Sylvania Chronicles

Austen was taken a bit back by Adi. She had been very kind and welcoming but now she seemed cold. Maybe it was from the hesitance he portrayed maybe it was something he didn't know. Either way it doesn't matter she was right, this was the best plan. However, it was still early morning their was plenty of time to enjoy themselves.

Austen turned to Alistsir and said, "Well big guy, it has been decided, we leave for Enderus tomorrow, I look forward to traveling with you..." Austen trailed off as he shuffled away. He headed towards his room. He didn't really feel any fear towards the Giants. Sure they were dangerous, but everything was dangerous. His encounters with the Enderan Giants let him have some familiarity with their customs and how to win them over even though the Anakim were naturally more violent they did honor tradition.

His main fear was returning home. He had been sent away to become a scholar because he was a failure as a warrior and as a giant slayer. Returning home he will have that stigma on him at all times. He would never be the legendary giant slayer like his father and grandfather. He can't stand the failure that permeates from him and the disdain others have for him over it. Either way this is his chance to make something of himself and he will not waste it. He entered his room and slammed it shut and began to pack.
 
Adi heard Austen's door slam. She imagined it was his nerves again. He really was going to need to get that under control. Adi finished packing her bags and looked around her room. She was restless, nothing about this sat well with her. What did matter what had happened to the other nations? There had never been peace exactly but everyone had always kept to themselves. This mission could get them killed and start a war. Adi paced the room for a while.

Eventually she settled in on the floor in the middle of room, she needed to meditate, collect her thoughts. She focused on the task ahead. Alistair was just brute force, he had no idea what the word stealth meant. She imagined Austen would be just as bad, nose stuck in a map or book. He would stick out like a sore thumb. Adi needed to figure out a plan. She had been charged with protecting Austen and that was what she was going to do.
 
Austen finally finished packing. He thought about what to do next. He could go out and drink like he wanted to do, or he could think of some way to benefit the mission. Austen sat there and thought about the maps. They drastically needed to be updated, roads added, caves, pits, hazards, everything was so out of date. He pulled out the maps they were given and a large parchment and began. He sketched multiple maps, one large for the entire area then small ones for different territories, making them updated and as accurate as he could based on reports. He did this for a few hours and by the time he finished it was afternoon.

Austen had finished the maps and he had already studied the customs of each area beforehand so what more could he do. He thought then glanced to the wardrobe. Their was one thing he could practice he had not touched in years. He walked over to the wardrobe and opened it, revealing the greatsword he was granted by his father. It was large and heavy but Austen was trained to handle it, yet he lacked finesse. Austen unsheathed it and began to test the weight. He remembered his days in the courtyard of the estate swinging this at the practice dummies. He was never any good but he could do this. He began to swing, then block, swing, then block, power strike, backstep. The motions were coming back to him slowly but they were very sloppy. After awhile he tried to do a large cleave. He swung and smacked the floor making a loud clang. He did this again, and again, feeling the power, making the sword an extension of him. Regardless how hard he tried it was still sloppy and would not protect him in battle. In frustration he swung the greatsword without thinking and crushed his desk in half with a loud crash echoing into the hallway.
 
Adi's concentration was disrupted but a loud crash nearby. It sounded like it had come from Austen's room. It was probably best to investigate, but Adi hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted to start another conversation with Austen before she had to. She was going to have very little to no alone time for the foreseeable future, something she was not looking forward to. Adi enjoyed solitude, it was mostly due to the fact that trying to understand people was exhausting and partially just because she enjoyed the silence.

Still it could be someone trying to sabotage the mission before it even began. Adi quietly snuck out of her room and creeped down the hall to Austen's room. there was nothing but silence now, which could be either good or bad. Adi grabbed out on of her knives, holding it low and ready to strike. She pushed the door open and plunged inside only to find Austen with a broadsword stuck in what used to be his desk. Adi smirked slightly at the size of the sword, compensating much? Adi put her knife away and put her hands on her hips.

"What did the desk ever do to you?"
 
"What did the desk ever do to you?"

Austen jumped in surprise to see Adi standing at the door. "Ummm well I was trying to get this fixed before anyone could see."

Austen went back to trying to pull the sword out of the remnants of his desk, "I was just trying to get some practice in before we head out, you know? I wanna make myself kinda useful." He gave a good tug on the sword but it was not budging at all. He was turning red from frustration and embarrassment. Why did she have to walk in now? He gave it a few more strong pulls before turning and shrugging. "Oh well looks like it is stuck there for now. Also, I know how it looks, big sword for a tiny guy haha, " He said sarcastically. "It has been in the family for generations so originally I was expected to learn how to wield it, but as you can see that isn't going too well." Austen tried giving it one more big tug, "Would you mind helping with this?"
 
Adi walked over to the desk and pulled the broadsword out with one swift move and handed it back to Austen. It was a beautiful sword, it confirmed her suspicions about his family name. The last thing she needed was him trying to prove himself and getting them all killed.

"You need a smaller sword. You're family name doesn't matter where we are going and using this sword will only get one of us killed."

Adi walked back to her room frustrated with his stupidity. For someone that was supposed to be smart, he was acting surprisingly thick. She rummaged around in her bags for a bit before finding a small short sword. She preferred knives anyways, swords were too slow. She walked back to Austen's room and threw the sword on his bed.

"Practice with this one..." she pointed at the broadsword in his hands "leave that behind."

Adi turned on her heel and shut the door behind her. This was going to be a disaster.
 
Austen looked down at the ground for a long time. He knew he wasn't the best fighter but this was the only sword he had ever learned to wield. He wasn't bad, just sloppy. Adi was right though at this rate he would get someone killed. He needed to try something else. He picked up the sword she brought and, to his surprise, it was extremely light. He swung a few times with this sword, using the same techniques he used for the broadsword. It was more manageable and easier to wield. Austen tried the flourish technique and he managed to do it surprisingly. This sword may be what he needed but the techniques he knew were not for a sword of this size. He would still get them killed.

He thought of what he should do. He knew he didn't have time to learn an entirely new fighting style, besides his job was just to chronicle this trip. People would not be dying on his behalf however, he needed to practice but only when they had free time. He practiced with the sword a bit more, feeling the flow and wielding it more naturally, before cleaning up the remnants of the desk. Austen then practiced how he would speak to his father and convince them to aid the expedition, then headed to bed.
 
Adi wasn't sure when she had drifted off to sleep, but when she awoke it was dark outside. Adi moved to sit by the window and looked out at the stars, she traced the constellations in her mind. She had always enjoyed stargazing, her mentor had taught her how to navigate using them. He used to say that getting lost was just as dangerous as walking into a fight blind.

Adi debated leaving early and going back to her mentor. She did not want this, and she did like that he hadn't given her the choice. He hid the truth from her, she had always valued his opinion of her. He hadn't trusted her to make the right decision. She wondered if she would ever see him again.

She shook the thought from her mind, looking to the past did nothing but distract her from what was coming. Adi decided not to linger anymore. She strapped on her weapons belt and loaded up various weapons. She slung her sack of her shoulder and headed back to the library. It was time to leave, she was ready.
 
It was barely light when Austen woke. He was sore from practice but he knew what today was. He peered over at his bag, packed and ready to go. Was he truly ready for this journey? Would he be able to survive this? Would this truly benefit the empire? Austen pondered these things. He could just quit and say he refused to go. All that would happen is mass disappointment, a revoking of his title, and basically imprisonment in the university. Was that really that bad though?

Austen then thought of how his family would feel. They may have sent him away but they wanted him to become great. He wanted to make the Riis name something to be proud of again. He was the last remaining child who did not have any accomplishments, and was the sole male heir to the family. He had to do this, all doubts had to be shut out. He braced himself and quickly grabbed his bag, but stopped, staring at the broadsword. Austen stared what seemed like an eternity before strapping it to his back and heading into the library.
 
Alistair had already been in the library when Adi had arrived. They nodded at each other but remained silent. Adi casually searched the shelves for any books that may be helpful on their journey. She found one and packed it away in her bag to read one night. She continued to search when she heard the doors open. Austen looked distracted as he entered the room she noticed that he was wearing the sword she had given him. He had made the right decision.

"Good. Now that we are all here. Let's head out. We should avoid being seen even as we leave the city. THe last thing we need is a spy following us."
 
Austen nodded, "The quickest way to Enderus would be follow the trail Northeast, crossing over the bridge and into the city." He smirked, "The Riis family estate will be towards the northern part of the city, from their it should only be a few days to the border."

Austen turned to Alistair, "Before we go big guy, in my room there is a greatsword, I advise you using it and bringing it along." He turned to Adi, "I know you feel it may be a hindrance, but as a bargaining chip with my father it works well, and the Anakim are quite familiar with it." Austen chuckled, "It may have killed a few generations of their people so it may come in handy with Sir Langstrom, a trained royal guard wielding it." Austen turned and walked over to the door.

He clapped his hands, "With that I shall be quiet unless needed, so shall we get a move on?"
 
Adi nodded and led the way out of the library. They stopped briefly to collect Austen's sword and continued on out of the city unnoticed. Adi insisted that Austen lead the way since he had all the maps and Alistair stay close to him to watch out for any potential traps or robber, she took the back to make sure they weren't leaving any signs of the direction they had headed in. It didn't seem like anyone was following them, but she could never be too sure.

They traveled for days in near silence, only speaking when they had to. Luck had been with them so far, The weather had been nice making there no need for a fire or anything else to signal their location, they had also had few issues finding food to hunt and water. Still Adi began to get nervous as they approached the city. Cities meant more people, which meant an easier chance of being spotted or spied on.

They were about a half a days hike from the bridge, when they stopped for the night. They had found a small covering of trees to hide them for the night. Adi noticed Austen getting increasingly nervous as they approached the city. She debated whether or not she should ask if he was ok.
 
Days passed in pure silence. As the group traveled barely any words were spoken unless absolutely necessary. Weather was clear as this was the dry season, but it was the end of the season so it was not terribly hot. Austen lead the way with Alistair at his side for protection. It was a sensible formation, the guide at the helm with the brute to distract any who had the idea of trying to rob them. Adi seemed to stay to the side or the back, Austen was never really too sure. It seemed like she could slip in and out unnoticed whenever she felt like. She always had the appearance of a woman looking for something. She must have had some kind of military training, but at this point it was irrelevant.

Austen would often glare at the family sword being carried by Alistair. He dreaded seeing his family again. They were loving people but he was the blight on their legacy. A pure runt and having the disdain put on him once again is a feeling Austen would love to avoid. However, this was for the good of the mission, he would suck it up no matter how anxious he got. As the days went on though Austen became more and more shaken. Having to hunt for food, set camp, avoid robbers, these were all these he had only ever heard of in stories. To be out and not only seeing them, but experiencing them was amazing yet nerve wracking. This started to take a visible toll on him. He became physically more nervous, paranoid, he barely slept, barely ate. He knew he had to change this or he would just be a burden. To compensate during the time he couldn't sleep or rest he would practice with the sword. He was getting better but would never hold his own in a fight.

The time came when they were only half a days hike from the bridge to Enderus. Austen was not ready. He had no idea how he could convince his family to aid the expedition. The sword was the only leverage he truly had. To get them to supply he would have to think of a way to convince a pure warrior that having an expedition of this magnitude not only funded but chronicled by a member of the family could fix their lineage. It was quite a task and as they sat in camp it seemed like Austen would have a breakdown any minute.
 
Adi couldn't sleep. They had found good coverage in the woods, but something was making her nervous. Maybe it was residual from watching Austen. It was times like this that she was glad that she didn't really understand people, it seemed so complicated.

As she was lying awake she heard Austen get up. He was practicing with the sword she had given him, he was surprisingly getting better. Adi decided to give up on sleep for a while and joined him. She grabbed her sword and joined him in the clearing.

"Want some help?"
 
Austen was startled to hear anyone else up at this hour. Usually everyone was sound asleep as he practiced his technique. He turned his sword in a defensive stance but was ready to strike. As he turned he saw it was just Adi. She had offered to help with his swordplay presumably. Who was he to refuse? She seemed to know how to handle herself.

"Sure thing that would be lovely," Austen said in a low tone. He kept in a defensive position as he saw she had already drawn her sword. He wondered if he could catch her by surprise. Chances are that would end poorly though. he waited for her to get into a ready stance and said, "Promptus, set, ire!"
 
"Promptus, set, ire!"

Adi countered as Austen lunged toward her. She used the hilt of her sword and knocked him off his feet. She pointed the blade at his chest.

"First rule of combat: Never tell them when you plan on attacking them."

Adi held out a hand to help him up.

"Again."
 
Austen was quickly knocked down by Adi. Never tell them when you are attacking she said. Austen took her hand and got back up.

"As you wish madam," Austen took a dueling stance.

"I must warn you though, I am dangerously..." Austen took a swing at Adi, "Dangerously inexperienced!"
 
Adi watched as Austen flung his sword at her and easily parried the attack flourishing one of her own. He blocked it but only barely.

"Swordplay is like chess. You have to watch your opponent, they way they move their feet which way they are glancing. Watch, anticipate, and exploit. You don't have to be the strongest or the quickest to survive a fight, you only have to be the smartest. Surely even you can manage that."

They went back and forth for a while. Adi made sure to make her moves obvious, so that he could practice. He was gaining momentum, it was good progress. She was almost having fun, when suddenly she heard something coming from somewhere behind Austen. She couldn't tell how close they were or what direction they were coming from. She had let her guard down and someone had gotten too close. She tucked and rolled away from Austen, keeping low to the ground and crouching behind a tree. She motioned for Austen to follow her.

Someone was coming.
 
Austen was excited. He was doing fairly well in this practice, even thought it seemed like Adi was deliberately letting him do well. Watching her movements it was obvious she was holding back, but he would take what he could get. When she countered him it was obvious she had a tremendous amount more of swordplay experience. From the strength she had to the grace. She had to be military or of noble descent. Either way now was not the time to get lost in his head, this was dueling practice.

Austen was gaining more and more momentum with each swing. The sword felt more natural and the movements were quicker. Adi was still not using her full potential. All of the sudden she rolled away behind a tree into a defensive stance. She was motioning for him to follow but why? Then Austen heard the sound of someone or something approaching. He scrambled behind a tree into a defensive position. This area was not usually dangerous but then he had never traveled to the outskirts. Who knows what this was.
 
The sounds was growing louder. It was footsteps, large footsteps. Too large to be any kind of animal. Adi had her sword at the ready, she could hear Austen breathing heavily behind her. She wondered if it was from their fight or if he was scared, not that it mattered. Any hunter could shoot him from 100 yards away. She raised her hand to his mouth and waited.

Eventually a hunter made his way through the bushes. He was heading towards their camp where Alistair was sound asleep. Adi trailed him silently, if he continued on without trouble they would wait him out, but if he tried anything she would strike. They should have been more careful, she should known that them practicing was too loud.

The hunter stopped at the edge of their camp, he must have noticed their empty bedding.

"You can come out. I mean you know harm."

Adi hesitated, he could be lying, but he had lowered his weapon. She nodded for Austen to step out, her weapon still at the ready.
 
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