The next morning, quiet preparations stirred in the garden. The air was cool, yet the sky was clear; light streamed through the branches, casting uneven shadows upon the stone ground. I examined the two wooden swords in my hands, weighing them carefully.
They weren't ready to bear the weight of real steel yet, so for now, they would begin with these toys.
Magnus stood before me, his expression serious. The way he lifted his chin, the determination in his eyes, despite his young age — it already hinted at the seed of a true warrior. Lucareth, on the other hand, approached more reluctantly, dragging his feet and pouting, clearly still convinced this was nothing more than a game.
I had decided to train these two brats. After all, because of my presence, they might very well end up weaker than they should have been. Since they were still so young, I would only teach them the basics of swordsmanship. I wasn't exactly a master myself, but I could at least give them the fundamentals.
