Cursed mage

Getting bottles of water isn't a tough task. They warn me to stay hydrated. Get used to things now versus when it gets worse out. I take a sip glad to have access to such refreshingly clean water.

"It's not actually healing although it can feel like it at times." A knight comments as I pass. I'm back on route for my training session.

"Yeah. Should've thought about it this morning."

"Water is a lifeline. Please make sure it's clean before drinking. Not everywhere offers that."

"Artesian wells are more common than most think." I smile at them.

The knight smirks. "A smart one."

"Yeah." I offer a salute in passing.

He grabs my arm keying in on the wings on my chest. "Your..."

"Rather you not." I step back out of his grip. "Thanks."

"Right, right. Everyone is the same here." The knight looks aside rubbing his chin. Then he focuses back on me. "You'll want to find somewhere to work on push ups and pull ups. Improve your muscles. You need to be able to fully handle your body weight."

"I know." I pause looking around. "I'd show you... If..."

"There's a ledge here." He motions to a small shelf. Can I pull off the grip?

I place the bottles down to judge the option. Let's see if I can. Climbing into my window after being out wasn't easy the first time. Now, though... I get my fingers into the grips. Looks as if others have dug out special places for easy pull ups. Not that pull ups are easy.

"Impressive there." The knight watches me pull off a few in a row.

Then I get down to pick up my water bodies. Not sure if that was my best choice given what is my next task, but... "Been lifting my weight about places for a while now. All those unbelievable stories around me? Probably true." I pause thinking of many of them. The rumors were more accurate than not. "Better to assume it was true anyway." I offer another salute and begin walking again.

The knight follows. "I'm Chance."

"No last name?"

"Didn't want one. Didn't have one to begin with. I'm from Dalesfield, though."

I think of that location. "Ryan's your noble then."

"Yeah. How's he doing?" Chance stops as we get close to the courtyard where we're swinging. A few more have been dragged into the action. Ryan is sitting to the side calling out reminders to the crowd. We at least had the chance to watch knights in action. Many had no idea about their habits.

"He's impressive too. We're different though. Expect great things."

Chance grins at me. "I expect great things from you too. I'll be around. Don't be afraid to speak up."

I walk into the field and hand off the water bottles to Ryan and Jessica. She only places hers down to continue. She must be nearly done with her first strike set. "I'll finish the fifty in a moment." Or maybe I'll do only thirty next. Take more breaks. "Let's finish minimums before a week's out. You don't want to be too slow here."

"Yeah. Rather get caught working on the sparring part of things." Ryan stands up. He goes back to striking. Still the first strike. Not sure if he's at fifty where I am. "Eight hundred is a lot."

"The kids were complaining." Jessica says while calling out a hundred. She shoulders her blade to look at the group. She'll drink during her break. "Were our tests actually harder than theirs?" She looks to me.

I weigh things. "We all have different strengths and weaknesses. Most are forced to hold out a sword at arm's length for a period of time." I hold the weapon out. "We weren't."

"Glad for that. Instead our weapon to prove was bow and learning when not to use weapons." Ryan weighs that. "Guess nobles normally aren't first to the field."

"Not without an army." I nod. "Back to practice." I won't finish eight hundred swings today. Maybe I'll pull off two strike types.

Watching Jessica go back to swinging has me wonder if she'll manage. We have another lesson after lunch. That means we're expected to do this until lunch.

"We cannot be kicked out for lacking. We have three years to pull off trainee graduation. Don't hate yourself for not managing this well," I say scanning the others. I've dealt with carrying a scepter across the castle at arm's length.

If they're used to farm life, this would be a weird swing, but they'd have the strength for it. Those who are more into the finesse of things wouldn't have the strength to handle that many swings. This is meant to boost. Only those who dealt with warrior training or similar would be used to it. They could guess we'd handle half a minute holding a sword at arm's length. Many of the other trainees may have struggled with that task.

"Push ups and pull ups would get you more ready for this. It builds your muscles. Increasing your strength is required. Then it's getting used to the movement." I add after a bit of review.

Jessica stops her second set. She glances to me. "No. I didn't finish." She puts her sword away and steps up to one of the other trainees. "Like this." Jessica helps guide them into the movement. "It'll come naturally after a while. I know it can feel heavy in the beginning. Don't rush through this step."

Chance stands behind me while saying, "Everyone here passed basic reading."

I scan the group. They'd be merchant or money attached. That's how it works. Or an unnatural talent found among some servants. Although we do make sure the servants at the castle can read and write. At least basics. "The rest are learning basics, then?"

"ABCs first. Then simple words. They'll be decent in a few weeks. Some will still be in these lessons in a few months. We'll give everyone a higher level writing test shortly." He smirks at me. "You can skip."

"Ha ha." I glower at him and go back to swinging.

"No. I read your last report."

I stiffen and face him sword out. "Do not!"

"Sword down, Thomas." Hydrangea calls out. "You're not ready for sparring."

"He may be." Chance rubs his chin. Hydrangea shoves him. "I riled him. It's okay."

Hydrangea eyes the other knight a moment before reviewing her three noble students. "Let them practice."

"I thought I was." Chance responds.

I roll my eyes and go back to task. It's important I get used to this weapon. I'll say after three hundred strikes in every direction I'll be fine. "Hydrangea?"

"Yes?"

"Do I need to slice the paper in every strike attempt? Some have to be harder than others."

"No. In one of your directions, you need to slice the paper. Straight down is probably easiest. Any are allowed."

I calm over that. Just one strike good enough. A hundred attempts for all of them. "Will you ask to see each type, though?"

"Yes. I grade you." Hydrangea eyes Chance. He moves in to help someone. Jessica has switched to another as well. She's clearly skilled here. Will probably be ahead of the curve in everything. "Only a noble knight can grade a noble trainee."

I eye Chance. He refused a title, so he isn't capable of grading us. Offering us support from a distance would be it. "Good to know."

Hydrangea places a hand on my shoulder. I stop swinging to look at her. "Ignore any of your father's comments. He is not your trainer."

I grunt. Once Hydrangea goes to another, I return to my strikes. Hundred of each type. Then I'll practice top down until three hundred. Give each strike another fifty before asking for a testing. It'll be a fast track, but I really don't want to be on 'swing your sword' lesson for long. It's just annoyingly exhausting.