A new morning in Luganor was greeted by a cold wind blowing through the empty, soulless streets, and a gentle morning dew that softly caressed the ground as it fell from the tips of the green, autumn grass. On the inner side of Tlum, in front of the gate, Desimir and Osgar were waiting, both wearing leather vests, leather pants, and boots. Under their vests, they had shirts to keep them as warm as possible. It was cold, but they were lightly dressed, ready for training.
"Where is Captain Kjaran? I'm freezing," said Desimir, bouncing slightly to keep warm. "I want to start training as soon as possible to warm up."
Osgar didn't pay much attention; he was thinking about the conversation he had with his father last night.
"Are you okay?" Desimir asked. "You usually always have something smart to say."
"This time nothing, I'm just waiting to start training. I can't wait to get stronger," Osgar replied, to which Desimir smiled and patted him on the back.
"That's what I'm talking about, Osgar," added Desimir as he and Osgar looked into the distance, their breath visible in the cold air, eyes filled with excitement.
All the cold seemed to vanish, and through the empty streets came Captain Kjaran Brin in his light armor, consisting of black leather pants, black leather boots, and a slightly thicker black shirt under his chainmail.
"Good, I see you didn't get scared and stay home. Although you might have been wiser to do so, since it's very cold, I'm glad you came. Before we begin, I'll offer you once more a chance to withdraw. The training will be very grueling, arduous, and exhausting. If you have any doubt in yourselves, even a little, you'd better go home now," Kjaran said. Desimir and Osgar only looked at him, then turned to the gate and shouted,
"Training!" — to which Kjaran simply smiled.
Then he gestured to the guard to open the Tluma gate, which the guard did by turning a wheel that set all the other gears in motion. The metal gears squeaked, soaked from last night's rain, actually from all the rain that had fallen in the past ten years since the gate was installed. The metal gate slowly rose, revealing the sun that was gradually climbing in the sky. As the gate opened, Desimir and Osgar shielded their eyes with their hands, while Kjaran simply walked past them as mist rose behind him.
"Let's go, the Forest of Shadows awaits us."
As the three of them slowly left the city, in the castle courtyard were Ervin, Ujiyoshi, and Captain Nualami. Ervin was dressed in the same gear as his two friends who had accompanied Captain Kjaran. Ujiyoshi wore his light black training kimono, lined with a layer of fur on the inside, while Captain Elstan wore brown leather pants and a leather chest armor under a blue long-sleeved shirt he loved to wear.
"Well, I see we are all here. Why don't you introduce yourselves and tell me a bit about your techniques and skills? You can go first, fox," said Elstan.
"Yes, Captain. My name is Ervin Asina. I'm 17 years old, and I use the Green Forest Fox style. My style mainly consists of gathering green natural energy from the environment. Most of the energy I manage to collect I focus on my legs to move better and make faster motions, and the rest I direct to my upper body," Ervin explained.
"Ah, very good, Ervin. I like how you use your energy. Did you inherit this technique from your parents, or did you learn it on your own? To be honest, the surname Asina sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it," Elstan replied.
"To be honest, I never met my parents. They went to war fifteen years ago when I was just two, so I don't remember them very well. I live with my grandfather. Even as a child, he read to me about various sword styles and taught me about them. One day I decided I liked this style the most and decided to master it," he explained to the captain.
"Incredible. Most people struggle to learn a style passed down in their families, which is rare in itself, and you mastered one on your own. The only person I can think of with such talent is Kjaran. The fact that he chose the style he liked the most and reached such a high level at such a young age is simply incredible," Elstan thought to himself as the two stood in the middle of the training courtyard.
While they stood there, Ujiyoshi meditated on the cold, black ground. Elstan noticed him from the corner of his eye.
"You shouldn't be sitting on the cold ground. Stand up and introduce yourself," the captain said to him.
"Apologies, Captain, but you were talking to Ervin for so long that I got bored. My name is Naitu Ujiyoshi, and I don't use any style based on natural energy like you do. In the Kaharu Empire, we use Ki to grant our bodies supernatural movements and such. The concept is similar to your styles; the difference is that our techniques don't have names, but believe me when I say they are far from weak," Ujiyoshi said confidently.
"I see, so it seems I've chosen the right pair for training. A confident samurai and a talented fox. Ha-ha-ha, let's begin," said Elstan, pointing at wooden training dummies in the courtyard.
"I want you to pierce this dummy with a single strike."
"That will be easy," Ervin said as he picked up his sword.
"Well, not exactly," added Elstan, gently taking the sword from Ervin.
"You must make a hole in it with your hand, not the sword. Like this." He then wrapped his hand in natural energy and effortlessly pierced a perfect hole in the center of the dummy. As he gathered energy, only subtle vibrations could be felt around him. Ujiyoshi and Ervin watched in disbelief, and Elstan's hand remained unharmed.
"Incredible," thought Ervin. "So this is what it looks like when you master the flow of natural energy. This is the power of a captain." A smile appeared on his face.
"One very important thing about natural energy, and also Ki. I won't go on too long, I'll just say it simply," Elstan paused while the two boys watched patiently. "You can use as much natural energy as your body allows."
"What do you mean?" asked Ervin.
"If you use too much energy and your body can't handle it, it will start to break down. My father once told me this about Ki," Ujiyoshi added.
"Exactly, young samurai. Your body must be able to withstand the amount of natural energy you use, so you don't harm yourself and can reach your full potential. Which means—"
"To use more natural energy, we also have to train our bodies in parallel, right?" Ervin finished the sentence.
"Exactly, Ervin. So your training won't only be about mastering natural energy but also about physical conditioning. But let's first focus on what we know. The first step to improving your styles is mastering natural energy and being able to channel it through your body or distribute it as you see fit in a given situation. Once you master this, you can channel energy into your weapons as if they were extensions of your arms or legs, which can be very useful in battle. Until now, you've concentrated energy within your bodies, as you do with your style, Ervin. Now you will release that energy outward around your hands and try to pierce a hole in this dummy. But first, do two hundred push-ups and one hundred squats. Begin," said Elstan.
While they began their training, Kjaran was explaining the same concept to Desimir and Osgar on the way to the Forest of Shadows.
---
"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," said Osgar.
"Maybe for you, but I don't even use styles that require natural energy," Desimir complained.
"Neither do I" Osgar silently added.
"You weren't listening, Desimir. Natural energy doesn't have to be used for styles. First of all, styles, as we call them, aren't necessary in combat—most people don't even use them because they are difficult to master. Styles are mainly used when you want to focus a specific type of natural energy. To be honest, I rarely, if ever, use my style. The most important thing is controlling raw natural energy. If you manage that, you can enhance your physical abilities. For example, like this."
Then Kjaran wrapped his hand in natural energy, caught an arrow coming from behind, and used its momentum to spin and throw it back, piercing the head of a goblin raider who tried to attack him from behind. The arrow continued flying for another hundred meters.
"They are getting bold" Kjaran thought to himself.
Osgar and Desimir turned in shock, while the other goblins fled.
"So this is what Captain Kjaran Brin of the First Division is capable of. This probably isn't even his full strength," Desimir thought to himself.
Kjaran then turned to them and continued speaking.
"You could reach this level with a year of training, but unfortunately, we don't have that much time. So you will have to push harder than ever. Let's go."
They continued toward the Forest of Shadows.
Meanwhile, Ujiyoshi and Ervin trained in controlling the flow of natural energy. It was not easy. The largest hole they had managed to make was fifteen centimeters deep, half the thickness of the dummy's chest and the span of their hands. Their concentration was still far from the required level. Between every three attempts, they did fifty push-ups and thirty sit-ups. After three hours, they took a break and sat down to rest.
"Water, give me water," said Ervin as sweat ran down his face.
"This isn't easy at all," thought Ujiyoshi as he sat on the ground. "Hey, don't drink all the water," he shouted as Ervin drank from the barrel and washed his face.
"Ervin, show me again how you wrap your hand in natural energy," said Elstan.
Ervin then stood up and extended his right arm and hand, holding it with his left hand under the elbow. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Slowly, a transparent, light green glove of natural energy formed around his forearm up to the tip of his middle finger. But the energy flowed in waves—it wasn't concentrated enough. Elstan immediately noticed and then looked at the holes in the dummies the boys had made, beginning to explain.
"Look at my hole, then look at the ones you made. What's the difference?" Elstan asked. Ujiyoshi immediately noticed.
"Your hole is perfectly round, while ours are uneven."
Elstan smiled and continued.
"Points to you, Ujiyoshi. You are concentrating energy in waves, and it isn't concentrated enough—it should be calm. Like a calm sea, not a stormy ocean. I think that explains it best. Enough rest; back to training," the captain said.
After a short break, they resumed exercising.
Meanwhile, Desimir, Osgar, and Kjaran had reached the Forest of Shadows.
"So this is the Forest of Shadows," said Desimir as he watched the black treetops sway in the wind and the dark leaves fall from gray-black branches. It felt like stepping into a completely different world, walking on charred black grass with dense mist swirling around them. The deeper they went, the denser the forest became. The black canopy blocked the sunlight, and only the glowing eyes of forest creatures watched them from the shadows.
"I can't see anything, Captain," said Desimir.
"You're not alone," added Osgar as they walked through the darkness.
"Just follow my steps, boys. Soon we'll be there," Kjaran encouraged them, as a strange white light slowly appeared in the distance.
"I see some light," Desimir said excitedly as they approached.
"Finally," said Kjaran when they arrived.
When they emerged from the darkness, they entered a large empty space surrounded by trees. In the center stood a ten-meter-tall tree with a black canopy forming a dome above them. From the trunk, pure white light streamed out in the form of veins. Desimir and Osgar watched in awe as Kjaran began to explain.
"This is the Tree of Truth. When you place your hand on it, it knows your entire past, all secrets, lies, and memories you have forgotten. It knows, and it can be very helpful—or very dangerous for you."
"Incredible," said Osgar in astonishment.
"Yes, incredible. But how will it help us in training?" Desimir asked.
"Very good question, young Desimir," Kjaran praised him, "It also knows your greatest fears, even if you are not aware of them. The Tree of Truth will help you overcome these fears, because when you have nothing to fear, you become unstoppable."
"Very interesting, then," added Desimir, folding his arms and staring at the tree.
"Just so you know, it is safe here now, but every time you fail to face your fear, five shadow figures in the shape of people who died trying to overcome their fears will appear and attack you," Kjaran said. Desimir and Osgar shivered. "I advise you to overcome your greatest fear quickly. Desimir, you first."
"Understood, Captain," he said, placing his hand on one of the white veins. Then he saw his subconscious. He saw a dirty and bloody Nastja standing first in line, with a group of people behind her, all wearing shackles around their necks and bound with chains.
"Nastja, what are you doing here?" he said, but she passed through him like a ghost. When he turned after her, a tall, fat executioner wearing a mask appeared. He held a large axe with iron blades on both sides.
"Wait, what's happening?" Desimir said, sweating as the massive axe fell toward Nastja's head.
"Stop!" he shouted, but no one heard him. In a second, the executioner decapitated Nastja, and her head rolled to Desimir, causing tears to fill his eyes.
"This is your fault, Desimir. You weren't strong enough to save me. It's your fault," Nastja's severed head said as it rolled, leaving a trail of blood behind.
"No, no… I'm sorry, Nastja."
"It's your fault."
"No, this isn't true. Impossible!" Desimir shouted, then woke up, sweating.
"What happened?" Osgar asked.
"I failed."
At that moment, five shadow figures in human form appeared and attacked Desimir. He was forced to defend himself, and soon destroyed all the shadows, but had to lie down to rest.
"The shadows aren't that scary; the hard part is overcoming fear," Desimir said while lying on the black grass. Inside the forest, it was warm because the black leaves absorbed the heat, and the sun had risen high in the sky, casting warm rays.
"Exactly. We have five days of training. This is the first. Within three days, I want you to master concentration and control of your mind and natural energy in this forest. After each attempt, you will also do physical exercises and fight shadows if you fail. The remaining two days, you will fight with me. But I will tell you right now, that part is harder. You must focus your mind and erase fear from it. Only then will you master concentration, control of your mind, and the flow of natural energy. You are next, Osgar," Kjaran said, sitting cross-legged on the grass, showing the students he wouldn't help them.
"Yes, Captain," Osgar said, placing his hand on the tree and closing his eyes. Suddenly, he appeared before his father, who was dying from wounds received in battle.
"Father, what happened?"
"Leave me to die in peace, you worthless son. I was never proud of you. I never loved you. Don't let me see you as my last sight," his father said with his final breath.
"No, that's not true. You loved me. Why would you say that, Father?" Osgar said, curling up on the ground and beginning to cry. Then he woke up.
"No." Kjaran said, and the shadows attacked Osgar. He, too, didn't struggle long.
"This is like mental torture. It just destroys you, doesn't it?" Desimir said.
"Yes, completely," Osgar replied, as both lay next to each other, staring at the black canopy and resting.
"You know, we can't rest all day. To prevent our fears from taking over, I'll overcome mine today. I will definitely become the strongest," Desimir said, jumping to his feet. He approached the tree. "I just need to focus. No tree will defeat me." He placed his hand on the tree and closed his eyes.
In the castle courtyard, soldiers had begun to gather. It was time for their afternoon training. Ervin and Ujiyoshi were training in a section separated by a fence, but they could still see the soldiers training.
"So, this is how the soldiers of our kingdom train," said Ervin, as an older man with a slightly graying beard and short hair trained swordsmen in the yard.
"Roughly, yes," sighed Elstan, then continued, "That's the first division's sub-captain, Eldvin Nizhic. He is Kjaran's most trusted advisor, and also the oldest."
The soldiers were not wearing armor; they wore only cotton trousers and brown leather training vests.
"Isn't it hot for them?" asked Ujiyoshi.
"Why would it be?" replied Elstan. "On the battlefield, you never know what the weather will be like. Sometimes you can guess, but even then, you'll wear full armor. It doesn't matter if it's hot or cold, raining or snowing, or if you feel like you're in a desert. On the battlefield, you always wear full armor. Training in this heat with these vests is like a day off for the first division soldiers."
He said this as the soldiers practiced with swords, sweat flying everywhere.
"Incredible. You need such a high level of discipline just to be part of the first division. How Captain Kjaran managed to become captain at only 30 years old shows just how talented he is," said Ervin.
Elstan replied, "If you think Kjaran reached his current level just because of talent, you're mistaken," then added, "Back to training—those holes in the dummies won't make themselves."
Both young men jumped and returned to their training.
As evening slowly approached, Desimir and Osgar were getting closer to overcoming their greatest fears. But by now, they were both exhausted.
"Alright, that's enough for today, you two. The sun is probably starting to set, so we should head back to the city," said Kjaran, as the two boys lay completely drained on the black grass.
"Can we leave in five minutes?" asked Desimir wearily. "I need to rest a bit."
Kjaran sighed and let them rest a little longer, then the three of them slowly walked back to Tlum.
Meanwhile, the remaining team members were finishing their training. Ujiyoshi and Ervin were giving their all in the final moments, but eventually, they both collapsed from exhaustion.
As the sun set in the distance, Elstan smiled sweetly at the two boys, who were panting on the ground.
"Well, I think that's enough for today," Elstan said with a smile. "See you tomorrow morning, boys. Try to get some rest." Then he left.
"Five days of training like this… this is going to be pure torture," said Ervin, panting.
"You can still quit," replied Ujiyoshi with a grin.
"Good joke. I won't quit until I'm the strongest, so see you tomorrow—if you even show up," said Ervin, then got up and left.
"Of course, see you," said Ujiyoshi to himself, and then he also left. The courtyard remained empty, with only the dummies waiting for tomorrow.
When Osgar arrived home, completely exhausted and looking as if he had been beaten, his father Elstan and a woman with long red hair and brown eyes were waiting for him at the kitchen table. She was of medium height, slender build, and had a beautiful figure. This was his mother, Atala Nualami.
"How was training, Osgar?" she asked, but he simply lay on the floor and fell asleep.
"Ha-ha-ha, I expected nothing less after training with Kjaran," said Elstan with a laugh.
"Help me get him to bed. I'll leave some food on the table, so if he wakes up during the night, he can eat," Atala said, and they carried Elstan to his bed to rest.
Ujiyoshi meditated in his room, which he rented in an inn at the city entrance.
"Can you keep it down a bit!" Ujiyoshi shouted at the guests in the next room who were making love at that moment, but they ignored him. He just covered himself and lay down to sleep.
Ervin arrived home, where his grandfather was already asleep. He left him a wooden bowl with bread soaked in milk with pieces of mutton from their sheep. Ervin ate it and then went to sleep.
Desimir arrived home to his mother, a slightly plump, short woman in her fifties.
"So, are you tired, son?" she asked.
"Yes, mother. I think I'll collapse from exhaustion if I don't lie down soon."
"If you want to eat, I've prepared some goose stew from the geese I bought at the market this morning," she added. Desimir hugged her, thanked her, ate, and then went to sleep.
The next day, they trained even more. After the first day, they were in great pain because their bodies were not used to such rigorous training, but they kept pushing themselves. The second day went a little better than the first. Desimir and Osgar were on the verge of overcoming their fears, and the holes Ujiyoshi and Ervin made were getting deeper and more even. Their control improved, and their friends' concentration sharpened.
The third day of training arrived, and this time the boys were more than ready. After two days of exhausting training, their bodies had almost perfectly adapted to the exercises.
"No, Nastja. I'm sorry, but this isn't reality, and I will never allow reality to become like this. Trust me," said Desimir to the head of his friend, then opened his eyes and returned to the real world. No shadow had appeared.
"You did it, Desimir. Finally," said Osgar, smiling.
"Exactly, and now it's your turn, my friend."
"I'll have to disappoint you, father. But I will never betray you. And I'll do everything to make you proud of me. Even though I know you will always be proud of me no matter what I do, trust me," said Osgar. When he opened his eyes, there were no shadows around him.
The two looked at each other, smiled, and then hugged, collapsing to the ground in happiness.
"Well, it looks like you've finally conquered the easier part of the training," said Kjaran.
"What do you mean, easier part?" asked Desimir, panting, as they lay on the grass.
"Have you already forgotten? Starting tomorrow, the second part of training begins. That means you start sparring with me tomorrow," replied the captain with a smile.
"But for today, we're done early, so you can rest more for tomorrow. Your friends should also be finishing the first part of their training soon."
They then headed to Tlum, where Ervin and Ujiyoshi were perfecting their control over natural energy.
"Finally, we made it," said the two of them as they washed up after the tough training. Elstan examined their holes in the dummies while the third division soldiers trained in the neighboring yard.
"Are those the guys going to Ganalor? They don't look impressive. I don't see why more experienced soldiers aren't going instead," said one soldier.
"I agree. I don't see how four inexperienced fighters will manage in deadly situations," added another.
"Ervin, show me once more how you made this hole," said Elstan.
"Right away, captain," said Ervin, approached the dummy, surrounded his hand with natural energy, and created an almost perfect hole. Of course, there was some fluctuation in his control, but for such a short time, the progress was more than impressive. The watching soldiers were speechless, then returned to their training.
"That should shut them up," thought Ujiyoshi as he rested.
Soon, Desimir, Osgar, and Captain Brin arrived. Ervin immediately greeted them and asked how their training had gone.
"Here's the second part of our team. How was training, guys? I hope you worked as hard as we did."
Desimir immediately noticed the dummies with holes in the yard.
"Did you two make these holes?" he asked, carefully examining them.
"They're so round, almost perfect."
"Almost perfect, huh?" added Ujiyoshi,exhausted, lying on the warm black ground heated by the sun during the day.
"Well, Elstan, I assume you start sparring with them tomorrow," said Kjaran.
"Exactly. I think I'll let them go home to rest now. Otherwise, the king has summoned us for a meeting about the expedition. The meeting starts in half an hour," answered Elstan.
"Better get going then. You boys are free until tomorrow morning. Use the rest of today to get a good rest," said Kjaran, then he and Elstan left the castle.
The four boys spent some more time in the courtyard, talking about their training and what awaited them in the next few days, then went their separate ways. In the castle, the king held a meeting about the Ganalor expedition. Lanterns illuminated the main meeting room. At the head of the rectangular table sat King Anir Anilu. On his right and left were empty seats waiting for Elstan and Kjaran, who took them. At the table also sat Kings Jin and Ailred, together with Emperor Toshimizu. The remaining chairs were filled by two captains from the other kingdoms, who came with their kings. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and the lantern light occasionally cast shadows across it. It wasn't very late, but the sun had already set, and it had grown cold outside. It was time for a strategic meeting.