Traveling with new people was always illuminating, in my experience. It revealed the distinctions that might arise from personalities, training, and overall goals.

My time with Leon, Sophia, and the others had shown our inexperience, soft upbringings, and almost meandering destination. Only Leon had any real training for the road, but even he relied heavily upon the luxuries one might expect of a noble.

What's more, we never moved with anything resembling urgency. Sure, we had a destination and limited time, but none of us had acted as though those mattered. Most importantly, we had rested with the security that we were safe.

Traveling alone had taught me the value of what I might charitably call "self-reliance." I didn't have as many supplies as I had before, and I had to move with speed to stay ahead of any possible pursuers. Camps were simple and easily abandoned, and there was always a tension whenever I rested, as though an attack could come at any time.

Flynn and his servants reminded me of the traders I had once traveled with, but more organized. Polished. Focused, even.

We set off just after sunrise, the camp already broken down with flawless efficiency that spoke to many, many hours of practice. Every person had their job, and they executed it as if they'd done it a thousand times over. Maybe they had.

I made a mental note to learn from them at some point during our travels, but that would have to wait.

Flynn and I sat across from one another in a private horse-drawn cart. The noble had ridden in it during the first part of our journey, but I had dismissed it for the most part. I'd never thought I would ride in it, so the entire thing was a curiosity at best.

Now, I found myself half-marveling at the work that had gone into its construction. The outside was intricately carved with artistic renditions of stars and sunbeams, gold inlaid into the wood to create a resplendent image. That alone would cost a fortune, but the inside was even more luxurious.

Those same inscriptions continued on the inside of the cart. Clearly, the Sions had a particular aesthetic and, lacking natural sunlight, relied on magic instead. The symbols and iconography glowed with soft gilded light, seemingly lit from within by magic. More interestingly, this illumination was irregular, rising and fading as if they were breathing and drawing the eyes seemingly by accident.

The entire inside was warm, with a faint smell of leather and wood. Rich, leather seats as soft as clouds completed the image, and I knew if left to my own devices, I might struggle not to fall asleep. Certainly, the Sions had spared no expense in quality of life spellcraft.

But I was far more interested in the practical magic. Enchantments layered the cart, from protective spells on the outside that I suspected could turn aside lightning bolts and fireballs as easily as they might a sword or arrow, to other, more bizarre effects that I couldn't fully grasp. I knew at least some of them must pull mana into the cart to power the rest, but anything beyond that would be wild speculation.

All of these thoughts served to distract me from the annoyingly chipper light mage slumped across from me.

Flynn yawned loudly, rubbing the tears from one eye with his thumb. I had no idea why he was so tired, seeing as how he'd turned in for the night at least nine hours earlier, but I decided that would remain a mystery.

"Apologies," I said. "But why did you request that I ride back with you?"

Truthfully, I didn't mind the opportunity, but I still wasn't sure of Flynn's motives. Besides, I was curious. Maybe Fortunatus was affecting me more than I thought, though hopefully the saying about what happened to overly curious cats remained untrue.

"I figured this would be a chance to speak a little more about my father," Flynn replied. "You wanted to know, yes?"

"Yes, but last we spoke, you were reticent to give me more than the barest of details. I doubted anything had changed in one night."

Flynn smiled. "Plenty has. Namely, we're now behind layers of protective magic that keep anyone else from listening."

"Do you not trust your family servants?" I asked.

"To an extent, yes, but there's no point in taking stupid risks, now is there?"

I didn't bother arguing the point. Instead, I waited for Flynn to continue, as I knew he would sooner or later.

"You need to understand who my father is," Flynn said. "He's a prodigy. A genius. I wouldn't be shocked if he's the most powerful mage outside of the Archmagi alive, and that leads to certain...expectations. He doesn't accept anything shy of excellence. If you're to remain my adopted brother, we need to prove you're worthy of the name 'Sion.'"

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"I know all of that. And I know that means I need to get stronger."

"Yes," Flynn replied. "And no. What you need is to prove you're exceptional, whatever form that takes."

I folded my arms over my chest, and Flynn continued. "The journey home would normally take a few weeks. We can stretch that to a month, maybe a month and a half, but no longer. Not without asking questions, at least. I can help you, but I need you to trust me. And I need to know everything. Every bit of magic you can do."

"Right," I nodded once, "My primary defensive spell is—"

"No, no. Not like that," Flynn's smile returned, and he reached over to a carving of a shimmering bell. He placed a hand on the marking, and I heard a clear ringing noise reverberate out.

The cart rumbled to a stop, and a moment later the door swung open. A guard stood outside, hand on his sword and eyes focused.

"Problem, my lord?" the man asked, echoing my thoughts.

"Not at all. Unfortunately, it's a bit cramped in here," Flynn replied, slipping out of the cart to stand before the guard. "And my brother and I wish to stretch our legs."

"Of course, my lord. We'll establish a perimeter."

"Excellent," Flynn's smile widened, and then he turned towards me with an eyebrow raised, "You coming? If so, you might want to grab a spear."

I sighed, then followed him from the cart.

We made our way to an open stretch of land several hundred feet from Flynn's guards. As we walked, the light mage stripped off his thick, white, and gold jacket to reveal a simple, loose-fitting shirt underneath. Golden bracelets ringed both wrists, flashing in the midday sun in concert with the ring adorning one hand.

Without speaking, we took up spots several dozen feet away from one another. Flynn rolled his shoulders, then gestured towards me.

"Feel free to begin whenever!" Flynn called loudly.

I nodded, then pulled mana from my core. My Traveler's Armor and Arcane Body spells snapped into place with barely a thought, and the world slowed. Flicker Step followed a second later, the rivers of power running through my legs in a raging torrent.

My core still hadn't stabilized, and I looked down to see a thick green mist clinging to my body like a cloak. The efficiency of my spellcraft had plummeted, and even with my expanded reserves, I doubted I could maintain all three spells for longer than a few minutes.

I also doubted I would need more than that.

The spear in my hand was one of wood and metal rather than solid Aether forged into a mana construct. I had left behind those poor efforts in the forest, knowing from experience they would fail in just a day or two. No point in bringing them along, all things considered, and I hadn't the time to make a new one yet.

I twirled the weapon, then crouched into the main stance of my budding martial arts style. The waves of Aether shifted, the river turned, and I pushed off.

The world around me vanished in a blur. I closed the gap between us in a near-instant, Aether carrying me across dozens of feet in a single, lightning-fast step. If not for my enhanced body and the mana reinforcing it further, I wouldn't have been able to perceive anything.

Yet what I saw didn't seem possible.

Flynn's hand was already up before I moved. I felt something surge up within him, golden light drifting around his body. There was a flash, and I had only an instant to pull up short and launch myself to one side. The sudden change in my internal mana flow was disorienting, and I felt a portion of my reserves spill out, the lapse in focus enough to lose control for an instant.

A golden bar, thick as my wrist and shining like the sun, lanced through the air. It struck low, slicing a smoldering line of grass into the dirt. A burning smell rose in the air along with thick, black smoke, and I stared at the remnants of Flynn's attack with a raised eyebrow before turning to face the noble.

Flynn shrugged with a grin.

"You couldn't possibly think a straightforward charge would catch me off guard. That didn't work last time we fought."

I ignored him and moved again. This time, I ran right before turning and throwing myself to the left.

Another beam of light mana shot at me, this one slicing from side to side. Clearly, Flynn hadn't been thrown off. I bunched my legs, then jumped high. At the top of the leap, I twisted, following those same strange instincts before landing on my feet.

We fell into a familiar song and dance. I would try to close the gap, but Flynn would use his golden beams of searing light to ward me off, and I would have no choice but to dodge and regroup. The end result was a stalemate, and one that I was losing. My magic simply took more energy than his did, in large part because my spellcraft remained unrefined.

It didn't take much thought to follow this to its logical conclusion...but then I realized something. Flynn was a Cloud, not far from advancing to Drop. In my rapid advancement, I hadn't fully understood what that meant. I was his superior in terms of raw strength, and maybe it was time I acted like it.

Besides, I was very curious how well I matched against Flynn after my rebirth.

I reached into my core, pulling more Aether from my reserves and into my Armor. The spell's stability wobbled, and my control was only just enough to keep it in place. The plates around my body thickened, growing harder and more visible with the sudden influx of power.

When I was confident the spell wouldn't break apart, I gathered up my mana and charged. I had to go without my Flicker Step, unable to maintain both at once, and watched as Flynn's eyebrows rose. Another beam gathered before his hand, and it launched toward me with a now-familiar flash of gold.

The beam slammed into me, and I was shoved back...but not far. Sparks and bits of golden mana flowed around me, like a river parting around a boulder. I dug my feet into the dirt, slamming my spear into the ground and using it to anchor myself in place. Flynn's onslaught lasted only a second, and the instant I felt it weaken, I moved again.

Satisfaction surged within me as I saw the vaguely surprised look in Flynn's eyes. His grin blossomed into a smile, and he laughed. Then, I felt his mana shift. It rose once more, but not into his offensive spell.

Instead, I felt that strange sensation of reality twisting and turning. The ring on his hand flashed, and suddenly, there was something floating before his outstretched palm. I had a moment to see it was large and circular before another flash of gold blinded me.

A beam slammed into me, but this one was incomparable to the last. Twice as wide and far stronger, it crashed into my chest with the weight of a tidal wave and a crack of thunder.

I flew back twenty feet and landed hard on my back. My body tore through grass and dirt, digging a thick furrow into the ground, and I lost hold of my spear as I rolled.

The attack wasn't enough to put me down, but I rose to my feet knowing the duel was over. My Armor had weathered the attack, but it was cracked. It felt as though someone had taken a hammer to my chest, and my breathing came short and quick. I could keep fighting, but I decided my pride wasn't worth it.

I released my magic, straightened up, and placed my hand against my sternum. A gentle push confirmed that I would have a nasty bruise, but nothing worse. With that assurance, I turned my focus to Flynn.

The noble stood just a few steps from where he had begun. He had one hand tucked into his pocket, and the other was outstretched with his palm facing up.

A round object the size of a dinner plate floated above his hand. It was clear in the center and ringed around the edges with etched and carved gold. I could make out a few symbols and recognized several as common runes for magical foci, but the shape was far more interesting.

It looked almost like a lens.

Flynn caught my examination, and his smile widened as the object vanished once more.

"So," my new brother said with a laugh, "What did we learn?"

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