Morning light filtered through the window, gentle and warm, pulling Kael from sleep. He blinked awake to find his room had become decidedly crowded—Vera sprawled across most of the bed, Ember glowing softly on her smaller bed, Fulminus perched on his bedpost, and Mushy tucked into the corner where the small mushroom mythbeast had settled the night before.
Through his bonds, Kael felt the moment his consciousness fully returned—Vera stirred first, followed quickly by Ember launching into the air with her characteristic morning enthusiasm. Fulminus's sharp eyes opened, immediately alert, and Mushy's cap tilted upward as the small creature woke more slowly.
"Morning, everyone," Kael said, stretching out the stiffness from sleep. "Big day ahead. We're going to training with Lyssa and Granite."
They made their way downstairs for breakfast, the common room already showing signs of morning activity. Merra was behind the counter, and Elara emerged from the kitchen with Kael's usual breakfast—eggs, sausage, fresh bread, and some kind of berry preserves.
While Kael ate, his mythbeasts received their portions. Vera, Ember, and Fulminus had their usual raw meat, and Kael was pleased to see that Mushy, despite its plant-like appearance, also seemed to enjoy the meat. The small mushroom mythbeast ate with surprising enthusiasm.
"So, Mushy," Kael said, with Vera ready to translate, "what do you want to do today? You can come with us to training—see what it's all about, maybe try some exercises yourself. Or you can stay here at the inn, rest, and explore the city a bit. It's entirely up to you."
Through Vera's translation, Mushy's response was immediate and clear. Want to come. Want to see training. Want to understand how to get stronger.
"Training it is then," Kael confirmed. "Fair warning—it's hard work. We push ourselves to our limits. But that's how we grow."
Want to grow, Mushy sent back with determination. Want to be strong enough that no one can hurt me again. Want to protect friends.
Kael felt warmth spread through his chest at those words. Mushy had been through trauma, but instead of becoming bitter or giving up, the small creature wanted to become strong enough to protect others from similar experiences.
After breakfast, they set out for the western gate where they'd agreed to meet Lyssa and Granite. The morning streets were busy with people starting their day—shops opening, workers heading to their jobs, early-rising tamers preparing for quests.
Lyssa and Granite were already waiting when they arrived. The massive crystal ox was hitched to a simple cart—much smaller and lighter than the cargo cart they'd used for the mythbeast collection quest. This one was just a basic flatbed, currently empty.
"Morning," Lyssa called out. "Ready for a full day of training?"
"Absolutely," Kael confirmed. "What's the cart for?"
"We're going to fill it with rocks at the training site," Lyssa explained. "Granite needs weight resistance for his strength training, and it's easier to gather materials on-site than to haul them from the city."
They set off toward the western forest, the same area where they'd had such success with the mythbeast collection quest. The walk was pleasant, the morning air cool and comfortable, the road well-maintained and easy to travel.
About halfway to the forest, they encountered a group of three tamers heading back toward Thornhaven. Their mythbeasts looked tired but satisfied—clearly they'd been on a successful hunt or training session themselves.
Lyssa, recognizing one of them, called out. "Morning! You're coming from the western forest?"
"That's right," one of the tamers—a woman with a large canine mythbeast—responded. "Good hunting today. Everything's calm and normal out there, no unusual activity."
"Thanks for the information," Lyssa said. "Stay safe."
Kael didn't mention it, but he felt somewhat reassured by the encounter. If other tamers had been training in the western forest without incident, then today might actually be a calm day. No bandits, no freak accidents, no unexpected complications.
Maybe Lyssa's bad luck really is gone, he thought. Or maybe I actually am some kind of lucky charm for her. Either way, I'll take it.
They continued their journey, and Fulminus began showing signs of recognition as they got closer to the forest. Through their bond, Kael felt the small eagle's realization—this was his home forest, where he'd been born and lived before choosing to bond with Kael.
Does it feel strange? Kael asked through their connection. Coming back here?
Fulminus's response was contemplative. Different. Used to be home. Now, just place I'm from. Real home is with you.
The sentiment made Kael smile. His companions chose to be with him not out of obligation but genuine desire. That meant more than he could easily express.
They reached the forest and ventured inward, looking for a suitable clearing. After about fifteen minutes of walking, they found it—a natural open space with good sunlight, soft grass, and plenty of room for multiple mythbeasts to train simultaneously without interfering with each other.
"Perfect," Lyssa declared. "Alright, everyone, let's get started."
Vera, Ember, and Fulminus immediately began their established training routines. Vera started with psychic lifting exercises, beginning with smaller objects and progressively working up to heavier weights. Her control had improved significantly, where before she could lift one or two large objects, now she could manage three or four simultaneously while maintaining precise manipulation.
Ember launched into her flame compression drills, creating fireballs and condensing them down to intense, white-hot points. She held each compression longer than before, her control growing more refined with each session.
Fulminus performed his flight burst exercises, electricity crackling across his feathers as he pushed his speed higher and higher. He'd developed a pattern now—short bursts of maximum acceleration followed by sharp turns and rapid stops, building both speed and agility simultaneously.
Kael wanted desperately to join them, to train his own abilities, but with Lyssa present, he couldn't risk revealing his powers. Instead, he turned his attention to helping Granite and working with Mushy.
"Alright, Granite," Kael said, approaching the massive crystal ox. "Let's talk about your training program. Your main assets are your incredible strength and your defensive crystals. We're going to focus on both."
Lyssa joined them, stroking Granite's neck affectionately. "What do you have in mind?"
"For strength," Kael explained, "we fill the cart with the heaviest rocks we can find. Granite pulls maximum weight—the absolute limit of what he can move while struggling. That's his baseline for today. Every training session, we add more weight. Progressive overload builds strength faster than anything else."
Granite rumbled his understanding and determination.
"For defense," Kael continued, "Vera can help. She can use her psychic powers to create full-body resistance—constant pressure from all angles that Granite has to push against while moving. It'll build his stamina and make his body tougher overall."
"That's brilliant," Lyssa said, genuine admiration in her voice. "I knew having you as a partner would be good, but you're really thinking strategically about this."
"I've had some experience designing training programs," Kael said, which was true even if his "experience" came from a system-provided ability he couldn't mention. "The key is consistency and progression. A little improvement every day adds up to massive gains over time."
They spent the next thirty minutes gathering rocks—some weighing twenty or thirty pounds each, a few even heavier. They filled the cart systematically, and Kael watched Granite's reactions to determine when they'd reached the right weight. When the crystal ox had to strain visibly to pull the cart forward, they knew they'd found the threshold.
"This is your starting point," Kael told Granite. "Pull this weight around the clearing—ten laps. Rest between each lap as needed. Don't push so hard you injure yourself, but push hard enough that you're definitely struggling."
Lyssa encouraged her companion with gentle words and affection. "You can do this, Granite. I believe in you. And remember—we're doing this so you can be stronger, so you can protect yourself and me better if we ever need it."
Granite's determination radiated through Lyssa's bond with him. The massive ox knew how much his tamer cared, knew she would never push him to do something harmful. This training was for both of them, making them a stronger team.
The crystal ox began his laps, the cart groaning under the massive weight but rolling steadily behind him. After each lap, Granite would rest for a few minutes, catch his breath, then resume. It was hard work—genuine, straining effort—but the ox never complained or gave up.
He's strong, Vera observed through their bond. Not just physically. Strong will. Good spirit.
Yeah, Kael agreed. He and Lyssa make a good team.
With Granite's training established, Kael turned his attention to Mushy. The small mushroom mythbeast had been watching all the training with rapt attention, its cap swiveling to track each mythbeast's exercises.
Kael found a spot slightly away from the others and gestured for Mushy to follow. "Alright, let's talk about your training. First, I need to understand what you want this strength for. Is it to protect yourself? To help others? To prove something?"
Through Vera's translation, Mushy's response was clear and heartfelt. Want to protect mythbeasts like me. Small ones. Scared ones. Want to protect friends. Want to defeat people like village head who hurt the helpless.
"Those are good reasons," Kael said seriously. "Noble reasons. Strength for protection and justice is strength well-used."
He considered Mushy's unique nature—a poison-type with passive toxic miasma that could be controlled but not eliminated. The small mythbeast's abilities were defensive and debilitating rather than directly offensive.
"For now," Kael explained, "your best training path is to work on actively releasing your poison mist. Not just letting it happen passively, but consciously generating as much as you can. Build up a considerable cloud around yourself, learn to control its density and spread."
Mushy tilted its cap, indicating understanding and willingness to try.
"Later, once you've mastered generating large amounts of mist," Kael continued, "we'll follow a path similar to Ember's training. You'll learn to condense your poison, compress it into smaller, more concentrated forms. Dense poison is more effective than dispersed poison. Eventually, you might be able to create poison projectiles or poison barriers—really versatile defensive and offensive capabilities."
Will try, Mushy sent through Vera. Will work hard.
"I know you will," Kael said warmly. "Take your time, don't push too hard on your first day, but definitely push yourself. That's how we grow."
Mushy began its training, focusing on consciously generating poison mist. At first, only thin wisps appeared, barely more than the passive miasma the small creature always produced. But with concentration and effort, the mist began to thicken, spreading in a visible purple-tinged cloud around Mushy's body.
Kael made sure to stay upwind and at a safe distance—he had fire resistance and enhanced reflexes, but he didn't have poison resistance. No point in getting sick during a training session.
With everyone occupied in their training, Kael found himself standing next to Lyssa, both of them watching their companions work.
"This is nice," Lyssa said quietly. "Peaceful. Just training, improving, no immediate danger or pressure."
"It really is," Kael agreed. Then, an idea occurred to him—something he wanted to test but couldn't with Lyssa present. "Hey, random question. Do you think it's possible to use healing abilities to restore stamina, not just injuries? Like, could someone theoretically train at maximum output all day, then heal away the fatigue and keep going?"
"I've heard of some rare abilities that can do that," Lyssa said thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"
"Just curious," Kael said casually. "Thinking about training optimization and wondering what the theoretical limits might be."
In truth, he was wondering if Divine Restoration could do exactly that. If he could heal away exhaustion the same way he healed injuries, his training efficiency could multiply dramatically. A full day at maximum output, then a reset, then another full day—the gains would be exponential.
Definitely something to test when I'm alone, Kael thought. It could be a game-changer for progression speed.
The training session continued for several hours. Granite completed his ten laps with the weighted cart, each one clearly harder than the last, but the massive ox refused to quit. Vera's psychic strength showed visible improvement, her control becoming more refined as she learned to manipulate multiple objects with increasing precision. Ember's flame compression reached new levels of intensity, the white-hot cores of her condensed fireballs burning brighter than ever. Fulminus's speed bursts grew faster, electricity trailing behind him in visible arcs as he pushed his limits.
And Mushy, despite being completely new to training, showed remarkable progress. By the end of the session, the small mushroom could generate a poison cloud easily ten feet in diameter, thick enough to obscure vision and probably dangerous to anyone caught within it for extended periods.
"Excellent work, everyone," Kael called out as the afternoon sun began its descent. "That's enough for today. We don't want to overdo it and risk injury."
They gathered their things, and Granite pulled the now-empty cart—having deposited all the rocks back where they'd found them—as they headed back toward Thornhaven. Everyone was tired but satisfied, that good exhaustion that came from productive effort.
As they walked, Kael and Lyssa discussed their plans. "Should we check the quest board?" Lyssa asked. "See if there's something good for tomorrow?"
"Might as well," Kael agreed. "We've got time before dinner."
They made their way to the guild, which was moderately busy with the late afternoon crowd. The quest board was surrounded by several tamers studying the available jobs, but there was enough space for Kael and Lyssa to examine the postings.
Most were standard fare—escort missions, collection quests, guard duty, small-scale hunts. Nothing particularly interesting or challenging. But then Lyssa's hand shot out, pointing to a posting that stood out from all the others.
High-Value Escort Mission
Rank Required: 3
Duration: 5 days total (2 days travel each direction, 1 day at destination)
Destination: Ironpeak Fortress (nearest fortress city)
Client: Anonymous (will be revealed at mission start)
Reward: 3 Silver Sirens
Special Requirements: Discretion mandatory, professional conduct required
"Three silver sirens," Lyssa breathed. "That's three hundred bronze basilisks. That's... that's more than most Rank 3 quests pay by a significant margin."
Kael studied the posting carefully. The high payment suggested either a very important client or a particularly dangerous route. The anonymous client's details were unusual but not unprecedented—some people valued their privacy.
"What do you think?" Lyssa asked. "The payment is incredible, but the anonymous client thing is a bit concerning."
"It's a guild-posted quest," Kael reasoned. "Which means they've vetted it. The guild wouldn't post something dangerous or illegitimate—it would damage their reputation. And we'd find out who the client is before we actually start, so if it seems sketchy, we can back out."
Through his bonds, Kael consulted with his companions silently. Vera's response was cautious but open—a high reward suggested high value, which could mean either danger or simply someone important. Ember was enthusiastically in favor—new adventure! Fulminus was calculating, viewing it as an opportunity to gain experience with longer missions.
"I don't see anything obviously wrong with it," Kael said finally. "The route to Ironpeak is well-traveled. We'd have five days of solid work, and the payment would keep us comfortable for weeks. I say we take it."
"Alright," Lyssa agreed. "Let's do it."
They took the posting to the reception desk, where the same receptionist they'd dealt with multiple times before processed their acceptance. He made notes in his ledger and marked the quest as taken.
"You'll need to report here tomorrow at dawn," he informed them. "The client will meet you then, at which point you'll receive full details and can officially begin the mission."
"Understood," Kael said. "We'll be here."
They left the guild, and Kael headed back toward the Sleeping Drake while Lyssa went her own way with Granite. The evening streets were busy with people finishing work and heading home, the city transitioning from day to night routines.
As Kael walked, his mind churned over the upcoming quest. Three silver sirens was serious money—enough to make him wonder what exactly made this escort mission worth so much. The anonymous client detail added an element of mystery that was both intriguing and slightly concerning.
Who needs an escort badly enough to pay that much? he wondered. A merchant with extremely valuable goods? A noble traveling incognito? Someone fleeing danger?
The questions followed him all the way back to the inn. He ordered dinner for himself and his companions, and while they ate, he found himself distracted, thinking about possibilities.
Merra noticed his preoccupation. "Something on your mind?"
"Just thinking about tomorrow's quest," Kael admitted. "High-paying escort mission with an anonymous client. Trying to figure out what we might be walking into."
"Sounds intriguing," Merra said. "Just be careful. High pay usually means either high danger or high complications."
"That's what I'm thinking too," Kael agreed.
After dinner, he retreated to his room with his companions. Vera claimed her usual spot on the bed, Fulminus returned to his bedpost perch, Ember settled onto her smaller bed, and Mushy tucked into its corner.
Kael lay down, but sleep was slow to come. His mind kept returning to the quest, to the mysterious client they'd meet in the morning.
Who are you? He thought, staring at the ceiling. And why is getting to Ironpeak worth three hundred basilisks?
Tomorrow would bring answers.
But tonight, the questions kept him company long into the evening, speculation replacing certainty, curiosity overriding caution.
Finally, exhaustion claimed him, pulling him down into sleep.
And in his dreams, he walked roads he'd never traveled, escorting shadows whose faces he couldn't see, heading toward destinations that shifted and changed with each step.
Morning would come soon enough.
And with it, answers.