Dawn broke with a pale silver light over the Ashroad caverns, glinting off the blackened roots of the volcanic forest. The air smelled of smoke, ash, and wet stone—a smell that had begun to feel like home to Kaelen.
"Up, slowpoke," Mira called, already halfway across the training grounds, her bow slung over her shoulder. "Or are you planning to sleep through your second day as a warrior?"
Kaelen groaned, dragging himself out of his lean-to. His muscles ached, his hands still raw from the previous day's Emberbeast hunt. But the ember inside his chest—a flickering pulse of the Code of Ash—urged him forward.
He met Mira at the circle. She tossed him a small piece of obsidian, smooth and razor-sharp.
"Balance," she said, tossing it lightly into the air. "The Codex says your flame feeds your weapon. I say your weapon feeds you. Catch."
Kaelen blinked. The obsidian spun like a black star before his eyes. He raised his spear automatically, and the fragment lodged perfectly in the tip.
Mira's eyes widened. "Huh. Not terrible." She smirked. "I expected more stumbling."
Kaelen gritted his teeth. "You think I'm here to stumble?"
She laughed—a sharp, musical sound that echoed across the caverns. "Good. Because tomorrow, you might be running for your life."
Jorah appeared behind them, looming like a mountain. His one good eye glittered. "Enough play. Time to learn the Codex in motion."
He gestured to the circle. "The Ember within you is unstable. Today you learn Ash Flow. You must channel the Code of Ash through your spear without letting it consume your body."
Kaelen nodded. The last fight had been a baptism, but he still did not fully understand the limits of his new power.
"Step one: root yourself," Jorah barked. "Feel the ash beneath your feet, the ember in your chest, the spear in your hands. Only then can flame follow intent."
Kaelen inhaled deeply, remembering Druin's lessons. He let the memory of his village, of loss, of fire, and of grief flood him. The ember stirred, and for a moment, he felt… calm.
"Step two: extend," Jorah continued. "Push the Code outward. Strike without hesitation. Let it flow through you, not from you."
Kaelen spun his spear, feeling the golden-silver coils resonate with his heartbeat. He thrust forward at a target carved in the ash. A small flicker of grey flame danced along the shaft, harmless but real.
Mira whistled. "Not bad, Ashboy. Looks like your flame's starting to listen to you."
Kaelen's cheeks flushed, but he said nothing. Instead, he focused. Every muscle, every breath, every ounce of loss inside him merged into the weapon. The ember burned brighter, steadier, a faint golden glow around his torso.
The circle of trainees paused as Elder Druin's voice carried across the caverns.
"Kaelen. Mira. Come."
They approached the elder, who held a scroll heavy with ash stains. Druin's blind eyes glimmered.
"Rumors reach our borders," he said. "The Stonefang Clan stirs. They covet our fire-lands. Young warriors, you must prepare. This will not be a hunt—it will be war."
Kaelen's heart skipped. The Emberbeast had been dangerous. But a tribe of humans, trained and armed, intent on burning Ashroad? The thought made his chest tighten.
Mira stepped closer. "Well… looks like our training isn't just for show anymore."
Kaelen nodded. "Then we'll be ready. I… I won't let anything happen to the tribe."
Druin inclined his head. "Good. The Road tests those who walk it. Fire, loss, battle… it will shape you. And the sparks you leave behind will draw others to your path—some friend, some foe."
Kaelen shivered, though the ember in his chest flared in response.
From the cavern entrance, faint movement caught Kaelen's eye. A boy, slightly older than him, with wild dark hair and a satchel that rattled like metal, paused on the edge of the forest. His eyes were curious, wide with mischief—but there was something else, a sharp intelligence that flickered like a hidden ember.
Kaelen glanced at Mira, but she was focused on Druin. He said nothing… for now.
The boy vanished behind the rocks, but Kaelen felt a strange pull—as if this boy was meant to follow his path.
Another spark for the Road… Kaelen thought, gripping his spear.
Tomorrow would bring training.
The day after, battle.
And perhaps, the start of a friendship that would last a lifetime.