Chapter 9

Arran stifled a yawn. He had not slept at all the previous night, instead practicing his use of Fire Essence until the break of dawn.

By now he could form a flame in his hand almost instantly, and each time he did, a big grin appeared on his face.

To Arran's surprise, Master Zhao did not chastise him for his overeagerness. Instead, he merely looked on in approval.

"The more you practice your magic, the stronger you will get," Master Zhao had said, and Arran was only too happy to follow the man's advice.

Halfway through the morning, Arran was once more waiting for his Fire Essence to replenish. As he walked beside the cart, he looked at their surroundings.

It had been several days since he had last seen any sign of other people, and not a single farm or cottage could be seen amid the low hills that surrounded them.

Arran did not know which part of the Empire they were in — nor, truth be told, did he know what parts the Empire even had — but it was clear that this region was more sparse