A New Star Chapter 8

I had both sets of swords with me, and I set the training blades down before equipping the real swords. I needed to get used to wearing blades again, and I also wanted the extra bit of weight, though that much wouldn't make a huge difference. Satisfied, I started to jog around the perimeter of the training yard, noting the captain taking a seat on one of the benches. Apart from her and I, there was no one else present yet, as the first red and gold rays of sunlight were kissing the clear dome of the sky. 

I continued to run…and run…and run. Even when the yard started to be populated by members of the guard, even as they started their daily routine, even as a handful of pages were forced to join me in doing laps. The pages only held the pace for twenty minutes before they were called back to the center, where a sergeant proceeded to browbeat them for losing out to a toddler.  

I continued to run even as Mina became concerned, her face twisting as I continued to do laps. I didn't need to work on anything else for now apart from my stamina, so I pushed myself to run for a solid three hours. Just when it got to the point it looked like Mina would interfere, I finished for the time being, moving over to a barrel in the corner of the yard used to collect rainwater. I drew myself a number of large ladlefuls of the cold water to slake my thirst, taking just a minute to let my body cool a little. I didn't want to cool down completely, but I didn't want to move into the remainder of my practice for the day running quite so hot. 

I moved to the far end of the yard, where there were open strips that could be used for spars or fighting training. I took over the furthest strip from the entryway, trying to get as far out of the way, and out of sight, as possible while staying in the yard. Once I had claimed the training field, I set about with my initial training. I would have to get used to this new body; moving around and walking were one thing, but using it in battle was entirely another.  

I moved into my ready stance, a position I was so familiar with I could take without my sight, without feeling my limbs or body. Once ready, I took four fast steps forward, swinging a total of eight times during those four steps. Those eight swings were the foundation of the two-sword fighting style I had practiced for over nine centuries, the Devil's Wings. Everything began with those eight strikes and evolved from there, but those strikes were the bedrock from which the mountain climbed. 

Four steps and eight swings. Four steps and eight swings. Four steps, eight swings. Step and swing. After four full rotations for a total of sixteen steps, turn and repeat back the other way. I did this over and over again, losing myself in the motions and the blades, thinking only of the steps and the pattern. Eventually, after how long I knew not, a large shadow loomed over me. I stopped and looked up to see Mina looking down at me with a strange expression, studying me rather intently. 

"Yes?" I said in a clearly querulous tone. 

"Why did you spend so many hours doing those motions? It looks like you know how to swing a blade; why aren't you doing full drills?" the captain asked, clearly meaning to inquire why I wasn't doing the more complex forms that the senior guards under her would practice. 

"Let me tell you this, captain," I said in response. "I do not fear the man who has practiced a million sword swings; I fear the man who has practiced one sword swing a million times." 

"I-, well…" the captain started to protest and then seemed to consider those words, falling into silence. I took the opportunity to walk over and drink quite a lot of water, having gotten close to dehydrating myself in losing track of the time as I practiced. Before returning to the house, I stared at the notification that had popped up while time bled away. 

Weapon Mastery unlocked.  

Unlocked: Swords  

Grade: Apprentice  

Step: Early 

"Mina," I said as she trailed me back to the house. 

"Yes, young lady?" she replied. 

I looked up at her for a moment, letting her know I didn't appreciate the use of young lady, which sailed totally over her head. Just as the silence motivated her to speak, I said, "I would like to ask you about the Weapon Masteries." 

"What would you like to know, young lady?" she asked in response. 

"Say we are speaking about a guard. How long would you expect it to take them to unlock their mastery?" I asked. 

"Well, for brand new guards that are just starting as trainees, I would say…hmm, two weeks? That's about average for someone to get to Early Apprentice, though we certainly see people who are faster. And some who are slower; not everyone's so good at weapons, or at certain weapons," she explained. 

"I see. And to move through the Apprentice ranks?" I asked as I seized food from the cooks, making myself a plate while staying out of their way; it was a little tricky to do one-handed, but I managed and sat at one of the several tables the servants often used. 

"Well, let's see," Mina said, standing over me as I ate. "Early to Middle in Apprentice usually takes a couple months. Middle to High is about half a year, though it can definitely be longer. Hmm, as for High to Peak, that's at least a year, if not a year and a half. As for getting to Journeyman…well, the fastest I know of was the commander, but she's very good with the sword. It took her just over a year, but the average is probably around two years. Once you've hit Journeyman, you're considered a skilled user of a weapon, you know." 

"And how do you captains rank?" I asked between bites. 

"Well, that's…" Mina replied hesitantly. 

"If you cannot disclose it, don't," I said calmly as I continued eating. 

"Most captains are Experts," Mina said reluctantly. 

"Including you?" I asked. 

"Including me, yes," Mina said. "I am a Peak Expert, but the only Master, that I know of, is the lord commander." 

"Interesting," I said non-committally. 

"Why are you-" Mina started, but I had stood and moved to return my empty plate, forcing the minotaur to follow me. 

I walked out of the kitchen, the huge captain stomping behind me, still entirely silent. I moved up to the library, glowering up at the minotaur once I had sat as she stood in the path of the light from the windows. She got the hint after a moment and moved out of the path of the light, allowing me to easily read through the books scattered on my table.  

The next week continued on at the same pace, with every morning taken up with training. Based on the local time, I trained into the early afternoon before eating a late lunch and then studying in the library for a few hours. I didn't want to be too condescending or skeptical of what my siblings or others went through, but I dare say I was likely already as well educated as some of the academy students, if not some of the graduates. It was as I was finishing my exercise at the end of the week, a day I should comment that the guards were all resting, other than my interminable shadow Mina, that I get my next notification. 

Weapon Mastery upgraded.   

Mastery: Swords   

Grade: Apprentice  

Step: Early->Middle  

The weapon masteries, as I had discussed with Mina, were broken into grades, with each grade broken into steps. There were only four steps in a grade, those being early, middle, high, and peak. Once someone had reached the peak, they were need to train or battle arduously for a time to upgrade to the next grade. At higher grades, this required undergoing an epiphany, or form of enlightenment, but that didn't happen for several grades. It was also something, as far as I knew, unique to weapon masteries, as Affinities didn't ever have this epiphany requirement. 

I glanced over to Mina after seeing the notification, seeing that she didn't have any particular reaction, confirming there was no visible outward sign of the weapon mastery advancements if I didn't give anything away. I had been doing little other than working the basic forms, just getting used to my new body and refreshing my knowledge. I did another pass of the simple set after the notification before turning and moving into a more complex series of quick, wide, hammering blows that whistled through the air menacingly. Or, they would do that, when I had a bit more strength and speed, but for now, they didn't even produce a low humming. 

"Very impressive, young lady," said Mina from beside me. 

"Barely adequate," I had to hold myself back from biting out, more grunting at her. 

"You're fou-you know what, never mind," the minotaur said, catching herself. 

"At least we're learning," I said as I finished drinking water from the rain barrel and started making my way across the yard. 

"It's more impressive you're out here training on a rest day," she commented as she walked behind me. 

"You'll have plenty of days to rest when you're dead," I replied, deadpan, earning a big snort for my effort. 

After I stopped in the kitchen, my preferred place, and ate, I returned to my room, getting a surprised reaction from Mina. I didn't intend to go anywhere else for the day, nor quite a few days upcoming. I wasn't halting my studies entirely, but I thought it was best I devoted some time to expanding what I was already doing: training. I spent my mornings in the yard, working on enhancing my physical body, but I had done nothing to improve or modify my affinities. 

"You're returning for the day?" Mina asked, glowering down at me with a single, highly arched eyebrow. 

"That is correct. You may return to your duties, captain," I replied equably.  

"This is not a scheme, is it?" Mina asked, attempting to put on a warning tone. 

I waited for a moment, staring up at her, and just when she shifted her weight and opened her mouth, I said, "This is not a scheme, captain. I welcome you to wait outside my room with baited breath, but I fear it will only waste your time." 

"I might just do that," the captain replied stubbornly. 

"Carry on, captain," I said dismissively, turning and entering my room.  

My maids rarely waited on me these days after they prepared me in the morning, as they had little to do. I was not nursing, did not require help using the facilities, and could even bathe myself, though the maids often still insisted on performing that duty. They didn't have the chance the last week that often, as I was in the habit of washing after I trained or, at worst, right after I finished in the library, and they usually only attended to me later in the evening now. 

Having shut and locked the door behind me, I proceeded to my bathroom. In truth, my room was not a single room, though my family often referred to it as such, but a suite of rooms. I had a small sitting room that faced the hall, a large living room just beyond that that then opened into a large bedroom on the right and a massive bathroom on the left. From what I understood, the main section of the house had been built close to fifty years ago, and it was only about twenty years ago that my parents acquired it and decided to make it their main residence. This suite was likely used by someone of considerably higher status than myself, an eighth child, but it was mine now, so I paid it little heed.  

Washing myself quickly, and thanking the stars that enchanting and a bit of modern engineering already had led this part of this world to indoor plumbing, I returned to the living room. The place was arranged differently than what I was used to from my previous life, but that was to be expected; it was funny how the invention of digital screens changed so many aspects of lives, including how rooms were arranged and even built. Without any screens incorporated into the living spaces, the fireplace acted as the centerpiece of the room, with a cluster of chairs and a long couch arrayed around it. I must admit, the comfort of a warm fire on a cold day was something that had always appealed to me, and I found this seating arrangement around the fireplace particularly pleasant. 

I settled in one of the overstuffed armchairs right next to the fireplace, thinking about how nice a blaze would be, though it was currently late spring and getting fairly warm, if rather wet in terms of weather. Thinking about that brought another question I had pondered a bit, for the climate was a bit strange. Given the size of the settled lands, there should be a fairly wide band of climate across the place from north to south, but much of the five nations was a temperate continental climate. Given the size of the land mass involved, it didn't make much sense unless the planet was absolutely massive or there was some other factor interfering. If it were my last life, I would say that there was some kind of terraforming technology being used, but that was clearly not the case, from what I could tell. I gave the fireplace another glance as I pondered and felt a now familiar sensation. 

Fourth Affinity unlocked.  

Unlocked: Flame  

Grade: A  

Compatibility: 100%  

Please, I thought. At this point, this was just getting ridiculous. I had now unlocked four affinities, my body affinity, and the swords weapon mastery at the age of four. Even I had to be slightly impressed with myself at this point.  

I pondered what I had just unlocked, feeling the affinity deep within me. Sometimes, the only way I had to focus myself before, or calm my mind after, a large battle was to meditate, so I drew on that experience. I relaxed, easing my thoughts, and focused inward on myself, finding something rather startling. As an experienced body cultivator, I was used to turning my mind's eye inward and examining my body with more than just my physical senses. Now, however, when I closed my eyes and focused, my mind's eye gave me a view of a group of colored orbs. I quickly realized this was a representation of my different affinities, as I was seeing four orbs floating around me. Reaching out mentally, I touched the orb that clearly represented fire, being glowing orange and red and having a shimmer of heat swirling about it, and pressed on it. Nothing happened for a moment, but I opened my eyes to find a small flame hovering in front of me. 

Luckily, I had not set anything on fire, and I was able to quickly dismiss the flame. That was also interesting, as my flame affinity allowed me to dismiss fire, or at least fire that I conjured. I would have to test and see if my affinity allowed me control over other fire, but that was something for a bit later. Right now, I was simply happy that I had discovered a way to actually connect with and inspect my current powers. I leaned to the side a little and grabbed a log from a small stack of them on the side of the hearth, flicking it into the hearth with my wrist before summoning a small flame above my right hand and pushing it into the hearth. The flame landed on the log and I concentrated for ten or twelve seconds before dismissing my power, allowing myself a small smile that the log had taken the fire and continued to burn. 

Previous

Next