Chapter Fifteen - The Path Ahead

Chapter Fifteen

The dawn broke with eerie stillness, the kind that seeped into your bones and gnawed at your nerves. I woke up covered in sweat, the remnants of my nightmares clinging to me like a shroud. Despite the fear that lingered, I forced myself out of bed and dressed in the half-light of my room. The tavern was quiet, the usual clamor of adventurers and traders was replaced by emptiness. My thoughts drifted back to the previous day, the market festival, the encounter with Callan, and Gamlin. His words about cores, enchantments, imbuing magic, and preset spells kept poking at my mind. I stretched and prepared for the day.

An idea had taken root in my mind, inspired by my vulgar dwarf friend, on how cores could be used to create preset spells. What if I could apply that concept to my own magic, to make it faster or maybe even chant-less?

I dressed quickly, the coarse fabric of my clothes feeling more familiar and comfortable than it had ever before. Although I couldn’t help but miss my jeans and cotton t-shirts. The morning air was cool, filling my lungs with a sense of renewal and determination as I headed out to the training field where I knew Drew would be waiting. The streets of Veridiem were quiet, with only the distant sounds of merchants setting up their stalls and the occasional chirping of birds breaking the silence. The sky was painted in hues of orange and pink, the first light of dawn casting long shadows across the cobblestones.

I reached the field, my least favorite place. Dew clung to the grass, shimmering like tiny jewels in the early morning light. Drew was already there covered in sweat, practicing his sword swings. His movements looked precise and fluid.

I needed to step my game up.

“Morning, Drew!” I waved

“Ready for another day of beating the crap out of each other?” he grinned.

“Actually, I had an idea.” I smirked. He gave me an inquisitive look and beckoned for me to continue. “I’ve been thinking about what Gamlin said yesterday, about presetting spells. If there’s magic that can exist without chant, what if we could do that with our magic? Cast spells with fewer words or even none!”

Drew’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. “You mean like…shortcuts for spells? That sounds…awesome! How do we start?”

“I have no idea.” I replied flatly. His face fell back into annoyance.

‘I’ve been thinking about it all night”, I started, “I think the key is visualization and concentration on the specific element and spell we are using. Obviously, we need to focus on our Aether and forming the spell in our mind. If we could just make a chant a trigger instead of a full incantation.”

He stared at me blankly. Everything obviously is going over his head. “Just try with me”.

I am not sure Grace was impressed when she arrived at the training grounds and all she saw was Drew and I grunting and mumbling half of spells.

“Trying to shorten the chants on your spells?” She giggled; a giggle that made me flutter a little. “Leo, Drew, what you’re doing with the attempts to shorten spells, its impressive, and crazy that you two have thought of this with how little experience you have, but it’s incredibly dangerous.” She moved closer to use, brushing her black robe to the side to explain better.

Drew raised an eyebrow, as if to say, “we love danger”.

“Dangerous how? We are just cutting down words, not playing with the spells themselves.” said Drew. Grace shook her head, her expression getting stern. “It’s not that simple, Drew. Shortening spells requires an extraordinary amount of control over your Aether. Only mid-level casters can do it with simple spells, and even fewer with intermediate spells. Every word in a spell incantation acts as a stabilizer, guiding the Aether and shaping it precisely into the elements or spells. When you cut those words out, you’re essentially removing the training wheels. Without the proper control, the Aether can go wild-unpredictable, unstable. I’ve only heard stories, but it sounds terrible.”

She leaned forward, her voice quieting a little, instinctively Drew and I moved closer. “There was a famous wizard in the capital, Selsor Ashborne. He was one of the most powerful spellcasters of our time. They called him ‘The Silent Mage’ because he could cast with barely a whisper. One day, he tried to summon a massive storm, which I might add, is a expert level spell, with a single word. He thought he had it under control, but the Aether surged beyond what he could control. His Aether turned on him, basically destroying him from the inside and he was consumed by his own magic. In the end, all that was left was the ash from his fried body.”

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“Fitting” I joked. Both Grace and Drew gave me a stern look, “Sorry,” I said sheepishly. She continued.

“So, while you experiment, remember that control is everything. Don’t rush it, learn your limits, no sense endangering yourself. As much as I would like to see you two a pile of ash.” She joked.

We continued to train for about an hour or so, but I couldn’t shake my interest in shortening the spells. I made a silent promise to learn more about it when I could. After another grueling day of training, we made our way back to the tavern. The sun was at its highest and beat down heat onto my sweat covered clothes. As we walked through the streets, Grace grabbed my arm and whipped me around until we were face to face. I felt my cheeks get hot, and she shifted her gaze away from mine.

“I’ve got some news. The guild has asked me to head to the capital. They’re in need of a fire tutor at the magic school, which is a position that I have always wanted to get. And, honestly, I think it’s time I visited the library there. Whatever happened in that dungeon was unnatural, and it’s about time I investigated it.” She shifted uncomfortably.

“I just wanted to say, that if you guys ever find yourself over there, it would be nice to see you again.” I noticed her eyes begin to tear.

I looked at Drew, who smiled, and shook his head.

“Who knew I’d want to go to school again.” I laughed. He nodded in agreement and shouted toward Grace. She turned, her face red and her eyebrows knit.

“Got room for two more?” yelled Drew. Her expression softened into a smile, one that held a mix of pride and relief.

“I was hoping you’d say that. Didn’t want you to fall behind in training.” She puffed her chest proudly.

The sun had dipped lower, casting long, golden shadows across the cobblestone streets.

“So, Grace, why teaching?” Drew asked, kicking at a loose stone. “I mean, you could probably become some badass adventurer or something, you know?”

Grace smiled faintly, eyes looking into the distance as if she saw a memory rather than the path ahead. “Teaching isn’t just a job to me,” she began softly, “It’s about legacy—passing something important to the next generation. When I was younger, I didn’t have anyone to guide me. Where I come from, people believed certain types of magic were only meant for certain kinds of people.”

I tilted my head slightly, intrigued. “What do you mean? Magic is magic, right?”

Grace laughed gently, shaking her head. “If only it were that simple. In my village, fire magic was always seen as aggressive, dangerous. Something suited for warriors, mostly men. When my powers awakened, everyone was terrified, including my parents. They believed I’d cause destruction. My own father even wanted me to suppress it, bury it deep and pretend it didn’t exist. To him, fire was uncontrollable, and no daughter of his should wield it.”

Drew looked genuinely stunned. “That’s harsh. So, you trained on your own?”

Grace nodded, eyes shimmering in the fading daylight. “Every night I’d sneak into the woods, trying to practice what I could from books I’d secretly borrowed from traveling mages. For years, it was exhausting, lonely. I felt like something was wrong with me. Like my magic was a curse instead of a gift. But eventually, I learned to harness it. It became my strength, my pride.”

She paused, her fingers tracing patterns in the air, tiny embers briefly sparking before fading.

“Teaching at the Capital’s magic school is more than proving to them that I belong, it's about helping others like me. Young mages who feel out of place, rejected, or misunderstood. I want them to know their magic doesn’t define who they are, that they don’t have to fight alone.”

I felt a lump forming in my throat, touched deeply by her sincerity and strength. Drew, usually so irreverent, looked at her with newfound respect.

“You know, I never thought about it that way,” Drew murmured quietly. “You’re pretty incredible, Grace.”

Grace chuckled, cheeks coloring slightly. “You say that now, but wait until I’m drilling fireball practice at dawn every day.”

We all laughed, but Grace’s story lingered, stirring something deeper within me. I realized that this journey wasn’t just about growing stronger to protect ourselves, it was about understanding who we were and finding our place in this world.

We made our way back to the tavern, stopping briefly as Hen stepped outside, wiping his hands on a towel. He looked grumpier than usual, almost like he was trying to hide that he was upset. “So, you’re all off then?” Hen grumbled, glaring at us.

“Afraid so,” I said, smiling softly. “Thanks for everything, Hen.”

He shoved a small parcel roughly into my hands. “Take it. I packed some dried meat and biscuits. Gods know you boys can’t take care of yourselves. And, Grace—” he hesitated, voice softer, “don’t let them slack off, alright?”

Grace smiled warmly, nodding. “I won’t.”

Hen coughed awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. “Alright, enough sentimental stuff. You lot better not die. Bad for business, understand?”

“We’ll do our best, Hen,” I chuckled, giving him a playful salute.

He mumbled something unintelligible, probably cursing us affectionately as he shuffled back inside, slamming the tavern door shut behind him. Drew laughed, shaking his head.

“He’s gonna miss us.”

“He absolutely is,” Grace agreed, voice gentle.

We exchanged smiles, lingering for a moment longer, each lost in thought about what lay ahead

The rest of the evening was a blur. I packed what little I had, some extra clothes, the training gear I couldn’t part with, Nym’s magic book and the glowing Aether stone, which I shoved between my clothes in a small sack I found. Why did I feel nervous? I don’t think I like the idea of leaving the one place where I started to feel safe again. I put my gear over my shoulder and left my room, peering at the old rickety bed and smudged window one last time.

Cool evening air nipped at my skin. Grace was already waiting for me, I must admit, I am excited to travel with her.

“Hey fire girl,” I teased. She muttered curses and gave me a friendly nudge. We waited until Drew joined us and then headed for the road. I stopped at the edge of the gates, you got this Leo, Rose could be out there. I took a deep breath, steadying my heart and head, then took my first step toward the Capital.