The next morning, the air felt sharper than usual, crisp, cool, carrying the faint scent of mountains far beyond the kingdom walls. Akari woke early, nerves fluttering in her chest like tiny wings. Today was different from every day before.
Today was preparation for her first true adventure.
She dressed quickly and met Lyra in the courtyard, where the sun was just beginning to pull gold over the rooftops. Lyra was already waiting, stretching casually with both arms above her head.
"Morning, Akari." Lyra smiled warmly. "Sleep well?"
Akari nodded, still a little shy. "Yes… I was excited."
Lyra grinned. "Good. Today we get ready."
She tossed Akari a small pack. Akari caught it with both hands, wobbling.
"First lesson," Lyra said, tapping the pack, "is survival gear."
Lyra led her through the marketplace, weaving between stalls where merchants shouted prices and adventurers haggled over potions. Akari clung close so she didn't get separated.
"What do we need exactly?" Akari asked.
"Not much," Lyra said. "Since I'll be protecting you the whole way. But you do need basics."
They stopped at a herbalist's stand. Lyra picked up a small jar of salve.
"Healing ointment," she said. "If you get a scrape, use it. Even if it seems small."
Akari nodded seriously.
At the next stall, Lyra handed her dried rations.
"These taste like cardboard," she warned, "but they'll keep you energized."
Akari smiled softly. "I'll manage."
Lyra handed her a small water canteen next. "This is enchanted. It purifies any water you put in it."
Akari's eyes widened. "That's amazing…!"
Lyra winked. "Handy, right? You'd be surprised how often adventurers get sick from rivers."
They moved from stall to stall until Akari's pack felt pleasantly full, enough to be important but not enough to weigh her down.
Lyra checked it one more time, then nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Now for lesson two."
Lyra guided Akari to a quiet training field just outside the city. It was a wide grassy plain, bordered by a few scattered trees.
Lyra dropped her own bag and stretched again.
"Before we go anywhere dangerous, you need to learn the basics of staying alive."
Akari swallowed. "Like… fighting?"
"Yes, but not just fighting." Lyra stepped closer, tapping Akari's forehead lightly. "Awareness. Instinct. Reading your surroundings. And knowing when to run."
Akari blinked. "Run?"
Lyra gave her a very serious look.
"If you see a dragon and I'm not right next to you, run. Don't freeze. Don't shout. Don't try to fight. Run to the safe location we'll prepare."
Akari nodded quickly. "I'll remember."
Lyra smiled again, softer this time. "Good girl."
Akari immediately turned red.
Lyra pretended not to notice, though Akari caught the tiny smirk.
"Alright," Lyra said, pulling two wooden training blades from her bag. "Let's start."
Lyra guided her through basic stances, showing her where to place her feet and how to shift her weight.
"No, not stiff," Lyra corrected gently, placing a hand over Akari's. "Relax your wrist. Let the blade follow your movement."
Akari tried again, and Lyra nodded approvingly.
"Better. You learn fast."
Akari felt a warm glow in her chest. "It's because you explain so well."
Lyra raised a brow. "Flattery already? Careful, I might start training you harder."
Akari squeaked.
Lyra laughed, the sound bright and refreshing like sunlight on water.
They practiced until Akari's arms trembled slightly from effort. Lyra demonstrated evasive footwork, how to read a monster's lunge, and how to fall without hurting herself.
Akari absorbed it all with surprising determination.
"You did well," Lyra said after an hour. "Now the most important lesson."
She pointed to Akari's chest, right where her divine power thrummed.
"Your power responds to danger. So if the dragon's presence triggers another spike, don't panic. Focus on breathing, grounding yourself, and remembering where you are."
Akari nodded. "Right. Zilyana said I should try to channel my power into items… maybe I can try to focus it into the training sword?"
Lyra's eyes lit with interest. "That's a good idea. We'll experiment on the road."
Akari felt proud.
By the time the sun reached its peak, they had everything prepared, gear packed, routes planned, and a safe hideout marked on Lyra's map.
Akari stood at the kingdom's eastern gate, looking out at pine forests stretching toward distant peaks dusted with snow.
"So the red dragon lives… up there?" she whispered.
Lyra nodded. "One of them, yes. He sheds scales naturally, so we don't have to kill him. But he's territorial. I'll distract him while you hide."
Akari clenched her hands nervously. "Will it be dangerous for you?"
Lyra smiled calmly. "Of course. Dragons are always dangerous."
Akari's heart dropped.
"But," Lyra added, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I've done this before. Many times. I know how to handle him. And I'm stronger than you think."
Akari looked into her eyes, strong, confident, unshakable.
"…Please come back safely," she whispered.
Lyra's expression softened into something warm. "I will. I promise."
She squeezed Akari's shoulder before stepping past the gate.
"Come on," Lyra said. "It's a two-day journey to the mountain. We'll travel light, camp halfway, and reach the dragon before noon."
Akari took a deep breath.
This was it.
Her first step outside the kingdom.
Her first adventure.
Her first quest with Lyra.
"I'm ready," Akari said quietly.
Lyra grinned, full of pride.
"Then let's go."
Together, they began their walk toward the mountains drenched in morning light, the beginning of a journey that would test both courage and fate.