Chapter 48
"I’ll keep my ranking to myself for now. But to give you an idea about the weight of each class, a middle practitioner of the adept stratum will be respected wherever they go. A higher practitioner of the adept stratum will receive offers to become an officer in the military, or a body guard for an important person. The same goes for a peak practitioner in that category. Anywhere in the warrior stratum will land you a top military position, so long as you meet a few other requirements. As for the ascendant stratum, that’s something best saved for your dreams."
"And the apex stratum?"
"Best not get your hopes up, kid. Only two people in all of history have ever reached that realm, and neither of them made it past the lower tier, not even Aglain the Betrayer."
Alistar felt the need to ask a question that he’d always wondered over. "If a magus and a swordsman were to fight, who would win?"
"Magi don’t fight, boy. Arcanites fight. Magi handle domestic magics, while arcanites work with battle magics. That doesn’t mean a magician can’t use battle magics though, or that an arcanite can’t light a candle."
"So, who would win?"
"I’m getting to that. Supposing they were evenly classed in their respective professions, it would still depend on the situation. In close combat, the swordsman would win nine times out of ten, unless he’s dealing with an incredibly skilled arcanite. If the fight starts with distance between them, the arcanite would have the upper hand, since they can fire off projectiles or conjure up irregularities in the environment. The arcanite would also have an edge in a forested area for the same reasons."
An impressive spectacle was playing out in Alistar’s mind. "Have you ever fought an arcanite?"
"I’ve fought my fair share. Let me tell you, it isn’t easy charging across a spontaneous sheet of ice, or avoiding the animated roots of a tree." Tramon crossed his arms, looking back into his past with a satisfied smirk.
"When will I learn to fight with a sword?"
Tramon laughed. "When I deem that you’re ready. For now, you’ll be meditating by this tree every morning, rain or shine!"