Chapter 242 The First Day of Training (1/2)
”Lord Ghostblade!”
Arran awoke with a start. When he opened his eyes he saw that the sky was still dark, but among the shadows surrounding the hot spring, Jovan's burly figure could be seen.
”What is it?” Arran asked, still groggy with sleep.
”You said to wake you half an hour before dawn,” the man's voice came. ”And you shouldn't sleep in there. Might drown if you're unlucky.”
As Arran exited the hot spring and dried himself off, he asked, ”Did you get any sleep tonight?”
”A few hours,” Jovan replied, though his weary tone suggested otherwise. ”Mansion's just about done, though. Should be all ready when you return tonight.”
Arran yawned as he stretched his body. ”I suppose I might as well go now. It couldn't hurt to be a bit early.”
”Can't train on an empty stomach,” his steward said. ”Eat something, first. I didn't know what you like, so I had the cooks prepare you some different things.”
That proved to be an understatement. Set out on a table in the gardens, Arran found a large buffet with over twenty different dishes, holding everything from grilled meat to freshly baked bread. There was enough to feed a dozen people, if not more.
With a glance at Jovan, he said, ”While I appreciate the effort, I doubt I'll be able to finish all of that.”
Jovan grinned broadly. ”Don't need to worry about that. Anything you don't want, me and the boys will deal with.”
Arran ate his fill and then some, silently thanking the Matriarch's mage for his choice of cooks as he tasted the food. Whatever else the months ahead would bring, at least he wouldn't have to worry about going hungry.
He left the gardens a quarter-hour later, Jovan already hungrily eying what remained of the feast.
The walk to the Matriarch's estate was a short one, and he arrived at the gate with time to spare. While the sky above the mountains to the east was already beginning to lighten, the sun had yet to rise.
Two guards stood guarding the gate, neither of whom Arran recognized. But they had clearly expected him, and as he approached, one of them asked, ”Young master Ghostblade?”
Arran gave a nod in response, though not without noticing that neither of these guards appeared to be imperials or borderlanders. The Matriarch's own servants, he guessed, would likely be members of the House of Seals.
The guard who had spoken quietly led Arran into the gardens surrounding the Matriarch's mansion, guiding him to a vast clearing amid the trees. The moment they arrived, the man promptly turned around and headed off, leaving Arran behind.
The circular clearing was over a hundred paces across, its ground paved with heavy stones that looked old but not the least bit weathered. And surrounding it stood several buildings with thick walls and small windows, their design simple but sturdy.
There was no sign of the Matriarch yet, and Arran spent several minutes exploring the area. From what he could tell, these were training grounds, with both the open space and the buildings around it built to withstand powerful magic.
The Matriarch appeared some minutes later, wearing a simple brown robe similar to the one she had worn the previous day. Her gray hair was bound back, and although her expression seemed calm and friendly, Arran now recognized that there was an air of authority to it.
”Good, you're here,” she said. ”Over the next few weeks, you will learn the contents of these amulets, and learn them well.” She handed him two memory amulets. ”Take a look.”
He was taken aback by her brusque manner. While he hadn't expected them to spend hours getting acquainted, he'd thought they would talk for at least a few minutes. But it seemed she wasn't willing to waste even that much time.
Still, it didn't matter. He was there to train, not to become her friend.
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He hurriedly inspected the amulets, and as he did, his eyes went wide with shock. One described hundreds of spells, while the other described at least as many seals and formations.
Yet the brief flash of panic he felt faded a moment later as he inspected the spells and seals themselves. They were all exceedingly simple, almost ridiculously so. None seemed to be of much practical use, but he couldn't find even a single one he wouldn't be confident in performing himself.
”I can already do all of this,” he said, brow creased in wonder. If the Matriarch wanted him to learn magic, this hardly seemed like a challenging start.
”I should hope so,” she replied. ”These are all children's exercises. Your task, however, is not to perform them but to learn them. You will master them, memorize them, learn their strengths and weaknesses, and find ways to improve them.”
She reached out and handed him another two memory amulets, which he quickly found were both empty, then continued, ”And you will keep meticulous notes of everything you do and learn.”