The secret training sessions at dawn had now taken on a new meaning. Those sessions in the shadows were now conducted with even colder discipline and sharper focus. Every muscle contraction, every breath, every parry attempt was a new vow to himself. Control. And now, the first true test of that control was beginning.
The seven to eight year old group had completed their warm up exercises under Harkan's stern commands, trying to shake off yesterday's fatigue. Aurelion stood erect at the edge of the group, his body still showing the effects of wounds that had been throbbing for four days but were now subsiding.
The scabbed wounds on his lip and nose were like wild monuments of his first day in the courtyard, but this time the expression in his eyes was completely different.
That previous fiery glint had been replaced by a focus, calm as a still lake surface but hiding currents in its depths. That "intensity," that "ambition" within him was still there; he wasn't denying it, he just had to learn to restrain it.
Harkan was making the day's pairings. His eyes scanned the crowd, lingering briefly on many children Then his gaze fell on Aurelion. He hadn't failed to notice the boy's silent resistance during yesterday's punishment training and his calm demeanor today. Interesting.
"Lyra!" his voice thundered. From the other end of the courtyard, the fox girl standing alert, stepped forward. Her bright eyes immediately turned to Harkan. She had turned eight, and there was no trace left of her former self from that first day in the orphanage.
"Your opponent..." Harkan's finger pointed at Aurelion. "...will be the elf today."
There was a moment of silence. Most of the children hadn't forgotten that bloody fight from days ago. Nazgûl was still in the infirmary. And now this strange, wild Elf was going to fight Lyra, who was known to be at least as fast and agile as him? Curious whispers filled the air.
Lyra was also surprised. Her brow furrowed slightly as she carefully sized up Aurelion. The scars on his face, his calm but distant posture... This boy was dangerous, she knew it.
But she also knew she wasn't an Orc. Her speed and intelligence were her weapons. Perhaps that fight had just been luck, or the Orc's stupidity. Her confidence mingled with hesitation.
She had to be wary of him. Aurelion slowly stepped forward. His steps were measured. His stance was neither too defensive nor aggressive but balanced.
His goal was clear. Maintain control, test his own technique against Lyra's speed, prolong the fight, and learn.
Harkan measured the distance between the two children. "Remember! Until one of you gives up or I say stop! Begin!"
Lyra didn't attack immediately. She was smart. She remembered Aurelion's outburst from four days ago and was sizing him up. She feinted lightly left and right, changing her position with foxy agility, trying to gauge Aurelion's reaction. Her eyes followed every twitch of her opponent's muscles. Her clawed hands were half open, ready to pounce at any moment.
Aurelion didn't remain motionless either. He calmly followed Lyra's movements, maintaining distance but not retreating. His stance was stable, his eyes focused not on Lyra's eyes, but more on her shoulders and feet.
The first move came from Lyra. She lunged forward with a sudden burst of speed, sliding towards Aurelion's left side and delivering a low swipe with her claws.
Aurelion was expecting this move. Instead of a hard block, he took a slight step back and simultaneously used his left arm to gently but firmly push Lyra's swinging arm outwards.
Aurelion didn't immediately counter attack, merely resuming his balanced stance. "Fast. As expected. My timing was good, but the push could have been cleaner," he noted internally.
Lyra was surprised. She hadn't expected Aurelion to parry her move so calmly and fluidly. She tried again. This time she feinted to the left, then suddenly leaped to the right and attempted a higher scratch.
Aurelion again didn't respond harshly. Using one of the evasion techniques he remembered, he slid slightly to the side and slipped under Lyra's arm, creating distance again. "Her change of direction is effective. My reflexes aren't bad, but I need to be more predictive."
After a few similar probing moves, a hint of impatience appeared on Lyra's face. Was this Elf toying with her? Why wasn't he attacking? Or worse, was he underestimating her? The foxy cunning within her slowly gave way to anger. If so, she would force him to fight.
Suddenly, she changed tactics. She pounced on Aurelion with a wild snarl. No more single moves. It was a shower of claws, sudden biting attempts, trips aimed at his feet... She was more aggressive, angrier.
Aurelion momentarily faltered under this sudden pressure.
Lyra's speed was truly dizzying. But he didn't panic. He regulated his breathing. Instead of retreating, he focused on meeting every attack, responding to every move. He moved his arms faster to block the claws, ducked to avoid bites, and used footwork to evade trips.
His body was in constant motion; sometimes a hard block, sometimes a redirection, sometimes just a timely escape... He was tiring, yes. Even this defense required great effort. And it wasn't perfect.
One of Lyra's claws grazed his arm, leaving a thin scratch. In another quick move, his balance was slightly shaken. "I didn't pull my arm back fast enough. My feet were a bit slow."
He noticed his mistakes instantly, recording them in his mind to do better next time. The pain didn't matter, what mattered was this real time test.
That shadow dance in training was now being tested against real teeth and claws. As the fight dragged on, the situation began to reverse. Lyra's initial explosive energy was waning. Her attacks were still fast, but the intervals between them were widening, and her accuracy was dropping. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her orange hair stuck to her forehead with sweat.
Aurelion, however, was still calm. His defense might not have been flawless, but he had used his energy much more efficiently. Though he showed signs of fatigue, he didn't look as exhausted as Lyra.
With a final desperate move, Lyra lunged forward with all her strength. This time, Aurelion didn't retreat. He waited calmly, and just as Lyra reached him, he shifted slightly to the side, unbalancing her, and simultaneously pushed her shoulder with his palm.
Lyra stumbled, almost falling. She paused, her chest heaving rapidly, her eyes filled with astonishment, fatigue, and a wounded pride as she looked at Aurelion. This Elf... he hadn't hit her hard at all, yet he had exhausted her.
Aurelion saw that the girl was out of breath, unable to continue. He had achieved his goal. He had maintained control, tested himself, and defeated Lyra without causing serious harm. He calmly lowered his guard. He looked up at Harkan, who had been watching the fight silently from the beginning.
"I think that's enough, Chief Instructor," he said. Harkan first looked at the exhausted Lyra, then at Aurelion.
He grunted. "Enough! Disperse!"
Aurelion glanced at Lyra one last time. That complicated expression was still in her eyes. Then he turned away. There was a satisfaction within him, yes. But this was different from the Nazgûl fight. This was the satisfaction of control gained through his will, of an analysis he had made, of a strategic step he had taken. He had shortcomings, many things to improve. But today... today he felt he was on the right path. Even Harkan's grunt was proof of that.
Several hours had passed since the unexpected fight in the courtyard and the short rest that followed.
This was one of Linnea's classes, usually for older age groups, covering topics like history or basic strategy.
As usual, he was sitting in the rearmost seat by the wall. His mind was still analyzing the morning's fight, weighing his mistakes and successful parries. But he was also determined to focus on this lesson too.
Control had to be mental as well as physical. Just then, he noticed someone sit in the empty seat next to him. He could guess who it was without looking up. Elara. Usually she would take refuge beside him in this quiet classroom. But there was something odd today.
The person's movements were more… confident. He turned his head slightly and his eyebrows involuntarily rose. It wasn't Elara next to him. Lyra was grinning at him.
Aurelion was momentarily stunned. What was this fox girl doing here? Why would she want to sit with him? His surprise must have shown on his face, because Lyra giggled.
Just then, Elara appeared with light footsteps from the corridor. She had, as usual, headed for the empty seat next to Aurelion, but her steps faltered when she saw Lyra there. An expression of surprise crossed her face.
"But..." Elara murmured, pointing to where Lyra was sitting. "This place is..."
Lyra, without getting up, turned to Elara with an indifferent air. "Oh, Elara. Were you looking for a seat?" she said in a sweet but mocking tone. Then she gestured with her head to the other side of the hall. "My brother Kael is over there, why don't you go sit with him? You might have more in common, hmm?"
Elara's cheeks flushed. She wanted to say something, to object, but just as she was gathering her courage against Lyra's confident demeanor. Linnea entered.
As she calmly walked to the podium, her eyes quickly scanned the room. She saw Lyra sitting next to Aurelion and Elara talking to Lyra. She glanced at them briefly over her glasses, but said nothing.
When Linnea arrived, Elara bit her lip, gave Lyra an angry look, then turned walked towards Kael.
Aurelion had silently watched this little drama. He might not have cared about Elara's disappointment, but Lyra's sudden possessive attitude was strange. 'What's her deal?' he thought, giving the fox girl next to him a short, questioning glance. But he didn't dwell on it. His goal was to focus on the lesson.
Linnea began the lesson after everyone had settled down.
Aurelion tried to focus all his attention on what Linnea was explaining. Battle tactics, the strategic importance of Everfrost's geography... Interesting topics, but the constantly fidgeting and staring presence beside him was distracting.
A few minutes later, Lyra couldn't hold back. She leaned forward, her voice the lowest possible whisper but reaching Aurelion's ear clearly. "Hey... Why did you fight like that this morning?"
Aurelion ignored her, his eyes fixed on the map.
"Didn't you hear me?" Lyra leaned closer. "You didn't attack like you attacked Nazgûl. Were you scared?"
Aurelion took a deep breath. Patience. Control. "We're in class," he whispered, his gaze still forward.
"I know we're in class!" Lyra didn't give up. "But I'm curious! Did you see me as weak? Or did you underestimate me? Is that why you didn't hit me?"
"No," Aurelion said wearily. "I was just..." He searched for the right word. "...trying something different."
"What were you trying?" Lyra's curiosity had intensified. "How can you move so fast? Those parries... I've never seen anything like it."
Aurelion's patience was wearing thin. This chatty fox was preventing him from focusing on the lesson. Just as he was about to snap at her, he noticed Linnea occasionally glancing their way while teaching. And he thought he saw a faint, suppressed smile on her face.
"She knows," he thought angrily. "She hears us or at least is aware but isn't doing anything! Does she want me to talk to others? Is she encouraging this stupid whispering?"
He looked at Linnea angrily, a look that pleaded for help, that said, "silence her."
He met Linnea's eyes. There was an expression in her eyes that showed she understood Aurelion's discomfort, but also a clear "deal with it yourself" message and yes, that faint, amused looking smirk was still there. Linnea turned back to the front without blinking and continued her lesson.
Aurelion gritted his teeth. So that was it. Linnea wasn't going to intervene. Then he had to get himself out of this annoying situation. He slowly turned to Lyra, his voice icy but still a whisper. "I wanted to analyze my fighting technique, Lyra. Your speed and agility were a good test for that. I didn't attack you intentionally because my goal wasn't to defeat you, but to observe my own defense and movements. Do you understand now? Please stop bothering me so I can focus on the lesson."
This clear and somewhat dismissive answer silenced Lyra for a moment. She was surprised. So he wasn't toying with her, he was testing himself? But then new questions flooded her mind.
"You were analyzing your technique?" Her whisper was still full of curiosity. "What technique is this? Where did you learn it?"
Aurelion closed his eyes. Damn you Linnea! This girl wouldn't shut up. He let out a deep sigh internally. He opened his eyes wearily and turned to the parchment in front of him, but he knew that this lesson, with the chatty, curious fox girl beside him, would turn into an ordeal.
Linnea's plan, however annoying, had worked. Aurelion had now "interacted" with someone, whether he wanted to or not.
The study hall lesson had turned into a difficult test for Aurelion. Lyra's whispers, who had practically set up camp in the seat next to him, constantly distracted him like the buzzing of a fly, and the Northern history and battle tactics Linnea explained couldn't find a place in his mind.
The fox girl's endless questions seriously tested Aurelion's newly acquired discipline of control. Especially the fact that Linnea noticed this situation but didn't intervene, even sensing a clear expression of amusement in the furtive glances she threw their way from the podium, made Aurelion's nerves jump. The woman was literally playing games with him.
When the bell announcing the end of the lesson rang, Aurelion almost knocked over the table while gathering his parchment. Ignoring Lyra's "Hey, where are you going?" question, he stormed out of the hall with firm steps.
After a while Aurelion found himself in front of Linnea's office. He didn't even bother to knock before entering.
Linnea seemed to be waiting at her desk. When she looked up, she saw Aurelion's tense figure standing in the doorway with the angry and questioning glint in his golden eyes.
She was already in a good mood because of Harkan's report that morning. Now Aurelion's reaction made the situation even more amusing.
She put aside her professional mask, a mischievous smile appearing on her lips. "Ah, Aurelion," she said, her tone filled with innocent curiosity. "I guess you didn't like the lesson much? Or… maybe you weren't too pleased with your new deskmate?"
Aurelion entered, slamming the door shut behind him. "I know you did this on purpose," he said directly.
Linnea laughed, leaning back. "What did I do on purpose? What could be more natural than a curious girl taking an interest in someone who fights… differently than herself?"
"She distracted me the entire lesson!" Aurelion's voice rose slightly. "But we had an agreement! I would maintain my control, focus on the lessons, and you would help me! But you condoned her whispers!"
"Helping," Linnea repeated, her smile widening. "Isn't improving your social skills also part of the training? In the future, you'll need to deal with people, not just brute strength. Or are you telling me that the boy who defeated a Orc four days ago can't now handle the curiosity of a little fox girl? I'm a bit… disappointed."
Aurelion took a deep breath. Arguing with this woman was exhausting. He calmed down. He had to play by the rules of the game. He sat in the chair opposite the desk. The angry expression on his face disappeared, replaced by that cold, calculating glint again. He smiled too.
"You're right," he said softly. "Perhaps I also need to improve my social skills. Thank you for this lesson. However," he paused, "let's not forget the other part of our agreement. My controlled performance in the courtyard this morning, the patience I showed in class… I think those deserve a small reward. Don't you?"
Linnea's face turned slightly serious, but the playful glint in her eyes didn't disappear. "Hmm, so you want a reward. Let's see what you have in mind? Or would you like me to teach you how to say "no" to Lyra?"
Aurelion laughed mockingly. "No, thank you. I was thinking of a more… informative reward." He leaned forward slightly. "When I was at the Arena with Captain Roric, he told me about things called "Cores." Those shiny stones that come from monsters, that give power to weapons… A little more information about them wouldn't hurt. After all, it could be important for understanding the rivals or allies I'll face in the future."
Linnea was expecting this request. She nodded. "Cores, yes. The Captain has already told you, but let me give you a small summary. The energy within Cores is raw and volatile. If used incorrectly, it can lead to disaster. But when processed correctly…" She paused, as if hesitant to give information. "…they can add considerable power to weapons and armor. Cores from different monsters create different effects. Like fire, ice, poison…" She listed known, general information, not going deeper.
Aurelion listened carefully. "Different effects… So there are varieties," he noted mentally. "Very interesting," he said innocently. "So this "essence," this concentrated "energy"… is it only found in monsters?"
Linnea noticed the trap. Her eyes met Aurelion's for a moment. The expectant expression on the boy's face gave everything away. He had cornered her again. She sighed, smiling faintly. This time, her smile contained both admiration and a slight sense of defeat. "Every living being has a energy, Aurelion," she said calmly. "And yes, there is a center where this energy is concentrated, a "Core." Although not as raw and element focused as in monsters, it carries potential."
Aurelion's eyes shone with triumph. His heart beat rapidly. This was it! The answer he had been waiting for!
Linnea noticed this joy but immediately took control. "However!" her voice hardened. "On the condition that this information stays with you! And you understand now why the talent tests at the College are held at the age of nine, don't you? That Core, especially in someone young and with unknown potential is extremely sensitive and fragile. The slightest unconscious interference with it could ruin your entire future. Permanent damage, injuries, even death… Do you understand?"
Aurelion nodded calmly. This time it was easier. "I understand, Mistress Linnea. I won't be hasty. I'll wait until College. Control… That's what I need to learn, isn't it?"
Linnea looked at the boy's expression. Maybe this time he really understood. She nodded with satisfaction. "Yes, Aurelion. That's exactly what you need to learn. And your effort this morning… Well done. I liked it."
"If you continue with this understanding, I will keep my promise to guide you."
"And what about Lyra?" Aurelion asked again, a hint of desperation in his face.
Linnea giggled again. "She's your little fox now. I think you two could be a great pair. Maybe you'll learn patience from her, and she from you… maybe a little discipline?"
She stood up. "Now go on. And yes, dealing with Lyra is also part of the training."
As Aurelion left the office, he had a complex expression on his face. He had solved an important secret, but he had also acquired a curious fox. But now he knew, the potential within him was real. And the way to awaken it was through patience and control. The game was still on, but the rules had become a little clearer.