Tour

"With that, your lessons come to an end," Talion said, brushing his hands off faint chalk dust from the board.

"But before you go anywhere…" he added, turning to face them with a calm expression, "there will be a quiz."

"A quiz?" Dolowyn groaned immediately. "I hate quizzes."

Avaran sighed. "Same. But I doubt it'll be anything like our usual ones."

"You're right," Talion replied. "This one measures attention, not memory."

"So…" Dolowyn hesitated. "Do we start now?"

"Yes." Talion nodded once.

He looked at them both. "First question. How many known entities were born from the Creator's demise?"

"Thirty-three," Avaran said instantly.

"Yeah, thirty-three," Dolowyn added right after, proud he remembered.

Talion gave a rare smile. "Good. So both of you were paying attention."

He paused, then closed the marker case. "That will be all for study today."

"Wait, so… are we free now?" Avaran asked, already stepping toward the door.

"Yes. You may leave — wander, explore, or rest," Talion said.

"Alright, we'll do that," Dolowyn said, stretching his arms with a satisfied sigh.

Just as they turned to leave, Talion called out behind them, "One more thing."

They both turned back.

Talion reached into a drawer and handed them two small, dark-metal tokens marked with strange symbols. "Here. Your allowance."

"Allowance?" Dolowyn blinked, holding the token up. "Why would we need that?"

"To look around, of course," Talion replied matter-of-factly. "Especially since neither of you knows the chant required to leave directly for the city."

Avaran frowned. "What city?"

"Well, as I mentioned earlier," Talion began, still seated but speaking with clarity, "our academy rests at the edge. But not just the edge of wilderness or void… It marks the border of a kingdom — one known as Thalara."

"Wait… so we can actually go into the kingdom?" Avaran asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Talion replied. "With a chant, you can travel into its heart."

Dolowyn tilted his head, flipping his token between his fingers. "And these tokens… what exactly are they for?"

"Think of that as a pass," Talion explained. "But not just for movement — they act as currency. They're linked to the academy's core seal, and through that, you can draw upon the treasury."

Dolowyn blinked. "So… you're telling me we basically have infinite money?"

"In practical terms, yes," Talion said, glancing at him. "But don't start spending like lunatics. You're still under watch."

"Only disciple students get this. It's one of the few privileges you'll find worth something when you leave these walls," Talion said with a faint smile. "Use it wisely."

Dolowyn exhaled slowly. "That's… kind of insane."

Talion continued, "And as I was saying — the city you're allowed to enter now is the capital of Thalara. It is known as Dragoncrest City."

"Dragoncrest…" Avaran repeated, the name feeling heavy on his tongue.

"This kingdom was built by one of the known Inheritors known as Kaarnis," Talion said.

"I didn't even know we were allowed to travel to a completely different place like that…" Avaran murmured.

"You are," Talion nodded and he stood up, brushing the folds of his strange suit. "If you choose to go, return before the tenth bell. Beyond that, the city locks down and the return chant becomes restricted."

Dolowyn stretched his arms again. "Guess we're going sightseeing then."

Avaran pocketed the token. "A whole kingdom beyond the edge of the academy…? Somehow, this place keeps getting bigger."

"You've only seen the surface," Talion said, his tone quiet but certain. "Now go. And don't lose the token. If you do, you'll be walking back."

"And you'll need to return to the small peak," Talion said, folding his arms. "The place where you first arrived."

"The peak of that little mountain?" Avaran asked.

"Duh. Where else did we come from?" Dolowyn said, flashing a mocking grin.

"I was just confirming," Avaran muttered, rolling his eyes.

Talion continued, ignoring their banter. "Listen carefully. I'll teach you the chant now — it's in Elaruun. Don't mispronounce it, or you might not land where you expect."

He raised a hand and began to speak:

"I call the tide with voice unbound,

Let sea and soul no longer ground."

He looked at both of them. "Will you remember it?"

"Yes, we will," they said in unison.

Without another word, the two students turned and began making their way out of the study hall. As they walked through the corridors, they noticed doors with strange markings and elegant script. One room was labeled Spell Creation Chamber, its frame lined with faintly pulsing glyphs. Another bore the name Chrono Reflection Hall — though neither of them had any idea what it meant.

Eventually, they stepped out of the academy and onto the paved stone path. The light outside was soft and gold-tinged, casting long shadows across the trees. The air was unusually still, as if the place itself was listening.

They followed the path toward the small peak — the same one they had appeared on their first night. A tranquil pond lay at its center, glimmering beneath the sky. The platform they had arrived on still stood, untouched and faintly glowing.

Standing side by side, they recited the chant:

"I call the tide with voice unbound,

Let sea and soul no longer ground."

The moment the last syllable left their lips, the surface of the pond rippled violently. Water rose upward, unnaturally, curling like fingers of liquid glass. Within seconds, the water surged and swallowed them whole — not with force, but as if pulling them inward through a silent whirlpool.

Then — silence. The pond stilled. The peak was empty once more.