After a while, they reached the floating training ground. The massive arena hovered, and the crack in the moon above it was gone. Arbor's eyes narrowed slightly.
Freya and Jorma stood near the edge of the arena. Freya had one hand pressed to her head. Arbor, Eva, and Alek ascended the floating stairs. The closer they got, the more clearly they could hear Freya and Jorma's conversation.
Freya groaned. "My head is pounding. How in the world do you live like this?"
Jorma shrugged. "I honestly don't even get hangovers," he said. "I'm surprised that with all those random powers you've got, you can't heal a little headache." He laughed.
Freya shot him a glare. "I knew I shouldn't have listened to your ridiculous antics. Alcohol is the poison of the mind, and food is the poison of the body. I am a temple, and I shouldn't stoop to your level."
Jorma snorted. "First of all—ouch, sis. My level? Also, your body might as well be a temple with the way you've got so many aspect contracts stacked on it."
He paused mid-sentence, glancing over Freya's shoulder and spotting the three of them peeking up the stairs. His grin widened. "Well, hello there, eavesdroppers," he said.
Freya turned slowly, her expression switching instantly to a more composed. But the slight redness in her cheeks betrayed her embarrassment. "You three are late," she said sharply.
Arbor, folded their arms and tilted their head. "Sounds like you're having a rough morning, Holy Temple Freya. Maybe the poison is messing with your sense of time?" they quipped, a sly grin tugging at their lips. They honestly couldn't help themself they needed to say something all morning.
Freya sighed heavily, rubbing her temple again. "Don't start, Arbor."
Jorma chuckled. "I like this one," he said, nodding toward Arbor. "Quick on their feet. Or maybe just careless."
"Careless," Freya muttered, turning back to Jorma. "Definitely careless."
Freya waved them toward the center of the training ground, her posture regaining some of its usual sharpness despite her lingering hangover. "Alright, everyone, gather in the center. I want to show you something for your first lesson," she said. Her eyes flicked toward Arbor. "Arbor, since you already know this, it shouldn't be too hard for you to follow along."
The group moved toward the middle of the floating arena. As they approached, the large moon above began to glow faintly, its soft blue light bathing the area in a surreal shimmer. Suddenly, a hologram of Freya herself appeared, standing tall and confident.
Arbor blinked, their tail flicking in surprise. "Oh wow," they said, tilting their head. "It can do that?"
"Yes," Freya replied simply.
"Then why haven't you bothered to use this before?" Arbor asked, crossing their arms. "Seems like it'd save you a lot of time yelling at me."
Freya raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening slightly. "Because you learn better by doing things rather than watching an example," she said. "But the hologram works well for group lessons. Consider it an upgrade for the rest of us."
Arbor rolled their eyes but couldn't hide their interest in the glowing projection. "Fair enough."
Freya cleared her throat, stepping back as the hologram began to mimic her movements. "Alright, listen up. Today, we're starting with the basics—how to properly channel magic. Pay attention, because this is the foundation for everything else."
She gestured toward the hologram, which began to display a glowing diagram of a soul surrounded by shifting magic. "Magic works through your soul. Every living creature has a basic amount of soul magic. It's what allows you to function—breathing, moving, even thinking—all of it takes soul magic. Some creatures use more than others, but it's universal."
The hologram shifted, showing two paths of energy. One came from within the soul, while the other flowed from an external source. Freya continued, "In order to do anything that breaks the basic laws of nature, you need to know how to channel that magic. There are two main ways to do it. Some people channel magic from within their soul, using their own reserves. Others call on magic from outside their soul. Both have their pros and cons."
She pointed to the first path. "Channeling from within your soul is straightforward, but it's also an easy way to get tired quickly. You're drawing directly from your own energy, which can leave you drained."
The hologram then highlighted the external path. "On the other hand, channeling from outside your soul often requires contracts—either temporary or permanent. Contracts can be with aspects, spirits, or even powerful objects. The benefit is that it doesn't exhaust your own reserves, but the downside is the cost. Contracts always come with a price."
Freya's gaze shifted to Alek, her tone sharpening slightly. "Something I've noticed about you, Alek, is that you use your body as a temporary contract. That's why your brilliant self ended up getting corrupted by that scythe."
Alek tensed, his jaw tightening as Freya's words hit home. He glanced at the ground, clearly uneasy. "I didn't know I was messing up," he muttered.
Freya cut him off with a raised hand. "I'm not blaming you. I'm telling you so you don't make the same mistake again. Understanding how magic works will help you avoid relying on methods that hurt you in the long run."
As Freya's voice filled the training ground, Arbor shifted their weight, half-listening while their eyes wandered to the glowing hologram. The visual display was still fascinating, even if the lesson itself felt repetitive. Arbor had heard all this before—probably too many times—but it seemed like Freya wanted to make sure the others were caught up.
Freya continued, her tone steady and instructive. "As Atherians, our souls come from the goddess herself. We're born with contracts embedded within us, allowing us to draw on her magic wherever her energy lingers. For elves," she gestured lightly toward Alek, "it's slightly different. Your affinity comes from generations of exposure to Atheria's magic. But still, her magic primarily revolves around earth, life, gravity, and soul disciplines. Anything within those domains is easier to channel."
The hologram shifted, showing examples of different magic disciplines. Arbor watched lazily, their tail flicking, as Freya's voice droned on. "Everyone also has their own natural affinity, which makes channeling other disciplines more difficult. Arbor, for example, is an earth mage. Their rock manipulation makes that obvious. Eva, however, has the rare gift of soul manipulation."
Freya turned her gaze to Alek, her expression shifting slightly. "But you, Alek, have a wind affinity. That means you don't naturally tap into Atheria's magic reserves. Instead, you have to find other sources of magic. And while that might work for now, it's a bit taboo. Atheria doesn't favor it, though she won't interfere with you since you're an elf."
Alek frowned, visibly uncomfortable, but didn't interrupt.
"Eventually," Freya went on, "Jorma is going to need to help you form a contract with a wind aspect—or something similar—so you don't accidentally draw from a place that gets you into trouble. But until that happens, you'll have to rely on your soul's own magic reserves."
Arbor tuned out at that point, their focus slipping to the hologram as it displayed a rune on an outstretched hand. Freya began explaining something about connecting to the soul's magic using runes, but Arbor had stopped needing runes a long time ago. For them, channeling soul magic was as simple as a thought. The real challenge came when they tried to channel too much at once. That's when the other soul—the "true self," or whatever it was—wanted to interfere.
Still, watching Alek try to channel was funny enough to keep Arbor's attention. He stood rigidly, his jaw clenched, as Freya wrote the rune on his hand. He closed his eyes, clearly concentrating. A long moment passed, and then—finally—a faint gust of wind stirred the air around him.
Arbor snickered, trying to suppress a laugh. "Impressive," they said under their breath, their voice dripping with sarcasm. Alek shot them a glare, but Arbor just grinned, their tail swaying lazily behind them. This lesson might've been boring, but at least Alek's struggle made it entertaining. Alek may have been a pretty good fighter but in terms of soul magic control they were pretty much a novice.
Eva, on the other hand, seemed to get it almost immediately. Her eyes glowed a faint pink, and her hands shimmered softly with magic. Arbor watched her out of the corner of their eye, but they had no idea what she was actually doing. Soul magic was way outside Arbor's wheelhouse, and frankly, it made them uneasy.
"I can kind of feel the souls," Eva said, her voice filled with wonder. "It's so weird. I always thought they'd be... hot? But it's cold. Really cold."
Arbor tensed as Eva turned to them. Arbor's ears flicked, their tail stiffening as a shiver ran down their spine. The sensation was sharp and invasive. They didn't like it. At all.
Before Arbor could say anything, Eva's rune suddenly ignited, burning bright orange before vanishing in a puff of smoke. Eva yelped, dropping her hand and shaking it out. "Ow!" she exclaimed, staring at her palm in confusion.
Arbor exhaled sharply, crossing their arms. "Yeah, you probably shouldn't go feeling around people like that," they said, their tone pointed but not unkind. Their tail lashed behind them for emphasis.
Eva looked sheepish, her pink glow dimming. "Sorry," she muttered. "I didn't mean to... it just happened."
"It's whatever. Just keep your soul magic to yourself next time," Arbor replied. "Trust me, if I don't want to poke around in here. You probably shouldn't either." They tapped their chest lightly. The last thing they needed was someone accidentally stirring the "other self."
Freya, watching from the sidelines, sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is exactly why I wanted you all to practice," she said, her voice exasperated. "Eva, control is key. If you can't focus your magic, you'll end up burning more than a rune next time."
Arbor had mostly tuned out the chatter after Eva's little mishap, focusing instead on the rock in their palm. They were trying to turn it to dust and then rebuild it—a trick they'd managed once before but hadn't been able to replicate since. It had felt like an emotional fluke last time, and they weren't sure how to channel the same focus now. The rock cracked under their magic, fragments crumbling, but the rebuilding part stubbornly eluded them.
"C'mon," Arbor muttered under their breath, their ears twitching.
Nearby, Alek finally managed to produce a steady gust of wind. It wasn't much—just a ripple in the air—but it seemed to satisfy Freya. Arbor glanced his way, smirking faintly at the determination on Alek's face. "Guess even princes have to try sometimes," they muttered to themselves.
Before Alek could bask too long in his success, Jorma stepped in, taking over the lesson. His tone was lighter than Freya's but carried an undeniable authority. "Alright, now that you're starting to grasp the basics, let's move on. This part's about weapons and tools."
Arbor's attention flicked up, curiosity stirring as Jorma drew two sleek black daggers from his belt. Mist curled from their edges, faint but ominous, and Arbor couldn't help but be impressed by how naturally the weapons seemed to belong in his hands.
"Tools like these help us focus our magic," Jorma explained, holding the daggers up. "Staffs, swords, axes, books, hammers—just about anything can be used as a magic focus, provided it has the right runes and enhancements."
The hologram of Freya flickered, shifting to show various weapons etched with glowing runes. "Some tools are better than others," Jorma continued. "Most weapons require you to match their affinity. For example, these daggers?" He tilted them slightly. "They align with shadow and mist magic. Useless in the hands of someone with, say, a fire affinity."
He gestured toward Eva and Alek. "Now, let's talk reserves. Eva, you've got the biggest reserve of soul magic by far. Arbor, yours is about average. Alek..." He paused, raising an eyebrow. "Yours is low, but that's fine. You're not really a mage. You'll rely more on your physical skills."
Alek frowned slightly but said nothing, while Eva looked mildly surprised by the assessment.
Jorma paced slowly, spinning one of the daggers in his hand. "If you make it to the Elite Legion, your missions will take you far from Eden—a lot. And when that happens, you'll need better reserves and stronger control over your magic. The further away from Eden you are, the weaker your contract with Atheria becomes. That's where your own strength and your tools come in."
His gaze landed on Arbor. "I think you understand that firsthand, don't you?"
Arbor's tail flicked sharply, and they looked away, suddenly thinking about the staff freya and the staff Atheria gave them. They muttered something unintelligible, but Jorma didn't push, turning his attention back to the group.
"The point is," Jorma said, "relying on Atheria's magic will only get you so far. Out there, you'll have to rely on yourselves. Your weapons will help you control and focus what you've got, but they're only as good as the person wielding them."
He tossed one of the daggers into the air, catching it effortlessly. "Now, let's see who's ready to get practical with this."
Jorma's pointed one of his black misting daggers toward Alek. "Alright, princeling. Let's see what you've got. Use those daggers I gave you yesterday—Dominance and Restraint. Hit me."
Arbor tilted their head, watching as Alek tensed. It was clear he didn't want to fight. After their clash during training, he hadn't seemed keen to test himself against anyone. His hands hovered over the daggers at his belt, uncertainty flickering in his expression.
"I'm not really comfortable with this," Alek said, his voice tight.
Jorma smirked, lowering the dagger slightly but keeping his stance relaxed. "Don't worry about it. It's not like you can hurt me anyway."
That did the trick. Arbor saw Alek's hesitation shift into something more determined—fired up, even. He muttered something under his breath, drew the daggers, and lunged.
It didn't go well.
Alek was fast, but Jorma was faster. He sidestepped the first slash, not even bothering to raise his own weapon. Each of Alek's strikes met with nothing. The daggers shot gusts of mild winds. Jorma tapping Alek arms and redirecting their swings. Arbor couldn't help but smirk a little, though they stayed quiet.
"Come on, you're a prince, aren't you?" Jorma taunted. "Is this really the best you can do?"
Alek's movements grew more frustrated with every misdirect. He tried to read Jorma's patterns, but the man's movements were too fluid. Within moments, Jorma caught Alek mid-swing and disarmed him with a sharp twist of his arm. The daggers clattered to the ground. Before Alek could recover, Jorma's fist slammed into his gut, knocking the air out of him.
Alek crumpled, clutching his stomach. Jorma stepped back, brushing his hands off as if he'd done nothing more than swat a fly. "You've got a good bloodline skill. I'll give you that. Predictions is pretty helpful," Jorma said. "But untrained? You'll never use it right."
Freya frowned from the sidelines, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She didn't say anything, but Arbor could feel the weight of her disapproval.
Then it was Arbor's turn.
They stepped forward, gripping their staff tightly. "Alright," they muttered, taking a deep breath. "Let's see how you like rocks in your face."
Arbor called on every bit of earth magic they knew, conjuring jagged stones to fly at Jorma while reinforcing their staff with a layer of shimmering stone. They moved quickly, trying to overwhelm him with sheer volume, but it was no use. Jorma evaded the stones effortlessly, closing the distance before Arbor could react. In one swift motion, he kicked their staff clean out of their hands, sending it clattering to the ground.
Arbor staggered back, but before they could summon another spell, Jorma's foot caught their ankle, sending them sprawling. "That's it?" Jorma asked, shaking his head. "I expected more."
Gritting their teeth, Arbor pushed themselves up, muttering, "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up."
Finally, it was Eva's turn. Arbor expected her to struggle too, but as soon as Eva stepped forward, her eyes glowed pink, and two floating blue orbs materialized above her head. They were about the size of her head and pulsed faintly with energy. Arbor blinked, watching curiously—this was new. They'd never seen anything like it before.
Eva moved with surprising focus, though it was clear she was still getting the hang of controlling the orbs. One formed a barrier that blocked Jorma's kicks, while the other emitted a hypnotic pattern of light that made Jorma falter for a brief moment. Taking the opportunity, Eva sent the second orb hurtling toward him, slamming it into his head.
For a moment, Arbor thought she'd actually hit him, but Jorma's body dissolved into shadow, dissipating into the ground. Arbor's ears twitched as they sensed movement, and sure enough, Jorma rose from Eva's shadow, grinning.
"Looks like you left yourself open," he said, his hand raised as if he was about to deliver a devastating blow. Eva flinched, but Jorma stopped short, lowering his hand to pat her on the head instead. "Yeah, I can't hurt my own sis," he said with a wink, stepping back.
Eva exhaled shakily, the orbs fading as she lowered her hands. Arbor watched Jorma survey the group—Alek doubled over, Arbor sprawled on the ground, and Eva clearly drained from her efforts.
"Well," Jorma said, his tone casual but sharp. "Now you know a little about the power it takes to be in the Elite Legion. Take this as a lesson: if you can't handle me, you won't survive out there. Get stronger. Control your magic. Rely on your weapons. Or you'll break."
He turned and walked away, phasing into the shadows. Arbor groaned, pushing themselves upright and muttering, "Great pep talk."
As Arbor finally managed to sit up, a misty shadow of Jorma materialized before the group. The Shadow carried the same casual confidence as the man himself.
"Alek," the shadow said, "for the next couple of days, we'll have some more... private training lessons. Since you're already living with me, it shouldn't be too hard to keep track of you."
Arbor glanced over at Alek, who was still doubled over and breathing heavily.
"There are going to be a few missions coming up," Jorma continued. "They'll test whether you're ready to move up the ranks in the legion. And I can't have my first student embarrassing me."
Arbor raised an eyebrow, their tail twitching. First student? they thought, casting a skeptical glance at Alek. "When did that happen?" they muttered under their breath.
Jorma's shadow lingered for just a moment longer, the mist curling like smoke, before vanishing entirely. Arbor sighed, stretching out their stiff limbs and shooting a dry look at Eva.
"Well," Arbor said, "looks like I know what I've got to be ready for. Shadow boxing." They grinned a little, thinking of ways to beat their own shadow. Nothing really came to mind, so it was something to think about later.
Freya folded her arms, her gaze lingering on the spot where Jorma's shadow had disappeared. "Why does Jorma have to be so theatrical?" she muttered.
Arbor, still brushing dust off their clothes. "Speaking of ranks, Freya, you've never actually told me how this whole system works."
Freya blinked. "I haven't?" she said, tilting her head slightly. "Huh. Well, I guess it's about time I gave you the rundown."
She straightened. "Alright, listen up. There are the Initiates—that's you guys. Initiates are people who've passed the entrance tests and are now in training. There's a lot of you scattered across Eden, but it's rare for Initiates to be trained directly by members of the Elite Legion—or the Ethereal Vanguards, as some people like to call us."
Arbor raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet, letting Freya continue.
"Being trained by an Elite Legion member gives you an edge," Freya said. "It's about karma. When you're connected to a strong teacher, it boosts your potential to grow stronger. I think I mentioned something like this to Alek before."
Alek glanced up briefly but didn't comment.
"Anyway," Freya went on, "between the top and the bottom, there are a few other ranks. You've got the Wardens, who are the basic soldiers and guards. Above them are the Champions—Wardens who stand out and prove themselves capable of more. Most teachers are here.
Then there are the Sentinels. They're people who could potentially make it into the Elite Legion if a spot opens up."
Freya's expression turned a bit more serious as she continued. "The Elite Legion itself is small—usually between twenty and thirty members at any given time. Every single one is hand-picked by Atheria herself. That's why anyone with ties to her early on has more karma, more potential to get stronger and reach the top."
She looked pointedly at Arbor, Eva, and Alek. "Basically, you three are super lucky right now. You've got a rare opportunity that most people don't get. Don't waste it."
Arbor leaned back slightly, processing the information. "So... let me get this straight," they said, their tone half-serious. "We're at the bottom, but we have a chance to climb up the ladder because we're 'karmically interlocked' or whatever?"
Freya sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That's... one way to put it. But yes. That's why I expect you to actually try."
Arbor smirked slightly, their tail swishing. "No promises, but I do want to get good enough to beat my shadow." Making punches in the air as if they could beat their shadow up.
Freya just shook her head, clearly used to Arbor's antics by now.
For the rest of the day, it was more or less the same. The group practiced channeling magic under Freya watchful eye, their movements repetitive as they tried to refine their techniques. Alek and Eva made steady, if minor, improvements. Alek's gusts of wind grew slightly more controlled, with a couple of second of his hand being covered in wind.. Eva began to keep her floating orbs out longer and wobbling so much. Making barriers over and over again.
Arbor, on the other hand, eventually lost focus. Their attention drifted from the exercises, their fingers idly turning a small. Thoughts swirled lazily in their head as they stared at it, imagining what kind of enhancements they'd need to take on someone like Jorma. Shadows were slippery, unpredictable—maybe a rock infused with light magic? Or one enchanted to explode on impact? Their tail flicked in time with the idle musings.
The sun sank lower in the sky. Freya eventually called the session to an end. "That's enough for today," she said. "You've all got a long way to go, but it's a start."
As the others gathered their things, Arbor stayed where they were for a moment, still turning the rock in their hand. Finally, with a soft sigh, they slipped it into their pouch and stood, stretching lazily.
Their thoughts lingered on the training, but mostly on the idea of facing someone like Jorma again. Next time, Arbor thought, their ears twitching as they followed the others off the platform. I will have more to show that shadow guy.