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Ch.6

I awoke to the sound of a fist slamming down onto a table “that bastard of a Baron, last year our taxes were ten percent, the year before a mere eight percent, and now fifteen percent of our crops, the greedy toad” the rough raspy voice of our village elder hollered.

“That is not the worst of it, the increase in taxes comes straight from the Duke himself” my father replied with a firm flat tone.

“Bah, the Duke, and what has the good Duke done for us lately, what are your thoughts Bill” another man added spitting his distaste with every word.

Bill leaned back in his chair idly stroking his mustache “they're stocking up for a spring campaign” he replied with his thick rough tone.

“Will we be facing conscription” the other man questioned nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

“Not with out the King's orders, we're fee men, the serfs will face the worst of it, we'll see some recruiters like as not, should work to keep our young lads at arms length if we can” Alric explained in a deep powerful tone.

“How long till harvest” Bill questioned cutting to the meat of the matter as he observed the worried faces of the village's most influential members.

“Two months roughly, we will be fine with just a bit of skin off our backs, but I'm worried about some of the smaller villages and hamlets, we should send some men to Chey and Vermire to see if they need any help” the village elder added while rubbing his weathered hands in worry. With a final few murmurs the men took their leave to prepare for the day's work with heavy hearts and weary sighs.

They were not the only ones with worry eating at the pits of their stomachs, something about the situation rubbed me the wrong way. I took a moment to splash my face with cold water from the wash basin to clear my thoughts, “idle fears breed deadly mistakes” I could hear my father's advice ringing in the back of my mind. With a smile on my face I headed down to the living room with a small string of severed Goblin ears from two days ago. Though we staked their heads at the edge of the forest as a warning to other goblins, we split up their ears between the three of us just in case we could ever trade them in for the standing bounty of one silver per pair.

“Oh, awake early I see, not even Layriel is up yet” my father stated spotting me as I stepped into the living room. He was still dressed in traveling atire and likely rode in before the light of dawn, my father looked worried as his face was illuminated by the pink glow of dawn's first light.

“With that racket, it's no wonder I awoke when I did” I chuckled lightly lifting my prize of severed ears. “While you were gone Hanz, Lily, and I stumbled across as small goblin den, we got the drop on them and slaughtered them like fish in a barrel” I stated proudly dangling the strung together ears.

“Hoh, good enough to face your old man now are ya, I'll see ya in the yard in five minutes” he chuckled menacingly causing me to sweat nervously.

I dashed into the courtyard and quickly slipped into a gambeson, strapped on a pair of padded chausses, and slipped into a pair of knee high hardened leather boots before working to stretch loosening my stiff muscles in preparation. Doom, doom, doom, I could hear my father's foot steps approaching, his very presence causing a shiver to run down my spine. It was a strange sensation that I had never felt, as if my very life was in danger, I spun on my heel baring my blade. My father however was lazily leaning against the side of the house regarded me with a teasing smile.

“Good, very good” my father chuckled lightly “that was my aura, powerful warriors and beasts are able to harness their spiritual energy to oppress their enemies, a skilled aura user can fill an opponent's heart with fear. You should practice defending against it by determining which of my strikes are real and which are feints” he explained striding across the courtyard with nary a telegraphed motion.

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His blade came down like a bolt of lightning from my left, I moved to parry it only to leave my lower guard wide open but the blow never came. Instead I felt a strong killing intent to my right where his wooden blade painfully collided with my shoulder, not giving me a moment to catch my breath another strike came down, but at the last moment I felt where his strike was aimed. Forgoing the parry I hopped back and watched his blade pass through where my wrist had just been.

“Not bad, for an amateur” he added teasingly. “The real challenge comes from knowing whether a strike with killing intent is actually intended to kill you or just a feint to get you to over react leaving your self open” he explained before launching into a quick but otherwise harmless combo.

I quickly parried with the flat of the blade but was unable to mount a riposte “how does one counter such a strike” I questioned with a furrowed brow.

“Normally, by conserving your energy and tightening your defense while waiting for your enemy to overextend their reach, but if you can't, crash into them with your full weight to reduce the power of their blow and finish them on the ground. You'll get injured but you'll be able to walk away most of the time, just don't try that on a thrust or you'll wind up like that Boar you killed” he cracked his neck before dashing into range and throwing a thrust at me to prove his point. I barely reacted in time to move his bale off center but it still dug painfully into my thigh.

Taking a moment to walk off the pain in my leg I thought about how to easily turn the tides in my favor, I smirked internally as I formulated a plan that would blow his guard wide open. I envisioned a construct in my left hand that I had created dozens if not hundreds of times in practice, a simple compressed sphere of air.

He threw two quick cuts, that I parried with ease followed by a lightning quick feint, that I maneuvered to parry but didn't commit to, I was waiting while tightening my defense like he had instructed. Knowing full well that I was waiting for it my father unleashed another lightning quick cut filled with aura that caused me to over react to parry, with a simple shift his blade came at me in a reverse edge cut. With a smirk I released the construct, the explosion of compressed air knocked him back and off balance leaving his chest wide open to my thrust.

“Hahaha, very good, in a real fight you need to throw away any misconceptions of chivalry, dueling is a nobleman's game, but you're a warrior and a mage. Never think twice about hurling a fire bolt into you opponents face or using the earth to sweep them off their feet” he slapped my back heartily before sending me off on my morning run.

What had started as a mere two laps around the village had became an easy ten laps before I was burned out and panting with effort. A run made easier by my sandy brown haired companion, each of us striving harder to out pace the other till we lay huffing and panting with effort in a messy heap.

Lily rolled over propping herself up on one elbow whilst looking at me with her doe brown eyes “Zamiel, when you're old enough to leave the village what are you going to do” she questioned nervously. I could feel her deep seated embarrassment and fear of rejection, as she idly swirled the finger from her other hand in the hay.

“My mother and father expect me to go to the mage's academy in Thrace's capital” I let a sigh escape me knowing fully well where she intended to take this conversation.

“That's what your parents want, I'm asking what you want Zamiel” she urged with a supportive tone.

“I plan on enrolling in the academy, but I also plan on becoming an adventurer like my father” I said laying back with my hands behind my head contentedly hoping very much that Bill did not stumble upon us at this very moment.

“When you leave, will you take me with you” she questioned nervously, I could feel the damn of emotions she was barely holding back. I was no fool and knew that lily had feelings for me ever since I had picked her up out of the mud, but we are young and had long lives ahead of us. Mine even longer than her's, though being mages would extend our lives, my mother's blood would extend my life past hers.

I spent a few moments in silence mulling my thoughts around while she hung there in anticipation, with I final nod I spoke “I will, as long as I have your father's permission to do so” that was only natural after all. The answer was good enough for her I discovered as I found her soft lips suddenly pressing against mine. It was an innocent sweet kiss, but a kiss packed with her heartfelt emotions. With flushed cheeks I pulled her onto my chest throwing my worries to the wind and returned to her a more passionate kiss, slipping my tongue into her dainty mouth to coax and tease her tongue.

A throat clearing cough had us bolting apart like spooked hares as we both turned guiltily to see my mother who was glaring at us with her hands on her hips. “I believe it is time for you to return home young lady” she spoke waiting for Lily to exit our yard before rounding on me “And you young man, what do you have to say for yourself young man”.

I picked myself up and stood firmly as I faced my mother “nothing, I take full responsibility for my actions” I stated with strong conviction.

“Good” my mother stated with self satisfied nod before giving me a warm smile and gently ruffling my hair “if you had tried to make any excuses I'd have your father tan your hide and send you off to apologize to Bill for not treating his daughter seriously and with respect” she spoke with a sweet motherly tone.

“So I'm not in trouble” I questioned nervously rubbing the back of my neck.

“Not this time, I watched the hole thing, but you better pour some water on that fire, you can save the rest for when you're married, after the academy of course” she chuckled teasingly.

I shook my head in disbelief as I pulled out the wash basin from the shed and filled it from the well, somehow it felt as if I had been pushed down this path by an unseen hand “is that such a bad thing” I wondered.