Show Me Your Ways

The morning sun had only just begun to break the indigo dawn from the eastern horizon above a dark sea. Roiling gray clouds mostly obscured its light—they had become a commonplace fixture in the sky this autumn—but a few golden rays burst out to welcome a new day across Boreas. Artorias sat at the northern border of Armada territory, breathing in deep the cool, dewy air of the early morning. At Sirius' behest, he had shown up at the border just before the sun rose, ready to begin his training in earnest with the Warlord. He wore no armor, but carried Embershard slung across his back, even for a routine morning patrol. Ever since it had been given to him by his late mother, Artorias never parted from his blade. It was his last memento of her, the reminder that she had left him with that she trusted him to safeguard their family—that she saw him as her little knight. Artorias would never be without his sword.

While he waited, Artorias had begun some tai chi style stretches, combining the meditation techniques Sirius had taught him with slow, rolling movements of his body to stretch his limbs, joints, and back. He limbered himself up while clearing his mind with pleasant and soothing imagery, not knowing what Seer had in store for them today, but knowing it would no doubt physical work. It also helped him to keep his mind clear and razor-sharp, focused on the day ahead, any decisions he would have to make. He'd always been an early riser, and this had become his routine since the meditation sessions with Sirius months prior.

"Artorias Carpathius"