Chapter 4

Later on after my flaming blade was extinguished, I was on the ground, legs crossed in a lotus position, meditating, recalling the sensation of the Martial Art. 

Trying to recreate the experience of the energy flowing through my body.

A few days later, through great effort, I could perfectly perform the steps necessary for using Aura Flame Blade without assistance from my Talent.

Holding a sword with both of my hands, I initiated the Martial Art, I could feel energy coursing into my blade with fervor, sparks dancing across the cold steel, as wisps of fire bloomed, and a radiant flame came alive, shining with a golden light. 

It would seem that I have enough warrior levels to utilize this Martial Art, I could bring the past to life. With Psychometry, the name I gave to my talent, I could train myself with the abilities of the weapons available to me. Achieving access to Martial Arts with my own power, through my Talent.

Though most of the weapons in the training room were never used, due to this my ability can't function. Not having ever been wielded before. 

I've also discovered that I can't target myself with Psychometry, though I'm not sure it would have much use anyways.

I then looked over to the hundreds of instruments of war decorating the wall and thought to myself:

'I seem to have my work cut out for me, yet in the end this is just another step on the endless trek towards the summit of this world.'

POV: Nazaire 

Antilene has always been a … peculiar child, from the moment I helped bring her into the world, from the moment I aided Lady Faine give birth to the girl with eyes of white and black, I have noticed oddities.

As she was exposed to the air for the first time, she screamed unlike any infant I have ever witnessed, her wails were like ones of horror. For weeks, Antilene flailed and screamed every waking moment and was absolutely inconsolable, then one day, she became dead silent.

In a completely unnatural shift, she grew quiet.

As the years went by, Lady Faine refused to meet with her daughter, no matter how much I begged and pleaded. In the end, it forced my hand, making me name the child Antilene, in her stead, because I could not let her live nameless.

Then a few days after her fourth birthday, Antilene crossed paths with her mother during one of her meetings with the Cardinals, no words were exchanged between the two of them. Yet, a little while later Lady Faine demanded to train the half-elf girl.

For the next few years, Antilene was viciously beaten in the name of "training". Despite me pleading consistently, I have no real power, and I could do nothing but tend to the girl.

Even still, after being subjected to these horrendous experiences, never once have I seen or heard the child complain and on top of it all, Antilene relentlessly practices on her own.

No one had ever asked or suggested such a thing to her, yet this young girl constantly pushed herself to the brink for seemingly no reason. Once I had asked her, to find a reason amongst the madness and all she responded with was:

"There's something I have to do."

A/N:

A little shorter chapter today, I wanted to end it on that note, so I'm thinking about posting another chapter today, or just making the next one longer.