“Must be difficult for you to adjust to the climate on this side of the Red River,” Toku said as they descended the slope from the Temple of Python. “I heard it’s hot enough in the South to melt your eyelids shut. Is that true?”

Kan had gotten accustomed to answering all sorts of absurd questions from Northerners: yes, we have trees and they don’t burst into flames. Yes, we wear clothes and cook meat before eating. No, we don’t feed our firstborn to wolves. If Toku wasn’t trying to start a conversation out of good intention, Kan might have simply silenced him with a glare.

“It’s not quite like what people here think,” he said. “There’re a few days in the summer when you might want to keep to the shade, then the rest of the year stays mild. Sometimes it snows in the winter too.”

Toku laughed somewhat embarrassedly. “I suppose rumors exaggerate themselves. But mind you, Skyward does get very cold. Late October means you might wake up any day and find your door blocked by snow. To be honest, I’m not sure if I could’ve ever gotten used to it myself without Ichor flow warming me up.”

Kan seized the opportunity to ask, “How long does it take a new apprentice to be able to do that?”

Meizo had mentioned it took longer for shamans to reach the same level as priests, and Kan hoped the difference wasn’t too drastic. He was already on a late start.

“Depends on your potential, of course. Generally, you’d break through First Stage within a year, which means you’ll gain enough control of your Ichor flow to keep it organized and steady. The flow makes your body regenerate faster, so it helps with the cold. If you are lucky, you won’t need winter jackets again next year.” Toku smiled like an amicable older brother.

They had reached a level section of the downhill path while they spoke. Toku pointed to a large complex of buildings across a grove of pines. “That’s the general apprentice area. The masters might’ve already told you each of the temples operates independently. The same goes for the general area, and you’ll find just about everything right here. You’re allowed to visit the main temples if there are specific needs, though most general apprentices don’t.”

Kan could imagine why. Masters at the main temples likely didn’t welcome their presence, if Meizo’s opinion was anything to go by. Had Toku not heard their earlier conversation at the hall, he might not have been so hospitable towards Kan either.

“Do other apprentices visit the general area?” Kan asked as they emerged from the pine grove and stepped onto an enormous practice ground. An arena stood at its center, and a semicircle of open halls and short buildings lined its farther sides. A few apprentices were sparring, and more were strolling in pairs in the last golden light of the day. All of them were in gray.

“Rarely, and when we do we’re usually crossing through this central valley to get to another temple. But once a year there’s a tournament here for all apprentices—all levels, across all temples. Prizes for winners are ludicrous, and everyone will be swarming this area then. It’s quite a spectacle.”

“Prizes?”

“Charmed weapons, talismans, amulets, even Artifacts. Don’t get too excited though, I’d focus on getting to First Stage for the moment if I were you. You can’t participate in the tournaments without Ichor control to defend yourself.”

Toku led them into a small hall on the near end of the row of buildings. “We’ll get your equipment and essentials first, then I’ll show you the lodging.” He paused and scowled when he crossed the threshold and saw the two younger apprentices inside fighting crickets.

“Great day, senior,” the taller of the two had the sense to stand up immediately and offered an apologetic smile. The other scrambled to hide the cricket dish as if covering it up could make Toku unsee its existence.

“Being on supplies duty doesn’t mean you get to sit on your hands,” Toku said. The apprentices lowered their heads guiltily.

Kan studied the hall as Toku gave a lecture on responsibility and persistent hard work. He was thinking of something entirely different—crickets didn’t survive the northern mountains in late October. It was this hall that kept them alive, and Kan felt it too, a warm sensation pulsing with energy. He scanned the shelves against the wall laden with crates and the corner tables piled up with sacks, but he couldn’t locate the source of that warmth.

“Now get to work and bring a newcomer package.” Toku finished his speech.

The apprentices fumbled through the stockpile and after a few minutes, the taller one beckoned Kan over. “Here’s your robe, books, and medicinal herbs,” he laid out three small bundles. “And you can choose one of these entry-level items as your starting equipment.”

Kan understood Meizo’s concern when he saw the options—a collection of common steel swords, healing potions, and basic anti-spell amulets. One could easily buy any of these from a supply shop in town.

“Choices here are limited,” Toku said. “Usually people go for the swords, though I see you have one already. If you’re in the mood for a new one, I can help you pick a good forge.”

Kan thumbed the hilt of his sword. Old and chipped as it might be, it was once charmed with strong Artifact power and was the most coveted weapon among apprentices at the Shrine, until it lost all its Aura with Kan during the accident.

“I’ll keep it,” Kan said. “It’s a token from the past.”

He proceeded to examine the amulets one by one: a shield against poison, a disguise to prevent the wearer’s Ichor from being detected by enemies, a weakener against fire spells. Toku explained each one’s usage briefly, though Kan knew all of them by heart. He’d used those plenty when he first started at the Shrine.

His sight landed on a small wooden pendant. The carving on the front was worn, and he could only tell the vague outline of a crane. The back was filled with tiny glyphs he didn’t understand. When he rubbed its surface in his hand, he thought he felt water running through his fingers for a fleeting second. Then the feeling was gone, and he was holding just a dry, old piece of wood.

“No one knows what this one is,” the apprentice behind Kan commented. “Master Yeven found it on one of his exotics-hunting trips. He said it’s an amulet, but no one knew how to use it, including himself, so it ended up in the general apprentice stockpile like all other useless trash.”

Toku’s eyes turned murderous. “Don’t let me hear you questioning the Keeper’s judgment a second time,” he warned. The apprentice flinched.

Kan didn’t want to add fuel to the tension, though the apprentice was right in that the pendant didn’t contain any Aura. No amulets, however weak or simple, could be devoid of Aura because that was what gave them power. But if the pendant wasn’t an amulet, Kan didn’t know how to explain the feeling upon its touch.

The mystery grew on him. “I’ll take it,” he said.

All three people in the hall turned to stare at him as if he was mad. Toku opened his mouth to speak yet failed to find the right words. He had scolded the apprentice to defend his temple’s reputation, not because he actually believed the trinket was an amulet. What should he say now to prevent Grand Master Saiyon’s future favorite from picking up a piece of trash?

Their stares made Kan think he owed them an explanation. “I trust the Keeper’s judgment,” he ventured.

Toku’s mouth twitched into an attempted smile. He could only hope Grand Master Saiyon doesn’t blame him for duping newcomers. He cleared his throat, “Good. If we’re all done here, let me show you to the new apprentice housing.”

Kan packed up his supplies. As he followed Toku out of the hall, he paused at the entrance. The pulses of warmth became stronger where he stood, almost palpable.

“What is this?” He pointed at what looked like a sphere draped in cloth on the entry table.

“An Artifact to test new apprentices,” Toku said. “It resonates with their Ichor and amplifies it, so we can see how much potential they have before taking them in. The test isn’t necessary for you since you’ve already met the masters.”

Kan hadn’t seen an amplifying Artifact before. At the Shrine, priests test new apprentices directly by sensing their Ichor. He moved closer to the Artifact, “Can I try?”

Toku laughed. “Of course, if you’re curious.” He stepped back into the hall and removed the cover.

The Artifact was a bright red crystal sphere larger than a person’s head. The sheer size of it was unusual, but the moment the drape was lifted, it was the familiar sensation gushing forward in Kan’s consciousness that astounded him—the long lost stir of strength and power.

Kan placed a hand on the Artifact with almost trembling anticipation. A strong force pulled on his consciousness and before he realized it, he was floating in the darkness again like the night in the woods. Only this time, there was a bright ray of light gleaming through the black void in the sky. He pushed higher, feeling his body getting lighter and closer to the ray until he was finally within reach.

He embraced it.

Light suffused him, radiating from his fingertip to the rest of him. It coursed like a gentle spring over arid lands, like a midsummer sun over thousand-year layers of ice. It flowed, slowly yet steadily, until his ethereal form brightened and glowed from within. He felt light as air, warm as fire, and free as the wind. Life pulsed in him for the first time in four years, and he could hear all the Aura around him whispering in joy: welcome, now we are one.

Kan looked down at his body in wonder. He had broken through First Stage.