I chuck on my clothes and step out of the room into the morning light. Aric and Thyra are already talking as they walk to the courtyard. They've gotten a lot more friendly in the past week.
Rhovan is waiting for me, sitting on a chair next to the court we usually train at.
Thyra: "Kareth! You're starting over here today. We have something to talk about. The three of us."
I look between Thyra and Rhovan. Taken aback by the sudden change
Rhovan nods
Kareth: "Oh. Ok."
Aric sits down on the bench, I settle in next to him. Thyra plants her spear in the ground firmly. Crossing her arms.
Thyra: "You two have improved dramatically with steel. But if you plan to survive out there when our training ends you need to learn what lies beyond the steel. The other half of a fight."
Aric blinks for a moment. Processing what she said.
Aric: "What? The other half?"
Thyra: "Do you two seriously not know about Eidryn?... About Threads?"
Aric looks shocked. I try to hide it but I'm shocked as well. A whole aspect of fighting neither of us knew about.
Thyra: "Judging based on your expressions you don't. I'll try explaining it but I've never been one that's good at explaining."
Aric nods, fists clenched.
Thyra: "Eidryn. It's everywhere. Like air. You don't see it, but it's always there. In the sky, the ground. Every surface around you. From what I've heard it's alive, having materials it likes and dislikes. Leading it to being denser or less dense around those materials. "
Aric seems more excited than ever. Which says a lot since he's practically always excited. The grin that stretches from ear to ear plastering his face once again.
Thyra: "Now. to use Eidryn you must have a thread. Threads are a person's connection to Eidryn. They allow you to use Eidryn in what might be an infinite amount of ways. However, everyone has a specific thread that limits their power."
Aric: "What's your thread Thyra?"
Thyra: "My thread is called Stormcurrent. Essentially it allows me to channel movement into lightning. The more and faster I move, the more in amount and power I can generate."
Kareth: "Are you gonna give us a demonstration?"
Thyra: "Just a small one."
Thyra raises her spear from the ground, pointing it up at the sky. She swung it down to the side in a single quick motion. At the end of the swing she tenses her arm slightly.
The spear crackles as blue lightning shoots from several points on the handle and tip before curving back into the spear. Slowly they make their way up, condensing on the tip of the spear. Leaving the tip glowing blue.
Some of the small pebbles and specks of dirt rise from the floor. The same blue light from the spear connecting those to the ground as well.
Suddenly it vanishes.
Thyra: "That's just a short and simple demonstration. When I'm moving a lot in a fight I can do it far quicker and far stronger."
Aric: "THATS SO COOL! HOW DO I GET A POWER?"
Thyra: "You don't just get one. It unlocks, by being forcefully unlocked during a fight."
Aric was off the bench and jumping up and down by now.
Thyra: "There's a few other things. But I haven't the need or the understanding to explain them now."
Kareth: "I'm assuming you're telling us this now because you're gonna start training us to obtain these 'threads'?"
Thyra shakes her head
Thyra: "You can't train to get them. While there are a few other methods, the only consistent way is getting it in a fight. A real fight.
Aric: "Do we get to choose what we get?"
Thyra: "Nope. Everyone seemingly has a predetermined thread from the moment they are born. Though it's partially affected by what thread your parents had If they did have one."
Because that's so helpful to me and Aric.
Aric sighs. Partially because it's a gamble what he might get but also because he has no way of knowing what he could get.
Thyra: "Anyway. Back to regular training."
Aric didn't seem to care about the sudden revelation. Instead focusing on the prospect of being able to wield some grand magic power. Or thread. Like how the heroes did in the children's books from the cabin.
Unlike Aric, I'm wondering why Thyra chose to tell us now. She could have told us at any time. Or even not told us at all. Wait until we come across it by ourselves. There must be a reason behind it. Something her and Rhovan know and can't tell Aric or I. Something we need this knowledge for.
I walk over to the court with Rhovan on it. Pushing the thoughts to the back of my mind for now. Thyra and Aric were already dueling. Aric's swordplay was more refined than I would've thought possible after only a week.
Rhovan: "Knowing you. you're distracted by the information Thyra just dropped aren't you."
I nod
Rhovan: "Hopefully it was meaningless to tell you. However I doubt it was."