No one truly understands the Veil, not even I. And perhaps you won't either, Thalor. But this much is certain: humanity's oldest instinct is the hunger to be seen, chosen, and claimed. The Veil provides that, it feeds that hunger.
So what happens when that instinct is denied?
—Galath Areias, The First
Renric Demaris
"You two have improved greatly." Drefyr beamed with happiness, his hands interlocked behind his back. He stared down at us from his spot perched atop a boulder.
I lay on the ground, gasping for air. Compared to the first day we had trained, where I had nearly passed out within ten minutes, I could last almost an hour now, before the Veil's pull started tearing through me again.
"Of course," Cadyr said, standing over the rock golems' now lifeless body. We had just finished a short training session, facing four of them at once this time. "There's only so much these stupid guys are gonna teach us, Drefyr. We gotta move onto bigger and better things!"
"I'm perfectly willing to conjure a hundred golems instead," Drefyr responded, one eyebrow raised. He was only half joking.
"Bring it." I gasped half heartedly, my breath slowly recovering.
"That's the spirit Ren!"
"As much as I would enjoy watching such a spectacle, I have another proposition," Drefyr said, jumping down from his boulder and landing softly in front of us. Sunlight glanced off his dark skin, illuminating the war hero with a soft, golden glow.
"That being?" I questioned.
"I will be your opponent."
"You sure? 'Cause last time, pretty sure I beat you up so bad you told on me to my father."
I shot Cadyr a questioning look, he winked back as if letting me in on a well-kept secret.
"There are fewer than three months till the Veilguard tournament. I think it's time for some true combat practice." Drefyr said, ignoring Cadyr's comment. His expression seemed to change at the mention of the tournament, his smile slowly fading away.
What's that all about? I thought to myself. The tournament was all he could talk about since Drefyr had first proposed that both of us participate. I was initially hesitant, the memory of the showcase popping back into my mind, but it seemed there would be no better chance to truly test our growth as Walkers.
Walker. The unfamiliar term for magic users played across my mind. It had not quite sunk in, even after all this time. I was like them, the royals, in a way I was told was impossible.
Drefyr interrupted my train of thought, igniting his hands with powerful, crimson flames. He began to float into the air. The fire melded with wind magic, forming a cloak around his body. Lightning cracked, racing from his body to the sand of the beach below.
"I will only withhold my powers enough to ensure you don't die. Beyond that, well, good luck."
"Our objective?" I asked. Drefyr never trained us without one. 'A mind without a goal is a blade without an edge,' he said once. 'Every battle needs purpose—win or lose, aim transforms instinct into strategy.'
The floating war hero smiled, calm.
Dangerous.
"Strike me, once."
And with that, he was gone.
No, not gone, behind us.
I turned, but even as I did, the lance of ice was already careening forward at my face.
A blast of searing flames flew before me, melting the lance as it flew. I turned to its source—Cadyr's outstretched arm.
"Watch out!" The boy yelled, not even having time to slip in a joke between attacks.
This time, the ground below shook, an earthquake manifested by a god's wrath. It cracked, splitting apart into multiple fractures of land. Molten lava burst forth, the advanced combination of earth and fire magic. Its heat licked at my feet. If we stayed on the ground any longer, I knew that we would be burned to a crisp.
"Fly!" I yelled out, and both Cadyr and I took to the skies. The sensation of flight was normally exhilarating, but I knew this was a calculated decision by Drefyr. I had learned the skill a few months ago, but I was only capable of flying for thirty minutes at a time when fully rested. To fight in the air, after already having spent energy fighting the four rock golems from earlier…
We were on a timer. And it was ticking fast.
"We have to move quickly!" Cadyr yelled, understanding the situation instantly. I may have been growing quickly, according to Drefyr, but the Prince had years of experience on me, not to mention being a prodigy himself.
I manifested an attack, manipulating water from the lake behind me. I copied the conjurations that Drefyr had once used to test me, arrows of water like the ones from my father's bow.
Simultaneously, Cadyr used his mastery over the winds to shift to his left, allowing us to attack from two angles. He manipulated the fires sprouting from the shrubbery burning below us, set ablaze by Drefyr's magic. Two swords of fire appeared in Cadyr's hands, and he charged forward.
I willed the water arrows forward, but Drefyr simply lifted a hand, halting them in place. We both held attunements to all four primal elements, but his control was exponentially greater than mine. His magic pushed against me, as if he were physically beating against my body itself. My concentration wavered, and the arrows fell, splashing into clouds of steam on the magma.
Cady capitalized on the brief distraction, however. Rushing forth, the prince struck, slashing his flames in the air where Drefyr hovered.
Or at least, he tried.
Drefyr appeared behind the boy, faster than the eye could see. Without even accessing the Veil, he struck the boy in the back with a vicious kick, sending him screaming towards me.
I raised both arms, willing the winds to slow his body, trying to decelerate him in mid-air. I wasn't fast enough, and his body crashed into mine, sending us both hurtling into the lake.
The water was cold and shocking, a direct opposite to the summer sun above. My eyes opened, and I realized we were moving, feeling the pull from the prince. He was manipulating the waves, pushing us toward the shore.
Rocks formed where magma cooled against the lake, creating a sort of platform. We broke the surface, gasping for air and spitting water from our mouths. The sight before us took my breath away, the once calm clearing in the forest now a landscape of destruction and fire, as if we had appeared at the surface of a volcano.
"What's the plan?" I turned to the heavily breathing boy beside me.
"I don't make plans."
"Fire and water, interesting choices," Drefyr said, his tone calm and measured. "Allow me to show you the limits of your magic."
He spread his arms, and suddenly the magma began to disappear, seeping back into the ground.
Instead, a heavy mist floated in, obscuring our vision completely. Drefyr's form melted away, disappearing into the fog now encompassing the battlefield.
"Shit." Cadyr cursed, standing. He glanced around wearily.
"What… what is this?"
"Mist magic, a combination of fire and water. It can create—"
But before his sentence could come to fruition, a hand reached forth, like a memory crawling back into thought. It grabbed him by the arm, and the prince was wrenched back into the mist.
"Cadyr!" I called out. Fear slowly crept into my body, uncertainty clouding my every thought. I sat still for a moment, glancing into the heavy fog, as if straining my eyes would change the situation.
"That's it," I declared aloud, preparing an attack. But as I did, movement caught at the edge of my peripheral vision.
It was Cadyr. Bleeding and battered.
"Ren…" His almost walking corpse began to say. The prince's right arm had been completely severed, sprouting dark red from his shoulder. His leg bent unnaturally, bone sticking out from his knee. His left arm was black and burned, singed by intense flames.
"How is this possible? Drefyr! Stop this! Cadyr is hurt!" I pleaded, hoping he would hear me against the dense mist.
"No." A new voice interjected. I whirled around to face it, and my jaw widened in shock.
The King.
His regal form shone brightly, as if he were fending off the fog with only his presence. White and gold armour clad his body from head to toe, a fur cape flowing in the wind. A decorative golden crown sat atop his head of silver hair. The same outfit he wore when he had killed my father in cold blood.
"I am here, Renric. What will you do?" The King questioned, voice full of venom.
How does he know my name? I wondered in fear, stepping backward from the man.
Did Drefyr tell him? Is this some kind of plot? His plan all along?
I steeled my nerves, igniting flames in my palms. I steadied my feet on the rock below, assuming a fighting stance.
"I am not afraid. I am not a child anymore!" My voice grew more confident as I spoke.
"Is that so?" King Tharion questioned menacingly, and he disappeared.
Behind you! The Veil screeched, its withering and ancient voice permeating my mind.
I turned, ready to face him, but he was too fast, grabbing me by the neck. His grip tightened, almost crushing my windpipe. I choked for air, willing the flames in my hands to do something.
The fire burned, rushing forth against the King's armour, setting his cape on fire. He begrudgingly let go, but not before tossing me against the ground. I rolled away violently, coughing up blood.
"You have one chance, boy. Kneel. And you may live to see another day." He lifted a hand, inspecting a nail casually. "What do you say?"
"I would never kneel to you!" I rose, grasping at the Veil's power. I was no longer operating based on Drefyr's lessons. No. I let the Veil and my instincts guide me, pushing forth the power at my fingertips.
Branches of elder wood sprouted forth, ancient trees grew, extending into the sky. Nature magic.
I let the branches mold, feeling the Veil willing me forth. The gray wood sharpened into weapons. The branches rushed forward, racing to impale the King.
It worked. Blood spilled, his eyes widening in surprise.
But he did not react as I expected. His mouth changed, turning into…
A smile.
Suddenly, the world flipped on itself. The mist fell away, revealing the familiar landscape around me. The King, his impaled body that was once bleeding, melted away with it. The wood that I had summoned began to wither along with my focus, disappearing into the soil beneath my feet.
"Impressive, Renric," Drefyr called, sitting cross-legged, casually observing the scene. His clothes were completely clean, his skin smooth as marble. Like he had never been fighting in the first place.
"Breaking the mist's illusion, manifesting nature magic through pure instinct. If I were a betting man, I would be much poorer after that." He laughed casually.
"I-illusion? What are you talking—"
I saw him then, Cadyr, wading through a pocket of mist on my right. Flashes of fire and lightning illuminated the fog, but it stayed contained within a small area. Only around ten feet in diameter.
"Water and fire. They form to create mist. Those who control mist can create elaborate illusions," he paused, looking away from me to the pocket of fog encasing the prince. "Of course, my illusions are much more… realistic, due to both my attunements and light magic."
"Then… the King, he was never really here?"
"No."
"Why would you do something like that?" I suddenly exclaimed. "You already know my past! That was too far for a training lesson!
He silenced me with a simple glance. Guilt painted his face.
"It may have been harsh, Renric. I apologize. But to further your growth, I had to draw upon something that would elicit a strong emotional reaction. Besides," he raised an arm, gesturing at the ground below me. "It worked."
"It was mean."
"Perhaps."
At his final word, the mist spread away from the boy, he stumbled to the ground. I expected words of triumph, a celebration maybe, for successfully breaking Drefyr's illusion.
But there were none.
Instead…
Tears. They fell from his eyes, like the drizzle that falls from the heavens before a storm.
Drefyr's gaze hardened, but he didn't move.
I rushed forward, grabbing Cadyr's shoulders.
"What happened?" I called worried. I turned, now addressing our mentor. "What did you show him?"
"It's fine, Ren." Cadyr sniffled, raising his head to face me. "This is nothing, just sweat."
"From your eyes?" I said skeptically.
"Yeah, it's a royalty thing, you wouldn't understand." Suddenly, he stood, wrapping his arms around me.
It took a few breaths, but I realized it was an embrace.
"It's good to see you." He whispered.
I awkwardly returned the gesture, patting his back gently. Like calming a toddler who had been throwing a tantrum.
"You… too?" I said, half statement and half question.
"It seems you have learned something new as well, Cadyr," Drefyr said, interrupting the touching moment. "Ice magic. House Glacien will be pleased." I noticed now the particles of ice magic were still unmelted beneath the prince's feet.
"I guess so." The boy said. The normal excitement I would've expected from the boy was nowhere to be seen. He let go of me, taking a step back. "Do you mind, uncle, if I have a word with Ren alone?"
"I don't see why not. I have matters to attend to elsewhere, either way. I will see you both tomorrow." And with that, the hero took to the skies, rushing off towards Darrowmere.
"What's wrong, Cadyr?" I asked, turning to the boy.
"Nothing, it's just—" He looked down, kicking at a rock. "I dunno if you should be in the tournament. It's kinda... dangerous. The other Walkers've been training forever, and you only just started. What if you get… hurt or something?"
"Drefyr said I was ready. Plus, since nobles from all over the kingdom can go, it would be easy enough for me to say I was from some random family in another city."
"Yeah, but…"
"What is this really about, Cadyr?"
He sighed, meeting my gaze. "What did Drefyr show you, Ren?"
My father's murderer. I bit back the thought, instead thinking of a lie.
"My… my mom. He showed me her running from a bunch of magic beasts. I tried to help, but… she was already gone."
He nodded knowingly before continuing to speak. "He showed me you, Renric. Being killed in battle. It was so vivid, so… real."
"Me?" Why not your dad, or your mom, or something?"
"I don't exactly have…the best relationship with my dad. My mom, sure, but they are my parents. It's different from…"
"...A friend." I finished, remembering what Drefyr had told me when he had first tried to convince me to train with them. Cadyr, for all his humor and confidence, beneath it all, he was just a boy who didn't want to be alone anymore.
I wrapped an arm around his shoulder, smiling widely for what felt like the first time in forever.
"I'm right here, Cadyr. Still breathing, still alive. It was just an illusion." I paused, thinking about what to say next. "And of course I'll be your friend, thanks for asking."
The prince smiled in a way that reminded me of just how young we really were. An emotion playfully danced across his face, like the sun as it twirled with joy on the horizon.
Acceptance.