Alareas next classes went by in a flash.
First off was Combat Theory, a wide spanning subject ranging from battle formations down to simple sword techniques. While the former may have been more interesting, the latter was more functional, even if it covered a lot of the studies she had already done back in her home in Cila.
Their next class on the other hand, Aura, was something else. Just one week ago it would have felt normal to her, but the standard methods to control aura just felt so alien to her now.
“These are the main pathways through which you should channel your aura,” the professor pointed at a large human diagram drawn on the chalkboard, various straight and harsh lines cutting through the body. “This is your main pathway, from your neck down your chest and finishing at your gut. I want everyone to focus on it, channel your aura down the narrow path.
Alarea tried to give it a go, however it felt all wrong to confine her aura to such a small sliver of her body.
“Having trouble, Miss. Alarea?” The professor asked as he began making his rounds of the class, inspecting every student and offering his advice. “Your aura is wild and out of control, you must bring it to heel.”
“I will try sir,” she responded, giving it a go. She had been able to perform these exercises with ease not that long ago, but now everytime she tried to force her aura into line her heart clenched.
“Keep it up,” the professor turned his attention away from her, face clearly displaying his displeasure at her performance. Alarea too was disappointed, the years of practice of aura control seeming to slip through her fingers, her control becoming completely inept.
“What the hell is going on?” She wondered, not fully understanding why this was happening. “Why is my aura so out of control? This is the most basic of exercises and yet I’m having trouble? I used to be able to do this in my sleep.”
She scoured her mind searching for an explanation, however she came up blank. “I was even able to manifest sword aura over a twig! Where has all that control gone!”
The thought of her brief training while walking back to the city with her master made her recall some of the words he had said. ‘Always remember that it is not about overpowering or controlling it, but rather letting it flow naturally. It is your friend, not your adversary.’
“What the hell is that supposed to mean anyways? I’ll admit I made some progress when I didn’t think too hard.. But how can you control something without controlling it? It doesn't make any sense.”
However she still decided to give it a try, her mind relaxing the pressure that she had exerted onto the warm energy that flowed throughout her body, instead letting it flow freely. It felt much more natural as she did, the tension that had gripped around her heart fading away.
Rather than by force she tried to act like a conductor, motioning where she wanted it to flow. It took a while, the professor having already moved on to getting her fellow students to move their aura through other paths in their bodies. But she kept at it, not bothering about outside influences and focusing all her attention inward.
“What's she doing?” Coral whispered to Sofia. “She’s just been sitting there with her eyes closed for the whole lesson.”
“Leave her be Coral. You could see she was having trouble before, she's probably still trying to get it right.”
“I mean, that's what I figured but It’s not that hard is it?”
“Just drop it. It’s her first day, maybe she's just nervous.”
“Yeah maybe..” Coral looked unconvinced as she stared at Alarea’s face subtlety twisting and contorting. She had no way to view what was happening with her aura, such an ability only belonging to expert swordsmen or above, and she was very much not that.
Completely oblivious to the conversation right next to her, Alarea focused on letting her aura flow naturally, letting it take its course as it wished, only giving it brief directives as to where she wanted it to flow. The warm energy seemed to respond to her newfound approach, moving with far greater grace and ease than she had ever experienced before. She felt it move through her body like a gentle stream, without her having to force it to move it flowed with her thoughts, consolidating in a single line leading from her neck to her stomach.
“I.. did it?” She thought with wonder. She hadn’t even tried, where before she had focused hard to get her aura to even budge an inch, here she used very little effort and it flowed throughout her entire body with just a thought. “There's no way It's that simple right? Or else everyone would be doing it this way.. I have to ask Master.. Although I have no idea where he is..”
It was an incredibly exhilarating feeling moving her aura in waves with a simple suggestion from her mind, the warm aura flowing through her body with ease. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes she could move it with ease. The only problem she found was the small amount of aura she had, not even enough to completely fill her hand when she directed it inside.
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“That's another question then. I have no idea how to gather more aura, controlling what I had was already enough of a problem, let alone thinking about how to get more.”
The common consensus was that aura density came through both age and training, like a muscle if you trained it hard and long enough it would develop. However Alarea was sceptical. If letting her aura flow naturally like she had and ignoring what was the standard method produced such results, what else from the textbooks might be wrong?
“I wonder where master has wandered off to anyways?”
(/)
Alexander had little to do when his five students were off in another class or his newly found apprentice was not around, so he had found himself sitting idly at the edge of a small pond deep within the academy’s gardens.
His reflection in the waters felt alien to him. Tattered hair, unkept beard and dressed in cheap rags. “It's no wonder Bernard didn’t recognise me.. I struggle to myself sometimes..” But he pushed such thoughts aside. He had very little room left in his heart to care. “Although a haircut could be a good idea.”
With his mind wandering he could not hear the footsteps of another person entering the small clearing around the pond. The moment someone showed bloodlust he would know, but until then his mind was awashed with random thoughts, paying no mind to the happenings around him.
“Mind if I sit?”
Alexander was pulled from his thoughts, looking up to see a green haired elf looking back at him.
“I don't own the place.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” the woman sat down a few paces away. “I'm sorry if I disturbed you. No one ever comes out this way, especially at this time so I was a little surprised to see someone else here.”
“I have little else to do.” Alexander responded, turning his attention back out to the water. “But, if you don’t mind me saying, it is strange to see an elf so far from the Great Forest.”
“You noticed that did you?” The elf levelled him with a small smile, not that he saw it with his eyes locked on the water ahead. “The elders of my village thought it prudent that I went out and experienced the world. And so here I am.”
“And so you ended up here, one of the furthest places away from the Great Forest unless you decide to traverse the continents.” Alexander flung a small rock out across the lake, the rock bouncing the water's surface a few times before sinking into its depths.
“You know where the great forest is?” The elf raised one of her eyebrows, such knowledge wasn’t widely known.
“I know vaguely, like everyone else.” Alexander said simply. “It’s hard to hide a huge forest, but where its cities are I have no idea.”
“That's true.” The elf nodded, before moving to introduce herself. “My name is Erina, a professor here at Karaeth Academy.”
“Alex,” Alexander returned the gesture. “Combat instructor for the graduate class.”
“Ahh you're the new instructor,” Erina said with recognition. “A pleasure to meet you. Make sure to stop by the staff room sometime, the rest of the faculty would be grateful to meet you as well.”
Alexander merely grunted in response. He hadn’t come out here because he wanted company after all, although if Erina noticed his displeasure she candidly decided to ignore it.
“I can’t say I've ever heard of an Expert swordsman by the name Alex.” Erina began. “What were you doing before coming here if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Who says I'm an Expert?” Alexander asked as he flung another stone across the lake, enjoying watching ripples forming across its surface.
“I mean no offence if you're not,” Erina defended, raising her hands slightly to indicate she meant no harm. “It’s just that every previous instructor for the graduate class has been an Expert, which is usually required to teach such students so far into their training. Not that we don’t have other Expert swordsmen here, but the headmaster has a lot more other work to be done while our other Expert helps teach the rest of the student body alongside a staff of Advanced swordsmen.”
“I see..” Alexander hummed. “Instructing at the level of Expert is no issue for me. But is it not true that even Experts have trouble dealing with these students? Bernad has told me they make it a habit to get their instructors to resign. Would it not be more prudent to have a Swordmaster teach them?”
“Hahaha,” Erina bellowed out in laughter at Alexander's statement, however dialled it back when she saw he hadn’t intended to make a joke. “A Swordmaster isn’t someone you can just hire. I could count the number of known Swordmasters on my hands and still have room left. Those monsters live in recluse, acting as the pinnacle sword for whatever nation they call home. No matter how much the headmaster could wish for it, getting someone like that to come here and teach some brats is impossible.”
“Impossible huh?” Alexander echoed as he threw another stone across the water, applying the slightest sliver of aura to the bottom, causing it to skip completely over the lake's surface to the bank on the other side.
“Yes, impossible,” Erina turned back towards the lake. “But you never did say what you did before.”
“Oh you know,” Alexander began to dodge the question. “I simply travelled here and there, really nothing worth noting. Although through my travels I did come into contact with Bernard, your headmaster here, which allowed me to get my current position.”
“You did, did you? Was our headmaster not in the military for the Eagle Kingdom before coming here?”
“I did have the pleasure of fighting alongside him for a time,” Alexander agreed. “He was one of the best, although quick to anger. It seems his time here has mellowed him out some.”
“You seem to know him well.”
“We are acquainted,” a loud bell cut through their conversation, the fourth period of classes coming to a close. Alexander stood, dusting off his already stained clothes. “There’s a one hour break before the final period, correct?” He asked the professor.
“That's correct,” Erina stood as well. “But I must be off, many students pay my office a visit during this hour so it's back off to work. But it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“Very well,” Alexander nodded, he too wanted to go to his training grounds to prepare for his coming first lesson. “And likewise.”
The two parted ways, Elina heading back to the main academy building while Alexander made his way through the gardens, heading for the private graduate class training grounds.