Chapter 21 - Aura Training
The Duke motioned for them to go ahead and begin training. Seraphina followed Sir Aldric of the office and down the winding hallways of the main house.
As they walked, her heart was pounding with anticipation, for she had longed for this moment the second she learned about knights. She wished to grow stronger, not just to protect herself but to thrive.
They soon arrived at a large set of double doors, and Sir Aldric pushed them open to reveal an expansive indoor training ground. The area was empty of people, only a few training dummies stood around the field, and racks of weapons lined to the side.
The ground was made out of hard-packed earth, perfect for training without worrying about slipping or losing balance. Plus, it was easy to repair in the case of damage.
"Lady Seraphina, this is where we will begin your training. We will be training here until you cover the basics."
Sir Aldric said with a steady voice, taking a step into the field and turning to her.
Seraphina took a deep breath to steady her nerves and nodded her head. She had never trained like this before, and she knew it would be challenging, but she was ready for anything.
Sir Aldric walked to the center of the training ground, and she followed after him He motioned for her to sit down once they came to a stop. Complying with the gesture, she sat with her legs crossed on the ground and looked up at Sir Aldric.
"Before we begin, it is important to understand the basics of aura training."
Sir Aldric began talking with a serious tone, as this was a very important part of being a knight. Without it, one wouldn't make any progress as a knight.
"What is Aura exactly?"
Seraphina asked. While she had read a bit about aura from the many books in the library, she wanted to get the opinion of a knight directly to clarify any doubts.
"Aura is the energy that flows through all living beings. It is what gives knights their strength and abilities. All life has aura to an extent; the only difference between a knight and a normal person is that knights can control and increase it."
The man explained it to her in his own words, and what he said corresponded with what she had read in books.
"However, to begin harnessing aura, you need to first draw it into your body and circulate it throughout your entire being. You see, while almost all life has aura in them, we can not activate that aura without an outside trigger."
"That trigger is absorbing the ambient energy of the world and triggering the aura within a person to react to it. Once you can sense that aura within you, then you can train with it."
Seraphina nodded, listening intently to every word the man said. She had read about aura training in books, but those were only vague mentions, so hearing it from a knight gave her clarity.
"The method I will teach you to sense this energy and trigger your aura is the basic method used by all knights. Once you've sensed aura and can move it on your own, then you can begin using the Knight Training Method given to you by the Duke to train."
"I understand."
She replied with a firm voice and watched as Sir Aldric stepped back to get room to move.
"It involves using physical movements of the body to draw in the energy from around you and stimulate the aura within you. This will allow the aura to flow through your entire body and give you the chance to sense it clearly."
After speaking, the man demonstrated a series of movements with his body that looked like a mixture of dance and martial arts. The moves were fluid and precise; he combined a mixture of punching, kicking, and swinging around his body to move as if dancing.
Seraphina watched closely, trying her best to memorize each step and motion the best she could.
"Now, you try."
Sir Aldric instructed as he stopped and took a few steps back to give her space.
Seraphina stood up and tried her best to mimic the movements of the man. At first, her motions were awkward and stiff, but as the man pointed out the errors she made, she slowly found her rhythm.
Closing her eyes as she got the hang of it, she focused on the movements of her body and tried to sense the energy around her or within her.
Coming to a stop, she was disappointed to find that she couldn't feel any energy just yet. However, the man spoke once he noticed her dejected frown.
"Do not worry. Sensing the energy usually takes a while, even for talented people. Most take at least two weeks before they can sense aura. Talent ones can sense it in a week."
Seraphina opened her eyes, a small smile on her face as she spoke.
"Thank you, Sir Aldric. I will do my best to master this."
Hearing her words, the man nodded with a pleased expression on his face. He was pleased to see that the girl was willing to work hard to master the training and not just waste time.
They continued the training, Sir Aldric guiding her through the more complex movements and helping her refine her technique. The process was grueling, and Seraphina could feel her muscles aching with the effort, but she pushed through the pain, driven by her desires.
As the hours passed, Seraphina's movements became more fluid, and her body was able to complete the movements needed much better than she did before. While her body was in pain, she could feel it craving for more.
Finally, Sir Aldric called for a break. However, Seraphina was lost in the movement of the technique taught to her. Her body moved to the flow without any thoughts, her mind drifting as it followed the movement of her body.
She could feel a faint tingle, like water, flowing through her body and limbs. It was weak and barely noticeable, but it was there. She continued the movement, focusing her mind on the tingle she felt.
As she focused on the tingle, her eyes began to heat up, and her mind became clearer. She could feel the aura flowing within her with increasing clarity the longer she focused on it. It was almost as if she could see the energy within her body through her mind.
Finally, when she felt as if the energy had flowed through her entire body and returned to her heart, her body stopped moving, and her eyes instantly stopped heating up.
It was like a wave of fatigue instantly washed over her body as she fell to the ground and gasped for air—her entire body aching throughout it.
Sir Aldric stood to the side with shock on his face as he watched the entire process unfold. As a knight, he knew better than anyone what the girl was feeling—it was aura.
He could sense the aura within the girl becoming increasingly active before suddenly going calm. That was one of the key signs that a person had begun to sense aura.
"Good, Lady Seraphina. Very Good."
Snapping out of his shock, he quickly clapped his hands together and spoke with a hint of praise.
"You are picking this up much faster than I anticipated. You have done well, Lady Seraphina."
The man's tone did not even bother to hide his approval and praise for her progress.
"Your progress is remarkable. Most would take weeks to reach this level. You may just be talented in being a knight. I'm sure the Duke would be proud to hear this."
Seraphina looked up at him, her violet eyes slightly dull compared to how they usually were, and the glow was faint.
"Thank you, Sir Aldric. I will continue to work hard. Please don't tell my father about this yet. I don't want to disappoint him if I am unable to meet his expectations."
Sir Aldric did not understand why the girl would want to hide such an achievement. Any other noble child would boast about their deeds so that they could gain praise and benefits.
However, he decided to comply with her request for the time being. It was a small request anyway.
"I have no doubt that you will, Lady Seraphina. With your dedication and talent, you will become a formidable knight. You may very well become a Grandknight someday."
Seraphina heard the man but didn't reply. Instead, she stood up from the ground and stabilized herself. Training was concluded for the day since she was too weak to keep going, and she could head home.
As such, they both left the training ground and parted ways; before separating, he informed her that training would take place every other day so that she could have time to rest between sessions.
With that, the day came to an end.
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