Form and Function

Arran finished the last scraps on his plate before they left the restaurant. If the morning turned out to have been a waste of time, at least he'd gotten a good meal out of it — well worth half a day's work, he thought.

That Anthea's Forms concealed hidden downsides was disappointing, but it didn't come as a complete surprise to Arran. From the start, the whole thing had sounded too good to be true.

But even if Anthea's Forms were as useless as Master Linos had said, it was only a minor setback. The man had offered to take Arran as a student, and having a Master for a teacher would certainly be beneficial.

Still, he would give Anthea a chance to explain the situation. The idea of Forms was too appealing to simply ignore.

They left the restaurant after Arran finished the last of his meal, heading back into the stronghold's busy streets. And as they set off toward the training halls, Anthea began to speak.