New Heights (1)

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The morning dew was still lingering in the air, slowly condensing to form small droplets of water that trickled down the trimmed blades of grass, the exotic plants and even the trees here. In only a few minutes the sun would start to climb over the horizon, meaning that it wasn’t even sunrise yet and I'd already been beaten three times in a row.

“That was a fairly decent attempt for your 319th try, but it looks like you’ll still need a bit more time to get used to wielding a sword. "If you keep training at this rate, you might be able to hold your own against me in another ten years or so—as a decent sport, that is."

Erwin appeared from beyond the drifting veil of vapor, the man had a habit of going shirtless whenever we spawned before sunrise. His bulging physique was impressive, but even more stunning than his body was the age he defied —a fact that left everyone in awe. To my knowledge Sylvans grandmaster was supposedly closing in on his four hundredth year.

“You say that every time you beat me to a pulp. It makes me feel like I'm not getting any better at all.”

Erwin laughed, his voice shaking the surroundings. “Well of course you're going to lose, they don't call me grandmaster for nothing you know.”

“I guess you’re right.” I said, pushing myself off the ground. “I think I’m staring to get the hang of this whole swordsmanship thing. Next time I’ll win for sure!”

“Haha! Now who's the one making empty promises? If you can’t follow through with it then you’ll be no different from a liar.”

“Don’t worry gramps, I don’t think I’ll ever become one of those.”

My sore body mustered a grin despite all the aches and pains I was feeling. These last four years felt like they’d gone by in a flash, mostly because I’d spent the entire time doing only one thing—training. As soon as Erwin learned I had no prior experience with the sword, he became ecstatic—like a child marveling at the discovery of something novel. Without delay, I was immediately thrust into the world of sword training."

He’d even went as far as to have Mavis make these strange martial art clothing for me. I never really understood these so-called ‘martial art clothes’ until Mavis had a pair of these strange, wide-legged garments—she called them ‘Raiments’—made just for me. They hung loosely with billowing fabric and crisp, deliberate pleats that were apparently akin to some strict code of discipline.

It resembled the ones Erwin usually wore, save for its milky white color and the fact that it was a lot smaller. Aside from how easy they were to move around in, the clothes themselves were enchanted to reduce the amount of damage the wearer sustained, although the effect would only come into play if a critical strike had been dealt.

Still, even with such a limitation, these Raiments had saved me from losing consciousness more times than I could count.

"Alright, let’s head back, Liam. It’s been two months since we last returned to Heston, and by now, your grandma’s probably getting anxious. You could use some help freshening up before stopping by the palace today—especially with your hair; it’s getting pretty long."

“I know, it gets in the way sometimes, I’ll have to do something about it soon.” I said, running a few fingers through the drooping black bangs threatening to shield my face. He took the lead and I followed behind him, carefully surveying the thralling forest path marking our way back to Heston.

Aside from guardians, lesser spirits, and the strange creatures darting through the shrubs, we were alone here.

“If your hair’s such a problem, would you like me to cut it, dear grandson?” Erwin quipped, grinning down at me.

“I’ll have to pass on that one gramps, I don’t think I can trust you with my hair.”

“You know you’re really starting to sound like your mother these days. What happened to the sweet little child who used to call me ‘grandfather’ and not ‘gramps’ like you’re doing now?”

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"Training out here with you in these woods is making me mature quickly. The four-year-old me was gone the moment you first brought me here."

“Bah! Lies!” Erwin scoffed, swatting the thought away. “It was for your benefit; you’ve gotten used to using a sword and you can use magic a lot better now so was it really such a bad thing?”

“Yes, it was terrible.” I remarked swiftly, heaving a heavy breath of frustration. “But I’m not mad about it, coming out here was exactly what I needed, so allow me to thank you grandfather, for everything.”

Erwin shrugged theatrically.

“T’was nothing really. I just took some time out to whip you into shape, well as much as I could during that short amount of time. Now that we’re going back to Heston for a bit, I’ll probably have to put a bit more effort into Irina’s training.”

“She's probably mad at you.” I teased, giggling to myself.

“Well, you’re not one to talk either. We’ve been in and out of Heston a lot in these past few months so it’s not like she knows what you can really do either. I daresay she might even challenge you once we get back.”

“T-that is true, she’s surprisingly competitive for a princess.”

“Kid...” Erwin stopped a bit ahead of me and jerked his thumb at the large construct standing still amidst the backdrop of thick barks and sinewy roots. “.... It’s too late to fret over any of that now, we’re already at the gate.”

“Hehe, well it's been two months so hopefully she’s not upset that we left anymore. If she is then I’ll have to think of something else to calm her down.”

“.....”

Erwin stopped again, this time only a foot short of stepping through the gate being filled with a bright neon glow. “You’re not even nine-years-old yet and you’re already having problems with girls. Maybe you really are maturing a bit too fast.” He said, allowing a cunning smirk to play on his lips.

“Irina doesn’t have a lot of friends so most of the time she ends up dragging me all over the place. It’s been two months since we left Heston so I want to make it up to her, that’s all.”

He raised a brow before chuckling to himself. “We’ve spent all this time out here in the wraith woods and I still feel like I don’t completely understand you. Then again, I suppose that’s just another form of maturity.”

Without waiting for my word, he moved towards the only source of illumination against the forest’ eerie backdrop of twisted roots and looming shadows. The glow of the gate pulsed rhythmically, casting flickering light across the damp earth, making the mist dance like spectral wisps.

I hesitated for just a moment, taking in the haunting beauty of the Wraithwoods one last time. The place that had shaped me, broken me, and rebuilt me stood silent, as if watching me leave.

Finally, a certain thought struck me.

This dark, creepy place was where I had spent most of my time in Sylvan.

If I was a normal child then I would have probably still been terrified, but looking back now it almost felt nostalgic.

The process of ‘growing’ was a lot less thrilling than I’d expected. The changes were small, incremental to the point where I didn’t even notice until they became too obvious to ignore. My hair got longer, my body was bigger and most of all, my core was now completely functional even though the seal was still in place.

Soon after the others left this place a few years ago, Erwin started teaching me the very basics of swordsmanship, mana manipulation and close quarters combat. After a full year of having the fundamentals drilled into me, we ventured into a secluded part of Sylvan known as the ‘wraithwoods’, a place teeming with guardian spirits and monsters exclusive to Sylvan’s mana rich habitats.

Years went by, much of which were a blur because of all the injuries I’d suffered, but the only thing I was sure of was the fact that my skill were improving every day. With Erwin’s guidance, I acclimated to the environment and learned how to hunt, kill and most importantly—survive.

It was far too extreme to simply call it training; however, there was no denying that my skills had improved in every conceivable way. Magic, martial arts, swordsmanship—unlike four years ago, I now had a solid foundation in each.

“Liam stop dawdling and let’s go.”

“Oh, right I’m coming!”

Reacting to the man’s voice, I broke into a half-sprint for the large gate that almost seemed as if it had come alive, its bright glow blanketing the damp forest with a warm radiance. Before I stepped through the shining swirl of light, I gave an obligatory glance back at the harsh environment I felt I owed so much to.

After spending a good part of the last four years here, the place somehow felt a lot tamer now that I was about to depart. Still, the time for isolation was over now, I didn’t have that much time left in Sylvan after all.

Quickening my steps, I made my way towards the large city waiting on the other side.