The witnesses finish their marks and set the practice form beneath the fresh seal. The yard remains quiet except for sandals scuffing dust beyond the chalk lines.
Marcus Flavius enters through the Castra Urbana gate carrying a worn training blade and a small bundle of clean wraps. He pauses beside the officials, studying Valeria’s repaired hand.
Marcus Flavius
I heard you passed. Let me inspect the scar before Decimus turns that result into another appointment.
Marcus waits for permission, then gestures toward the wraps rather than reaching. Decimus remains near the sealed forms, listening while the two city soldiers stand by as witnesses.
Marcus Flavius
The hand has healed enough for work, not carelessness. We begin with endurance, then footwork, then protecting the repaired grip under fatigue.
Decimus Severus
A regimen is acceptable if it preserves the recorded conditions. No reopening the wound, no unsupervised bout, and no private claim attached to the training.
Marcus Flavius
Agreed. I will teach her to arrive at the Colosseum whole, not merely eager. Myrina’s next test begins when she is ready, not when Rome grows impatient.
✓ Quest Accepted
Restore fighting readiness through Marcus Flavius's regimen
“"I am ready to begin."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +0)
Valeria sets the blunted sword aside, accepts the clean wraps, and steps onto the yard’s outer line. Marcus begins with a measured circuit beneath the morning sun.
Marcus Flavius
Endurance first. Walk until your breath settles, then quicken without letting the scar dictate your posture.
Valeria walks the marked perimeter, lengthening her stride by degrees. Dust gathers at her ankles, but her shoulders stay level and the repaired hand remains relaxed.
Marcus Flavius
Now footwork. Forward, back, and across the line. The sword follows the feet, never the other way around.
She crosses the chalk lines in controlled patterns, turning on the ball of her foot and recovering the center after each step. The soldiers record her pace and balance.
Marcus Flavius
Good. Take the blade again. We protect the grip under fatigue, so every recovery must be deliberate.
Valeria lifts the blunted sword and begins the first sequence. Marcus advances with restrained cuts, and she answers by keeping measure, retaining the weapon, and completing the regimen’s opening exercise.
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish a shared training plan with Marcus Flavius
+ New Item Acquired
Clean wraps
“She continues.”
SUCCESS (Superb Melee Combat, rolled +1)
Valeria completes the opening sequence and begins the next under a deepening heat. Her breath shortens, but the blunted sword remains aligned with her shoulders and her repaired grip stays firm.
Marcus Flavius
Again. Let fatigue reveal your habits, then correct them before they become openings.
Marcus advances with alternating cuts and measured feints. Valeria gives ground by inches, turns each blade aside, and recovers the center without wrenching the scarred hand.
the older city soldier
Weapon retained. Her recovery is slower under exertion, but controlled and complete.
The final sequence presses closer. Valeria pivots through the bind, disengages cleanly, and answers with a restrained touch before lowering the sword on Marcus’s signal.
Marcus Flavius
That is enough for today. You protected the grip under fatigue and finished the exercise without reopening the wound.
The younger soldier adds his mark beside the endurance and footwork notes. Decimus watches the completed record receive its second seal, while Marcus wraps Valeria’s hand anew.
“"If we're done for the day, I guess I'll go home. You can come too, Marcus, if you don't mind eating a meager supper. I'm sure the boys would be eager to hear your war stories."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled -1)