Kile of Zumada

6. Master Stevson

If he had wanted to, he could have made the trek to the Firebound Academy straight through and gotten there by night of the same day. But he decided he'd rather get there with daylight to burn, so in the evening he set up a camp by the side of the road and took time to explore the area outside his town.

The only time he had left his home, he'd been in something of a hurry, so taking time to stop and literally smell the roses was a pleasant experience. With the exception of the forests, the Burning Plateau had probably the most interesting life on all of Ludia. He leaned back into the patch of grass and let himself become one with the dirt. He took in the fresh air, felt the crawling of a tiny insect on him. He took in a breath, and let himself melt into the Earth.

Good afternoon, Kile of Zumada.

His eyes snapped open. He immediately sprung up. There was no one around, but he was absolutely positive he had heard a voice. Or so he thought, until he heard it speak again.

You won't find me like that. I'm in your head.

Now that he heard it again, he realized it was less physical hearing and more...somehow knowing. Like the thought had been slipped in his head. The voice itself was indescribable. It had the softness of running water, the strength of a mountain, and the tone of thousand animals all calling out at once. Yet it was still, somehow, comprehensible and human.

It was a terrifying feeling.

"Who are you?"

Your people say those I touch are Wildbound, so you may call me The Wilds.

He nodded, "So, you're...my power?"

That is one way to look at it.

"There are others?"

Many others, it assured.

He leaned back down. "Why did you wait until now to start talking?"

You seemed busy. Humans get angry when I talk to them when they're busy.

"I see. Well, uh, it's a pleasure to meet you."

He felt as if the voice was laughing, and it fell silent. He raised an eyebrow but decided not to worry. No Bound had ever told him about hearing a voice in their heat, but maybe it was just something the Bound kept to themselves. After all, if people started saying that the powers told them to do a thing, well, that'd just be crazy.

He let out a small laugh, and watched as a bunbon peered through the foliage to test its safety and then ran to hide when it saw the large and scary ape laying there. He looked up at the sky, the shining silver of the rings over their world glowing bright. He could even see the moon in the distance, though it was hard to tell between the two brilliant lights.

His stomach couldn't settle the butterflies, so he had difficulty getting to sleep, but eventually, he did, and when the morning came he set off for it. Off in the distance was the Fire Spire, an immense chunk of red obsidian that pierced the sky and looked like a nail dug through the earth. It was covered in glowing blue lines, like all the spires, that seemed to twist in random directions and that pulsed with a rhythm all their own. As he approached it, it only seemed to get ridiculously taller. If he was looking and the weather was right, you could see it from home, but it was still so far, and every step made him appreciate its massive size all the more. Eventually, after having a quick bread slice for breakfast, he marched and by mid day, he made it to the Firebound Academy.

A monastery, built out marble and wood, surrounded by a wall and with an ornate gate decorated with golden filigree. At the top of the gate, the symbol for the Firebound took pride of place, large and imposing.