I've heard them, those rebels, brag about that construct of theirs. How they can speed up their learning process and become masters at anything they want. But the best meal comes cooked slowly. So, I wonder, have they truly learned what they say they have? Do they really understand it? Do they know the history behind every aspect of it? Do they find joy in progress? Do they grow close to their teacher, depending on guidance? I wonder if they enjoy what they have learned, or if they merely learn it for its use.

For two years and a half years I stayed with those programs called the Oracle and Seraph. It was from him that I learned my love of weaponry. It was from him that I learned how to fight. My fists. My feet. Swords from a variety of nations and eras. Longbows, short bows, great bows and crossbows. I gained skill in all of those areas. It was not then the greatest skill, but it was a skill still far above average.

When I was not training with him, I was in that kitchen with her, often struggling to make cookies. It is never hot in there, nor is it cold, but always a gentle kind of warm- the same feeling one gets from her cookies. We would talk. Talk of books she would give me to read. Talk of my past- never of the future. She would have me describe things, and I did, not knowing she already knew what I was telling her. She taught me how to use my mind.