The silence in the room, after the constant hum of the orphanage, was a strange luxury. Aurelion had slept, or at least tried to sleep, in what could be called a truly comfortable bed for the first time in his life. That last conversation… Roric's unexpected understanding and the promise he offered…
Just as he was drifting amidst these thoughts, the door of his room creaked open. When his eyes opened, he immediately recognized the silhouette appearing in the doorway. The more slender of the servants, Sigrid.
The woman glided in with silent steps. She paused when she noticed Aurelion was awake. Then she smiled gently. "Good morning, Aurelion," she whispered "Did you sleep well? The Captain asked you to prepare for morning training".
Aurelion slowly sat up in bed. "I'm awake," he replied briefly.
Sigrid's gaze flickered for a moment to the marks on his face but she quickly looked away. "Good," Sigrid said. "Then… after you've freshened up, we'll be waiting for you in the kitchen. Brynja is preparing breakfast". Without another word, she silently left the room as she had come.
Aurelion walked out of the room and towards the washroom to the right of the corridor. A metal tap and a simple stone basin beneath it… After the buckets of cold water at the orphanage, this was an unexpected luxury. When he turned the tap, clean, cold water began to flow.
Even this far north, in this house carved into the mountainside, a working plumbing system… "Interesting," he thought. "So the Northerners aren't just crude warriors. They understand engineering too." As he washed his face, the coolness of the water revived him a little.
He glanced at his reflection in the mirror. A pale face, healing wounds, and those golden eyes... His mask was in place.
He went downstairs. Faint cooking smells from the kitchen and the warmth of the fireplace filled the hall. When he looked through the kitchen door, he saw Roric.
The Captain was sitting at the wooden table, looking at a steaming bowl in front of him. Brynja, with her usual serious expression, was placing warm bread and another bowl on the table.
Aurelion silently approached the table and sat in the chair opposite Roric. Sigrid immediately appeared beside him and placed a steaming bowl and a wooden spoon in front of him.
The smell… was nothing like that gray porridge at the orphanage. Hot oats, a hint of honey, and dried fruit… He felt his mouth water.
His eyes widened slightly when he took the first spoonful. It was warm, sweet, and filling. It was perhaps the most delicious thing he had tasted in years. Instead of a mechanical movement, he genuinely ate, taking a second, then a third spoonful. On his usually stoic face, a clear satisfaction, an expression of a long forgotten simple pleasure, appeared.
Sigrid couldn't help but smile when she noticed the child's obvious enjoyment. "Do you like it, Aurelion?" she asked gently.
Aurelion lifted his head and, careful not to speak with his mouth full, nodded slightly. He felt a bit awkward for showing his enjoyment so openly, but he didn't care. He continued eating. Even Brynja couldn't remain indifferent to this scene. The corners of her lips curved upwards slightly.
"Eat up, brat," Roric said. "You'll need plenty of energy. Especially during those moments when you "feel alive"... Such things take a heavy toll on the body. Energy isn't free. You'll need to recover".
Aurelion stopped his spoon. He lifted his head and looked at Roric. The Captain had gotten straight to the point. He sighed, nodded, and continued eating.
The meal ended in silence. Aurelion had scraped the bowl clean to the last bite. As Brynja and Sigrid cleared the dishes, Roric stood up. "Come with me," he said.
Aurelion immediately followed him. They went sturdier looking door further down the corridor. Roric unlocked it with a iron key he took from his pocket. As the door open inwards, Aurelion stood on the threshold with curiosity and anticipation. This was it. The place where the training would begin. The training room.
When he stepped over the threshold after Roric, a completely different atmosphere greeted Aurelion. This place was far removed from the calm, almost serene air of the other parts of the house. The walls were bare, rough, dark stone, and the Rune carvings on them were cruder, denser, and clearly focused on reinforcement. In some places, impact marks looked partially repaired.
Weapon racks lining the walls of the room caught his attention. There were heavy, broad, some double edged battle axes suitable for Roric's build, massive maces, and most importantly, long swords, some in pairs, that looked much thicker and heavier than those Aurelion had seen in the arena or the city, probably the kind Roric used.
A few deformed target dummies with deep impact and cut marks stood in the corners. But the true master of the room was a massive, shapeless, black rock standing in the very center, reaching a man's height. Its surface wasn't smooth. On the contrary, it was filled with countless impact marks. Dents, deep gashes, and in some spots, areas that seemed slightly caved in .
Roric noticed Aurelion's sharp gaze scanning the surroundings. He closed the door behind them. He walked towards the center of the room. "This is my domain," he said simply. "What you learn here, stays here". He pointed to a flat, mat in the center. "Sit".
Aurelion obeyed, sitting cross legged on the mat. Roric sat opposite him, in the same way.
"Normally," Roric began "you would learn these things much later, perhaps when you entered the College. But your situation... is different. Both what you wrote last night and that "show" in the courtyard... indicate it's time for you to know certain things. Perhaps if you understand, it will be easier for you to control. Or at least you'll realize what you're playing with". His eyes locked directly onto Aurelion. "That thing you felt in the courtyard that day, the thing you tried to control... That was raw energy from your Core". Aurelion was all ears, listening without blinking.
"Every living being," Roric continued, "you, me, those monsters, even the servants in this house… all have a Core within them. It is where the soul and body unite, the center of life force. It is your most precious, most protected part"
He placed his hand near the center of his own chest. "The energy you feel, that feeling of "vitality," originates from there. It's like your inner furnace. With the right fuel and control, it heats, gives power. But left uncontrolled, it burns, consumes".
He reached for a parchment, took a pencil from the edge of the desk, and simply drew nine lines on the empty stone floor beside the mat. "These Cores have a strength, a capacity. Warriors and sages use a system called Ranks to classify this power. Rank 1 is the weakest, like a newborn baby. Rank 9 is... currently the known highest limit mortals can reach". He explained, pointing to each line. "And each Rank also has its own stages. Early, Middle, and Peak. Jumping from one Rank to another is difficult, requires long years, training, and sometimes... luck"
He looked at Aurelion again. "Whether you use a sword, throw a punch, or do things called magic... the source of the power you use is always that Core. What is called magic is essentially manipulating that inner energy with will, bending it, manifesting it externally in different ways. Some are innately more inclined, some learn later, and some never succeed"
Aurelion's eyes were wide. He was placing every word, every sentence from Roric into the empty spaces in his mind. Ranks… Stages… The definition of magic… The pieces were falling into place. That feeling inside him... that tingle, was the energy he drew from his core. The door to the answers he had been seeking for years had creaked open. His breath quickened with excitement. That knowing, questioning smirk appeared at the corner of his lip again.
He had forgotten all his fatigue. "I understand, Captain," he said, his voice trembling with curiosity. "So you... what Rank are you?".
Roric wasn't surprised by the child's direct question. That faint, appreciative expression appeared on his face again. "I," he said calmly, "am at the Early stage of Rank Six".
Rank Six... Early. Aurelion immediately committed this information to memory. This was a concrete point of comparison. Then...
"And the War Chieftain?" he asked immediately. "What Rank is he?".
Roric's expression instantly hardened. "My strength," he said in a clear voice, "is not enough to fully understand or measure the level of those at a much higher Rank than myself. Remember, brat, you can see a mountain from afar, but you only understand how high its peak is when you start climbing". His eyes narrowed in warning. "And get this out of your head too. Excessive curiosity, especially unnecessary curiosity about others' power, often brings trouble. Focus on your own path"
Aurelion got the message. He would back down for now. But the other question in his mind had been nagging him ever since he saw Thyra and Roric in the Arena. "Then... those physical changes? Your skin... The War Chieftain's claws... That woman in the Arena, Thyra... Is this related to the Ranks?"
Roric paused for a moment, then slowly nodded. He stood up and walked towards that giant black rock in the middle. He ran his hand over the rough surface of the rock.
"No," he said. "That's another path. A way to increase power... but a much more dangerous one". He turned to Aurelion. "In some rare cases, by using certain catalysts these can be intense Energy Stones, very valuable, special Ores, or even," his voice dropped, "sometimes the Cores or essences of other living beings an entity can fundamentally change its own Core and body. It can add new features, make a leap in power. It's called… Evolution".
"But!" Roric's voice cracked like a whip. "DON'T you DARE even think about it, brat! This path is very dangerous, especially for someone like you whose core hasn't fully matured yet! The incompatibility of those catalysts, the uncontrollability of the energy… It can tear your body apart, destroy your mind, strip you of your humanity and turn you into a pitiful monster! Many have tried and failed, been crippled, or died miserably!"
"I'm telling you this because you'll see examples of it around! I'm telling you so you know what it is! Don't you dare aspire to that! Don't you dare try it! It's too early for you to attempt such a thing! Do you understand me?!"
Aurelion, faced with this intensity, clearly understood the situation and nodded quickly. "I understand, Captain"
"I hope you do," Roric said. "I told you these things so you understand the nature of your current power."
He stepped back. "That's all you need to know for now. More will just confuse you". He sat back down on the mat. "Do you have anything else you want to ask?" he asked, but his tone implied there wasn't much room for more questions.
Aurelion tried to collect his thoughts. It was dizzying. Other things... The Seal? Inner energy control? But Roric's attitude was clear. That was enough for now. "No, Captain," he said, barely keeping his voice steady. "That's enough for now".
"Good," Roric said, turning swiftly. "Because words remain in the air, brat. Seeing is the best way to understand".
The words were over. Was it time for action now?
Roric walked towards one of the weapon racks on the wall. His hand went to a broadsword that looked larger. Its tip was a strange T shape Aurelion hadn't seen before. It looked designed more for crushing or piercing armor than for cutting.
"In your confession, you talked about losing control, about the energy inside you burning your body. Control isn't just a matter of will. It's also about the body and the tool you use being able to withstand that power"
He walked towards the massive, black rock in the center of the room. Aurelion watched from where he sat.
For a few seconds, he just gripped the sword tightly with both hands, regulating his breath. Then, a change began. From beneath the dark tunic covering Roric's right arm, a faint, metallic sheen appeared on his skin, extending from elbow to wrist. Simultaneously, the dark gray surface of the sword in his hand suddenly paled, as if absorbing light.
It was as if all its color and energy had been drawn into the Captain's arm. The metallic glint on his arm and the dullness of the sword were in an eerie harmony, as if made of the same substance.
Roric closed his eyes. Then the sword began to change again. Its dulled surface now began to glow from within with a pale white light. The light quickly intensified, the color turning a silvery white. The same bright, silvery light enveloped Roric's right arm, his skin appearing as if replaced by liquid metal.
Roric opened his eyes. He slowly raised the sword above his head. And then, with all his might, he brought the sword down.
The moment the blow struck the black rock, all sound in the room vanished for an instant.
CRACKKK!
It wasn't just the sound. The pure kinetic energy generated by the impact spread like a shockwave. Aurelion was thrown backward on the mat he was sitting on, his ears ringing.
The Runes on the room's walls flickered with a brighter light for a brief moment.
Aurelion, without blinking, despite the ringing in his ears and the shockwave still vibrating in the air, fixed his gaze with all his will on that point on the rock. When the smoke cleared, the result was evident.
On that rock, among the countless existing notches and gashes, another line had been added, about a finger deep, its edges slightly melted, clean, and shiny. Just a line. But to leave only such a small mark with such power... was unbelievable.
Roric slowly straightened up. The intense silvery glow on his sword and arm quickly faded.
He placed the sword beside the rock. He turned towards Aurelion, who was still watching him.
"If you obey my commands," he said, "train your will, strengthen your body, and learn to control that raw power within you… Then this is a part of the potential you can reach in the future." His eyes returned to the rock. "Perhaps… more".
The price and reward of control… this was it.
"Do you understand now?" Roric asked. "The nature of power. Why control is essential".
Aurelion nodded slightly. That single blow had told him more than hundreds of parchments he had read.
"Good," Roric said and sat down again on the mat opposite Aurelion. "Then we begin your training".
"What I want you to do is very simple," he said, a ironic tone in his voice. "In fact, you don't even need to do anything"
Aurelion's eyebrows rose slightly. "Just keep sitting there. Close your eyes"
Aurelion closed his eyes without hesitation, straightened his back, and prepared his mind for the Captain's next command.
"And wait," Roric said.
Aurelion's eyes snapped open. "Wait?"
"Yes, you will wait, but not just wait. You will think of nothing. You will completely empty your mind. Like the surface of a lake. No ripple, no wave, no thought… Just emptiness. At the same time," he added "you will not move either. Relax your muscles but maintain your posture. That's all you have to do. Simple, isn't it?"
Aurelion frowned. This… was strange. Not a physical exertion, but a mental void. He had tried before and had failed. But Roric wanted it. "He must know something," he thought inwardly.
"Control… " He said it begins in the mind. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes again.
"Empty your mind," he whispered to himself. Don't think. Just exist. But his mind was in a state of rebellion. The silence made the thoughts seem even louder.
Nazgûl's frightened face… The satisfaction of that kick he gave Grok… Lyra's annoying curiosity… Kael's silent… Elara's unexpected courage… Harkan's voice… Linnea's gaze… Roric's power… That shining Seal… That energy inside him… Images, sounds, feelings assailed his mind one after another.
"No," he gritted his teeth. "Emptiness. Just emptiness."
He tried to push the thoughts to a distant corner of his mind. He focused on dissipating them like a cloud. For a moment… it seemed he succeeded. His mind fell silent for an instant.
But it was only for a second. Immediately, another thought seeped in, then another. His mind wouldn't stop. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reach that absolute emptiness.
Time flowed by. Aurelion didn't know how long he had been sitting there. Had minutes passed, or hours? He didn't know. He only felt his legs starting to go numb from sitting motionless, his back aching, and worst of all, a throbbing headache starting in his temples from straining his mind so much. Just as his patience was about to run out, Roric's voice was heard.
"Enough."
Aurelion opened his eyes, rubbed his aching neck.
Opposite him, Roric sat just as he had left him, cross legged, motionless. His black eyes were fixed on him.
"If you can't even control something this simple, can't even control your own mind… how will you ever control yourself, brat?". Aurelion didn't answer.
"This," Roric said, "will be the first and most important step of your training. We will do this every day. We will do it until you reach that emptiness, that absolute stillness. Until your mind is completely under your control,"
"Only after you reach this stage of thoughtlessness, this silence... only then you can truly begin to feel, to understand, and most importantly, to control that energy within you. Until then, that door will remain closed".
Aurelion took a deep breath "Every day?" he asked.
"Every day," Roric confirmed clearly. "And for longer each time. Until your mind becomes as calm as a lake, reaching a stillness where even a stone thrown from outside creates no ripple". He stood up, looking down at Aurelion. "You failed today. But you tried. That's a start".
"Control of the body is as important as control of the mind, Your body is exhausted, I see. Harkan roughed you up quite a bit. We'll keep it light for today. But first, I need to see what you know. Show me your moves. Your defense, your offense... Whatever you've been working on by yourself in the shadows all these years".
Aurelion slowly stood up and moved to the empty space in the middle of the training room. He took a deep breath, collected his thoughts, and began to display the movements he had been practicing at every opportunity, for years.
First, he started with a low, balanced boxer's stance. His left hand shot forward, a sharp, straight jab, immediately followed by a stronger right cross coming from the slight rotation of his entire body.
Then, with a fluid movement, he slipped to the side, as if dodging an invisible blow, and with a suddenly rising knee, he delivered a low kick. Immediately after, his stance changed. He adopted a wider, more grounded position and displayed a hard block with his forearm, copied from the Northerners in the courtyard.
Within seconds, he shifted between different styles. For a seven year old child, it was an astonishing fluency and technical variety, but his fatigue added a weight to his movements, preventing his full power from being unleashed.
Roric watched without a word, his black eyes carefully followed Aurelion's every move, every muscle contraction, every breath.
After a few minutes of this display, Roric said, "Alright, that's enough"
Aurelion stopped. His eyes turned expectantly to Roric.
Roric approached him. He circled him once, scrutinizing him from head to toe. "Hmmph," he grunted. "You're fast, yes. A surprising variety of techniques. It's obvious you've spent a lot of time working on your own".
He stopped, standing directly in front of Aurelion. "...But, there's no foundation. Your roots are weak. Your strikes may be fast, but your power comes not from the ground, only from your arms and hasty rotations. Your breath is out of sync with your movements. Sometimes you hold it, sometimes you waste it.
Your balance..." He lightly touched Aurelion's shoulder. "...looks like it would crumble with the slightest determined blow. These movements, those kicks… They are all like sandcastles built without a solid foundation. This is your biggest weakness, brat. Basics"
Aurelion frowned. The moves he had worked on for years, tried to perfect in his own way… Were they without foundation? Lacking?
"Therefore," Roric continued. from this moment on, you forget all those fancy, complex moves you've learned. They don't exist until I give you permission. Until you can perform the correct stance even unconsciously, when your mind is empty, until every step you take is flawless, until your breath flows in harmony with every blow, you will think of nothing but the basics.
Using those techniques of yours is forbidden. Understood?"
Aurelion's nose twitched. Years of effort had been dismissed in one fell swoop as "fancy" and "forbidden". The fact that Roric found so many flaws, especially criticizing his basics, annoyed him. But through gritted teeth, he muttered, "Understood".
"Good." Roric stepped back. "Then we start from the beginning." He took his own stance. "First, the stance. It's called the Northern Mountain Technique. It's basic but effective. Feet a little more than shoulder width apart". He corrected Aurelion. "Yes, like that. Now bend your knees. More. Lower your center of gravity. Feel yourself rooting to the ground"
Aurelion struggled to find his balance as he did what was told. This was different from the more mobile styles he was used to, a more static but more solid stance. "Spine straight, but not rigid. Shoulders relaxed. Now breathe".
For the next two hours, Roric showed Aurelion the most basic movements and had him repeat them countless times. He ruthlessly criticized every detail. He taught him to remain stable in the Northern Mountain Technique, not to lose his center of gravity. He taught simple but hard blocks.
At every wrong angle, every loose elbow, Roric's voice warned. "Tighter!" "Wrong angle!" "Too late!" Then came simple, straight punches. He corrected every flawed punch, every unbalanced stance of Aurelion. Finally, basic footwork. Taking steps forward, backward, and sideways without dragging, while maintaining balance....
For Aurelion, this was both physical and mental torture. His body was already tired, and these new, perhaps simpler looking but differently strenuous movements, exhausted him even more. The habits he had acquired over the years clashed with what Roric wanted, his mind wanted to slip back to old techniques, but the Captain's gaze and sharp warnings didn't allow it.
His muscles burned, his joints ached, sweat ran into his eyes. He stumbled a few times, lost his balance on a simple step. Each time, he was met with Roric's grunt or a harsh correction.
By now, Aurelion's breath was completely spent, his vision slightly blurred. He almost collapsed on a final block attempt.
It was then that Roric said, "Enough".
Aurelion stood where he was, fighting with a final ounce of willpower to remain upright. He lifted his head and looked at Roric with blurred eyes.
The Captain approached him. The child, sweaty, exhausted, but still trying to stand… "You were a disgrace today. Even worse than I expected" Aurelion's nose twitched slightly. But Roric continued. "But you didn't give up. You've started to grasp the basics. You're weak, yes. Your techniques are raw. Your will, however… shows promise". His eyes met Aurelion's. "This is a good start. It will be hard, it will be painful. But if we continue this way, we will build a solid foundation that will make those moves I called "fancy" truly deadly."
Roric's gaze flickered for a moment to the Aurelion "in time, you will learn how to better feel that "energy" within you, even how to direct it. But first… basics. Always basics"
Aurelion could barely nod.
"Now go clean yourself up," Roric said, with his usual gruff command.
Aurelion didn't answer. With heavy, trembling steps, every muscle protesting, he left the training room. When he stepped into the corridor, he had to lean against the cold stone wall. This… this was much harder than he expected. But Roric's last words, those implications… had rekindled the fire within him. Basics… Yes. Perhaps the Captain was right.