After nearly a week in captivity, Andrew finally returned back home. His parents were informed this time.
"First the monsters destroy my book, then the knights! Not fair! Not fair!" Andrew felt his face pale as he reached for his side. Nothing. "-And he stole my gold! My gold! I'll kill him! Damn it, Kakarov!"
Andrew's roars roused the entire street as he stomped his way back home. Rae was the first to jump outside, but Andrew was using his magic to destroy the stone wall in front of him with unbridled anger.
As the fell, he rose it back up again. Again and again, the booms were heard until he was panting heavily.
"Kakarov! I swear! I will, I will, kill you! You slimy, no-good, thieving, book-destroying bastard!"
After his sudden proclamation, Andrew wallowed on the ground and Rae slowly drew him into her arms.
"It'll be alright. Everything will be alright, Andrew," coaxed Rae gently. Her eyes flickered to the large crowd gathering around her house before she let out a deep sigh. "Please... please come inside..."
"... my chance... it's gone," sniffled Andrew, destroying another brick completely.
"They'll be another one, don't worry," spoke Rae gently.
"My... blood-magic! I just wanted to learn blood magic, but... but... he had to destroy it! That bastard! I just wanted one thing, but no... he had to destroy it!"
His whimpers went into the ears of all the by-standers and Derek started to laugh. Then others soon joined him. It was such a ridiculous tale that no one believed that such a boy could, or even wish, to possess such a skill. However, Andrew's cries grew more and more fierce as he curled up in front of his house.
"Now, now," laughed Derek. "Everyone give the boy some room to breathe. He hasn't been home for awhile, you guys ought to know with Rae pestering everyone."
Rae glared at Derek who returned only a toothy grin. However, she rolled her eyes and turned back to her son.
"Let's just go inside, okay?"
"No... my magic! First, they take away the black magic, then blood magic, and then he steals my gold! Kakarov!" Cried Andrew loudly before progressing to destroy more and more of the wall.
By the time his mana pool was a third empty, he transmogrified the stone wall into an intimidating steel fortress accompanied with a clear depiction of various Kakarovs suffering horrible deaths.
Rae was clearly embarrassed but the silence was palpable. It was only when Derek rolled out several casks from his house that the others began to treat the minor event as a homecoming party.
Andrew continued to change the wall until he passed out. In total, twenty different depictions of Kakarov were formed in a back alley wall, etched into the steel by the time he passed out.
When he awoke, it was morning. How long he slept, he did not know, but he was hounded by his father to awaken.
Keryzn sighed and guided to the front. "Someone want to see you."
Andrew stomped out, still in a rage, and was greeted with a convoy of holy knights.
The leader was glaring at Andrew as he came out, "so you are the true master of the shadow. I, nor Chancellor Kakarov, do not care much about this... scene. However, he mentioned he will blow away the entire wall if you continue to have that scene there."
"What scene?" Glovered Andrew, "and why are you guys so weak as to not be able to kill them! Pathetic! First my-"
"Enough," spoke the leader. "While I admire the craftsmanship, that character is not to be involved with Kakarov."
Andrew frowned before a look of realisation appeared in his eyes. "Oh, that one," laughed the boy dryly. "It is quite fine, isn't it? I'm sure Kakarov had a nice dream about that scene."
The leader bit his lip before he walked out, "change it. Now."
"Hairy, muscle-brained men instead it is," chuckled Andrew who walked passed the shocked knight.
After only an hour, the wall was completely transformed. It formed a massive mural of Kakarov's imagined escapades with seven men. The lust-filled look in the old man's eyes was clearly evident even as he beaten to the floor.
"There," smirked Andrew. "Happy?"
"You damn brat!" Roared a voice from the center of town. "Destroy it all!"
Andrew grabbed a few rocks and formed thin sheets of metal. They were plain, but the leader of the knights cleanly destroyed the entire etching of the wall with a wave of his hand.
"Fine, leave," cackled Andrew as he waved the thin sheets of metal in his hands. "I will not forgive you, you deranged bastard!"
The air around Andrew seemed to be shaking and boiling; however, Andrew pressed his tiny fists to his waist and cackled maliciously.
This stalemate pressed on for several long minutes before the pressure dispersed. A cold snort was heard in the distance and the troop begrudgingly left.
"What... did you do this time?"
Seeing his father's anxious reaction, Andrew smiled triumphantly and shrugged. "State secret. I will get back at him, though. Oh, is there any way I can go to the barracks?"
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Well, I don't know," sighed Keryzn. "Whatever, I'm leaving shortly so are you okay with eating on the way?"
Andrew nodded and raced back to find a relatively inconspicuous gray cloak. He ran into Leya but waved and disappeared only to sprint back out the door with a new purse in hand.
The two of them walked out the, now doorless, courtyard and made haste to the barracks.
"Ah, hey Miss K! Do you have any of that imported turkey yet?" Questioned Andrew excitedly. "Oh, I have a present too!"
"Sure," smiled the silver-haired woman warmly. "That'll be five copper for you, young sir."
Andrew smiled and passed her the five coins. However, hidden in-between two sheets of thin metal were gold coins. One carried a message, the other reparations to Kakarov.
"My dear, you did not have to do this," spoke the woman.
However, Andrew ghosted away to meet up with his father standing some distance away. Like this, he distributed twelve different depictions. It cost him a staggering amount of gold, but he was more than willing to use his contacts in the Thieves Guild to full effect.
It was a simple message, 'bring to a tavern at night. Spread the word. If possible, give it to local minstrels or talkative drunks.
However, Andrew planned to excuse himself for a few days by shadowing his father. He had missed a substantial amount of school, but he was not overly concerned. In fact, he set his mind on getting revenge for the detestable actions Kakarov took.
"He punted me out of a third story building," muttered Andrew irritably.
"He what?" Spoke Keryzn incredulously. "This Kakarov character?"
"Yes! Before that, he detained me, forced me to clear my name and destroyed my precious book! I wasn't even done with the basic spells!"
Keryzn's eye glinted with a harsh light and grabbed one of the remaining messages and dropped the coin back in Andrew's palm.
"I know who you work for," laughed Keryzn with a subtle wink. "Let's just say even Rae doesn't know too much about me."
Andrew grinned then forced the coin in his father's pocket. "Then payment rendered! Guards are a good source, but I was waiting for another one."
Keryzn rolled his eyes and muttered, "don't piss off that she-beast though. Hard one to run away from."
Andrew paled and nodded. He instinctively reached for the bruise that suddenly flickered to life. However, he suppressed the ghost pain and wore a bitter smile.
"There will be a new line of hidden jewelry... I will make it happen!" Spoke Andrew with determination as he thought of the possibilities.
Keryzn ruffled Andrew's hair and sighed admirably, "just don't piss him off. He is powerful. Well, more so than most anyways."
Andrew quirked his brow at his father but said nothing. Instead, he skipped towards the guard post his father was station too.
"It's you!"
"It's you!"
The two cried out nearly at the same time as Andrew inched away from the curly sword. Keryzn barked a laugh and rose his hands passively.
"Brent, be calm. This is my son."
"He attacked me!"
"He attacked me!"
Andrew scoffed loudly, "then don't point swords at people who fall from the sky! Or move!"
Brent glared at Andrew, "change it back. Now."
Keryzn gave Andrew a nod and the boy begrudgingly took the blade in his hands. "How'd you like it? Broadsword, rapier, normal, single-edged, better pommel, hilt, strong?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Spoke Brent curiously.
Andrew rolled his eyes and began to reform the steel. He had a breakthrough in his ability when he, in anguish, forced the stone to turn into steel so this became a simple task. Even if he didn't even consider his actions anything more than ordinary.
"Like this?" Spoke Andrew with a straighten, normal blade.
"Ye-"
Andrew suddenly changed the blade entirely. It carried a vicious looking curve and all knicks and chips were removed; a newly forged saber. Then it turned into a thin, but deadly rapier. It changed forms many times over, but Andrew looked into the man's eyes each time.
When he saw a glint appear, Andrew stopped at the guardsmen, Brent, was given a new blade. It was similar in shape to the original, but it was thicker in the middle. The guards were swapped out for wings of a dragon as the head was etched into the flat of the blade. Front and back, the sword was turned into a work of art rather than the type to kill with.
"Happy? Now it is all pretty and shiny. Might want to trade it in for a standard issue one, though."
"No!" He grabbed the blade and held it close to his chest. "Now I forgive you for whipping me in the face with a weird tentacle thing."
"It's not weird!"
"It is so!"
They bickered back and forth for long minutes and Keryzn calmly stood guard at the repaired square. Naturally, the sword drew the attention of the few that finally arrived, but their stations were not high enough to challenge a King's guard. In fact, none had even seen the transformation process this early in the morning.
"Andrew," laughed Keryzn, "it seems you have company."
"Huh? Hey! Don't point that blade at me you bastard! I'll change it to a withered, ugly gecko!" Andrew glared at Brent before turning towards the center of the square. "Oh, Kate, Reva. How are things?"
"Where've you been? Even Leya didn't know where you were at," spoke Kate as she rushed up to Andrew.
Andrew scratched his head and smiled mysteriously. "I don't know, but give this to Kyrana, please! Don't open it, 'kay?"
He passed her the last remaining sheet before he laughed. "Anyways, I'll be gone for a bit... you might find out why later. If they ask, tell them I want my gold back and my book! Well, the other book! No! Five of the books! All of the books!"
"Okay?" Murmured Kate with a tilt of her head. "What will you be doing?"
Andrew looked at Keryzn with a wide grin. He did not say anything, but the man finally relented. "You sure?"
"Of course! I can't just stand around and wait for that man to capture me. I've got to spread his infamy far and wide!"
"By doing so, you realize the challenges involved, right?"
Andrew snorted and nodded. "Of course."
He formed another sheet of metal and inscribed it with some information. As Keryzn looked at it, his eyes grew wide and he solemnly nodded. However, his heavy atmosphere faded and he barked a laugh.
"Really?"
"Really."
Andrew took the sheet and destroyed it. He had called for his father to do a few tasks for him. None were more than ferrying a message, but he did outline where his stash of gold was. It was exposed since he knew he wanted to leave. However, he did not expect his father to allow it to happen so easily.
Andrew turned to Kate and Reva and gave them each a quick hug. "I'll be gone for a bit, but you'll be able to reach me through Leya, I'm sure. I'll... probably be available," spoke Andrew she hastily undid the spell still on his ear.
Kate blinked dully for a moment and frowned, "why? What is going on?"
Andrew looked around conspiratorially before laughing at their suddenly paranoid figures. "Nothing much. But I... should definitely be going - bye!"
Andrew hugged Keryzn for a moment and sprinted off into the distance. Using the sword at his waist, he turned it into a phoenix version as he hid in an alley. After sheathing it, he continued towards the gates.
"Halt!" Roared a voice. "We've been requested to-"
Andrew smiled innocently and blinked with puppy-dog eyes, "sir, I really, really have to go! My uncle is ailing and my parents both have to work! I need to send my wishes to him in haste. Here is a family heirloom, I've got to pass!"
Andrew passed the lead guard the sheath and ran off past the man. He was about to order his men to give chase, but when he looked at the blade he was astounded. It, too, was marked with an x but otherwise, it was a flawless showpiece that would rival the works of many master, albeit ordinary, blacksmiths.
"What? H-how did he... what clan is he from? Th-they must be from the top nobility... to possess such a treasure," after breathing out a heavy breath, the guard ordered, "someone assist the young Master."
A curious young guardsman bitterly laughed when all sights were pinned on him. He unhitched two prepared horses and gave chase to Andrew.