Tobias had been having a good day. He’d been enjoying the afternoon, having sent off his adopted son to the winter festival with a good girl just that morning. Many of the young people of the town were rushing around excitedly, waiting for their parents to get a move on. They’ll miss some of the early festivities but there’s plenty of time yet. Looks like most people will head out on the second day of the event this year.

He sat bundled up on his back porch, enjoying tea and a good book when he heard the whispers on the wind.

“Goodbye Tobias… Good luck… I hope we find each other again…”

“Cornelia?” Tobias called out, but the wind remained silent. He set his book down and strode over to the old elf’s home but the garden was deserted. The bushes that formed up the outer wall of her garden had grown gnarled and old. The oak in the back that had formed her house now stood proud near the wall of the village, unremarkable from any other tree in the surrounding forest.

That’s not good. Something must be coming, something bad. Something she doesn’t want to deal with. I’d better prepare.

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The news of the attack on Baybreach struck the village hard, but not Tobias. As the villagers and guards sprinted around to either flee or prepare the defense, Tobias had returned to his workshop and donned his armor. At his hip, an ancient sword with a large onyx hilt shone with power.

I was never any good with this thing, it's not got great power or ability but I’ve charged it every day for years now. It’s packed with so much mana I could mold a mountain.

When Enzo charged in, geared and ready for war, Tobias was ready to argue against it but the look on the boy’s face forced the words back down the old smith’s throat. The pair accepted each others’ resolve immediately, and gathered up the last implements they’d need to see out the battle.

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Night descended and Tobias could feel the tension. The minutes before a battle, before many brothers, fathers and friends would die fighting to defend their homes. Few of the men here had seen a real battle like this. Few of the men had ever killed before. Tobias knew the result of the fight long before the enemy broke through the forest and began to form up on the field.

Enzo will fight and win, or everyone here will die.

He grimaced at the thought. It was true, but he’d never say it. To put that pressure on the boy… it wasn’t fair. To be pulled from his youth so abruptly, and to be expected to save everyone… no, Tobias wouldn’t let him face the enemy alone. The old smith made his mind up, and stepped up to the wall to face the enemy.

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As they formed up on the field, Tobias watched Enzo. He saw the shift in expression, as his friend Oskar said something quietly. Few others noticed, but Tobias watched as the young boy, his adopted son, changed. He drank the full flask of fire whiskey and the heat of the village instantly responded.

Enzo’s face was a mask of pure concentration as he built power. The guards near him jumped back at the sudden increase in heat. Before they could understand what was happening, Enzo leapt from the top of the gate and strode out to meet the enemy. Men shouted that he was crazy, that he return to formation along the top of the wall, but the words were wasted. Tobias knew that look.

A visage of death, the old smith thought. Talwen would be proud. He bears the dragon blessing with pride.

Tobias watched as Enzo set the battlefield.

A wall of fire to separate the fight from the village. Two more in a ‘V’ formation in front of the boy, to funnel enemies to him.

He marshalls the battlefield like a veteran, drawing the enemy in and using their ignorance against them.

Tobias knew what would come next. He slipped through the gate unnoticed as Enzo began decimating the opposing soldiers. The old smith knew what the villagers would start to say as they regained their composure.

“Demon” “Dragonspawn” “Vicious” “Dangerous”

He didn’t want to hear it. They could deal with it later. Tobias’s focus was making sure there was a later at all for Enzo. The boy had melted through the main force of the attackers. His efforts had taken their toll, though. The warhammer was nearly drained of energy, and the dragonfire he’d spewed was already far beyond anything Enzo had ever done before.

If Tobias had to guess, Enzo was balanced on the precipice. Any more, and he’d lose all control. The old smith had to stop the fight before that happened. He crept forward, careful to use his Affinity to form solid ground as he moved forward. He glanced up at the battlefield as he inched forward and saw it. The glint of dark green metal in the light of the fire. Lazarus. A young woman wielded the sword.

So they brought it here, afterall. Why? To test her compatibility with the sword?

It was too big for her, too long and too heavy, but the girl seemed to have an abundance of energy. She sprang from Enzo’s initial attack with far more ease than expected and launched into a sharp counter attack. The spike took Enzo by surprise and caught him in the shoulder.

The moment the attack landed, Tobias saw the boy’s mana waver. His warhammer fell to the ground. The wild mana of the fire did not hesitate. It engulfed Enzo and took control. The young woman launched into another attack, and Enzo didn’t move. The lance of rock shot forward. There was no time, Tobias knew he had to act or Enzo would die. With a grunt, he pulled the power from his own sword and reached out with his Affinity.

At the last possible moment, Tobias felt contact. He instantly pulled the metallic minerals from the lance, leaving behind only dust and organic matter. The attack collided with Enzo’s forehead and disintegrated, leaving both stunned. Faster to react, Enzo took his hammer and swung a low counter strike. The woman dodged, but crashed into the molten ground with a scream.

Tobias kept the pressure on, weakening Lazarus’s power. The woman was trapped in the molten rock of the battlefield and continued screaming. Enzo turned and stood over the woman.

“Don’t do it boy!” Tobias shouted. “Take back control!”

But it was too late. Tears flowed from Tobias’s eyes as Enzo crushed the woman. What remained of his boy was gone, swallowed up by the wild mana of the fire. A demon, fire given flesh, stood opposite Tobias. A crooked grin stretched across the young man’s face.