The sun had barely crested the volcanic horizon when Kaelen arrived at the training grounds. Mira was already there, her bow slung casually across her back, a smirk playing on her lips.
"You're late," she said, tossing a small obsidian knife into the air. Kaelen caught it instinctively with his spear.
"Traffic," he muttered, rubbing the ache from his shoulders.
Mira rolled her eyes. "Excuses don't keep you alive. Remember that."
From the jagged edge of the cavern path, a clatter echoed. Kaelen turned, startled, as a boy tumbled head over heels, sprawling across the ash like a rolling ember.
"Oi! Watch where you—"
The boy paused mid-sentence, scrambling to his feet. He was slightly older than Kaelen, with messy black hair streaked with copper, and a satchel clinking with strange metal tools. His eyes sparkled with mischief, wide and alert.
"Uh… hello?" the boy said, grinning sheepishly. "Are you the, uh… warrior prodigy everyone's whispering about? Name's Darius Flint. But you can call me Flint, I don't mind."
Kaelen blinked. "Uh… Kaelen. And… everyone's whispering?"
Flint waved a hand vaguely. "Oh, you know… heroic outsider shows up, kills a molten wolf, suddenly everyone's talking. Not bad for a day or two on the Road, huh?"
Mira snorted. "Don't let him get to you. He's… Flint. He likes to talk a lot. And he's terrible at training."
Flint raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey! Terrible is a matter of perspective. Besides, I can be very helpful. I make weapons, build gadgets, and—"
Kaelen cut him off with a small grin. "You'll have to show me sometime."
Flint winked. "Oh, you bet I will. But first, let's see if you can survive Mira's favorite 'fun' drills."
Jorah's voice boomed across the circle. "Enough chatter! Today, Kaelen and Mira face the Twin Flow Drill—move as a single unit, flow with each other, and channel the Ashfire through every strike."
Kaelen glanced at Mira, who simply smirked. "Try to keep up, Ashboy. I'm not going easy."
The drill began. Sparks flew—both figuratively and literally—as Kaelen's spear and Mira's arrows moved in rhythm. Kaelen struggled at first, nearly tripping over his own feet, but Flint's commentary from the sidelines had him cracking a laugh.
"Come on, Kaelen! Your flame's a spark, not a candle! Move like you mean it!"
The boy's humor was relentless, but oddly, it eased Kaelen's tension. The ember inside him pulsed brighter, steadier. He felt the Code of Ash responding to laughter and fire alike—a strange synergy.
By the end of the drill, Kaelen and Mira were breathing hard, scorched hair sticking to their foreheads, but the coordination between them had improved dramatically.
Mira elbowed Kaelen lightly. "Not bad, outsider. Maybe you'll live to see the Stonefang fight after all."
Kaelen smirked. "Thanks… I think?"
Flint snorted. "You'll need more than smirks to survive them. But don't worry—I'll be around to make jokes when you're being roasted alive."
After training, Druin summoned Kaelen, Mira, and Flint to the center of the village. He handed Kaelen a small obsidian tablet, etched with fiery runes.
"Stonefang scouts have been seen near the eastern chasms. They covet our ember-lands, and they do not negotiate. Prepare yourselves. This will be your first test of fire and loyalty."
Kaelen held the tablet, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. Flint clapped him on the back, nearly knocking him over.
"Relax, buddy," Flint said with a grin. "We'll survive. And if we don't… hey, at least we'll go out laughing."
Kaelen couldn't help but laugh, despite the tension. Mira shot Flint a warning look, but Kaelen felt the strange warmth of camaraderie for the first time since his village fell.
The ember in his chest glowed faintly, not just with grief or rage, but with the spark of trust, friendship, and determination.
Tomorrow, the Road would test him further.
But for the first time, he wasn't walking it alone.