Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: Dark Elf Arc

Chapter 68

It was early the next morning when Caspian woke up to discover a naked Elincia on top of him. He blinked several times as the world swam into focus. Elincia's silvery blonde hair tickled the underside of his chin, her warm breath caused goosebumps to break out on his skin, and the feeling of her bare chest resting against his chest made Caspian consider waking the girl up so they could make love this morning.

He did not do that, however.

Easing himself out from underneath her, Caspian gently turned Elincia over so she was lying on her back. They hadn't gotten under the covers last night. Having exhausted themselves during their love making, the two had simply fallen asleep in the position they'd had sex in, with Elincia on top and him and bottom.

After pulling the covers over Elincia up to her chest, Caspian sat on the edge of the bed and reached out, slowly stroking the sleeping woman's hair. He relished the feel of her softer than silk tresses. Elincia, as if recognize his touch, nuzzled against his hand and smiled, which made his heart beat faster even as warmth spread through his body. Leaning over, he placed a kiss on her forehead.

Then he stood up and made his way over to a basin.

Elves did not have the technology of humans, which of course meant they didn't have showers or tubs that could be filled with hot water at the twist of a knob. To clean oneself, they either took a bath in a cold natural pond like he and Elincia had done yesterday, or they simply wiped themselves off with a wet cloth using water from a basin, such as this one.

Since Caspian planned on working up a sweat, he wiped himself down, got dressed in his new clothes, grabbed his sword, and left the room.

He wandered down the hall, frowning as he wondered if there was a good place for him to practice. Just because he was in a new environment didn't mean he could let himself grow complacent. In fact, Caspian believed that he should be even more vigilant because he was in a new environment that he knew nothing about.

After simply walking through the halls and down various ramps, he eventually came upon a large section of the mansion that was situated on top of a thick tree branch. This particular space looked like a large and empty room. There wasn't really anything here, leading him to believe it wasn't in use.

Caspian walked further into the room. When he was standing in the exact center, he removed his sword from its sheath, tossed the sheath aside, and slid his feet across the floor until his knees were bent. He took a basic sword stance where he held the sword above his head and pointed the tip at an invisible opponent. Inhaling deeply, Caspian calmed his mind, exhaled, and then exploded into action.

Caspian had no set fighting style unlike many other people. His swordsmanship was based on adaptability, the idea of being able to change styles to fit any given situation, rather than a rigid structure like most people taught. Ultimately, his greatest asset was the ability to attack using a freeform style and the speed at which he could shift between attack, defense, and counterattack.

It wasn't long before sweat began pouring down his back and chest, before his lungs and the muscles in his arms, legs, and core were burning. He did not go through any set forms. Instead, he shadow sparred. It would not help him improve, but it did keep his body in shape.

As he practiced, however, Caspian became aware of eyes on him. Someone else had entered the room. Stopping his practice, he looked over to find Valen standing near the entrance and staring at him. The man was wearing a strange expression that Caspian couldn't place. It was almost like a look of longing, but he couldn't help but think there was more to it than that.

He really hoped Valen was not looking at him that way, at least.

"Do you need something?" asked Caspian.