Chapter 559: The Ward & Shadow Part 2
It wasn’t difficult to find Stryg. Though there were several walled-off courtyards set aside for training on the shared Gale and Veres estates, there was only one that had a pair of Gale warriors guarding the gate. And unless Lady Elise had suddenly discovered a new love for swordsmanship after two decades then it was quite obvious who was causing the loud scraping noises of metal on metal.
The guards stepped aside as Gale neared. “My lady.” They bowed and unlocked the gate.
Gale gave them a silent nod and stepped inside. Stryg stood alone. A pair of training dummies lay on the floor, their armor crumpled on several points. Gale sighed and closed the gate behind her. She pulled her scarlet hood over to shield her from the noon sun before she leaned on the wall and silently watched Stryg beat the last standing armoured dummy with abandon.
The steel plate armor was perfect for simple training lessons against the dull practice swords but it fell under the weight of the hybrid’s attacks. Stryg’s lilac eyes were hard as he slashed over and over, the steel plate cracking underneath the pressure.
Finally, with a splash of sparks and an ear-screeching noise, the dull sword cracked the plate armor in two and cleaved the straw dummy in half. Stryg stood over his opponent, his shoulders heaving, as he took ragged breaths.
“You’re angry,” Gale said.
As if finally noticing her presence, Stryg stiffened for a moment, but he didn’t bother looking back at her. “I’m fine.”
“You could have fooled me.” She placed her hand over a magestone embedded in the wall and poured a trickle of mana into it. Sigils flared across the courtyard walls and faint red sigils floated above, providing a sound dampener. “Maybe next time remember to activate wards before you decide to murder the dummies.”
“I’ll try.”