Under the Light of the World at War: Early Chapter 58

“Happy birthday!” Mama called out, and I grinned as I was tugged over to the table. I was placed at the head of the table, and I looked around curious what was going on. I’d been in the middle of my morning exercise when Mama had called for me to clean up and get ready.

I’d forgotten, or rather lost track of the date again, and forgotten it was my birthday.

Then what entered surprised me.

“Grunkle?”

“Must you?” He grumbled as he came in carrying a tray and then placed it down on the table with a thunk,

Then he lifted the lid off the top and the smell of cooked meat, and real food struck me.

“Oh!”

“I managed to hunt this down last time I was out of the wall on our raids.” He offered, and I sent him a brilliant smile.

Real food! The boar wasn’t the largest I’d ever seen, in fact it looked a little small. I doubt the Trolls were being careful about their hunting, but it was still a wonderful present. 

I could eat nothing but conjured food all day, and even we had started reaching that point recently, as real food became harder and harder to find, but that didn’t mean I liked it.

“Thank you Zo’Talana. I love it.”

“Good.” He said simply and took his own seat, and soon the boar was being cut up, some onions and other root vegetables surrounding it were divided up as well, and everyone enjoyed a meal of real food.

Who knows when it would happen again?

Once the shield came down, it hadn’t taken long at all for normal food stores to start disappearing. Conjuring food had become something everyone was taught freely.

There hadn’t quite been riots, at first, but the food crunch had caused some definite problems for a while before things had settled. 

Everyone was eating, even if it meant many of the mages in the city spent a lot of their time conjuring food instead of doing whatever they wanted. 

The King had been firm. Even El’Tela and I had conjured food sacks to be delivered to the distribution centers. 

Everyone else in the family was still learning.

But it didn’t take very long, between El’Tela and I we could deliver our required conjured food to the store house in like ten minutes of conjuring. No problem.

I dug in with relish, happily devouring the food but eventually I had to ask.

“How are the raids going?” Zo’Talana looked up, his eyes sharp but eventually he nodded. 

“Not well. The Trolls are adapting to our raids, and setting more traps. They are primitive things, but they are effective enough at slowing us down. We will likely limit the amount of raids in the future.”

I frowned, but I also expected it. Yet each raid was a morale boost, and to have them disappear. 

I returned to eating for a while, and then Zo’Talana spoke. “But that doesn’t mean we have given up. Only that our raids need to become more focused.”

The conversation died for a while but eventually Mama came in clutch.

“We did get you some presents.” Mama slyly added and I perked up.

“Oooh! I like presents.”

“I know.” Mama said smiling as she reached behind the chair she was sitting at and came up with a box, more long than tall, and with a few efficient motions a space was cleared on the table, and I stood up as she placed it down.

I quickly pulled the top of the box off and gasped.

“Armor!?”

“Training armor. Everything an elf that should have mostly stopped growing needs.” Mama said, and glanced up to look at Zo’Talana.

He was looking smug. 

“Since you continue to wish to learn how to fight with sword, shield, and armor. I was asked to train you. This is the minimum required to begin proper armor training.”

“You hired Grunkle for a birthday present again? That’s really funny!” I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that poor Grunkle was thrown at me time and again at my birthday.

“I was not hired.” He grumbled, and I sent him a smile, but I was still going to tease him with that forever. 

“It’ll fit you, and teach you the differences in fighting with armor. Don’t think this is worthy to be taken in a true fight. It is training armor.” He demanded at me, and Mama nodded as well. 

“I know.” I agreed. The armor was basically a padded Gambeson, and some plate rig. A set of pauldrons, connected to a chest plate, that wasn’t a full breastplate, and some faulds. 

They looked heavy too. Definitely the sort of armor made to get someone used to wearing heavy armor into combat.

Yet it was elvish make. The Gambeson was finely stitched, and the plates while being relatively plain were ornate enough. 

I picked up one of the pauldrons and noticed the weight.

“Heavy.”

“Yes, much heavier than a normal suit. There are boots, gauntlets and a helm in another box.” Zo’Talana said, and I grinned even as Mama pouted at him. 

“That was a surprise.”

“If she has a brain in her head, and I know she does, she would have already realized it wasn’t complete.”

I grinned happily at the back and forth, looking at Mama who seemed pleased at how happy I was.

“How’d you know I wanted to train with armor?”

“How did I know? Oh I don’t know, you only mention it like five times every conversation.” Mama said flatly, sending me a look.

“I do not!” I argued back instantly, and then Papa spoke.

“She does bring it up a lot.”

I felt my jaw drop as I slowly turned to see Papa nodding to himself like he hadn’t just utterly lied!

There was no way I mentioned it that often! That was a total lie!

“You’re teasing me!”

“Perhaps.” Papa said smugly, then took a bit of food.

I could only collapse back into the chair shocked at what he had just done. 

—---

“Adequate.”

“I thought I put it on right?” I offered, practically vibrating a little under Grunkles eyes as he looked me over.

“You were close.” He reached out and adjusted one of the straps and as he worked I could in fact feel how much better it made the shoulder pauldron settle.

Oops.

“Good. Now.” He stepped back, and I brought my sword and shield up.

Instantly I noticed the difference. The Helmet cut off some of my vision, and the entire rig felt heavy. And I noticed he wasn’t wearing his own armor. Just his practice sword and shield…

I was gonna get thrown around a bunch wasn’t I?

We’d cleared off a section of the roof, of the Reagent creation and so there we were ready to spar.

I was jittery with excitement. I felt for the first time like a real Paladin even if the armor was training armor, and not really meant for combat. It still left me feeling cool.

He nodded, then stepped in, and just like always we started clashing, swords streaking around each other as we started fighting. I felt a little slower, but I had more weight to me than ever before and more interesting, I was getting to be tall enough that he no longer had such an overwhelming reach advantage. 

We were going back and forth quite well for a while, as I blocked, and thrust with my sword pushing him back with the strength and force I was using.

I grinned as he adjusted himself and then moved back in. We continued back and forth, him pushing me back, I pushed him back, and it reminded me of our old spars, the two of us just working each other over.

But…

He stepped back after a while. He wasn’t quite breathing heavily, but he had a light sheen of sweat, but he looked disappointed. 

“Perhaps you aren’t as skilled with armor as you are with the blade and shield.”

“What?” I asked, a bit shocked at the sudden statement. 

“You fight like you aren’t wearing it, but you are. Armor is meant to be used. You fight like any touch will kill you, but that’s not how armor works girl.”

“Oh…. Ooooh.” I whispered the sound coming out strangely through my helmet.

I hadn’t actually been touched yet, and in order to raise an Armor skill I needed to be struck by it.

I’d been fighting like an agility Rogue, not a Paladin.

“You’re right.” I said and then reaffirmed myself. “I wasn’t thinking. Again?”

“Hmm. Perhaps another time.” He said denying my offer to continue, and I slumped

“Aww come one Grunkle! I was just doing it wrong, I can do it this time!”

“I’m tired girl. I don’t have the energy to-”

“Inner Fire!” I declared pointing at him, and the wave of his Spirit came surging over his body.

He went still as he looked from me to his arms, looking over what I had just done.

“There, now you won’t be tired anymore. Again?”

“What is this?”

“A new spell. I only figured it out a few weeks ago. Cool huh?”

“I’m not tired.” He mumbled looking at his hands.

“Nope! It uses a warrior's fighting spirit to empower them! It also restores stamina, burning away tiredness. It’s my secret weapon for ultimate training.”

“I see… Can you remove the effect? This flame?” He asked, as he was glowing fairly brightly.

“Oh. Umm… No? At least not yet, I’d have to refine the spell, and it would probably always have some sort of effect.”

“You should consider it. A spell that washes away tiredness, would be… Very important. We should stop and have you work on that now.”

“What!? Oh come ooon! I work on it all the time! This is my armor training time!”

He looked at me, and he was definitely considering calling it off and making me do spell work, but then he nodded. 

“Very well. We’ll continue for a time, then you will work on the spell. I would like to learn it as well.”

“Oh sure. It’s a Light spell though, not an Arcane one.”

“It will be useful regardless.”

Then he brought up his blade, and I charged in, not going to give him time to take back his decision.

This time, I didn’t even bother trying to parry his strike, just using my shield to mitigate his downward chop onto my pauldrons, as I thrust forward.

The blade crashed into my shoulder and rocked me, but he was forced to dance back as my sword nearly skewered him.

And then it happened.

[Armor Skill Learned: Plate Mail]

I grinned behind my helmet. That’s right. The real secret to plate armor wasn’t not getting hit. It was getting hit in the right spots and just not caring.

I charged in, and Zo’Talana instantly adjusted, pushing his shield in the way to try and stop me.

And once more we clashed, I could feel my smile widen even as I adjusted and let his sword hit me.

A smack against my Pauldrons, a glancing blow to my new gauntlets, and even a blow to my helmet sending me staggering a bit and my head ringing, but it was all worth it.

Because very soon, I got the alert.

[Plate Mail Lv 2 1/20]

The knowledge filled me even more, and I charged right back in.

—---

“I don’t understand this.”

“Yeah Light Magic is a bit different.” I explained. We were both done for now, even though I kept juicing up Grunkle Zo’Talana with Inner Fire whenever he complained of wanting a break which did funnily enough make him surge up and fight more, he eventually called an end to it.

“It’s nonsense.”

“It works. It’s a mindset thing. Maybe try an easier spell first? I did teach Inner Fire at the Healing Hall after picking it up, and only one of them has figured it out so far.”

“Hmm… No, I won’t waste more of my limited time trying to learn it.” He looked at me. “But this spell is useful. I’ll be requiring your help with it I think.”

“I accept gold, gems, magic items, secret spells, or training time. Although that, you already owe me for my birthday.” I said, chirping cutely as I grinned at him, uncaring that I probably looked like a mess. 

Heavy armor, and heavy exertion had left me sweating, especially since we just kept going.

Between Power Word Fortitude, Inner fire, and Holy Light, healing. I just kept going and going.

“Hmph. Secret spells. You seem to have no issue creating your own secret spells. You hardly need others.”

“Creating spells is hard Grunkle.” I complained to him, and then he sent me a smug little smirk.

“I know.”

“You do have a secret spell! Teach me!” I demanded, even if I already knew he had a secret spell, his speedy fighting spell.

“Perhaps. I need to go. We’ll meet again in a few days for more training, if I don’t call on you sooner.”

“Kay!”

He headed off, and I grinned as he limped lightly. I'd gotten a nice smack to his thigh while fighting, and even with a heal he still felt it.

I wiped my forehead, and looked down at myself.

“Armor is really cool, but maintenance is a pain. I need a squire.” I joked to myself, half laughing as I started unstrapping the armor. 

I’d made some good advancements with learning how to use Plate Mail, so today was a good day. 

Luckily as well, this was Quel’Thalas. Along with the armor had been a small booklet, and in the booklet had been a series of spells for cleaning and maintaining armor. Considering I also was a fairly accomplished Blacksmith, it meant I was good to go. 

Cloth washing spell, for the padded parts of the armor so they wouldn’t stink. Apparently very important for any SpellBreaker, which is where the spell booklet came from.

A polishing spell which I already had although this one was meant for metals instead of a more generic form, but it was just a spell refinement change, so that was easy.

And a Leather conditioning spell that conjured a sort of waxy oil that would keep the leather flexible and crack free.

Maintaining my armor was part of Zo’Talana’s training so he said, even if he hadn’t actually taught me anything about it.

I think he was mostly just throwing the problem at me, and seeing if I could handle it without him going through it.

Which was very Grunkle of him.

The spells weren’t very hard, so I settled in, under the sun which was slightly off thanks to the shield, I ran through the spells. The Cloth Cleaning spell was actually quite nice, once I cast it, it made the gambeson fluff up, and then it smelled like sunlight instead of sweaty elfling.

I polished all the metal bits in a flash, and then took a while to get the Leather Conditioning spell.

That one was just kinda weird, and I’m pretty sure I was conjuring some weird little water elemental that liked leather by the end of it.

But I got both spells and happily folded up my armor and too it down to my room. Once I had everything stored for now. I ran the rest of my clothes through the cleaning spell and then figured I might as well, get some more work done on Inner Fire, since Grunkle was interested in it. 

—---

“So where are we?”

“The training yards.” Grunkle said behind a quiet smirk that told me he was definitely planning something. 

The fact he’d told me to get suited up first and instead of fighting told me that.

“And I’m here?”

“Because you have an endless amount of energy. I have a finite amount of time, and you are already excellent with a sword and shield.” He spoke calmly as if that explained everything, which it kinda did.

We were in the fancy part of the city, not too far from the shop to be honest, and there was a field very similar to the Rangers field Mama took me to fairly often. 

But instead of raw recruits running or training their accuracy, there were older Elves, wearing armor and a training yard more suited for melee.

The SpellBreakers training field.

The Elites of Silvermoon.

“You want me to fight them?”

“I want you to beat them.” He retorted instantly, and I understood the assignment.

“And what do I get out of it?”

“Training with the most elite swordsmen in Quel’Thalas.”

“That’s assumed, and not payment.”

“If you do well, I’ll teach you my special spell.”

“Deal.” I agreed, and then I frowned.

I didn’t have my Quest Log on me. I realized the problem instantly, I usually either kept it in my room, or in my bag, neither of which I had with me because of the armor.

I’d have to figure out something with that soon, because an adventurer without a Quest Log was not an adventurer at all, but some… Regular Fighter, or something.

Either way I shook it off, and followed behind Grunkle, as he led across the field, the moment the training Spellbreakers noticed him they jerked up and saluted. 

I got a few stray looks but they were keeping a firm eye on Grunkle.

“I am disappointed in all of you.” He said his voice cutting through the yard. “As such I have found for you all a supplemental trainer to hone your skills. This is Alah’Dorah, my niece. You will fight her one at a time, until such a time as she can no longer go on. Until then, you will stay in the field, you will stay in armor, and there will be no breaks. Treat it as if you are in combat against Trolls, a tireless, neverending battle against a particularly small Troll.”

“Rude.” I whispered under my breath, but I knew he and his students heard me.

“Sir? What if we win?”

“I said until she tires, not until you defeat her. You may succeed in taking her to the ground, in fact I suggest you fight to win. Unfortunately for you, you will fail.”

I blinked and was actually smiling a little at how flattering he was hyping me up here.

I shrugged, and moved forward, slipping through the fence around the combat field, and then shifting a bit making sure my armor was good. Then I grabbed my helmet and slipped it over my head, took up my sword and shield, and brought them up.

“Whoever is first should come along.” I called out, not waiting for Grunkle to signal them.

The men and women looked at each other. All of them were older than me, all of them were at least a little larger than me still.

I just grinned.

I’d had a few days since my last fight with Grunkle, and in that time, of course I’d taken my armor and gone through each piece.

It might only be training gear, but that was no excuse not to get the most out of it. With my newest Enchanters perk, I’d added some basic stat enchantments onto all the pieces I had.

My Helm now gave m e +3 Stamina, which was the strongest of the enchantments I could get to place on the helmet, unfortunately it just wasn’t the best location for stat increases.

The Pauldrons, Chest Rig, and Gauntlets gave me Strength, +3, +4. And +4 to be specific, which was a massive boost. 

An effective Strength of 55 while wearing my armor made me feel like a superhuman.

And my Faulds and Boots gave me Agility. +3 and +4 specifically. It had taken a lot of work to get the enchantment to stick on the faulds, and it had only gotten to a plus three with a lot of extra materials pumping it up.

Faulds were hard to enchant. 

Either way. I now had a big boost to my stats while in armor, and I was facing down the actual elite. Trainee spellbreakers or not, these guys were good.

My buffs were active, and I was ready though, even if the first one looked at Grunkle instead of coming forward.

“Sir, you must be jesting?” The Elf asked, and instantly Grunkle was in his face, towering over the other man, more through aura than actual height.

“Do I look like a Jester to you? Do my boots have bells? Perhaps if I shove my foot up your ass you’ll be able to properly recognize what I am!?” He snapped, his teeth bared and only inches from the poor idiot's nose.

“Sir, my apologies!”

“Good. Now stop wasting my Nieces time. Get in there.” He ordered, and the elf nodded, scurrying away from Grunkles thunderous glare as he slipped through the fence, he looked me over, as he once again seemed to realize he had no idea what was going on. 

Looking from me to his equipment.

He slowly slipped on his own helmet, much fancier than my own, although his was more open. 

The Spellbreaker helm was kinda cool actually. I wouldn’t mind getting one in that style. It was more like a face guard, although the trainee ones didn’t have the huge wing motif.

Either way, he picked up his shield which had been resting against the inside of the fence, and drew his sword.

“Don’t come crying to me, when-” Whatever he was about to say was ignored. I felt a grin splash across my face as I charged in!

Talking wasn’t a free action after all!