The sun slowing shining in the early morning, casting the training grounds in the dim glow of the morning rays when Leo saw Butler Thalore at the training grounds polishing the old wooden weapons. It looked like a grave yard only having one person cleaning it up, its quiet calm only hearing the work being done by an old man in his 60's. Today, Leo woke up and looked at the old man, working in that same place in the early mornings later doing his the house work later—Leo could feel it though, the old man wishing to swing his blade just one more time. It felt like desperation for something.
["Is it fun playing with those things for an old man to crave it."] Leo said, thinking he won't be heard since his on the second floor. ["But your wrong young master, I don't wish for something that I can't do already."] Thalore said chuckling in his old voice.
Leo stood surprised, being heard from that distance when he spoke in a low voice. He was now very intrigued on how he could hear him.
["And how am I wrong when you always start your morning duty there butler thalore. You seem to cherish the wooden weapon more than your heath when you do that in the morning cold."] Leo spoke to get a reaction from him. ["Come down master, I tell you a long story. Something you will like better than books."] Leo smirked and ran down to thalore still in his sleeping gown.
He arrived and sat next to thalore as he kept the broom away and sat as well. ["Now then young waster, have you ever of the third generation heart family master?"] Leo nodded not like he can get the information out of a book.
["Years ago, after the dragon's curse that stopped the growth of mana and aura, and the curse of the gods that prevented the use of the weapon for murder, the third patriarch came to training grounds each and every day training. He knew he held the curses but he also held someone in heart, the Palace of the heart's. All those who carry the hatred for there predecessor but he never stopped. "]
["He had been through countless hours of training—strikes with the Blade, defensive stances with the Shield, the spear next. The battlefield was his mind and body, and the only thing that mattered was how well he could push himself for those he could care for.
Butler Thalore stood and raised his hand and took a sword . The old man stood in a stance, and Leo felt a sudden gust of wind stir.
["He believed that there was more to a body than aura nor was it mana."] With a swift motion, he unsheathed a long, curved sword. Its gleaming edge shimmered under the morning sun. ["To the patriarch, he saw the limits even with the added curses but he never gave up, pushing himself."]
Leo looked at the old man as he swang the blade. Even without aura or mana the could feel the danger of that swing. It felt like he had the sword as a part of his body. Like the weight of it felt familiar and never changed, a perfect extension of his body.
Thalore raised his sword, and without warning, he was in motion. His body moved like a wisp of air, his strikes quick and sharp, each one a blur of motion, each angle unpredictable. The air howled around them, a controlled storm that responded to Thalore's every movement.
["But in his desperate situation he came up with a technique. A weapon that would allow the motion of the curse moving it to his own will pushing past the thought of what could be done."]
Leo watched closely, his heart racing. He knew this dance held his cuse pushed to be the physical manifestation of his wrath. He felt the old man's wrath devour the wind, ready to destroy the trainig ground, his old muscles to the rhythm of the wind. Thalore's blade met the gusts with a perfect fluidity, the wind parting in swirls as if following the dragon's flow of the blade.
["The realization made him devour the other god's curses with the dragon's freeing us from the will of the god's making the technique stolen from the dragon's energy. "]
Leo thought to himself,["a human made a technique with my curse. Madness but genius."] As he was tempted to laugh out loud. He felt something though, an impulse and picked up the wooden sword as well.
Leo followed Thalore forward, using his legs as balance and went into stance. He focused on his breath, drawing his own energy into his lungs, letting it guide his body. His first strike followed his movement, swift but controlled. Thalor taken aback smiled and continued, Leo following his second swing, his second strike coming low to the ground, designed to sweep his off balance of the enemy.
["He made it and incorporated it into other weapons, practicing something new everyday without stopping, like a mad dragon angry at everyone."]
Thalor moved with a single thrust following with a left swing , but Leo pressed forward copying the old man, moving faster now, his feet firm to the ground. The wind swirled around him, matching his pace. It was like dancing, a deadly waltz of blades and gusts, and for a moment, Leo felt as though he was truly one with the sword.
Then, with a quick twist, Thalor struck. The tip of his blade brushed the air creating something like a wind blade, destroying the tree shattering it completely. Leo stepped back, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his face as he smiled seeing something he can't replicate.
["Well done young master,"] Thalore said, returning the wooden sword. ["You have a natural talent for this master."]
Leo sat down as he smirked.[" And what's is name then?"] Thalore smiled ["mad dragon body arts, but it does come with a draw back making someone loose his sanity the more it's used."]
["There is more to it, as it depends on who uses it. As for me it follows the nature of wind while your father bares the spear attracting lightning and thunder gaining the title of the storm dragon."]
Leo now understood how the family survived this long even after bearing those curses. The resourcefulness of humans for survive was what kept them going and he now sees how unpredictable they are.
["Hey, can you teach me later when your free?"] Thalore nodded, ["but you must remember that the body must be fit to bear the strength and you are still 6yrs of age. Work on growing up strong master even if you were able to follow how it's done."] And he went on with his day with the house tasks he had.
Leo walked back to his room, the weight fatigue pulling him to his knees. It was unlike anything he had done before, but it was fun for him. The edge of pushing yourself since he used dragon authority to lift the wooden blade, he landed on his bed smiling.
Later in the afternoon Leo took a book on how to grow physically better and fit from the library when no-one was looking and went at the back of castle.
["Good, no-one is her, let me begin. "] Starting with simple workouts but he felt nothing like how he felt when he used the mad dragon body arts. Like it was missing something.
["In the book it says to push beyond your limit, but my body feels like it has a long way before I get to my limit with this workouts."]
Then he realised, the body by human standards, and his authority heals him and removes fatigue. ["Was it because my authority and the technique never really matched causing clash and made me feel fatigue. It can be a valid reason. Maybe I'll not use my authority for the time being."]
Leo took a deep breath and adjusted his stance feeling his authority and suppressing it. As his body felt heavy like a boulder, his balance shifted slightly, the unbalanced body that he felt.
["Humans are weak yet doing the weirdest things to survive with a frail body."] As he smirked,["Guess that's why they are annoying."]
Leo continues his body training without healing and feeling the muscle cramps and pains. Yet doing it to get a chance to use that technique one more time. The excitement was pushing him and knowing there is one and half months left till they arrive from the war.
Leo held the schedule carefully, feeling the heat of it through his body, the pain licking at the joins as he took he worked. The workout was like an everyday thing after the first two weeks. With him starting to add weights like rocks, he could feel the energy of the muscle travel up his body, sending a wave of heat crashing through him. He pushed again, and the air around him shimmered with the intensity of the heat his body released.
Thalore passing by onetime saw him, his old bones happy to him doing his best , as he walked away to the kitchen. The days were going by as he never stopped to see his improvements. Leo felt the joy of his workouts, the sweat going down his body and his muscles getting slightly harder, but he still focused, calling upon his inner calm.
But the time was approaching, to meet the previous and the current patriarch of the family.