Watcher of Fate

Elara followed Seraphine through the bustling guild hall, weaving past tables filled with adventurers sharing stories and meals. The hall was alive with energy, and Elara's heart raced with excitement and nerves. Seraphine moved with purpose, her full plate armor clinking softly with each step.

As they approached a group of adventurers, Seraphine raised her hand and called out, "Valen! Lora! Come here."

A male adventurer turned towards them, his leather cuirass gleaming over a sizeable blue robe. He carried a large staff intricately carved with knotwork. His sharp eyes and calm demeanor contrasted with the hustle and bustle of the hall. Beside him, a female adventurer in leather armor under a long leather duster stood up. She had leather pants and two wand casters strapped to her hips. Her short, dark hair framed a face marked by both kindness and determination.

Valen, the male adventurer, approached first. "Sera, what's up?" he asked, his gaze shifting to Elara with mild curiosity.

"This is Elara," Seraphine introduced, gesturing towards her. "She's a new provisional member. I want you and Lora to help me evaluate her."

Lora joined them, giving Elara a friendly nod. "Nice to meet you, Elara," she said, her eyes glinting with interest. "Welcome to the guild."

Elara smiled, feeling a bit more at ease with the warm welcome. "Thank you."

Sera turned and led the way through the hall towards a set of large double doors at the back. "Follow me," she said. "We'll head to the training room."

They passed through the doors and into an extensive corridor lined with portraits of legendary adventurers and scenes of epic battles. The corridor opened into a vast training room, primarily used for sparring and testing. The room was filled with various equipment and stations for practicing combat, magic, and other adventuring skills. Along the sides of the room were racks holding wooden weapons of various types, designed for safe practice. The walls were reinforced to withstand the impacts of intense training sessions. The room was well-lit, with high ceilings providing ample space for a variety of exercises.

Sera stopped in the center of the room and turned to face the group. "This is where we'll be working," she said. "Elara, we'll start by assessing your current abilities to ensure you're not a danger to yourself or others when we go out on quests. The training you'll receive will be more hands-on and practical."

Valen nodded, his grip tightening on his staff. "Understood. I'll handle the magical assessments."

Lora grinned, her hands resting on the hilts of her wand casters. "And I'll take the combat drills. We'll see what you've got, Elara."

Seraphine turned to Elara, her expression curious. "What is your build like, Elara? How do you prefer to fight?"

Elara took a moment to consider her response. "I guess you could say I'm a highly mobile sword user with some minor spell utility."

Seraphine's eyes lit up with interest. "Good. That means I can test your claims directly."

She walked over to a rack of wooden weapons, selecting a large claymore-like sword. Despite its size, she picked it up single-handedly and paired it with a large wooden round shield. The sight of her wielding such a formidable combination effortlessly was both impressive and intimidating.

Elara took a deep breath and summoned her [Spirit Tree Stick (Excellent)], a sword-length weapon imbued with a faint glow of magical energy. Valen, watching from the side, couldn't help but chuckle.

"Bringing your own stick, eh?" he joked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Ignoring the comment, Elara focused her vision and intent on Seraphine. Almost instinctively, her identification box appeared before her eyes without the need for a spell. The information about Seraphine materialized, clear and detailed.

[Lvl 19 Human Guardian Knight (Uncommon)]

Elara felt a surge of satisfaction. Her innate ability to identify others was functioning perfectly, just as Lirien's spell had shown earlier but slightly better. It was a small but reassuring sign that her skills were reliable.

Seraphine noticed Elara's focused expression and gave a nod of approval. "Good. You're already taking things seriously. Let's see how you handle yourself."

Elara gripped her [Spirit Tree Stick (Excellent)] tightly, her heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and determination. As she steadied herself, the spirit of the sword, a small, ethereal crow, fluttered down and landed on her shoulder. Its feathers shimmered with an otherworldly glow, visible only to those who could see spirits.

"Are we going to destroy her?" the crow asked in a voice that only Elara could hear, its tone laced with excitement.

Elara glanced at the crow, a small smile playing on her lips. "No, we're going to hold back and gauge her response," she whispered. "My mother always said to use only as much force as necessary. That way, people will underestimate you later."

The crow cawed softly, a sound of approval. "A wise strategy. Let's see how she fares against you."

Seraphine, unaware of the exchange, watched Elara intently, her expression serious. "Whenever you're ready, Elara."

Elara took a deep breath, centering herself, and assumed her starting stance for the [Crimson Quill Dance (Unique)]. She initiated the [Technique: Vermilion Dance]*, her body poised and ready, every muscle in her frame attuned to the rhythm of the upcoming duel. She held the stance, her eyes fixed on Seraphine, waiting for the slightest sign of movement.

As she noticed Seraphine beginning to tense her muscles, Elara prepared herself. Seraphine sprang forward, aiming a probing strike towards Elara. In a swift motion, Elara danced forward, her movements fluid and precise, preparing to execute her strike. She quickly realized that Seraphine's movements were about 20% slower than her own, giving her a significant advantage in speed.

Elara decided to pull her strike, switching to [Technique: Serpent's Inkflow Embrace]. She executed a flowing horizontal slash, but pulled back at the last moment, her body moving in a serpentine pattern around Seraphine on her sword-hand side. Seraphine had already committed to a downward strike where Elara had been just moments ago. With her blade descending, Seraphine found herself striking at empty air as Elara deftly evaded her.

Elara continued her fluid movement, serpentining around Seraphine and positioning herself directly behind her opponent. She pulled back from Seraphine, returning to the starting position of [Technique: Vermilion Dance], her stance steady and controlled.

Seraphine straightened up, turning to face Elara with a look of approval and newfound respect in her eyes. Before she could speak, Lora interjected from the sidelines, her voice filled with astonishment. "What the heck was that? One second she was in front of you, and the next she was behind you. She doesn't move like any level 15 bard I've ever seen. That was more like a mage's teleport."

Valen nodded, his expression serious. "It wasn't magic. I sensed no mana being used."

Seraphine's gaze remained fixed on Elara. "Why didn't you strike me?" she asked, her tone curious rather than accusatory.

Elara held her stance, her breath steady. "It was just the first exchange of the spar, so I was being cautious," she replied calmly.

The spirit crow perched on Elara's shoulder cawed softly, its voice audible only to her. "You could have decapitated her twice or removed her sword arm if you were using real blades," it remarked, its tone carrying a mix of pride and playful critique.

Elara acknowledged the crow's comment with a subtle nod, knowing that her restraint had been both a strategic choice and a demonstration of control. She had shown just enough to prove her capabilities while keeping her true strength hidden.

Seraphine took a moment to absorb the information, then nodded approvingly. "Caution is wise, especially in a new sparring session. But don't hold back too much. We need to see your full potential to ensure you're ready for real quests."

Lora shook her head, still amazed, but before she could comment further, Seraphine charged at Elara. As Seraphine approached, Elara watched her movements almost in slow motion, feeling as if time had slowed down. "Why is she coming so slow?" Elara asked the spirit crow perched on her shoulder.

"It looks normal to me," the crow replied, its tone puzzled.

Elara made a non-committal sound before dancing forward to meet Seraphine's charge. She moved with fluid grace, ducking beneath Seraphine's horizontal slash and delivering a precise piercing thrust. Seraphine barely managed to bring her shield up in time, blocking the strike with a startled look on her face. Elara then cartwheeled back into her starting position, seamlessly returning to her [Technique: Vermilion Dance].

Lora, observing from the sidelines, couldn't help but laugh. "This is a joke, right? She’s moving like a ghost out there!"

Seraphine shot Lora a sharp look. "Do you want to spar instead?" she asked, a hint of challenge in her voice.

Lora raised her hands in mock surrender. "No, you've got this, Boss."

Seraphine turned back to Elara, her expression serious. "I know you're fast, Elara, but I need to feel your hits. I need to understand the power behind your strikes. Don't hold back so much."

Elara nodded, understanding the importance of demonstrating her true capabilities. She prepared herself once more, her grip tightening on her [Spirit Tree Stick (Excellent)]. The spirit crow on her shoulder ruffled its feathers approvingly, sensing her readiness.

Seraphine steadied her stance, preparing for the next exchange. "Come at me with everything you've got," she instructed.

Elara took a deep breath, a new plan forming in her mind. She reengaged Seraphine with renewed determination, her eyes locked on her opponent. As Seraphine launched her first attack, Elara parried it with ease and immediately countered. Seraphine's shield blocked the strike, and the pattern was set.

Seraphine attacked again, and Elara parried, her movements fluid and precise. Each of Seraphine's strikes was met with a deft counter from Elara, but Seraphine's shield was always there to block. They moved in a rhythm, attack, parry, counter, block, repeating over and over, their dance becoming faster and more intense.

The sound of their sparring filled the room, the clash of wood on wood echoing in the space. Elara's focus sharpened, her movements becoming almost automatic as she anticipated each of Seraphine's attacks and responded with practiced precision. Seraphine's strikes grew stronger and more desperate, but Elara matched each one with her own strength and speed.

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the sparring room. Seraphine's wooden sword splintered against Elara's parry, the force of the blow too much for the practice weapon to withstand. Elara continued her movement, stopping just as her [Spirit Tree Stick (Excellent)] came to rest at Seraphine's neck.

Seraphine, panting and clearly impressed, looked at Elara with a mixture of admiration and respect. "In this position, you should ask me to yield," she instructed, her voice breathless but steady.

Elara nodded, understanding the lesson. "Yield," she said calmly, lowering her weapon.

Lora, who had been watching with wide-eyed amazement, burst into laughter. "Your primary stat must be DEX with how fast you were moving!"

Elara shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Actually, perception is my primary stat. Dexterity is my third highest."

Lora's laughter cut off abruptly, replaced by a stunned expression. "Perception? How is that possible? You were moving like a blur out there."

Elara shrugged slightly, the spirit crow on her shoulder cawing softly as if in agreement. "It's just how I've trained," she replied, her tone humble yet confident.

Seraphine, still catching her breath, looked at Elara with a mix of admiration and frustration. "You kept hitting my sword at the exact same spot, didn't you? That's why it broke."

Elara nodded, her expression calm and measured. "Yes, I did."

Seraphine muttered under her breath, "This is humiliating," as she walked out of the ring, her pride slightly bruised.

Valen stepped forward, curiosity evident in his eyes. "Who was your master?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.

Elara shook her head. "I was self-taught."

At this, Lora burst into even louder laughter, her body shaking with near-manic energy. She doubled over, clutching her sides as tears streamed down her face. "Of course you are! Why wouldn't you be? This is the best thing ever!" she exclaimed between gasps, her voice tinged with a mix of hysteria and amusement. The absurdity of the spar seemed to overwhelm her, and she continued laughing uncontrollably, her laughter echoing through the training room.

Seraphine, regaining her composure, turned back to Elara. "Do you have somewhere to stay?"

Elara shook her head. "I'm new to town."

Seraphine nodded thoughtfully. "We have space we've rented. You can join us."

Elara felt a wave of relief and gratitude. "Thank you, Seraphine. I appreciate it."

Seraphine gave a nod, her earlier frustration giving way to a sense of camaraderie. "You're welcome, Elara. Let's get you settled in, and please call me Sera."