Rise of the Nameless Heir-Chapter 15: Conviction!

"What?" I ask, my voice layered with an undertone of dripping, palpable annoyance.

I’m standing, barely, my knees tremble like they’ll give up any time soon, my chest rises and falls rhythmically as I pant.

My eyes are narrowed, shooting a wild glare at Dinan as my forehead squeezes into a nasty frown.

"What do you mean by slow?" I ask again, this time my voice grows a bit louder. More bold.

He looks down at the grass, letting out a soft sigh as he shakes his head slowly. Then he looks up at me, his head lightly tilted, and one eyebrow raised slightly. "It is as I said, Ralyn. You are too slow." As he says this, he pauses, turns his head away from me, and his mouth is still open, like he wants to speak, but the words hang. Then he closes his mouth, his gaze pointing straight at the direction behind me.

His lips move, mouth widening to speak again. "You aren’t running like someone who has.. something to accomplish. You’re running like someone who’s just trying to get this over with."

My eyes widen subtly, my glare softening into a steady gaze. And as my gaze softens, he faces me, and his black eyes lock into mine. Those black eyes glimmer with something that I can’t properly discern. The depth that they hold is immense.

"Where is your conviction as someone who doesn’t want to die?!" He roars aloud, and my spine tingles, the hair all over my body standing upright. "You think true swordsmen operate with a ’let’s just do it’ attitude?! No! You’re wrong!"

He stands up from the wooden sword he was sitting on. "I want to teach you, Ralyn. I want you to survive. But to learn from me, you have to show me your conviction as someone who’s trying his best to survive. Stop moving your legs like you’re running away from something. Move your legs like you’re making your way toward your life as a swordsman."

He.. he isn’t wrong.

He points his index finger forward, toward the fields. And as he does so, the winds cascade over the fields soothingly. "So what are you waiting for? See your life, your future as a swordsman is waiting there for you. Why are you still standing? Go and claim it!!"

The moment he utters these words, something snaps deep inside my chest, and I feel it well up, stirring and swirling within me, making its way toward my stomach, then it vibrates around my stomach, clenching and unclenching. My tightened fists were trembling in the same tempo with it, the same rhythm.

That same thing releases a pulse, and that pulse shoots, surging and traveling around my body.

Just what is this?

My legs brim with energy, with strength. My chest feels... larger.

What do they call this feeling?

I take a deep breath.

Ah.

I think I know.

My lips widen. My heart begins to dance, belatedly.

It’s motivation.

I waste no time; my legs catapult, propelling me into the air in a ferocious manner.

I run. This time, my mind feels empty. No, I don’t feel anything at all, and I’m not sure I can think because the only things running through my mind as I dash through these fields are simple:

’Run, Ralyn. Run toward your life, toward your future as a swordsman.’

"That’s it, Ralyn! Run! Run and grab it!" Dinan’s voice echoes throughout the vast field, fueling that feeling that’s surging through my heart.

Yes, he’s right.

I am Ralyn. Ralyn Steelheart. And today, the twenty-second day of the hundred and ninth day of the Literian Calendar, I began my journey as a true swordsman. One without the ability to wield Tein.

__________________ 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

–Huff– –Huff–

I’m seated on the grass, directly opposite Dinan, who’s about five inches away.

My eyes are closed, my face pointing toward the sky as I draw in deep breaths. My body feels strangely warm, my heartbeat is slowly decreasing, and the effect of that thrill I felt earlier is gradually diminishing.

My feet ache, but however painful they feel, I ignore them because I’ll be feeling them more often from now on. That’s why my lips are widened right now, my satisfied grin never leaving my lips as I slowly open my eyes.

The heat of the sun has died out, giving way to the evening’s ephemeral golden glow as the sun sets, projecting the tender feeling of serenity across not only this field, but the entire Steelheart estate, as all the hustle and bustle of both trainees and workers alike have quieted down.

I ran from morning til evening.

"Ha.." I let out something in between a resigned exhale and a tender exclamation.

"Did you feel it?"

As I hear his voice, my sight turns from the drifting, golden painted clouds, facing Dinan.

He rests his chin on his palm, his gentle smile still present on his face.

I scratch my eyes with my fingers, shaking my head slowly, then I stare at him once more. "Feel what exactly?"

"Hm, I think you felt it indeed." He speaks, his voice low, a bit mischievous. He nods, as if confirming his words. "I know you did."

"Are you talking about that.. adrenaline?" I ask, my fingernails finding an annoying itch just above my ankle.

"Adrenaline?" He asks, his tone high, his facial expression serious for a moment, then it softens, "Pfft." His lips widen, and he licks them. "No. I’m talking about something else. That’s the reason I pushed you to run faster than you did."

"What exactly are you talking about, Dinan?"

The moment I mention his name, his smile fades, then he turns away from me, looking ahead into the distance. "It was better when you called me Mr Knight." He mutters in a very low voice. Probably expecting me not to hear it, but I still heard it anyway.

"What was that?" I ask, feigning ignorance.

"Nothing." He turns to face me again, his expression a bit brighter. "I was asking if you felt an electric-like pulse in your body?"

Electric-like pulse? Hm. I felt something like that. But it was more of a mind thing, not necessarily real.

"No, I didn’t."

"I’m sure you did. There’s no way you didn’t. No matter how little it is, your Chi should have reacted."

I narrow my eyes. "My Chi?" I ask.

"Yes, your Chi."