Time went on and I kept on with my training. As Mother had said my training had gotten quite a bit more difficult. It focused more on agility, stamina, endurance, strength as well as sharpening my basic skills in sword fighting.

Every morning I was told to run as fast as I could following the paths in the forest that circled our house.

After that, I was supposed to spar with either of my parents to sharpen my fighting style with and without weapons. Which would be followed with another run this time through an obstacle course of sorts. It went through close together trees, thorny bushes, logs flying towards me, crawlspaces between boulders and more.

Then after taking a short break, I was put through strength training. Where I was told to lift heavy objects like stones, and either stand still and lift them up and down or have the heavy object be on my person while I was put in a position that trained my endurance.

Then later I was to follow one of my parents into the study. If it were my mother, I was taught about how to analyze an opponent and how to properly take care of one's equipment. Like how to clean armor and weaponry efficiently, how to wear armor properly, how to think in a fight, how to battle in different weather and so on.

If it was with my father, I would learn how to survive on my own, how to figure out what part of an animal or plant is good to eat and which are dangerous.

After that I would end the days training with more sparing/dueling and lastly training with pressure waves.

I would focus more on feeling the pressure waves around me and try to get more in depth. Try to feel more of the pressure waves around me and  

So it would go day for day, week for week, and month for month.

Some days I would try to challenge my parents in order to defeat them but none of my attempts ever worked. The closest I got was when I grazed my father with the dulled swords we were using. Only to be met with the pommel of my father's sword directly after and falling unconscious.

Since I now knew how to properly use a sword, I used the black sword I had gotten as a gift as much as I could.

Other days I followed my parents out to hunt, slowly starting to be able to kill some of the beasts they were hunting without help. However, whenever I killed something, I always felt observed as if someone was staring at me from behind, but it was only when I used the black sword. It was creepy but I decided not to pay attention to it.

I spent the rest of my days either sneaking out to meet Sebastian at his store and talk about books, the kings or similar stuff. If I didn't give Sebastian a visit I would either try to solve the puzzle Henry had given me, take care of our chickens and cow or walk around the forest to see the beautiful surrounding nature.

Eventually, six months had gone by and I had improved a lot.

I had tried to attempt to keep swinging my sword around for an entire day, like the task my parents had given me, before. But it always seemed impossible. I know my mother claimed that it wasn't and that she had done it and had seen others do it before but whenever I tried, I couldn't go more than half a day if I was lucky.

However, today something felt different. When I walked out to the backyard with my sword on my back, I felt confident. Like I could actually do it. So, without any hesitation, I pulled my black sword out of its sheath and took a stance. I felt as the sun's rays started to break through the trees as dawn drew in. Hearing the early morning birds start their chirping I moved my sword up and swung down. I moved with each strike, side to side and back and forth. At first, I just struck at random. Attacks that had no direction. Even if I tried not to use a lot of energy, I got tired quickly. So, I thought of something.

What If I imagine I'm fighting someone?

What If I divide the day into segments where I’m fighting different invisible opponents?

At first, I thought of my parents, but they were far too strong for me to try and comprehend how they fight. So, I moved to the boy and girl I saw fighting in winter last year. Since I didn't get to see much of the boy fight, I decided to think of the girl. How her movements were so smooth and how it was like she could see what her opponent would do long before the other thought of it. But when I was thinking Someone else cropped into my mind. The grizzly.

I began to memorize how it attacked and started to move accordingly. Swung my sword like I was fighting the grizzly. Throwing myself to the ground to avoid fictional attacks and spinning around to counter them. Preserving my energy as if it were a real fight. As time went on and I kept on striking, the image of the purple cape wearing white haired girl kept on popping up in my mind. Her movements were fast and precise and seemed so easily replicated yet not at the same time. Despite that, I decided to try and replicate what I saw her do. I quickly jumped forward, slashing the air, and jumped back only to jump forward and slash yet again.

In my mind, I could see her perform the same actions I do against the same grizzly but hers being faster, disappearing as fast as she jumped forward. Whilst I barely jumped back in time as the imaginary grizzly slammed down its paw. Despite that, I still tried. Switching between what I remembered the white-haired girl doing and what I already knew. When I had "defeated" the grizzly I saw in my head I noticed that the sun now had risen and stood high. I felt the sweat drip down my body and my breath become heavy but I could still keep going.

As I started to strike the area around me, I noticed something in the window of our house. Four burning yellow eyes fastened on the figure of my father stared at me through the window as well as the silhouette of my mother standing beside it.

I try to ignore them so as not to feel the pressure of my parents' judgment.

I close my eyes and start to strike the air. Raising my sword up and striking down. I slowly amp up the force I lay into each strike as I try to figure out whom I could next use to help me in this.

Maybe not the white haired girl since her speed will only throw off my rhythm. So maybe the boy she was fighting, the boy with the rapier.

Using the movements from my strike down I transition to a slice across the air. I remember how the boy always was on the offensive. So, I jump back to avoid the imaginary thrusts of his rapier. I then jump forward to block the thrust using my sword. To then move into an attack.

Since I didn't see much of what the boy could do, I instead focused on ways to attack him by having him repeat the same attack and having me come up with different ways to attack. I dodge, jump, slash, strike, pierce, I even decide to use the third principle to create the same small spikes I used against the grizzly. Trying my hardest to save my energy and only use more tiering attacks when needed. As I notice that it's past noon, I feel a sense of joy in seeing that I have broken my record. However, that moment of happiness is short-lived as I start to feel how my arms start to grow tired and how my legs are starting to shake.

If I keep going like I have, I might collapse before the day ends.

Realizing this I decide to go back to basics. I stand upright, move my right foot back and hold my sword out. After raising my sword, I strike it with all my might, walking forward with my right foot as I do. Then quickly moving back to how I stood in the beginning. I repeat this motion.

With each strike, I feel how my body is screaming at me begging me to stop. But I can't. Not when I’ve gotten this far.

I completely fade out what’s happening around me, focusing only on swinging my sword.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Again!

I continue to repeat these words in my head to keep me going. However, eventually, I started to fade out my own thoughts. I feel my body go through with the motions, but I can’t see if I really am.

Now unsure of what time it is or if I'm even conscious I just let it go on. Fearing that if I even try to think I would snap out of this state and just collapse of tiredness. So, I continue to strike the air again and again. Until I hear a thump, and then I feel my legs give out as I fall to the ground.

I used the last bit of strength I had left to push myself up to see the sky.

"ha...Child’s play." I say letting out a tired laugh. As I look up at the now dark night sky.

I had now completed two of the tasks that prove I'm strong enough to leave and explore on my own.