Sweat rolled down his back as the sun started to rise over the hills. The warmth of spring had started to filter through and even this early in the morning, Jano found himself damp with the efforts of exhaustion. It never got this warm in Qursa, except for a day or two in the summer. No wonder Eradin chose to make his residence in another part of his empire. The wind lapped gently against his hair. The smell of bread being freshly baked for the day ahead was distant but it wafted down on a gentle breeze and was enough to make his stomach twitch.

Jano had been in the training yard since it was still fully dark. Ever since Herat began training more and more people in combat, he had found it was the only time he would be able to practice.

And he had another weapon to get used to.

Dual wielding these odd little scythes wasn’t something he’d ever thought to do. Some people do grow up lusting after the sword and fame that way, chasing glory through battle. Though not so much back in his home. Not least amongst the slums. But he hadn’t even known these weapons had existed. Not until that fateful day in the University. After Herat’s kindly gift of the second weapon, he felt he had to do his best to learn to use the things before he needed to.

And learn to use them he had. Or had at least began to. He found his weight was more even when going through the forms. He had to modify each form for dual weapons. But he had largely figured it out; even if it had taken several hours over a few mornings.

He was sitting cross legged now. Once again building up his spirit and channeling essence through it. Chaos was easy given his surroundings, and he had more than enough of that. It was stone he was determined to keep using. He knew it well. He loved his masonry work. It seemed like a shame to neglect it.

He found it was strange channeling two essences at the same time. There was a reduced capacity for one, that much was obvious. But there were other things. There was a small delay when switching between them. He felt different. As though he could always be stronger. There was more to give. Dariea had warned him of course. Learning to be proficient in more than one has certain consequences. But only now that he was getting practical experience did he realise what she meant. No wonder the true experts in one essence were considered just as deadly. Still, he felt attached to stone and he wasn’t ready to give it up quite yet.

Most of all, he felt like he had potential to progress. Which was something that had been deprived from him for so long. Everytime he channeled essence around his spirit. Everytime he felt the strength floating through his limbs, to his toes and fingertips. He felt a buzz inside which he couldn’t explain to others. But to him it felt like hope and excitement crushed together so intensely that the very sun could be borne from it. It was probably different for those who had known that feeling from the start of their training. But it all felt exciting to him.

He pictured the runes for the Stone Shield. He did not call the stone essence from his spirit. He did not feel that now somewhat familiar pull. He simply thought about them. He studied them as he breathed slowly. He was deliberate. For a while he felt nothing. He remained relaxed.

Slowly, he felt the runes embedding into him. Further into his memory for one thing. But also connecting with his spirit. He wasn’t just recalling the runes. He was learning their true nature.

“Are you planning on sitting there until lunchtime?”

The words brought him out of his meditation. He was expecting Herat. Finally come to kick him out of her training yard for the start of the morning classes.

Instead Dariea stood there, arms folded but with a warm expression. There was still no one else in the training yard.

“Good, you are finally learning what meditation is for I think.”

Jano stood up to face her. “I felt it then. If you hadn’t interrupted me, I think I was close to making a breakthrough.”

Dariea pulled a feigned shocked expression. “Believe me. There are a lot more ‘breakthroughs’ to come. I just thought I would come and check on how my pupil is getting along. Herat has kept me informed of course, but I wanted a first hand report.”

She surveyed his weapons and the training yard. There was a wooden dummy which was his particular favourite, cut up with several notches on most of its limbs.

“I see Herat gave you a second weapon. She had said that your balance was a little off. Perhaps you have found better luck with our wooden friends now? You know they use a special lacquer which is meant to prevent such…. severe cuts. Are you still practicing your forms?”

Jano nodded, but before he could respond properly. She turned and began walking away.

“Good. Because I believe there is more cleaning up to be done. Come on.”

A portal opened up and she turned to look at him before passing through. “Hurry up.” Jano rushed after her. Hairs sticking up on the back of his neck.

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They arrived at the bottom of the settlement, by the wall which Jano had recently created. Soldiers had just finished dealing with a Shimmer. “General!” The nearby soldier saluted Dariea. They didn’t really acknowledge Jano, other than as her companion.

“What’s the latest?” She asked.

“There are still just small groups here and there. Those which aren’t smart enough to find their way back or retreat. At least that’s still our thinking. A small group attacked this morning. We’re just about to deal with any stragglers now.” She reported in a snappy sort of way.

“My apprentice and I will deal with that. Go and have some breakfast or something.” Dariea replied.

The Chaos-Shaper paused for only a moment, before she saluted and turned to relay the message to her comrades gathered close by from all clans. The amount of soldiers still garrisoned were much less than when Jano had been here on a regular basis with Gryff. But then the threat certainly seemed less than it did then.

They walked past the defences, down into a bog at the bottom. The sun had not yet dried the ground of its soggy, messy conditions. The natural drainage hadn’t been able to get rid of the rest either, with the amount of debris still present. Jano walked past a barricade of wooden spikes. Dariea was ahead walking with supreme confidence.

“Do you know the main difference between the contract you had with Eradin and a normal training contract?” She sounded academic, even walking into potential danger.

“Is this really the best time to discuss it?” He said, struggling to catch up.

“Now is the best time.”

A Shimmer roared out of nowhere. Dariea didn’t react, other than to move her hand slightly. A small portal opened next to Dariea’s hand. A blast of shadow fired from her palm through the glowing violet portal. The Shimmer's head was eviscerated. Then its body exploded seconds after. A portal on the opposite side of it closed just after Jano clocked its existence.

“What was that? Can we use portals like that?” He asked.

“Of course. Well you can’t just yet. Why do you think the Chaos-Shaper’s army is so feared? Though it takes a serious amount of time before you can use it with any precision.” She picked her way through some debris. “Now can you tell me what the difference is?”

“That he put parameters on our spirits, only allowing us to draw from him and not directly on the essence around us which hampered our growth?” He was trying to spot any further danger heading towards them but he saw nothing but the beginnings of the valley. They kept walking.

“That’s correct, but not what I’m after.” She replied.

Jano’s felt something tug at his spirit. There was danger nearby. He felt a little pride at being able to detect it. But there was something else too.

“Erm.. that I can sense people and danger?” He was struggling and sensing the danger gave him at least a vague guess.

“No. But you can sense them now? That’s good to know from a development perspective. You know as part of this master/apprentice thing I haven’t been keeping too close an eye on you. But that’s good to know.”

Jano wanted to add that he couldn’t do it very well. But as Dariea didn’t give too many compliments, he thought he’d keep it at that. They rounded the corner of a dilapidated building. It was a storage hut, big and round with a grass roof where traders used to hole up if they arrived too late to trade. A small group of Shimmer were hiding just to the rear of it. Jano readied his blades and his spirit. Nerves pulsed through him as he realised he had to use his scythes a little sooner than he planned.

“So are you going to tell me? Does it have any relevance to this or can I focus on the fight?”

Dariea stopped where she was. She wasn’t far from the Shimmer, but they stayed where they were. Hesitant. Confused. A bit like Jano himself. She had a smirk plastered across her face.

“Fine. I was trying to build up to something grand and poetic. But the best difference between those two contracts is: I can now consciously lend you some of my strength should you need it. Whereas the Emperor just took from his subjects. Until now you’ve been subconsciously drawing from my spirit when you were exhausted. So here - let’s see what you can do with your newly practiced abilities.”

Jano felt his spirit surge with strength. Instantly he felt the peak begin to spread throughout his spirit. It either worked differently when Dariea lent him strength or the Spirit Smoothing Stone was doing its job remarkably quickly. It felt much easier to process than when he had received strength from his scythe. Perhaps it’s just experience, he thought.

Dariea let loose a blast of shadowy chaos essence. It hit one Shimmer square on and it evaporated. Poof. Gone. It split the others apart. They would be easier to pick off now.

Jano ran at one and summoned Chaos Daggers to shoot ahead. Instantly, the runes obeyed his will and a larger number than usual shot into his intended victim with unexpected accuracy, dropping it still to the dirt below. He switched to focussing on stone essence, drawing up the runes for the Stone Spears.

They clattered into the next closest Shimmer and knocked it back. Jano closed the gap and sunk his scythe into it. He felt it feeding his spirit, though it was already more than strong enough.

He fired off attack after attack, downing each enemy until there was only one left, which was lumbering toward them from a distance but Dariea’s intial attack had done too much damage. It wasn’t moving quickly at wll. He felt the overwhelming strength start to leave him. He looked around with concern. Had he used too much? Had he been too reckless? Dariea was smiling.

“That is just a taste of strength. One that you will earn yourself one day without question. But you cannot come to rely on it.” She pointed at the now slightly closer adversary.

“Finish that one off by yourself. Then let’s go and find something to eat.”