We spend the morning sunrise practicing hand-to-hand combat until my muscles begin to scream. Cal lands me on my ass more times than I care to admit before he decides to show me different maneuvers involving my larger blade.
“We’re going to have to focus more on your core,” my friend frowns when we finish, watching as my right arm dips down in exhaustion, “and your arm muscles.”
“Whatever you want,” I reply with a yawn, “you’re the boss.”
“Damn straight,” he chuckles, grabbing his canteen and pouring water over his head, “do you want to watch Mana and Desmond this morning? They’ll be on one of the training fields we saw on the ride in. I’m sure we can find our way there.”
“I’d like that,” I nod.
We both clean up as best we can before situating ourselves back on our horses.
“Are you going to walk with us, Golem?” I smile at the magical creature.
Golem shakes his head and starts moving towards the trees, his clay home vibrating at my hip just as we ride out of the small woods. We stop to chat with the guard stationed at the gate and let him know where we’re heading, the man looking a little forlorn as he points us in the general direction.
“I think he was itching to see the duel,” Cal murmurs when we take off again.
“I noticed that, too.”
We ride into the same lively city from last night that sits directly below the castle. The smokey smell from all the torches hasn’t changed a bit, nor has the overall atmosphere of the patrons who live here. Discerni and humans are laughing and walking down the roads with friendly smiles, every one of them sharing stories from the night before that puts a grin on the other’s faces.
The smell of black pepper also dusts the air again, the scent lingering in the same way cinnamon does in the Palisades and Bardot. I look around and notice that most of the cafes and taverns are all selling breakfastfoods that have the spice, the flavor unique to the Warrior capitol as it wasn’t prevalent in the southern cities we’ve traveled to before.
“Black peppered sausage, black peppered eggs, black peppered biscuits…” Cal’s eyes roam faster than mine.
“I think we should try them all,” I stop Millie in front of a vendor selling the three. I ask the woman for double of each and pass her a few cinerin before we head back down the road.
“Ancients, this is damn good,” Cal groans.
He has the sausage stuffed into his biscuit as he takes another bite.
“Where’s your egg?” I laugh.
“Gone,” he smiles over a mouthful.
“How spicy is it?”
“A little, not too bad,” he shrugs, finishing his food completely. I fold my biscuit over the sausage as he did and give it a try.
“A little?” I cough, reaching for my canteen as my eyes start to water.
Cal laughs, “that’s for making me down the toddy last night.”
“Fair enough,” I nod over a large drink, “Ancients, that’s spicy. Here, take it.”
I shove the rest of my food into his hands and sip on my water all the way to the next gate. We pass into the rise below, riding through the rolling hills of green grass that give way to the training fields farther out. Men are scattered throughout those different fields and training just like Cal and I were, some of them riding horses while others use the archery targets or clash their swords in the open arenas. A few are even practicing their summoning in different ways, with another man moving the rocks of earth the same way as Lord Daniel did. His stones are much smaller than the Lord’s, but the magic is no less impressive.
Cal whistles when we spot Alanna and Holis practicing at an archery field to our right. The two wave in greeting and nod when Cal points to the small dirt arena we’re heading towards now.
“We may be a bit early,” my friend dismounts, looking around, “I don’t see Desmond or Mana.”
“That’s alright,” I jump off Millie and tether her to a wooden post with the other horses, “I’m going to explore. Want to come with me?”
My friend shakes his head. “You go ahead. I’ll wait here for Mana.”
I smile and snake my hand into my bag.
“How about you, Golem?” I smile when he steps out from behind Millie, “want to walk around?”
