Summer, age 6.

It's early morning.

As usual, I'm up at the crack of dawn to train. Being the positive ray of sunshine that I am, I focus on the fact that I get to see the sunrise, twilight included. No matter how lousy my mood is, and these days my mood is almost exclusively terrible, it always brings a smile to my face. I do prefer sunset to sunrise though, because that entails being able to see the seabed of glowing creatures that buzz around just after the sun sets. Right now, the sea is dark.

My mother, who is looking out across the sea, turns towards me.

``I see that you are up. Take a knee.'' [Jessica]

I kneel. Usually she would just tell me to get to it, but I guess today is different.

``You have done well so far Nathan. Frankly, I expected you to give up.'' [Jessica]

I clench my jaw.

Well I bloody would have if I knew it was an option! I thought you would have just beaten me until I continued!

She looks at me with the gentles look I have ever seen. I unclench my jaw, release my breath, and calm down.

``I am really proud of your progress. You have come far, and because of that, we are ready for the real training to begin. You will not be swimming any more.'' [Jessica]

Wait, really? Oh thank god.

``Instead, I am going to teach you one of the three martial arts that has passed down for generations through our family. The Bladed Mirror school. We do not teach it to anyone outside of our family. Usually, one is taught two of the schools until you show advanced skill in one, but as you are a servant of air, you will only be taught this one.'' [Jessica]

``Understood.'' [Nathan]

The school require very precise magic control, which I suspect will not be much of a problem to you, as well as high speed and stamina, which you have lacked so far. But your training has yielded results, and as such you are ready to begin. Take these. [Jessica]

My mother walks over to me, and hands me two sheathed daggers.

I take them out of their sheathes. They look like roman short-swords, with diamond cross sections and two edges, but curve slightly inwards along the middle before reaching the tip. The grip is wrapped in fine leather, and it fits my hand like a glove. The handguard bends slightly out towards the blade, and there's a small pommel at the end of the handle. Both blades are the length of my forearms, and razor sharp. And made from blood red crystals.

``You will use these from now on whenever we train. You will not be taught magic before you become advanced in their use, so I suggest you do your best.'' [Jessica]

``Yes mother.'' [Nathan]

``Now observe. Freedom of the air gather through me, by the will of the son, I command!'' [Jessica]

A blue aura appears and wraps around her limbs.

``The foundation of the Bladed mirror school is speed and diversion. Speed you will get from training, and diversion you will get from magics. In order to use them successfully, you will need to be able to invoke them chantlessly.'' [Jessica]

Two clones of my mother appear next to her, one at each side.

All of the Jessicas speak at the same time

``Now which one do you think is the right one?'' [Jessica]

``Middle one.'' [Nathan]

I say, humoring her.

I feel a breath on my ear.

``..Wrong..'' [???]

Startled, I turn around. There's nothing there. Slowly, my mother fades into existence before my eyes.

``Always make a grand diversion to cover up the real one. Your enemy will grow overconfident when they think they have you figured out, and that is when you strike. The magics you need for this are all very advanced, but require little mana.'' [Jessica]

I have to admit, that was quite impressive.

``I suspect you are eager to get started on learning magic, but before that you have become sufficiently skilled with the blades I just handed you.'' [Jessica]

``I will not be taught hand to hand combat?'' [Nathan]

``Only a bare minimum, and that will not be our focus right now. You will very rarely need it except to fend off an enemy long enough to arm yourself with either a real or invoked blade.'' [Jessica]

My mother takes a stance.

``But enough of that, copy my movements.'' [Jessica]

I copy my mothers stance, and the training begins.