Two horses were galloping in between mounds, their hooves rhythmically beating against the sunbaked road, like a set of drums.
One black, one white.
Like two specks of opposite color, they raced amidst fields of green while the dark cloaks of their riders flapped in the wind like a pair of flags.
Aldean threw one side-ways glance, his stoic face reliably hiding his thoughts as per usual.
From the moment they had mounted their horses, his disciple showed an innate understanding on how to ride his, a skill likely retained from the past.
Even if your mind forgets, your body won't necessarily as well.
He watched as his disciple rode on Adel's back, hugging a burlap bag while his hands firmly held onto the reins. The smile on his face currently resembled a child's.
The youth, so overjoyed by the experience of riding a horse for the first time, grinned widely with eyes watering each time they picked up the pace.
"Gods, is there really a need to be so happy about it?" muttered Aldean condescendingly.
Still, even he could not prevent a hint of a smile from forming on his lips.
He wouldn't begrudge the youth having his fun, but sometimes his disciple was too careless and naive, a fact that steered Aldean's thoughts back towards the situation at hand.
With the selection approaching, they had to make haste and yet, that being the case, lack of time wasn't the full extent of his worries.
Their stay in Gridan had garnered them too much unwanted attention, something that under normal circumstances posed no substantial trouble; however, the circumstances had changed.
Soon, he would have to part with Riaz for a time, after seeing to it that the boy had the means to make it through the selection in one piece.
He wouldn't be able to guarantee his disciple's safety at every turn, but, at the very least, he would make sure that no nefarious bastards from the kingdom would track the boy down.
If his encounter with Duke Moréy was an indicator for anything, then that the existence of his disciple was no longer a secret and people had already begun plotting.
It was his own fault that it had come to this. Power always attracts those hungry for it.
Aldean was certain that Riaz wasn't ready for the burden that came with his status as the disciple of a blade king.
He was too weak and too inexperienced, something that could only be corrected with time; time which they didn't have.
Aldean sighed helplessly.
If he were to personally take care of the groups spying on them, then it would only further incentivise those parties behind the pursuers and indirectly implicate his disciple.
In a certain sense, his disciple had become his weakness. Then again, he wasn't entirely helpless about it.
Most towns, big or small, had a criminal underbelly where those of darker professions gathered and thrived.
For a seasoned wanderer like Aldean, hiring a few cutthroats was a simple matter, especially in a place like Gridan; a place ripe with opportunity.
The plan had been hatched and the tools prepared.
The insidious jokester Riverghost and the mysterious Number Three; those two hired killers would tend to the problem to which he could not.
For such matters, it was better to leave the problem to masters of the subtle approach after all.
They would quietly dispose of the hidden eyes, alter the scene of the crime and make it seem like they had disappeared on unrelated circumstances. And if they couldn't, they'd at least stall the pursuers long enough for them to slip away.
No one would be able to trace this back to him or his disciple. Those schemers would have to accept their losses and try another day.
The precious time afforded should suffice to see Riaz through the selection.
"Teacher! Isn't this amazing?" shouted Riaz after his horse aligned with Aldean's and matched pace with his. "It's so liberating!"
Aldean shouted back, "Brat, a true expert needs no horse to get from place to place, but it's only upon horseback that a true man's gallantry really shines through."
Riaz laughed and the duo kept on riding with the sun warming their left.
Days passed with them riding throughout, stopping only to let the horses rest and to sleep.
To Riaz's horror, it turned out that Aldean had purposely left behind their rucksack with all the supplies. The saddlebag strapped to Moonshine was filled almost exclusively with alcohol.
For all his inquiries into why, he was in turn told that they would not rely on any 'luxuries' for the coming stretch of the journey, meaning that the scarce provisions in the burlap bag were all Riaz had available for himself.
Needless to say, those would not last for long and it was up to Riaz to gather what he needed, unless he wanted to starve that is.
Aldean clarified that the theme was survival; something that would grow progressively harder the farther south they went.
He clarified that there was no telling what would be demanded of Riaz during the selection, thus learning how to survive on the bare minimum was essential at this point.
Aside from the logistics, Riaz had a lot on his plate. He had to cram a lot until the day of the selection and every minute mattered.
With all this in mind, Riaz and Aldean spent the downtimes training with a strong focus on honing Riaz's fighting ability through mock battles.
After exhausting his disciple, Aldean then explained to him the ins and outs of the desert, including common dangers and signs to watch out for.
Riaz's body suffered a beating and his mind weathered waves of information.
Like so, the boy's rigorous struggles continued until one particular day, when the sun had set and the moon had risen.
Riaz quietly lay on a patch of grass under the night sky, his teacher never far away, sitting beside him with his legs crossed, the slope of a hill at their backs.
Everything around them seemed covered in a black veil, whereas the moon's light shone onto the idle vegetation in their vicinity, providing the faintest of reflections.
It almost seemed like the moon was dimmer tonight than on any other night in the past.
With no fire to cast light onto them, the bodies of the master and disciple were hidden by the deep shadow of the hill.
Riaz felt lost without the camp fire, a feeling that always accompanied him after dark.
If it weren't for the biting bruises and muscle pains or even the occasional humid summer breeze rolling up the hill, he'd doubt that he existed at all.
The night felt like a lonely void.
Riaz understood, not lighting a camp fire during the night was just one of Aldean's lessons; certainly, he had something in mind.
It was now the umpteenth time that he had spent his night under such conditions.
At first, he was terrified.
He realized that, once deprived of his visual senses, he'd grow overly paranoid and would start even at the faintest of noises.
This primitive fear could not be quelled by the presence of his teacher, for while he could guarantee the safety of his flesh, he could do little to protect Riaz from his own mind.
Nothing was scarier than to be left alone with your thoughts in the silent dark.
Riaz would constantly second guess his own perception, losing out on many sleeping hours, all because he was too preoccupied with his whirring thoughts.
It took him many nights to get used to it all and yet still, when he lay here gazing upon the stars, he felt restless all the same.
He still couldn't fall asleep; too many things were on his mind.
And so, out of nowhere, he broke the silence.
He asked, "Teacher, do you ever miss your home?"
Caught off guard, his teacher warily opened his eyes, if only a crack wide and exhaled.
His disciple would often become chatty when it was time to sleep.
Loosely hugging his sword, he at first grumbled but eventually answered, "Not really. There is no place that I could really call my home."
"What, really?" Riaz re-adjusted his arm, using it as a pillow while his other hand flatly rested above his stomach.
He thought for a moment then asked, "What about the place you grew up in?"
Aldean replied stiffly, "That... Well, that place is no good."
"Why not?" inquired Riaz calmly.
Aldean gave his answer some thought. It had been ages since the last time he gave any serious thought to his upbringing.
He usually put a great distance between himself and his past and yet, somehow, tonight was different.
Just what was it that made him want to revisit his past now of all times?
Sliding a hand under his cloak, he retrieved the silver ring that he had confiscated from Riaz.
His eyes lingered on the insignia engraved upon the ring, an insignia that he knew all too well.
"I was born into the kingdom's nobility," he finally confessed.
Riaz loudly exhaled with an "Ooh!", audibly amazed by the revelation of his teacher's roots.
However, before Riaz could comment on it, Aldean added, "It's nothing to be impressed by."
He then continued, "Thinking back, it's only ever been a pain. Fortunately, I wound up in the desert one day, with no ties to my family."
"Huh?" Riaz rolled onto his side, facing the dark silhouette of his teacher.
Something dawned on him in that moment and he complained, "Wait, you've skipped the best part!"
"It's nothing important, I tell you." Aldean harrumphed.
"Let's focus on the good parts," he insisted, then put on airs and chimed, "of how I clawed my way out of the desert and transformed from a pathetic little worm to the dragon of a man that I am now."
"Eh, I am not too interested in that though?" retorted Riaz in a playful tone.
Aldean responded in kind, "You brat..."
He gripped the sword which leaned against his shoulder and struck his disciple with the blunt sheath of the instrument.
Riaz yelped helplessly, wondering what he had done to deserve it, but Aldean wasn't mad or anything of the sort, rather his tone softened thereafter.
Here he was wondering what went through his disciples head, but wasn't he simply feeling homesick? Homesick for a place he didn't know about.
His young disciple was shrouded in mystery, but in places where Riaz was uncertain, his teacher relied on the silver ring to feel assured.
"Don't worry about your home," he said. "I know you have a clue or two, as do I, but nothing will come of worrying."
"Teacher?" Riaz rubbed his aching head in puzzlement.
"Brat, just focus on the selection. There is still a lot you have to familiarize yourself with before your feet touch sand."
Riaz rolled back onto his back and placed one leg over the other.
"I'm just wondering..." he began to say, but the rest was left as but a thought, '... what if I'm not ready to find out?'
He remembered the throne room from his dreams and the image of a dignified ruler overseeing it before his memories ripped apart at the unthinkable.
His chest was in pain and he caught his breath while trying to calm himself.
'No, I have to grow stronger. If my identity is as burdensome as I suspect, I need the strength to protect myself.'
He shook his head and asked, "Teacher, the selection, you've told me once before that it takes place every twenty-five years."
"What about it?"
Riaz elaborated, "Then, have you taken part in one yourself?"
Aldean turned his head and confirmed, "Yes, I have. Once upon a time. What, you're curious?"
Riaz nodded, but thinking his teacher might be unable to see, he voiced, "Yes!"
"Back then, I was around your age. My master, a son of the desert, took me to his tribe where I was selected as the representative for the selection at the time."
Aldean ruminated further and continued, "There are many tribes in the desert, but the amount of representatives to pass is small. Those that pass, they get a shot at something greater."
"Something greater?" repeated Riaz.
"That's right," said Aldean and emphasized, "The Tower of Old."
Clouds above sped across the moon and, for a moment, the light oscillated, providing grim contours to his face.
His voice sounded ominous, but there was deep reverence mixed into it.
Riaz gulped and realized that he was not yet told about what came after the selection.
It made sense, now that he thought about it. A selection usually precedes the main purpose, in this case some sort of tower.
The Tower of Old. What sort of place was it?
"I've told you about the selection, but that is only the beginning." Aldean paused briefly. "You must succeed, my disciple. Only if you succeed can you earn the right to climb the tower."
"Just what is in that tower, teacher?" Riaz felt a pull on his stomach.
Aldean's voice deepened and he spoke with a chilling undertone, "Whatever it is you need the most."
Like jolted awake by the words, his torso rose up and his eyes widened.
'So it can grant me strength?' thought Riaz with great anticipation, the pace of his heart increasing.
He attentively listened to his teacher's words, but rather than excited, his teacher would rather he'd be wary.
Aldean shook his head and spoke bitterly, "It's such an old thing, that tower, ancient simply."
He explained, "Nobody knows who exactly is behind it, but only those who are both below the age of twenty and the realm of master can enter."
Riaz thought carefully about it.
It seemed highly suspicious that a tower would just so happen to bestow great rewards onto young people.
What could be behind it? Maybe he'd have to enter to find out.
He lifted his head and looked towards a nearby green, eyeing Adel, who was tied to a tree, along with the temperamental Moonshine.
The white hair on the purebred horse made it easier to spot it, unlike the black of Moonshine that appeared to merge seamlessly with the background.
Riaz stood up and flapped his cloak, then went through the motions of brushing of dirt without seeing too clearly.
His ears twitched at the pop of a bottle being uncorked; probably another of his teacher's sudden cravings.
Ignoring the sound, Riaz stepped forward and slid down the short slope in front of his feet and, upon reaching even ground, approached the horses.
"Why so restless, Adel?" spoke Riaz gently. "Did you get spooked by something? Is Moonshine bullying you?"
He ran his palm across Adel's bulky neck and the horse swung its large head over his way, sniffing at him anxiously.
'What's going on? I've never seen Adel this nervous, even in the presence of teacher.' Riaz felt somewhat concerned, but looking around, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The only other presence was that of the steadfast Moonshine, who stuck his head out above Adel's back to orient himself, lazily fixing his large, beady eyes on Riaz.
While Riaz tended to the horses, Aldean swallowed a big mouthful of alcohol and observed.
"Bah... it's been almost twenty years. Master, are you watching?" He rambled on, "The boy, he's much softer than I was. Unlike the me of then, hateful and distrusting, a little slave boy, a nobody."
He inhaled deeply and shook his head again.
"I may have gotten a little princeling on my hands... such a pain." Aldean stretched out one leg and raised the other knee. "Master, I will take him to your home, let's hope the desert welcomes him."
The night passed and the duo continued their journey.
They passed villages and small hamlets that stuck close to the river. Traveling the main road gave them a few perks.
For one, there was no worry of getting lost, not that Riaz was afraid they would. Besides that, they could cover so much more ground on properly paved roads.
One day their horses cantered along the top of a large mound, the youth's eyes transfixed by the enormous sight of city stretching out before him in the distance, blotting out the horizon.
"Teacher, is this Belfura?" he shouted.
Aldean approached calmly and confirmed.
"It is." His hand snatched at a floating leaf and caught it. "Here, take a look."
Riaz inspected the leaf in Aldean's hand. It was no ordinary leaf, but had a strange shape and dry texture.
"What's going on with that leaf?" Riaz found that it was quite unusual.
"Hold out your hand!" instructed Aldean and Riaz did as told.
The moment Aldean placed the leaf atop the youth's palm, a tingling sensation came over Riaz.
"This... is that energy?" Riaz's mouth gaped slightly and his eyes closed.
The leaf gave off some odd fluctuations, faint as they may be, in addition to a subtle, yet biting smell.
Aldean answered the question in the youth's head.
"It's Drysporn." he said. "You can only find it in areas with dense energy, the border region being such."
He took a gander at the youth's curious expression and bid his horse to walk laps around Riaz.
He further explained, "The territory you see around you harvests many medicines rich in energy. It may very well make up half of the territory's income, both this and the high-grade ores mined in the mountains."
"Amazing!" exclaimed Riaz from the highest point, his eyes scanning the vast territory around them.
He could hardly wait to set foot in the city, the largest he'd seen by far.
The stories he always liked to read in Misaf's library had a good few mentions of Belfura; there were quite a few spots he had wanted to visit since.
Aldean declared, "We're going to circumvent the city and proceed south. The city is riddled with spies, it's best we avoid their prying eyes."
He quite readily bursting Riaz's hopes of exploring the big city and the decision came as a great disappointment to the youth.
Riaz made a long face and, rather than stick around to argue, spurred on Adel to move ahead of his teacher.
Aldean caught up with him and spoke confidently, "You'll find it to be an interesting change of scenery, I assure you."
His attempts to appease his disciple failed, however.
Despite Riaz knowing fully well that they didn't have the time to waste on his curious pursuits, he had a lot to consider.
There was the risk of people tracking them down and possibly interfering with him during the selection, but still, he hated giving up on this opportunity, even more so because there was a person he had to meet.
Riaz reached into his pockets and fished out a slip of paper, furtively taking a look at what was written on it.
This was the very same paper that Misaf had handed to him. It provided directions on finding a person in Belfura who may know more about his divine marking.
When his teacher approached, he quickly hid the slip of paper and widened the distance between them.
Aldean mistook his actions as Riaz giving him the cold shoulder and rolled his eyes.
"You brat, shouldn't you act more like an adult already?" complained Aldean sternly. "You should remember that you are the disciple of a blade king. Act with a little more dignity, I say!"
"Tch." Riaz audibly clicked his tongue at him.
Anyhow, the journey had to continue and so the two rode south, crossing the eastern river by means of a ferry.
Eventually, the surroundings began to change. Those rolling hills and fields of green were soon left behind for vast, lifeless plains.
"Teacher, the air around here makes me uncomfortable." Riaz touched his head, a nauseating feeling slowly emerging.
"What you see around you is a barren land, ravaged by an ancient catastrophe that has left the land uninhabitable." Aldean spoke, outwardly unaffected by the changes in the air.
"You will get used to it. The energy in this region is quite chaotic and rich, but, while the weak can't prosper here, there is no telling what unusual things you may find."
The farther the duo went, the more pronounced became the affliction of the land.
Riaz couldn't shake the discomfort.
Everything around him was dead, from the flat earth forming cracks to the withered trees, but, while the wildlife was scarce, one would be foolish to assume it missing.
Soon enough, Riaz was bound to realize that in places where animals couldn't be found, only far stronger predators prowled.
It was during one morning, that the master and disciple slowly approached what appeared to be the dead carcass of a large animal.
"The smell of blood still lingers," remarked Aldean and dismounted.
His disciple did the same and the two approached.
"Look, see these marks? It hasn't been long since it died and gruesomely at that. What do you think?" asked Aldean expectantly.
Riaz knelt down before the carcass and reluctantly touched the dead animal.
Upon closer inspection, it was quite a malnourished specimen with barely any meat on the bones.
"Teacher, entire chunks are missing. It is still somewhat warm, but if the fight was this recent, we would have seen something." Riaz touched his chin in thought.
His head spun around and it was only then that he paid attention to some odd deformities in the porous ground.
Riaz moved to investigate and ran his hand across the scattered soil.
"The earth here is much looser than elsewhere." Riaz determined.
His hand began shoveling the loose dirt, but his teacher grabbed him by the shoulder and abruptly pulled him back, making him fall backwards onto his butt.
"What—"
Aldean rebuked him, "Brat, are you that eager to lose your hand?"
Riaz felt the ground shake underneath and fixed his eyes on the area he was digging into.
The earth erupted and the dirt sprayed about like a fountain, disguising the shadow of a creature that lept out at the same time.
"On your guard, disciple." Aldean sounded calm and swung the back of his fist at the approaching silhouette.
His balled fist made contact and smashed into what appeared to be a strange creature, forcing it to fall back with a high-pitched yip.
"What is that?" yelled Riaz and quickly climbed to his feet.
He eyed the four-legged monster whose color matched the yellow-green surroundings and, with a shaking hand, reached for his sword.
"A wildejack." Aldean replied.
At the same time, more spots around them erupted, a whole pack of these wildejacks revealing themselves.
The master and disciple found themselves swiftly surrounded by these creatures.
They had thin, long legs with dangerous claws at the joints and feet. Their heads were shaped like a jackals with a larger, carapaced muzzle that gleamed in the sunlight.
Overall, these beasts looked unlike anything Riaz had come across before.
Adel and Moonshine stomped their hooves against the ground and turned, but Aldean leisurely grabbed their reins and kept the two horses steady.
"Disciple, they are all yours. Show me your mettle!" Aldean pronounced.
Riaz almost choked on his own spit while drawing a sharp breath.
"T-teacher? One, two, t-three... and four. There's four!" yelled Riaz frantically in a heightened tone. "How can I possibly fight that?"
Aldean raised his shoulders in a shrug. "You're leaving yourself open, brat. Rather than talking, you be— hmm?"
Two of the wildejacks bared their canine-like teeth at Aldean and primed themselves to attack with a metallic growl.
"Piss off." Aldean's irises lit up with a silvery glow and consequently the beasts cowered, laying their chests low with drooping ears.
The wildejacks yelped fearfully and retreated a few paces, warily eyeing Riaz.
Aldean, assured of their inaction, pulled the horses away and distanced himself from his disciple.
Unsure of the instinctual dread felt from Aldean, the two beasts looked puzzled and yipped, then joined the others and began walking circles around Riaz.
'What is teacher thinking? I've never faced such loathsome beasts before. No wait...'
Riaz remembered the savage growls and beastly frame of his hated enemy: the beastman who had brought forth the worst day of his new life.
Boffu, the beastman, had burst his naive dream of a peaceful life and each and every day, Riaz was reminded of his own powerlessness back then.
These dogs, moles, rats or whatever they may be, at this moment, they reminded him of someone rather unpleasant.
Riaz bit his lip unknowingly and tightened the grip around his sword.
His body was shaking, not much had changed. However, this time it wasn't fear but anger that prevented him from staying still.
He wordlessly raised his sword and his feet resumed their practiced motions.