It spun without effort, starting at the centre, gathering a little more with every turn – speed, mass, just a little. It moved from the centre to the other parts, and then to the centre again. The sphere pulsated, at its fastest now. It shone with a pure, unblemished, silver colour, and expanded in an irregular rhythm. From the abdomen, …

With the formation broken, the trainees scattered in different directions. Among the thirty-two participants, a mere seven chose to challenge the many who had passed. Some of the soldiers in the village then arrived with several crates, popping them open to reveal an arsenal of quality weapons. Rollo hopped on position, and then repeatedly to warm his body, with a …

Valaris watched the aeter-made spheres assimilate with the trainees. He counted through the silence and rested his eyes, separating from the cheers that followed. He allowed the celebration to persist a little as well, masking a smile in admiration of the youth in front of him. With a deep breath, the Senior Knight whispered to the aeter in his body. …

The trainees slowly marched into a boxed formation, in ten rows and ten columns. With another order, they spread their feet a little, toes outward, and crossed their arms behind their backs. Daiden struggled to hold onto a straight expression through the process, embarrassed by how the Lord of Fire had hugged him upon departure. It intensified the envy bubbling …

With a healthy body, Daiden eased into his new armour set. He felt comfortable stretching his arms and legs out wide. He twisted to the sides for his hips, and his fingers to test for mobility. With a deep breath, he felt his chest expand and recede without difficulty. He smiled. Daiden observed the area around his shoulders next, rounded …

The smell permeated from the soil, puddled across the area with a thick and purple liquid. The trees reflected a similar colour, sickly almost. It changed and nourished the atmospheric aeter, enough to transform the region’s course of evolution even. From several creatures to varied plants and trees, they adapted by drinking from the purple puddles, from eating the tainted …

Kir burped and scratched his stomach, in a daze. He smiled with a weird expression, remembering his meal from the previous night. With a shake, he forced his attention to the present and moved to a chair. He sat and rested his chin on the back of his palm, with the sunrise still a few hours away. His eyelids fluttered …

Amidst chatter, the villagers gathered to Mutuba Smithy, in awe of the finished armour set. Built from the Chrun’s Descendants’ exoskeletons, the amour flowed with a simple yet elegant design, double-plated and light for those in harmony with agility and strength. Daiden appreciated the detail as well, the patterns especially. Some of the more experienced blacksmiths staggered instead, at the …

Two attendants rushed to Daiden’s aid and held him from either side. They hurried him away without consent and seated him atop a wooden chair. On Zane’s command, they carried him to the side of the largest furnace inside Mutuba Smithy. The two attendants gently cut the leather armour around his wound and stripped away from what remained. Daiden clicked …

When the ring consumed the last of the Chrun’s Descendants’ exoskeletons, it returned to Daiden. He noticed it tap on his left arm, and he extended it on reflex. The ring circled around his wrist and slowly moved to his fingers, then the tips. It touched the index, the middle, and gently settled onto the ring finger. Daiden felt the …