The sun was just peeking over the distant hills when the palace gates groaned open. Mist clung to the cobblestones like forgotten memories, and the four horses stood ready—each a reflection of the master that would ride it.
Ichigo blinked sleep from his eyes, still stunned by how quickly everything had moved. The king's declaration had come swift and without room for protest: he was to leave the palace and begin his journey under the guidance of the four legendary masters. No training ground. No gentle transition.
Just the road—and what waited at its end.
Master Kael, the old strategist, adjusted his cap for the tenth time that morning and grumbled, "Get up here, lad. My knees won't take all this climbing." He sat atop the sandy, lazy-eyed horse, which looked like it regretted waking up today.
Ichigo climbed behind him, awkwardly wrapping his arms around the old man.
"Sir… do you really need me to sit this close?"
Kael smirked. "Boy, if I fall off, I'm taking you with me. So hold tight."
Meanwhile, Kyra stood beside the graceful white mare, its silver mane glimmering in the morning light. Lady Seraphine stood tall beside her, her armor shining, yet her eyes were soft.
Kyra looked down, avoiding her master's gaze. "You don't need to say anything."
Seraphine smiled faintly. "That's good. I was never good at goodbyes anyway." Then, gently, she tucked a small blade into Kyra's belt. "For the moments when words fail."
They mounted together—two women of steel and silence.
At the next gate, Raiden was already struggling to get on the brown horse behind General Duran.
"This thing is huge!" Raiden huffed.
"Stop complaining," Duran grunted, hoisting him up with one arm. "You'll get used to the bruises. Or you won't. Either way, keep up."
And finally, the last horse—a black stallion, fierce and unyielding. It stood still, waiting for its riders. The archer, Master Elion, approached with the quiet grace of wind through trees. Behind him came a general Ichigo hadn't spoken much to—a sharp-eyed woman named Lira, said to be quick as lightning with a spear.
No words were exchanged. They just mounted and prepared for departure.
As the palace courtyard filled with the sounds of creaking leather and shifting hooves, the king watched silently from the balcony above. No fanfare, no crowd. Just those who mattered—and those who might not return.
Ichigo glanced at Kyra. She caught his gaze and gave a small nod.
And then Kael's horse let out a dramatic yawn and sat down mid-path.
Everyone froze.
"…Is it dead?" Raiden asked.
"No, you fool," Kael sighed, nudging it. "It's just sulking."
Ichigo leaned forward. "Maybe it's trying to say we shouldn't leave?"
Kael grunted. "It's just lazy. Like most great warriors in retirement." He leaned down to its ear. "Get up, you sand-colored sofa. We've got work to do."
With a snort and the slow grace of a boulder rolling uphill, the horse finally stood.
Laughter rippled among the group. Even Elion's lips twitched.
But as the gate creaked fully open and the sun bathed the road in gold, the mood shifted. Behind them stood home—safe, familiar. Ahead, a path none of them truly understood.
Kyra looked back one last time. The training grounds. The palace walls. Her younger brother waving from the tower with a handkerchief far too bright for such a solemn moment.
Ichigo noticed the way her jaw tightened. He reached across from his horse and gently bumped her shoulder.
"You okay?"
"I will be," she replied, not quite convincingly.
Then, without another word, the horses stepped forward. The journey had begun.
They rode for hours in mostly silence, the early humor replaced by the growing awareness that this wasn't just a training exercise. This was a transformation. A test of who they would become.
Midday came, and Kael finally broke the silence.
"So… Ichigo."
"Yes, Master?"
"You're terrible at holding on. I've lost feeling in my ribs."
Ichigo flailed. "Sorry! I just didn't want to grab too tight—"
Kael laughed. "Boy, if I wanted space, I'd have asked for a different steed."
Raiden called out from his horse, "You guys are lucky. Duran doesn't even talk to me."
Duran responded with a loud, deliberate yawn.
Kyra chuckled. Even Seraphine cracked a smile.
As the sun dipped low, the group stopped near a wide field, the sky painted in hues of fire and lavender.
They made camp, sharing dried food and cold water in a circle around a small flame. Kyra sat beside Ichigo, poking the fire with a stick.
She whispered, "I never thought I'd actually leave that place."
"Me neither," Ichigo replied. "Feels weird."
Kyra nodded. "Like I left a part of me behind. But… maybe that's how growth works. Something has to break before it changes."
There was a long pause.
Then Kael said, "Well, that's poetic. But breaking bones is a terrible way to learn."
Ichigo grinned. "Is that why your horse is so old? Did it break too much?"
The horse snorted as if in agreement.
Everyone laughed, even Elion, who chuckled so softly it felt like a leaf hitting water.
As night settled in, Ichigo lay back, staring at the stars. He felt small, unsure, but also… ready.
Beside him, Kael whispered, almost like a memory, "There are roads that lead to battle. But only a few lead to greatness. Let's see which one you choose."
Ichigo closed his eyes, the fire's warmth fading, the voices around him softening into dreams.
Tomorrow, the real trials would begin.
But tonight—they were just warriors under the stars, wrapped in laughter, silence, and the weight of the unknown.
To be continued…
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