The forest whispered its secrets as the last watch of night slipped into dawn.

  Sera crouched near the low-burning fire, rubbing her arms against the chill. The mist clung thick to the ground, turning breath into clouds. She glanced toward the still form lying nearby — Ulmak — snoring softly with a crooked arm over his eyes.

  With a flick of her boot, she nudged his ribs.

  "Get up, flame-boy. It's your turn."

  Ulmak blinked. "Ouch! Already?" Yawning, he slowly stood up. "By the way, Sera, do you also wake your husband like that, or is it just me?"

  Sera rolled her eyes. "Just you, darling, and you were the first to sleep. Don't start whining."

  He groaned, stretching. "Fine. You better not snore when you go down, or I'll launch a fireball next to your bedroll."

  She snorted. "I'll be asleep before you can even light a match."

  Ulmak pulled on his cloak and moved toward the perimeter. Sera bundled herself back into her bedroll with a satisfied sigh, trusting the experienced scout to watch over the camp. She'd get two more hours — not much, but enough.

  Ulmak stoked the embers, coaxing the fire back to life. Then, he quietly began his watch, eyes scanning the trees while the camp remained silent under the rising light.

  Nothing much happened besides the occasional bug crossing their camp. After a while, just before wake-up call, he put a pot of water on the fire, and from the spatial ring he took out some already cut meat, herbs, fat, oats, and barley. He was making basic porridge for the whole group so that they would have the energy for the day.

  After the wake-up call, they ate.

  "You can cook? Color me surprised," said Obin, while the rest nodded, agreeing with him.

  "Don't faint — I'm full of surprises."

  By midmorning, the hunters finished eating and had broken camp to set off toward Lupos.

  They moved cautiously, weaving through hills and old forest trails. Ulmak led half the group beneath the trees, checking the map, while Talmir occasionally soared above — his wind-assisted glides cutting silently across the canopy.

  The group encountered a few of the more dangerous beasts — like a fire bear resting by a crumbled log with ash all around it, or a lightning wolf pacing far off-trail — but they moved without provoking them, thanks to Talmir's scouting. Their mission came first, and they had no time to deal with those beasts. Although, there were some complaints.

  "Damn, that fire bear could have made a nice addition to my floor," complained Darnel.

  "Keep it to yourself, Darnel. We are on a timer and a mission here, not a luxury hunt," Talmir said flatly.

  "Alright, alright, no need to get angry now."

  By late afternoon, the towers of the city Lupos crested the horizon finally — stone walls, square towers, and northern flags waving in the wind.

  At the gates, a pair of guards leaned lazily on their halberds. When they saw six well-armored people, they straightened up and were on guard.

  "Stop! Who are you?"

  "Hail," Ulmak called. "We're Kolma hunters, and we're tracking a missing trader caravan."

  Hearing that they were from Kolma, the guards straightened into a more relaxed pose. "Missing? Is there something wrong?"

  "A few caravans are late, actually," Talmir explained. "And for a full day now. So, did any traders leave Lupos for Kolma recently?"

  One guard frowned. "They left two days ago and should've reached Kolma yesterday morning at the latest."

  The other guard remembered as well. "Oh yeah! Those drunk troublemakers did indeed leave yesterday."

  Ulmak crossed his arms. "So you let a caravan full of drunk traders vanish and didn't check the road?"

  The second guard scoffed. "Maybe they just found a wine cellar and forgot the road existed."

  "Or maybe something's gone wrong," Talmir said flatly. "What guards and how many did they employ? Do you maybe remember?"

  "They had three mercenaries with them, and talk to the sergeant if you want to know more," the first guard said.

  Talmir turned to Ulmak and laid out a plan. "I'll handle the resupply in the city. You speak with the sergeant and get their statement. The rest can take it easy and wait here."

  Ulmak frowned, then let out a snort of amusement. "Oh look at you, giving orders now, are we? ...Well fine, fine. You heard the man, chop chop!"

  The rest just shook their heads and went to check their gear in some shade.

  Once inside Lupos, Talmir noticed that the market was bustling — carts full of summer fruit, travelers, blacksmiths sharpening tools, and chatter echoing off stone alleys.

  Ignoring everything else, Talmir moved with purpose until he found a small dry-goods stall manned by a scarred old woman.

  "Talmir?" she blinked in surprise. "By the winds, that you?"

  "Still running this place, Ada?" he replied with a smile.

  "Well, someone has to. I thought you'd moved to the forest for good, chasing that love of yours."

  With a light smirk, Talmir replied, "I'm still out there, and I caught my lovely bird in the end. Anyways, I need dried meat, oats, sugar — emergency stock for six people."

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Ada's brow furrowed. "Let me guess — your caravan of drunken fools vanished?"

  Talmir nodded, surprised.

  "How'd you know?"

  She tossed a wrapped parcel into a basket. "Because two of their guards owed me money and didn't show up yesterday. And seeing you here, I guess I won't get it back either."

  Talmir's eyes narrowed. "Do you remember what route they were supposed to take maybe?"

  "Indeed I do — they blabbered about it when they promised to get me my money with this job. Instead of the same one they always take, they forked left when the path splits. You should take the main pass near Hollow Ridge."

  Talmir nodded. "Thanks, I owe you one, Ada."

  "Don't fret over it, boy. Oh, and Talmir?" she added. "If you find Drak, take the money pouch and punch him once for me, will ya?"

  Talmir smirked. "No promises," he said, slipping her a silver coin before disappearing into the crowd.

  Outside the gates, the hunters were relaxing in the shade after their gear check-up. Obin stretched and yawned.

  "Maybe they really eloped," he offered again.

  "With who?" Sera asked, deadpan. "The cabbage vendor's daughter?"

  Ulmak leaned against the gatepost. "My money's on the barmaid. No, but seriously, it could be kobolds."

  The gate guard snorted after overhearing that. "Kobolds? That's your excuse, really?"

  Darnel shrugged. "Would explain how you idiots lost a whole caravan without a whisper."

  The guard frowned and stood up from that remark. "Hey—"

  Ulmak quickly raised a hand. "Relax, friend. We're here to fix this, so go back to your post unless you want to be beaten... friend."

  The guard was shocked, to say the least, and mad. He wanted to retaliate, but his buddy stopped him and whispered something in his ear. After that, he returned to his post still angry.

  Seeing that Obin and Darnel laughed at him.

  Talmir returned by midday with loaded packs and a marked map, just at the right time as the talks with the sergeant and the guards fell through.

  Talmir explained everything, and they followed Ada's route, taking the Hollow Ridge pass — the one the caravan should have taken.

  En route, hours passed in tense silence, and then a trail finally.

  "Here!" Darnel was the first to notice.

  A shattered wheel and cracked crates. There was blood on the leaves nearby and drag marks in the dirt.

  But no bodies. Fortunately — or not — has yet to be seen, but at least they could track them now with this new lead.

  Talmir crouched, brushing a claw mark on a broken beam. "It's definitely a kobold mark."

  "Huh, so I was right. Anyways, this mission just got a bit more dangerous, so form teams of two and spread out — not too much though, five hundred meters at most."

  They spread out, searching for clues. Talmir who was paired up with Obin were on the kobold trail, and the other two teams were on their flanks. While Obin followed the tracks, Talmir flew a quick arc, returning with grim news.

  "More drag trails heading north. No blood trails though, and no sign of dead guards. Could mean they're alive — we have to be quick."

  "If this turns out to be a rescue mission," Obin grimaced, "we're in trouble."

  "It is going to be harder, I agree with you — but we have to do it."

  "No one said we wouldn't."

  They moved like ghosts, using wind and earth magic to mask their scent and camouflage themselves. After all, they were dealing with kobolds — creatures with sharp senses of smell and hearing.

  The air felt tense, charged with danger and worry. If the kobolds spotted them first, it was going to be trouble.

  Then from a ridge above, Obin raised a hand and whispered.

  "Movement. Downhill towards the east."

  They spotted five kobolds — small, hunched, with bone weapons in hand. One dragged a sack full of something. Another — a body, limp and clearly human.

  Obin's face hardened. "They're heading to the caves."

  Talmir whispered, "Send a signal to the others to gather, then we follow. Quietly."

  Using special signal crystals that light up when mana was poured in, Obin sent the signal.

  After gathering, they prepared for the attack.

  The search mission just changed into a rescue mission — or, if no one was alive anymore, an annihilation mission.

  That Evening — Back in Kolma

  The apple trees rustled softly under the setting sun. Teclos sat cross-legged in the dirt, eyes closed, back straight. His breath moved slow and deliberate — the mana flowing through his lungs, gathered and nourished the two already-made circles while also preparing for a third.

  To build up a circle took time — and a lot of mana.

  Step by step, the mana would gather into a vessel that could contain it, like the core or heart, for example. Then he would shape the mana into a circle slowly, and when it finally connected both ends, the first stage would be done.

  Every stage needed a certain talent — like feeling the mana, control over it, speed of the flow, and so on...

  The second stage was mainly focused on merging that gathered wild mana with himself and making it his own. Once complete, a stable source of power was gained in the form of a rotating circle.

  Talmir told him that, "A circle is like a reservoir of mana that completely obeys you. It nourishes your body and gathers mana on its own. Of course, once the circle is full, it stops gathering it."

  "Hmm, I wonder what the circle in my head is supposed to do. Father was rather vague about that... If I go by gaming standards of Earth, my Core is for my body and inner strength, Heart is for the outer strength and output outside of my body... Head — I get that it gives you reflexes and thinking time, but is that all?" he pondered. "I'll need an advanced book on mana when I get older and when I'm allowed to go to Lupos."

  A twig suddenly snapped near him...

  Loric stood nearby, arms crossed, and watching him.

  "Practicing again, you freak?" he sneered. "Or just pretending?"

  Teclos exhaled slowly. "What do you want, Loric?"

  "A match. Unless you're scared, coward."

  Teclos stood, brushing dirt from his pants.

  "I'm not fighting you outside of the grounds."

  Loric snorted. "Scared you'll lose?"

  "No, I'm scared I'll break your bones," Teclos said.

  He glanced toward the well. A figure sat there — Alissa, one of the fourteen-year-olds. She'll do, he thought.

  He called out: "Alissa. Can you maybe judge this fight?"

  She looked up, sighed, and stood. "Not here. Go to the sparring grounds, and tap out or stop when I say it."

  "Good enough?" Teclos asked.

  Loric nodded. "Let's go."

  At the sparring grounds, a few kids already gathered, and once they faced off, word spread — so Ralph and Gillard also showed up.

  Once Alissa gave the sign to start, Loric tried to hold a speech. "I'm gonna stomp you today so that—"

  Teclos just rolled his eyes and cut him off. "Just start already, this is embarrassing."

  The crowd chuckled, and Loric was beet red from anger, so he charged in aggressively with a shout.

  Loric sped up fast with the wind swirling around his feet and jumped, trying to slam into Teclos with both feet.

  Teclos sidestepped and perfectly countered him midair with a hook like elbow to the stomach. Loric was then thrown into the ground, gasping for air.

  "What? A wind mage out of air? Now that's funny," mocked Teclos.

  He put up both hands and went into a boxing stance, quickly closing in on Loric with his footwork. Loric tried to retaliate with a hook punch of his own, but Teclos calmly dodged by weaving under it while also countering him with an uppercut, knocking him out — and also one of his teeth.

  "Didn't even need mana for you," said Teclos, turning around and walking away. Of course, Loric didn't hear that.

  The crowd of kids was awed, as they had never seen anything like it, it was a no contest fight wich ended in record time.

  Even the older kids were stunned by how well Teclos fought without mana.

  From the hill, Ralph whispered to Gillard, "Holy shit,he can fight and he's scary when he's calm."

  Gillard nodded. "Maybe I should spar with him next."

  Ralph laughed. "After seeing this, maybe you'll get beaten for the first time."

  Once the disturbance was dealt with, Teclos returned to the apple trees and sat down. He closed his eyes and began training again.

  He returned to shaping that third circle — slowly, steadily, like laying the first stones of a fortress.