Parrying a thrust from my right, I dipped inwards, redirecting myself, and settling in a blind spot of the young elf as I brought my sword level to my left arm; my weapon lurching into motion.
With the speed and precision of a crimson lion, my opponent swung her body around, twisting in the air and delivering a fierce kick to my shoulder, which I blocked with my sword, though the impact almost sent me off balance, despite the mana shrouding my body.
In the next instance, her sword was piercing through the air with a whistle.
I sidestepped, my eyes carefully tracking the weapon as I poised my own for a counterattack, but was met with the explosive force of mana erupting from her other palm.
Like that, I went flying back a short distance away, rolling on the ground for a heartbeat, and recovering to my feet. Agh…
Frustration swelled within me as I stood, but hardly had the time to even consider that line of emotion before I was met with another flurry of attacks, Briar's crimson eyes seeming to glint as they intermittently caught the light. I deflected a left thrust, blocked a right strike, ducked beneath a swipe, and dodged many more at the last second, all the while searching for an opening.
….That's it!
A thought sparked to life amidst our dance of battle.
Sidestepping and parrying at intervals matched to her sword's tempo—unwilling to forfeit my poise, as it was the foundation of my new plan—I bid my time carefully looking for the opportunity that so-graciously presented itself to me. Patience… Patience. Stay focused.
And it wasn't too long before it arrived once more.
A certain angle at which Briar moved during an overhead attack caused a sliver of the sunlight seeping from the translucent barrier above to reflect in her right eye.
When I noticed it, I conjured a brief, yet volatile, swirling gust of wind in my palm, catching her wooden blade with my left hand, which exploded upon contact and reversed the momentum put into her strike, sending her off balance.
That little opening was all I needed to decide the match. I quickly swept her with a kick that capitalized on this, and she was on the floor in a heartbeat. My victory…!
Leaning in, my sword lunged at her neck—stopping just short of it, as a familiar voice brought our session to an end, breaking through our reverie.
"That's enough."
We eased, though we stayed in our positions so that we could observe each other for a moment afterwards—a rule created by Master Haldir so that we may find out if the battle was truly decided or not.
And as my gaze scoured our bodies, intent on finding anything, my heart dropped as I noticed it.
"...A tie again…" The words escaped me with equal parts bitterness and shock.
Pressed against the area of my chest where my liver would be located, a sharp dagger of scarlet flame licked my training garments, leaving them singed. And with an opponent like Briar, who could almost instantaneously explosively ignite her magic, that was a telltale sign that, had I been a true opponent, the seconds following my strike would have been spent in the cruel agony of burning alive.
I was too careless, too tunnel visioned on my victory.
Dammit…!
"Well done, both of you. You two are shaping into nice fighters. Judging from your expression, Seraphis, I can see that you are reflecting on where you went wrong. Just as I've taught you. Now you both see the importance of reviewing the end placement of each other."
Haldir noted, a sly yet satisfied smirk playing on his face.
"Reconvene with me and we'll go over what this spar has taught us, as per usual."
Flipping my sword so that it pointed to the ground, I reached out a hand to Briar.
She considered something distant before allowing the help.
"Once again, you prove to me that I'd have a better chance at beating a dragon than I do beating you at my current skill level," I chuckled half-heartedly.
"Your speed makes it hard for me to keep up. As a conjurer, I still have a long way to go."
Something akin to disbelief flickered across her gaze at my words, though it revealed itself as mere scrutiny a heartbeat later.
"That… spell you did. At the end there," she began, "What was it?"
"Spell?" Confusion befell me.
"…Oh! You mean my Wind Deflection."
I scratched my head with a bashful expression.
"It's nothing, really, just a little thing I've been working on in private recently. The technique itself isn't polished, nor have I done any real testing with it, so it's still in its rudimentary stages. Once I get better with it, I plan to also change the name to something more refined. Were you interested in learning it?"
Averting her gaze to her palm, she continued.
"Maybe. It's interesting. That is, if I weren't confined to… this."
"Right… Sorry," I said genuinely. "Don't be. It's not your fault," she reassured. "Besides, it's supposed to be a gift. And if I can learn to control it enough, maybe I'll be able to learn that spell of yours. It seems quite useful."
"That was really amazing to watch! You both are getting better," Ismene said cheerfully from our side. "It was almost like watching two Paladins fight. Though, it's not like I'd know what that'd look like."
"Paladins…?" I asked, feeling as if the term was familiar as I walked over with Briar in tow. Ismeria seemed to realize something as she regarded me.
She glanced at her grandfather, and he nodded in confirmation.
"Well, you know how behind every kingdom exists a sort of… powerhouse group, right? The Paladins are the ones responsible for watching over Testruam. I've met a select few of them, they're all really strong and elegant, and it's hard to even detect when one of them is even there. Though, now that I think about it, that could just be due to the fact that I didn't have my mana core at that time…. A-anyways, I was just saying that you guys have been working really hard, is all."
"Paladins, hm? I think I seem to remember Master Haldir mentioning them before… I knew that there was Verlice's Kingsguard group, but I'm not too familiar with the other kingdom's versions. By the way, what are the other ones, anyways?"
"Actually, I'm not too sure about that myself," she responded. "I suppose the only person who would know is…"
We all turned expectant gazes on the old elf—Briar included. The man shuffled, Gael resting on his shoulders.
"Interested in the affairs of other kingdoms, are we? Fret not, young ones, for you'll all know soon enough—some of us sooner than others." His cryptic words hung in the air.
"Now then, take your seats. Let us go over the results of the spar…"
We spent the better half of an hour or so reviewing every moment of our training session, mostly aimed towards identifying the bad habits we had, and ways to counteract said habits, along with discussing potential options available to us for the more critical, decisive moments.
Master Haldir never liked to go over the small details too much, for fear of overcomplicating things, as well as the fact that we were still roughly around the mid stage of beginner-intermediate level of swordsmanship.
Or at least, I was.
It was no surprise that Briar was more skilled at fighting than I was—as a whole—so he estimated that she was nearing her breakthrough level in her swordsmanship. While we both had our strengths and weaknesses, overall, Briar was more adept than me. As for her magic core, she had been sitting around mid-bronze tier. In that, Ismeria and I had her beat, albeit only by a bit.
One of her strengths that I instinctively noticed early on but couldn't quite put into words until after all of the endless, repeated spars against her was her insane APM, or Actions Per Minute, in gamer turns.
I guess you could technically call it her rhythm or tempo at which she moved. Not just in fighting, but in general.
Originally, I chalked it up to merely be her speed, and while that is still largely true in her case, I realized now that there's more to it, especially after doing a few mock practices with Ismeria—at least when she hadn't committed to the bow.
What makes Briar so formidable was that she could essentially do multiple actions in less time than it would take someone else—like me, for example.
Earlier, in the time it took for me to thrust my sword at her, she managed to not only react and counterattack, but also she still planned one step ahead with the little mana burst thing she did.
And it wasn't something she cultivated, either, I've come to learn, but it's merely ingrained within her; second only to breathing.
She was a true prodigy. Bonafide.
While it could definitely be cultivated, by merely possessing it at an early age, she was far ahead of others.
As for Ismeria, she was a bit different.
Though we never spared much during her brief period of using a sword (which still rings true today), I could tell in an instant that she was different from Briar, disregarding the obvious difference in mage class. If I had to describe her style of swordsmanship it was more like… a dance, maybe?
To me, she truly embodied the concept of the Wind Style sword art that Master Haldir teaches.
Her movements were slow and steady, yet graceful and elegant—and her precision was nothing to scoff about. If she wanted to attack a certain part of your body, then nothing would stop her.
But more than all, Ismene was like a counter-attacking machine, never making the first move, yet leaving with the most impressive attack.
Soon, I began to wonder if all elves were simply genetically built in such a way, or were these two just different. I always wondered why Ismene never stuck with the sword… Something else I learned about Briar was that she was actually a recipient of Heavenly Exchange. The extremely rare phenomenon.
Meaning, she was a Bearer of Exchange.
When I first learned about it, Haldir had to use wind magic to keep my jaw from practically falling to the floor. Talk about gifted… She started to make even me envious.
She didn't like to talk about it much, or use her magic at all, really, for personal reasons unknown to me.
One reason I did know about, however, was that her magic—scarlet flame—did cause a bit of harm to her whenever she used it, but apparently, it wasn't physical pain—which is a good enough reason alone to not use it, if you ask me. Similar to my fia… actually, I think I'd rather not call her that. It was almost like Princess Aria, but different still.
Anyways.
Additionally, with her being a Bearer of Exchange, it allowed us to learn a few more things about this extremely rare existence that slightly challenged previous knowledge of what practitioners thought they knew.
That being, her use of mana.
From what I know, Bearers are supposed to have their mana take on special characteristics that make it manifest as a specific type of magic, only stronger and more potent.
But that wasn't the case with her, she could still use mana just fine. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she was an enhancer?
This meant that there could simply be other exchanges other than use of magic/spells—which rings true about Briar being harmed by her own magic.
Although it's not like that wasn't to be expected, per se, but more like it solidified that idea and challenged the notion that only your potential use of spells could be taken from you.
As for the extent of exchange, that's still unknown.
Hell, for all we knew, you could lose your humanity in exchange for being granted some type of rare holy magic, or something, which broadened the scope of a lot of things.
I planned to explore this idea at a later date, if I ever got the chance to meet another B.O.E, and conduct official research on it if it was promising. But that's for a time that doesn't belong to me yet.
As for the situation right now…
"...Theoretically speaking, yes. Great question, Ismene. One thing that this idea of yours fails to explore, however, is the possibility of…"
The old man is going on one of his rambles, again. I sighed.
These usually take awhile, as well, so all I had to do was prepare to sit through it all, up until I could finally be released.
Which was quite soon, actually. Just gotta put up with it for now.
Little did I know, his review of our spar, plus speech would end up actually taking a bit over an hour.
And by the time he finished, it was late afternoon.
Eventually we were permitted to enjoy the rest of our free time for now, as he had some business to attend to, and I wasted no time darting out to the next exciting part of the day.
***
"Aye, welcome back, Friend Seraphis! Rina hasn't seen you in approximately nineteen hours, aye. Rina almost began to worry."
I chuckled, settling down in the seat next to her.
"It was the old man, again. It took him especially long today to finish up." Grumbling, I rested my head on the table.
Rina made a sympathetic expression, staring blankly at me. "Rina feels very bad for you, aye… Crimson-Hair is quite known for being tough on his students," she said bluntly. "Luckily for you, Rina has finally prepared the gifts for you, as agreed upon in our contract. You can thank Rina later!" She reached into her dimensional storage necklace, and retrieved the items that I asked for.
I took the time to carefully examine them, impressed at the handiwork. "Wow… You really do have good connections, Rina. These are well-crafted. And beautiful to boot. They'll make good parting gifts, for sure."
Rina wore a smug expression, folding her arms haughtily. "Tis' only to be expected of Rina, the Prodigal Scientist."
I regarded her with a newfound respect as I took the gifts and placed them inside my own sub-space, somehow feeling more energized than earlier. "Alright then, I'm feeling excited now. Let's get started! Where did we last leave off?"
Rina unfurled her arms, her attention perking up as she pointed to a specific area of the blueprint.
"You pitched a few different ideas, and were telling Rina about the ideal materials needed for the transportation device—a 'Train', you called it—and Rina shared the potential kingdoms they could be procured from," she began.
"The dwarven kingdom of Balmoral presents itself as the most logical choice of them, known for their sophisticated mines and large networks of trade. Also, they generally have the best materials to use for crafting, which comes as no surprise to anyone, really. Dwarves are more attuned to the earth-based elements, so it's easier for them to mine. Next option is Myreddin. Since Master Cyville originates from there himself, it'd be quite easy to acquire a wide array of necessary artifacts and particulars. There are a few other nations that could be potential candidates, but Rina would prefer to leave that all to Master Cyville, aye."
"Well, seeing as I'm still not too familiar with much of this stuff, I'll just continue inputting the facts, rather than ideas. Though I do appreciate you taking the extra time to explain things to me," I said sincerely.
"Worry not, friend! Rina knows you are a quick learner, therefore you will get the hang of things quite soon. Besides, it's best you get early exposure to this, so that when you return home, you can impress everyone with your vast knowledge, aye. 'Tis all thanks to Master—er… colleague Rina,' you'll say!"
She gave me a thumbs up.
"Besides, Rina thinks you know more now than you think you do, what with all the time spent with a genius. It's been three full moons since we've begun working together, aye, so she's more than certain that you've picked something up."
I carefully considered her words. "Hm… I guess that's true. If anything, it's thanks to you. You're a very… informative partner. Oh, by the way, has Lady Atis said anything about the progress of my sword? I knew it would take awhile, but man did she really mean it."
"Master Atis hasn't said anything to Rina about it, no, and she usually does… Rina's guess is that she's simply taking her time on this project. Maybe she's personally invested, somehow? Ever since you went on that fool's errand and retrieved the blue troll's horn, she seems to be more… focused? Though Rina truly has no clue." She shrugged.
Sighing, I turned my attention back to the project at hand. "It's fine. Let's just continue working."
"Aye, partner! Anyways, Rina was thinking we should…"
The remaining month went by in a flash as I followed this rhythm of living.
Throughout this time, I made a bit more progress with my beast stigma, breaking into the earlier stages of manifestation, and even Seraphina unlocked some new, fancy tricks.
Additionally, I began to spend more time out of the manor more, in tandem with both princesses.
Ismeria was set on trying to make as many memories as we could, until we could ever see each other again.
Like this, the days flew by, until finally, came the day of departure.
I threw on some of the less flashy elven attire, being simple black robes with matching color pants and a comfortable undershirt.
"Well done, Seraphis. You've survived my training, and in the process, have become a fledgling warrior. All of you have, really, although Ismeria and Briar aren't yet finished. Nonetheless, it's impressive. Not many noble kids can say that they've lasted this long," Master Haldir said, turning to meet all of our gazes in one sweep. I'm not sure you should be bragging about that, old man…
"So, as a way to celebrate your graduation, I'll give you this."
He placed a small, navy blue badge in my hand, embedded with a crest depicting a golden shield with two swords, white wings, and the letter A in bold lettering.
I stared at the thing, dumbfounded. "Eh… May I know what this is?"
"It's a badge of recommendation. To a specific school in the south, or more accurately, in the Holy Kingdom of Myreddin. It's known as the most prestigious academy on the continent: Arwynn's Academy. I'm sure you've heard of it before. I happen to be good friends with the director there, so she's bestowed this upon me, along with a few others, in case we found someone we think to be worthy of it. I'm giving it to you, Seraphis. I think you have what it takes."
"W-what? The Arwynn's Academy—really? I can't take this, Master Haldir, I don't think I'm—"
"Just call me Haldir. I'm no longer your master. Unless you'd prefer to call me Grandpa, as well, " he winked, "As for the badge, don't worry, I have a lot more where that came from. Think of it as an early birthday gift. You'll be turning twelve soon, won't you?"
That's the least of my worries, you bat!
Arwynn's Academy is a school for only the best of the best, there's no way someone like me will get accepted! Even the Hero himself, Lucien Revalor, attended it when he was younger.
Going somewhere like that would be a dream come true…! If I did manage to get accepted, then…
Oh man, think of all the magic research I could conduct.
"No need to thank me, kid. I can already see the look in your eyes. In due time, both Briar and Ismeria will also be attending, so you all have something to look forward to in the future."
"Thank you, Haldir. Really, it means a lot."
"That's amazing, Sera! I can't wait to see you again," Ismeria cheered, a bright smile tugging on her lips.
"By then, I'll have mastered my way with the bow, so… look forward to seeing that, okay? I should be perfectly bonded with Gael by then, along with having made some more progress with my magic. I might even become stronger than you, hehe. Oh! And I've also heard that the capital city of Myreddin has so many fun places to see, and tons of nice food, so… we can do… a whole lot together. All… three of us. So, just wait until then… okay? We'll meet again soon…"
Tears began streaming down her crumbling face, and she broke into a fit of sobs.
"Ismene…"
I reached out a hand, but hesitated, and Mast—no, Haldir—pulled her in for a hug.
There was a lull, and Briar gave me an indiscernible look that faded away instantly, leaving me puzzled.
"She's right, you know," she said, finally. "By the time we meet again, I'll definitely be stronger than you. Just wait, I'll show you. This magic of mine… I'll have mastered it. And then, I'll finally defeat you. Not a draw like we usually do, but a real victory. That's why… You can't lose to anyone else until then. That's a promise."
The girl's fierce determination was slightly undercut by the subtle trembling of her lips, which I found all too amusing.
Really… These two.
Just what'll they do, without me?
Smirking, I reached into my dimensional storage ring, pulling out two similar necklaces; both no less ornate than the other. One was a cool silver hue with a small sun pendant, and the other, a shimmering black with a moon pendant.
I handed them each to their respective owners and watched as they hesitated to accept the gift. Their reactions made the time spent with Rina all the more worth it.
"Ah… this is…" Ismene staggered, eyes flickering with uncertainty. "I-I can't…"
Meanwhile Briar stood with, perhaps, the most aloof expression I'd ever seen her muster.
After some time, I convinced them to keep them, and to finally, put them on—reassuring Ismene in particular that it was all right to accept, and that they didn't cost me very much. Sadly, it seemed my actions only exacerbated her waterworks.
I extended both arms and pulled everyone into the beary-est bear hug I could muster.
Seraphina joined in on the hugging as best as her small form allowed her.
I was beginning to become a bit emotional myself, seeing these two like this.
I guess we really have been through a lot these past five years (and a few months)… Time flew by so fast, I didn't even realize it.
"I'll see you guys later. Thank you all, for everything." We sat like that for a moment before I set off to the carriage awaiting me, officially marking my departure from Irelnore.
When I arrived at the warp gate, outside the city, I was met with the familiar sight of the formation of guards standing on watch. I showed them my ring, the one given to me by Father before I left, and they immediately stepped aside, realizing it.
Looks like Testruam's guards have now been thoroughly educated on my identity… I half joked, remembering the guard from the first day I'd arrived.
I slowed, coming to a stop as I took in the incredible sight.
"Well, friend. We're but a step away from home. This is the final part. Five years since I arrived. At last, we're here."
Oddly enough, I felt a slick feeling of… disappointment. As if I hadn't achieved a certain milestone set out for me, one unbeknownst to myself. I figured quite instantly that it didn't belong to me, it was hers, and I felt a flare of annoyance that was drowned in a shroud of indifference.
I shut my eyes as I stepped through the warp gate, trying to keep a close grip on my mental state.
But as fate would have it, I wouldn't arrive at that destination until much later in my life.