“Are you ever going to let that go?” Gary said. “How was I meant to know she was evil?”

“The first time we met her she tried to sell us poison,” Farrah said. “We were in a church. And not one of the bad ones.”

“I think we should keep our attention on the task at hand,” Rufus said. “Tomorrow we'll do everything together, just for the first day. After that. we'll split up. You won't be able to keep up with us when we're pushing ourselves. Gary will be in charge of your basic physical training, I'll be working on your combat skills, and Farrah will help you with mental training and meditation.”

“We had to go out so you could get more clothes today,” Gary said, “but normally we'll begin bright and early. For the first week, I'm just going to run you until you can't run anymore.”

“I figured it would be something like that,” Jason said. “I was thinking we could run over the bridge and into the Old City.”

Gary looked over at Rufus, who shrugged.

“Works for me,” Gary said. “Doesn’t really matter where you run to, as long as you run.”

* * *

All four of them ran from their lodgings to the bridge in the early light. They weren’t the only ones out, with others also running on the Island’s wide, well-paved streets.

“Adventurers?” Jason asked.

“Those are the good ones,” Rufus said. “As with most things, the best results come through diligent effort.”

“On the other hand,” Farrah said, “if you use magic cores to advance, you get to sleep in.”

“Don’t tempt him into bad habits,” Rufus scolded.

There was very little early-hours traffic on the Island, although some tradesfolk were making their way with carts and wagons. These, like the expensive carriages Jason had seen, were propelled by magic rather than pulled by animals.

“Not allowed to have drawn vehicles on the island,” Rufus explained. “Makes it more expensive for working people, but they make up for it in prices. On the Island you’ll pay twice, maybe three times the price you would for the same thing in Old City.”

At the bridge, they had to show their access permits. Jason had taken lodging at the same inn as the other three, which earned him a temporary residence permit for the Island. The guard checking their permits turned out to be a familiar face.

“Bertram, right?” Jason said.

“You can call me Bert,” Bertram said. “You meet my brother at the Adventure Society?”

“He helped me with my adventurer registration.”

Once they had crossed the bridge, the streets of Old City were considerably busier. The four stood out, weaving through teamsters and merchants as they maintained a running pace.

By the time they reached their destination, Jason was exhausted. He leaned against a wall, dragging in heaving breaths. The others looked up at the sign over the door.