I woke up when the sun was barely peeking over the horizon, painting the sky in soft pinks and golds. The morning was dead quiet the kind of silence that usually feels peaceful, but not today. My body was still screaming from yesterday's beating, every muscle reminding me exactly how out of shape I really was. But honestly? I didn't care about putting on a show right now. There was nobody around to see me, nobody to fool.
My morning routine was pretty mechanical. I dragged myself out of bed and shuffled over to the washbasin. The cold water hit my face, and I just... stood there. Didn't feel refreshing or anything. It was just water. Just something I had to do. I went through the motions washing, getting dressed, all that basic stuff like I was on autopilot.
But there was one thing that kept nagging at me from yesterday. Watching Ray and Vidar spar had planted this idea in my head, and I couldn't shake it. Using two blades. I kept thinking about how fluid they looked, how natural it seemed. Maybe that was something I could actually do.
I headed out to the practice grounds while it was still early. The morning mist was clinging to everything, making the ground feel soft under my feet. The training area was huge just this big open space surrounded by high walls that made it feel kind of like being in a cage. The ground was all beaten up from years of people training here, patches of dead grass mixed with dirt. You could smell the dew in the air, and there were birds chirping somewhere in the distance. It was actually pretty peaceful.
I could hear other people training somewhere nearby the familiar sound of metal on metal but for now, it was just me and my crazy idea.
I walked over to the weapon rack and grabbed two long blades. The moment I picked them up, something just... clicked. They felt right in my hands, like they belonged there. I wasn't thinking about whether they were sharp or dull or whatever. I just wanted to see if I could make this work.
My body seemed to know what to do without me really thinking about it. I started moving through some basic stances, but with two swords instead of one. And honestly? It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. My arms were already aching from yesterday, but somehow the movements felt natural. Like I'd been doing this forever, even though I knew I hadn't.
I tried to copy what I'd seen Ray and Vidar doing. The way they moved, the precision of their strikes it was all about control, not just swinging around wildly. Every motion had a purpose. I could feel my body struggling to keep up with what my mind wanted to do, but I kept pushing through it.
The thing is, I wasn't feeling proud or excited about getting it right. It was just... necessary. Like learning to walk or breathe. Something I had to figure out.
My muscles started really burning after a while. The sweat was dripping down my face, and my breathing got all ragged. But I couldn't stop. Not yet. I had to keep going until I got it right, until my body understood what I was trying to do i kept thinking about that sparring match. Ray's raw power, Vidar's graceful precision they weren't just strong or fast. They had complete control over every single movement. That's what I needed to figure out.
I lost track of time, just moving through the motions over and over. The sound of the blades cutting through air, the rhythm of my breathing, it all kind of blurred together. My body was screaming at me to stop, but I ignored it. I had to push past this barrier.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I lowered the swords, and my whole body started shaking from exhaustion. My legs almost gave out, and I was gasping for air like I'd just run a marathon. Every muscle in my body was on fire.
"It's not just about the technique," I realized i need to actually be physically strong enough to do this stuff.
That's when Ray and Riven showed up, walking onto the practice grounds like they owned the place. Ray looked at me and asked, "When did you get here?" but I could tell he was really asking if I was okay.
Riven answered something about having things to take care of, but his eyes were studying me. Probably wondering why I looked like death warmed over.
Ray turned to me with that concerned big brother look. "How are you feeling?"
I switched back into my usual act, putting on a smile. "I'm fine." No point in complaining or making a big deal out of it.
Riven wasn't buying it though. "You've been pushing yourself pretty hard," he said. "Your body has limits, you know."
I didn't bother responding to that. Instead, I cut straight to what I actually wanted to know. "What do I need to do to handle all these movements I'm trying to copy?"
Riven looked at me for a long moment, like he was trying to figure out if I was serious. "Your body needs more than just copying techniques. You need conditioning. Real strength. Flexibility. Your muscles need to learn to work together, not just follow orders."
He paused, making sure I was listening. "Work on your core. Build up your endurance. Learn to breathe properly while you're moving. And most importantly, train your mind to push through pain. If your head gives up, your body will too."
Ray nodded along. "It's not enough to just mimic what we do. You need the stamina to actually pull it off. Otherwise, you'll burn out before you can finish what you started."
I absorbed what they were saying without showing much on my face. They were right, obviously. I'd figured that out the hard way just now so I started working on what Riven suggested. Push-ups, stretches, core exercises all the boring stuff that actually matters. Every movement hurt, but I kept going anyway. My body would adapt eventually. It had to.
I spent hours doing this stuff, and slowly things started feeling a little less awful. My movements got smoother, more controlled. The sweat was still pouring off me, but I wasn't collapsing every five minutes anymore. Each small improvement felt like progress, even if I wasn't exactly celebrating.
The sun was getting higher, casting longer shadows across the training ground, when a servant showed up and bowed respectfully. "The Lord has summoned all the princes," he announced.
I straightened up immediately, wiping the sweat from my face. Time to put the mask back on.