The wagon rattled along the road, wheels creaking with every bump and pothole.
I sat in the back, wedged between supply crates and what I was pretty sure was a barrel of dried meat.
Kyle sat across from me, legs stretched out, looking entirely too comfortable for someone bouncing around in a wooden box.
Mira drove up front with Garf, while Edric, Yenna, and Rolf had gone ahead on horseback, apparently they had "other business" in the capital.
Kyle had been talking for the past hour.
Nonstop.
"And then Mira said I couldn't possibly hit the target from that distance, right? But I did! I totally did! Okay, so maybe I hit the tree next to the target, but that counts for something, doesn't it? I mean, I was aiming in the general direction."
"Uh-huh," I said, staring at the passing scenery.
"And you know what she said? She said I am incompetent. Can you believe that? My own sister!"
I glanced at him. He was grinning, completely unbothered by the insult.
"Anyway," Kyle continued, shifting to face me more directly, "What about you? Jin Raith. That's a noble name, right? Like, proper noble?"
"Yeah," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "Proper noble."
"Cool, cool." He nodded enthusiastically. "My sister says nobles are all stuck-up and boring, but you seem pretty normal. Well, except for the whole 'fighting nine bandits and almost dying' thing. That was kinda crazy."
"It wasn't exactly planned."
"Still cool though... So, you've got like, a manor and everything?"
"Something like that."
"That must be awesome. I grew up in a village. Just mom, Mira, and me. Dad died when I was like six, so..." He shrugged, still smiling.
"But it was good! Mom taught me to swing a sword, Mira taught me to track, and now here I am, heading to the Academy!"
His enthusiasm was... exhausting. But also kind of genuine in a way I wasn't used to.
"You excited?" he asked. "About the exam?"
"Terrified."
Kyle laughed like I'd made a joke. "You'll do great! I mean, you survived nine bandits! That's way harder than some stupid test."
If only you knew how close I came to dying.
"What track are you going for?" Kyle asked, leaning forward eagerly. "Combat? Magic? Support?"
"Haven't decided yet."
"Me neither! Well, okay, I'm probably going combat because Mira says my magic is 'barely functional,' but I think I could surprise people, you know? What if I'm like, secretly a genius and just haven't unlocked my potential yet?"
From the driver's seat, Mira's voice carried back.
"You're not a secret genius, Kyle!"
"You don't know that!" he shouted back cheerfully.
Garf's deep chuckle rumbled from beside her.
I almost smiled despite myself.
The hours passed with Kyle filling the silence. He talked about his village, his training, his hopes for the Academy, his favorite foods, that one time he almost drowned in a river, how he definitely didn't cry even though Mira said he did...
He never seemed to run out of words.
But weirdly... it wasn't annoying. It was just Kyle. Like talking was as natural to him as breathing.
And he never pressed when I gave short answers. Never seemed offended by my silence. Just kept being... friendly.
When was the last time someone was just friendly? No agenda, no contempt, no political maneuvering.
Agnes. Agnes was the last one.
The thought made my chest tighten.
"You okay?" Kyle asked, noticing my expression.
"I'm fine.'
He studied me for a moment, then nodded.
"Okay. But if you need anything, just say so. We're teammates now, right? Academy guys gotta stick together."
Teammates? Kid we've known each other for twenty minutes.
But he said it so earnestly, without a hint of irony or ulterior motive, that I didn't have the energy to argue.
"Sure," I said. "Teammates."
His grin widened, and he launched into a story about the time he accidentally set his sister's bow on fire during training. I half-listened, letting the words wash over me while I stared out at the passing trees.
Two favors. No money. Broken body. Exam tomorrow.
This is fine. Everything is fine.
Time passed... and bandits never came.
Part of me had been waiting for it, for another ambush, another fight, another reason for my life to go sideways.
But the road stayed clear.
Kyle kept talking the entire way.
How does he have this much energy?
By the time the capital's outer walls came into view, I was exhausted just from listening.
The gates loomed ahead, massive stone structures that dwarfed anything I'd seen before. Guards in polished armor stood at attention, checking wagons and collecting tolls. The sheer scale of it hit me all at once.
"Whoa," Kyle breathed. "It's huge."
It was.
Even from a distance, I could see buildings rising beyond the walls, some three or four stories tall, far larger than anything in our town. Spires from what had to be temples or government buildings pierced the skyline.
This was the heart of the kingdom. The seat of power.
Mira guided our wagon into the queue. We waited maybe twenty minutes before reaching the gate checkpoint.
Then a guard approached, his expression bored.
"Purpose of visit?"
"Dropping off Academy candidates," Mira said, jerking her thumb back toward us. "And restocking supplies."
The guard glanced into the back of the wagon, his eyes passing over Kyle and me without interest. "Toll's five silver."
Mira handed over the coins without hesitation. "There you go."
The guard counted them, nodded, and waved us through.
"Welcome to Ardenia. Keep your weapons sheathed and don't cause trouble."
The wagon rolled forward, passing beneath the massive gate.
And the capital swallowed us whole.
Holy shit.
The streets were packed.
People everywhere, nobles in fine clothes, merchants hawking wares, commoners going about their business, children darting between legs, street performers juggling and playing instruments for copper coins.
Buildings rose on either side, packed together like books on a shelf.
Cobblestone streets branched off in every direction. Signs hung above doorways advertising inns, blacksmiths, tailors, apothecaries.
A fountain stood in the center of a plaza, water sparkling in the late afternoon sun.
"This is AMAZING!" Kyle practically bounced in his seat. "Look at that! And that! Is that a... oh man, is that a magic shop? We have to check that out later!"
Mira navigated the crowded streets with practiced ease, steering the wagon toward what looked like a market district.
We passed the fountain where water flowed from a stone dragon's mouth. A street vendor selling roasted nuts. A group of guards on patrol, their armor gleaming.
Everything was so alive.
After maybe fifteen minutes of navigating, Mira pulled the wagon to a stop outside a modest inn with a sign reading "The Brass Lantern."
"Food break," she announced. "We've got an hour before we need to get you two to the Academy for registration."
Kyle hopped out immediately, stretching his arms overhead. I climbed down slower, every movement a reminder that my body was still a mess.
Inside, the tavern was warm and smelled like fresh bread and stew.
We claimed a corner table. Mira ordered for everyone, bowls of thick stew, bread, and watered wine.
I ate slowly, savoring every bite.
Real food. Not poisoned, not stale.
Gods, I missed this.
Kyle, naturally, finished his bowl in time and started eyeing mine.
"You gonna eat that bread?"
I slid it across the table. "Knock yourself out."
"Thanks, man!" He devoured it in three bites.
Mira shook her head, smirking. "You're gonna eat us out of house and home, little brother."
"Growing boy," Kyle said cheerfully.
"You're seventeen."
"Still growing!"
I watched them bicker for a moment.
Then he leaned back in his chair, grinning.
"Man, this is great! We're really doing it! Academy exam tomorrow! I can barely sit still!" He drummed his fingers on the table. "What do you think the exam will be like? Combat trials? Written tests? Ooh, maybe they make us fight magical beasts!"
"Probably all of the above."
"That's so cool!"
Kyle's grin somehow got even wider. "This is gonna be great!"