Chapter 32

"The first step to build up your defences is to strengthen the one you already have, like the fundament of a building you could say. Once your foundation is strong enough the only thing remaining will be your avatar, meaning you yourself as the representative of your mind, with everything about you hidden inside of your avatar, away from prying eyes." Isolde said while standing up from her sitting position with Alvar doing the same.

"How are we going to do that?" He asked Isolde who turned around to face him while walking backwards slightly with a small smile on her face.

"You are about to find out. Remember, all you have to do is stay calm…" Isolde said after which Alvar wished he hadn't taken Isolde up on her offer to teach him to defend his mind…

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'Remain calm she said! Don't lose yourself in the emotions she said! How the fuck am I supposed to do that if she keeps throwing fear inducing illusions at me?!' Alvar thought to himself while another one smashed into him, looking like a translucent wave of some kind, which roused the fear inside his core once again as he struggled to resist the urge to scream for his life all the while.

"Remember, this is all happening in your head. Even though real combat is possible in the mists, that is not where we currently are! You are the king of this realm, so firm your mind and stop shivering like a little babe in the cold!" Isolde called over while Alvar grit his teeth so hard they gnashed upon each other with an audible sound as he tried to resist the spell the she-devil had thrown at him.

On and on Isolde kept throwing emotion stimulating illusions at Alvar who by now was on his knees, desperately trying to keep himself from crying like a little child as all the different emotions, ranging from fear, happiness, self-pity, sadness and so on, raged through his every fibber like a flood after a dam had broken and unleashed the unstoppable torrents on the world behind its walls.

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After what felt like an eternity to Alvar, Isolde stopped her barrage and brought the two out of Alvar's mind after which the lad collapsed backwards with sweat soaking his clothes and training gear, as had become the norm for him the last few weeks.

"We'll continue with this tomorrow evening. I would advise you to practise on your own though. Every time you feel your emotions stirring try to calm yourself so that you will not be controlled by them. It will help." With those words Isolde stood up and walked over to Alvar whom she helped up onto his shaking legs, after which she lead Alvar out of her room and down the corridor to the gates that were still being guarded by, what Alvar assumed to be, members of the mist guard as he remembered them saying that they had made it their purpose to guard the Havroune, besides other duties.

"Have a good night Alvar, I'll see you tomorrow evening." Isolde said after which she turned around and was about to head back inside when Alvar remembered that he hadn't asked yet where he would meet her tomorrow.

"Isolde! Where should I meet you tomorrow? Where I did today?" Alvar asked the woman who only nodded in reply after which she disappeared behind the tall wooden entrance to the quarters of the Havroune, leaving Alvar alone with the mist guards who hadn't budged an inch all this time as if they were made out of stone.

After leaving the great hall Alvar headed straight home as it had become too late to meet up with his friends and he really needed to get some sleep under his belt, his muscles still aching from all the training he had done that day, now joined by the pounding of his head as well.

Clothed in silence Alvar more swayed than walked back home and after what felt like hours finally reached his home. Accompanied by the creaking of the door Alvar went inside where he spotted his grandfather sitting in chair with a book in his hands while his grandmother was cleaning some dishes.

"Ahh, Alvar! Welcome back! How was your meeting with Isolde?" His grandfather asked with curiosity as he had never been allowed to witness what the Havroune taught their students or those that fulfilled the basic requirements for the mental arts.

"Ugh, don't remind me of that torture. My head is still pounding so hard, it feels like on ogre used it to pound some of its brethren into submission with it…" Alvar replied which earned him a bout of slight laughter from his grandparents as he went over to the bonfire and grabbed himself some food for a late dinner.

"I still remember the day your mother received her first instructions in the mental arts. Her words held pretty much the same content within them as yours did hahaha!" Alvars grandfather said while lifting his horn filled with mead in salute towards Alvar who only grunted at his antics in reply.

His grandmother on the other hand must have decided to be the good one in their relationship at some point as she came over to Alvar and put a blanked over his shoulders and a cool piece of wet clothes onto his forehead, causing Alvar to moan slightly in satisfaction.

"There you go, sweety. Anything else exciting happen today?" His grandmother asked as she sat herself down next to Alvar while he still marvelled at the cool sensation on his forehead.

"Ye. Sjorn decided to be an asshat once again. He had me try to resist the strength of a cow! Imagine that for a second, will you? I swear, all my instructors want to see me dead in some way…" Alvar ground out while shoving another spoon full of stew into his mouth, his grandfather roaring in amusement at Alvar's words all the while.

"Now, now. I think they all want the best for you so don't be so hard on them, will you?" His grandmother said while patting him slightly on the back after which she stood up and went back to whatever she had been doing back there in the kitchen.

"Ye ye, I know. Doesn't change the fact though that I feel like a herd of cows played catch with me… I'll head to bed now. Good night you two." He said as he was emptying the last dregs of food in his bowl and headed into his room to fall tiredly onto his mattress while his grandparent's wishes for a good night echoed faintly in the background. Though Alvar barely heard them having embarked onto his journey into dreamland already.