"Do you leave for the Kingdom tomorrow?"
"Yes, we are leaving before sunrise. We should make it to the Kingdom by nightfall, or shortly after."
"I suppose you are going to become a knight then aren't you."
"I'm only competing in a tournament for a chance to be accepted to the Knight's Academy."
"You'll forget all about us in this tiny village."
"I would never do that. This is my home. What has gotten into you Arial?"
"Nothing, stop being so foolish. I made something for you. Consider it a good luck charm."
Arial reached out her hand and a stone the size of a walnut laid in the center. It had a faint glow of blue light coming from it. It was something I'd never seen before. Stones don't glow."
"What is that?"
"It's a stone from the riverbed. I imbued it with power from the aether."
"You can do that? I thought it was something that flowed within you, like when you were warm in the middle of winter."
"Well if you ever came and learned what it was all about like I asked you to, instead of practicing with that old sword of yours, you would know what it could do."
"It's very pretty. I'll put it in my bag."
"No! No, keep it near you at all times. Place it in a pocket or make a necklace for it."
"Why can't I just put it in my travel bag? I always have that close by, and I don't have time to make a necklace."
"Well, you could put it in your travel bag, but it wouldn't be able to help you if your bag is not on you. The power of the aether isn't just there to make it 'pretty'. It's there to help you in the tournament."
"What do you mean?"
"It will give you strength as long as it is on your person. It won't be much right now, because you didn't let me teach you how to use the aether, but it will still give you a tiny bit of strength."
"How does it work? Do I have to say something, or rub it."
"No, nothing like that. Just keep it in your pocket, and when you get a chance, make a necklace or something to keep it on. When it is close to your body, the aether will flow from it into your body. If you had taken the time to learn how to capture the flow of the aether, you would be able to draw power from it, and gain even more strength."
"It will do that? I promise that when I return home, I will sit with you and learn how to use the aether."
"I've heard that before. You'll come home for a short amount of time, practice your swordplay, and then off to the academy with you. I'll see you in a few years when the mighty conqueror comes back to his humble beginnings to regale us with tales of vanquishing the enemy and saving princesses."
"No I won't. I promise you. As soon as I get back from the kingdom, I will come straight to you and learn how to use the aether. Then I will go to the academy."
"Very well Pitre, I will hold you to your word then. As soon as you return you will find me and learn something from a scroll for a change."
I nodded and Arial ran off to her home. I still needed to practice the 3 movements before my day was over, so I headed to the forest.
It was quiet and peaceful in the forest. I took the stone out of my pocket and took a good look at it. It was very smooth, it must have been in that riverbed for a hundred years, and although I didn't feel it before, I could feel an unnatural warmth coming from it. the light was dim but noticeable and when I cupped it in my hand and held it up to my eye, it radiated in the dark pocket. It was truly amazing. I would have to ask her all about how she made it when I got back.
I put the stone back in my pocket and began to practice. The movements which had become rather easy with all my practice, felt even easier. I felt stronger with my slashes, and my feet seemed to plant more firmly on the ground. I decided to test the stone out a little, so I took it out of my pocket and placed on a stump near by. I ran through the movements again. The feeling I had just had, wasn't 'there. The movements were easy, but I didn't have that same feeling of energy flowing through me anymore. The stone really did work. I couldn't believe it. I believed that Arial had done something to the stone, but I didn't think it would do what she said it would, but it did. I picked the stone back up again, and ran through the movements again. It was the same as before. I felt stronger, and I didn't really feel like I had even done them. I ran through the movements 10 more times as fast as I could. I wan't the least bit tired. I ran another 10 times, and nothing. I did them 50 times in a row without stopping. At the end of the 50 I finally felt a little bit of tiredness coming on.
I practiced until the sun fell. I must have done the movements 200 times, and I felt like I usually did when I did them 100. I was tired, and my breath was heavy, but I wan't exhausted like I should have been. The stone was a miracle. I would have to give Arial a proper thank you when I returned home. It was too late in the day to find her now. She would be reading by the heath waiting for dinner to be sat on the table. I needed to get home myself and prepare for the day long journey ahead of me tomorrow. I would soon be in the Kingdom and competing in a tournament.
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