Kano stood motionless. His chest rose and fell, every breath like a drag of fire. His fists were clenched so hard the knuckles blanched. His hair shivered in the energy gathering in the air.
"Something's shifted. The air… it's alive. His power is responding. It hears his intent," Elgot thought.
Around Kano the space began to quiver. His shadow spread like ink in water. An aura—hot, pulsing, guileless—tore its way out from within.
—"I want…" Kano said, hoarse but steady.
—"No one else dying for someone's amusement."
—"No more villages burned because someone dislikes someone."
—"No more children seeing death. No more killing the weak just because you can."
His eyes burned. Literally. Fire woke in his pupils, erasing the barrier between thought and magic.
—"I want… to change this world."
—"You…" Elgot said, not daring to breathe.
—"I'll punish everyone who drowned this world in blood," Kano went on, not hearing him.
—"Everyone who betrayed the innocent. Everyone who does evil…"
—"I'll do it. Myself."
His body glimmered faintly from within. This wasn't just mana anymore. It was a bonfire of will. A current that could barely be contained. Even the earth itself seemed to breathe with him.
—"Enough!" Elgot snapped.
He lunged, grabbed a branch, and hurled it straight into Kano's chest. It struck home. Kano jolted, as if yanked out of a trance.
—"What are you doing?!" Kano snarled.
—"Saving you from yourself," Elgot said evenly.
Kano drew ragged breaths. His eyes still burned, but less ferociously now.
—"You can't punish without understanding," Elgot said.
—"And you can't excuse the guilty."
—"But before you cut someone in half—think about why he became what he is."
Kano lowered his gaze. His aura quieted, still smoldering under his skin.
—"Elves aren't better than demons," Kano said softly.
—"Demons aren't worse than humans."
—"Dwarves aren't greedier than the rest."
—"And beastfolk… aren't savage. They're just different."
"He's not a monster yet. He's searching. That's what matters," Elgot thought, smiling through his fatigue.
—"Elgot… tell me honestly," Kano said, lifting his eyes.
—"Do we have a chance? If everyone unites? If everyone is equal?"
—"Kano…" Elgot said after a pause.
—"Night and day don't blend. Fire and water don't become one."
—"You can dream… but don't forget this world lives by its own rules."
—"Then I'll change the rules," Kano said stubbornly.
—"I'll make everyone respect each other. Even if I have to use force."
—"Make them, you say?" Elgot spread his hands and laughed.
—"Gods… you're insane."
—"Maybe," Kano said calmly.
—"But I'll either reach my goal… or die on the way."
Elgot froze. The smile drained from his face. In Kano's eyes he saw… the same thing he'd once seen long ago—in a hero who burned out on the battlefield without betraying himself.
"There was no doubt in his words. None," Elgot thought. "And for that very reason… maybe he'll actually pull it off."
—"Alright, enough grandstanding," Elgot said aloud. —"We need to find a place to sleep. We've got an hour till dark, and I'd rather not freeze to death after speeches like that."
Kano smiled for the first time all day. Barely. But honestly.
Sunset in the mountains looked as if the sky itself were bleeding gold. The cliffs took on a rose tint, and the shadows between them swelled, swallowing the light. The air smelled of cold and the wind that came racing off snow-capped peaks.
Kano stood silent, staring down into the valley. Far below, a river glinted—just a thin, silver line leading… nowhere. Or everywhere.
Elgot coaxed a campfire to life. His movements were precise, practiced. He snorted when the flame refused to catch and gently breathed on it, shielding the spark with his sleeve.
—"Great power, great voice… and you still can't light a match without an old mage," Elgot muttered. —"Typical."
—"I could burn everything here with a single strike," Kano said, smiling for the first time in a long while.
—"And spend the night in a crater. I'll pass, thanks," Elgot said, tossing on a twig.
The flame finally caught. Yellow light washed their tired faces. Around them—stone walls, tall grass, the sounds of evening creatures.
—"Do you really think I'm insane?" Kano asked quietly.
—"No," Elgot said, meeting his eyes.
A pause.
—"But I think something in you broke. And something else… was born."
—"And until that 'something' has a name, it could become a hero—or a monster."
Kano stared into the fire.
—"Maybe I'll become both. And the world will decide what I truly was… only after I'm gone."
The fire cracked. The silence deepened.
"I'm afraid. But not for myself. For him," Elgot thought. "Because if he goes all the way… the world might not withstand his dream."
—"We'll reach the Krajru Gorge tomorrow," Elgot went on, lightening his tone. —"From there it's not far to the old shrine."
—"If we're lucky, we'll find what's left of an old outpost. Maybe even a roof."
—"And if we're not lucky—will we find a monster?" Kano asked.
—"Then we finally test how you pour mana into a finishing blow."
They both laughed. Briefly. But genuinely.
The sky sank into full darkness. The fire was the only light in the wild spine of the mountains. And in the hush, a feeling slowly ripened: something was shifting. Far away, the world was darkening—and not only because of night.
The flames crackled steadily. Warmth wrapped their faces, but somewhere deeper, a shadow of memory crossed Elgot's eyes. He grew more serious, as if something had just resurfaced.
—"Kano, I never told you the most important thing…" Elgot said softly, watching the fire.
—"We didn't climb up here for nothing."
—"So it's not a 'training stroll with scenic views' after all?" Kano raised a brow.
Elgot smiled, but his eyes were stern.
—"There's a legend. Ancient—old as the world. An aged mage told it to me when I was still a student."
—"They say that once, in these mountains… they saw a Golem."
Kano leaned closer.
—"Just a golem?"
Elgot lowered his voice.
—"Not just. These golems aren't ordinary. They weren't made by humans or dwarves. They were made by… the earth itself."
—"Magical beings, awakened when the world was still young. Their task is to protect the land. Not kings. Not peoples. The land—as a living essence."
He exhaled wearily.
—"No mortal has ever defeated one. Ever."
—"And you're taking me there?" Kano asked.
—"Not to it. To the place it was once seen," Elgot said.
—"I'm not insane. But I want you to… feel it. That there's a power better left untouched."
—"To know there are beings who fear neither you, nor me, nor an army of a thousand."
—"Can we win?" Kano asked calmly.
—"We can make it out alive if we're careful."
—"First time I've heard you talk about running," Kano said with a small smile.
Elgot turned away.
—"It isn't running. It's… respect."
—"The earth has its wardens. Best not to wake them without cause."
The fire snapped again. Night fell over the mountains like an icy blanket. And somewhere far off, at the very edge of hearing… something heavy sounded. As if a giant foot had stepped on stone.
Kano narrowed his eyes.
—"Was that the wind?"
—"I hope so," Elgot said evenly.