Dune, Atlas, Ned, and Cadogan moved through the forest, their footsteps light against the soft earth.
Six days had passed since they started their journey, and in that time, Cadogan had shared important truths about the world around them.
The King Aramir didn't forbid people from leaving the cities just to control them, he did it to protect his rule. If too many ventured outside, they would either die or grow strong enough to become a threat. Either way, he would lose.
The noble families of Rendely, of course, lived under different rules. They had better treatment, more freedom. If you had money, you had power. That much was obvious.
As Cadogan told us, this road to the capital is the safest,. But even the safest path had its dangers. After all most of our world is still unknown, with nearly 80% of it unexplored.
The maps of Sanatria marked certain areas in red, purple, and black, danger zones no one should enter unprepared. Many dangerous creatures lived there, some as powerful as Red and Blue Zeten.
Dune glanced at Cadogan. *Without him, we might not have made it this far. Saving him back then had been the right choice.*
They walked in silence, the soft crunch of moss beneath their boots the only sound breaking the calm. Dune, Atlas, and Ned kept glancing around, their eyes wide with wonder. It was hard not to be amazed. Everything around them felt like something out of a dream.
The trees towered above, their leaves glowing in soft greens and silvers, some even carrying streaks of deep violet. Strange plants curled around thick roots. The forest was nothing like the dark alleys and crowded streets of the city. Here, the air felt lighter. Freer.
"I never imagined the world could look like this," Ned said quietly, almost afraid to disturb the moment.
Dune looked around slowly, taking it all in. Atlas grinned and stretched out his arms. "This place is beautiful."
Their footsteps slowed as the light shifted again, and then, from between two trees, something drifted into view.
A long, serpent-like body moved through the air with calm grace, covered in fur so white it glowed in the sunlight. Six wings fluttered at its sides, delicate and nearly see-through, like they were made of thin silk.
Its large eyes blinked slowly, deep, thoughtful, and filled with a strange warmth. Despite its size, taller than any of them, maybe even five meters high, it felt peaceful.
The boys froze, unsure of what to do.
The creature paused as well, hovering in place, watching them without fear.
Then, as if drawn by instinct, Dune took a fighting stance "what do we do?"
Cadogan stood behind them, watching quietly, his arms crossed.
"They're called Elven Seras," he said after a moment. "Peaceful creatures, also very rare. They only appear in places untouched by human hands. If you see one, it means the land is still pure."
"Don't be afraid, you can touch it."
"Really?"
Dune slowly walked forward, Atlas and Ned followed, their movements careful. The creature leaned its head down, inviting them. Slowly, they reached out and placed their hands against its soft fur. It was warm to the touch, and somehow… comforting.
Dune's fingers brushed against one of its wings. It twitched slightly, but didn't pull away.
"It's so soft."
"Woah" Atlas said, smiling as he rubbed its side gently.
The creature let out a soft, musical hum, and then, just as gently as it had arrived, it floated back into the forest, disappearing among the glowing trees. For a while, the boys said nothing. The moment had left them quiet, as if speaking too soon would make it all vanish.
They kept walking, the forest growing brighter as they climbed higher. The light filtered down in golden patches, and the air smelled of wildflowers and distant rain.
"When we get close to Rendely," Cadogan said, "that's where I stop."
The boys glanced at him. Atlas furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"
Cadogan didn't answer right away. He stepped over a thick root, then looked back at them.
"I won't go with you into the city. I'll help you get there, but once we arrive, we part ways."
Ned frowned. "Why?"
Cadogan gave a tired sigh and kept walking, his eyes focused on the path ahead.
"Because right now, the entire kingdom believes I'm dead. And I want it to stay that way."
He glanced over his shoulder, voice steady but quiet.
"It gives me something I haven't had in a long time. Freedom. I'm finally out of King Aramir's grip. I don't have to answer to him, or anyone, ever again."
The boys didn't press further. They didn't need to. There was a. honesty in Cadogan's voice.
They walked a little longer before Cadogan stopped again and turned to face them.
"One more thing," he said. "Before I start training any of you… I want to know something."
The boys looked up.
"I need to know your reason. Why are you doing all this? Why are you fighting? What are you chasing?"
The question hung in the air like smoke. The forest quieted again, waiting with them.
Atlas was the first to speak.
"When I was younger, the people in my village turned on me. People I trusted. Friends. Family. They left me to die. I'm going to make them regret it."
Ned nodded slightly, his eyes distant. "I want to get strong enough to fight Matiane… he used us. I won't forgive him."
Dune hesitated, then looked Cadogan in the eye. "I want to take revenge on gods. They threw us into the trials like we were nothing. I want them to pay."
Cadogan's expression changed. His brow lowered, and his mouth pressed into a thin line.
"That's it?" he said flatly. "All three of you want revenge?"
"Yeah?"
Cadogan let out a sharp breath and ran a hand through his hair. "You're all insane. Seriously. You think revenge is some kind of goal? Something to live for?"
They didn't respond.
Cadogan stepped forward, his voice louder now. "Let me tell you something. Revenge won't give you peace. It won't fill the hole inside you. You think killing someone will make the pain go away? It won't. And what will you do after that?"
He shook his head. "You need a real dream. Something to reach for. Not just someone to hate."
He didn't wait for a reply. He turned and started walking again, his footsteps quicker now.
The boys followed, but none of them spoke. Not for a long time.
Dune drifted to the back of the group, letting his thoughts wander.
I didn't have time to think about any of this during the trials, Everything back then was about surviving. I couldn't stop. Couldn't breathe. Could barely look around. How could i know what i want?
The trees began to thin as they climbed higher, the forest slowly opening up to the sky. The air felt different here, cleaner, wider, like it carried the whole world within it.
Cadogan stopped near a break in the trees ahead. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he looked back at the boys.
"Come on," he called. "You need to see this."
Curious, they hurried to join him, then froze at the edge of the cliff.
Below them stretched a vast, endless landscape of green and gold, painted by the sun. waterfalls cascaded from cliffs into glowing blue lakes. In the distance, massive flocks of creatures soared across the sky, some with wings of light, others shaped like nothing they could name. On the ground, massive beasts moved with slow power, while smaller ones ran through fields like waves of color.
And above it all, floating gently among the clouds, were islands.
Islands that defied logic. Islands with trees, stone ruins, even waterfalls that spilled over their edges and disappeared into mist.
Ned blinked, confused. "How are those islands floating?"
Cadogan let out a soft chuckle. "Amazing, isn't it? Sometimes, Neba shifts the nature of things, twists gravity, reshapes the land. It's everywhere. In the trees. In the air. Even in the stone beneath your feet. You just don't always see or feel it."
Before they could ask more, a sudden shadow fell over them.
Dune instinctively looked up, and his breath caught.
"What the…?"
A massive golden creature moved through the clouds above. It was unlike anything they'd ever seen. Its body stretched for what felt like miles, scales glowing faintly in the sunlight. Its two huge wings beat slowly, like sails catching the sky. And its eye… just one of its eyes was larger than Fein's entire neighbourhood.
None of them could speak.
Even Cadogan was silent for a few seconds. Then he smiled, his voice quiet with awe. "This… this is a once in alifetime sight."
The whale turned slightly, and a soft, low hum echoed across the sky like distant thunder.
"It's a flying golden Whale, A Purple Neba creature," Cadogan said. "Rare beyond belief. You're lucky. Most people never get to see one… not even once."
"It's huge!" They stood there, rooted to the spot as the whale slowly ascended, higher and higher, until it vanished into the clouds above, gone as quietly as it had come.
"Woah…" Ned whispered, eyes wide. "That's the best thing I've ever seen in my life."
Dune didn't answer. His gaze stayed on the sky, on the last place he saw the whale disappear.
Something stirred in him, something strong, something clear. He looked at Cadogan, a quiet fire behind his eyes.
"I know what I want now," he said.
Cadogan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Dune took a breath, then spoke, not with anger, or pain, but with a deep, growing certainty.
"I think… i want to explore more of this world," he said.
"I want to see everything it hides… from the tallest sky islands to the darkest caves. I want to uncover its secrets, meet creatures no one's ever seen, and become strong enough to survive it all. Not just survive, live. I want to feel wonders like this again, again and again, until the day I die."
The wind blew gently around them, as if the world itself had paused to listen.
Cadogan looked at him for a long moment, then nodded.
"That," he said softly, "is a real dream."