“And that leads us to the present!” Redian announced in Galen’s mind, “and my Wielder is STILL slack jawed at my awesomeness. He’s so shocked by my prowess that the surprise lasted through the entire chapter and flashback sequence!”

  Galen had finally begun to recover from his surprise, and slowly hook his head. He looked to Aleksi, who had been patiently waiting the entire time.

  Aleksi smiled at him, then at the sword, then clapped a bit, “Well, I can see that the might of a Sentient Weapon truly is something to be feared. It pulled off quite an Art considering it drew from someone so inexperienced.”

  “So… how was that Art? Was it strong?” Galen asked.

  I mean, I think it was. Just look at the crater it left! But for all I know, that could be considered on the level of a fodder. I certainly hope not...

  “Oh, yes! That was far more powerful than what I was expecting,” his mentor paused and gave him a look of concern, “it was almost too strong. You feeling alright, lad?”

  Galen nodded and tried to take a step. Then his whole world began to spin, and Aleksi had to catch him before he fell to the ground.

  “I figured as much,” Aleksi grunted as he gently placed him down, “an Art that powerful drawn from someone as new as you? The sword may have the experience, but you don’t, lad. Redian must have used up most, if not all, the Ether stored in your Capacity to pull that off. Going from one hundred percent to near zero all at once like that? That’ll leave you disorientated at best. I’m surprised you didn’t pass out, lad.”

  “That’s because I only used up ninety five percent of your Ether stores,” Redian whispered in his mind, “man, I’m good!”

  You… you call… that good?! Galen reprimanded the sword.

  “Hey, I thought I’d have to use up ALL of your Ether for that Art. And even then, I didn’t think it’d work. Now that I have data from this experience, I should be able to make Arts that won’t leave you quite so drained. Do you want me to delete this Art from my memory once I make more efficient ones?”

  Are you kidding? Galen gave a weary smile, delete the first Art we made together? Heck no. As a matter of fact… do you still have the Arts from your previous master?

  Redian seemed confused by that, “Yes… I do. I was going to delete them to make room for new ones. Why?”

  Hold off on that for now, Galen responded, Or, if you really need to make room, delete everything about those Arts except for their names, what they do, and the effects they’re supposed to have. I might be able to draw inspiration or get new ideas for my own Arts from my predecessor.

  “Oh, I see! Now that’s a rather smart idea. Looks like there’s hope for you yet,” Redian seemed both giddy at the idea and… relieved?

  Galen frowned, but stopped the question from forming in his mind before Redian could hear it. He could ask the sword about its previous Wielder later.

  Aleksi patted him on the shoulder and smiled, “I was going to have you practice using the sword to cast Arts. However, if it’s this draining on you, I figure it’s best we focus on something else in the meantime.”

  “No arguments here,” Galen agreed.

  “In that case, lad, how about we spar after giving you time to recover. Redian is also supposed to help guide you and warn you of danger. That’s another thing we can test as we cross swords.”

  Galen frowned, “Won’t that be dangerous? Crossing actual blades instead of wooden practice swords, I mean.”

  Aleksi chuckled, “I brought a spare, blunt blade for me to use. As for you… well, I doubt you’ll land a scratch on me, lad.”

  “OOOOO!!!” Redian said in his mind.

  It reminded Galen of his high school classmates after someone got burned.

  “He actually said that to your face, boss!” the sword provoked, “you just gonna take that?!”

  Hush, Galen thought back.

  To Aleksi, he said, “Them’s fighting words, old man.”

  He had said that with a jovial smile, however. His mentor grinned in response. Redian simply kept trying to egg Galen on.

  ***

  “Watch your left!” Redian warned in his mind.

  Galen cursed as he barely managed to parry Aleski’s quick slash.

  “Watch your profanity,” his sword admonished.

  Seriously?! I’m in the middle of a sparring match! Galen responded in exasperation.

  “Why are you responding?! He’s behind you!” Redian yelled.

  He ducked under the swing, and could feel his mentor’s blade passing by through his hair. Had his blade been sharp rather than blunt, Galen would have gotten an involuntary haircut.

  He quickly moved back to gain some space. He was sweating and breathing hard, but Aleksi had barely broken a sweat. His mentor gave him a mocking smile, as if asking, “Well? Is that all, lad?”

  Galen caught his breath, and focused on the man.

  “You gotta stop fighting our connection, boss,” the sword reprimanded, “I can’t help you very well if you resist.”

  Sorry… feeling instincts not my own feels… really weird. Foreign, even, he responded.

  “Just relax. We’re in this together. Remember boss, as one wielding a Sentient Weapon, you’re not alone. This ain’t a one versus one. It’s two versus one!” Redian coached.

  He nodded, and brought up his sword in front of him. He relaxed the mental wall he’d unconsciously thrown up when this spar started. His breathing was now less labored, and his gaze focused. He felt something… a connection to Redian. In that moment, he felt something start to click, yet he didn’t know what it was.

  Aleksi seemed to sense the shift in him, as his smile changed from one of condescension to a more parental looking one. His mentor gestured for him to begin.

  Galen charged.

  Aleksi slashed at him in a one handed strike, but he parried the blow and countered.

  His opponent’s other hand slammed into his wrists, stopping his strike. In response, Galen drove his knee into his tutor’s waist. The man grunted, and tried to strike Galen on the temple with the pommel of his blade.

  He ducked under the swing, and stabbed at Aleksi’s thigh.

  “Watch the kick!” Redian warned.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  He found himself stopping his stab and side stepped his kick. Aleksi briefly lost his balance, and Galen slashed at him. The man suddenly moved faster than he had expected, but he didn’t catch Redian off guard.

  The sword sent him an instinct that was not his own. Unlike before, he followed that instinct.

  Galen moved his strike so that his intercepted Aleksi’s. His two armed slash matched Aleksi’s one handed one. The two jumped back, and his mentor nodded approvingly.

  This time, it was Aleksi’s demeanor that had changed slightly.

  He’s taking this a bit more seriously… Galen noted.

  His mentor charged.

  The next several moments were a blur.

  The repeating clashes of metal against metal resounded throughout the training area. Redian’s warnings had saved Galen numerous times from getting struck by his tutor’s blunt blade. However, there were times where the sword’s warnings had come too late.

  No… Galen realized, Redian’s warnings aren’t too late. I’m just too slow to react in time.

  That had resulted in him suffering a few hits that would have been lethal had Aleksi been using a sharpened blade.

  Come on! Do better! he thought with frustration as he got up after getting knocked down.

  One of his grandfather’s lessons came to his mind then, “Remember, Galen. Blind anger makes you stupid! Channel the frustration instead. Become the kind of person who becomes focused when mad. Those kinds of people are the last ones you want to enrage.”

  He took a deep breath, and channeled his frustration.

  I WILL land a clear hit on him!

  He charged at his mentor, who had been waiting for him to get up. Galen slashed at him. Aleksi met his slash with his own.

  “He’s going to lock blades with you! Use that momentum to counter!” Redian advised.

  Just as the Sentient Weapon predicted, Aleksi had begun to move forward in an attempt to lock their swords together.

  Galen twisted his wrists in an attempt to spin his blade around to stab at Aleksi. His mentor seemed surprised at the move.

  Got him! he thought excitedly.

  Aleksi had then surprised him by side stepping faster than he’d thought the man capable of. Redian flashed him a warning, but his body moved too slow. His blade cut Aleksi’s shirt, but had seemingly missed flesh.

  His mentor then elbowed him in the face.

  He saw stars as he fell back, his eyes watering.

  Aleksi then finished him off with a kick to the gut, sending him sprawling to the floor. Galen tried to lift his head up, but was met with his mentor’s blunt blade right in front of his face.

  He went cross-eyed looking at the point of the sword.

  Redian whistled in his mind, “Well, I’ll be! This Aleksi guy is better than I thought! He’s damn good!”

  For a Sentient Weapon whose previous Wielders had been great warriors, that was quite the compliment to give.

  Aleksi smiled as he brought back and sheathed his sword. He offered a hand to Galen, and though he was upset to have lost again, he wasn’t such a poor sport that he’d refuse the help.

  After he was pulled back to his feet, he grumbled, “I almost had you…”

  Aleksi frowned, though his smile remained, “What are you talking about, lad? You did get me!”

  He showed him his side, where his last stab had cut his shirt. Galen saw a thin cut, lightly bleeding.

  He cheered so loudly, it echoed in the training area.

  His mentor chuckled at his excitement, “Not bad, lad. Not bad at all. That Sentient Weapon’s sense for danger is quite something. There were several times I thought I had you, only for you to suddenly move as if you had eyes in the back of your head. Your movements seemed far sharper too.”

  Galen looked to Redian, who explained, “That’s because, as my Wielder, you have access to the accumulated muscle memory and instincts of all my previous Wielders!”

  His jaw dropped, Seriously? Doesn’t that mean that I effectively have the skill of a master swordsman when I’m using you?!

  “Not quite. At least, not right off the bat. Our bond is still new, boss. It’ll strengthen over time and as your body grows more acclimated to me. The process can be accelerated with training. Basically, the longer you wield me, the more access to those instincts you’ll get.”

  Redian then smugly asked, “Well? Am I awesome? Or am I REALLY awesome?”

  He could swear the sword was wiggling its non-existent eyebrows in his head. It was a rather strange feeling, but he chuckled and responded, Yes, Redian. You’re a REALLY awesome sword. An epic one even.

  The sword huffed with joyful pride in his head, and Galen shook his head jovially at the sensation.

  “Well, lad, I think we should call it here. You look rather exhausted,” Aleksi noted.

  Galen nodded, then frowned at the man, “How are you not tired? I mean you-”

  He then tightly closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in envy, “Never mind. Stupid question. It’s obvious you’re using Ether to recover faster.”

  Aleksi shrugged, though he had the decency to look sympathetic.

  “Alright, well. I’m exhausted. I’m heading back to my room. I’ll see you later, Aleksi,” Galen said.

  His mentor nodded, “I’ll be seeing you, lad!”

  The two went their separate ways for the day.

  “I like that one!” Redian announced.

  Galen looked back at the retreating back of his mentor. The man who had treated him the most kindly and, more importantly, the most normally in the entire Dominion.

  He nodded in agreement, and mentally responded with a wide smile, Yeah, he’s a great guy.

  ***

  Galen wished his day ended on that high note, but unfortunately it did not.

  He had to avoid the urge to frown when he noticed Arawn of all people waiting in the hallway, in front of his room.

  “Ah, Champion! I see you’ve finished your training for the day. How did testing the Sentient Weapon go? Is it to your liking?” Arawn asked.

  His eyes glanced to Redian, sheathed at Galen’s back.

  “Yeah, Redian’s great! Thus far he’s blown my expectations out of the water,” Galen answered honestly.

  Arawn raised a brow in a seemingly amused manner, “You named the sword, ‘Redian?’ And you refer to it as a ‘he.’ Interesting…”

  Galen bit his lip as he chastised himself for that slip up.

  “Uh yeah… The sword is so human-like that, at times, I forget its mind is artificial.”

  Arawn nodded in understanding, pride for the Dominion’s technology evident in his eyes, “That’s understandable. The Dominion had made them to be as such, after all. Just remember-”

  “The Sentient Weapons are just that, at the end of the day. Weapons. Yeah, yeah. I know. Milton already told me as much,” Galen interrupted.

  He hadn’t meant to be so rude, but something about Arawn just rubbed him the wrong way. The man just gave him a bad feeling. Perhaps part of it had to do with the fact that Aleksi didn’t seem to like the man. That had raised red flags.

  Arawn, thankfully, didn’t seem to take offense, as he bowed his head lightly, “Of course. Apologies, Champion. I didn’t mean to chastise you.”

  He nodded, and asked, “Why are you here, in front of my room, Arawn? Is that medicine you mentioned for my Ether Intolerance ready? Or is something else going on?”

  Arawn brought his bald head back up, “Unfortunately, the medicine is not ready yet, but it will be soon. I’m actually here to inform you that we will be hosting a feast in the castle to celebrate your summoning as our new Champion.”

  He frowned, “My summoning was months ago. Why are we just now doing this?”

  Arawn tilted his head, “We wanted to give you time to learn our language. We also wanted to give you time to grieve for the loss of your younger sister.”

  Serenity… Galen closed his eyes tightly as pain and guilt flashed within him.

  He kept trying not to think about her, and had been doing a good job.

  Until now.

  As unfair as it may have been, his dislike of Arawn grew for bringing up his sister’s death.

  “Okay,” Galen gulped, and tried to keep the anger and pain from his voice, “when is the damn feast?”

  Arawn seemed to have sensed that he had stepped on a landmine, as he bowed his head in apology again, “It will be at the end of the week, a few days from now. And, unfortunately, this feast is mandatory for you to attend. It is to celebrate your arrival, after all. Good day, Champion.”

  The man then bowed, and left silently.

  Once he was out of sight, Galen groaned, and entered his room. Thankfully, Redian had remained quiet, sensing his worsened mood.

  He slammed the door, and lay on his bed. He had been dreading something like this happening, though he knew it was inevitable.

  He brought his forearm to his face, “This is gonna suck…”