Chapter fifteen

Memories that had long since been buried under the sands of time started to resurface. The old man was brought back to a much younger period.

He had been following his father into a large market that had been set up by a group of Bedouin merchants. Endless rows of stalls stretched out in all directions. Looking at all the goods that were on display made him think that perhaps anything one would desire could be found within the market.

Butchers sat with all sorts of animals ready to be slaughtered and sold. Leather crafts of shoes, sandals, bags, water pouches. Potters and carpet merchants were in the midst of busy stalls as people were in a hurry to get them. They lasted relatively longer and were very useful.

Taysa looked longingly at the many valuables especially the iron crafts they had a gleam that made him fascinated. Alas he dissuaded himself from thinking of them.

He was from a simple family of nomads that were mostly hunters. However the animals that lived in the desert were not that easily caught and so they had to live of the bare minimum to survive.

But Taysa had never once complained to anyone. He knew that everyone in their family tried their best especially his own father.

Finally the members of his family reached a secluded part of the market and spread a cloth to make a simple stall. On it they placed the carcass of a creature.

To be frank their level of nomads didn’t usually come to these markets, as there was almost nothing they could really afford. The only reason they had decided to come was because of this creature they had captured a few days ago.

It was something that had the look of a desert reptile with rough scales yet it had the stature of a small deer with four legs. They had caught it by mistake while they had been tracking a lost horse of theirs.

Taysa looked at its thick muscular build with a protective layer of scales that most reptiles possessed. However it face was long like that of horses or cattle with a long tongue that continuously flickered in and out.

They had no use for it except that a traveler had suggested that perhaps some merchant or tribe might purchase it out of curiosity. Taysa personally did not see how anyone could want such a hideous creature. His grand mother warned them that this was a bad omen and the boy couldn’t help but agree.

Nomads were like that. They lived in the pure desert environment, closest to nature itself. A creature like this was clearly an aberration that was not ‘ part of the desert.’

‘However this month had been especially tough for us’ sigh.

Now they had to hope that some weirdo would come along and buy this thing of their hands.

Unfortunately the weirdo they were looking for did not come even after they set the stall for three days straight. It was now time for them to heads back as being away from the tent for this long was already a loss.

Taysa couldn’t help but be disappointed even the creature had started to lose the gleam in its eyes and no doubt was close to approaching death.

His father and others had already gone to fetch some basic grains to return home with leaving him alone at the stall.

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“Hoho, never expected to find something like this here” A robed figure approached the stall “ Nope definitely unwanted coincidence.”

Taysa looked up to see a towering individual observing the creature with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Gulp.

‘No’ it wasn’t his figure that was huge but in fact it was the man’s presence. It reminded the boy of a gigantic boulder, firm and unyielding.

His features were also unlike anyone he had ever met, with sharp nose and eyes tinged with green. But the most attracting was his red colored hair that protruded underneath his turban. It reminded Taysa of a dancing flame.

“So where did you find this kiddo?” The man spoke while leisurely poking at the creature.

“ At the Yaban hills” Taysa didn’t even hesitate to answer, partly out of awe but also because of the prospect of a potential customer.

‘ Rwhgg’ the creature laid on the ground let out a noise between a growl and a whimper. Taysa was surprised.

Since they had captured it, the creature did not even let out as much as a moan or cry. He sensed a stubborn pride or disdain in its eyes every time he looked into them.

It was like how a lion would look at a dog, no fear. Yet now the creature showed plain fear as it stared at the newcomers figure. Taysa could feel it tremble, it was not just fear but a huge amount of dread and suppression.

“ And you hunted it on your own?” The man posed a simple question but Taysa sensed the difference. It was one where the answer was known yet it was asked with a different aim.

“ No, sir my father and relatives hunted it.” Taysa decided to answer honestly, what was to gain by lying about hunting an aberration. His grand mother always said to tell the truth even if it was unfavorable. “ I am just placed at the stall, if you would like to wait for my father-.”

“No need” The man answered swiftly “ I’ll purchase this.”

With that statement the man swung his robes that passed over the creature and in front of Taysa’s eyes it vanished.

“Huh?!” Taysa rubbed his eyes and blinked unbelievable.

With a satisfied smug look, the man fetched a coin and flicked it into Taysa’s lap. The boy was shocked at the golden gleam.

He received one gold coin.

That was the amount that they earned in an entire years hard work.

“ I think you made a m-mistake” the boy stuttered. The man must have handed him the wrong coin for sure.

“ Then why would you return it?” the man asked instead “ why not keep it for yourself, you don’t look like you’re the richest kid here”

“No, no” Taysa quickly denied that possibility, “ My father clearly taught me that whatever doesn’t belong can never be yours entirely.”

“Oh,” The man smiled and threw something else into the boys lap “ Don’t ever lose that honesty kid”

Taysa looked down to find a sword sheathed underneath a leather cover and a scroll like parchment.

“ The scroll is yours, make sure to learn properly however the sword has a will of its own. Perhaps it is yours or some other out there, it depend on fate”

With those words echoing in Taysa’s ears the stranger vanished as mysteriously as he had arrived.

“But I don’t know how to-” read.

He was a nomad, not something that no one really needed except for merchants and Bedouins. (In this series they mean one and the same thing Merchant=Bedouin.)

Setting the sword aside, Taysa opened the scroll curiously though he was illiterate.

“ Ah! No,” a sharp pain cut into his finger and blood dropped on the parchment in his hand.

In that instant his mind was shaken as somehow numerous information flooded his conscious.

Techniques on crafting, virtuosity in the way of metal, Art of smithing and much more. Since the knowledge given to him by the strange man, Taysa always considered him his Master.

In that year a small legend was born the Shaz-daf desert, Taysa al Ahram.

The black handed blacksmith.

But know thinking back, the old blacksmith realized two things.

Firstly, he had merely realized part of the gift of smithing he acquired. In his heart he knew that he was unable to fully comprehend everything. The way to make weapons that were more then just object made of metal.

Secondly, it was that the sword he had not noticed in his early years that was more mystical than the scroll. For not once was he able to unsheathe it out of its leather covering.

Finally he realized he was not who the sword had chosen. He was merely the hand that was to pass on to its actual owner. But he became a bit stubborn and placed it in this small corner shop.

But fate, it seemed still brought a potential candidate to his very door.

A strange boy who had appeared much like the strange Master of his own and had the same fiery hair that resembled his master as well.