The sky was pale gray, enveloped by a light fog that crept between the dense trees of the arabisel forest.
Ryo was sitting near the fading fire, while shimoro crouched beside him, slowly opening his bag and pulling out a bandage and some medicinal herbs.
shimoro said calmly, despite his worried expression:
"Stay still... it won't take long."
He began wrapping the bandage around Ryo's injured arm, sweat dripping from his forehead. Ryo's wounds were deep but not fatal; nonetheless, it was clear his body was exhausted.
Ryo smiled lightly, despite the pain that stung him like fire:
"You're still putting the bandage on backward, rookie..."
shimoro frowned slightly as he tightened the tie too strongly, then said with cool sarcasm:
"It's the right way now, isn't it?"
Ryo laughed lightly before coughing, then signaled to him:
"Go... find some food. You haven't held up well, and I need something to restore my strength."
shimoro rose hesitantly, then took his bag and walked towards the forest. The ground was wet, and the sounds of insects crept from between the leaves. After minutes, he gathered some mushrooms, wild carrots, and several herbs he didn't quite recognize, but he thought were edible.
When he returned, Ryo gave the mushrooms a sharp look, then said in a low voice:
"Five of these will make the world spin around you, and only four are safe to eat."
shimoro raised his eyebrows in astonishment:
"Really? How do you know all that?"
Ryo replied, smiling as he picked out the correct herbs:
"I lived in the desert for years... so I have the experience."
Ryo, despite his wounds, began preparing the carrot and mushroom soup. His humming while cooking suggested intense concentration, as if he were in a cooking battle. The aroma began to fill the air, and the smoke from the fire danced between them as if the night itself was smiling at them.
They sat in front of the pot waiting for it to cook, and with the first bowl, Ryo slowly picked up the spoon and said:
"I think this bowl is mine this time; I'm the one who cooked it."
But in an instant, before he could touch the spoon, shimoro's hand shot out with surprising speed, snatched the bowl, and he began eating at a suspicious pace.
"shimoro! What in the name of the wind are you doing?!"
shimoro continued eating quickly and mischievously, speaking with food in his mouth:
"The last bowl is mine this time. Didn't you say the desert taught you patience?"
Anger showed on Ryo's face, but his laughter finally escaped, a deep laugh filled with helplessness and mockery.
"I'll make you pay for this, you stubborn Ice-wielder!"
shimoro replied, smiling, his mouth still full:
"Once your arm heals first, we can talk about the price."
Silence fell after moments of joking, and the night settled over them once more. Only the sound of the fire quietly burning and the cold forest breeze remained.
Then shimoro spoke in a more serious tone, looking into the flames:
"Ryo... what do we do now? Your sword is practically shattered, and you're injured."
Ryo remained silent for a few seconds, then looked at shimoro with sharp eyes, as if they pierced the darkness:
"Now... it's your turn to learn. If you don't master the ice power inside you, we won't survive what's coming. At the very least, you must show the power you demonstrated against me that first time, but in a controlled manner."
"You want me to learn ice control?"
"Rather, I want you to understand it... Ice is not just power; it is a reflection of your heart. If you are hesitant, it will break you before you can grasp it."
shimoro raised his head, and the flicker of the fire reflected in his blue eyes. He looked worried, but he also felt something different this time... a sense of responsibility, and perhaps the beginning of inner maturity.
Ryo closed his eyes and said calmly before giving in to sleep:
"Start tomorrow, for the forest shows no mercy."
shimoro continued to look at the fire until it died out, and a cold wind blew, making him wrap his coat around himself.
Inside him, an unceasing question lingered:
"Can ice truly protect me... or will it corrupt me like everything else in this world?"
***
After a deep sleep, the morning rays pierced the dense leaves of the arabisel forest, dancing between the branches like threads of golden light.
The dew was still on the grass, and the sound of birds returned after a long night of silence. Ryo sat next to the almost-extinguished fire, quietly muttering while shimoro stretched his arms and took a deep breath.
"You woke up early this time. Looks like you're starting to take things seriously," Ryo said with a side smile, without lifting his head.
shimoro replied, sitting opposite him:
"Sleep wasn't very comfortable... the noise kept waking me up almost every hour."
Ryo chuckled lightly and said:
"So the noise trained you before I even started."
Then he suddenly looked up and asked with uncharacteristic seriousness:
"Can you carve tools? I mean, using ice to create a specific shape, like a knife or a spear, but with solid formation?"
shimoro hesitated for a moment, then said, looking at his hand:
"I've tried that before... I didn't completely succeed, but I was close. My grandmother used to say that true Ice-wielders don't just fight; they carve their power the way an artist carves their sculpture."
Ryo nodded slowly, signs of contemplation on his face:
"Her words are true. Ice is not inherently an aggressive element; it is solid, but it obeys those who know how to shape it. It looks like you have a good start."
Ryo stood up and pulled his small bag, then glanced towards the expansive forest ahead and said in a firm tone:
"Today, your training won't be about carving... it will be about survival."
shimoro froze in place:
"What do you mean?"
"Your training is to face the monsters by yourself. Without me. You will spend the day hunting them, fighting them, and returning with their corpses before nightfall. Only then will I judge whether you are progressing or not."
shimoro's eyes widened, and worry crept into his voice:
"Alone? I'm still learning how to control the ice... this is dangerous!"
Ryo approached him with slow steps, then placed his hand on shimoro's shoulder and said calmly:
"Every step toward power is a danger, you fool. No one is born ready to fight. Even I... started by running away."
The forest fell silent for a few seconds, as if listening. Then Ryo pointed toward the East, and said while picking up his bag:
"I'll be gone for a while. I heard about nearby caves inside arabisel; perhaps a cave will serve as a shelter for us if it rains, and I'll also need it for something else. We'll meet here at sunset, understood?"
shimoro nodded hesitantly:
"Understood."
Ryo smiled before turning his back, and said without looking around:
"And don't try to die, at least not today."
Ryo left with steady steps between the trees until his voice faded into the morning fog.
As for shimoro, he remained standing alone, hearing his own breathing echo in the quiet forest. He held an ice dagger he created in that moment, glistening under the cold light.
"Fighting monsters on my own... fine, Ryo, we'll see who comes back first, me or you."
Then he headed towards the edges of the arabisel forest, the wind making a soft, whispering whistle.
This was the beginning of the true ice training, the first test of shimoro's heart's resilience, not the power of his element.
And in that moment, from afar, Ryo stood at the entrance of a dark cave, watching the sky with a tense expression, muttering in a low voice:
"I hope his sound doesn't attract something bigger than Rank D."
The air grew colder...
And the first day of shimoro's training had just begun.
To be continued...