Information gathering

The surviving Usman soldiers stared at Leo with a mixture of awe and terror. Their commander, a weathered man with a graying beard and haunted eyes, approached cautiously, his hand never straying far from his sword hilt.

"That was..." The commander swallowed hard. "I've never seen earth magic wielded with such... devastation."

Leo stepped over the remains of the Blizard knights, his face expressionless. Blood and pulverized bone made a grisly paste in the soil. He felt nothing – neither satisfaction nor remorse. Just the quiet hum of earth energy flowing through his veins.

"What's happening here?" Leo gestured at the battlefield. "Why are Blizard forces this deep in Usman territory?"

The commander's shoulders sagged. "Where have you been, mage? Under a rock?" A bitter laugh escaped him. "The empire is being torn apart. Blizard from the north, Biza from the south. We're losing ground every day."

"How long has this been happening?"

"Three years of open warfare. Before that, border skirmishes, assassinations, trade embargoes." The commander studied Leo's face. "You truly didn't know?"

Leo shook his head. He'd been focused on his training, on mastering earth magic. Politics had seemed distant, irrelevant.

"Who are you?" the commander asked. "I don't recognize you. Are you from one of the academies?"

"Just a traveller," Leo replied.

"To the Emerald Empire? Smart. They're staying neutral in this mess. Taking in refugees by the thousands." The commander's eyes narrowed. "Though they treat them like servants at best, slaves at worst."

Leo considered this information. The Shmidts were in Merham, the heart of the Usman Empire. After Elly's death... He pushed the thought away. That wound was still too fresh. They wouldn't want to see him. Would blame him, perhaps rightly.

"Is the road to the Emerald Empire clear?" Leo asked.

"Clear enough if you can do..." The commander gestured at the carnage surrounding them. "...that."

Leo nodded. "Thank you for the information."

"You could stay," the commander said suddenly. "The empire needs mages like you. We could—"

"It's not my fight," Leo cut him off. "I have my own path."

He turned eastward, toward the rising sun, toward the Emerald Empire. Neutral ground. A place to start fresh, away from memories of Elly's lifeless body, away from the guilt that still haunted him sometimes.

Leo made his way to Greenwood City, his ragged clothes drawing suspicious glances from guards at the gate. His once-fitted tunic now stretched awkwardly across his broader shoulders, the sleeves ending well above his wrists. Seven years of growth and training had transformed his body, but he hadn't bothered with new clothing. What was the point when he spent most days covered in dirt and sweat?

"State your business," a guard demanded, eyeing Leo's tattered appearance.

"Supplies," Leo answered simply. He produced a small pouch of coins that immediately changed the guard's demeanor.

"Proceed. Market district is straight ahead."

Greenwood bustled with nervous energy. War profiteers hawked weapons at inflated prices while refugees huddled in alleys. Leo ignored them all, heading directly to a clothier.

"By the elements," the shopkeeper muttered when Leo entered. "Sir, we have standards here—"

Leo dropped a gold coin on the counter. "Three full sets of traveling clothes. Sturdy boots. A cloak."

The shopkeeper's objections vanished. "Of course, right away."

While the man gathered items, Leo studied his reflection in a polished mirror. His face had hardened, blue eyes colder than he remembered. The shopkeeper returned with arms full of garments.

"Try these."

In a private alcove, Leo stripped away his rags. The new clothes fit well—simple but well-made. Practical. He paid without haggling.

Next came a provisioner where Leo purchased dried meat, hard cheese, and travel bread. He added a water skin, flint, and other essentials to his growing collection.

"Planning quite the journey," the merchant observed.

Leo nodded without elaboration.

His final stop was a stable at the edge of town. The owner, a round-faced woman with calloused hands, showed him several horses.

"This one," Leo said, pointing to a sturdy bay gelding with intelligent eyes. "How much?"

They settled on a fair price. By midday, Leo rode east from Greenwood, properly clothed and provisioned for the first time in years. The weight of his supplies felt reassuring in his dimensional ring. He didn't need a caravan's protection—not with his magic power right now. Better to travel alone, unburdened by others' fears or questions.

The road stretched before him toward the Emerald Empire, toward something new.

The border between the Usman Empire and the Emerald Empire emerged on the horizon, marked by a towering stone wall with emerald-colored banners fluttering in the breeze. Leo's horse, which he'd named Steady for its unflappable temperament, plodded forward with the same reliable gait that had carried him for two months across increasingly desolate landscapes.

Leo patted Steady's neck. "Almost there, old friend."

The journey had been largely uneventful—monotonous stretches of riding punctuated by occasional violence. Three days after leaving Greenwood, bandits had ambushed him while he slept. They'd thought him an easy target, a lone traveler with a good horse and supplies. Their mistake became apparent when the earth itself rose to Leo's defense, crushing two men before the others could draw weapons.

"Please," their leader had begged. "We're just hungry."

Leo had looked at the man's well-fed face, the quality of his hidden weapons. "Try again."

The earth had swallowed them whole.

A week later, a group of deserters from the Usman army tried their luck. Leo didn't bother with questions that time. The earth split beneath their feet, closing like a massive jaw. Their screams were brief.

Near the provincial borders, a desperate family had approached his campfire. The father carried a crude spear, the mother clutched two thin children. Leo had silently shared his food, then left extra supplies when he departed before dawn. Not everyone were a threat.

The countryside changed as he travelled east. War had ravaged the Usman borderlands—burned villages, abandoned farms, mass graves poorly covered. Leo avoided the main roads where possible, using his earth vision to detect patrols or ambushes long before they became threats.

Now, after sixty-three days of travel, the Emerald Empire's border checkpoint loomed before him. Guards in green-trimmed armor inspected a small line of merchants and refugees.

Leo adjusted his cloak to hide the dimensional ring on his finger. The artifact wasn't illegal, but it would draw unwanted attention. Better to appear as nothing more than another refugee seeking safety from the war—one of hundreds crossing daily.

He joined the queue, Steady's reins loose in his hand. The border guards looked bored rather than suspicious, a good sign. Leo had rehearsed his story: a scholar from Merham, fleeing the conflict, seeking work in the empire's libraries or schools.