Chapter 2 — The First Lesson

The morning sun cut through Valenheart’s palace towers, painting gold across the stone courtyard. Birds chirped, servants scurried, and the clang of distant smithies echoed faintly. Kaelen walked silently, his hood drawn, following Prince Aric’s eager strides.

“Where are we going?” Aric asked, practically bouncing on his feet. “I want to see your skill… show me how to fight!”

Kaelen’s golden eyes met his, calm and unreadable. “Skill is meaningless without understanding. Today, you will learn discipline first.”

Aric blinked. “Discipline? That’s it?”

Kaelen’s lips twitched slightly. “You will see.”

They stopped in the center of a quiet training courtyard. Ancient stone walls, etched with faded runes, surrounded a single wooden training dummy. Dust danced in the morning light.

Kaelen drew the Aether Morphblade, its dark metal humming faintly. “Lesson one: observation. Watch everything. Footwork, posture, breathing. A sword is not just steel; it is intent, motion, and life. To fight well, you must understand all three.”

Aric crouched into a stance, mirroring Kaelen as best he could. Kaelen circled him slowly, every movement deliberate, precise. He tapped the blade lightly on the stone, producing a faint, musical ring.

“Most swordsmen rely on strength or flashy moves,” Kaelen said. “Power without control is meaningless. You must fight like water—adaptable, precise, inevitable.”

Aric repeated the words, trying to grasp their meaning. His strikes faltered, then improved slightly under Kaelen’s watchful gaze. The champion corrected, demonstrated, and repeated.

By midday, Aric’s arms ached, sweat ran down his face, yet his eyes burned with determination. He had never experienced a teacher like Kaelen. The man didn’t just show techniques; he made Aric feel the battle, to anticipate and adapt.

“You’re… not like anyone I’ve met,” Aric said, breathing heavily. “You don’t just fight… you understand everything.”

Kaelen said nothing. Observation was a teacher, not words.

Aric hesitated, curiosity breaking through fatigue. “Why do you hide your face? You’re incredible… I feel like I’ve been fighting shadows, not a man.”

Kaelen’s golden eyes met his directly, calm but piercing. “Some truths are earned. You will see who I am… when the time comes.”

Aric swallowed, nodding slowly. “I don’t care. I’ll train with you anyway. I will become strong enough to fight beside you… or against you.”

Kaelen’s lips twitched into a faint, rare smile. The boy had spirit, enough for now.

Beyond the walls of the palace, faint shadows moved across the city. Dark energy pulsed in distant corners, warning of creatures lurking in the world outside. Kaelen’s path, once solitary, was about to intertwine with destiny, danger, and battles far deadlier than a prince’s ambition.

And so, Kaelen began teaching the prince—the first of countless lessons that would forge not only swordsmen but legends.