CHAPTER 14: STONE TOWER CITY

The sun was rising when Kyrian left the walls of Falk behind. The black horse, Shadow, advanced with firm steps along the dirt road.

The morning wind stirred his clothes and hair, a breeze Kyrian found extremely comfortable.

He took a deep breath, feeling the pure air fill his lungs.

’Four months until the tournament. Two months of travel.’

’I have some time to explore things,’ Kyrian thought, looking at the seemingly endless forest on the horizon.

...

The first week was very calm. Kyrian camped beneath ancient trees.

He hunted rabbits or other animals to eat. But instead of killing them with the spear, Kyrian had found another way since his eyes had changed.

The animals seemed to die suddenly without anyone touching them. Outwardly their bodies were fine, but inside, their lungs were frozen.

Kyrian now felt a small connection with ice, as if it were a small part of him.

When he wished, he could see fractal patterns of crystals, as if the cold had its own language.

The first thing he felt since assimilating the knowledge of the fragment was his perception changing.

It was like a natural sensitivity, an instinct. He could now recognize and sense the presence of cold in the air. He could feel changes in density and humidity, and when on frozen ground, he could tell exactly where the snow would fall.

Kyrian also understood how to use something, the particles his eyes absorbed, which he still didn’t know the name of, now had a purpose.

It was like a catalyst. Before, he didn’t know how to use them, even though they were in his eyes. But now, somehow, by using these particles,

Kyrian could manipulate and reorganize what he understood from the fragment.

He could feel and remove all the heat from water present in the air or on the surface of whatever he touched.

The air would freeze, he could solidify a puddle of water and create a layer of ice if there was moisture.

It wasn’t that the ice appeared suddenly, no, his eyes couldn’t create ice from nothing. He needed something that already existed while using the particles he had always absorbed to control it.

Kyrian had the understanding, plus an unknown energy that directed the humidity to reproduce what he knew.

The knowledge he had stolen from the barrier.

He then looked at a twig on the ground.

His finger reached for the twig and touched it lightly. At that moment, a dry shiver ran through the air. A white cold spread from the tip of his finger, forming ice patterns that began to spread from the point of contact until the twig was completely frozen.

It became rigid, cold, and brittle. With a stronger touch, it broke with a snap.

"It’s easier this way... when I touch the target directly. Freezing the air where I look has a distance limit, because the farther it is from me, the more particles I spend." Kyrian spoke, trying to understand more about his eyes.

"Just with this small hunt and the test on the twig, I’ve spent all the particles I absorbed this entire month."

"The consumption is too great. I can’t waste them carelessly. After all, it’s not easy to gather these particles, I have to go after them myself..."

’If I had a way for my eyes to absorb them naturally, that would be great.’

"Besides, I have to reach the limit of the amount of particles again until my eyes are completely full. Then I’ll probably get stronger again, like last time."

"So I can’t use the particles to freeze others so lightly, that’s really sad." Kyrian sighed, he was genuinely excited about his new abilities and wanted to test them in a fight.

After eating the rabbit meat, Kyrian slept and only woke at dawn. Mounting Shadow again, he continued his journey.

...

On the ninth day, he saw smoke rising beyond a hill to the right of the road.

He decided to go see what it was. When he climbed the hill, he saw a small village and thought for a moment whether to go down there.

It was small, smaller than the village he had lived in.

Wooden houses surrounded a small green-water lake where fishermen were now talking and smiling.

But in the end, he decided to simply continue on his way. The village reminded him of some years ago, when he would run around looking for anything interesting to show his mother.

After a few more days, Kyrian stopped when the road split into three.

He remembered the map Rurik had given him.

’Stone Tower City is that way. The other two lead to other towns. Small like Falk, but not so isolated.’

’There’s been almost nothing until now, but from here there will be more roads and more towns connected to Stone Tower City. I’ll probably find other people traveling there.’ Kyrian thought silently.

...

After another week and a half of travel, Kyrian suddenly crossed paths with a merchant caravan.

There were six wagons, guarded by six armed men.

The leader, at the front of the group, a short, bearded man with a wide hat, bowed slightly in greeting when Kyrian’s horse approached.

"Good afternoon, young! Alone on this road?"

Kyrian looked and just nodded.

The merchant studied Kyrian’s clothes, his eyes narrowing.

"Where are you from, boy?"

"Falk," Kyrian answered without thinking much.

The man thought for a moment.

"Falk... Do you know Captain Rurik?"

"Yes. He is my teacher," Kyrian replied without hesitation.

"Haha, great. Boy, travel with us! There are bandits in these lands. We’re headed to Stone Tower City. I imagine you are too."

"It’ll be safer traveling with more people." the merchant said with a smile.

Kyrian thought for a moment but agreed, keeping Shadow close to the last wagon.

None of the armed men spoke or asked about him. They all seemed not to care.

So, he stayed there for the rest of the trip.

When the city walls finally appeared on the horizon, Kyrian felt a trace of expectation.

Stone Tower City was at least four times bigger than Falk. Its white granite walls shone in the sunlight, and as its name said, every so many meters there was a large stone tower with soldiers.

The main gate was congested with wagons and many people. Compared to Falk, where there was never anyone, it was truly different.

Soon, the merchants’ caravan he was with entered the city without much trouble.

He approached the guards, they wore clean armor, their spears polished.

As soon as Kyrian was in front of them, on his horse, the youngest guard raised his hand.

"The entry fee is one silver coin."

He was about to hand it over, taking the coin from the pouch Rurik had prepared, but the other guard, an older man with a thin chin, turned pale.

"Wait... you’re from the Falk Guard?"

Kyrian nodded, looking at the guard, wondering how he knew.

The guard then looked at Kyrian’s clothes and the spear symbol on his chest.

"Vice-Captain Kyrian, welcome to our city." The guard pulled the younger one back.

"Let him through. Officers don’t pay the fee," he added.

Kyrian looked a bit confused at how the soldier knew his name, but he accepted it.

"Can you take care of Shadow?" Kyrian asked, dismounting.

"Of course, sir. He’ll be taken to the guard’s stable. Enjoy your stay." The older man spoke respectfully as Kyrian nodded and entered the city.

Everyone at the gate was looking at him with curiosity.

Kyrian then entered the city, not caring about the others, the city was bustling.

Smells of spices, shouting voices, children running. Chaos, yet organized.

Then Kyrian suddenly heard someone calling him.

"Vice-Captain Kyrian."

He turned to the voice.

There was a soldier, looking about seventeen or eighteen, running toward him.

Kyrian remembered this soldier’s face, it was the shy young man who had joined the Falk guard on the same day as him, Erik. Later, he was transferred to another city.

"You finally passed through here. I saw Shadow being taken to the stables, so I figured it was you. You’re going to the tournament, right?" Erik smiled, the shyness he once had long gone.

Kyrian frowned again, not liking how it seemed others knew about him.

"How did you know I’d be here?" Kyrian asked.

Erik laughed.

"Captain Rurik sent a letter three months ago, saying he was sending you to the tournament."

"In the letter, it was written in huge letters: ’TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY STUDENT!’"

As soon as Kyrian heard Erik’s words, the image of Rurik shouting that came to his mind, and he sighed.

"I see, alright. I’m just going to explore the city, you can take care of your own business. I’ll be here for a day or two. I’ll stop by this city’s guard to pick up Shadow later," Kyrian said, bidding Erik farewell.

He wanted to explore and get to know everything alone, just with his thoughts.

And so he did. He spent the day exploring.

First, he stopped at a clothing store and changed from the guard’s uniform into a simple black outfit. The guard’s uniform drew attention, especially because of Kyrian’s size.

My eyes are already enough of a distraction, Kyrian thought as he put on the black clothes and stored the others in his leather bag. He had expected people to look at his eyes with fear, but now most looked with curiosity, and many even found them beautiful this time, instead of being afraid of the lifeless gaze from before.

Kyrian walked along the stone streets, past fountains and the city’s different squares. In the late afternoon, he suddenly smelled something new.

His head turned like an owl’s toward the scent, only to see an elderly woman selling skewers of unknown yellow balls.

Kyrian immediately went to her and asked for three.

When he bit into the first one, his eyes widened.

"Amazing!" he said unconsciously.

"I’m glad you liked it, dear. Here, take some more. I’m closing for the day," the old woman said, giving Kyrian the last skewers.

Kyrian smiled, took the sweets, but still paid the woman, then continued walking, chewing happily.

But then another smell hit him.

’Roast boar!’

Like a predator, Kyrian turned and followed the aroma to a luxurious three-story building.

’Silver Moon Restaurant.’ Kyrian read, and entered immediately without thinking twice.