The first streaks of dawn had yet to climb over the horizon when Staley’s voice rang out through the camp, deep and commanding."Up, everyone! It’s ti to move!"
Their chariot stood ready, freshly oiled and gleaming faintly under the gray light. Horses neighed restlessly, pawing at the ground, sensing the long journey ahead.
Staley mounted his horse and turned toward the group. "From here to the Central Plains, the distance is one hundred and forty-five kiloters. We’ll travel for at least two days at steady pace. After a hundred and twenty kiloters, there’s a guard post where they check travelers. Have your tokens ready by then!"
His voice carried over the murmur of hooves and clanking armor.
Ferlin approached the chariot, his expression relaxed but tone serious. "Little brother, little sister," he said, "twenty-eight kiloters straight from here, and we’ll enter true Grassland territory. Don’t forget to enjoy the view. The Grasslands stretch for six hundred and seventy-eight kiloters across. It’s breathtaking, but don’t get too lost in it. The climate here shifts quick. If it turns bad, we’ll be delayed even longer."
Diala smiled softly. "Then let’s hope for calm skies."
Staley raised his hand, and the column began to move. The rhythmic sound of hooves filled the air. Kiaria and Diala’s chariot rolled forward, the horses pulling smoothly as the rcenary company spread across the dusty road.
"Dia," Kiaria said quietly, "start cultivation. The road’s long, and ti shouldn’t go wasted."
She nodded, settling cross-legged in the chariot. Her breathing steadied, faint threads of spirit light dancing around her palms. Kiaria watched her for a mont before closing his eyes as well.
The world outside faded.
–
Within the vast sea of his consciousness, Kiaria felt the familiar hum of his spiritual core. Faint golden letters shimred in the void like ancient runes etched into eternity. He gathered his energy, focusing on one particular letter that pulsed irregularly.
The letter shone brighter, spinning around him as he fed it more of his spiritual power. The air within his inner sea rippled violently. He condensed his psychic energy for the first ti, compressing it into a single point–and the mont it touched the letter, light burst outward. Psychic energy was denser and suffocating, uneasy to control.
The golden glow bled into white.
The rune twisted and transford, forming a scroll that hovered before him. Words carved in flowing strokes appeared across its surface–each line alive, shifting like breathing fla.
A deep vibration echoed through him. Beast Mastery Technique.
But unlike any technique he had learned before, this one was heavy–its presence vast, almost divine. rely revealing itself drained his energy completely. His vision blurred.
Still, he pushed forward. He tried to activate another letter, to sustain the formation–but the strain was imnse. His body trembled; pain rippled through his chest. Blood filled his mouth.
In the chariot, his head snapped forward. A thin trail of blood slipped past his lips.
"Kiaria!" Diala’s voice cracked with fear. She leaned forward, grasping his shoulders. "What happened?!"
He coughed lightly, forcing a faint smile. "Don’t panic, Dia... just... overdid it."
Her hands trembled. "You call spitting blood overdoing it?"
Before he could answer, Ellein galloped to the chariot, alarm in his eyes. "What’s going on? Dia scread!"
Diala glared at him. "He’s hurt himself from cultivation."
Kiaria straightened slightly, pale but composed. "It’s nothing. My energy just dried up too fast."
Staley arrived monts later, reins pulling tight. "You little fool," he barked. "Cultivation isn’t a race! Patience is your fuel. Try that again, and you’ll cripple yourself before reaching the Plains."
"I understand," Kiaria said weakly.
Ferlin jumped down from his horse, handing him a small fruit that glowed faintly under the morning light. "Here, Dion-apple. It’ll soothe your channels and relax your muscles. Eat and rest."
Kiaria took it with both hands. "Thank you."
Ellein crossed his arms. "If you dare to make our little sister cry again, I’ll knock your head in myself."
"Let handle that," Diala said coldly. "If he tries sothing reckless again, I’ll do the honors."
The rcenaries burst into laughter, easing the tension.
Staley sighed, shaking his head. "Listen here, boy. Diala is our youngest sister now. If anyone finds her upset, you’ll have the entire East Valley Wing hunting you down."
Kiaria swallowed hard, forcing a grin. "Understood."
He handed the Dion-apple to Diala. "Here, you eat it. You need the energy more than I do."
She frowned. "I’m not the one who fainted."
"It’s yours now," he said simply. "Refusing would insult a brother’s care."
She sighed but accepted it, cutting it in half and sharing it with him anyway.
"Fine," she murmured. "Half each."
He smiled faintly and closed his eyes again, sinking into rest.
–
Hours passed as the caravan rolled steadily across the plains. The rhythmic clatter of hooves and the creak of wheels blended into a lullaby. The warm light of noon painted the world gold.
Inside the chariot, Kiaria slept deeply–but within his consciousness, a quiet storm brewed.
The Beast Mastery scroll unfolded before him again, its letters glowing faintly white. Around it, symbols appeared, shifting and rging until they ford verses of ancient script.
"All are equal by their own,
All lives share equal responsibility.
United and separated in identities.
Different paths coincide for another cycle."
The words pulsed with strange rhythm, echoing through his inner sea.
He frowned. "These lines... they feel familiar."
A voice whispered through the space of his mind. Three scrolls words aligned like a poem.
"Heaven and Abyss in a deep breath,
The autumn leaves thrust the shadow.
All are equal in the sea of wind.
Water reflects the sword intent,
And Nature subdues the will of evil.
Rage Fire ignites Soul from blazing heart.
Frozen hearts are piercing flas.
Ice and Fire in sa origin.
Breeze walks into the endless fla.
Blazing fire erges in the sea of constellation.
All are equal by their own,
All lives share equal responsibility.
United and separated in identities.
Different paths coincide for another cycle."
Kiaria’s eyes widened within his mind. "These... they’re from my earlier techniques."
Suddenly, realization sparked like lightning. "They’re connected–the Mysterious Sword, Cold Fla, and Blazing Fire... they share the sa lineage."
He floated amid the glowing verses, piecing them together in thought. "If the Beast Mastery is born from the sa source, then the theory must be one: Everything shares the sa origin."
He breathed slowly, letting the insight settle. "Three techniques, three different forms... but all linked by will and wisdom."
He focused deeper, aligning the patterns. "The Sword Heart subdues evil. The Fla ignites the heart. The Cold tempers it. When united–they form harmony. If beasts follow the sa will of balance, then their mastery cos not from control, but understanding."
The white light in his consciousness pulsed stronger. Energy rippled outward, filling his ridians.
"Wisdom..." he murmured, realization deepening. "The key to mastering beasts isn’t dominance–it’s resonance. Every will in this world, whether man or creature, flows from the sa source. The more one understands that, the deeper their mastery."
A faint shimr passed through him. His ridians glowed faintly blue, energy flowing smoother than before. The scar on his forehead pulsed once–then quieted.
Outside, Diala glanced over and noticed the faint rainbow-like aura around him. She smiled softly but didn’t disturb him. "He’s pretending to rest again," she whispered.
The chariot rocked gently as the caravan continued through the plains. Clouds drifted slowly overhead, and wind brushed the long grass in waves that shimred under sunlight.
By late afternoon, Staley’s voice rang from ahead. "Rest point in ten minutes! We’ll halt till dusk!"
The caravan slowed. Diala finally exhaled, brushing her hair from her face.
Kiaria opened his eyes, faint traces of calm power still lingering in them. He looked out across the vast horizon–endless green stretching into gold.
"Beautiful, isn’t it?" Diala said quietly.
"More than beautiful," Kiaria murmured. "It’s alive."
And sowhere deep in his consciousness, the words of the scroll echoed again, like a whisper from the world itself–
"All are equal by their own...All lives share equal responsibility."
He closed his eyes, knowing now that the path ahead would test not his strength, but his understanding.The origin had revealed itself–now ca the ti to wield it.
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