Elven Training
In the morning, Will, Elizabeth, and Nisha awoke to the sound of Elven soldiers knocking on the door. Will opened the door he was greeted by four soldiers and two maids.
The guards notified Will of the practice locations for Elizabeth and him.
The maids brought apple cinnamon muffins and tea for breakfast and Elven tunics to wear.
Will wore a long gray tunic with embroidery at the front and embroidery at the edge of the sleeve. Clasp with decorative hooks placed from the neckline to the waistline.
Along his waist, he wore a matching gray embroidered belt. Attached to the tunic was a wide gray velvet cape with embroidery on the shoulders. The cape drapes on the sides and the length can be slightly longer, than in the photo.
Elizabeth's silk dress was dusty rose in color. The dress had roses embroidered across the chest and was long enough to hide her feet.
The elves also gave her a matching dusty rose chiffon cape, with an attached sheer lace hood. The cape elegantly drapes over the arms and back. The cape connected just below the neck with a simple fabric rose petal tie.
The elves gave Will a pair of brown moccasins, but Elizabeth was given leg wrap lace-up gladiator sandals. The treatment between a warrior and a light mage was like night and day.
People could be warriors, but a light mage was a rare occurrence among the elves.
As a race Elves have the lowest birth rate. It would not be an understatement to say becoming pregnant was a rare and momentous occurrence.
All Elves could use healing magic, it was a racial skill. But only an elf priestess could only perform light magic. Thus, a child born as a light mage, regardless the race, was a high honor.
After dressing, Elizabeth was escorted to the church to meet the queen. While Will and Nisha were escorted to the training ground.
As Will and Nisha approached the training ground, they saw Sage Aldrin smiling, waiting for their arrival.
"Disciple greets Master. Please take care of us," Will and Nisha bowed.
"Ha-ha, very mannerly. Good morning to you too!" Sage Aldrin laughed happily.
"I see you brought your sword; may I examine it?" Sage Aldrin asked sincerely.
"Of course, here you go," Will said handing the sword to Sage Aldrin.
"The last time I saw Thaddeus, I crafted him a gift. A two-handed sword made from the bone of an Earth-Dragon.
I knew Thaddeus was a pyromancer, so I crafted a sword he would not be able to use to commit his atrocities. A sword for display only to show the friendship between our races.
I never imagined for that sword would one day return. What name did he tell was the swords?" Sage Aldrin asked.
"Āsudoragon," Will replied.
"Ha-ha, that's the name I told him. That is not the sword's name, but that's the material I used to make the sword. Āsudoragon means Earth Dragon in High Elvish!
Understand, the sword was made from Astaroth, the King of Earth Dragons who died over two million years ago.
He gifted my grandfather his femur to make two swords. I kept one and gifted it its twin. The two swords are Infernal Faithkeeper and Heavenly Malice.
The two swords were created to show the duality in all living creatures.
Astarot was a ferocious killer and loving leader. He doted on the hatchlings but was also a merciless killer. I gave your master Astarot's sword because he reminded me of my old friend," the Sage said.
"Dragons are the only living being, that outlives our race. Some in the west worship them as gods," Sage Aldrin said.
"Really?" Will asked.
"Yes, look at my sword and you'll see the similarities," Sage Aldrin.
"They looked the same, but Sage Aldrin your sword has a blue glow," Will said.
"That's because your sword's runes are not connected. Here watch what happens when I finish the runes craft," Sage Aldrin said using his mana to finish the runic inscriptions.
Suddenly the blade began to suck in vibrate. The sword began sucking in mana, like a dehydrated person drinking water.
"Dragon bones are mana conductors. Dragon bones are porous and fill up with mana, like how your bones are filled with calcium.
The runes channel the mana in the sword to allow its weirder to use an infinitesimal amount of the dragon's magic.
Read this first, and then use the spell [Dragon Slash]," Sage Aldrin instructed.
"[Dragon Slash!]," Will yelled sending a crescent-shaped beam of pure energy through the air.
The beam covered the full sector of the swing, growing larger with distance until it hit the trading ground invisible barrier and fizzled out.
"Very good, for your first try. The spell shall improve with time," Sage Aldrin said.
"Improve!" Will exclaimed. That spell ate up a substantial portion of his mana. Will figured, he could use that spell safely once. He was sure if he cast it again, his mana pool was bottom.
"Yes, after all, you are using dragon magic. Here now try this spell, [Ground Wave]," chuckled Sage Aldrin.
"[Ground Wave!]" Will said sticking his sword in the ground.
A huge tidal wave rippled from where he implanted his sword in the ground. The solid ground rippled and moved like river rapids.
"It works well against large armies on flat surfaces. It is also better than an earthquake because the ground does rip apart. Here drink this mana recovery potion," Sage Aldrin said throwing Will a red vile.
"Does this recover mana?" Will asked surprised.
"The human kingdoms and beastmen only know the basic recovery potions. You're used to seeing yellow vials, am I correct," Sage Aldrin asked.
"Yes, at the academies we received yellow mana recovery or healing potions," Will said drinking the red potion Sage Aldrin gave him.
Instantly, Will felt his mana pool replenish.
"Now put your sword away, it's time to teach you how to fight with your familiar. Lesson one, your familiar is fine. It's you that need work," Sage Aldrin.
"I like this new master of yours," Nisha said telepathically to Will.
"Well thank you, I think you're a beautiful panther," Sage Aldrin telepathically said to Will and Nisha.
"You can hear and talk to Nisha? You were in my head; how did you do that?" Will said both frightened and amazed.
"Your class is Spellsword Knight, my class in Beast Tamer. I learned to speak to animals over 4,000 years ago. I can speak to any animal, and the animal's familiar," Sage Aldrin informed aloud.
"You are very impressive. We are fortunate to have this opportunity. Thank you for trying us," Nisha bowed.
"To receive the compliment of a Shadow Panther is indeed a gift. Your proud race is not one to give praise easily," Sage Aldrin said.
"You are indeed a man of great wisdom," Nisha said.
"Let us begin. There are eight imperial combat styles. I shall teach you Imperial Panther martial arts. To fight as a team, you must learn the way of Shadow Leopard.
Leopard style is an art known for its speed, and ferocious intensity. Leopard style is cunning and masters' fakes, feigns, and deception in their techniques to gain access to vital points.
Imperial Leopard is a massive, complete martial art with the highest levels of toughening, intense combat training, and fully immersive sword mastery," Sage Aldrin said, his demeanor changing. He released a torrent of mana.
His aura was so ferocious, that Will thought he might die. The aura of a sage versus a grandmaster is like heaven and earth.
Sage Aldrin began by having Will race Nisha on an obstacle course, which focused on dodging low-hanging branches.
After losing badly…trice, Sage Aldrin had Will spar against Nisha. This was Will's first time sparing against Nisha. The last time he fought a Shadow Leopard was his first-year end-of-term exam, which was over five years ago.
After losing to Nisha too many times to count, Sage Aldrin Will practice being hit with heavy bags to build up his toughness.
Finally, after an emotional embarrassing day, Sage Aldrin taught Will mixed martial arts of ground fighting, grappling, blocking, joint locks, kicking, and punching.
…
Meanwhile, Elizabeth's training consisted of meditation, singing, dancing, and self-defense lessons.
"Elizabeth, tell me what you learned in your light mage classes at the academy," Queen Sylvania asked demurely.
"We learned healing spells, how to provide care for the injured, and non-magical healing," Elizabeth said.
"That is but the simplest of your capabilities. We light mages can dispel miasma, provide blessings, purify the undead, and seal away demons.
Light mages a messengers of the gods. By praying we commune with the gods daily. Your job is to transmit god's words to their people.
If you want to speak to the gods, prayer, and fasting in insolation work best. Are you willing to begin your training?" Queen Sylvania asked sweetly.
"I'm ready," Elizabeth said resolutely.
"Then I'll see you in a few days," Queen Sylvania said in a motherly voice.
…
Back at the training grounds, for three days Will trained nonstop learning the Leopard Martial Arts.
Sage Aldrin made Will undergo extensive body conditioning, and body toughening.
For body conditioning, Sage Aldrin asked Will to complete the obstacle course with Nisha strapped to his back. Sage Aldrin also had Will lift weights and walk in a squat posture for three hours.
What Will disliked the most was the body strengthening drills that required Will strike solid wood with bare knuckles, breaking three inches of pine, three times in one second, with the same hand, in an amazingly fast flurry.
There were numerous challenging exercises, forms, hundreds of sets for strikes, kicks, punches, and joint locks, and of course, sparing with Nisha.
In addition, Sage Aldrin had Will perform combat drills with mitts and bags, as well as spar Nisha on a balance beam.
"Listen, Will, Leopard Martial Arts requires you to match Nisha's dynamic moves of leaping, lunging, and fast paced strikes.
A Shadow Leopard can kill their opponent in 3-seconds. You must learn to model that brutally efficient fighting style," Sage Aldrin instructed.
"Yes, master!" Will said covered in sweat. He had not been this tired, sense his first combat session with Elder Thaddeus.
"Faster Will! You must get faster! Strike! Kick! Punch! You are still too slow, you must match the speed of Nisha's rip, tear, claw. Go again, this time even faster!" Sage Aldrin encouraged.
"I'm doing the best I can," Will said exhausted.
"No, you're not. You are too reliant on those trivial earth spells. Spells can be cancelled or dissolved.
Understand Leopard Martial Arts more than combat, it's a mindset. A cunning predatory mindset that looks to recognize and exploit enemy patterns and manipulate any situation into their advantage. Do you understand now! That's how your familiar thinks. That is how you learn to fight together as one! That is how you grow as a Spellsword Knight," Sage Aldrin counseled.
"Yes, master I understand. Leopard Martial Arts is a complex combat art, which combines spell conjugation proficiency with full speed combat decisions communicated through attacking in unison," Will said drenched in sweat.
"Then congratulations, my work is done. The rest is up to you and Nisha. You have a smart familiar, Nisha," Sage Aldrin congratulated.
"Thank you, but he's only smart some of the time," Nisha joked.
"Thank you, Master!" Will and Nisha bowed to Sage Aldrin.
"Farewell, you two. I hope to see you two again in the future," Sage Aldrin said as Nisha dragged Will's limp body to their guesthouse. Secretly Will smiled looking at his increased stats.
Race: Human
Rank: 2 (Viscount)/ Lord of Games/ Gaia's Champion
Class: Merchant
Sub Class: Spellsword Knight
Attributes:
Constitution—80+2
Strength—78+7
Dexterity—70+7
Intellect—92
Charisma—17
Ranks Skills: Management (87), Diplomacy (74), Accounting (91)
Class Skills: Appraisal (100, 100), [Radar]
Abilities: Master Swordsmanship (5+1, 75), Master Terramancer (6+1, 75), Gaia's Blessing (multiplies your spell strength x2), Journey Blacksmith (37, 50).
…
For three days, without food or water, Elizabeth sat in a dark meditation room praying to the goddess Gaia.
She had never gone this long without eating. Her stomach growled with hunger. Yet, she refused to stop praying.
"The goddess Gaia has heard your prayers and is pleased by your desire to serve her," said a mysterious evanescent voice.
"This humble servant is happy," Elizabeth said.
"Mother is pleased with your devotion to the arts. Yet, you must undertake a journey of fealty. To prove your devotion, visit the Church of Gaia and speak with Bishop vont Omar, and afterward visit the Citadel of Gadreel's crypt. There you shall learn more," the mysterious voice disappeared.
'That does not seem to be too difficult of a journey. Right?' Elizabeth thought to herself.
Yet, she had no idea what would be waiting for her below the citadel.
Either way, Elizabeth resolved to prove her devotion to whoever was this mysterious voice.
'It has been three days; I wonder how Will's training went? I wondered if he missed me?" Elizabeth said walking to the guesthouse.