Corin still had a few things to prepare. Today he wanted to achieve the long-awaited breakthrough of his personal Blessing. He stood alone on a secluded training ground, late in the evening, where no one could disturb him. Only Cearen knew that his weapon of choice was a spear and he planned not to throw away that advantage just before a possible confrontation.
As he looked around the square, he noticed that the ravens that often surrounded him were there again. He had noticed that the ravens had a strange connection to his emotions. It was as if they reacted to his moods and he now wanted to bring this unusual bond under control. Looking around, he spotted the black birds again, their gazes seemingly waiting for something or someone, to happen. Corin nodded to himself and began to train.
The spear felt like an extension of his arm. His progress over the last few days had been impressive. With every movement, every step and every turn, he lost himself more in the routine, in possible battle scenarios. Closing his eyes, he immersed himself deeper in concentration and his senses became sharper. Although he was alone, he felt as if he was in the middle of a real battle. The ravens cawed as if they sensed his intensity. As if in a trance, he lost himself in it more and more.
Suddenly it happened. Corin saw himself, not through his own eyes, but from a different perspective. It was as if he had stepped out of his own skin and was observing himself. He opened his eyes and the unusual image disappeared abruptly. Corin took a deep breath, trying to understand what he had experienced.
Looking in the direction from which the image had come, he immediately understood what had happened. One of the ravens was sitting there.
'I saw myself from his perspective.'
He had understood part of his Blessing. Corin could work with that.
Corin didn't return to the dorm until late in the evening. The training had helped him, his body was exhausted, but his head was clearer than before. The tension of the day was still in his muscles, but he had the feeling that he had achieved something concrete.
When he opened the door, he saw that Cearen was already there. His friend was sitting on the lower bunk, his arms crossed loosely in front of his chest, eyeing him with raised brows.
"Strenuous training?" he asked casually.
Corin dropped his bag on the floor and stretched briefly.
"Nothing I couldn't handle."
Cearen grinned slightly, but his gaze remained scrutinizing.
"You're bloody late. What exactly did you do?"
Corin returned the look for a moment, then said quietly,
"You'd better take tomorrow afternoon off."
Cearen blinked. "What?"
Corin was already pulling off his shirt and yawning as if that was the end of the matter. Cearen opened his mouth to ask, but the look on Corin's face gave him pause. He wasn't going to get an answer, not yet.
"Corin-"
"Tomorrow, Cearen."
With those words, he dropped into his bed. The darkness of the room settled over him, but his mind was far from at rest. Today had brought him more than he had expected. He had learned what he wanted to know, perhaps even a little more.
It would be useful tomorrow. Now he could only hope that it really would.
The next morning brought a feeling of renewal. Corin felt surprisingly fresh, as if his body had simply shrugged off the exhaustion of the previous night. There was no path theory today and since he had not yet decided on other courses, he took the opportunity for another intensive workout.
It was almost frightening how quickly he progressed. His control of the raven, his blessing, was becoming more precise by the hour. It was as if he had opened the floodgates and now nothing could stop the flow. But the hardest part hadn't been the power itself.
No, it was the first step, the letting go, the acceptance of what was inside him. There was no turning back now.
After training, he took time to refresh himself. The cold water washed away the tiredness and cleared his head. He was putting on a fresh shirt when Cearen opened the door, with a letter in his hand and an amused expression on his face.
"A duel?" Cearen shook his head and smirked. "So that was your big secret?"
Corin raised an eyebrow, acting playfully clueless.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Cearen waved the letter.
"An official dueling request from Aldric Vealmont. Guys like him don't move often, you seem to be an exception."
Corin took the letter, running his eyes briefly over the seal. Perfect. Everything was going exactly according to plan.
He grinned. "Let's see how good he really is, then."
-------------------------------------------
The stadium filled up faster than expected. Corin could already hear the impatient voices, the quiet murmuring of the spectators from the aisles. There was of course no comparison to the show match from earlier in the week, but this this time there was a different tension in the air. Aldric Vealmont wasn't just anyone, and a duel against him this early in the school year was a rarity.
But that was exactly the point.
Corin had a stage. An audience. All that was missing now was victory.
He stood in front of the mirror, running his eyes over his reflection. Viviana had received his letter. His battle uniform came in time. His combat uniform was perfect. Black, with golden stripes and subtle accents. Classy, eye-catching, but not overloaded. A statement. Together with black leather gloves.
He took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders and finally turned around.
Outside, the referee called.
Time to enter the arena.
He set off with calm, firm steps. As he stepped out of the corridor,he was met by the energy of the crowd, tense, roaring, expectant.
On the other side of the arena, Aldric Vealmont entered the field. His gaze was calm but distant, as if this was nothing more than a chore for him.
Corin felt a grin steal onto his lips.
'Let's see how long you think that.'