1106: Movents of the Battle Board – Part 9 1106: Movents of the Battle Board – Part 9 “A troubling thought,” Verdant said.
To most n, it would have seed an inspiring one, but Oliver had to agree with his attendant.
He nodded.
“I would say so,” he said.
“I wish to live and die as a man.
The prospect of infinity terrifies .” He paused there, rembering the initial reason that they had gathered at all.
They were still in search of Jorah, and yet Oliver had found himself well and truly distracted by the nature of their conversation.
It stabbed right at the heart of what Oliver found important, and it was difficult not to have it sway his attention entirely.
The matter of progress was both his greatest friend, and his most feared enemy.
“Huh?
Where’s that damn Kaya… Oh!
Morning, Captain.
Morning, Vice-Captain,” Karesh said, bowing once he noticed Verdant and Oliver.
“Kaya’s gone to train,” Oliver inford him.
“We were on the lookout for Jorah, but apparently he has gone to ensure breakfast for everyone.
What of you, Karesh?
Does that greatsword against your shoulder an you have the sa intentions as Kaya?” “Yes, Captain,” Karesh admitted.
“I thought I might be able to get so training in before we started breakfast, but it seems that my cousin has gotten the jump on .” “And how do you find matters currently?” Verdant said, taking Oliver’s question that he had posed earlier to Kaya, and using it before his Lord needed to.
“Matters, Lord Idris?” Karesh said, tilting his head.
“Concerning our strength, and that of our enemy,” Verdant elaborated.
“Oh,” Karesh said.
“Mm.
Well, we need to be stronger, I think… The fact that damn Firyr… Er, I an, Commander Firyr, has gotten ahead of properly now… It does sting a little bit.” “You’re going to miss the competitions that you had,” Oliver noted.
“Well, at least I’ll miss having the chance to beat him, Captain,” Karesh said, frowning.
“What does it even take to go through the Second Boundary?
After all the battles that we’ve done, how co we’ve all not gone through it yet?” “It takes progress,” Oliver said.
“For a start.
It takes suffering.
It takes, oftentis, responsibility.
There are many sacrifices that Claudia seems to accept.” “…I think I’ve hit a brick wall then,” Karesh said.
“I don’t know how to go further in anything.
I train, and most days it feels like I’m going backwards rather than forwards.
Even in the battles with Khan and Amion, I didn’t feel like I was at my strongest…” “Such is the way the river flows,” Oliver said.
“But a man with experience, who has spent multiple years in the sa Boundary is likely to be t with the sa thing.
It’s the pressure and need for a Boundary Break.” “You think I’m there, Captain?” Karesh said, his eyes lighting up.
“It is far from being an impossibility,” Oliver said.
“But to break through, you need sothing mighty.
To overco all those forces that seek to take progress away.
You need to overco a mighty amount of resistance if you want to take that final step.” The hope that Karesh had dangled in front of him was quickly snatched away, and his shoulders sank.
“What more can I do?” He murmured.
“I ain’t good at anything but swinging this sword.
Jorah’s got a hundred n under his command.
He’s way more likely to pass through than .” “Perhaps,” Oliver agreed.
“It seems too that Kaya is on a path of progress.
He might be just as close to a Boundary Break.” The large youth’s eyes widened hearing that.
Jorah seed like one thing to him – sothing that he could almost take for granted – but hearing that Kaya was in a similar sort of position hit him like a boulder.
“I-is that true, Captain?” Karesh stamred.
“It is true,” Oliver said with a raised eyebrow.
“Did you believe your cousin to be incapable of it?” “No… No, of course not, I just didn’t expect it so soon, Captain… When you say he’s on the pah to progress do you an..?” Karesh said.
“Inevitably,” Oliver replied.
“For the stage that the three of you are, Jorah included, that is the inevitable next step for you.” Karesh gritted his teeth.
“Am I really as close as they are?” He said.
“That would depend, Karesh,” Oliver said.
“I can not push you to it.
But it seems that both Kaya and Jorah have their reasons that they wish to be stronger.
Do you have the sa such reasons?” “I do!” Karesh said.
“Of course I do.
With Firyr ahead of , I can’t stay in the sa place too long.
But what do I do, Captain?
I can’t think of anything.
No matter how hard I puzzle on the matter, no new ideas co to mind.
I just train, but I don’t feel as if I’m getting anywhere special with my training… I think I might be doubting myself.” It was a position that Oliver knew only too well, for he had fallen into it many tis himself, and indeed, he had once more fallen into it.
On the edge of the Fourth Boundary, he found himself clawing at the sa door as Karesh.
For that reason, it seed almost hypocritical for him to offer advice, but given that he had an answer – one had imdiately arisen to his head when the question was offered – he could not hold it back.
For Karesh, at least, he thought it might lead sowhere.
“We’ve been given a new environnt, Karesh, with new problems, and new enemies,” Oliver said.
“Surely the battle with the Verna, with Khan and with Phalem did not leave you without any sensation of surprise?
You do not an to tell that you knew how to overco all the new tactics that they sent our way?” Karesh frowned.
“No.
I don’t think I was able to overco any of them.
Even their heavy shield walls, I don’t know what to do with them.
And when their chariots co, as everyone says they will, I think I’ll be even less useful.”
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