Out of the three prodigies, I would always say that Bren's swordsmanship was the most captivating even in spite of Aquila's and Sebas' flashy spells and chants. No words could describe the smoothness or the perfection of every sword form Bren performed. Even if no power was actually put into each movement, every slash and stab felt like it could fell a fortress. Occasionally, while my eyes were transfixed on his enchanting form, he would talk to me.

"Hey Ren?"

"Yeah, Bren?"

"Have you ever thought about the world?"

"What do you mean?" I couldn't help but reply, utterly perplexed by what he was asking.

"Essentially, your perspective-" Bren explained, taking small breaks between words to catch his breath when swinging his wooden sword, "-on how you view- -the world. Like what makes up- -everything. Whether that be- -the magical elements or- -just small particles, finer- -than sand, making up- -what we see." Bren finished, setting down his sword and taking a seat next to me.

"Not really..."

To be perfectly honest, I lost track of what he was saying halfway through, only focusing on his movements. Each swing highlighted and emphasised by the morning sun behind Bren, the outline of the town jutting out from the side, with leagues of trees encompassing the horizon.

"Well, you remember when me and Aquila and Sebas got sent to the capital for a week?"

"Yeah?"

"Aquila got put with the Archmage himself of all people, and Sebas to a high priest too! We were supposed to spend this time with them to fully flourish our talents. The only reason we weren't sent there permanently was because of our parents not approving. Certain legal stuff. Do you know who I was assigned to?"

"A Blademaster?!" I asked, eager to find a hint to his strength.

"I was given to what I thought at first to be, a drunkard. I was tossed into a field with a woman asleep a few strides away. I spent the entire first day, sitting there and unable to get her to wake up. For two nights after that, I slept in that field with her, not knowing my way around the city enough to get to someone who would recognise me. It was only on the fourth day that she finally woke up.

"It took me a while to explain why I was here and who I was. In response? She threw a sandwich she kept in her jacket to me and a water skin, telling me to prepare for my training. Mouldy food and warm water never felt so good. For the next two days, she told me to do nothing but vertical and horizontal slashes against a wooden training dummy. It was only on the last day did she do anything profound.

"When I woke up in that field again, I was surprised to find a large wooden training dummy, the size of one of those giants in fairy tales facing me. With an expression of seriousness on her face that I couldn't have imagined to be genuine when I first met her, she told me her name. Irene Bagonid, the greatest Blademaster in the continent, who eventually created her own style of swordsmanship, the Path of The Gentle End.

"I was beyond dumbfounded. After telling me to wipe the surprise off of my face she began to tell me of her swordsmanship. When she reached the peak of her art, she came to a realisation. Of all the styles and ways of the sword she had studied and come across, all of them had one goal; to kill. You may think that obvious or stupid, but to her it was as if everything she had been told was a lie. When wielding a blade, the way you use it has a goal. That goal is typically to defeat that opponent. However, every single method to defeat that opponent was via killing. And the death that style, that path as she called it, inflicted was always with pain. Never was it with mercy, but instead, brutality.

"So she studied. She studied human anatomy, and pioneered discoveries in medicinal techniques and even ways to go inside of a person's body to fix it, while being able to seal the body back up again so that they could continue to live from a previously un-curable affliction; and without magic too! Using that knowledge she gained through many years as a scholar, she applied it to her swordsmanship. Then Irene proposed to the continent's best scholars that the world was not as we see it, nor was it made of fundamental magical elements like air, water, fire and earth. Rather, each type of material was made up of tiny particles, so fine that you could never see it without an aid of sorts. The scholars who heard that that day eventually came to create a new branch of scholarship that is now the most prominent one in the world. It is called science.

"In the end, she combined her two discoveries. Using the application of this science and her study of anatomy she found a way. A way to defeat, a way to kill without inflicting pain, without brutality. A path of true defeat. Irene named it the Path of The Gentle End. With her solemn explanation over, she told me to watch her. Watch her perform this path only once and engrave it in my mind. If I could perfect what she taught me before I returned to the capital again for the King's Passage, I could officially become her disciple. I was so sure of myself that I could understand what she was about to do. In reality, I still don't.

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"With a small slash, she carved the entire dummy in half, from head to toe. A slash so smooth that it felt unreal. Ever since I've tried to replicate that feeling, that path of hers. I can feel myself coming close each time and yet when I reach out to finally grasp it, it gets even further away.

"It's only recently that I've begun to realise the truth of what she taught me. I didn't need to just slash my way to victory. Rather I must slice those particles themselves in half. To say so is much harder to actually do though. I only have a few months yet I need to do what she did. Lord, only a few months until the King's Passage! Time does fly quickly, doesn't it Ren?"

"...Yeah..."

"Oh, I lost track of what I was saying! What I meant to say in the end was that I still can't see the world as being made of up of small particles. It's even trickier than the magical elements as I can't see these particles. Yet while mastering this glimpse that woman gave me I've began to see the world more and more like that. And I've become unable to see it any other way. What do you think of this particle stuff, Ren?"

I was unable to say anything. Bren dared to imply that he wasn't good enough. A man with enough talent and skill to rival those thrice his age, wasn't good enough. I just couldn't understand him. I couldn't tell if he was joking or just plain ignorant. How could he make fun of me, of all of us trying our hardest?! How could he mock those at the bottom of the food chain, desperately reaching for any chance to rise a single step higher?! How?! And WHY?! WHY aren't you recognising us?! WHY aren't you seeing us?! WHY aren't you doing something?! WHY aren't you helping me when I'm right in front of you?!

Why...

"..."

"I see. It must have been hard trying to understand what I was saying. Sorry for dumping all that on you all of a sudden. Anyways, Ren, I'm going to check up on Aquila. Want to come?"

Ignore me. Ignore us. Yes, just as you always do, just as you all do. Pretender. Fake. Fool. Why.

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Why can't you just say it!?

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The true reason to your strength!

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Why do you lie to me? Why do you lie to yourself?!

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That you're not good enough!

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And why can't I say anything?

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Why can't I just ask for help?

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Why can't I just ask them to train me?

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Why can't I just point out their ridiculousness?

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Why can't I, no, why don't I do anything?

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I don't know.

I have no idea.

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But I still need it.

To stand by their side.

I can't say anything. Or they will discard of me.

I must be quiet.

I must be silent.

That's why.

So I can receive their power.

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"Sure, I'll come!"

* * *

Me and Bren came across Aquila in the middle of focusing on a spell. Engraving themselves on her arms were sequences of arcane runes and writings, sparkling and vibrating with magical power. Opening her eyes she finished the spell by shouting,

"ᛞᛟᛗᛁᚾᚨᛏᛖ, Fireball!"

With the arcane spheres of lettering flying out from her hands, they combined into a burst of flames. At first the flames seemed uncontrollable and rampaging, but soon forming into a sphere of pure fire. With sweat falling from her brow, she swiftly drew another set of arcane runes in the air that came to life with magical power, glowing green. Reaching out, the runes came alive and penetrated themselves deep into the ball of fire. Within an instant, the fireball flew towards the part of forest in front of her. With a thundering boom, and a flash of white, all became engulfed in flames.

Where trees once stood, only scorched ground and fire remained.

After taking time to admire her work, Aquila began work on another set or arcane scriptures that wrapped around her hands. Quicker this time than the last, she sent these blue runes outwards, this time in meandering lines, exclaiming.

"ᛋᚢᛒᛞᚢᛖ, Water Fountain!"

When the streams of runes intersected, a lake of water was expelled outwards, covering the blue sky in a cerulean tint. When the large mass of water fell, the flames were quickly quelled.

"Oh, Hello Bren, Ren! I didn't notice you while practising my spells!" Aqulia waved to us as we approached, a joyful smile on her face.

"I see your trainings going well."

"Very! I'm making good progress with increasing my firepower!"

"How's Sebas doing?"

"Ah, he's over there meditating. The good thing about us training together is that I can test his meditation more by making loud and disruptive noises with my spells while I simply practise making runes." Aquila said, pointing over to a completely still Sebas, who looked like he was asleep to me.

"Best not to disturb him then." Bren grinned. "Should we train together Aquila while we have the chance?"

"Might as well. Make sure to keep a safe distance Ren! I don't know if one of my spells will hit you!" Aquila warned, crouching down to my level.

"I'll make sure I will!"

Yes, more opportunities to observe them. To get stronger. To watch my friends.

Wait. Friends?

Are they really my friends?

I could call them MY friends but do they think of ME as a friend? Am I just a kid who follows them around and they think nothing of? Yes, that's most likely the truth. With the way they talk about me, it must be. They've never been my friends.

Right?

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