Vuldir Arskan drove his wooden practice sword into the training post one more time. The scaled dragonkin stepped back and wiped sweat from his brow. His orange horns gleamed in the filtered sunlight of Evergreen Forest. He had spent thirty years mastering the blade and another twenty learning to train wild creatures. Now he needed someone to pass it all to. Someone who could blend sword work with animal handling the way he did. Vuldir looked at the worn training dummy and the empty clearing around him. Somewhere out there was a student worth teaching. He just had to find them. A glint of metal caught his eye near the edge of the clearing. Vuldir walked over and knelt beside an old sword half-buried in the moss. The blade was beautiful, its surface covered in strange markings he didn't recognize. He pulled it free and tested its weight. Perfect balance. This would work better than his wooden sword for training. When he found his student, they would need proper weapons to learn on. Vuldir carried the sword back to his training area and set it against the post. Tomorrow he would begin his search through the forest villages. His successor was out there waiting, and he had knowledge that couldn't be lost.

Vuldir walked the narrow forest path toward the nearest village. His brown vest shifted with each step, and his tail swept the ground behind him. He needed to find someone willing to learn. Someone with patience and fire both. The sword he'd found yesterday hung at his hip now, wrapped in leather. Morning light filtered through the canopy above. Birds called from the branches. He'd spent fifty years building his skills, and now they would die with him unless he found the right student. The village appeared ahead through the trees. Vuldir straightened his shoulders and kept walking. The market square buzzed with morning activity. Vuldir moved between the stalls, studying faces. No one looked right. Too young. Too old. Too comfortable with their simple lives. He stopped at a weapon smith's table and ran his clawed fingers over a metal shield. The surface gleamed with detailed engravings along its edges. The smith nodded at him. Vuldir lifted the Guardian's Shield and tested its weight. Heavy enough to build strength. Solid enough to take repeated strikes. He paid the smith and tucked it under his arm. When he found his student, they would need to practice both attack and defense. The shield would let them train properly without injury. Vuldir left the village with his purchase. His search would continue, but now he had the tools ready. His future student just needed to appear.