Deep in the Woods
His body had recovered strangely. The injuries had almost fully healed, but his physical strength had increased astronomically.
After chopping through four stacks of wood, he set the axe down. "I feel great… but why do I still look like a toothpick?"
He dropped to the ground. "One, two, three, four… twenty-three—" Plump.Face-first into the dirt. Even with this newfound strength, his push-ups still failed him.
No time for games. The capital was less than three days away, and he planned to start walking soon. As he loaded the wood, he noticed the small things — the birdsong, the grass, the hum of the wind, the cool breeze.
He made his way toward the village, ready to drop the load at Skye's shack, when a piercing, inhuman screech echoed.
Dropping everything, he sprinted toward the sound.
Rounding the corner, he saw Skye talking with a woman who shared her features. Behind them stood three massive griffins, their white coats gleaming. Children fed them sugar cookies while the beasts clicked their beaks in approval.
"Skye, are you okay?" he called.
"Leywin, come meet the headmaster," Skye said.
Before he could speak, the woman stepped forward. "Hello, it's amazing to finally meet you. I'm Zara Levi."
Skye nudged him. "Uh… hi. I'm Leywin."
The two women laughed. Skye explained, "We rarely get visitors. It's rare for him to meet someone from outside the village."
"All is well, Skye," Zara replied.
Then Skye cleared her throat. "Leywin, Zara is my younger sister."
His jaw dropped. "No way. She must not like you."
The women blinked. "Why?"
"She never visits."
They laughed again.
Zara signaled a guard forward. He wore the same attire as the captain's squadron, with a badge bearing a sword and three stars. Leywin's eyes went wide at the sight of the weapon. "WOAH — dragon steel sword!"
"It's standard protocol for all guards," Zara explained.
Leywin reached for it, but the guard stepped back — until Zara herself drew the blade and handed it to him. "YEAHHHH!" Leywin cheered, flailing it like a fool.
"Keep him occupied and out of earshot," Zara told the guard.
Once Leywin was away, Zara's voice turned serious. "Tell me what happened."
Skye's expression darkened. "Chad came for him. He refused. They fought. He was winning until one of Chad's goons struck him from behind. They chained him to a pole." She gestured at the splintered post still standing.
"Is that when it happened?" Zara asked.
Skye's eyes reddened. "He laughed — not his laugh. Broke the chains, terrified Chad, taunted him… asked if he'd seen his heart from the outside before tearing it out. A captain subdued him, but the brutality… it was worse because it was from Leywin."
"What was he like afterward?"
"Back to himself… but I can see it eating at him. I want him to go with you. But if the crown sees him as a rabid dog…" Skye's voice shook. "We don't share blood, but he's still my boy."
Zara hugged her. "The king has seen his file and is excited to have someone like him. The longer you hold onto him, the more dangerous he'll become. If I can help now, the monster won't consume him."
The guard returned with Leywin, both of them with twigs in their hair. Zara handed Leywin a medal.
"Keep this. It will make entry to the capital easier and speed up your academy admission. But understand — this isn't a free ticket. You'll still have to prove yourself."
Zara smiled faintly. "We have to get going. Goodbye, Skye. Take care of yourself — and Leywin, I hope to see you at the capital."
The griffins took to the skies, their massive wings blotting out the sun.
Skye turned to Leywin. "You can stay at my house tonight."
Leywin hesitated, he had his own place, but he realized he'd be gone soon. It was best to spend the time with her now.
Inside, the warm smell of soup filled the air. Skye set a bowl in front of him, the steam curling upward.
"Hey Skye… can you tell me more about my mom?"
She tilted her head. "Why now? You've never asked before."
"I don't know… Zara felt familiar. Like you."
"Treats you like a nephew? You've only met her once," Skye said with a laugh.
"True, but she let me take a royal guard's sword. Isn't that a crime?"
"It is. Should I turn you over to the guards?" she teased.
"Forget I said anything."
"She feels familiar because when you were learning to walk, she visited often. Brought you snacks and toys. But as her workload grew, she couldn't come as much."
"And my mom?"
"Beautiful young lady. Married a librarian. Fire elemental user — kind to her core."
"How did you meet her?"
"During the war. She saved me from an ambush."
"Was that when you lost your core?"
"Yes. They used corruption spells. I didn't get help in time."
"What happened to her?"
"A story for another day. Eat up and get to bed. You'll need the energy to finish your to-do list before you leave."
As Leywin ate slowly, Skye said, "Goodnight, Leywin."
"Night, Skye."
She left for her room. Leywin stared into the firelight, thinking that at the top of his to-do-list would be to get Skye a griffin that's white as snow.
He laid down, the thought of the road to the capital lingering in his mind. Until slowly, sleep took over.
The next morning came — Leywin's final full day before leaving for the capital. He sprang out of bed and made his way to the well, only to notice murmurs rippling through the village.
When he looked up, people were staring at him — elders, grown men and women in their prime, even the little kids whose cakes he used to steal.
"A little early to be harassing me, no?" Leywin said.
The crowd only smirked before a man stepped forward. Leywin recognized his face but not his name; he'd spent too many years working for Chad, fighting in pits, hunting, stealing, or chopping wood deep in the secluded forest to really know everyone.
"Hey, kid," the man said. "We heard you're finally heading out. I wanted to give you this."
He opened a small bag and pulled out a gray blanket."It's not much, but it gets cold out there — especially near the Overseer. Hopefully this keeps you warm."
Leywin's face flushed red. He took the blanket quickly. "Thanks."
He started to turn away, hoping to dodge more conversation, when a small tug stopped him.
"Hey, mister," a boy's voice said. A child held out five sugar cookies wrapped in cloth."Take these."
"Thanks," Leywin said with a smile. "I love these."
More villagers approached, congratulating him on defeating the bandit leader and being chosen to travel to the capital. Some pressed coins into his hand — not much, but enough to help. By the time the gathering was over, Leywin's social energy was drained and his legs were sore from standing all day.
"Don't stand in the sun too long," Skye called. "You'll get sick before you even leave."
"Yes, ma'am," Leywin muttered.
He carried the gifts into Skye's house to sort them. The money he kept on hand; the blanket, clothes, and food he set aside as essentials. Then he stared at the small medals and thank-you letters the villagers had given him. They had no practical use, but they felt… valuable.
He started packing, stuffing every essential he could think of into his bag."Hey, Skye, can you check this and make sure I'm not missing anything?"
"Give me a minute, I'll look."
Leywin decided to go to sleep early to be ready for the journey. When Skye finally came in, he was already out cold. In her eyes, he wasn't a teenager ready to take on the world — he was still the small boy who got excited when she took him walking, who cried when he fell, the boy who brought joy into her life like no other. And now, that boy was leaving.
She drew a deep breath, steadying her heart. Peeking into his bag, she found it crammed full without an ounce of organization. She carried it to her room, unpacked and neatly reorganized it, and set fresh clothes on a kitchen chair for the morning.
When she finished, the orange glow outside had faded to night. She washed up and fell asleep almost instantly.
But later, she woke. Quietly, she checked on Leywin — still sleeping — and ended up reorganizing his bag again. Halfway through, she felt warm drops on her wrist. She realized she was crying. The day no mother wants was nearly here.
The first light of dawn crept in. Skye gently shook him awake."Good morning, Leywin. Get enough sleep?"
"Yeah," he said, rubbing his eyes. "Sleeping early was the best idea."
"I warmed some water. Take your bath."
Two buckets of steaming water waited. The heat seeped into his skin, chasing away the last of the night's chill. To Leywin, the bath felt quick; to Skye, it felt like he'd only just gone in before he was back out.
When he dressed, she had oatmeal and eggs waiting — a rare luxury in their village.
They ate quietly, still shaking off sleep. When the bowls were empty, Leywin slung his bag over his shoulder, and together they walked down to the fork in the road where his journey would begin.
The walk stayed quiet. Leywin thought about the gifts, the smiling villagers… and the uncertainty of when he might see Skye again.
At the fork, he turned and hugged her tight, holding back tears so she wouldn't worry."Bye, Mom. I'll miss you."
"Goodbye, Leywin. Remember to eat well, train hard… and write when you can."
"I'll write every day about how much cooler I am than those lame nobles," he said with a grin. "Your kid's a legendary prodigy."
"Yes, he is," she said softly. "And he's going to do great things."
They hugged one last time. Then Leywin turned down the road, his figure growing smaller until his silhouette vanished into the sunlight.
Somewhere beyond the horizon, the Imperial Capital waited — glittering with promise, and brimming with dangers he couldn't yet imagine.