Learning that I suck (Page 7)

Ciri and I are in her bedroom talking about tomorrow. She called the top bunk, and that means I get the bottom bunk. She is really nice for being someone I just met today. I can only hope that I'm ready for tomorrow. Dad taught me a little bit about sword fighting.

After a while, I ask Ciri where she is from. She was quiet for a while. Contemplating if she should say. "I was born and grew up in Cintra... It was a beautiful place... until Nilfgaard took it in the war..." She has hate and anger in her voice, along with pain. I don't know what it's like to lose a home to war. I do know a little bit about Cintra, though.

Dad said that my name is Cintranian in origin. We were located in a pretty remote place, so I don't know where it's at. "Were your parents killed too?" I know what that's like. Losing them like this tears me up inside.

I would never wish a fate like that on another child. Nobody deserves that. "My mother died before the war. My dad is still alive, however... He is a rotten man who only cares about himself..." The malice in her voice speaks volumes. I don't doubt the words coming out of her mouth, either. Children know their parents. She seems to be worse off than I am, a dead mother and a monster for a father.

~~~(POV Ciri)~~~

He asked me if my parents were killed, he must have lost his parents too... I don't hear our native accent in his voice, and he sounds well educated. How was he involved in the war? "Were your parents killed in Cintra too?" He is quiet for a while, and I regret asking it now. It didn't really hurt much when mom died because I was so young.

She apparently died at sea while she left me at the castle in Cintra. "They were killed yesterday when my home was attacked... They died right in front of me... They were all I had..." I go quiet and think about how horrible that must be... I should've had more tact when I asked that.

Nobody likes to talk about the death of their parents. "I'm sorry."  I didn't think someone, so kind had gone through something like that. Maybe asking anything else would be a bad idea too.

I don't want to seem nosy and inconsiderate. "It's not your fault... It was mine..." Now that doesn't sound right. There is no way he killed them. From the time we've already spent together, I can say with certainty that he's not a cold-blooded killer who would murder his parents.

I'm more curious than I should be. I can't help but ask. "How is it your fault? I find it hard to believe that you killed them." Maybe a little crass, but it gets the job done. I'm too invested now to stop asking questions.

So much for being considerate to my new friend. "They died because of my power... I now know that it's special magic not native to this world... That's what this diary says anyway..." A diary that is telling him how to use his powers... I didn't even know he had powers.

This sounds kind of unbelievable. Geralt always taught me to look out for liars. "What Diary? I didn't know you had powers?" If he is telling the truth, then he should have no problems proving it to me.

He here's the doubt in my voice. "I have a power called the Elder Blood. I've figured out that Lara Dorren, who owned this diary, is the person I inherited my power from... It turns out everything my family never found out about our ancestors is in here..." I'm in total shock. Lara Dorren is my ancestor too. Its tradition that children inherit a name from their parents.

Sometimes more than one like me. "What's your full name, Cera?" I say, peeking at him from the top bunk as he reads the diary.

His answer will reveal things about him that he may not even know. "It's Cera Riannon Dorren Amavet. Why do you want to know?" Well, that was unexpected. I guess that makes us family. If he were even remotely close to my line, then he would have been a prince in Cintra along with me.

So that means he comes from a different line of people directly connected to Lara. "Well, I thought that you looked a lot like I do. Now I know why." We're both descendants of the Aen Elle people. I can see he has inherited a certain beauty from his line as well. Since we both share Riannon in our names, that is where we are related.

However, the blood ties are very small, if not insignificant. "My full name is Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon. I think we are distant relatives... After all, Lara Dorren was alive thousands of years ago." It looks like I gave him new info. He must not have known much about who he is and his ancestors. He should be proud.

He has royalty of the Aen Elle people running through him. "Wow, I guess your right... I wonder if you have the same power as me?" I wonder if he is talking about teleportation.

I've only done it a couple of times in certain situations. "Are you talking about teleportation? I've only done it a couple of times..." If he can use it. I'll say that makes me a little mad.

I've been trying for a long time to use my abilities, but I can't get them to work. "Yeah, I can do that too. I learned how to do it from this diary. However, no one else can read it for some reason..." That's a load of bollocks if I've ever heard it.

A diary that only he can read sounds like an excuse not to back up that big talk. "How did you first learn how to control it?" I hope for something to help me find the actual truth.

I'll find out if he is lying to me. I hate being lied to. "The diary said you have to use happy memories as fuel and think really hard about a spot. After a while, it becomes easier and easier." So he can use it regularly?

I'm now certain he's a liar—it's time to call him out and embarrass him. "You can control it? Prove it." Suddenly, he teleports to the other side of the small room. Well... Bollocks, he can do it...

Talk about hurting my pride as a warrior and magic-user. "Satisfied? Yennefer said I couldn't do long-range teleports or the soldiers from earlier will come for me again..." Well, that just isn't fair one bit.

He even has advanced techniques to learn and practice. Talk about an unfair advantage. "Can you show me how to do it?" He has no reason to help someone he just met.

Especially one who invaded his privacy and questioned his character. "I would be happy to teach you. We can try tomorrow after training." I can't help but be happy at that. I should work on my judgment of character more after tonight. It's getting pretty late, and I am tired from today. I soon relax, and I fall asleep.

~~~(POV Cera)~~~

[The next day]

After breakfast, we head outside to the training yard. Vesemir is instructing me on forms and attacks. We're using wooden swords. I'm already covered in bruises, but I'm catching on.

However, these are just the basics. After a while, we stop to take a break for lunch. "You learn fast, Cera, but these are the bare bones for the school of the wolf. If you were to fight anyone here, including Ciri, you would die. I think now is a great time for some free training." Talk about hurting my pride.

He isn't wrong. However, I'll just have to find a way to improve faster. "Cera and Ciri, you are together for this one. Geralt, you and I are going to spar. Take it easy on your old master, alright?" Vesemir told me how he had mentored every witcher the past 200 and some odd years at Kaer Morhen. He also explained some stuff about witchers too.  Talk about brutal. I would never voluntarily go through something like that.

I look over to Ciri, who swings her wooden sword skillfully with a grin on her face. Well, this isn't going to be good. She is way ahead of me in combat, and she is certainly more talented than I am with a sword.

I guess I should be grateful that it's Ciri. Maybe she will go easy on me if I ask. "Take it easy on me, Ciri. I've never trained like this before..." My words fall on deaf ears.

She has no intention to go easy on me and plans to give me a thrashing to remember. "The enemy won't go easy, so why should we?" I've never been so beaten up in my life. She would flip me, throw me, and hit me. Along with her fists and sword in great combinations. I'm outclassed by multiple levels. I can see this is making her happy and putting a smile on the other two's faces. It seems I'm getting a hazing.

After an hour, I couldn't land even one strike. Talk about embarrassing and pathetic. I would use my powers, but Yennefer said not to use them so much yesterday before leaving.

We finally stop, and the cocky look on Ciri's face made me chuckle inside. She is a terrific fighter. I hope to be as good as she is soon.

That way, it isn't so one-sided. She helps me up, and I look at her. "I can honestly say that you are way better than I am. After I get these bruises healed, do you want to try using the Elder Blood?" Geralt and Vesemir hear this and approach us. I was never told I couldn't talk about my powers.

I think it was implied, though. "Well, it seems the two of you have been sharing secrets with each other." He isn't wrong, though. Geralt must know all about Ciri.

Ciri and I talked a lot last night. I made a new friend in her. "I don't think that is such a good idea for two 6-year-olds to train with powerful magic." I look to Ciri and see she's getting mad.

She seems determined to learn and harness her powers. "Why not!? You don't think we are ready!?" Kind of cute how her voice goes a little high-pitched. She goes off at Geralt saying that.

She is very confident in her abilities from the sound of it. "Do you even know how to draw it out?" Vesemir brings up a good point. Knowing the answer already.

The man must know just what to say to get her to stop talking. That is a talent right there. "Well... No! But Cera was going to show me how he did it!" They both look at me. I guess if one of us goes, so does the other.

Talk about a new way to treat someone you just met. It's my fault, too, though. "I remember Yennefer telling you not you use it, Cera." Geralt brings up another good point. He is a very laid-back and calm person. His style is to let someone do something and fail to learn from it.

I do like that mindset, but Yen doesn't seem to think so highly of him. "Well, she didn't say Ciri couldn't use hers..." I hope to get away with this.

Using wordplay is underhanded, but I don't see another way out of this. "Don't try to wiggle out of this. Both of you, go clean the kitchen and then do laps around the castle." Vesemir orders us.

I guess more training is punishment here. "Okay..." We both say at the same time. Ciri is pretty bummed out. Hmmm... I have a great idea! I'll just write down what the diary says and then give it to Ciri. This has to work. That way, she can learn it without reading the original diary.

~~~(3 months later)~~~

We do the same routine each day for a few months. I translated the diary for Ciri. Even though she is trying, she still can't use her powers. Maybe it takes girls longer to get it working. My swordsmanship has gotten better, I can actually not get beat up by Ciri now, but she is still better than me.

We have grown very close. We never did get me a new room, so I've just stayed in hers. She is my best friend. We spend every waking moment together. I do wonder if Yennefer is doing okay. I'd really like to see her again. I never did get to thank her for saving my life. Hopefully, things stay like this for a while. My life has gotten so much better now that I'm here with my new family.