Years of sleepless nights and constant training had led me to consider exhaustion an old friend. I had believed I had pushed myself to the limit before, going past the point where a normal person might falter through iron will and sheer determination.

  I was sorely mistaken.

  My rest was fitful at best, and I had forced myself back to consciousness only hours after passing out. It was all the time I could spare, and I might as well have not bothered for all the good it did. I pushed on, walking ever further eastward, and all too soon, exhaustion crept in as my strength began to flag.

  The weather was mild, a warm, early spring day, but I felt neither. On the one hand, my throat felt dry as parchment. My lips cracked, I was increasingly clumsy, and my muscles ached and cramped, all signs of mounting dehydration. The sun overhead only served to pull more moisture from my body, and I started to fear the worst. Strangely, the heat was distant. I had lost enough blood that I still felt cold and weak, which only served to worry me further.

  It was not so much willpower or resolve that drove me onward. I would prefer to claim as much, to embellish my achievements and robe myself in praise, but it would be a lie. What really pushed me was the same thing that had forced me onto this path years ago.

  I did not want to die.

  It was as simple a drive as possible but effective regardless. So, I walked. I put one foot in front of the other, kept my head raised as high as I could manage, and kept moving with my right hand against the partially healed wound in my side and my left on the cold iron dagger's hilt.

  Cat walked beside me, having regained a measure of his strength. I could sense him even now through our nascent bond, like a limb I knew the location of but could not control. It was bizarre and somewhat unsettling, yet also fascinating. Despite the dangers, I was sorely tempted to stop and run some tests.

  Our path eventually bisected a smaller road heading northeast. I paused momentarily, then began following it rather than continuing in the same direction. Using an established route was a gamble, as any potential pursuers might think to watch the roads, but it was one I had to take.

  I was running out of strength and needed food, water, and a proper night's rest. If I did not get those, I would die regardless of what kind of magical bonds I had.

  Time passed, and the sun crept towards the far horizon. I had been walking for at least half a day and was nearing my limit. Twice, I stopped for a brief rest, and the last hour had required near-constant magical reinforcement to remain on my feet. But my Aether could only do so much. Magic could not create stamina out of nothing despite my best efforts.

  Then, I tripped. It was on a rock, small and round enough that I might not have even noticed if I was in perfect health. Instead, I stumbled, my head swimming as my balance lurched to one side. I fell, hitting the ground hard with a grunt. My side screamed, lines of pain tracing up and down my ribs, and I gritted my teeth to bite back the yell.

  I tried to get my feet under me, but my body refused to cooperate. Even flooding my muscles with as much Aether as possible only gave me enough strength to roll onto my back.

  The sun was near the horizon, and I could see the first faint stars glittering in the twilit sky. The moon was half-full, already shining far above me, and I wondered for a moment if this would be how I died.

  A meow came from my side, and Cat walked to stand over me. His glowing green eyes stared down, and I felt a flicker of something not far from annoyance. Frustration, maybe? Or dissapointment?

  Stand. Move.

  I tried to follow the suggestion, but the best I could manage was sitting halfway up before my strength failed me, and I fell back. Darkness crept into my sight, the edges of my vision turning black, and I fought against it with what little will I retained.

  Then, the darkness claimed me, and I knew no more.

  ***

  I woke with a gasp, throwing myself upright with one outstretched as if to grab something. My side protested the sudden movement, and my body was weak and stiff, but mana once more filled my core. I felt it answer my call, Aether flowing through my flesh in a heartbeat as I readied my armor.

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  A cry came from a foot or so to my side, and I turned to see a young woman sitting in a chair beside my bed. She was my age, maybe a year younger, with a rounded face, wide eyes, freckles dusting her pale skin, and a build that was slim but not to the point of unhealthy. Her clothes looked well-cared for but not fanciful, which suggested she was a commoner from a town well-off enough to avoid starvation but not wealthy enough to grow into a city.

  We stared at one another for a second, neither making the first move. Then, my mind caught up, and I relaxed, letting the Aether slip from my mental control. I smiled and inclined my head towards the woman.

  "Please accept my apologies for startling you," I said, my voice hoarse from disuse, "I only—"

  The girl stood without waiting for me to finish. She turned and practically ran from the room through the only nearby door. I stared after her for a few seconds, then shrugged and glanced over myself and my surroundings.

  Someone had changed me from my ruined clothes into a set of soft, comfortable pants and a shirt. They looked similar to the girl's attire, certainly of high quality but without any of the decorative touches of a noble.

  I lifted the hem of my shirt and found that someone—possibly even the same someone who had changed my clothes—had also bandaged my wound. The white cotton looked unblemished, though judging by the ache in my side, that might not hold true in the next few minutes.

  The room itself was remarkable. It was a small, cozy bedroom with one window along the right wall, a chair against the left, and a door opposite where I lay. The only decorations I could spot was a dresser pushed up into the corner with a wooden sculpture of a horse sitting atop it.

  I closed my mind and reached out, both to sense any noteworthy mana signatures and to track down Cat. The energy here was unbalanced, with a strong feeling of rumbling earth and a weaker but still potent sensation of cool, flowing water, but nothing else.

  Cat, meanwhile, felt as if he was somewhere to my north. Not far, if I understood the sensations coming through our bond, but still likely hundreds of feet from me.

  I tried to project my voice "down" the bond, attempting to convey a simple message.

  Come to me.

  I was unsure if it worked, and the door opened again before I could try a second time. The girl re-entered, but this time, she was not alone. Another woman accompanied her, almost identical to the first save for a few minor details. She was taller and a few years older, with a wider build and a gaze that screamed confidence. She met my eyes without blinking, and a smile shone on her face as she strode towards me.

  "Thank the Founders you woke up," the woman said as she stopped beside my bed, "We thought they might claim you yet, covered in blood as you were."

  "They almost did," I replied, my dry chuckle turning into a cough, "But it seems you helped stave them off for now. Thank you, miss..."

  "Lila," the woman said, then gestured towards the younger girl, "And this is my sister, Emma."

  I nodded to both sisters in turn, replying, "Thank you, Lila. You as well, Emma. I am in both of your debts."

  Emma's cheeks burned, and she averted her eyes, but Lila's smile grew, and she replied, "I'll keep that in mind, stranger."

  It was my turn to blush, and I coughed again before responding, "Apologies, my name is—"

  My voice caught as I realized I could not give them my real name and identity. It was the next best thing to suicide if I started handing out such sensitive information when I was in danger. No, I had to make something up quickly.

  I realized I had been silent for too long and feigned another coughing spell. About two or three coughs in, it turned genuine. Tears came to my eyes, and I pressed my hand to my chest as I tried to get control over my breathing.

  When it subsided, I realized Emma had left the room again. I tried to speak, but Lila held up her hand and shook her head. Soon, her sister returned with a metal cup in hand, holding it out to me as if it might catch on fire. She stepped away when I took it, and I nearly chuckled at her shyness.

  I nodded my gratitude, then raised the cup to my lips. The wise move would be to drink it in sips, so naturally, I drained it in seconds.

  "Thank you," I finally managed as the burning in my lungs subsided, "Sorry about that. As I was saying, my name is Simon. A pleasure to meet you both."

  I wondered if my old friend would mind me borrowing his name. Then again, there were plenty of Simons out there, so did it really matter?

  Lila smiled, "Likewise. Now, how are you feeling?"

  I shifted on the bed, then moved to stand. There was no better way to judge my condition in my eyes. Before I could, Lila placed a firm hand on my shoulder and pushed down as she shook her head.

  "Easy there, I meant, are you hungry? Thirsty? You've been asleep for almost a whole day, and I can't imagine a world where you're not at least peckish."

  I looked down at my noticeably thinner chest, then raised my head and chuckled, "I...suppose I could eat. Ah, but first. You said I was asleep for a day?"

  "Thereabouts, yes. Our brother and his friends found you not far from town, half-dead and covered in blood. They carried you back here, and well, you can probably guess the rest."

  "And where is here precisely?" I asked.

  "A town called Rivershade, about a week's travel from Aranth," Lila replied, "Am I right in assuming that's where you were going? Not many other places for a...traveler to visit around these parts."

  I nodded, "Something like that, yes. I encountered a bit of trouble along the way."

  Lila snorted, gesturing towards my chest, "An understatement. But while we're on the topic..."

  I swore mentally, having accidentally tripped right into a dangerous topic. My mind still felt sluggish, but that was no excuse for such an amateurish mistake.

  "Ah, yes, that," I cleared my throat, "I was on the road heading to Aranth when some bandits waylaid me. They demanded my supplies, but after I handed them over, they seemed eager to 'tie up any loose ends' as the saying goes. They stabbed me, and it was all I could manage to stumble away. I fled from them, became lost, and simply followed the first road I found until I collapsed."

  Emma nodded, seeming to buy the story without question, but I could tell Lila did not wholly believe me. Her eyes darted down to my side, then back up to my face, and I saw the unanswered question.

  However, Lila did not ask it. Instead, her smile returned and she took a step back, brushing down the front of her shirt as she said, "Well, thank the Founders you escaped with your life. You never answered, but I'll assume you're half-starved and get you something to eat. Can't have you dying under my care, now can I?"

  "That...would be great, thank you," I said, and this time my smile was without deception.

  The two left, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I laid back down after a moment, examining the wooden ceiling overhead as I considered my position.

  Master Lysandra was, most likely, dead. I doubted any would-be assassins would move against me and leave her be. Most of my supplies now lay on the bottom of an ocean. I had almost died, and now I was stuck in a village recovering from a near-fatal wound far from home, broke and with unknown threats searching for me. The only remaining ally I might have was in a city that would doubtless be the next place any would-be assassins would search.

  I was not one for swearing, but it seemed as good a time as any to acquire the taste.

  "Well...shit."

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