Pillars of Age

Gifted Pawn

AUVEDA

Oasis Crossroads marked the outermost territory of Parsha City's domain, a bustling village nestled along the RasParsha Trade Highway, a network of stone roads weaving through the grand desert. This oasis lived up to its name as a vital intersection. Roads branched east to the border city of Trabia in the kingdom of Aurelia and south to the lakeside city of Ivarn, governed by the Tengu KuvnarMal Autocracy.

The village boasted a Parsha government office, numerous inns, stables, and crucially, stations for changing horse carriages to suit travellers' varied destinations. One scorching afternoon, a stable attendant at the oasis was puzzled by the arrival of a horse-drawn carriage. The audacity of its occupants to traverse the desert under the blistering sun was unusual. More surprising was the sight of the horses, which appeared remarkably fresh and unscathed by the harsh journey.

Two travellers disembarked: Auveda, a Forest Elf with striking silver hair, and Rivar, a young human with tousled brown locks. Both seemed as unfazed by the desert heat as their steeds.

Auveda called to her coachman, another Forest Elf, and instructed the stable attendant, "Replace these horses with ones fit for the journey to Aurelia. We'll depart at midnight."

The coachman and the stable attendant nodded in agreement.

Auveda then turned to Rivar, "Follow me to the inn," she said, leading him to a nearby establishment. The inn was quiet, prompting Auveda to seize the opportunity for an impromptu lesson.

"You're still feeling fresh, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes, miss. The drink you gave me kept me refreshed," Rivar replied.

"Good. Fetch two wooden swords from the carriage."

Rivar obeyed, returning swiftly with the wooden weapons. Auveda scanned the inn's courtyard for a suitable training spot.

"Hold this," she ordered, handing one sword to Rivar.

Rivar hesitated, unsure how to handle the weapon properly. "Miss, how should I hold it?"

"As I expected, you've never held a weapon before," Auveda noted with a hint of exasperation. "Watch and imitate me."

She gripped the wooden sword with both hands, the blade's tip aligned with her face, then tilted it to parallel the top of her head. Her stance was relaxed yet poised. Rivar mimicked her movements, albeit awkwardly, but managed to copy her posture.

"Stay like that. I will strike your sword with mine. Your task is to hold the sword," Auveda instructed.

Rivar nodded, maintaining his stance. Auveda began swinging her sword in smooth, controlled arcs. Rivar's sword swayed with continuous motion as Auveda's strike with a pattern.

On the seventh strike, Rivar's sword slipped from his grasp.

"Didn't I told you to hold it!" Auveda scolded him with disappointment tone.

Rivar looked at his trembling hands. "I'm sorry, Lady. There some intense pain after several strikes."

"That's the point!" Auveda retorted.

Rivar looks confused.

"This is the Gravhia Sword Fight. Our basic training is to hold the sword as long as we could while the Master strike your sword."

Rivar still confused, in both with the explanation, but especially the training.

"Lady Auveda, you are training me?".

"No, I'm trying to see if you are able to train. It will be a waste of time if you can't even endure the simple task of holding the sword," she said bluntly.

Still confused, but somehow with a firm mind, Rivar picked up the sword and resumed his stance.

Auveda resumed the training. Starting with her previous strikes pattern. As they passed her the seventh, her her strikes growing faster and more forceful. Despite the increasing intensity, Rivar held his ground, his sword still griped by his hand.

The sun had already fully set for sometimes while the dim lit courtyard still echoed with the clash of wooden swords.

Auveda, both tired and confused at Rivar's resilience. She decided to increased her attack's ferocity. With few more powerful strikes, Rivar's sword finally fell again.

"That was strange," she murmured while approaching Rivar.

She then observed his hands, and with astonished gaze asked him "Your hands, you endured this," she said as she examined Rivar's badly swollen hands. So bad they turned blue with swollen veins visible.

Rivar nodded, exhaustion evident, yet he showed no sign of pain.

"Can't you feel pain?" Auveda asked, puzzled.

"What do you mean?" Rivar replied, confused.

Auveda didn't respond immediately, she remembered something early in the training.

"You said you dropped the sword because of the pain. Why did not drop it when it's too painful to hold?" Auveda pressed.

"You told me not to drop it, so I held on until my hands couldn't anymore," Rivar explained, hesitantly but without a hint of discomfort.

Auveda stared at him, incredulous. "You felt that intense pain but still held on?"

"Yes, Lady."

Disbelieving, Auveda poked his swollen hand with her sword tip. Rivar reacted to the touch but didn't wince.

"What do you feel?"

"Like a hot iron pressed against my palm, melting into my flesh," Rivar described.

Intrigued, Auveda examined his hand closely. "This swelling is severe. Although, I feel it should be far worse."

She decided to fetch a small healing kit in her room. Returning, she explained, "This ointment will heal you're the swollen hand, but applying it will hurt."

Rivar nodded, but before he could ask about the ointment, Auveda grab his hand.

"I will start now," she told him without hesitation.

As Auveda applied the ointment, Rivar showed no sign of pain despite what should be an intense sensation pain.

"What does it feel like?"

"Like my hand is being crushed between hot metal plates, then forcibly pulled out," Rivar said, articulating the pain, with rather flat voice.

Auveda nodded, impressed. "I'll apply it to your other hand. Then drink this potion to speed up the healing."

With both hands treated, Rivar struggled to hold the bottle. Seeing this, Auveda helped him drink the potion.

"Rest in the inn. I'll wake you when it's time to leave," she ordered.

Rivar complied, and walked with swayed steps. As he enter the room, Auveda could heard that he was immediately falling into a deep sleep.

In the courtyard, Auveda sat, deep in thought. "His balance is exceptional. None of my strikes disrupted his stance. But his reaction to pain... it's extraordinary."

She then examined her own hand, still deep in thought. "His hands veins. They somehow are very different than what it should. Look much stronger than they appear."

Reflecting on his resilience and the unique composition of his body, she suddenly smiled. "He has everything I need to prove that lascivious Dark Elf wrong."

The smile grew wider as she gazed at the inn where Rivar slept. "I didn't expect to be this fortunate," she mused, a cunning glint in her emerald eyes.

"I must make the most of this opportunity. To squander such unexpected fortune would be a grave mistake. Might as well inciting a very bad luck," she resolved, as she knuckled her fist with mind full of ambition and newfound purpose.