315. Ravenna’s Combat Master Part 1

A Few Years Ago. An Abandoned Cathedral, Outskirts of the Capital City.“You want me to teach an Ancornan princess how to fight?”

The red-haired, middle-aged man stared at the High Priest sitting opposite him as the morning like cast on him. The abandoned cathedral was a hollow shell; no statues of deities remained in the desolate hall, leaving only the cold stone and the whistling wind.

“Listen here, High Priest Caldus. I am a warrior who lives and breathes for the front lines. You truly think they will allow someone like me—” Before he could finish his protest, High Priest Caldus cut him off firmly.

“Faldeus, His Majesty himself has authorized me to hire you.”

“Even so, I am not the type of man who should be—” Faldeus tried to deny the request again, but High Priest Caldus leaned forward, his expression softening.

“Please, do this for the child. She might not show it to the world, but she is a very lonely young lady in that massive, crowded palace,” High Priest Caldus replied.

Silence stretched between them for several minutes as jagged images of Faldeus's own childhood flashed through his mind: a sprawling palace where every finger pointed at him, eyes filled with cold contempt, and voices that whispered "feral beast" and "monster" in the dark.

Faldeus finally let out a long, weary sigh. “Fine… I’ll be stationed here in the Capital for at least another year, away from the war anyway.”

High Priest Caldus stood up with a relieved smile. “This will be a good experience for both of you… I can just feel it.”

A Week Later. Raven Wing, Imperial Palace, Capital City.

“So, you’re the tiny creature I’m supposed to train?” Faldeus asked, towering over the young Princess.

Ravenna stood before him, her small frame radiating a fierce, defiant energy. As soon as the words left his mouth, her eyes snapped with fire. “Who are you calling tiny, you overgrown buffalo?!”

“Ha! Is that how you speak to your Master, girl?” Faldeus asked, reaching down to pat her head with a mock-serious expression. Ravenna swatted his hand away instantly. “As if! I am a Princess. If I don't receive respect from you, you certainly won't get any from me!”

Faldeus chuckled, his deep voice echoing in the courtyard. “As your Master, that puts me above you in the hierarchy of the blade! You’re just a brat under my care, get it?”

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“If that’s the case, you’re being paid out of my personal allowance, which makes me your employer!” Ravenna shot back, crossing her arms. “That means I am above you!”

“Enough chit-chat, little Raven! We’re starting your practice now,” Faldeus declared. Without another word, he scooped her up under one arm and began jogging toward the training grounds while she kicked and protested.

High Priest Caldus watched them from a balcony, a gentle smile gracing his face. “Just as I thought,” he murmured to himself. “The two of them are getting along remarkably well. O Goddess with Vast Kindness, please let their wounded hearts find a bit of healing in each other’s company.”

With a final nod of satisfaction, he turned back toward the palace interior as the sound of Faldeus’s booming instructions began to fill the air.

Another Week Later, Training Grounds, Raven Wing, Imperial Palace, Capital City.

“Now that you have finished a full week of physical conditioning,” Faldeus said, his voice echoing off the stone walls as he tossed a wooden practice sword onto the dirt. “Come on! What are you doing? Pick up the sword!”

Ravenna stood perfectly still, staring at the blunt wooden weapon as if it were a coiled viper. She made no move to reach for it.

“I... I am not allowed to,” she replied.

The fire she usually carried, the sharp-tongued, rebellious spark was gone. In its place was a pained, hollow expression that looked far too heavy for a girl of her years.

“A Solarius descendant is not allowed to pick up a sword?” Faldeus questioned, his voice dropping into a low mutter. Ravenna didn't answer; her face only grew more sorrowful. Seeing the light fade from the young girl’s eyes, Faldeus let out a long, heavy sigh and dropped to one knee to meet her level.

“So, that’s it? You aren't allowed to learn the traditional Solious swordplay, and you aren't allowed to even touch a sword. Is that the long and short of it?” he asked, placing his large hands on her small shoulders.

Ravenna gave a slow, stiff nod.

Faldeus was finally starting to understand why High Priest Caldus had been so desperate for his help. He couldn’t fathom why the Emperor of Ancorna, the very heart of the Goddess Solious’s faith, would forbid his own flesh and blood from learning the signature combat style of their lineage. He knew that probing the child for the 'why' would only burden her further. Instead, he simply scoffed.

“So what?”

He stood up abruptly, the armor on his shoulders clanking. “If you aren't allowed to wield a sword, then use these.” He reached into his belt and pulled out two practice daggers, offering them to her hilt-first. “Stop making that face. Get into the stance I’m about to show you!”

Ravenna looked at the daggers, her eyes wide with confusion and a swirl of conflicting emotions.

“If your father doesn't want to pass down his treasured combat techniques to you, then what do you think your Master is for?” Faldeus asked, a wild, defiant grin spreading across his face. “I’ll be teaching you the traditional dagger combat of the Simbala Plains. It's faster, meaner, and far more suited for a 'Little Raven' anyway.”

Faldeus saw a look bloom in her eyes that he knew all too well. It was a look that pained him to see on another person’s face towards him, yet it warmed his heart nonetheless. It was the look of pure, unadulterated admiration.

“Yes, Master!” she chirped, her fingers closing firmly around the hilts.