The living area had a much different feel than the rest of the building. As Edward traveled along the hall, more paintings started appearing on the walls, as well as decorative torches. Some unknown method must’ve been used during their creation since they produced no smoke or burnt smell. This only left the warm cozy feeling embracing the space. The floors also received a makeover, now covered in a nice beautiful carpet in a burgundy color. One of the kind you would see in a luxury hotel, not the dirty rag typical to most motels.

Edward passed several wooden doors until he stopped in front of one with a rough carving of a spear in the middle. Number 37, cast from a silver metal, was visible on the wall to the side. He shuffled his feet, and then knocked on the door three times.

“Coming!” a muffled voice sounded from the other side.

After a couple seconds of random cluttering sounds, the door quickly swung open, revealing a figure of a short blonde woman, her mouth wide open.

“Ed!” She jumped in and hugged him tightly.

“When did you wake up? I tried to visit you in the medical wing, but they turned me away and refused to explain anything.”

“Hey Kat, it’s nice to see you too,” Edward responded with a smile.

“I’ve been up since yesterday. I would’ve told you sooner, but there’s a lot that has happened since then. This is the first moment I actually got some free time.”

“Huh, okay… so what’s going on? Actually wait a moment, come in first.”

She left the door open, and Edward followed her inside the room.

It was a moderately sized space, the same type of room assigned to all other warriors, but Katrina clearly furnished it to her tastes. A king sized bed paired with yellow sheets took up most of the room. Two spears were displayed over it on a weapon rack. Light reflected from a small golden chandelier dangling from the ceiling, making Edward squint a bit. Kat sat down on a comfortable chair to the side and gestured with her head towards the bed. Edward walked over, noticing floor mats woven from some thick wool below his feet. He sat down on the bed and met Katrina’s eager eyes.

“So, tell me. What’s all the drama about?” She asked.

Edward took a deep breath. “Well, for one thing I almost died…”

“What do you mean you alm…”

“...and the second is that I seem to have caught the eyes of some nice Valkyrie.” Ed pointed with his head towards the sky.

Kat jumped up from her seat. “Whaaat?! Are you saying what I think you’re saying!?”

“Probably.”

“Stop messing with me. Can you finally explain normally?”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Okay, okay.” He leaned back, supporting himself with his hands.

“It started during a fight. After we split up I was being chased by a small squadron of warriors. I killed one, then a second, and then one thing led to another and voila, I received a minor legend.”

The girl sat back down with her mouth wide open.

“Oh, did I mention I was also seriously bleeding out at that point? If Alexander arrived even a moment later, it could’ve been bad. Actually, I even met Alexander earlier today. He’s still pretty scary, you know? And…” Edward was just about to continue stroking his chin in thought, when Katrina interrupted.

“Okay, stop, wait a moment. Nevermind about Alexander and whatever else. So you really are one of the Marked now? That’s… incredible.” She paused for a moment, shifting slightly in the chair. “So, what’s going to happen now? Are you leaving the team? Do you get a private “sensei” or whatever? Sorry it’s all very new to me.”

“Yeah… looks like I’m getting transferred to some ‘elite’ squad or something. I’ve gone through the introduction just a moment ago.”

An uncomfortable silence lingered between the two.

“But hey, don’t you think that I’m going to distance myself because of something like that. I’m not that easy to get rid of. And we still have an overdue appointment, remember?”

“Oh, Mr. Bigshot Legend still has time for commoners?” Kat finally smiled again.

“Glad to see you still like to tease me.” Edward sighed.

“So how about the weekend? Surely they won’t make you train then?”

“I really hope so, although the new instructor seems rather strict. It’ll probably be fine...yes I’m sure it will be, let’s agree on the weekend.”

“Great! I’ll come find you.” She said happily.

“Now, go and rest. I’m glad you thought about me, but you look like you really need some sleep.” Kat stood up, ready to close the door behind him.

A moment later, Edward was back walking through the large hallways. His living quarters were unfortunately on the other side of this wing, but at least now he could go there with a clean conscience, knowing he handled everything he was supposed to.

Edward opened the door to his room. He took a moment to appreciate the symbol of a crossed sword and rose etched into the wood. A crest of the Thornfield family.

He walked into his abode, surrounded by cozy, earthly tones, bringing him calm. He took a quick shower, dried his rugged hair with a towel. And leaving stray drops of water on the wooden floor, shuffled to his bed.

While the thoughts of an upcoming day lingered in his mind, his consciousness drifted into the world of dreams.

***

Edward woke up to the sound of an alarm on his wristwatch. A reminder he set for today’s training. Crawling up from the beige soft bed sheets, he stood up and stretched his back. A low grunt escaped his mouth. He began the day with his usual stretching routine. After washing his face and getting dressed in loose shorts and a dark grey compression shirt, he approached the door.

That’s when he noticed a roughly wrapped, sword shaped package lying on a nearby cupboard. He unrolled the coarse paper and pulled out a new sword. A note attached to the handle read:

‘A blade fit for your new position. Good luck.’

Signed ‘dad’. Short and to the point, that’s dad for you. Ed pulled out the sword from the sheath. Both featured a very simple design, but a trained eye could immediately see the quality of this piece, as well as the skill of the craftsman. Other than the handle, it was made from an iconic modern alloy. It was widely used for high-end equipment, but the exact recipe was closely guarded, known only to the Family's upper echelon and the blacksmiths themselves.

Edward didn’t have the time right now to admire the blade longer than he already has. He went back to get a leather belt from a cabinet, attached the scabbard to his waist, and finally went out to meet master Tarquin and the team at the training grounds.