Chapter 230 Brightblades Vow (1/2)
”It's settled then” There was a happy shtblade's face as she spoke ”For the next year, you'll spend two days each week studying Forms And when you become a novice, you'll seek out the battlefield where Elder Nikias died and recover his lost treasures”
Arran eyed his teacher suspiciously ”Just like that?”
He was glad that she agreed to his plans, but the whole thing seemed entirely too easy She had listened attentively when he told her about the day's events, but she hadn't shown even the least bit of surprise It was almost as if…
”You knew!” Arran exclai… You planned it!”
”I did no such thing,” Brightblade replied calendary e you to seek out that girl That you visited the House of Flaood fortune — though, truth be told, she is rather predictable”
Arran gave her a baffled look It was abundantly clear that she so sure that he would meet Anthea Yet now, she tried to pretend otherwise, albeit halfheartedly
”Further her as your teacher is no fault of s is unfortunate, but there is nothing I can do about it — you're a grown s?” Arran frowned She had given hihtblade shrugged ”That you risk wasting a year of training, that you'll learn a uselessto find the Elder's lost writings — that, and whatever else Snowcloud an to understand the situation ”She knows about the For in the Ninth Valley,” Brightblade said ”Naturally, she heard about its legends And she knows you well enough to understand that you would be drawn to this one like a moth to a flame” She scowled, then added, ”Which is why sheit”
”Then ould you encourage me?” Arran raised an eyebrow in puzzle you,” she replied ”But if I did, it would be because she's wrong The chance of success, shs the risks The Forrand a prize would be folly”
At these words, Arran sat up in attention ”What kind of potential?”
While he saw plenty of promise in the Forhtblade's opinion, on the other hand, would reflect centuries of knowledge Whatever she saould be worth knowing
”The idea of coan ”Every h eventually tries it Even I have spent several years developing a similar method”
To illustrate her point, she formed a spell in her hand — a tiny sword of fire, barely the size of a finger and ible shred of Essence Yet when she shot it at the ground, it left a large black scar in the otherwise i and several feet deep
Arran looked on in awe He had Sensed that she'd used only a minute sliver of Essence — too little to even leave ait ”You did that using insights?”
Brightblade nodded ”The problem, as you undoubtedly noticed, is that the method is too slow to be useful in battle” A twinkle of excitement formed in her eyes as she continued, ”Yet this Elder Nikias somehow found a way to relance at the deep scar her spell had left in the grass ”You barely used any Essence, yet the spell was already so strong”
”Spells ier than those without it,” Brightblade confirhts as well, of course, but doing so is far more difficult, and the results aren't anywhere near as impressive”
Arran furrowed his brow When Anthea had shown hily weak But now, he understood that Forhts could surpass norht
”I had another thought,” he said ”Froressed far hts… could it be that Elder Nikias's htblade smiled ”That's my suspicion — and my hope If it's true, you would help not just yourself by recovering the Elder's writings, but Snowcloud and ht transform the entire Shadowflarew serious ”Then I'll do all I can to succeed”
”Indeed you will,” Brightblade replied ”And your first step should be to strengthen your resistance to ic For that, you must use the Patriarch's amulet every day When we travel to the hidden estate, you can use that other Realm of yours”
She did not naht Even if she had warded theireyes and ears, that was a secret she still guarded cautiously
”I'll get to work right away, then” A year see time, but Arran had little doubt that the battlefield would test his lierous, the Ninth Valley's o