The next few days were incredibly busy for Derek as he prepared with his family to leave for Windreach. Most of their belongings had been packed already in the few weeks between the trials and the coming of age ceremony. Now they were preparing the final few things for the move.

Not only did he have his family’s belongings to pack but he had to help pack his master’s forge as well. In their down time his master assisted him in adjusting and improving the equipment he had made. They infused fresh materials into the various pieces, strengthening them and modifying the runic patterns within them.

They were able to upgrade the armor’s basic effectiveness to provide unempowered defense that would protect against a low tier three attack and the runes could support up to a level eight defensive spell. The glaive and warsword were both upgraded to defeat up to a middle tier three armor while unempowered and the bow had been upgraded to penetrate up to low tier three armor without spells. Like the armor, the weapons could take up to a level eight spell.

Derek also spent time sparring with Kylin and Ovid to improve his ability with his newly enhanced strength. It must be understood that except for truly exceptional people, his attributes were on par with people of early to middle tier 3. The changes to his agility and strength alone was tremendous enough to enable the use of stances and forms previously unattainable to him.

Prince Kylin and his people were in no rush to leave as their campaigning season was still a way off, so they decided to extend their period of errantry and escort Derek and his family on the road to Windreach. For them, this functioned in a way as a vacation and as an opportunity to deepen their ties to Derek and the House of Windreach. Though Serris was a powerful kingdom, the stronger a hegemon, the more numerous its foes. The chance to make a new ally was precious indeed.

In this practice, Derek continued to improve his mastery of the various weapons he had been taught. He had always been a quick learner and with Ovid’s guidance and the opportunity to spar with these fantastic knights his skill continued to improve.

His training did not end there. Now that he had access to level six spells there was a wide range of new enchantment, utility, and attack spells that he could learn. These spells were mostly intended for mages and their staffs and robes were designed to speed up the casting of those spells and reduce the mana cost and mental strain of casting them.

A magic warrior could also cast these spells and the larger area attack spells like holyfire but without the staffs and robes they would not be as efficient, similar to how mage robes and staffs were not as efficient at handling direct channeled offensive and defensive spells. Even though he would be less efficient at casting those spells it was still important to have a wide understanding and access to those spells.

This not only makes him more effective at defending against them, but in a pinch, he can still cast them as needed. Furthermore, learning more spells broadens the understanding of magic and a broader understanding of magic can give insights into specifics that make the user more effective with what they already know or may allow them to improvise spells for unique situations more effectively.

He began spending more time with his mother and grandmother so that they could teach him the specific spells he would need. Even here he was a quick learner. For years he had dozed in his mother’s lap as she instructed her apprentice. He had gained the basics of magical theory long ago. The concepts of formulas and schemas were not so different from the runic formulas used in rune smithing. He had already known most of the formulas for the spells he was now trying out, he had merely lacked the strength to cast them. Alicia couldn’t help but be amazed and a little jealous at the skill her teacher’s son showed with these spells and wondered at what kind of terrifying strength he would show as a magic knight in the future.

After three days of preparation Derek and his family left Redwyrm along with the delegations from Windreach and Serris. They were seen off by the Patriarch, Richard, Belany, Hector, and a few other Thorne clan members. The size of their group attracted quite a bit of attention on the way out of Redwyrm but shortly after they were gone, the sleepy mountain town grew quiet once again.

Derek rode a horse that had been gifted to him by the Patriarch next to the cart his mother and Alicia rode in. Both of them were quite excited. They had grown up in large cities with plenty to do and the years in Redwyrm had been stifling to them. Derek listened to his mother as she told stories of growing up in Windreach. She told of the festivals that would be held there, the markets with many wonderful things from around the continent, the harbor that was teeming with ships, the courts of the wealthy families and the balls they would host, and the wonders and glories of the Academy of Windreach.

It was the most powerful Academy in the entire western region of Elanith. It had been founded by the mages that settled Windreach after the Demon Wars. Over the past five thousand years it had been the source of many advancements in arcane and runic theory. In this place, there were colleges for runic smiths, mages, alchemists, and magic warriors.

The greatest families in the region all wanted their children to go there and the requirements for admission were incredibly high. Not only must the child seeking admission have outstanding affinity in more than one element but they must be able to cast a level three spell by admission at age sixteen. Furthermore, cost of attendance was also high at two thousand talents of gold per year.

Many of the requirements could be met by attending the Windreach preparatory school attached to the Academy. There, the students would learn spell casting and be cultivated by the teachers to meet the requirements of the university over the years of study there. But the cost was also high at a thousand talents per year. Many families took advantage of this anyways as the preparatory school’s students had an eighty percent success rate at progressing into the Academy.

The cost allowed the Academy to be generous though with scholarships for the truly talented. Those students with tremendous skills could go for free, with an allowance given to them by the school so that they would want for nothing and so that they can focus on their training. These students were an investment for the Academy and while a normal student might feel a connection to it as their alma mater, these scholarship students remembered this place as the benefactor that dragged them up from the dirt to stand shoulder to shoulder with the nobility of the land.

The House of Windreach was born of this. The students and professors had formed a loose confederation early on due to their ties to the Academy. Over the years, through intermarriage and contract, they formed a core family and adopted or hired the other geniuses of the Academy, forming the mighty House of Windreach. In the five millennia since the founding of the school this House has grown to be the hegemon over the city and the Academy.

Derek could see his mother's pride when describing her House and Academy. She had been a genius of the last generation and she looked forward to her apprentice and son being shown as geniuses of this generation. Her father had already promised both entrance assessments and secured her, Rebekah, and Ovid places as faculty.

He rode his horse back to his master’s wagon and saw his master smoking his pipe while driving the team while his grandmother sat next to him knitting. They had been close since he could remember. When he was a child she would bring him to the old man’s shop so that he could play under the watchful gaze of this man. He had always assumed that it was due to his father being Ander’s only apprentice.

As he rode up, the old man took out his pipe and smiled at him, “It’s good to see your mother so happy. Even while Jared was alive, he was a hard man full of that Thorne clan pride. She has been cut off from the world she grew up in and now she gets to return to it.”

Derek nodded, then gave a puzzled look to his master, “Master, I understand why we are moving, but why have you joined us? Surely, Redwyrm still needs your skills.”

The old man laughed, “Boy, you know so little of the world. Redwyrm might benefit from my skills, but so too will Windreach. I have only stayed in Redwyrm this long for Rebekah, your father, and you. If it wasn’t for the three of you I would have never gone there. In fact, if it wouldn’t have angered your grandmother, I would have taken you all away from there long ago.”

His grandmother put her knitting in her lap as she listened to them and held Ander’s hand. Derek looked at the two of them and his puzzled look grew deeper, “I don’t understand. Why would you take us away?”

His grandmother answered this time, “Derek, your master is my husband, Ander Kennick. We eloped years ago when I was avoiding Jacob. Then, he was the most successful blacksmith in his city. We were very happy and there I became pregnant with Jared. But several months later, due to Jacob’s instigation, several members of the clan came to bring me back, including Jacob and my father.

“When Jacob saw that I was married and had gotten pregnant, he was furious and wanted to kill Ander. Fortunately he lacked the skill and Ander showed mercy for me. Jacob still agitated the Elders at that time and by the clan rules I had to return to Redwyrm. They kicked me out of the main branch of the clan and ordered me to never see Ander again.”

She smiled with a wry look on her face, “A few weeks later, the town was blessed with a disciple of the forge moving in. They never thought to check who this smith was and a glamour prevented them from recognizing him. When my son was born, I took him to the smithy to see his father and had him apprentice to him so that they could be together. When you were born, I took you to be with your grandfather as well.”

Derek was poleaxed. He looked at the old man, “So you’re…”

The old man chuckled and cuffed his head, “Don’t be daft boy. I am your grandfather. Your grandmother has been my wife for almost fifty years, your father was my only son and you are my only grandson.”

When Derek heard this he was really happy. His master had been one of the most important people in his life. Derek had learned the lessons of being a man from him and Ovid. He already held him in great esteem. Knowing that his master was his grandfather as well couldn’t raise it that much more but it did make him happy to know that his grandmother could now openly be with her husband.

Coming out of the mountains, they took the western road towards Windreach. Their spirits were high and they made quick progress.