Adventure of Alexios 3

Penelope closes her fingers around the Twin Flames and keeps them near her belt as she leads Alexios through a narrow passage branching from the weapons chamber. Blue wards shimmer across the stone, admitting them without resistance.

The passage opens into a quiet memorial hall. Tall pillars bear the names of Ithacan warriors, their carved surfaces softened by age and silver dust.

At the far wall, a newly unsealed stone panel glows faintly beneath the ward-light. Its crest is unmistakable: the mark of Alexios’s mother, set above lines preserved in dark mineral ink.

Penelope approaches the panel but does not touch it. Beneath the crest, the preserved account describes a battlefield stand, naming a warrior who held the eastern breach while Ithacan survivors escaped.

The words settle beneath the memorial’s silver dust. Alexios keeps his injured shoulder supported by the gentler sling while the stone panel’s dark ink begins to glow.

The panel opens its preserved account without force. Images of smoke, broken standards, and fleeing survivors appear as pale impressions, restrained by the ward rather than shown in brutal detail.

Beneath her crest, a final line clarifies the testimony: the memories may be restored only by one who seeks truth without worshipping war. The panel remains open before them.

Alexios leaves the mother’s sealed memories undisturbed. With his clean dressing and gentler sling secure, he moves swiftly through the memorial passage, Twin Flames returned to Penelope’s belt.

Penelope keeps pace beside him as the blue wards fold away. Alexios’s legendary agility carries them through the hidden stair and shaded gallery without disturbing the chamber’s silence.

They emerge into the training court before the hour ends. The banners stir overhead, the ring stands ready, and no squire has yet returned.

Penelope checks the court while Alexios takes his place beneath the restored council banners, Everburn lowered safely and his shoulder supported. Together, they wait for the squires.

Alexios lowers Everburn and drives its lower blade into a seam between the courtyard tiles. The stone grips the steel, leaving the spear upright beside him.

The spear’s eternal flames curl harmlessly above the tile, casting gold across the empty ring. Alexios’s gentler sling remains secure beneath the banners.

Footsteps sound beneath the gallery as the first squires return. They slow when they see Everburn standing upright in the stone, its fire steady and controlled.

Alexios snaps his fingers. Everburn’s eternal flame withdraws at once, vanishing from both heads and leaving only dark, warm metal upright in the courtyard stone.

The extinguished spear releases a clear chime. A hidden silver training mark appears along its shaft, revealing measured grip points and balance lines beneath the vanished fire.

The returning squires gather around Everburn without fear. Its metal radiates only a mild warmth, and the revealed markings guide their eyes from haft to blade.

The squires enter the ring and settle into guarded stances. Beneath the restored banners, Everburn stands dark and ready, its newly revealed guidance marking the next lesson.

Alexios’s command rings beneath the restored banners. His gentler sling keeps the injured shoulder supported as every squire snaps to attention around the dark, flame-less Everburn.

The squires move with immediate discipline, forming two lines instead of crowding the court. The silver balance marks on Everburn guide their spacing and footwork.

Two young adult allosaurus squires step forward: a broad ochre-scaled woman with a round shield, and a lean slate-gray man carrying a blunted practice spear.

Alexios steps back beneath the banners, lowering Everburn and giving the senior squire the ring. His sling remains secure as he yields the bout’s direction.

The senior squire raises one hand, and the two fighters advance. The ochre-scaled shield bearer keeps her guard compact while the slate-gray spear bearer circles carefully.

The spear bearer feints high and pivots low. The shield bearer turns with him, catches the blunted shaft against her rim, and advances instead of retreating.

Several hours pass beneath the restored banners. Bouts conclude cleanly, lessons are repeated, and the squires return from each pause more measured than before.

By late afternoon, the court has narrowed to its final bout. The sun burns low over Ithaca’s walls, gilding the ring and the dark shaft of Everburn.

Two young adult allosaurus squires enter the ring: the broad ochre-scaled shield bearer and the lean slate-gray spear bearer. Their armor is dusty, but their stances remain precise.

The senior squire raises one hand. Around the ring, the other students fall silent as Alexios stands beneath the banners, sling secure, watching the final lesson begin.

Alexios watches from beneath the restored banners, his clean dressing and gentler sling secure. The senior squire lowers one hand, and the final bout begins.

The shield bearer advances behind her rim while the spear bearer circles, testing distance. Neither hurries; each measures the other instead of repeating a favored maneuver.

The spear bearer feints toward the shield’s upper edge, then withdraws. The shield bearer refuses the bait, pivots, and protects her center without chasing.

The spear bearer changes rhythm, lowering the point and stepping inside the shield’s reach. The shield bearer turns with him, catches the shaft, and cleanly disarms him without striking.

The slate-gray spear bearer stands disarmed, while the ochre-scaled shield bearer holds her guarded stance. The senior squire studies the clean exchange beneath the evening banners.

The spear bearer lowers his empty hands and bows to his opponent. She returns the gesture, then lowers her shield as the gathered class awaits Alexios’s judgment.

The senior squire strikes a fist against his breastplate. Around the ring, the squires bow, gather their practice weapons, and disperse in thoughtful silence beneath the restored banners.