Lancelot t on the street. It seed the family were taking no chances with . She craned her neck to peer into the door as I left. It may have been my imagination, but I could swear the door slamd closed in response.
“How was it? And why are you so sweaty?” Lancelot had tact, but only seed to use it on occasion.
“Well, I spent much of my ti mostly nude in interesting positions being hit with a cane.”
“What? I thought you were going for tea! I was going to ask if you got ti to chat with her girls, but I can’t imagine she let them in on that.”
“Oh no, the apprentices watched.” Her eyes bugged out, and I let out a laugh. “She was using as an instructional tool. It was not so salacious rendezvous. More like they were dissecting with their eyes. I apparently have refined my body enough for witches to be impressed.”
“That’s what she wanted you for? Totally unfair! I’ve followed all Mum’s advice, so I can’t be too far behind. Even then, the Lady in Peach won’t let near them. Says I’d be a distraction.” I looked over at the very handso Lancelot.
“Would you be a distraction?” I probed. Sa-sex relationships were not uncommon in most cultivators’ circles. The Divine Cultivators had more problems with it than most, claiming it was against ‘the divine will.’ I suspected that had more to do with babies than anything else. Much easier to have cultivators born into a family who worshipped than to convert people. As such, it wasn’t sothing I normally heard discussed other than as tawdry gossip.
“Totally. I an, have you seen so of them?” She mid a very curvy figure in the air, one with a waist so improbably thin that I’m sure it’d cause problems standing upright. “I an, you’re a bard, aren’t you? Why are you not a distraction?”
“If I had to guess, because I’m not expected to stay around. Should they co to for a short dalliance, then that’s what they get. Or perhaps she can sense my attention is upon a distant flower.”
“You have soone?” she asked, sensing gossip.
“Maybe. I have to speak with her first. She most likely believes dead.” Sephy lood large in my mind. I didn’t fancy any follow-up questions about a relationship I wasn’t even certain of, so I deflected. “You’re an intense soul. I can imagine you in so love affair that singes pages and starts wars. Stealing princesses from princes.”
“I would deny it, but that does sound like sothing I would do.” Lance laughed.
“I can’t help but notice we’re not going back to your family compound.”
“You are far too sharp. You’ve been in this town, what, a few days and barely outside our house? And you can tell that. I can see why you keep the company you do.”
“That was not an answer,” I probed as we headed deeper into the town.
“Yet you still walk with . Fine, I wish to spar with you. I was going to take you to the training grounds. We have so at ho, but I don’t think they will allow you to showcase your abilities. Mum and Dad suggested it.”
I was confused. She wasn’t lying, but why were we going to so public space to duel? She wouldn’t be able to explore her Moon gift there.
Then it hit . Elaine and Ban were smart operators. If I turned up and then their daughter disappeared into private training imdiately after, only to later reveal her gift, then I could see people joining the dots and wanting to follow up. Dueling as if nothing had changed was the best way to obscure the revelation.
“I will spar with you, but I remind you, I am a bard, not a knight.”
“A bard capable of killing two Gale Hares. We are going to the place where Dad trains the guards. It should be mostly empty at this ti.”
We walked through town, and I was further impressed by the amount of cultivation on display, as well as the good nature of the townsfolk. They waved to Lancelot often, and I could see a fair few jealous glares thrown my way from young n and won alike.
“Your family is very popular.”
“This whole part of town is under Dad’s jurisdiction. He works hard to keep everyone out of the brothers’ sches. He basically agreed to remain neutral as they vie to be the next House head. He made the deal that as long as they stay out of Stonetown, he won’t get involved.” Lance’s voice was tense. Clearly, this was a prickly subject.
“I don’t an to disrespect your father, but why does one captain have so much say? Surely they could oust him if they wanted.” I felt a little confused and didn’t want to get too involved in so family squabble.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringent.
“Ah, well, that’s because Dad’s humble. He ntioned he was a fosterling? Well, what he didn’t say is the Bear—that’s the current head, mind you—basically said he is his son in na if not in blood. He technically has as much legitimacy as the brothers to claim the inheritance. When the Bear went out to do so lone questing through the fae doors, he gave Alastair Hightown, Lucius Clifftown, and my dad Stonetown, saying he wanted them to help build up Fosburg and see each of their domains thrive. My dad has focused on protecting Stonetown as per his orders, while the others keep trying to get a leg up by standing on each other.”
“So your dad’s a full House mber?”
“Yeah, but we’re not treated that way. The others like to throw their weight around as Grandfather is away. They think they’re better because they’re both Steel and my dad’s only Iron. I think he hasn’t broken through because if he did, they’d see him as a threat, especially as my mum could also break through soon.” Lancelot’s hands clenched, a trait she shared with her mother. “It eats at . I feel they’re waiting because of . Like if I was stronger, they could do more, be more. I almost went with the Lady in Peach. If I was under her protection, the brothers would never dare go against her. They are only low Steel.”
The mont of vulnerability passed, and she schooled her expression as we neared a large stone building, a small fort that looked over the surrounding chunk of town. She changed, standing up a bit straighter and looking more like the image of a true Squire. Befitting, as a mber of the House of Renown.
We entered the building, and I could feel the runic spells surrounding us. The bustle of the town beca a dull buzz. The glamour changed as well, becoming thicker and richer. Good for training. Lancelot marched through the plain stone corridors of the building, nodding to serious-looking people who nodded back, their eyes washing over and assessing.
I’d felt it before, but these guards had a quality to them that was a step above. Most were only Stone, but they were all alert, and I could all but feel them noting down my appearance in case they were asked later. Ban ran a tight ship.
We reached an austere training hall. It was well-kept, slling of soap and polish, avoiding that swampy, sweaty sll of several-day-old underwear that so often gathered in places like this. The ground was spread with fine sand, and a series of targets lined one wall. It was at least fifty paces on each side and had only four sturdy columns spread evenly through it to support the building above.
The space felt all the more cavernous as there were currently but a few older guards training in pairs, spread out over the vast area. They were all at least Wood, showing a single gift in their battles. They showed their years. Most looked grizzled, and the only one I’d seen use two gifts was a woman with lines of grey through her brown locks. I felt a little shocked to see her so old and not sense her as an Iron cultivator, but I had to correct my thinking.
I had been all but stuffed full of training aids as a Harkley. Even as a less-favoured mber of the House, I had been surrounded by wealth most would never touch. Lancelot was on par with most people I’d known, but she was the only child of an entire branch of the Fos House of Renown. It made sense she’d had the tools to boost her cultivation.
Sadly, people who didn’t have that backing rarely got that far. Working it out for yourself was ti-consuming. Even training only helped so far. Brews, the chances to go questing, the right runic spells to help you cultivate, techniques, and thods to absorb glamour—all of these cost money or required connections most did not have.
I nodded politely to the assembled guards as Lancelot went over to them. They were inscrutable in their assessnt of , carrying that sense of looking for a problem that all guards seed to possess. It left feeling uneasy. I’d worked hard at the Harkley household to avoid such attention.
“Commander Smith, would you allow use of this space to spar with this wandering cultivator? My father believes it would be instructional for us all.” Lancelot’s voice was formal, and she bowed to the older woman.
“This would be the Bard, I understand? Of course, Lady Lancelot. It is always a pleasure to watch you fight. n, fall out. Go grab those who are free for an instructional match. Lieutenant Kharlov, make sure the rune arrays are up to scratch.” The woman’s voice snapped, and the n shot to attention before filtering out. I headed over to Lancelot.
“I thought we’d just be sparring. This is far from my preferred stage.”
“Think of it as investnt. You fight here, and then people won’t co looking to fight you again.”
“I don’t really wish to fight anyone at all.”
“The other cultivator families in town are asking about you. To them, you’re just another way to get a leg up on the competition. They can’t beat our Lady though. So as long as you don’t beat her, then there’s a lot less prestige in fighting you. When they’re all vying to prove they are better than our prodigy here, you’d best give a good showing though, or the scum will co out looking for a leg up just by having beaten soone.” Commander Smith placed an affectionate hand on Lancelot’s shoulder as she spoke. The younger woman blushed slightly.
“Gloria—I an Commander Smith—is right. Look, just show off how a bard fights. Make it showy. You’re staying with my family and not for long. This is just to stop the bastards from hunting you down for a duel on the streets, or after you leave town. There’s a reason Bors hasn’t seen much combat. They only want to fight against Knight Errants they can beat.” Lancelot had actually thought this out. I’d just assud she was itching for a fight.
“How a bard fights, eh? I’ll see what I can do.”
It was a good question. My recent training was just about getting my skills back. I’d had ten days since my rebirth to get so of my skills, and most of my training with Bors was just to get myself up to speed. We’d not even done a full spar with all our abilities, in part because there’s only so much for to learn from getting obliterated.
What were my strengths? I was super mobile and not bad with the blade. I doubted I compared to Lancelot. It sounded like she was undefeated, and that was despite grousing about a duel with a lava cultivator. I had smoke, and my control was great. I had a lot of ash in my storage ring. I had my techniques—mostly my Levity and Illusions.
People began to file in, and I could sense a bubbling excitent from them all. They were expecting sothing worth their ti. I recognised at least one face from the guards yesterday, who was excitedly pointing out to his friends. I’m sorry, friend, this is going to be nothing like yesterday. Wait—why couldn’t it be?
Fight like a bard? I was not so foolish. It was ti to put on a performance.
Reviews
All reviews (0)