On a particularly stormy evening, four young men stood on the beach, seemingly unbothered by the strong winds and crashing waves. Two of them, arms folded across their chests, observed the other two who stood a short distance apart. One held a sword as large as himself, while the other wielded two short curved swords.
The two young men stared at each other intensely, slowly closing the distance between them. Despite their muscular and fully developed physiques, they were quite young: Aghora, the sixteen-year-old with the two short swords, was surprisingly the second largest of the group. Eighteen-year-old Maaec, who wielded the massive tekka and glared at Aghora with three eyes, was the oldest among the four.
Standing to the side were Daran and Zamir, both in their twenties. Zamir held two scabbards and wore a surprised look on his face. The rain and sea spray concealed it, but both Aghora and Maaec were sweating heavily. They had been sparring for hours.
Now, the two boys circled each other, exhaustion evident in their eyes. Maaec, worried about Aghora's steadiness, tried to predict his moves with his third eye. However, he knew that to win this spar, he couldn't rely on it too much.
In a single, fluid motion, Aghora lunged with a stab. Maaec responded with a horizontal slash, hoping to halt his brother's advance. But Aghora, in Maaec's third-eye vision, had already executed a backflip. Maaec quickly converted his horizontal slash into a vertical one, slicing through the air as Aghora twisted sideways to avoid the blow.
Aghora still managed to land a decisive kick to Maaec's head, causing both boys to tumble onto the wet sand. The rain began to slow, but the fight was far from over.
Despite the blow, Maaec quickly got to his feet, though weaponless. Aghora, still armed, launched another attack. This time, Maaec could see the projections of Aghora's movements and dodged every strike. However, this kept him from retrieving his weapon, and soon, Aghora's attacks started to land.
The sparring ended when Aghora aimed another kick at Maaec's head. A ghostly, white version of Maaec appeared between them, catching the attack just as the storm cleared to reveal a sky full of stars.
"I concede," Maaec said, breathing heavily.
Aghora, smug, retracted his weapon and helped Maaec to his feet.
"How do you move like that? Do you pray to some secret god?" Daran's cheerful, yet stinging, words prompted a threatening glance from Aghora, which only made Daran chuckle. Zamir intervened, shaking his head in mock disappointment.
"The way you fight makes me wonder if I'm still qualified to call you my student," Zamir said, though his comment made Aghora stiffen. He quickly handed over the short swords and gave Zamir a respectful bow.
The other boys, although silent, were clearly frustrated with Aghora. Despite being ostracized for his faithlessness, they wished he would appreciate the people around him more.
Daran broke the silence, pointing towards the sea. "Hey, would you look at that?"
The boys followed his gaze but saw nothing but the open sea.
"Only a few more days and we'll be on the other side," Daran added.
Aghora smiled at the thought, though inwardly, his mental health was suffering. For the first time in all his two lives, he felt a net negative in his emotions.
He had been reflecting on his past life more frequently, especially on the fact that he was just a terrible person in his old life. Those feelings of regret and shame, along with the boredom and many micro frustrations of living in this ancient world, slowly affected Aghora's mind. Finally having enough of the monotonous life, Aghora decided to become a hunter.
During his time away from the plaza, he had begun working at the port with his oldest brother, and this was where he frequently came across the carcasses of what he could only describe as mythical creatures. Most commonly, he saw jawfish—a bizarre mix between a crocodile and a dolphin, bus-sized and formidable. The day that changed his mind, however, was when the body of a nine-headed hydra made its way to the market.
Aghora had long known that some people made their living hunting these creatures, but the thought of risking his life against such beasts had always deterred him. Yet, seeing the hydra ignited a spark within him. He told his plans to everyone and, surprisingly, received a lot of encouragement.
Maaec decided to follow him. Their oldest brother arranged for both Aghora and Maaec to join him on a trip to the continent across the northern sea. Even Gristis and the rest of the family found time to give the boys a heartfelt send-off. Gristis offered a passionate prayer to the goddess, expressing his belief that Aghora had a unique path in life.
He sent the boys off with a letter, as their plan included stopping at a city where they had an uncle who used to be a hunter. Aghora carried armor, a tekka, and simple loincloths. Maaec had shaved his head and carried prayer beads and scriptures, as well as armor and a tekka; he was undertaking this journey as part of a religious practice.
Aghora didn't know it, but traveling like this was unusual for most Naviran people. Noi was such a peaceful and wealthy country that its people were more accustomed to receiving travelers than exploring the world. In some ways, Aghora was lucky to be born in a port city.
With everything settled, the journey to the continent began.
As the storm clouds cleared, revealing a vast expanse of stars, Aghora's thoughts drifted to the east. Ever since he was a child, he had been fascinated by the tales of mythical creatures and the rich, alternate history of the eastern lands. Stories of dragons soaring through the skies, phoenixes bursting into flames only to be reborn, and ancient civilizations with advanced knowledge intrigued him.
But Aghora kept these fascinations to himself. He had developed an introverted nature which made him wary of sharing his dreams and passions, especially in a world where his peers valued strength and faith over curiosity and imagination. He often found solace in solitary moments, contemplating the mysteries of the world while others saw only his brooding exterior.
As the group made their way back to their makeshift shelter, Aghora lagged behind, his gaze lingering on the horizon. The thought of traveling east filled him with a sense of purpose that he rarely felt. It wasn't just the creatures or the history; it was the promise of discovering something beyond the confines of his current existence.
"Aghora, you coming?" Zamir's voice broke through his reverie.
"Yeah," Aghora replied, quickening his pace. He cast one last glance at the sea before turning his attention back to the path ahead. The east beckoned, but for now, he had to focus on the present.
Inside the shelter, the boys settled down, their bodies weary from the day's exertions. Daran and Zamir exchanged stories and jokes, their voices a comforting background noise. Maaec, nursing his bruises, lay down with a sigh.
Aghora, however, remained silent. He sat near the entrance, watching the night sky. The stars, twinkling like distant fires, reminded him of the tales of ancient heroes who embarked on epic quests. He yearned to be like them, to explore uncharted territories and uncover hidden truths.
His status as a transmigrator made him an outsider, but it also gave him a unique perspective. Where others believed the stories they were taught at the plaza, Aghora saw them as clues to a greater understanding of the world. He believed that there was more to life than what met the eye, and he was determined to find out what lay beyond the known boundaries.
Lost in thought, Aghora didn't notice when Zamir approached and sat beside him. "You've been quiet tonight," Zamir observed, his tone gentle.
Aghora shrugged. "Just thinking."
"About the east?"
Aghora's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"
Zamir smiled. "I see the way you look at the horizon. You've got a restless spirit, always yearning for something more."
Aghora nodded, grateful for the understanding. "I feel like there's so much out there, things we can't even imagine."
"There is," Zamir agreed. "And one day, you'll see it all. But for now, we have to be patient and prepare."
Aghora had come to appreciate Zamir's wisdom. He looked forward to the journey ahead, not just as an escape from his current life but as a chance to find meaning and purpose.