Life around the Galvan manor was predictable. In the fall the crops would be harvested from the nearby farmlands and a portion of them would be offered to the Galvans as was their right as lords of the land. In winter the stores of firewood would be pulled from the storage buildings and placed nearby to keep the mansion warm and toasty on those cold unforgiving nights and days.

In the spring ice from the river would be gathered and preserved with magick for use throughout the warmer seasons. The flowers in the gardens would bloom and spring to life, staining the fields in colors of noble blue and vibrant reds and yellows. Nature’s gifts would be gladly taken and shared among those of high standing and even servants like Cypher found that those gifts somehow found their way to his quarters as well.

Fresh fruits and vegetables were common at that time of year, and although Dellorim was a land far to the north, even those who called such a land home could enjoy the green that would sweep through without fail each year. The woodsmen would depart their villages and towns to renew their assault on the nearby forests. Buildings would rise and stockpiles would be restored with each and every tree that was felled during that bustling season.

Visitors of great importance would come and go, some seeking boons from Lord Galvan, others offering deals to expand the already massive wealth of the Galvan family. Indeed many things happened with the changing of the seasons, but all of them were familiar to Cypher. He had spent his life as an observer and none of these things were new to him.

As such it came as no surprise when, in the heat of summer, the annual celebration of the sun was announced. Each year it took place at the climax of the season. Village chiefs and people of importance from the surrounding area would flock to the Galvan manor, bringing with them offerings to the Divines in exchange for blessings of good crop yields and various other things. It was a massive celebration lasting for three days and nights.

Naturally, those of importance would travel with their village’s best warriors to ward off attacks from bandits or Zightbeasts along the way. However, this created an obvious problem; Who would protect the villages while these warriors were gone? In the past, it was not something that Cypher had ever had to deal with before. This year though was different.

It was a typical day like any other that Cypher had experienced during the past few years. He found himself sitting on the sidelines as Eiden trained, ready to be called upon should Jelroy deem a sparring match was needed between the two of them. Eiden was currently fending off several attacks from Jelroy when one of the guards approached from the direction of the mansion.

“You there, servant boy!” he began.

Cypher turned to face the guard and looked at him questioningly. “Yes?”

“WHACK!”

Eiden toppled to the ground clutching his head after taking a strike from Jelroy’s wooden blade.

“Owww! What the hell?!?” exclaimed Eiden.

“Never take your eyes off your opponent! Distractions are commonplace on the battlefield!” replied Jelroy.

“You didn’t have to hit me so hard to teach me that!” Eiden said as he crouched down on the ground rubbing the lump that was quickly growing atop his skull.

“Did I not? Or are you the instructor now? By all means, if you think you know more than I, perhaps you should be teaching yourself how to master the art of war,” scoffed Jelroy as he flourished his wooden blade.

Eiden frowned and spat, “One of these days I’ll put you in your place like all the others!”

Jelroy let out a mirthless chuckle and said, “You’ll have to do much better than what I’ve seen from you so far! But don’t you worry, I’ve still got a lot left to hammer into that skull of yours. Know this young master; Remembrance of pain will teach you far better than any words ever could,” Jelroy ushered Eiden to return to his feet and winked at Cypher as he nodded towards the guard.

The guard looked at Eiden with an unsure expression and cleared his throat, “Err… Right, I need you to come with me,” he said pointing at Cypher. “You’ve been summoned before Lord Galvan!”

Cypher turned back to look at Jelroy, who nodded and continued his routine with Eiden without missing a beat. He quickly got up and followed the guard inside after offering a bow to Jelroy. Within a few minutes found himself kneeling before Galex as the man sat at his large oak desk writing something with a hurried hand.

Silence hung in the air between them as the guard left and after a moment, Galex turned his attention to Cypher.

“Welcome. Have a seat, there are a few matters we need to discuss,” said Galex sternly.

Cypher rose from his knee and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

“Jelroy tells me your training with my son is going very smoothly,” he began. “According to him, your skill level with a blade even surpasses some of my lesser guards, is that right?”

Cypher paused and thought about it for a moment before nodding his head carefully. “I think so, although it hasn’t really been put to the test just yet.”

“No need to be modest. I’d be more upset if you weren’t at that level yet, given all the time you’ve spent training. Jelroy knows what he’s talking about when it comes to such matters. Besides, most of the guards I employ aren’t exactly top-shelf warriors. Having a simple servant boy surpass them is less a slight against me and my household and more a testament to how pathetic the training courses are at the national guard institute.”

Galex paused for a moment and took a sip from a glass of whiskey on his desk. “As you know,” he continued, “The Celebration of the Sun is in a few weeks. Delegates from Riftmoore and several of the surrounding villages will be attending. With them, they’ll bring their own security forces and that poses a bit of a problem for my domain.”

“As of late, we’ve had a serious rise in the number of bandit raids on the highways. Even some of the lesser villages have endured small attacks. I don’t know what has spurred them on but I do know that I can’t have the villages under my protection suffering an attack at such a delicate time. To that end, I’ll be dispatching you to a small village south of here called Gett.”

Cypher was stunned into silence as Galex took another sip from his glass. There were more than a few questions rolling through his mind as he processed what the imposing man before him had just said. Could this be the chance he had been waiting for?

“Are you sure I’m ready for something like this?” asked Cypher hesitantly.

Galex raised an eyebrow, “Hmm? Oh. Yes of course,” he said waving a dismissive hand at Cypher as he took another swig from his glass. The ice clinked against the glass rather loudly as he finished the beverage and set it down once more. “Mind you, you won’t be going alone. I’ll be sending along a small team of my own guards to accompany you.”

“Gett isn’t too far from here and so I don’t imagine anything too serious will happen,” continued Galex. “That said; if something does occur I’m more than positive that between you and the guards I send alongside you, you’ll be able to handle the situation. Of course, I won’t ask you to put yourself at risk for free. Surely there are things that you need or require. If you can make it back here in one piece I’ll be sure to reward you accordingly.”

Cypher nodded slowly and let out an uneasy sigh. From the sound of things, this wasn’t quite the chance to slip away that he had been hoping for. It would be difficult to pull off if Galex was sending along people who would be keeping an eye on him. Of course, Galex misunderstood the thoughts running through Cypher’s mind and continued.

“Ah, don’t worry about anything. I’ll be sure to have you properly armed and ready to deploy a week before the celebration. Consider this a test of your skills. A midterm if you will.” Galex refilled his glass halfway and took a whiff of the strong liquid. He closed his lips and slid his tongue across his upper teeth as he contemplated something before letting out a sigh.

“On that subject…” Galex paused, glanced out the window, and then shook his head. “Nevermind. Back to the field with you boy. Make sure that Jelroy knows to include you in drills for the next two weeks. I’d rather not have your skills slipping just before you leave.” He took a long drink from his glass, emptying it once again, and then lazily dismissed Cypher with a wave of his hand.

It didn’t take long for Cypher to find himself walking slowly back towards the training grounds. His thoughts ran wild and, despite his urge to ponder escape plans, his mind kept returning to one simple question; Was he ready for something like this? He had asked the same in Galex’s office but rather than a cautionary question to gauge the situation, this time it was a legitimate concern.

If something did happen was he strong enough, or even skilled enough even to handle it? The fact that other guards would be there with him didn’t offer him any solace. What was it like to engage in actual combat? Jelroy had done his very best to teach Eiden and him everything they’d need to know but putting it into practice wasn’t something he had expected to come so soon.

The lessons had been harsh, and the tests Jelroy had given them, while quite demanding of practical knowledge, were simple enough. This was entirely different. Cypher let out a sigh and continued on his way back. As he walked through the halls he glanced out the windows along the way to see Jelroy still sparring with Eiden.

A thought occurred to him then, that although this would be difficult, it was potentially a chance to put his knowledge to the test and, at the same time, surpass Eiden in some way. It was a small victory, but against the young heir, any victory could be considered a huge one. Cypher smiled and hurried towards the training grounds a little faster.