Part 1
A year passed since my father promised to buy me the book if I studied well. I became the best student in school and now Alak took me to our clearing in the forest every day. These were not just games, these were lessons on how magic works.
Alak despite his kindness was a strict teacher. He sat on a rock and always spoke calmly.
— Airon you can heal wounds. You do it quickly. But you spend too much of your mana.
He placed a fragile rose on the ground. Then using very little magic he broke one thin vein in its petal. The damage was barely visible.
— Your task, — he said, — is to heal this petal using the smallest possible amount of your mana. Imagine you only have one drop to heal it. If you use more it is simply a waste.
I frowned. I just directed my power into the petal and it was healed.
— Stop! — Alak's voice was quiet but demanding. — You spent enough power to close a cut on a hand. Why are you so wasteful? Are you afraid the magic will not work?
— But Father the more mana the faster it heals! — I objected.
— You are good when it comes to speed, but you are terrible when it comes to saving. — He took two bowls. — This bowl, — he pointed to the full one, — holds all your power. This one, — he pointed to the empty one, — is what you spent. You must heal the rose so that you only empty the full bowl just a little.
It seemed he wanted me to not just spend mana but understand how it works.
After I spent a long time learning to heal the rose with a tiny invisible beam of power my father smiled.
— Now that is mastery. Remember a great mage is not one who can use a lot of mana but one who can use little mana for a great result.
He sat down next to me.
— You think magic is only evil or good. That is not so.
Alak raised both hands. In his left hand he created a small bright red fire. In his right hand he created the same small soft green light.
— Look, — he whispered. — Both fire and light are the same power. They are very similar. The difference is only in what you want them to do. Fire changes something by breaking it, healing changes it by fixing it. There is no evil or good in magic Airon, there is only intent. Your goal is to be able to do both, otherwise you will become either uncontrollable or useless.
Alak extinguished the magic and looked at me with a gentle smile.
— You are very much like me, — he said gently ruffling my light hair. — I too once sought power just to do my job quickly and well. But I found my greatest strength when I realized that Life is the most difficult and most valuable thing worth preserving.
He stood up.
— Go now. You earned your rest. Tomorrow we will start training that will help you become stronger and better understand how magic works.
Part 2
My vacation flew by like a single day and the new school year began. This meant I had much less time for training and trips to the mages' guild with Alak. I wished I could finish this cursed school quickly so I could fully unleash my talent.
Alak secured me permission to visit the Mages' Guild library. This became my new routine: twice a week after lessons he drove me to the Guild in the carriage and I spent two or three hours there. Those days were my favorite.
Trips to the Guild were a sacred ritual for me. I would sit among the high marble shelves and immerse myself in treatises on magic that were unavailable to any of my peers.
My evening training with my father also changed. After I learned to sustain a fireball for twenty seconds we moved to the next stage.
I learned to shoot the fireball. At first my sphere would fly only a few meters and then instantly explode into a chaotic burst of sparks. The mana that I had so painstakingly poured into the form could not sustain itself when I pushed it out.
We trained using an old stone slab as a target. I aimed. I shot. I studied where it hit or more often where the sphere disintegrated.
My progress as always was slow but methodical. By reading about the structural stability of projectiles in the Guild I learned not just to push the sphere but to create a microscopic stabilization field at its tail.
Now after another six months of training I could:
Create a fist-sized fireball in one second.
Sustain it indefinitely if I remained still.
Shoot it fifteen meters.
Evening came after my latest trip to the Guild. Alak set up a clay target the size of an apple on the old stone slab, a very difficult and small target for a fireball.
— Go ahead Airon. Your task is to hit the center, — Alak said crossing his arms.
I stretched out my hand. In one second a fireball appeared in my palm. It was bright and stable.
I chose the target directed the mana and pushed the sphere out.
This time instead of a chaotic explosion or a fall the sphere flew like an arrow.
The sphere flew fifteen meters and struck the center of the clay target. A dull impact sounded and the target shattered into hundreds of pieces.
Alak walked up to the broken target picked up a fragment and turned to me.
— Your progress has clearly sped up Airon. In the last two months you achieved what an ordinary guild student masters in six months. Your fireball can certainly be called an intermediate level spell.
— So can I consider myself an intermediate level mage?
— Not yet. To become an intermediate level mage you must master all the intermediate level spells and you have mastered only one. But with your success you will master all the spells of this level within a year.
Oh God how hard this is. A whole six months just for one spell! And this is considered a good result?
After the exhausting yet engaging training I felt not only mana depletion but also... hunger.
My mind suddenly switched to memories of my past life. I remembered food. And of course pizza. The perfect simple formula: dough sauce cheese toppings. It was my favorite food from my past life. I needed to ask Lyra to help me because I am not a good cook.
I found Lyra in the living room. She was checking her notes, her long blonde hair tied back with a ribbon.
— Lyra, — I began trying to sound maximally convincing. — I need your help with an experiment.
Lyra raised an eyebrow without looking up from her notes.
— Oh another experiment that almost set my mattress on fire?
— No this is a domestic experiment. I want you to cook something for dinner.
I told her about pizza. I explained it was a round flatbread topped with tomato sauce cheese and meat then baked.
Lyra squinted. — A round flatbread? With cheese on top? Airon we do not eat like that. Is this some ancient food ritual from the Human Lands?
— No this is... the perfect food form. Think about it: all the elements carbohydrates proteins fats are combined into one whole artifact.
Lyra sighed.
— Fine. You are working so hard that I agree to sacrifice our dinner for your dubious experience. But if it tastes bad you will clean the entire kitchen yourself.
— Agreed! — I knew this was a victory.
In the kitchen we spent the next hour mixing the ingredients I remembered were necessary. Lyra was skeptical.
— Alright Dough...
Lyra took a wooden bowl.
— We added elven wheat flour and yeast. Why do you insist it be so thin? Our bread is always fluffy, that is a sign of quality!
— That is the logic Lyra. Fluffy dough does not allow for even heat distribution. Thin dough is optimal conductivity. This is not bread, it is a foundation for the other elements.
I supervised the process. Instead of mozzarella we used goat cheese from a nearby village which thankfully melted. I explained to her how to spread the tomato sauce (which I prepared with basil) how to carefully place the pieces of mushrooms and dried elven meat (a salami substitute) and how to let the dough rise. Lyra looked at me like I was an alien.
Finally we put our creation into the huge stone oven the elves used for baking bread. The scent that soon filled the house was a blend of tomatoes melting cheese and spices.
The whole family gathered for dinner that evening. Alak Elvarin and Lyra sat at the table.
— What is this Lyra? — Alak asked examining the strange round smoking flatbread.
— It is "Pizza," — Lyra replied clearly expecting failure. — Airon's invention. He calls it a "whole food artifact."
Elvarin looked at me doubtfully but took the first piece. She bit into it and her eyes usually calm widened in surprise.
— Alak try it! I have never tasted cheese so perfectly combined with tomato!
— Indeed, — Alak took a piece and pondered. He was unperturbed but his eyes revealed pleasure.
Lyra not believing her eyes took a bite of her piece. Her skepticism instantly vanished. — This... this is simply magical! Why have we never made this before? This is much better than our herbal pies!
I sat watching their reaction. That evening we ate two large pizzas.
Part 3
The next morning I went to my "favorite" school. Apart from history all the lessons were incredibly boring. During the break I put my hands into my bag which was a kind of backpack. But damn I forgot my lunch at home. With a hungry stomach like this I wouldn't last until the end of lessons. Aria sat opposite me heartily enjoying her cheese sandwiches.
— Hey Aria, — I called out quietly.
— What?
— I forgot my lunch at home, could you share some with me?
— Oh Airon this is not the first time. — She rolled her eyes. — You can remember any date in history but you forget to bring your lunch.
She broke off half her sandwich and handed it to me.
— Here. Eat.
— Thank you Aria!
— You're welcome, I couldn't refuse you.
While I ate Aria looked at me with a smile for some reason.
— Airon, — she called — you told me about your progress in mastering fire magic. I also practiced water magic during the vacation. For some reason mastering water is easier for me than fire. Shall we go to the hill after school? I will show you the results of my training.
I hesitated. Today I wanted to train a bit and then sleep all evening and night resting after the training. But Aria and I barely saw each other during the vacation and I was curious about what she had achieved.
— Alright I guess so, — I nodded. — Let's go. But it shouldn't take long.
— Wonderful, then let's meet at the hill at noon.
After school I headed to the hill where we usually trained so as not to attract attention. Aria was already waiting for me at the foot.
— I thought you would forget, — she said with a smile.
— Don't be silly. How could I forget?
Aria smiled.
— Well then watch this. This is an intermediate level spell, called water strike.
She extended her hand towards the stream.
I felt the mana always vibrating chaotically instantly gather into a single powerful flow in her hand. Microns under the influence of mana transformed instantly turning into liquid.
In the next second a water sphere almost one and a half meters in size or something close to that formed near her palm.
— Water strike, — Aria whispered softly.
The sphere shot forward. A deafening wet impact sounded on the old dry stump that served as our target. The water did not just strike, it pierced the wood.
Aria laughed with delight and lowered her hand. The water immediately dissipated into the air.
— What do you think? — she asked with a smile.
— So you trained without a mentor, did not read magic books and managed to master an intermediate level spell?
— Yes.
Everything inside me boiled. At that moment I envied Aria as much as I envied my peers in my past life who could go to parties date girls and live a full life. Aria put in nowhere near as much effort as I did yet she was on the same level as me! If my parents thought I was incredibly talented what would they say seeing Aria? I had to surpass her no matter what she did not deserve such results.
— You definitely have talent, — I said suppressing my anger.
She glowed with the praise but I felt a cold fire of envy and determination burning inside me. Although she did nothing wrong the envy made me want to go home as quickly as possible so I wouldn't see her satisfied face.
Part 4
If until now my goal was just to master magic out of interest, now my goal was Aria.
I couldn't defeat her natural talent but I could defeat her in the amount of knowledge and discipline mastered. If it took her a year to master one intermediate level spell I would master three.
My training with my father became even more intensive. I started using the time I previously spent sleeping on the Guild Library. Now I slept no more than eight hours and not a minute more so I had time for books.
I didn't just read, I devoured scrolls. To learn a spell faster I asked my father to buy me scrolls with the necessary spells in exchange for good grades and success in magic. The thing is when using a scroll you simply spend mana and the runes on the scroll do everything else for you. They give the spell size form and speed. But I did this to remember my sensations when reading the scroll and tried to achieve the desired effect without the scroll.
The next spell I wanted to learn after the fireball was the fire arrow. I think the name is self-explanatory, it releases a concentrated blast of flame in the shape of an arrow towards the target.
I spent a whole month working on the arrow. I couldn't make it powerful but I could make it perfectly sharp and incredibly fast.
After a month I could shoot five arrows per minute hitting a coin-sized target twenty meters away.
After my success I did not rest. I immediately moved on to the Fire Wall. This was the most difficult due to maintaining flatness.
— You must divide your mana into thousands of microscopic points Airon. They must be perfectly even, — Alak warned.
It was agonizing. My mind and body refused to work with such a volume.
I used all my experience in consumption control. I learned to create a wall by forcing mana to fill the space between two points resulting in a wall with a perfect yet thin plane of fire.
In the second month I finally created it. A fire wall (1.5 by 2 meters) appeared before me, thin as paper but absolutely flat. Of course this wall was weak and not strong enough to withstand a strike but it was flawless in form.
I felt pride and satisfaction but Aria didn't even think about falling behind me. She mastered only one spell in two months but she did it much faster than me. She mastered an intermediate level spell the ice spike. It was the size of a dagger but very hard and fast. Aria could shoot it up to thirty meters and do it in five seconds. She could create and shoot this spike more than ten times in just one minute.
— Father will you take me to the guild tomorrow? — I asked barely catching my breath after demonstrating the wall.
— Don't you want to rest a bit Airon? You've been pushing yourself hard lately.
— It's okay I'm fine.
Alak sighed.
— Fine, I'll pick you up after school.
The next day I came to the Guild Library at my usual time.
I took a book from the shelf and sat down at a wooden table and began to read.
But after a while an elf passed by me. For some reason he stopped next to my table and turned towards me. What did he want from me? Well at least I should greet him.
— Good day.
He was a tall thin elf. He wore a golden-yellow robe decorated with wind and sun runes. He seemed to be of high rank because I had never seen such a robe before.
— Greetings little mage, — he said. — You are Alak Lurue's son? Airon correct?
— Yes sir, — I replied standing up.
— Drop the formalities! — He waved his hand. — You can just call me Kronos.
— Nice to meet you.
— Your father Alak told me about you. He said you have incredible talent and that you might surpass him in magic.
— Thank you of course but I think he is slightly exaggerating.
Kronos laughed softly.
— I don't think he is exaggerating. Of course I have seen at least ten mages as talented as you but that doesn't negate the fact that you surpass almost all your peers in magic. — He said with a smile.
— My parents are mages, my father teaches me magic almost every day and I constantly read books and use scrolls for learning. That's why I achieved this result. Children my age think about other things, they play with each other and prefer to read fairy tales not magic textbooks. I am not talented I just train tirelessly even before I started school.
Kronos suddenly leaned down and his eyes focused on me.
— You are right. To be honest talking to you gives me the impression I am speaking with an adult elf not a child. You may not have special talent but you have nevertheless achieved great results for your age and you shouldn't deny it.
He straightened up.
— I will be three hundred years old soon. I understand that is not a very old age but I have seen hundreds of different mages and I can confidently say you stand out among them. I want to offer you something that will help you become stronger in the field of magic.
— And what do you want to offer me? — I became very interested.
— Usually elves enter our guild from the age of fifteen, the especially gifted can join a few years earlier. You are still too small but if you finish elementary school I can arrange for the Archmage to take you as an acolyte into our guild.
An acolyte in the guild? If I study well I will finish school at eight years old, that is very soon. Although I don't know if my parents will let me leave home so early.
— Can you really do that?
— Of course, I am the Deputy Archmage, so I think he will listen to me.
Wow, he is the Deputy Archmage himself.
— Okay, I agree.
— Then study well to finish school earlier. Once you do you can come to us.
Kronos left. I read books for a little while longer then Alak picked me up and took me home.
As soon as I got home I jumped onto the bed thinking over my conversation with Kronos.
— Airon, why are you lying down? It's your turn to wash the dishes today! — Lyra burst into my room.
— Hey, didn't anyone teach you to knock?
— Don't start now. Go and wash the dishes.
— Fine I'll go now, just leave and close the door.
Lyra sighed and left the room. I was constantly busy and she still demanded I do things. Couldn't she wash the dishes herself? She must be jealous of me that despite my age I surpassed her in magic.
Part 5
Dinner in our house was always peaceful. Elvarin cooked magnificent food and Lyra recounted the usual boring school gossip.
— Airon you are so quiet today, — Lyra noted resting her head on her hand.
— Well what do you want me to talk about?
— You are so angry. Tell us how your day went or something like that.
Lyra always stuck her nose into other people's business.
— Well, I talked to the Deputy Archmage today, — I replied gloomily.
Alak turned his head toward me.
— To Kronos? And what did you talk about?
— He said I had talent and all that. He invited me to join the guild after finishing elementary school.
— Wow you are climbing high, — Alak replied. — In all my time working at the guild I met only one elf besides you who was invited to the guild at such an early age.
— And where is that elf now? — I asked.
Alak replied with a calm gaze.
— He died during an experiment with gravity magic.
This answer was so unexpected that I barely managed not to laugh.
— Dear we are at the table, — Elvarin said.
— Oh sorry. — Alak replied with an awkward smile.
After a minute of silence Alak continued the conversation:
— I will go see Kronos tomorrow morning. We will not accept his offer right away. If you are so determined then here is my word. You must finish school with excellent grades. If you do that I will allow you to join the guild.
Elvarin was silent. Although she was my mother she had no voice since she was a woman. But her expression was not happy, it seemed she did not want me to leave home so early.
— Dear, — Elvarin addressed Alak — allow Airon to visit us at least once a week.
— Fine, I have no objection, — Alak replied after a short thought.
Part 5
Summer arrived. The third school year came to an end. I was shocked at how quickly time flew by.
After that conversation with Alak and my mother I realized my obsession with magic had become a problem for the family. I didn't just want to study, I wanted to escape the boring life and ignore my family.
From that moment on I started living for my studies at the Guild. I finished school with perfect grades. I mastered all the intermediate level fire spells. But I completely neglected healing, greatly disappointing Elvarin. She really wanted me to become a Healer like her and Alak. But I was selfish so I placed my goal above the desires of other people.
I felt I no longer belonged in school. I no longer talked to my classmates except Aria of course.
I would turn eight in two months and I was supposed to join the guild.
We sat in the garden with Lyra. She had finished school and was preparing for more complex studies. She was older than me but I felt older than her.
— You are really leaving aren't you? — Lyra asked looking at me.
— Yes. Finally school won't interfere with my magic studies.
— The Guild... — She sighed. — Won't you be bored there? There is no history, your favorite subject.
I didn't understand her question. Was school supposed to be more interesting than a mages' guild?
— I will come home once a week, you know that.
— I know. Mother will count the minutes every day. Airon... why are you in such a hurry? Why can't you just be a child?
Her question froze me for a few seconds. I put down the book I was reading and looked at her. Lyra was my blood relative but she seemed so young so naive to me.
— I can't be "just a child," Lyra, — I replied. — I am not a child anymore. I will be forty years old soon. — I decided to joke to see her reaction.
Lyra raised an eyebrow and replied.
— Airon I am being serious with you. And you are saying silly things to me.
Since she did not believe me I decided to tell her the whole truth. I looked at her with an absolutely serious expression.
— It is true and not silly. In fact I was reborn in this world after dying in the past. I was thirty years old then and if you add my eight years in this world that makes me almost forty years old just like I said.
But Lyra froze. Her eyes widened and she looked like a statue. She stared at me as if trying to find a single sign that I was joking.
— Do you seriously think I will believe such nonsense? Reincarnation... That's impossible.
— Why not? Magic exists. Gods exist. Why should reincarnation be impossible? I know things an eight-year-old child should not know. I do not learn this fast, I am simply remembering my experience from my past life.
I saw fear and logic fighting in her eyes. She certainly believed in miracles but she also believed in common sense.
Lyra sharply exhaled and shook her head but now with a slight nervous smile.
— I understand everything about you Airon. I am worried about you and you tell me such things.
She stood up took a couple of steps and looked at me again.
— Even though you are cold towards me, you are still my only brother. I want everything to be good for you in this life. And please do not tell our parents what you told me. They might misunderstand you, do not give them cause for worry.
Lyra left. I even felt a little sorry for her. At least she stopped questioning me.
The next morning Alak was already preparing the carriage to take me to the guild.
Elvarin hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe.
— You will come visit us every Sunday Airon. Do you hear? Every Sunday!
— I told you I would Mom, — I replied trying to escape her embrace.
Lyra hugged me quickly and awkwardly.
— Study hard. And come back whole, forty-year-old.
Why was everyone saying goodbye to me as if they were sending me off to war? I was just moving to the guild which was only fifteen kilometers from home.
Alak stood nearby holding the handle of the carriage.
— Let's go.
We rode in our carriage through the sunlit streets of Lorelin.
Alak was silent the whole way. That was unlike him.
The carriage stopped at the wide marble gates of the Mages' Guild of Lorelin. The hum of mana here was stronger than usual.
We entered the courtyard and were immediately met by Kronos.
— Alak! Greetings! And you brought us our new acolyte!
Kronos extended his hand to shake mine. I was not used to physical contact but I returned a firm though small handshake.
— If you have said your goodbyes to your father then let's go. I will show you where you will live and tell you about your duties.
I said goodbye to Alak and went with Kronos.
— You are a Guild Acolyte Airon, — Kronos began crossing his arms. — You are not a student. You are the Guild's property until you prove your worth.
— I understand sir.
— Your duties are simple: You need to master theory as much as possible. You will not be allowed to train in the combat halls until you achieve the rank of student. Next you will perform routine work for me and other theorists. This includes copying and rewriting scrolls sorting old books and compiling catalogs by magic branches. You will also help mages create potions. And you must unquestioningly follow the orders of the mages the Archmage and naturally mine. If I tell you to dust my office you will do it.
Kronos smiled.
— This may sound boring but with your talent you will quickly reach the rank of student. And then almost all the routine work will disappear so you can fully dedicate yourself to magic.
Next we went up to the second floor of the guild. Here were the classrooms and offices. We went up even higher to the third floor where according to Kronos the acolyte and student rooms were located.
Kronos stopped in front of a simple wooden door.
— This is your room. You will have a roommate, he already lives here. I believe it will be useful for you to learn about the life of students who followed the usual path to their place in the Guild.
He opened the door and gestured for me to enter. The room was small. Two narrow beds two bedside tables and one shared wardrobe.
An elf in a simple gray robe sat on one of the beds. He had dark short-cropped hair.
— Lorian, — Kronos addressed him amiably. — This is Airon. Your new neighbor. He has just joined the Guild.
Lorian lazily looked up from his book and glanced at me.
— Nice to meet you.
I put my small bag of belongings next to the second bed.
— I am starting work sir, — I said to Kronos. — Where should I begin?
— I like your determination. You will start work tomorrow, for today just rest. — Kronos said and left the room.
— How old are you? — Lorian suddenly addressed me.
— Eight, why?
— Eight? You should still be in school.
— Well it worked out that I am here.
Lorian was silent for a few seconds.
— What magic do you specialize in?
— Fire magic.
— How mundane. And what is your rank?
— Intermediate.
— Intermediate rank at that age? Then I understand why you are here. I only reached intermediate rank when I was twelve.
— And how old are you now?
— I am sixteen. I master earth magic at the advanced level.
— I see.
I lay down on the bed.
— Your new and boring life begins tomorrow, — Lorian said. — You will have little time for theory, and forget about practice altogether. But I can cheer you up, since you are so talented you will become a student next year.
— I hope so, — I replied falling asleep.
Part 4
The gray floor of the training hall was cold. The air in Evermur was always heavy smelling of stone and hot metal. I stood in light training armor holding my two-handed sword. I was over two hundred years old and already surpassed almost all elves my age but I was still not satisfied.
Master Denver stood before me. His face was carved from the same pale stone as the walls of our city. He was dressed in heavy yet agile armor and held two one-handed swords.
— You stand like a pillar Atrox, — his voice was dry like sand. — Your two-handed grip is perfect. Your center of gravity is flawless. You are the Stone Wall style in its purest form. But you are slow.
He instantly rushed forward. I raised my sword to block his strike but he did not attack. He used his one-handed swords to bypass my block in an arc. I barely managed to retreat feeling his blade slide past my armor.
— Transmutation again, — he growled. — You spend mana to weigh down your defense. But your movements slow down as a result. Why?
I took a step back. Master Denver's strikes were too fast.
Denver jumped back crossing his swords.
— Remember one thing Atrox. There is no place for weakness or indecision in our war. Our war is vengeance. And to avenge the humiliation of our people you need to not only block but also inflict damage!
He rushed forward again but this time when his one-handed sword met my two-hander I felt a terrifying shock. Denver used kaen's seal a gravity magic spell to pull my sword towards the floor.
My sword dropped down. My feet slipped on the stone. I fell to one knee crushed by the master's spell. I felt as if the entire Evermur had fallen on me.
— You must master the power of gravity, grasp all its might, — Denver hissed pressing me to the floor. — When you learn this you will be unmatched.
He raised one of his swords. I couldn't lift mine because the kaen's seal made it weigh a ton.
— We have little time Atrox. Your learning progress leaves much to be desired. But you do not have time to constantly make mistakes. Take this seriously. We will continue training tomorrow I will beat you until you finally learn how to counterattack correctly.
He put away his swords and the kaen's seal disappeared. My sword became light again. I immediately got up rage boiling within me but externally I was unperturbed.
— How can I use what I do not feel? My mana... it is not like others.
— Not like others, — Denver sneered. — You are cold and calculating. That is your strength. But you are stuck on one style. If you want to be invincible you must master gravity.
Denver pointed to the sword he had just used to pin me.
— Gravity magic is the hardest to master in our school of alteration. It requires absolute precision and incredible control. But if you master it Atrox you will be unmatched. You will be able to control not only your weight and the weight of your weapon but also movement and the very balance of the enemy.
Denver turned heading for the exit.
I was left alone in the quiet cold hall breathing heavily. My muscles burned after trying to resist the kaen's seal.
Before Denver disappeared behind the stone archway two servants instantly rushed to the edge of the arena, pale thin underground elves dressed in simple dark gray uniforms.
One of them immediately ran up to me holding a clean towel.
— Your Highness allow me, — he whispered but I stopped him with a gesture not wanting anyone to touch my armor.
— No need, — my voice was hoarse and I felt sweat running down my forehead.
— Water, Your Highness. Master Denver ordered you to drink more.
I did not reply but took the cup and drank it in one gulp.
— Remove the weapon, — I commanded pointing to my two-handed sword which I did not want to pick up myself at that moment.
The servants silently picked up the sword and carried it away.