The morning mist clung to the riverbank, cool and damp. Orin crouched barefoot in the shallows, eyes locked on the water like a predator.
"Breakfast," he whispered.
His stomach growled louder than the river itself. He bared his teeth, then suddenly roared and slammed both fists into the water.
BOOOOM!
A shockwave ripped through the stream, exploding in spray. Fish burst into the air—tiny ones, dozens of them—but one giant carp, as long as Orin's torso, flew in a glittering arc before crashing onto the bank.
"YES!" Orin leapt after it, landing with his arms wrapped around the thrashing beast. He held it up proudly. "Breakfast served!"
On the river's edge, Code didn't move from where he sat, staff across his lap. His eyes didn't even flicker.
"You scared the fish for ten leagues."
Orin ignored him, already dragging the carp to the firepit. By the time Code returned with dry twigs, Orin had skewered the fish on a branch and was roasting it, humming happily.
When the skin cracked and fat sizzled, he tore into it like a starving wolf, juices dripping down his chin. "Mmm! This is how warriors eat!"
Code took only a slice, chewing slowly. He watched the boy devour meat like a beast. There was power even in his chewing. Instinct. Wild. Untamed.
But instinct without discipline was chaos.
By noon, they left the river behind, heading deeper into the wilds. The forest grew darker, the canopy thick, swallowing sunlight. Orin bounced ahead, sometimes running on all fours, sometimes leaping to snatch fruit off branches.
"Master Code! Catch!" He lobbed a handful of berries backward.
Code sidestepped without glancing. The berries splattered harmlessly on the ground.
"Boring old man," Orin muttered, popping one into his own mouth.
"Silent step," Code said suddenly.
"Silent… what?"
"Watch."
Code walked forward. Not a branch cracked under his boots, not a leaf rustled. His staff barely shifted as he glided like wind through trees.
Orin's jaw dropped. "Woahhh. That's ninja stuff!"
"Survival," Code corrected. "Noise attracts death."
"Noise attracts friends," Orin shot back, grinning. "Like you!"
Code didn't answer.
Orin tried to imitate, tiptoeing dramatically. Crack! A twig snapped. Birds shrieked and scattered.
"Oops."
By the tenth "oops," Code had smacked him on the head with his staff more times than Orin could count. Finally, Orin managed three steps without sound. He froze, eyes wide, whispering, "I did it!"
"Keep walking," Code said.
Orin promptly tripped over a root.
The ground shook.
At first, Orin thought it was his stomach. Then another tremor rolled through the earth, heavy, rhythmic. Trees groaned. Birds erupted into the sky.
Code's eyes sharpened. "Stay back."
Orin ignored him, eyes glowing with excitement. "Wild boss number two?"
The treeline burst open as a massive shape lumbered out. An ogre.
It stood twice Code's height, shoulders broad as boulders, skin gray-green and thick as stone. Tusks jutted from its jaw. Its club—a tree trunk wrapped in iron bands—dragged trenches through the dirt.
It growled, eyes locking onto the two humans.
Orin practically vibrated. "YES! GIANT PUNCHING BAG!"
He sprinted forward before Code could even move.
"Idiot!"
The ogre roared, swinging its club. Orin ducked, rolling beneath it, then sprang up with a laugh. His fists pounded into the ogre's thigh, muscles bulging. The impact made the beast grunt, but it barely staggered.
Orin grinned wider. "This is the best!"
Code's voice cut sharp. "Breathe. Focus. Don't waste it."
Orin's chest heaved. He remembered. Breath steady. Root your feet. Compress.
He slammed his palms together. Sparks danced between his hands, black haze swirling. His grin split ear to ear. "Dragon Vein Wave!"
The aura swelled, unstable. It twisted into the shape of a dragon, but its body warped, scales broken, eyes burning blood-red.
The ogre snarled, raising its club.
Orin roared, thrusting his hands forward. The malformed aura-dragon shot out, screaming like a wounded beast. It slammed into the ogre's chest—then detonated midair.
BOOOOOM!
The blast hurled both combatants backward. Orin skidded through the dirt, coughing blood, arms burned raw. The ogre staggered, chest scorched, but it was still standing.
Orin laughed, shaking, blood dripping from his nose. "Did you see?! My dragon had fangs this time!"
"Wrong," Code snapped. He planted his staff into the ground, aura crackling gold. "You're fighting your ki. Don't fight it. Guide it."
Orin blinked, sweat pouring down his face. His grin faltered—for once, he listened.
He inhaled. Deep. Slow. He felt the burn in his chest, the wild sparks. He didn't squeeze them. He let them flow, shaping gently.
This time, the aura that formed between his hands was smaller, flickering, but steadier. Blue sparks danced across the haze. The red glow was gone.
"Good," Code said. "Now strike."
Orin roared, thrusting the sphere. The blast wasn't a dragon—it was barely more than a compressed shockwave—but it hit the ogre's knee square. Bone cracked. The monster bellowed, stumbling.
"Now!" Code moved, aura flaring. He thrust his palm forward, golden light condensing. A spectral dragon surged out, roaring. It slammed into the ogre's chest.
Orin lunged low, fists hammering the beast's weakened leg.
Together, their strikes hit.
The ogre toppled with a thunderous crash, shaking the forest floor. Dust exploded upward. Silence followed.
Orin collapsed on his back, chest heaving, arms bleeding. Then he started laughing. "Haaa! Did you see? I listened! I actually listened!"
Code approached, kneeling beside him, pressing herbs to his wounds. His expression was unreadable.
"For once," he said quietly.
Orin grinned wider, teeth bloody. "See? Stronger punches!"
He fell asleep beside the fallen ogre, snoring loudly.
Code sat in silence, staff across his lap, watching the boy's chest rise and fall.
If he keeps growing like this, Code thought grimly, he'll surpass me faster than the world is ready.
The forest rustled, night creeping in. Above them, the stars burned bright.