Learn spell?! What I can learn a spell just by combining items, normally one would have to have a strong affinity to the spell and then have to study the contents of the spell for months, even years sometimes! Oh this was too good, this is just the change I needed in my life, I can finally get out this shop and explore what this new world has instore for me. But first I need to head home.
When Kael arrive at the quite large farmhouse his family owns which was on the outskirts of the region and quite a walk from the city he noticed a number of people also arriving at his home and the most striking part was that they all had some form of armour or weapon, this doesn’t look good. Kael hid behind one of the stables out of sight from the convoy, and tried to listen in to what all the fuss was about.
his heart pounding as the convoy of armored figures dismounted in front of the farmhouse. Their weapons clinked against their gear as they moved, and he caught fragments of their conversation.
“…can’t put it off any longer. Eldrin’s debts have been on the ledger for years,” a gruff voice growled. “The family’s had more than enough time to settle accounts.”
“Still, going after a family home like this… Seems heavy-handed,” another voice muttered, though it was met with a sharp rebuke.
Kael's stomach churned. Debt collectors? He cursed under his breath. Eldrin's legacy was already a burden, but now it threatened to destroy his family’s livelihood.
One of the mercenaries, a towering man with silver streaks in his beard, stepped forward and slammed a heavy fist on the farmhouse door. “Open up! By order of the Lord, this property is forfeit!”
Kael’s mother appeared in the doorway, her face pale but resolute. “This is our home. My brother paid his dues with blood and sweat, building this place and that shop you have no right to—”
“Eldrin’s debts don’t vanish just because he did,” the silver-bearded man interrupted coldly. “This farm and everything on it is collateral.” He waved a hand, and two others stepped forward, unrolling a parchment stamped with the seal of the market lord.
Kael clenched his fists, feeling an overwhelming surge of frustration and helplessness. His first instinct was to storm out and confront them, but what could he do? He had just awakened his powers not that he actually had any, and the only weapon he possessed was a broom enchanted to sweep floors.
Still, something inside him burned, a defiance he couldn’t ignore. His gaze shifted to the farmhouse's storage shed—inside were relics and old tools from Eldrin’s days of glory. Maybe, just maybe, there was something he could use.
Keeping low, Kael crept away from the stable and approached the covey of 8 seemingly soldiers but they could just as easily be bandits it was hard to tell.
“Well hello esteemed gentlemen, what business do you have with this household”
Kael’s voice cut through the air, startling the group of armoured men. He stepped into view, doing his best to appear confident despite the pounding in his chest. His grin was casual, but his fingers twitched at his sides, ready to react if things went south. The silver-bearded leader turned to him, his sharp eyes narrowing. “And who might you be?” he asked, his tone laced with suspicion.
Kael shrugged, keeping his posture loose. “Just a concerned citizen. You know, someone who doesn’t take kindly to strangers banging on doors and making threats.”
The leader snorted, a low rumble of laughter that didn’t reach his eyes. “This is no concern of yours, boy. Walk away while you can.”
Kael took a step closer, his smile widening. “Oh, but it is my concern. You see, I happen to live here. So, I’d appreciate it if you explained what’s so important that you had to show up armed to the teeth.”
The murmurs from the others grew louder, and Kael caught fragments of their hushed conversation. “He doesn’t look like much… Could he be the son? …Doesn’t matter. Orders are orders.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Silver-beard raised a hand, silencing them. “Alright, kid,” he said, his voice laced with mockery. “You want an explanation? Fine. Your family owes a substantial debt to Lord Carnas. Eldrin’s failed enterprise left quite the hole in his ledger, and now it’s time to collect. The farm, the shop—everything is collateral. Unless you can pay, it’s ours.”
Kael forced a chuckle, though his mind raced. “Funny thing about debt, though,” he said. “It’s only worth something if the person you’re collecting from can pay. If you seize the farm, you’ll still have nothing to show for it.”
“That’s not our problem,” the leader snapped. “Lord Carnas will sell this land to someone who can make it profitable. Now, move along before I lose my patience.”
Kael’s grin faltered, his temper flaring. He could feel the hum of mana in his chest, pulsing faintly like an unlit fuse. “Here’s the thing,” he said, taking another step closer. “This farm isn’t just some patch of dirt. It’s my home. And I’m not letting a bunch of hired thugs take it without a fight.”
The leader’s expression hardened. “Careful, boy. Threats don’t end well for people in your position.”
Well shit that didn’t go to plan, what can I do now if I summon the spell tome it might scare them off because they are quite rare around these parts however that will give rise to lots of questions I don’t want to answer right now, and I’m not confident intaking on these men by myself, in fact I’m not confident in taking one of them, ah screw it.
Kael took the spell tome out from behind him and the group of knights slightly plaed and instinctively took a couple steps back.
“Is that a spell tome!” exclaimed one of the men
“Shit, kill him,” said another
Kael focused on where the spell said [learn] and then the spell tome became a glimmer of light that entered his chest, and he could feel it deep within him and he instinctively knew how to summon and use the new flame sword now.
Kael summoned the sword to his palm and took stance, he had no clue how to use one but this is what instinctively felt right, the sword was fairly long about the size of his whole arm with two edges and a simple guard, but that wasn’t the important part , he could just feel its sharpness radiating from it and more than that the power, raw like a flame.
He didn’t want to reveal the flaming part of the sword yet so he just kept looking like an ordinary sword. Kael tightened his grip on the sword, its unassuming yet menacing steel glinting in the sunlight. Despite its plain appearance, the mercenaries hesitated. The spell tome’s transformation had rattled them, and Kael’s defiant stance only deepened their uncertainty.
“Get him already!” the leader barked, though his voice betrayed a flicker of doubt.
The first attacker lunged. Kael felt his muscles tense, and instinct—or perhaps something more—guided him. The blade in his hand moved with a precision he didn’t fully control, parrying the man’s strike with a sharp clang of metal. The mercenary staggered from the force of the block, and Kael’s counterattack came swiftly—a clean strike to the man’s weapon, which snapped in two.
The broken blade clattered to the ground as the mercenary scrambled back, wide-eyed. “That’s no ordinary sword!” he stammered, clutching his wounded pride more than his hand.
The leader cursed. “Pathetic! Surround him!”
Two more men rushed in, one with an axe and the other with a curved blade. Kael shifted; his footing surprisingly steady. The axe swung down with brutal force, but Kael sidestepped, letting the heavy weapon bite into the earth. He brought his sword down in an arc, severing the axe handle with a single, decisive cut.
The curved blade came next, slashing toward Kael’s side. He twisted, the sword in his hand deflecting the attack with a screech of steel. The mercenary overextended, and Kael delivered a precise strike to his shoulder. The man cried out and fell back, clutching his arm.
The remaining soldiers hesitated now, their confidence unravelling with every effortless move Kael made.
The leader growled, stepping forward with his blade drawn. “Fine I guess I’ll have to get involved” He advanced cautiously, his stance more skilled than the others.
Kael didn’t wait. He darted forward, the sword in his hand feeling like an extension of his arm. Their blades met in a shower of sparks, the clash reverberating through the air. The leader grunted, straining against Kael’s unexpected strength.
Kael pushed forward, his sword twisting free and striking the leader’s weapon near the hilt. A sharp crack split the air as the blade was knocked from his hand, leaving the man defenceless.
That was if he didn’t have another weapon which he did, he grabbed a dagger from his hilt it was curved and seemed to actually be bronze rank like his sword, the group leader was now in a crouched position lax with his feet slightly sunk into the wet mud of the farm, he went for Kael’s left side in a low and quick dash however he planted his foot spun in a wide ark extending his arm and consequently his dagger.
Shit it was a feint; Kael was stuck slightly in the mud and knew he couldn’t dodge in time like he had been doing before, it left him with no choice, Kael ignited his blade, a untamed flame rose up the blade and spitting out the odd ember which burned and blinded the leader
The leader stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. “What the hell are you?”
Kael levelled his sword at the man, his voice steady. “The guy who’s not letting you take this farm.”
The remaining mercenaries exchanged uneasy glances, their leader’s defeat sapping what little resolve they had left. However, Kael wouldn’t let the leader go so easily he needed to make an example to whoever had sent them.