A loud whistle can be heard as a Steam Locomotive chugged through the rails, with steam erupting out of it. Inside the locomotive was a cozy interior, with the three relaxing onto the comfortable leather seats. Maxwell and Tobias sat together, while the dwarf warrior occupied both seats in front of them. The two can't help but look around the interior, admiring the higher quality of life they rarely experienced.
"Never been on a train before, you two? It'll be a long ride.", the dwarf warrior said. Various railways surrounded the continent's capitals, fetching Steam Hunters from all over after their missions.
"Uh- sir! May I ask..."
As expected, Tobias' eyes were fixated on the dwarf warrior's armaments while Maxwell stared out the windows, getting lost in his thoughts as he stared at other towns while stroking the pup's head with his hand.
"Bah, I ain't no sir. Just Thorin is fine."
Thorin, the dwarf warrior was 4'5" ft in height, body broad and muscular, clad in bronze plate armor as he spoke. Thorin then followed Tobias' eyes, smiling a bit as he lifted his warhammer sideways which rested beside him. Tobias then cautiously poked at it, before running his fingers at the brass weapon. Its hammer head was shaped like a falcon, and was broad like the wielder's stature.
"Earlier... it blew steam. How does that work, sir- Thorin.", Tobias asked as his finger traced the patterns of the falcon head. Thorin grinned, before explaining the mechanisms of the weapon. The weapon had two buttons in the handle. The first one opens a ball of copper inside, activating the mana crystal to conjure steam, which then powers a propeller through a built-in steam engine on the other head to increase swing speed and power. The second button blocks the steam to stop the propeller and preserve the steam. It also reopens the pathway to the propeller. The whole weapon was also reinforced with steel to increase durability.
While the two talked about the weapon, Maxwell then glanced at the pup, continuing to pet it. As he was about to look away, it's as if he heard a faint whisper, but no one was nearby other than Tobias and Thorin. Another faint whisper called onto him, which said "now scratch my belly!" as the wolf pup rolled onto its back. The other two were too busy talking to notice, and Maxwell figured it would be too bizzare to inquire about this, so he did as what the voice told him, scratching the pup's stomach. He then heard a faint, relieved laugh as the pup kicked around with its feet while being scratched, enjoying the sensation.
"...but why brass, and bronze for armor? Wouldn't steel be more effective? And... what's this mana crystal?", Tobias asked in curiosity.
"Well, lad. Both metals are alloys, and both have distinctive properties. Brass repels mana, and Bronze contains mana. My weapon hammers the mana off o' 'em beasts to weaken 'em, while this ball right 'ere siphons the mana wit' a gemstone while the bronze contains 'em.", Thorin explained, showing the bronze ball he used from earlier to siphon the Mana Demon's mana.
"...What's mana?", Maxwell asked, with Tobias glancing at him and then to Thorin, clearly interested in the topic.
"Ah, you too didn't read those childhood books? Well, guess we gotta start from the beginnin'."
Maxwell and Tobias then leaned back onto the soft seats, preparing for a story to be told. Thorin then began to tell the story of the supercontinent, Lumidia. Lumidia was divided into four regions. To the west were a hot desert, a tropical jungle, and a gloomy marsh which hosted Beastfolk, a race who evolved to be physically stronger to adapt to the harsh living conditions. To the north were tall mountains with harsh winters, freezing even the widest of winters. Dwarven people reside in the mountains, harnessing metals for technological gain. To the east are lush forests with many creeks and rivers hosting a wide variety of plants, fruits, and wildlife. Elven people resides there, practicing elegance in everything they do. To the south are vast plains with plenty of mountains, rivers, and biomes, essentially a mix of everything.
There lies the humans, a jack of all trades of the races. At the very middle however, lies a giant three with white bark shimmering with purple colors, its leaves giving off an astral, light blue hue.
As the civilizations flourished, they all sought to expand, and the closer they got to the middle, they discovered a hidden awareness of power, the consciousness to wield "mana", a force used to power unexplainable feats, to conjure power out of nothingness. Of course, all races wanted to survive, and figured that the more influence of "mana" they have, the more they will flourish as a race. With greed whispering in their subconscious, a war then emerged at the very middle, tainting the bright green grass with crimson blood, the once peaceful sight now radiating with malice. As more lives were lost during the great war, the once white bark slowly turned crimson, with streaks of black flowing throughout its body. The once ethereal leaves fell off, revealing a now dead tree. In the middle of the war, the four races then felt their mana slowly get siphoned, with their fallen comrades now rising up, engulfed in a flame of shadows.
Chaos arised, as both races didn't know who to attack, the other race, or people of their own, resurrected by a burning hatred? Facing a common enemy, "Mana Demons" they called it, the four races then formed a peace treaty, fighting back against the enemy... but they made a grave mistake, as they fought back with "mana", the very thing that these "mana demons" were feeding off of. The Beastfolk were very successful in defending their region, as they were already physically capable of dealing with the threats, while the other three races were forced down south, fighting alongside each other. It took them being driven to the edges of the continent to discover that mana was the very thing that is against them.
The humans and dwarves then researched and experimented, finding out that molten metals mixed together into alloys were effective, as they were "man made" or "dwarven made", having no mana inside them. Brass, made of copper and zinc repelled mana; Bronze, made of copper and tin helped contain or resist mana; and Sterling silver, made of silver and copper helped purify the mana, returning them to their once neutral state. The races also found out that mana can be stored into gemstones, contained in bronze and be purified with sterling silver dust, allowing the elves to harness "pure mana" to fight back against the corrupted mana demons. Together, the three races fought back against the mana demons, recovering the southern region. They were also aware that a full-on war in the other regions would most likely trigger the events of the past, so they took their time expanding slowly, reducing the casualties and slowly building back their civilizations. "Steam Hunters" are warriors who put their lives at risk to defend the nation and to progress civilization.
It was now almost evening when Thorin had stopped, with the two boys visibly tired, yawning as they felt the train halt.
"Get yer arses movin', we're near.", Torin said as he stood up, and the boys followed. Unlike the town the two resided in, the capital, Astrada, were much more developed. The roads they walked on were smooth stone bricks, the city had towering establishments and huge Victorian houses having painted bricks and wood, and slate roofing, reinforced with brass metals for the exterior. Each building had brass pipes pointing toward the sky and coming from out of the roof, ejecting excess steam from their steam engines. All buildings are colorful and elegant, even when partially lit by a lamp during the steamy evening. Above where floating ships are lifted by hot air balloons, lighting the skies with their oil lamps and filling the air with steam. The two were rejuvenated with the sights, not noticing the time it took to get to Thorin's home.
Thorin's house was a 15 minute walk from the center, and into a less steamy neighborhood. His house wasn't as big as the previous ones yet retained the same Victorian aesthetics, but the two young men were too tired to care. Thorin then opened his door to be greeted by a young dwarf woman, who took suspicious glances at the two kids with him. Thorin then gave a brief introduction and guided the two youngins to a spare bed, where they fell down and passed out within a minute.
...
The next day, Tobias shuffled around, waking up early as usual. Tobias then sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking around to see that the room was still barely lit, and that his brother was still sleeping with the pup resting on his chest.
"Huh, when did those two get so close?", Tobias asked himself. He then shuffled around, getting his beatbox and quietly exiting the room. Tobias looked around the second floor, where there was a hallway leading to two other rooms just outside. He then descended the stairs, washing his face by the kitchen sink, before drinking some of the tap water.
"Do they have human-sized mirrors? I'd hate it if I'll have to practice with just muscle memory...", Tobias thought to himself again. In his acrobatic endeavors, Tobias preferred practicing correct form. As he looked around for a place to practice, he then heard metal clinking and getting hammered somewhere. He figured it was Thorin, so he followed it, finding himself descending down the basement to see a short girl with wavy auburn hair flowing down to her back, sitting on a high stool to reach the heavy workbench. She was too busy hammering on some metal to notice Tobias walking in. Somehow, this sight reminded him of his dwarven mentor, with him raising his brows in panic, as he had just remembered that he was supposed to be back in the workshop.
"Woops, sorry dwarf pops. I forgot, hehe- but I guess I'll make it up to you somehow.", Tobias thought, before climbing up the basement stairs. Usually when his mentor was busy, Tobias tended to his other needs. Making his way to the kitchen, Tobias then browsed the drawer for coffee beans and a coffee grinder, putting in the beans and manually grinding them. He also boiled some water in a kettle in a nearby stove, before pouring both to make a hot mug of coffee. He cleaned up before making his way back down to see that the dwarf girl had paused. There aren't many things that could distract a dwarf when working, but the aroma of brewed coffee seemed to be one of them.
"Coffee?", Tobias asked. The dwarf girl just... stared at him in a stoic manner before uttering a "thanks". Tobias then placed the hot coffee on her workbench, taking a closer look at what had her occupied.
"Oo, a crossbow?'' Tobias asked with curiosity in his tone. Tobias had always been amazed by dwarven work, so he pulled up a high seat next to her, awaiting the explanation.
"Yes it is. Have you seen one before? It works like this..."
The stoic facade of the dwarf girl then melted as the two discussed her prototype, in typical dwarf fashion. It was a crossbow, but with the stirrup and the bowstave replaced with brass metal. The rope can then be pulled into a hook, where there was a hole fit perfectly for bolts. The handle was made with wood, with the trigger underneath it, made with brass as well. The dwarf girl then demonstrated without a bolt, pulling back the rope into the hook, before pulling the trigger, with the rope whipping back strongly to send a bolt.
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"That's insane! You made this- at your age!?", Tobias asked enthusiastically. Tobias figured she was around the same age as him, as she looked like 14 years old.
"I'm 29 years old, so it isn't a big deal. In fact I think I may be too old to accomplish this.", the dwarf girl said, before taking a sip of the coffee.
"Anyways, why did father even bring the two of you here? Are you two my illegitimate brothers?", the dwarf girl asked.
"...Last I checked, my father ain't small... nor have hair like yours... and we're here to be Steam Hunters, yeah!", Tobias said, clearly taken aback by the question in his tone.
"I see. I figured you for a dwarf, with that height of yous.", the dwarf girl asked with a smirk, before going back to her prototype, placing a mug of coffee onto the bench. Tobias' eyebrow twitched, but ultimately sighed while shaking his head.
"Why're you makin' a crossbow anyway? Lookin' to be a Steam Hunter like your pops?", Tobias asked as he placed his Beatbox, cranking it by the side, before letting it go, producing a slow beat. The dwarf girl then stared a short while at the Beatbox, then back up at Tobias' brown eyes.
"Yeah. What 'bout you, kid? Riskin' your life to compromise for your height?", the dwarf girl teased, continuing to tinker with the prototype.
"Hell no. In fact- I... don't want to be a Steam Hunter, but..."
Tobias took a short pause, flashbacks appearing in his head. He recalled vague memories of him sitting down in an alley while Maxwell was in front of him, who had just knocked three guys down in a street fight. His flashback then cut to where Maxwell stood up for him when faced with a mana demon, roaring back at what seemed to be impending doom.
"...how can I stay uncool, after seeing my brother like that?", he said softly, just as the beat ended. The dwarf girl then looked at him, internalizing what he had just said.
"Guess that makes the both of us. I want to become like my father." The dwarf girl then dropped the crossbow, before turning to Tobias, offering a handshake with her smaller human-sized hand.
"I'm Elgrudeth- but just call me Ellie.", Ellie said with a smile.
"Name's Tobias, nice to meet you." Tobias said with a smile as well, shaking her hand. Her grip seemed to be tighter than he expected, but he didn't seem to mind all that much. The two then spent their time weaponry, talking about dwarven weapons and Tobias' beatbox.
Meanwhile, Maxwell was still on the bed, caught in a deep sleep. In his dreams, he was back there again from what happened yesterday. He was standing in front of the mana demon again, whose size towered over him, with red eyes filled with bloodlust beaming as it bent down, as if it were gonna explode into a lunge. A deep chuckle can then be heard from around them, before the wolf... sat?
"Look at you. Both your arms and knees are shaking in cowardice, yet you dare stand before me, how cute.", a deep voice said around them.
"Maxwell, was it? Tell me..."
The wolf then slowly walked toward Maxwell, who seemed to be frozen in his stance. The wolf maintained penetrating eye contact, black pupils dilating in its crimson eyes.
"Why did you stand before me, even though every instinct of your body told you to run?", a deep voice asked once more.
Maxwell can't help but shake in its mere presence- let alone stare at it up close. He then tried to calm himself by taking a deep breath, before glaring at it, repeating the same words he spoke in his heart.
"To protect my family... to protect my brother.", Maxwell uttered. A deep, chilling laugh can then be heard.
"I am capable of making that dream come true..."
The wolf suddenly leapt at him in his dreams, with Maxwell sitting up and gasping for air, sweat dripping down from his forehead. He then flailed around, feeling a sudden urge to inflict pain, a deep-seated rage awakening within him. With bloodshot eyes, he looked around the room to see that no one was there, and he clawed at his neck, as he felt hot- too hot to stay still. In his rage, he tore his shirt off, and just realized that he wanted to hurt... his brother? The same person he vowed to protect... but why? Maxwell, still feeling the surging heat within his body, touched his face, eyes peering through the gaps of his fingers.
"You may call upon my rage... but be careful not to hurt who means to you the most.", a whisper said in his head.
"...was it you?", Maxwell asked as he glanced at the pup in the corner of the room.
"Who knows, maybe not hehe.", a more gentler whisper said in his mind.
"...You can talk to me?", Maxwell asked in his mind, to which the dog responded by nodding. Maxwell thought he was going crazy, so he walked downstairs and outside to clear his head. He was met by the chilly morning breeze and dark metal fences which surrounded the huge grass filled garden.
"You're not going crazy, it's me speaking, ya know?", the pup whispered in his head.
"...how does that even work?", Maxwell asked himself, taking another glance at the pup who followed him.
"Beats me. Maybe you can ask that old dork who smashed me with his hammer."
Maxwell then shook his head. He then began to jump on his toes, still feeling bits of anger he received in his dream. Perhaps if he worked up a sweat, he'll be less cranky. After jumping on his toes, Maxwell began to shadowbox, fists flying out like sharp whips into the air as he stepped cleanly, with his head moving side to side and weaving under. After a few minutes, someone else had opened the door.
"Bit too early to be movin' 'round, eh?", Thorin asked, with him wearing a tank top which revealed his muscular arms and chest.
"I couldn't stay still-"
Just as Maxwell turned to Thorin, rage flushed all over him, the heat returning. He can't help but glare, as if fighting was his scab to itch. Upon realizing this, Maxwell's brows raised, before glancing to the ground.
"I- I'm sorry, Mister Thorin... the dog made me do it.", Maxwell uttered, still gritting his teeth.
Thorin then descended the porch stairs to look at Maxwell.
"The dog made ye do it? Why- how'd that work, son?", Thorin asked.
"...suddenly, I can hear the pup from before speak in my thoughts- and the mana demon appear in my dreams. Now... I'm so angry that I'm afraid... I might do something if I look at you.", Maxwell said in between grits of his teeth. Thorin then thought about it, stroking his beard downward. Well, he's nearly an adult for a human and he was just about to train him, so provoking him isn't that bad.
Thorin then walked up to him, pushing him with his arm, sending him sitting onto the ground.
"Then what're you gon' do 'bout it, punk? This is MY house, MY rules. How 'bout you show this old man?", Thorin asked in a provocative tone. Maxwell's blood boiled, rubbing his neck due to the immense heat he felt.
"I... I shouldn't, Mister Thorin.", Maxwell said, using all of his mental strength to resist the urge to hurt.
"Don't you think I can't take it, boy!? You sure are fuckin' cocky. This is your trainin' so don't get so full o' yourself.", Thorin taunted even more, raising his fists up. Maxwell tried to rationalize it as "training", and that Thorin already challenged him by raising his fists up, so with a nod, he then looked back at him with his bloodshot eyes from before, getting into his orthodox stance. A fight had begun.
Thorin was confident about his durability, so he charged forth like a bull. However, Maxwell's wrath isn't wild, no. It's rage tempered with technique, like a blade of anger hammered by discipline. As Thorin charged, Maxwell interrupted him by stepping forward, left arm shooting like a sharp piston straight at Thorin's cheek. Thorin wasn't pushed back, so he kept pressing forth- only to eat more jabs from Maxwell.
"Tch, so the kid can fight, huh?"
After realizing that he was taking more hits than he intended to, Thorin then raised his knuckles to his cheeks, taking a slower approach. He knew that he'd get hit trying to reach him, as Maxwell had longer arms, so he planned to take a more careful approach. With each step forward, Maxwell's left arm shot forward into a jab, but Thorin parried and blocked with his hands, slowly inching closer.
After thinking that Thorin had no choice but to curl up and take it slow, Maxwell then began to get more... comfortable. With Thorin in front of him, Maxwell then began to throw a jab, but with each jab he stepped he pivoted to the left slightly, throwing three jabs as he got out of Thorin's vision. Thorin tried to turn to the right, but Maxwell stepped and pivoted slightly to the left, interrupting Thorin with a short left hook that landed on his right cheekbone. Feeling the hit connect, Maxwell then followed with a combination from the side- a right uppercut up his chin, a left downward hook at his cheek, and a right roundhouse kick aimed at his head, sending Thorin staggering backward. With this wrath, Maxwell was more confident and fluid with his combinations than usual.
But Thorin was as durable as they come, continuing to press forth despite eating hits. Maxwell however, was like a doctor at work, piecing up Thorin with hits like a precise scalpel, with him throwing a jab, backing up before suddenly throwing a jab-cross combo off tempo, making it hard to catch his timing. Maxwell then danced around with his footwork, landing leg kicks from outside. However, he winced slightly every time he landed one, as Thorin's thighs seemed like a bag of bricks. As Maxwell put up a striking performance, no pun intended, both Ellie and Maxwell stepped outside, with Ellie wielding the crossbow. Their happy expressions then slowly melted into shock as they saw Thorin curling up like a ball- but remained standing, as Maxwell threw a flurry of punches in smooth combinations.
"Father!", Ellie shouted. Maxwell heard the shout, with his leg kick slowing down as he got distracted.
"Got ye.", Thorin whispered as he caught Maxwell's ankle just as the leg landed on his thigh. Maxwell was shocked, so he tried to turn his back to Thorin as he hopped on one leg, trying to pull his leg out- but Thorin had a vice-like grip, easily yanking Maxwell to the ground, causing him to fall onto his back. After falling, Maxwell tried to scramble away, but his right wrist was pinned down to the ground swiftly by Thorin. Thorin then sat on Maxwell's chest into a full mount, keeping the grip on Maxwell's hand. Maxwell could only just raise his left forearm across his face, and helplessly watched as Thorin's other hand raised up- before smashing down like a hammer, landing onto the dirt with a harsh thud just inches away from Maxwell's face.
"Do you surrender?", Thorin asked in an authoritative tone. Maxwell grit his teeth, but resisted his ego, so he nodded. Afterward, both Ellie and Tobias ran up to the two, with Ellie rushing up to check his father.
"How could you!?", Ellie asked, glaring at Maxwell. Tobias supported Maxwell standing up, remaining quiet himself.
"Knock it off, child. I asked fer' it, 'twas part o' trainin'.", Thorin said, waving it off despite swelling forming on the side of his face.
"Training!? Look at you-"
"Enough, child. We are Steam Hunters, 'tis but a scratch compared to what we do..."
Thorin then raised an eyebrow, seeing Ellie wield her crossbow. Ellie then followed his suspicious gaze and tried to hide her weapon, but she glanced at Tobias, and back at her father.
"I see. I apologize, father... looks like I'll have to get used to it."
Thorin then sighed. After all, it's only a matter of time before a dwarf makes their own weapon and goes into combat with it. He then turned to Maxwell, who was internalizing what he had just done as his bloodlust slowly faded away.
"Don' feel 'bad 'bout it, kid. Ye sure are ferocious. What yer pro'lly experiencin' is a "Spirit Bond". Happens when a spirit takes a likin' to ye.", Thorin explained. He then went on to explain further as to how it happens. All living things have "mana" inside them. However, within the races, Humans, Dwarves, and Beastfolk have lower quantities than their elven counterparts, but the lack of mana makes them a vessel. Spirits, creatures who came from the sacred tree, are beings of pure mana, often appearing as large, majestic beasts. Though highly unlikely these days, a spirit may appear to take interest in a vessel. The spirit tests the vessel, creating a bond where the vessel takes in both the emotion and the abilities of a spirit. That rage Maxwell felt could have been the years of pent up agony and wrath of the spirit as a Mana Demon, along with its hunting instincts and ferocity.
"...I see. I won't make excuses... I apologize that I lost control.", Maxwell said, unable to maintain eye contact due to shame, but Thorin just laughed it off and tapped his shoulder.
"I take it that ye three want to become Steam Hunters?", Thorin asked as he stroked his beard. Maxwell nodded, eager to temper his newfound instincts. Tobias glanced at his brother, before nodding as well with a smile. Ellie glanced at Tobias too, giving a stoic nod.
"I see. Well, your real training starts now."