The old man was tall and muscular. He had a thick mane of long gray hair that flowed over his shoulders. He wore a black wool cloak and a coat of chainmail over a black gambeson. On his left hip hung an arming sword with a round steel pommel. His piercing dark eyes; more curious than fearful.
“And I thought this was going to be a dull day, you never know what the Forge Father has planned for you I guess,” the old man said while scratching his beard.
“Off with you, you old goat! This isn’t of any concern of yours. ” said one of the soldiers.
“Usually that would be correct, but when a man points a spear at a defenseless babe, I find that hard to ignore.”
“This is Navehri Empire business. Fuck off or my spear will point towards you instead.” The commander said.
“I heard you scalies were honorable warriors. I see those were just…. rumors.”
The commander sighs, “We don't have time for this, kill the babe then kill the old fool.”
The soldier over Balian, still hesitant, raised his spear and prepared to thrust it down, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and plunged.
Time slowed down as the point of the spear hurled towards the baby. Damn, that's gonna hurt. If only I could move. Balian closed his eyes. He remembered the soldier with the crossbow. Images of his dead comrades lying in the blood spitten snow. A sense of regret filled his body. If only he had more skill, more strength, more power, then he wouldn't find himself in these helpless situations. If only I had another chance, I would devote myself to becoming better.
As Balian begrudged his fate a strong tug forced him into the air. Dazed, the speed was too much for his weak infant body. The next thing he knew he was in the arms of the old man. Metal strings that glowed azure wrapped around the cloth he was in and it was connected to a tuft that coiled around the man's right hand. How the hell did he do that? One mystery after another. He was getting sick of this.
The old man raised him in the air, “You're a strong one aren't you, all this carnage and not a single cry. Despite the tiny pecker, I bet you'll grow to be a mighty warrior someday.” he said.
Rude goat, I haven't even seen my own treasures and he's already setting me up for disappointment. Balian was both annoyed and thankful. The old man kept making silly faces while raising him up and down playing with him. The motion too much for the baby made him puke on the old man’s boot.
“Forge Father’s balls! Aye, that's the reason I never got my own pups,” The old man said while shaking his boot. A devilish smite escaped Balian’ s face.
“Demon child! I should give you to the scalies over there.” the man said.
“Give me the babe.” the commander said.
The old man let out a smile and looked at the warrior. “I don't know how they do it in the empire scaly, but where I come from we take what we want.” said the old man.
The commander's eyes lit up once again. “Kill them.”
The two soldiers rushed at the old man, too quick for normal men. Then again normal men didn't have snake eyes. The old man stood-still watching them rush towards him. He held Balian close to his chest with his left arm, close enough for the baby to hear his heartbeat. It was slow, calm, and in a set rhythm. One soldier was faster than the other. Once he got within 7 of paces of us, the old man reached for a dagger on the base of his back and threw it with great force, piercing the soldier's eye all the way through his skull. The soldier instantly fell to the ground.
The dagger almost 14 inches long was the most beautiful Balian had ever seen. As its long crossguards protruded from the skull, it savored the blood that wrapped it. Daggers like those are meant more for parrying though, how he was able to throw it with such precision baffled Balian. In the middle of the crossguard lay an embedded red gem much lighter than the blood dripping down from it. Balian’ s eyes were drawn to it. He felt it calling to him.
The other soldier did not lament his fallen comrade and kept rushing at us. The old man drew his sword and parried every thrust the soldier gave. The soldier grunted and hissed at every parried strike, the emerald glow of his eyes growing more intense with each attack.
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The soldier's eyes soon turned to the baby instead of the old man's throat. Intending to bait the old goat into a mistake, he placed his thrusts in Balian’ s direction. The mistake was the soldier’ s entirely. The old man dashed and dodged and parried without letting out a single sign of fatigue. It must have been the frustration of being outclassed that the soldier became more committed to his attacks and his thrusts began to slow and not bear the same weight it did at the start.
The soldier stepped back to gain some breath. The old man, realizing this, stepped like lightning. He took a deep breath and clenched his teeth before letting out an upward slash against the soldier. As the sword swung it lit up into an azure light. The force split his foe's spear and blew his guard leaving his neck exposed. A quick step and quick thrust. As the soldier ‘s life faded away so did the sword’ s glow.
The commander made no sound, he didn't even look at the bodies of his underlings. He kept on staring at the old man. The grip on his poleaxe became tighter. He assumed a thrusting stance. The metal of his poleaxe and armor started to emit azure light once again.
The smile the old man wore earlier faded, “You're a troublesome one aren't you.” he said. He placed me down under a tree, “Stay here for a little bit, that big fellow requires some effort on my part.” He walks back and assumes a front - guard.
The commander took a deep breath and charged like an angry bull at the old man, the point of his poleaxe seeking his foe`s heart. Their steel soon clashed. The light on the commander's weapon was constant but the light on the old man’s sword flickers every time he finishes a parry. He would wait for the strike, his sword would glow and redirect the strike. This exchange went on for about 10 minutes until the commander's armor lit up no more. His breath became louder and more apparent through his helm.
“No discipline at all, just rage.” the old man said.
“Shut your mouth.” He attempts a wide slash with his ax blade.
The old man ducked under it, his steel strings once again glowed and with it he pulled the dagger to his left hand from the dead soldier's skull. He dashed to the commander' s side and took aim at the gap in the commander's armpit and plunged his dagger, angling it toward his enemy’ s heart. The commander let out a gasp but by the time he had realized what had happened the old man had already pulled his dagger out and dashed away from him. He took three steps toward the old man and on the fourth he fell to the ground.
The victor walked towards the soldier and used his cape to wipe the dagger and sheathed it after. He then proceeded to strip the dead man of his armor revealing the same scaled neck and forearms as the man with the topaz eyes. He did the same for the other soldiers.
“You won't need this now, friend.” He whistled and hoof sounds approached from the woods. A fine bay mare trotted toward him. He would place his spoils on her. Once he was finished taking all the valuables he started digging two ditches for the bodies. A smaller one for the dead woman and a bigger one for the scaled men.
He stood over the ditches and closed his eyes. “Return to the earth and may you be forged anew,” after a few moments of solemn silence he started filling up the graves.
He then walked up to Balian, “Now what do I do with you?” he asked.
Balian gestured to his dagger.
He draws it and shows it to the baby. “You have an eye for quality don't you. Lady Viper here isn't a toy young one, ” said the old man.
Balian grasped at the crimson gem.
“Aye quite a treasure isn't it. That's her eye boy. Many men are enticed by her eye, but what they should have been wary of were her fangs.”
He lets the babe touch the gem at the daggers crossguard. In a flash, the metal lit up into a bright azure glow, energy going into the metal and the metal's energy coming to Balian. Heat left Balian’s body and the metal’s cold light entered it as if it were trying to consume him.
“Forge Fathers balls. Are you the one doing this? Perhaps you are a devil child.” The old man’ s voice was shaky and his eyes were wide open staring at the light. Laughter soon followed. He raised me with both hands, this time much gentler.
“My name is Arvath, On the grounds that I see no parent and to save your arse, On the Forge Father’ s name I claim you as my ward. Now what should I call you?”
Balian tried to mutter out his name but all that came out was incoherent whimpering.
“Elric, the name of an ancient Askellian hero. Aye, he had dark hair as you but maybe not such a tiny pecker.” Arvath said, letting out warm laughs.
Elric, a strange name. Balian thought. Pain soon started to surge through Balian's body and every breath stung.
“There, there, little one. Rest for now.” Arvath placed his hand on the babe' s head and strokes it. The caring touch too unfamiliar but comforting.
Balian did not remember when he fell asleep but after a while he heard beats. It was slow, calm, and in a set rhythm. It was a fine tune and he could sleep forever to its melody. Arvath was carrying him. Behind them was the mare, her back filled with equipment Arvath had won.
“You're finally awake and probably hungry. Won't be long now, there's a nice lady in the village who had given birth to a lively girl. I bet with a few coin I could ask her to give you some milk.”
Of course you would feed a baby through a woman's breast... dammit. As if getting turned into a baby wasn't humiliating enough, I now have to drink milk from a stranger. Balian thought.
They soon reached the end of the woods. The sunlight was blinding and the breeze was light and pleasant, much better than the still and dark forest. Arvath pointed toward a hill in front of me and at its base lay a small village across a bridge that spanned the river.
He calls it a village but its size was something more of a small township where I came from. It even has cobbled streets and stone walls surrounding it. If this was what they considered a village I wonder what their cities and towns look like.
“See that boy. That' s Elaise.”
I can't remember the last time I saw such green grass nor such healthy livestock. The pure and clean scent of air was refreshing. The petals of wildflowers danced with the breeze and flew by rows of healthy crops.
“Aye, it's not much, but it's home.” Arvath said.
Home. That's a nice word. Balian thought.
Arvath looked at Balian. “Well don't cry now. I'll get you to that milking lady soon.” Arvath said.
How did the old goat say it again? Oh right. Forge Father’ s balls!