Gray woke up to the feeling of being carried.
He cracked one eye open to find Aldric walking up a narrow mountain path, with Gray slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The wind was cold, biting at his face, and the mist from the Whispering Mountains wrapped around them like a blanket woven from clouds. Frost sparkled on the rocks beside the path, and the mountains' eternal whisper hummed in his ears—softer here, closer to the valley.
"Hey," Gray mumbled, trying to push himself up with one arm. "I said no carrying me. My pride can't take it."
Aldric laughed, adjusting his grip so Gray was more comfortable against his broad back. "You fell asleep while I was packing up camp. And you were heavy—all that lazy lounging must've built up some muscle, even if you don't notice it. I tried to wake you up, but you just mumbled something about 'more silk pillows' and rolled over into the fire pit. What was I supposed to do? Let you singe your robes?"
Gray sighed, letting his head fall back against Aldric's polished silver armor. It was cool against his cheek, a nice contrast to the sun starting to peek through the mist. "Fair enough. But if you drop me off this cliff, I'm haunting you. Forever. I'll float around your bed at night and whisper about how you betrayed the Lazy Mage."
"Scary," Aldric said, but he held on tighter, his boots finding sure footing on the slippery path. "We're almost there. Just around this bend—promise."
A few minutes later, he stopped and set Gray down gently on a flat rock. "Okay. Open your eyes. And try not to fall asleep again before you see it."
Gray did, and for the first time in his thousand-year life, he was left completely, utterly speechless.
They were standing at the top of a cliff that jutted out over a valley that stretched like a silver sea before them. Surrounded on all sides by the jagged peaks of the Whispering Mountains, it was a perfect pocket of peace—cut off from the rest of the world by walls of rock and mist. The valley floor was covered in tall grass that glowed with a soft silver sheen in the morning light, dotted with ancient trees whose leaves shimmered like emeralds in the breeze. A stream ran through the middle of it, clear as crystal, its water tumbling over smooth stones and sparkling like scattered diamonds. Above, the mist had lifted just enough to let the sun shine down—and even though it was well past dawn, he could still see faint stars twinkling in the pale blue sky, their light barely dimmed by the day.
"The Valley of Starlight," Aldric said, his voice soft with wonder—even though he'd seen it a dozen times before. "That's what I call it. The mountains trap the starlight in the air, so they never really go away. Even at noon."
Gray stepped forward, his eyes wide, his bare feet sinking into the soft grass at the cliff's edge. It was perfect. Quiet. Beautiful. No adventurers yelling about glory, no kings begging for magic, no legends weighing him down—just grass, trees, stream, and stars. It was exactly the place he'd been searching for in his endless naps, the place where he could finally rest without being disturbed.
He started walking down the winding path into the valley, his robes swishing through the silver grass. It felt warm under his toes, even though the mountain air was still sharp with cold. The stream gurgled as he passed, and he knelt down to cup his hands in the water. It was cold as ice, but it tasted clean—cleaner than any water he'd ever drunk, with a hint of something sweet, like wild honey.
"Over here," Aldric said, gesturing to a spot near the stream where a cluster of emerald-leafed trees grew close together. "There's a cave behind those vines—dry, sheltered, perfect for sleeping. I've been keeping it clean for you, just in case. Even brought in some soft grass and that wool blanket from our pack."
Gray followed him to the trees, and sure enough, a cave mouth was hidden behind a curtain of thick green vines that hung down like a curtain. Inside, it was spacious and dry, with a flat rock that would make a decent bed. Aldric had even arranged the grass into a sort of mattress, and the blanket was folded neatly at one end. It was thoughtful—more thoughtful than anyone had been to him in centuries.
But as Gray looked around the cave, he felt a flicker of something he hadn't felt in a long time: a desire to do something. Not anything big—just something small, to make this place feel like home.
"I don't know," he said, tapping his chin. "The cave's nice and all. But it's a little… dark. And damp. Even with the grass."
Aldric raised an eyebrow. "What, you want me to build you a palace? I'm a swordsman, not a carpenter."
Gray grinned, stretching his arms above his head. "No, no. Nothing that fancy. Just something simple. Watch this."
He stepped out of the cave and stood in the grass near the stream, closing his eyes. He could feel the magic of the valley—old, wild, peaceful—flowing around him, waiting to be touched. For most mages, shaping magic like this would take hours of chanting and focusing, but for Gray, it was as easy as breathing. He'd spent thousands of years conserving his power; now, he could use it without even trying.
He held out his hands, and a soft silver light began to glow from his fingertips. He didn't chant, didn't draw runes—he just thought, and the magic obeyed.
From the ground around him, thick logs of dark wood rose up, their surfaces smooth and polished as if they'd been carved by master craftsmen. They floated through the air, arranging themselves into a simple frame: four walls, a slanted roof. Then, from the emerald-leafed trees, large leaves detached themselves and floated over, weaving together to form a tight, waterproof roof. Vines grew up the walls, wrapping around the logs and blooming with small white flowers that glowed softly in the shade. A window made of clear crystal—formed from the stream's ice, melted and reshaped by magic—appeared in one wall, and a door of dark wood with a handle of twisted silver appeared in another.
It took less than five minutes.
When Gray opened his eyes, a small, simple house stood before them—warm, dry, and perfectly in tune with the valley. It wasn't big—just one room, with enough space for a bed, a table, and a chair—but it was his.
Aldric stood beside him, his mouth hanging open in shock. He'd seen Gray use magic before, back in the dungeon, but that had been for fighting. This was different—this was magic used for something gentle, something beautiful.
"Wow," Aldric said, his voice barely a whisper. "That's… that's incredible. I've never seen anything like it. You did that in five minutes?"
Gray shrugged, as if it was no big deal. "Like I said—simple. Just a little magic. Nothing to write home about." But he couldn't help but smile as he walked up to the door and pushed it open. Inside, the room was bright from the crystal window, and the floor was covered in a thick layer of silver grass that felt like a rug. A bed made of soft moss and covered in the wool blanket sat in one corner, and a table and chair made of the same dark wood as the walls stood in the middle of the room. It was perfect.
They went inside, and Aldric sat down in the chair, still staring at the walls as if he couldn't believe they were real. "I've trained with mages from the Royal Academy. The best in the realm. None of them could do anything like this. Not even close."
Gray sat down on the bed, stretching out his legs. "That's because they overthink it. They spend all their time learning chants and runes, trying to control magic like it's a wild animal. But magic isn't something you control—it's something you work with. Like the wind, or the water. You just have to let it know what you want."
He leaned back against the moss bed, feeling the warmth of the sun coming through the crystal window. It was even better than the cave. Quieter, brighter, more like home.
They sat in silence for a while, watching the stream flow past the window and the silver grass sway in the breeze. Then, Aldric stood up and walked to the door.
"I should probably start getting ready to head back," he said, his voice soft. "The king will be wondering where I am—I told him I was going on a hunting trip, but I can't stay away forever. The other members of the Sixteen will start asking questions too."
Gray sat up, frowning. "You have to leave already?"
"Just for a while," Aldric said, turning back to look at him. "I'll come back to visit. Every month, when I bring food for the griffin. I'll bring you supplies too—bread, cheese, more blankets. Maybe even those silk pillows you were muttering about."
Gray nodded, feeling a little sad. He'd gotten used to having Aldric around—his company was quiet, not intrusive. It was nice to have someone to talk to every now and then, someone who didn't see him as a legend or a monster.
"Thanks," he said, his voice softer than usual. "For everything. For waiting for me, for keeping my secret, for finding this place. Really."
Aldric smiled, walking back to sit beside him on the bed. "Anytime. You gave the world peace. The least the world can give you is a place to rest."
A loud screech echoed through the valley, making them both look up. Gray walked to the window and saw a large shape flying through the sky—white feathers, golden claws, eyes like amber. The griffin.
"It's okay," Aldric said, standing beside him. "That's Luna. I told you about her—we made a deal ten years ago. She only attacks caravans if she's hungry, so I bring her food every month."
Luna circled overhead a few times, then landed on a large rock near the stream, her eyes fixed on the small house. She tilted her head, as if studying it, then let out a softer chirp—curious, not threatening.
"She likes the house," Aldric said, grinning. "Or maybe she likes the magic you used to build it. She can sense power, you know."
He pulled a bag of dried meat from his pack and walked outside, tossing it to Luna. She caught it in her beak and started eating, her golden eyes never leaving the house. Gray watched from the window, feeling a strange sense of connection to the creature—they were both guardians of this valley, in their own way.
Then, something strange happened.
From the trees around the house, small, glowing orbs of light began to appear. They were no bigger than fireflies, but they glowed with a soft blue and green light that pulsed like a heartbeat. They floated through the air, moving toward the house, drawn by the magic Gray had used to build it.
"Wisps," Aldric said, walking back inside and pointing at the window. "I've never seen them in the valley before. They only appear where powerful, peaceful magic has been used."
The wisps floated up to the house, some of them coming through the open door and into the room. They danced around Gray's head, their light warm and gentle, not at all like the wild magic he'd seen in the space between worlds. They seemed friendly—curious, but not threatening.
Gray held out his hand, and one of the wisps floated down to rest on his finger. It felt like a soft breeze, warm and ticklish. He smiled, watching as more wisps danced around the room, their light making the walls glow with a soft blue-green sheen.
"They're beautiful," he said, his voice soft.
Aldric nodded, leaning against the wall and watching the wisps dance. "Yeah. They are. I guess your magic is even more special than I thought."
They stood there for a while, watching the wisps. Some of them floated outside, dancing over the stream and through the silver grass. Others stayed inside, hovering near Gray's bed or dancing around the crystal window. It was peaceful—more peaceful than Gray had ever felt.
Slowly, he felt his eyelids growing heavy. The warmth of the sun, the soft glow of the wisps, the quiet of the valley—it all combined to make him feel sleepy. He walked over to the bed and lay down, pulling the wool blanket over himself.
"I think I'm going to take a nap," he said, yawning.
Aldric grinned. "I'm shocked. You just built a house, met a griffin, and made friends with wisps—and now you want to sleep?"
"Hey," Gray said, closing his eyes. "Building a house is hard work. Even for a lazy mage. And these wisps make great nightlights."
Aldric laughed, walking to the door. "Okay, okay. I'll let you sleep. I'll finish packing up and head out in a little while. I'll be back in a month—promise. And I'll bring those pillows."
Gray didn't answer—he was already asleep, his breathing slow and steady, a small smile on his face. The wisps continued to dance around the room, their light soft and warm, and outside, Luna finished her meal and flew up to her nest on the cliff, her chicks chirping softly to greet her. The stream gurgled, the grass swayed, the mountains whispered, and the stars twinkled in the daytime sky.
The Lazy Mage had found his home.