"What about techniques?" he asked. "Combat abilities beyond just raw mana manipulation? Do I need to learn those before entering?"
"Most E rank cultivators rely on basic elemental manipulation and physical enhancement at your stage," Seraphina said. "You awakened fire, correct?"
Ariel nodded. "Yes. I can manifest flames."
"Then you'll want basic fire manipulation techniques. Flame projection, heat concentration, combustion control. These are foundation skills that every fire cultivator should master. I'll arrange access to appropriate manuals before you depart for the Deep Forge."
She stood and moved to her desk, pulling out a sheet of paper and beginning to write. "Beyond combat techniques, you need to understand cultivation theory. How to cycle mana efficiently under different environmental conditions. How to compress energy in your core safely. How to sense when you're approaching breakthrough to the next rank. These fundamentals often mean the difference between successful advancement and crippling injury."
"I'll also provide information on beast behavior and identification. Knowing what you're facing can save your life. Some beasts are territorial and won't pursue beyond their domains. Others are persistence hunters that will chase prey for days. Some have elemental affinities that make them vulnerable to specific approaches. Knowledge is survival in environments like the Deep Forge."
She continued writing, filling the page with neat script. Ariel watched her work, noting the efficiency of her movements, the way she organized information hierarchically without conscious thought. This wasn't the first time she'd prepared someone for harsh training. Probably not the fiftieth.
After several minutes, she set down her pen and turned back to him. "You'll spend the next week in intensive study. No rest beyond what's absolutely necessary, just absorbing as much knowledge as possible before departure. Lyra will assist with organizing materials and ensuring you actually eat and sleep minimum amounts. Your body is still adjusting to awakening. Don't neglect physical needs in favor of pure study."
"Understood," Ariel said.
Seraphina moved back to the sitting area, her expression growing more serious. "I need you to understand something else. The Deep Forge changes people. Everyone who survives comes out different from who they went in. Some become harder, colder, more brutal in their approach to conflict. Others develop deep wells of compassion from experiencing prolonged suffering. Some gain confidence that borders on arrogance. Others become cautious to the point of paranoia."
"Your father emerged from the Deep Forge with absolute conviction in his own judgment. He trusted his instincts completely, made decisions without second guessing, led with confidence that inspired loyalty. That strength served him well as heir and eventually Primarch. But it also made him stubborn, unwilling to admit when he might be wrong, convinced he could handle any threat through force of will alone."
Her expression grew sad. "That confidence might have contributed to his death. The illness that took him and your mother, he refused to acknowledge its severity until it was too late. Convinced he could overcome it through cultivation, through determination, through sheer refusal to yield. By the time he accepted he needed help, the sickness had progressed beyond what healing could address."
She looked directly at Ariel. "I'm telling you this because I don't want you to make the same mistake. The Deep Forge will change you. Let it make you stronger, let it forge you into something capable of bearing the Crown Crow title. But don't let it make you blind to your own limitations. Confidence is valuable. Arrogance is lethal. Know the difference."
The personal nature of the warning hit Ariel harder than tactical advice would have. She wasn't just preparing him for dangerous training. She was trying to save him from the character flaws that might develop as a result of that training.
"I'll remember," he promised. "I'll try to stay grounded."
"Good." Seraphina stood, smoothing her robes. "Now then, we have one final task before you begin your preparations. You need to be formally registered for Deep Forge training. This requires visiting the family archives and adding your name to the official record of trainees. It's ceremonial but necessary. The formations that govern access to the facility won't permit entry without proper registration."
She moved toward the door, and Ariel rose to follow. "The registration process is simple but carries weight. You'll be signing your name in a book that contains every Crowcrest who has attempted Deep Forge training going back six generations. Some of those names have lines drawn through them, indicating death during training. Others are marked with their final achievement. You'll see your father's entry, see what he accomplished."
The door opened, and Lyra immediately straightened from where she'd been standing guard. Her golden eyes swept over Ariel, checking for signs of distress or injury from whatever conversation had occurred.
"We're going to the archives," Seraphina informed her. "Follow along. Your young master will need you present during registration."
"Of course, matriarch." Lyra fell into position behind them as they began walking.
The archives were located in a separate building, one of the oldest structures on the estate. They walked across manicured grounds, past training yards where younger family members practiced forms, through gardens where servants tended exotic plants. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple that would have been beautiful if Ariel's mind wasn't occupied with everything he'd just learned.
The archive building was three stories tall, constructed from dark stone that had weathered centuries without showing significant age. Formations covered every surface, protective wards so dense they created visible shimmer in the air. This was where the family stored its most valuable knowledge, techniques, histories, and records. Protecting it was paramount.
Two guards stood at the entrance, both C rank cultivators wearing full armor and carrying weapons that radiated mana. They bowed deeply when Seraphina approached, one of them moving to open the heavy door without being asked.
"Matriarch," the guard said respectfully. "Welcome. The archives are ready for your use."
Inside, the building was cool and dry, the air itself treated by formations to prevent deterioration of stored materials. Shelves stretched in every direction, organized with meticulous care, each one labeled in script that glowed faintly with preservation magic.
Seraphina led them to a specific section on the second floor, an area dedicated to family records rather than technique manuals. She stopped before a shelf that held perhaps two dozen books, each one bound in leather that had been treated to last indefinitely.
She pulled out a volume labeled "Deep Forge Registry, Years 2820 to Present" and carried it to a nearby reading table. The book was substantial, easily three inches thick, containing pages of names written in various hands spanning decades.
"This is the current registry," she said, opening it carefully. "Every Crowcrest who has entered the Deep Forge since your great great grandfather's time is recorded here."
She turned pages, showing Ariel the entries. Each name was accompanied by basic information: age at entry, cultivation rank at entry, duration of training, final rank achieved, and status. Living or deceased. Successful completion or death during training.
The ratio of deaths to successes was sobering. For every three names with completion notes, two bore the simple phrase "Died in training, remains recovered" or worse, "Died in training, remains not recovered."
Seraphina turned to a page about halfway through the book, and her finger traced down to a specific entry. "Here. Your father."
Ariel leaned forward, reading the neat script that had been written seventeen years ago.
Aldric Crowcrest
Age at Entry: 23
Cultivation Rank: C Low
Duration: 7 months, 4 days
Final Rank: B Peak
Status: Training Completed Successfully
Notes: Refused extraction twice. Achieved unprecedented advancement rate. Recommended for heir consideration.
Below that entry were several blank lines, and then other names continued. His father's achievement stood out starkly, the advancement from C low to B peak in seven months beyond what anyone else on the page had managed.
"Now it's your turn," Seraphina said softly. She produced a pen from somewhere, an expensive instrument with formations worked into its body to ensure the ink would never fade.
She opened the book to the most recent page, where only two names were written, both from years ago. Below them, blank space waited for new entries.
"Write your name," she instructed. "Then your age, your current rank, and today's date. The rest will be filled in either when you complete training or when we confirm your status one way or another."
Ariel took the pen, its weight substantial in his hand. This was it. The moment where intention became commitment. Once his name was in this book, the path forward was set. The Deep Forge awaited, and survival was the only option that mattered.
He placed the pen against the page and began to write, his hand steady despite the magnitude of what this represented.
Ariel Crowcrest
Age at Entry: 17
Cultivation Rank: E Low
Date of Entry: Pending
Duration:
Final Rank:
Status:
The blank spaces stared back at him, waiting to be filled with either triumph or tragedy. Five months from now, someone would return to this page and complete the entry. Either he would write it himself, or someone else would record his death.
"There," Seraphina said quietly. "Now it's official. In one week, you depart for the Ashen Peaks. Whatever happens there will determine not just your future but potentially the future of this entire family."
She closed the book carefully and returned it to its place on the shelf. "Come. We have a week to prepare you as thoroughly as possible. Let's not waste a single moment."
As they left the archives, Ariel glanced back at the shelf where the registry sat. His name was in that book now, added to the long list of Crowcrest family members who had attempted to forge themselves in volcanic hell.
Seven out of ten died trying.
He intended to be among the three who survived.
The matriarch's authority had secured him this chance. Now it was up to him to prove worthy of it.