It's been a while since Cormac tasted dirt and funny enough, Carl made him do it then too. It's been awkward to fight him. For one thing, Carl was much weaker physically, still stronger than Cormac by quite a bit, but weaker. What was a bigger difference though, was how fast he could move. The thin long body of Carl was like a blur, he could jump from side to side, run two times as fast as before and he dodge much more efficiently than before.

On the other hand, Cormac improved quite a bit since their last spar. He could not use his speed to outrun Carl as he did before, but he was even better at twisting himself out of trouble. He was stronger too, when his hits connected, it actually did something now. He even sent Carl to the floor once or twice. Still at the end of the training, he was the one face-first in the ground.

"Good job Carl, I see you acclimated to your new abilities fast. Though you still think yourself tougher than you are at this very moment. Do not forget, you do not have the fat you had before cushioning the blows." Erwin pointed out. He wore some sort of a uniform whenever they trained. Apparently, Erwin liked to dress appropriately for every occasion.

Carl just grunted in response, as he was wont to do. In the weeks of their training, Cormac could fairly accurately figure out Carl's mood by the tone of his grunts. There was a clear difference between a happy and a sad grunt, and this one felt irritated most of all.

"You my liege, make the mistake of-"

"Please, just call me Cormac. The my liege thing is still making me uncomfortable."

"If you wish it so vehemently. Cormac you make the mistake of interrupting me, first of all, but the biggest problem you tend to keep is feeling safe. This fight is a training bout, but you are incapable of taking it seriously enough. You have not put your strength into the punches you made, you did not utilize the extent of your speed once and you rely on the fact that Carl will not deliver a fatal hit. Honestly, had I been in Carl's poorly made shoes, I would feel underwhelmed and insulted."

"Do not misunderstand me, I do not think that you are not putting effort into the training. But you are too focused on the fact that it is training. Which is why we will try something new. Got to your stations and prepare yourselves. It won't be so easy this time.

Cormac walked over to his starting place, and stretched out his limbs. He was getting tired, they had been training for four hours now after all, but the fact that he was still strong enough to stand and continue was enough to motivate him further. It was surprising how much just a little progress could help.

Erwin snapped his fingers and suddenly, Carl started to change shape. His muscles started flowing to different parts of his body, his hair changed color and his face lost all of his features.

Carl was slowly, but surely, changing to Master Norman and his eyes reflected those that he had the night of the incident.

Suddenly he shot out from his station, his eyes blazing and hand whooshing above Cormac. He quickly ducked under it and prepared to punch into his stomach, but Norman moved too quickly, before his hand finished it's arc, he already kicked out his left hand connecting with Cormac's ribs. The hit sent Cormac to his hands and he had to roll away from another kick, that created a hole where Cormac's head was moments ago.

Cormac looked up and into the crazed eyes again. It woken up something lying dormant in Cormac. The fear, the struggle, but also something else…the danger he felt, sharpened his instincts again and Cormac kicked up from his position.

The kick connected with Norman's knee, which made him stumble. Cormac used that moment for his advantage, jumping up and hitting with his other leg at Norman's head.

But he managed to grasp the kick, even if it pushed him even further. Norman picked his leg and pulled with it, bringing Cormac closer to an incoming punch. Cormac tried to defend against it, but he was too slow…

Bam! Cormac got a fist right into the face. His head started spinning and a shock ran through out his whole body. Then another one came, followed by another one. Norman was ready to deliver his punch yet again, but Erwin interrupted the fight.

"Great!" he exclaimed as he slapped his arms.

Norman started changing shape again, until it turned back into Carl. Who's eyes went wide when he noticed Cormac's pained expression and the blood running down his nose. Instantly letting go of his leg.

"That was much better. Cormac, try to lit ablaze that feeling you were reaching for during the fight. There was a clear moment, where your steps and the strength of your movements and hits increased rapidly. If you manage to grasp this feeling and use it at will. Not only will you turn to a stronger combatant, but your reactions will be quicker and slowly improve in quality."

Then Erwin turned to Carl, his face growing even more. "Carl, you did admirably. You used your strength much more effectively and dare I say, reached a new peak with the flow of your movements. When it comes to you, I do think that the best course of action, would be working on your raw strength and speed. I will make you a simple concoction, one that should boost the growth of muscle."

"Now, Carl you are free to take a short break, then I expect to find you training by yourself. Cormac, call Obscurno. We will finally begin the work on your bond. You have to get acquainted with your powers."

Carl stretched his arms as he walked back into the house. He poured himself a glass of fresh chilly water and drink it in one gulp. The training was going fairly well. His reclaimed strength was not that far compared to the peak he had before. The little weird disgusting potions that Erwin made him drink must have been working, since he was getting stronger and stronger.

And mainly, with all this training, he had to time to think about the hollow parts of himself. It kept his mind positively occupied.

He took the moment to appreciate the house. From the little of Erwin he knew, he would expect the man to live in an extravagant lavish house. Where the furniture was either made by gold or materials worth more than it. But the house had none of that really. Instead of giant metal chandeliers, only things hanging from the roofs were dried herbs, which covered the house in pleasant smells. The wooden furniture was hand-made, from what Carl could tell, though it was made very well and seemed sturdy. The chairs were surprisingly comfortable and the oven was big enough to warm the whole house. The whole building was lively, warm and inviting. It wasn't just a house, it was a home.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

He exhaled slowly, surprisingly content.

No, he had enough training for the day, Cormac would surely understand and Erwin…well Erwin would have to too.

Carl got into his room and pulled the case from underneath the bed. He took out the violin his father gifted him. He had little time to train with it, but he did train at least somewhat. Additionally, he was musically talented. Which was not a brag, since it was true.

He started playing lightly, producing just enough sound for only himself to hear.

The violin was gentle, even though the sound reflected his amateurish movements, it was still pleasant. Inexperienced, but pleasant. The sound gradually grew in volume, as he lost himself in the music. He gave his heart and his mind into it. He remembered the somber feeling of waking up, the lost dreams of his, the very emptiness that threatened to consume him. He let it all play on the strings. Unaware that he had an audience.

Cormac focused on Obscurno, he tried to understand what the bird felt, but he had troubles with it. It was not the same with Carl. When he focused on their bond, Cormac could see incredibly small shards of how Carl felt, but he understood them clearly. With Obscurno, the problem was the opposite. A plethora of impressions, emotions and thoughts poured from their bond, but Cormac had trouble understanding it all. It made sense, Obscurno was a bird after all, but Cormac knew that he could get over the language barrier, with enough effort.

Erwin tasked him with commanding Obscurno to make tea. Make tea. As much of an intelligent crow as Obscurno was, the task felt incredibly ridiculous to Cormac. Not only did Obscurno had to put the kettle on and pour it into a cup, Erwin clearly stated that he wanted the bird to do the whole process. Cut the tea leaves, take the kettle and the cups from a cupboard, pour water into the kettle and put it on heat, then grab it again and wash the leaves with hot water. Erwin did not say it, but Cormac expected him to plan on having Obscurno clean the dishes after itself too.

So Cormac began what he thought would take the most time. With weight training. A kettle full of water must be heavy for him and he needed him to be able to haul it.

He prepared a small cloth pack, in which he planned to increasingly put more and more stones. But a problem revealed itself, it was rather simple but still a problem.

As much as he did not understand Obscurno, the crow did not understand him.

Cormac picked up the rack and began lifting it up and down in front of the bird.

"You need to pick it up. See? Like this, pick it up." he continued. Then he put it down again, waiting for the bird.

Obscurno only angled his head to the side in surprise, obviously not getting the message.

"Like this. See? I pick the sack and I lift it up." Cormac continued. When Obscurno still did not move, he gently grabbed him and put him over the sack. Slowly Cormac made Obscurno grasp strongly with one of its talons. It was semi-successful since the crow really did grasp the sack. But when he commanded it to fly - which was the sole command that Obscurno successfully followed - it dropped the sack instantly.

It was frustrating.

Cormac did not blame Obscurno for it in the least, but he had no idea how he should continue now.

At least he was sure of one thing, the problem was not that the bird would be unwilling to follow the orders, the problem was that it did not understand them. He tried to remind himself of the two times he managed to convey what he needed for the bird to understand.

He followed Aviana into the capital, as he urged it to and he…defeated Gavin as he wanted it to, though that one turned out more brutal than he envisioned. He sat down in frustration, scratching his head with his hands.

Carl stopped and put the bow with the violin back in the case. He smiled at the instrument before closing it and putting it back under the bed. Than he sighted lightly and turned around. To see Erwin watching him with a gentle smile.

"I willl train…now" Carl said quickly, before Erwin had the chance to ridicule him. Then he wanted to go out the room, but Erwin's voice stopped him.

"I knew a person that loved losing herself in the flow of music as much as you. She used to play whenever she was sad, whenever she was happy or even if she just wanted to. Music accompanied her life the same as her soul. You do not need to hide the musical instrument from me, nor do you need to hide when playing it Carl. I do not see music as a waste of time." If Carl did not know any better, he might have thought that Erwin was vulnerable at the moment.

"Though, if you ever wanted me to teach you, I am here. I did not spend too much time on violins, but I still know a thing or two."

Carl looked at Erwin in a different light than he did previously. The man's lack of theatrics would have been alarming, if he did not show such kindness along with it. The whole mood around him was weirdly…familiar.

Erwin had a hollow hole inside him, much like Carl, though he had a much different relation with it.

Erwin seemed to, treasure it. Keep it proudly and happily.

Carl walked back over to his bed and pulled the case out. And placed the violin on the bed.

Erwin's smile deepened, though his mouth did not change. It was in his eyes, the look in them changed.

"May I?" Erwin asked.

Cormac's training with Obscurno has been unsuccessful today and he hated it. Since he started improving, the one thing he hated the most was stagnation. He still gave Obscurno the treats he prepared, since he felt it more of his failure than the birds, but it stung still.

He was walking back to the house, with his crow on his shoulder, when he heard the somber sound.

Someone was plying an instrument inside and they were playing beautifully. The sound was refined and controlled. It carried a somber feeling to it, though it was more complicated than that. It was sad, yes, but there was beauty in the sorrow, warmth. It was the longing of something past, something gone, yet something ultimately precious. Something the player was grateful to experience, however fleeting it might have been.

Cormac stopped in his tracks and quickly ran to the course again, his mind renewed and a fresh idea budding in his mind.

He did not touch Obscurno, nor did he say anything out loud.

Music always spoke so much, always told him of experiences he never been through, but which he could surprisingly understand. Music had no words, music was feelings and impressions given form. Music was universal.

Cormac molded his feelings he focused on his heart beating, on the plethora of different emotions that flowed through his whole being, on the experiences he was through. He channeled them through their bond with Obscurno.

The bird instinctively flew up and landed on the rock, where the sack was. The bird watched Cormac as his thoughts emotions and all that made him him flowed into the it.

Cormac provided Obscurno with a number of his own memories, of what it felt like to be Cormac. What surprised him though, was the response he got back.

He could feel flying in the air, could see the hunt on insects and rodents. He could understand the feeling of an outsider in a flock of birds. A being social in nature, yet denied any companion ship. He felt gratitude, he felt love. He felt what Obscurno felt for him, for the trust that he showed that day. That he was picked.

Cormac realized that tears were flowing through his face as the emotions flew through him. He calmed himself down and focused again.

Now, he understood the crow better than ever.

Now, he showed it it's will through their bond again.

Now, Obscurno understood.

And Now, the crow was flapping it's wings, grasping the sack with its talons while midair.