"What?" Kaedros asked, masking his curiosity behind a casual tone. But Thalso had noticed it before, his interest in the Codex especially when he and Nyra had first pointed out the sigil hanging over Kaedros and the others.
And now Thalso had just referred to the Codex as he.
Kaedros smiled faintly, a glint in his blue eyes. "Why do you say impossible?"
Thalso caught it. The curiosity laced beneath Kaedros’s words. Even from within his heavy armor, the tension around his eyes could be felt.
"Ah... that’s just because you came from a world overrun by humans," Thalso said. "So, naturally, we believe the Codex must be human too."
Kaedros leaned back slightly.
Truthfully, no one knew what the Codex was.
Some believed it was a god, others said it was an advanced being. There were even wild theories claiming the Codex was the pinnacle of all higher beings, a universal consciousness of sorts.
But Kaedros preferred a different idea.
To him, the Codex was a force of nature, like gravity, or a flood, or a sandstorm. It acted without bias, affecting lives without warning. But if it wasn’t just a force... if it was sentient, an intelligent being...
That thought sent a chill down his spine.
Because he remembered what happened during his choosing when the Codex and how an unfathomable existence had stared at him.
And now he was here, in a place the Codex couldn’t possibly reach. Maybe that was something he could use.
Kaedros didn’t forget. And the bounty hunter’s Association... the Celestial Order... they would find that out when he returned.
"Yes, you’re right. The Codex must be human." His smile sharpened. "Or... a different being."
Thalso raised a brow under his helm, unseen by them.
You’re clever, he thought. Clever enough to back off when needed. He almost let something slip. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to tell the children the truth... but truth had to be earned.
And that meant passing the Candidate’s Trial.
Taria eyed both of them, then glanced at Rauk. There was so much being said between the lines, and it wasn’t hard to piece some of it together. Rauk looked like he was thinking the same thing.
An awkward silence began to form.
"So... what are those vein-like things connected to my core?"
Thalso exhaled...grateful for the change of topic. "Those are your channels. They connect your core to the rest of your body. That’s how essence flows through you."
"Essence?" Taria repeated. "Wait, you said arcane is what mana becomes inside the core."
"Well..." Thalso gave a half-shrug. "That’s true for mages and such. But warriors... we convert mana into essence inside the core. That’s what fuels our techniques."
Taria blinked. "So I don’t use magic?"
The idea hit her like a slap. She glanced at Kaedros with a silent question. Are we sure this is the right place to be?
Kaedros raised an eyebrow in return. You’re the warrior.
Rauk chuckled under his breath, watching the exchange.
"What is essence, then?" Taria asked aloud.
Thalso grunted. "It’s like arcane but less flashy. Think of it , mages cast spells using magic, and those spells usually affect the world outside their bodies. Warriors? We shape changes within ourselves."
Nyra stretched, her feline form arching as she yawned. Her rough tongue flicked over her fangs before she spoke.
"Mana flows into the core and becomes magic," she said. "You use magic to create effects, spells. That magic reacts with external mana to trigger changes, explosions, fireballs, elemental waves. That’s the mage’s way."
She sat back down, tail curling lazily. "But warriors channel those changes internally. Mana becomes essence. And essence is... power made personal. Physical."
"But I’ve seen you use mana!" Taria blurted. "Didn’t you open those portals?"
Thalso looked surprised for a heartbeat, then laughed. "That wasn’t mana."
"Then... was it essence? How’s it working outside your body?"
"Essence is power," Thalso replied. "It’s harder to use externally, but not impossible. Still, why would a warrior bother doing what a mage does?"
He puffed out his chest slightly, until Taria raised a brow.
"You literally used a portal."
Thalso coughed. "Well... sometimes we divert."
Nyra purred a laugh. "You use more than portals, old man. But you still haven’t answered her. Was it mana or essence?"
Thalso stared at her, then sighed. "Neither."
"It’s something else entirely," he said. "Something you’ll only understand when you actually reach the Path. The real Path."
"The real Path?" Taria echoed.
Kaedros and Rauk leaned in instinctively. That wasn’t mana or magic... or even essence?
"You don’t need to worry about that now, it’s related to the Soul space," Thalso said, his tone flattening. "You’re not ready. Not yet."
Taria scowled. "Then why bring it up at all? That’s like dangling candy in front of a kid but not giving it!"
Thalso rubbed the back of his helmet with a grunt. "Fine. We’re done talking."
He stood. "Let’s begin your training."
They thought Thalso would have them return to weapon drills but they couldn’t have been more wrong.
That entire day, he focused them entirely on mastering the Flow imprinted in their core. Not a single weapon was drawn.
The next morning, after eating, they returned to the training room expecting something different. Instead, they found only Thalso seated in the center, legs crossed, hands folded gently before him in the Flow position.
"Where’s Chef?" Taria asked, frowning. "And Nyra?"
Thalso didn’t open his eyes. He only shrugged.
Earlier that morning, his voice had echoed into their rooms, instructing them to go into the garden and fight the lake monster on their own. They had, reluctantly and earned their food by fighting the golems, but Chef never showed.
Now, here he sat, unmoving.
"Nyra’s digging through the library for techniques and spellbooks suitable for your level," Thalso finally said, tilting his head as if listening to something distant. Shadows flickered faintly around his shoulders. "As for Chef... she’s probably refilling her bottle."
That was all he offered.
The training began shortly after.