Chapter 363

Arran spent several hours sparring against the Knight, but it only took him minutes to realize that her skill was far beyond his own .

Against the Knight he’d faced in the city, he’d relied on the temporary boost in strength the battle had given him . And even that had not been enough for him to secure victory .

Now that he faced a Knight with only his own strength, he could not help but marvel at the vast chasm in ability that lay between them .

It was like sparring against Brightblade . No matter what he did, defeat was never more than a second away, and whenever he thought he was on the verge of winning an exchange, his hopes were inevitably dashed an instant later .

This time, however, he had the chance to study what made Knights so strong, and what he discovered was much as he’d already expected .

His insights gave him no small amount of power, but their use was limited . Although he could strike devastating blows using his insight into severing, that was little use if his opponent could easily dodge or deflect his attacks .

The Knight, by contrast, had a far broader set of insights . And if their quality didn’t quite match that of the few that Arran possessed, their sheer number meant she could use them in every situation .

It was much like in Kaleesh’s writings on tactics, where a capable commander would attack an opponent’s weaknesses rather than his strengths .

Arran had a few great strengths, but he still had many weaknesses . And skilled as the Knight was, she had little difficulty finding and exploiting those weaknesses .

Although the match did little to help Arran’s confidence, he was thankful for the opportunity to learn . If nothing else, knowing his weaknesses would help him avoid fights he had no chance of winning .

Finally, after hours of sparring, the Knight stepped back .

“That’s enough for tonight,” she said . She gave Arran an appraising look, then continued, “You have potential . With proper training, you should become a Knight one day — and perhaps even more than that . “

Arran looked at her with some surprise . He was well aware of how easily the Knight had defeated him, and he had not expected her to be impressed with his efforts . “You think so?”

Muna smiled as she saw his confused look . “Don’t misunderstand me,” she said . “You’re still weak . But then, it’s obvious that you’ve never had proper training . Once you’re exposed to the right teachings, I expect your progress to be most impressive . “

There was a hint of curiosity in her eyes, or perhaps anticipation . But whatever it was, Arran sensed an opportunity .

“Perhaps you could teach me,” he said . “Now that I’m a citizen of the Imperium, there should be no harm in teaching me a few techniques, should there?”

He half expected her to reject the request outright, but instead, she looked at him with an amused expression for some seconds .

“I suppose I could do that,” she finally said . “I cannot teach you any true techniques, of course — you will have to earn those . But I can show you the foundation that Darian children are given, what they build on before they earn the right to enter one of the war colleges . “

Arran accepted the offer without hesitation . Even if it was only the foundation Darians taught their children, he instantly recognized that it would be valuable in learning the Darians’ true methods .

After all, the Imperium would not set their offspring on a path that led only to a dead end .

In the hours that followed, Muna patiently taught him a series of movements . Simple and plain, it was obvious that they were intended for training rather than combat, and Arran had little difficulty in learning them .

Yet even as he studied the simple movements, he recognized that they contained hints of insights, albeit distant ones . In that sense, the exercises reminded Arran of the Forms — their value lay not in the movements themselves, but rather in what they taught .

“You’re a quick learner,” Muna said eventually . “In just a few hours, you’ve reached a level that takes others years to achieve . “

Arran smiled slightly, knowing that it wasn’t much of a compliment . “I’ve had years of practice,” he said . “If I didn’t reach a child’s level in a few hours, I’d doubt my talent . “

“True enough,” she replied . “And with the insights you already have, I assume you’ve already recognized the purpose of these exercises?”

Arran nodded . “They’re meant to build insights . ” He frowned, then corrected himself, “Or rather, to lay a foundation for gaining insights . “

This time, the Knight’s eyes held a trace of approval as she looked at him . “Exactly right,” she said . “What you learn from these exercises won’t help you in battle directly, but it will help you prepare for the next step . “

“And what is that next step?” Arran asked, his curiosity sparked .

“That,” she replied with a small smile, “is something you will discover once you earn the right to do so . “

Arran gave her a small nod . “I suppose I’ll find out after I come back from the Desolation?”

Muna shook her head . “Not necessarily . You should consider accepting Lord Rannoc’s offer . With his approval, you would be allowed to learn more, so that you wouldn’t have to face the Blight until you are truly ready . “

She gave him a thoughtful gaze, and after a moment of hesitation, she continued, “Someone with your strength and talent could have a bright future in the Imperium . Given time and proper teachers, and with a suitable wife, you might forge a respectable bloodline of your own . “

Arran found himself at a loss for words, as he could not escape the idea that she wasn’t merely offering friendly advice . “I’ll consider it,” he replied somewhat awkwardly .

“Just something to think about,” she said, giving him a meaningful smile .

Arran gave her a small nod, then hurriedly turned his attention back to his practice to escape any further talk of wives and bloodlines .

He wasn’t certain the Knight had truly suggested what he thought she had, but once more he was reminded that there were many aspects of Darian culture he didn’t understand just yet .

He continued his practice until sunrise, taking care to study the movements Muna had taught him as well as he could . Even if they provided nothing but a foundation, it was a foundation he planned to build upon in the future .

When dawn finally came and the others awoke, the large group slowly set into motion once more . And as they did, Arran wasted no time in informing Kaleesh of the things he’d learned .

The captain listened with great interest, and he seemed particularly taken with the idea of no longer needing sleep . “So that blessing — the god’s bloodline . It will grow stronger as we grow more powerful?”

“It should,” Arran replied with a nod . “Muna told me that Knights barely require any sleep at all, that they can go weeks or months without rest . “

“Muna?” Kaleesh raised an eyebrow as he looked at Arran, amusement written plain across his face . “The two of you get along, then?”

“It’s not…” Arran began, then shook his head . “I don’t know what it is . “

Kaleesh laughed . “It’s exactly what you think it is,” he said . “Darians value strength more than anything, and no woman would be satisfied with a weak husband . And you… well, as an outsider who’s grown that strong even without proper training, you’ll be sure to catch many eyes . “

Arran looked at Kaleesh uneasily . “So what should I do?” he asked . He had little experience with this sort of thing, and he could not escape the feeling that there was danger in acting improperly .

The captain shrugged . “From what you’ve said, her attention has already benefited you no small amount . And Knight or not, she certainly is rather beautiful . “

Again, Arran frowned . Though he hadn’t really considered the matter until now, he had to admit that Muna was far from unattractive . With long black hair and big dark eyes, he certainly didn’t mind seeing her .

“Just be careful not to offend her,” the captain continued . “And take care that you don’t find yourself married — I doubt a fresh bride would want to see her husband travel into the Desolation . “

Arran let out a deep sigh, though he could not help but cast another glance at the Knight at the front of their group . Now that he thought about it, she really was quite pretty .