should be wary of? A town run by a retired legionnaire? A merchant guild with a stranglehold on a local trade route?"
He continued, his questions sharp and practical. "And what about education? Are there any schools at all? Even for basic learning? Any places known for skilled craftsmen, besides the great houses?"
Caelus stared at him. He had expected the man from the south to be a naive idealist. A fool who would walk blindly into the capital. But these questions... they were not foolish. They were the questions of a man who understood how a society truly worked. He was not just looking for powerful mages. He was looking for the heart of the kingdom.
"You are full of surprises, Uncle Riku," Caelus said, a new respect in his voice.
He answered truthfully. He told them of the town of Ironcliff, a mining settlement run by a former captain of the Tempest Legion who ruled with an iron fist. He spoke of the port city of Wind’s Crest, which was controlled by a ruthless merchant’s guild that was a law unto itself.
He also told them of the Dustwind Academy. It was a small, struggling school in the middle of the desert plains. It was one of the only places in the kingdom that still taught the old ways of elemental magic, before the Church of Thunder consolidated all magical teaching.
Riku listened to it all. He absorbed every detail. He was building a new map in his mind. A map of opportunity.
Finally, Riku nodded. "Thank you, Caelus. This is very helpful."
He stood up and looked at his companions. "Alright. Let’s get ready to leave."
"Leave?" Caelus yelped, jumping to his feet. "Did you not hear a word I said in the last lesson? You cannot go out there yet!"
Riku turned to him, a calm, patient smile on his face. "And why not?"
"Because you will be exposed in an instant!" Caelus insisted, his voice rising with frustration. "I told you, you need to learn how to act! How to be one of us! Otherwise, you will be seen as a target!"
Riku’s smile did not waver. "Caelus, I am grateful for your help. And for your information. But I think you have misunderstood the point of my journey."
He looked at the boy. "You are right. Your people are hard. They are suspicious. They believe kindness is a weakness. And if I wanted to blend in, I would have to become just like them."
He shook his head slowly. "But that would defeat the entire purpose of my quest."
He gestured to the girls, who were now standing beside him. "I am not looking for just any teacher. I am not looking for someone who is simply powerful. I am looking for people who are like us."
He met the boy’s confused gaze. "I am looking for people who, despite living in a world of storms and shadows, still believe in kindness. I am looking for people who are strong enough to be gentle."
"If I hide who I am," Riku concluded, his voice simple but filled with an unshakeable conviction, "if I pretend to be someone I am not, then the very people I am searching for will never show themselves to me."
He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. "We will not become like them, Caelus. We will be ourselves. And we will see who answers the call."
Caelus shook his head, giving an amused smile. It seemed that he had no way of understanding Riku and his mates.
Soon, the group prepared to leave. The old village head of Stonefall stood by the inn’s entrance to see them off.
They left the two sturdy carriages with him. "They are too conspicuous for the roads ahead," Riku explained. "Consider them a gift, for your hospitality."
The old man bowed his head, his expression grateful.
As Riku and the girls shouldered their travel packs, the village head pulled Caelus aside. "My Lord," he whispered, his voice low and worried. "Is it wise to let them go? The lands ahead are not kind to southerners."
Caelus watched as Riku and his companions walked towards the edge of the village. A slow, confident smile spread across his face.
"Do not worry, old man," Caelus replied, his voice a quiet murmur. "People like him have a way of finding trouble. And I have a way of finding them." He patted the old man’s arm. "Our paths will cross again. I am sure of it."
With a final, enigmatic wave, Caelus turned and ran to catch up with the group.
They walked in silence until the small, stony village of Stonefall was just a speck behind them. The path ahead was a rough, untamed track leading into the vast, grey wilderness of Eldoria.
Riku finally stopped. He turned to face the four young women who had followed him without question.
"Alright," he said. "Before we go any further, we need a plan."
He looked at each of them. "Caelus was right. We cannot simply walk into a major city. We stand out too much. We need to build an identity here first. We need to become locals."
Lila nodded in understanding. "So, where do we go?"
"Somewhere small," Riku replied. "Somewhere out of the way. One of the places Caelus mentioned. A remote fishing port, or a farming village deep in the plains. A place where a few new faces won’t cause too much alarm."
He looked at Lila. "Your map."
She quickly unrolled the map she had gotten from the border guards. It was a rough, hand-drawn chart of the region. She spread it out on a flat rock.
They all huddled around it.
"The main roads are too dangerous," Riku said, tracing a finger along a thick line that led to the capital. "We need to stay off them."
Lila pointed to a large, dark patch on the map. "This is the Ironwood Forest. According to the guards, it’s mostly unexplored. But look."
She indicated several small, clear patches within the vast expanse of trees. "These are clearings. There might be small, isolated logging camps or farming communities there. Places that don’t see many outsiders."
Sherry then pointed to the jagged coastline on the eastern edge of the map. "Or here. The Serpent’s Coast. The smuggler I spoke to said it’s a maze of hidden coves and small fishing villages. The Tempest Legion rarely patrols there. It’s too rugged."
They looked at the two options. Both were viable. Both were dangerous.
"We need a place where we can work," Riku decided. "A place where we can earn our keep and learn the local customs without drawing attention. A farm or a fishing village would be perfect for that."
He looked at Lila. "The clearings in the forest. Let’s start there. They are the furthest from any major city."
Lila nodded. She folded the map and put it away. "It will be a few days’ walk. But we can make it."
"Good," Riku said. "That’s our plan. We find a small village. We become a part of it. We listen. We learn. And when the time is right, we continue our search."
He looked at his companions. He saw the quiet determination in their eyes. They were no longer just a group of friends. They were a team with a mission.
He turned and faced the wild, untamed road ahead.
"Let’s go," he said.
They walked for three days. The journey was hard, but Riku’s world made it a whole lot easier. They travelled leisurely, cracking jokes and playing mini games along the way.
"Riku, do you smell that?" Elara exclaimed on a fine morning after walking for a while.
"Yes, looks like we are close."
Slowly, the air grew thick with the smell of salt and fish.
After walking for a bit more, they saw it. Nestled in a small, grey cove, sheltered from the harshest winds by a high cliff, was a village. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ N()velFire.net
It was a small, poor place. A dozen or so huts, made of driftwood and stone, were clustered near a pebbled shore. A few worn-out fishing boats were pulled up on the beach. Nets, mended in a hundred places, were laid out to dry.
"This must be it," Lila said, her voice a quiet whisper. "One of the fishing villages Caelus mentioned."
"It’s perfect," Riku said. "It’s isolated. It’s quiet. Let’s go."
They made their way down the rocky path that led to the village. As they grew closer, they saw movement. Figures scurrying between the small huts. Doors being quietly shut.
By the time they reached the edge of the village, the place was silent. It was like a ghost town.
Then, a group of men emerged from the largest hut. There were only a few of them, maybe ten in total. They were fishermen. Their faces were weathered by the sun and sea. Their hands were calloused and rough.
They were not soldiers. But they were armed. They held fishing gaffs with sharp, iron hooks. They held long, wicked-looking knives used for gutting fish. Their stances were defensive. Their eyes were hard and suspicious.
An old man stood at their front. His face was a roadmap of deep wrinkles. His white beard was stained yellow by salt and age. He was the village chief.
He stared at Riku’s group. His gaze took in their clean clothes. Their well-made travel packs. Their healthy, well-fed appearances. He looked at them like they were creatures from another world.
Riku kept his expression calm and friendly. But his senses were on high alert. He could feel the eyes on them. Dozens of them. From every hut. From every darkened window. Women and children, and more men, were hiding. They were watching. They were waiting.
The old village chief took a step forward. His hand rested on the hilt of a large gutting knife at his belt.
"We don’t get many visitors here," the old man said. His voice was a low, gravelly rumble, like stones grinding together. "State your names. And your business."