The noise of Ulfgard's main street were left behind. As Roric strode ahead, his massive shadow leading the way, their steps carried them to the quieter, upper parts of the city, towards wide but more secluded roads carved into the mountainside. It was a more sheltered area among the huge, protective stone structures.The walls of the buildings lining the road were more meticulously crafted, and some entrances displayed intricate clan symbols and more intense, glowing Rune carvings.
The patrols they encountered were fewer in number, but their armor was shinier, their stances more distinguished. Upon seeing Captain Roric, they would stop and give a salute, striking their right fists quickly over their hearts. Roric responded with a brief nod each time and continued on his way.
Aurelion followed a few steps behind the Captain. He observed this new, more elite atmosphere around him with cold interest.
Finally, Roric stopped in front of a building that looked taller and wider than the others. The building's lines were hard and sharp, but its overall appearance was not crude, rather minimalist and strong.
"We're here," Roric said. He headed for the door. "This is your new home, pointy ear."
He pushed the door open. Aurelion followed him and stepped inside, immediately feeling a contrast. The frost from outside was replaced by a wavy warmth radiating from the large fireplace just inside the entrance.
The high ceiling of the spacious entrance hall was dim. The floors were covered with dark, polished stones. The walls were also of the same dark stone, and Rune patterns similar to those outside but more elegant could be seen on them.
There was hardly any furniture. A dark wooden console and a weapon rack at the entrance. Everything was simple, functional, but of high quality. And most importantly… it was quiet.
The endless noise of the orphanage, the crying, the scurrying, was absent here. Only the crackling of the fire in the fireplace and the faint echo of his own steps on the stone floor could be heard.
Aurelion took a deep breath. This silence... this order... After the the orphanage, he genuinely liked it.
Just as he was trying to absorb this new atmosphere, two women appeared from an arched passage further down the hall.
They were in their early thirties, both blonde, and wore dark, spotless, clean servant dresses.
One was slightly stockier, her facial features sterner and her expression serious, her posture solid. The other was more slender, a lively curiosity gleaming in her blue eyes as they turned to Aurelion, though she quickly composed her posture into a professional line.
"Captain," said the stockier one. She bowed her head slightly. Sigrid followed suit. Both their eyes briefly, questioningly, lingered on Aurelion. A slight expression of surprise crossed their faces but was instantly erased.
"Brynja, Sigrid. This child is Aurelion. He is under my training and will be staying here for a while". His voice was not rude, but carried a natural authority.
"Understood, Captain," Brynja said immediately. Sigrid, however, smiled slightly. "Welcome, Aurelion"
Aurelion noticed the unexpected normality, even a slight politeness, in Roric's tone towards the women.
He was used to the rude orders of the orphanage caregivers or Harkan. This was different. Roric's strength wasn't just about crushing his subordinates, it seemed. He also noted the servants "professional yet not insincere demeanor." Being rude to these two would cause me trouble. He just nodded slightly, not responding.
"Come," Roric said again to Aurelion. He pointed to the wide arched passage. "This is the living room. There's a fireplace, it's comfortable. The other side is the kitchen. Upstairs are the bedrooms, my study, and guest rooms".
As they walked towards the end of the corridor, they came to a door that looked no different from the others but before which Roric paused. The door was sturdy, with a simple but strong looking lock mechanism.
"This door," Roric said, his voice now harsher and sharper. "And the main storage room downstairs. This is my personal armory and supply room. Strictly forbidden areas. Don't let your curiosity lead you to the wrong places. I repeat. You will never go beyond these two doors. Is the order understood?"
"Understood, Captain," Aurelion said, without blinking. Like everything forbidden, this door and the storeroom had instantly moved to the top of his mental list of curiosities.
Roric turned around. "Brynja. Prepare a room for the boy. The empty one upstairs. Help him settle in". Then he looked at Aurelion again. "When you're done, come to my study. I'll be waiting for you". With a clear command, he put turned into one of the wide corridors towards his own study.
"This way, please, Aurelion". Brynja's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Sigrid was also smiling slightly, gesturing for him to follow.
They went up a wide, winding stone staircase. At the end of the corridor, they stopped in front of a door. Brynja opened the door.
The room… was truly large. It was the largest personal space Aurelion had seen in this life. However, it wasn't luxurious. The walls were again dark, smooth stone. A thick but plain animal hide was spread on the floor. A large, bed made of dark wood stood in the middle. In one corner was a large, carved chest, and in another, a simple but spacious desk with only an oil lamp on it and a sturdy chair. There was a large window that almost completely covered one wall, and a small stone terrace opening from this window, offering a view of Ulfgard's snowy rooftops and the distant mountains.
"Spacious… Quiet… It even has a view," Aurelion thought. Most importantly. "Finally, I have my own space where I can rest in peace"
Brynja and Sigrid quickly set to work. They carefully folded Aurelion's few tunics, trousers, and undergarments and placed them in the chest.
After placing the last piece, Sigrid turned to Aurelion. "Your room is ready, Aurelion," she said gently. "Do you have any other requests for now? The Captain is waiting for you in his study".
Aurelion shook his head. "No need. Thank you." The presence of these two women was part of the quiet order of the house, but he felt no desire to interact with them more than necessary. They were doing their jobs, and he would mind his own business.
Brynja and Sigrid acknowledged with a slight nod and silently left the room.
He sat on the edge of the bed. Roric... This new guardian, new instructor. He had brought him here. And now, he was waiting for him in his study.
"The first lesson..." he thought. What would it be? More physical torture? Or something else? His analytical mind had already begun to weigh the possibilities.
He pushed his fatigue aside. Curiosity, as always, prevailed. He stood up, corrected his posture, and put on that expressionless mask again. He left the room.
As Roric had indicated earlier, the larger door further ahead had to be the study. He paused when he reached. It felt strange to raise his hand and knock. He knocked lightly, twice.
"Enter"
Aurelion pushed the door open and entered. It was spacious, but a large part of it was filled with detailed maps covering the walls, unknown diagrams, guard duty rosters, and parchments that looked like weapon designs.
In the middle stood a large, sturdy wooden desk in a position commanding most of the room, sat Roric in his armchair.
He slowly raised his head when Aurelion entered. He carefully scanned the child from head to toe. His fatigue, the still visible wounds, the bandage on his hand, his upright posture.
"Sit, brat."
Aurelion silently walked over and sat down.
Roric continued to study him in silence for a few long seconds. Then he leaned back.
"Life here will be different from the orphanage" he finally said "The rules are simple but absolute"
He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk as if counting them one by one. "First. You will never lie to me. Everything you tell me, no matter how much you dislike it, no matter how bad it makes you look, will be the truth. Honesty is not negotiable here"
He tapped his second finger. "Second. You will obey my orders without question. No expecting explanations or objecting. When you are told understood?, you will just do it"
His third finger rose. "Third. You will absolutely not enter the forbidden areas I showed you. You will learn to curb your curiosity"
Then he paused, his eyes locked on Aurelion's. "Fourth, and perhaps most importantly... That little energy display we witnessed… Until I tell you to use it, before I teach you how to do it, no matter what happens, no matter how dire the situation, you will ABSOLUTELY and NEVER use it. Understood?"
The rules were like a sledgehammer. Obedience, honesty, restriction, and most importantly, an absolute ban on the potential he had just discovered.
The rule about not lying, especially, was contrary to his nature, but Roric's demeanor showed no room for negotiation. The ban on using his inner energy was… both a disappointment and a secret relief. He didn't know how to control it, and Linnea's warnings were still fresh. Perhaps Roric was right.
"Understood, Captain," he said, his voice muffled but clear.
"Good." Roric nodded slightly. He leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, your first lesson".
Aurelion braced himself internally. He didn't know what to expect. More physical exertion? Perhaps map reading? Strategy?. Roric pushed a clean, empty parchment and an pencil across the desk towards Aurelion. "You will write".
Aurelion's eyebrows rose. He was surprised. This was not what he expected at all.
"Write?".
"Yes, you will write," Roric confirmed. "Everything that happened today. What you felt in that courtyard this morning. What was going through your mind when you fought Nazgûl three weeks ago. The subsequent punishment drill. What happened in the refectory… That provocation, Grok's attack, Elara's words, your… finishing kick. What you talked about with Linnea. Then how Harkan pushed you, what you felt, the wound on your hand, how you endured..."
He paused, his eyes looking Aurelion deeply again. "Every detail. But not just the events. What you thought, what you felt, why you acted that way… From your own perspective, completely honestly. Don't skip anything, don't embellish anything. Don't try to justify yourself, just write what happened and what you experienced"
Aurelion was dumbfounded. This… was different from an interrogation. This was more like a… confession. To put his feelings, his motivations, those moments of satisfaction… all on paper? And give it to Roric? This was incredibly difficult. It was making himself vulnerable. But also… it was a test. Roric was testing not only his physical strength but also his mind and his honesty.
"But... what's the purpose of this, Captain?" he couldn't help but ask.
Roric raised an eyebrow. "What was rule number two, brat?".
Aurelion fell silent. Damn it. He was trapped. He couldn't object. What if he lied?. But Roric had emphatically stated he didn't want lies. And he couldn't tell if this man would detect a lie or not.
"Understood," he said finally.
"Good," Roric said again. He turned to his own parchment in front of him. "You're here until you finish. Take your time, write thoughtfully. But as I said, I don't want a single word of lie or missing information".
He dipped his pen in ink and began to act as if he were attending to his own work, but Aurelion knew the Captain following every move in the room.
Aurelion looked at the blank parchment in front of him. The pencil felt heavy. But the real weight was in his mind. Where would he begin?
Honesty. That was the order. But the meaning of that word for him was probably different from what Roric expected. This wasn't an admission of weakness, but a challenge. "If you want to know, Captain," he thought with determination, "then be prepared to face the price of knowing"
He took a deep breath. He dipped the pencil in ink and began to put letters onto the parchment.
As he wrote, he forgot his fatigue. The events in his mind flowed like a film strip.
"…and when the training started, when I stepped into that courtyard, the pressure inside me was unbearable. Seven years. Watching others, testing myself in the shadows. It wasn't enough anymore. I wanted blood, I wanted struggle. I had my eyes on three. Those stupid Orc brothers Grok and Nazgûl, and that Eluvian shit Theron who humiliated me and that wood elf girl. Those past humiliations... were not forgotten. When Harkan paired me with Nazgûl, the tightness inside me gave way to a joy. This was the chance. It was the perfect target to break my chains, to show what seven years of patience had turned into.I felt no pity for Nazgûl. I savored every blow, the sound of his bones, the fear in his eyes. As I hit him, I felt relieved. As his blood flowed, I felt more alive. Yes, I took hits. My nose bled, my lip was busted, but even that pain… was good. It was real. Did I forget about defense? Maybe. But control didn't matter at that moment. The only thing that mattered was to crush him. To crush him and the stupid arrogance he represented. I wouldn't have stopped if Harkan hadn't intervened.
Harkan's punishment… was comical. Crawling in the mud, doing push ups… These weren't punishments. They were another challenge. I knew he was trying to break me. Testing my will. I enjoyed this game. My body rebelled, yes. But my will did not yield to it. It was stronger.
Linnea… Playing games with her was always fun. Clever but too… soft. I gave her the well behaved boy she wanted within certain limits, and in return, I got scraps of information. She always worried about me, and I used her concern to my advantage. That healing conversation, getting the word Core out of her… It was all calculated. I extracted information about High Elves the same way. Even comparing you to the War Chief years ago… It was the same game. Just the role of a curious child. And you fell for it, Captain. It was enjoyable to see your surprise at that moment.
The incident in the refectory… Stupid Grok and that Northern pack. They dared to mess with us. They needed to be taught a lesson. They are the type who don't understand how much others hurt until it's done to them. Yes, I pushed that little kid behind Nazgûl. Nazgûl crashing to the floor and that disgusting food spilling all over him… It was satisfying to watch.
...And then those three… Kael, Lyra, Elara. When I saw them in the courtyard, when I heard how those five idiots were humiliating them, my anger shifted in another direction. Their defeated, helpless states… Especially Elara's cowardly posture… I was disgusted. I had trusted them, I had spent time on them. Was this the return? I confronted them in the corridor. I yelled. I told them they were helpless, that they were defeated dishonorably. I threw in their faces how Kael's passivity turned him into a victim, how Lyra's uncontrolled instincts trapped her, how Elara's cowardice shamed me. I told them they had betrayed themselves, me, and what I had taught them. And I warned them. If they allowed such humiliation again, they would have to fear me, not just those thugs. Weakness is unacceptable, Captain. Neither in myself, nor in… those who stand by me. I trained them to win, not to be crushed"
The group… Did I provoke them? Of course. I used Lyra's chattiness, Kael's silent anger. They were all bait to trap Grok. It was necessary to humiliate him enough to make him completely lose control in front of all his stupid friends and the caregivers. Because only then would he truly attack, giving me the excuse to rightfully punish him.
Elara's outburst… I wasn't expecting that. That pig comparison… It was perfect. Hit the mark exactly. I must admit, I was proud of her at that moment. She may be weak, but there's a spark in her. And that spark was more effective than my plan. When Grok attacked Elara, it was exactly what I wanted. The excuse was ready. The kick I gave him… Yes, I did it intentionally. I kicked with all my might. Because he deserved it. Because he dared try to touch Elara. And yes… The sound of that bone breaking… it eased the pressure inside me. It was a relief.
Harkan's punishment drill yesterday… Yes, he pushed me again. Tried to break me. I was at my breaking point. That's when… I remembered that faint tingle I felt last night. I summoned it with all my will. That sensation starting from under my ribs and spreading to my arms… It was painful, it burned my body, but at the same time, it gave me a strength, a vitality. It allowed me to continue. I don't regret doing it. This is also part of power, and I will learn to control it.
The wound on my hand… That day… The helpless defeat of the group, the humiliation from that Northern pack… Even though it wasn't directed at me. At that moment, I… I couldn't control myself. I clenched my fist. I dug my nails into my palm. I know it was foolish. It was a moment of weakness. But that pain, for a moment, suppressed the other, worse pain inside me.
That's what happened, Captain. I acted according to my own logic, my own methods. Nothing more, nothing less.".
Aurelion put down the pencil. His hand was trembling slightly from the long writing session, but strangely, he felt calmer inside. He waited a few seconds for the parchment to dry, then pushed it towards Roric as it was, without folding it carefully.
His eyes looked at the Captain expressionlessly. The challenge was complete. It was the opponent's move.
When Roric noticed Aurelion had finished writing, he glanced for a moment at the parchment pushed towards him by the child. Then he slowly reached out and took it.
His eyes moved quickly but without skipping a single line, carefully reading every word.
As he read, subtle, almost imperceptible changes occurred in the stern, expressionless mask on Roric's face.
Aurelion's brutal honesty in describing the Nazgûl fight, his insolent analysis of Linnea and himself, his planning of the refectory incident, the satisfaction in the kick he gave Grok, and most importantly, his open admission of using his own inner energy and harming himself... Every sentence painted a clearer, yet more unsettling picture of the child in Roric's mind.
When he finished reading, he slowly placed the parchment on the desk. He leaned back. He remained silent for a while. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Was he angry? Shocked? Or....
Then, something Aurelion hadn't expected at all happened. Roric's lips slowly curled upwards. This was different from his previous faint smirks. Wider, more… real.
"So that's how it was," Roric said. "Mistress Linnea was right. She said you weren't just intelligent, but also... dangerously manipulative"
He chuckled softly. "I didn't really expect you to tell everything, along with your motivations, without hiding anything. Especially that little analysis of yours against me and your own moment of weakness"
He shook his head. "Brave. Or foolish. I haven't decided yet".
He leaned forward again. "I got what I wanted, brat. Your honesty. And that... is valuable". He paused for a moment. "What you've written here has given me a very clear idea of how I should deal with you". His eyes flickered to the parchment for a moment. "The potential is immense, yes. But those uncontrolled emotions within you, that predisposition to violence... If not reined in, it will destroy you. You know that too, don't you?". Aurelion just nodded.
"Good," Roric said. "Because the main focus of your training from now on will be this. Control. Not just of your muscles, but of your mind, your emotions, and yes," his eyes flickered to the parchment again for a moment, "control of that raw energy within you. I will bring you to your breaking point, boy. But not just physically, like Harkan. We will descend into the darkest corners of your mind. You will confront that ambition. We won't destroy it, no. We will turn it into a weapon. A weapon under your control"
He stood up. He came over to Aurelion. He placed his hand on the child's shoulder. "This journey will be hard," he said, his voice now taking on a more personal tone. "Very hard. There will be times you'll want to give up. You'll hate me, and yourself. But if you endure... If you truly grasp that control..." He paused, looking into his eyes. "...you will have that power you always wanted".
He squeezed his shoulder lightly. "Now go. Rest. Tomorrow morning, long before sunrise, the training begins. The real training".
Aurelion stood up. Roric's reaction... was very different from what he expected. Instead of a scolding, he had offered a kind of understanding and even... a roadmap. Was this man planning to shape him, instead of judging him?
There were complex emotions within him, but the most dominant one was, again, that familiar, dangerous excitement. This would be hard, yes. But the reward… was potentially limitless.
He nodded. "Understood, Captain". He turned his back and left the office without another word. As he walked down the corridor, Roric's words echoed in his mind: "We will turn it into a weapon". And Aurelion, for the first time, realized that instead of being disturbed by this idea, he felt a wild anticipation.