Chapter 12: Breakthrough (1/2)
Staring at the long silver spear in my hand, my eyes brighten as I hugged mother, ”Thank you, Mama,”
”Anything for my baby, while I can't train you with the spear, I will oversee your training with the bow.”
Mother had a happy smile on her face as she led me to the training hall. The stench of sweat and blood assaulted my nostrils as I heard loud shouts in the distance.
There had seemed to be a major battle today as everyone was gathered together. Standing in the middle of the arena stood two young men around the age of twelve. They both had blades in their hands as they stared at each other with hatred.
”Are they fighting to the death,” I asked, staring at how they were acting?
”No, it's merely a squabble among children. It would be stupid to allow kids to fight to the death. Relationships can be mended.” she curtly said
Touching my chin, I shook my head before turning to mother, ”Who will teach me how to use a spear, or will I have to learn on my own?”
”Unfortunately, you will have to learn on your own I'm sorry, but it would be far too dangerous for people to be aware of a one-year-old training in the ways of the spear. I am merely giving you a tour of the training ground in case you want to look at the various people fight amongst each other.
Nodding, I smiled before following behind mother as we left the training hall. Walking back to my room, she suddenly asked, ”Do you wish to join the order of Knights like your Elder brother.”
Me a knight, the mear thought had me laughing, ”Of course not, I would rather be an assassin than a Knight...I wish to tour the world, brother will have the titles and stature, but I want the freedom to do as I please.”
Mother seemed surprised at my words but smiled bitterly, ”Arsène; unfortunately, you are part of the snow family. You need to make accomplishments in order to gain freedom like that.”
Thinking for a moment, I smiled, ”would they give me my freedom if I gave them a technique that allowed someone to have a photographic memory. Allowing someone to retain anything they saw.”
Mother's eyes slowly turned cold as she eyed everyone around before flickering away with me in hand. As we appeared in my room, she stared at me, ”Arsène, what are you talking about. You are only one year of age. How could you create a technique like that.”
I could see the panic in Mother's eyes, but I continued, ”It's just as I said, being trapped in the darkness has taught me a lot. Being in a void of nothing, my only company being the darkness, you are bound to learn a few things.”
”I can recall everything since the day I was born, the look of the wet nurse that helped birth me, the face of my brother at the dinner table, even words you spoke before knocking me out.”
A shiver ran through Mother's body as she paled with horror, remembering what she did, ”It depends as of right now, they would not. You still have a long way to go, Arsène. The Snow's are a major family for a reason they would not give you such freedom for something like that...At least not until you truly prove yourself.”
”While the technique is great, it's not necessary for, in the long run, most cultivators develop photographic memories the stronger they grow,” she explained.
Looking at the time, mother sighed in annoyance, ”I will be back later. I have been asked to check on the condition of the First prince.”