The Ashroad Tribe celebrated victory with fire.
At the heart of the village, a pyre was lit with the fallen Emberbeast's molten core. Flames spiraled upward, not red or yellow, but a deep, shimmering ash-grey. The entire tribe gathered, chanting words Kaelen still couldn't understand, their voices rising like smoke into the night sky.
Jorah stood with the hunters, his scarred hand resting heavily on Kaelen's shoulder.
"You struck first blood, outsider. That earns you a place among us."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some cheered, some scowled. Kaelen knew that many still doubted him—an orphan boy with a strange spear and no roots. Yet tonight, for the first time, he was not watching the fire from the shadows.
After the feast, Kaelen was summoned to the Elder's Hut. The walls were painted with soot and runes, the air heavy with incense. Elder Druin sat cross-legged, his white hair glowing faintly in the dim light. His blind eyes seemed to look straight through Kaelen.
"You tasted the law tonight," Druin rasped. "The Code of Ash answered your heart. Do you understand why?"
Kaelen shook his head.
"Because you have already been burned. The Code of Ash belongs to those who have lost everything in flame… and still rise from the cinders."
The words struck deep. For a moment, Kaelen was back in his village, the screams and smoke filling his memory. He clenched his fists.
"I want to master it," Kaelen whispered. "I want strength—enough to protect what's left of me, and rebuild what I lost."
Druin's cracked lips curled into something between a smile and a grimace.
"Then you must walk the Golden Road."
The elder drew lines in the ash before them, forming a spiraling path of seven circles.
The Golden Road – Cultivation Ranks
Cinder Spark – The first ignition of inner flame; the ember awakens.
Kindled Flame – The ember grows, shaping the body and spirit.
Burning Brand – Flame imprints itself upon weapons and strikes.
Blazing Pyre – Flame manifests outward, law and will intertwine.
Ashen Crown – Fire bends to the cultivator; mastery of a Code.
Golden Radiance – Flame transcends mortality; cultivator shines with divine might.
Cosmic Inferno – The final step; one's fire becomes a world unto itself.
"This is the Golden Road," Druin explained. "It is not merely strength—it is a journey of law, spirit, and sacrifice. Most never walk beyond the Kindled Flame."
Kaelen stared at the spiral. He was only at the first spark, and already tonight's battle had nearly killed him. Yet something within burned fiercer at the thought.
From a chest, Druin pulled a bundle wrapped in hide. Inside was a worn scroll, its surface cracked with age.
"This is our tribe's cultivation manual: The Ashroad Codex."
The scroll described techniques for channeling ember-energy through breath and marrow. It taught how to smother stronger flames, how to sharpen one's will into a shield of ash.
But one passage was circled in deep red ink:
"The Ashfire must be tempered in suffering. Without loss, the ember is hollow."
Druin handed it to Kaelen.
"Few are chosen by the Code. It has chosen you. Learn it well—but remember, power without purpose is fire without wood. It consumes, but builds nothing."
Kaelen bowed deeply, clutching the manual.
When he left the hut, Mira was waiting, leaning casually against a post with her bow slung over her shoulder.
"So," she said, raising a brow, "the old man gave you the Codex, huh? Guess that means you're officially one of us."
Her smile turned sharp.
"But don't think that makes you stronger than me."
Kaelen blinked. "I never—"
She poked his chest. "Good. Then prove it. Tomorrow, you and I train. Let's see if you can keep up with someone who doesn't freeze every time things get hot."
Kaelen couldn't help but smirk. For the first time, he wanted to accept a challenge, not out of pride—but because the fire inside demanded it.
"Fine. But don't cry when I win."
Mira scoffed, but for a moment, her grin softened.
That night, as Kaelen lay beneath the stars, the silver-and-gold coils of his spear gleamed faintly in the firelight. He whispered to himself:
"The Golden Road… I'll walk it. Even if I have to crawl through fire."