“Then can you guess what specialisations these eight Martial Styles have?”
“Eight Martial Styles,” Alnea said to himself, thinking for a bit, before nodding to his master. “Since you told me that I am going to learn each Martial Style one by one, then they cannot be all of the same type. So, these eight Martial Styles should each belong to one of the eight different specialisations that I just mentioned; Strength, Speed, Defense, Agility or Reflex, Stamina, Stealth, Sensory, and Auxiliary.”
“And what type would they be in the classic way of classification?”
“That is even more easy to guess,” Alnea said with a confident smile, as he glanced at the ring on his finger. “Of five types of Martial Style in the classic way of classification, only some of the Martial Styles of the Auxiliary type do not require the use of Oren at the Seed Rank, because they mostly focus on using the Aspects to control and enhance our bodies. Of course, some of the Armour, and Weapon type Martial Styles focus on our bodies as well, but they are very Oren dependent. So, these eight Martial Styles can only be of the Auxiliary type.”
“Good observation,” his master said, once again, nodding in satisfaction. “One last question before we begin with the Martial Styles, how are the Grades of the Martial Styles decided?”
“The Grades of Martial Styles,” Alnea mumbled, as his nerves tensed up once again, trying to recall what he had learnt. “Since Martial Styles focus on Aspects, rather than the Mysteries of the Origin Sea, they cannot be Ranked in a similar fashion. Especially since the essence of Martial Styles is better usage of Aspects, irrespective of the strength of the Aspects themselves.
“A Martial Style, making use of False Ranked Aspects, can also make use of Supreme Ranked Aspects. It is just that efficiency of the usage will be different. And that is where the Grade of Martial Styles comes in. Just like Arcanas, the Grades of Martial Styles also range from Failed Grade to Origin Grade, which is mostly decided by three factors; control, enhancement, and efficiency.
“Yet as Martial Styles are inherently different from Arcanas, there are still a few differences in how they are Graded, the most prominent one being the issue of having to also rate how well the Mysteries that are being interpreted by the Arcana are meshed and blended together to bring out their best effects. Martial Styles don’t have such nuances because by the time the Warriors become capable of creating Martial Styles, their Aspects have already formed a core, and don’t conflict with each other.
“There are a few other differences between the Martial Styles and Arcanas, like the dynamic nature of the Grades of the Martial Styles, and the higher Rank of Wanderers required to create them. Even False Arcanists can create High Grade Arcanas, and maybe if they are especially talented, then even Top Grade Arcanas. True Warriors on the other hand, can at most create Intermediate Grade Martial Styles. And even then, they will have to be near the peak of the True Warrior Rank, like the Ninth, or Tenth Stage of the True Warrior Rank, to be able to do that.
“This disparity is because Warriors can create Martial Styles only when they reach the Fourth State of the True Warrior Rank. Moreover, generally, at that Stage, the most they can create is Lowest, or Low Grade Martial Styles. After that, as they advance through the Stages, and Ranks of a Warrior, accumulating more Aspects, condensing their Aspect Soul, and such, they slowly perfect their self created Martial Styles, increasing its Grade along with their rise as a Warrior.
“In short, while Arcanists may create multiple Arcanas for each Rank, and Stage of their advancement, Warriors will create only one Martial Style in their entire life, and slowly perfect it as they advance. This is also the reason why there is an even greater dearth of higher Grade Martial Styles when compared to the higher Grade Arcanas. So much so that Divine, and Transcendent Grade Martial Styles are almost impossible to find. Perhaps only the Supreme Warriors may have Transcendent or Divine Grade Martial Styles, but then, why would they spread their own Martial Styles to other people?”
“There was no need for the extra bit in the end,” his master said. “But it is as you have said. Warriors generally begin creating their personal Martial Styles when they reach the Fourth Stage of the True Warrior Rank. And for most of them, their first creations are almost always Failed Grade Martial Styles, which after countless readjustments, and honing, reaches the Lowest Grade.
“Just like the eight Martial Styles in front of you. All of them are Lowest Grade Martial Style, falling under the Auxiliary type of the classic thought, with each of them focusing on different specialisations. Your next task in building your foundation is to master these eight Martial Styles in a month.”
“A month?” Alnea asked, a little unsure of what he was hearing. His master had once said that she would help him bring his foundations to the same level as the Seeds from the twelve Origin clans, and make sure that he does not fall behind any other Seed in the world. Although he liked the idea of catching up to the Seeds from the Orthodoxies as soon as possible, his master had taken that sense of urgency to an altogether different level. Usually, his master was very nice to him, even more so than his mother. But when things came to his foundations, she could be a little too strict, expecting a bit too much from him.
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Like in his first week with her, when she had forcing to memorise a seemingly endless pile of information. There was just so much to learn that he had had trouble sleeping for nearly an entire month, waking up in the middle of the night only to make sure that he had not forgotten anything. He had barely gotten over that, getting used to her pace of doing things, and yet she was suddenly asking him to master eight Martial Styles in a month?
“Is that even possible, master? Didn’t the other Seeds take years to learn just a few Martial Styles? And I have to learn eight of them in a month?” Alnea said, only to flinch just moments later, as he saw the frown on his master’s face, regretting his outspoken mouth. Not because he was afraid of her, but because he was afraid of disappointing her. Thankfully, she did not take his words as his fear of difficulties.
“How many times do I have to tell you, never underestimate others,” his master said. “I have seen people half your age doing more than what I have just asked you to do in half the time that I have given you. And they did not so much as blink when they were asked to do it. That too, with Martial Styles of much higher Grades, and much harder to grasp. The ones I gave you are the most basic of the basic Martial Styles, and some of the easiest to learn in the Lowest Grade.
“Besides, I am not asking you to master them completely. You are just a Seed, so you cannot do that even if I asked you to. All you need to do is gain some basic mastery, and familiarise yourself with them. As long as you can get the form of a Martial Style down, you can move on to the next one. And after you have mastered all eight of them, we will move on to the next set.
“Even though the effects of all the Martial Styles of a type are similar, the way they go about it, and achieve those effects are not. After all, as you have said, each Wanderer is unique, and so is their Style. The more Martial Styles you familiarise yourself with, the easier it will be for you to start grasping their essence, and the easier it will be for you to create your own Martial Style.”
“Yes, Master,” Alnea said, with a little guilt and shame building inside of him. Even though he knew that it was for his sake, his mind was not under his control. That may be another reason why could never truly keep his mind clear during his meditations and temper his Heart. Still, it could not be denied that everything his master did, was all for his good. And just like she had promised, she was always doing her best to make sure that his foundations would not lack in comparison to any other Seed in the world.
All so that one day, he could complete his Oath of becoming the greatest Wanderer. His master may have said that completing that Oath was all up to him, but Alnea could feel how much she cared for him. And she showed that by doing her best for him. The least he could do was try his best, and stand up to her expectations, Alnea thought, as the guilt and shame inside of him turned into flames, fuelling his determination.
“If Seeds half my age can do it, then so can I,” Alnea said, lacing each word with his determination, causing his master to nod in satisfaction. But he was not done yet. “I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath–
Unfortunately, he was not fast enough in his actions. The moment his master heard the beginning of his sentence, she knew what he was going to do, and so, before he could truly begin taking his Oath, she released an immeasurable pressure that surrounded him, and took his voice away. She made sure that the pressure would not harm him in any way, but she also made sure that he would not be able to complete taking his Oath.
“When are you going to stop being so stupid?” his master said, letting out a sigh. “This was not what I had in mind when I told you to correct your attitude with your Roots and Oaths. If you keep going like this, then you are really going to regret it one day.”
Alnea took heed of the warning that his master gave him, but he did not back down. He understood what she was saying, but this Oath was too important to him. He had something to prove, both to himself, and to his master. He could not back down. So, he kept staring at her, showing his determination in his own way.
“Fine,” his master said after a while, retrieving the pressure that had surrounded him, and allowing his voice to return to him. “It looks like you will not learn until you experience it yourself.”
Once again, Alnea took heed of his master’s warning, but did not back down. The moment his voice returned to him, he leapt into action.
“I, Alnea Oathkeeper, take an Oath that I will gain a basic mastery of all of the eight Martial Styles in two weeks.”
The moment Alnea completed taking his Oath, even before he could feel the pressure from the chains of his Oaths on his Spirit, he felt his master’s knuckles rapping on his head.
“I gave you a month’s time,” his Master said. “Why did it become two weeks in your mouth?”
“But you said that even a six to seven year old child can learn all these Martial Styles in half a month,” Alnea said, wincing as he held his head, looking indignantly at his master. “I will show you that I can do it as well. Then you will not have to brag about others to me. Instead, you will brag about me to others.”
“Are you jealous?” his master asked, with her frown melting into her laugh.
“I am not jealous!”
“Of course, you are not,” his master said, ruffling his hair with a smile. “But have you forgotten your counting? There are thirty four days in the month of Inkah. And only fourteen days in two weeks.”
“I know my counting,” Alnea said with confidence. “But I have to be better than the kids you saw. If I take the same amount of time as them even when I am older than them, how will you be able to brag about me?”
“...Forget it. I cannot deal with a silly disciple like you. Just choose one of the eight scrolls.”
“I am not silly,” Alnea grumbled, still rubbing his head where his master had knocked him, and picked up a scroll at random. After that, his master put the rest of the scrolls back into her ‘Dimensional Pocket’, and unfurled the scroll he had chosen, whose title was written in bright red ink.
Thousand Arms Style.