The light of the morning sun fell upon the land, its rays reflecting off every surface. The clucks of chickens accompanied the chirping of birds in a song that would wake up the sleeping town of Waterfall’s End.
People rose up from their slumber, gathering supplies for the day. Later the smell of food and sounds of chatter drifted through the air, reaching every corner. Only a few places were shielded from the bustling presence.
Even beggars woke up, straightening their tattered clothing and dusting off their empty cups. But under the dark shadow of an eave, facing a quiet side street, one man still had his back laid against a wall of a tall building, sleeping soundly.
A kick landed on his leg.
“Drake…”
“Mm?” Drakkel asked, his eyes still closed.
Another harder kick landed on his leg and the voice of the one calling him raised in volume, “Drake Fwiler!”
“Yes?!” He said tiredly, wiping his eyes.
With a frown on his face, his eyes slowly slid open.
The person who was kicking his leg before now patted his shoulder. “It’s good that you’re up! I need you to run another errand! Don’t go crowding the streets like some sick fellow! A strong man needs to work!”
Drakkel sighed as his blurry vision became more clear. He lifted his head and finally managed to take in the figure of the middle-aged lady who stared down at him.
“Sure Reila. What do you need this time?” He asked, scratching his head.
He got up and stretched. His body ached and his old wounds stung. But, they always did.
“I need you to drop something off. It’s in a further part of town. I don’t have the time to go.”
Drakkel nodded and yawned. “Sure. I can do that. But, what’s the payment?”
Reila huffed. “What about all the free food I've been giving you these past few months?”
Drakkel's eyes felt heavy. He tiredly replied, “You say that, but weren’t they leftovers? You said you were going to throw them out anyway.”
There was an awkward pause before Reila’s angry glare landed on him.
Then she scoffed and turned around. “Fine, if you don't want my help anymore, just stay so… Some people, so unappreciative! They don't realize how lucky…”
“Okay!” Drakkel called. “I’ll do it!”
Reila paused and turned around. Her eyebrows were lifted and one corner of her mouth curved upward, almost forming a smirk.
“Where do you need it delivered?” Drakkel asked.
Reila beamed. “Hold on.”
She quickly ran back in the direction she came from.
A few minutes later, she returned from around the corner with a smaller than average donkey.
The donkey's size wasn't the only thing unordinary about it. In fact, its look needed more than a few words to describe.
It had large front teeth, an incognizant expression on its face as if it were unaware of what was going on, and uneven ears, with one tilted in an awkward position.
Drakkel's gaze returned to Reila.
“I need you to deliver this donkey to the butcher so I can sell its meat. I tried to sell it to three farmers already! But it always failed at its duties so they returned him and demanded a refund!
Someone left it at my inn as a tip for nice service, but it's only become an eyesore! All it does is eat and sleep. I can’t afford to keep it anymore.”
Drakkel nodded, but he was barely listening. His gaze slowly drifted back to the donkey.
Large amounts of drool began to gather at the ends of its mouth and leak out like a waterfall as it stared back at him blankly.
As he twisted his head slightly to get a better look at it, he could have sworn that one of the corners of its lips turned up.
“Did you hear me, Drake?!”
Drakkel’s head shot up, “Yes. I heard you. I haven't been to that side of the city for some time but I heard a new butcher opened up to replace the old one a few months ago. Is the process to trade in meat still the same?”
“It is,” Re'ila answered.
“And where is it located?”
“It opened up in the same place that the previous one closed down.”
Reila seemed a bit inpatient now.
Her body started to lightly swing back and forth and her arms were crossed. Due to the state of the town and the size of her inn, she had no employees. She couldn't be away for long.
“Ok then. I’ll deliver it right away,” Drakkel replied.
Reila quickly handed him the reins. “Good. Once the butcher's done, remember to bring the meat back to me.”
Drakkel took the reins from her and said with a half smile, “Sure.”
Reila prepared to leave, but something stopped her. She slightly turned her head back.
“By the way,” she said. “There are rumors floating around that some Sword Fighters are in the area. They likely don’t mean any harm, but if they’re here, they may be after something that does, so be careful.”
Drakkel nodded. “Thanks. I will.”
Reila gave a nod and hurried back to her inn and Drakkel began to haul the oblivious donkey he received across town.
He walked the nearly desolate streets of Waterfall’s End with its cracked pavement and dark atmosphere with blase, thinking about what Reila said.
He didn't mind Sword Fighters in town as long as they weren't from a particular clan. But because of where he was, the chances of them being from that clan were extremely low.
Still a little tired, he was a bit startled when someone called out, “Drake! Are you busy?”
His head snapped up as he glanced at the person who spoke. It was farmer Laoil.
He smiled.
“I’m running an errand for Reila right now. Do you need some help, Laoil?”
“I do! I’m busy harvesting my new crop but my horse stables are dirty. Do you think you can muck them out after you’re done?!”
“Sure!” Drake replied.
“Thanks, Drake!” Farmer Laoil responded.
As he continued to walk, more people called to him. “Drake, after you help Laoil, can you pull the weeds from my yard!”
“No problem!”
“Drake! Thanks for watching my business while I was away! I have your money here! Come collect it when you're done!”
“I will! Thank you!”
With his stomach growling, Drakkel decided to stop answering people's calls, only waving at them before hurrying past.
He sighed, but couldn't help but smile afterwards.
Unlike in other cities, the people of Waterfall’s End had their own lives to live and had no time to stick their noses in someone else's. Because of this, Drakkel was quite fond of them. As long as he did the jobs they gave him, they wouldn't inquire about anything else.
As he passed the halfway point between Reila’s inn and the butcher house, he saw a small crowd gathered around an old man. He slowed his pace to listen as the man told tales of the Sword Fighting world.
“It was then, seven years ago that at 20 years old, Sword Master Drakkel Fin, the man known as the Sword's Wind, one of the most powerful sword fighters, lost to 17 year old Rillian Adore who was rumored to be a Sword Hero!
We all know the order of sword skill. The first is Sword Valiant, then Sword Hero. Above is Sword Sworn, Sword Spirit, then Sword Master. Above those are Sword Epiphany, then Sword God. It has been a long time since someone has made it above Sword Master; so long it is recorded only in the anals of history. Many began to believe it was only a false tale. However, with Sword Master Drakkel Fin's sword prowess gathered at only the age of 17, we thought we might see the return of a legend.
After all, he was the youngest person to become a sword master in history! But in the battle fought so many years ago which lasted for only ten minutes, Sword Master Drakkel Fin dashed all of our hopes and lost terribly to Rillian Adore!”
Some in the crowd commented.
“Yes! I heard of it before in Prancing Hills! He went missing after the battle despite the fact that his swords clan said they would take him back. His master apparently misses him. Seven years later, they’re still searching for him.”
“No! I heard that his master was ashamed of him and was looking for him only to punish him. His master is said to be the strongest Sword Fighter in the world after all and he was disgraced with such a disciple! For Drakkel Fin to gain that amount of power, but lose so badly, don't you think demons could be at work? The reputation and influence of his clan, which was only just recovering, fell because of his loss. Now, instead of being equal to Golden Peak as the top Swords clan, they can only be known as number two to their one!”
“But who could hold a grudge for that long? 7 years? He was a prodigy within their clan and was half responsible for their rise in fame and renown! Besides, they still won't tell anyone their intentions behind looking for him. I think what I said is correct.”
A third person chimed in, “Even if either of those were true, who would want to go back? If I were Drakkel Fin, even if you dragged me there and bowed to me three times, begging me to come back, I wouldn't have the face.”
The crowd nodded in agreement.
Drakkel felt a headache forming. Tightening his hold on the donkey’s reins, he continued to walk, but his feet moved a little faster than before.
As the view of the butcher’s shop began to appear in the distance, he suddenly halted.
His attention was drawn to some voices drifting out from an alleyway to the side.
“Stop! No!” He heard a woman's voice scream.
“She's a feisty one.” A man said.
Drakkel felt something was wrong.
He slowly approached the source of the noises.
As he walked through the dark place, sneaking closer, the voices became clearer.
Another man snickered. “Yeah. I’m sure she'll fetch a good price. But, do you think we can sample the goods first?”
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The man that spoke before sighed. “But you went and ruined the other one last time. Then we had to sell her for cheap!”
“Fine. But maybe a kiss or something? I’ll make sure not to leave any marks!”
There was a pause before Drakkel heard, “Go ahead.”
That was the only signal he needed.
Drakkel picked up a small rock from the ground and told the donkey to stay before rushing towards the source of the voices.
He could have approached silently, but he purposely tried to make some noise on his way in to draw the attention of the men. It seemed to have worked as one of the men asked, “Who’s there?!”
Drakkel recognized the speaker to be the one who was going to allow the other man to dishonor the girl. As their figures came into view, he was able to see them properly.
The one who spoke was a small man, but well built. He stood in a straight manner and his figure had already assumed a defensive stance. Standing the way he was, no ordinary person would be able to tell, but because Drakkel had a background in sword fighting, he knew the man had to have some sword skills.
“I heard some noise so I only came to take a look. Is something going on here?” He said innocently.
He looked to the side and saw that a girl was being held tightly by the arm by a larger man.
“Help me! These men are trying to take me aw…!” The girl shouted before her mouth was clamped by the larger man’s free hand.
The smaller man looked at Drakkel carefully.
The shadow of the eaves covered most of his figure, but it couldn't hide the tattered clothing and dirty feet. A beggar like him wouldn’t cause them any trouble. And even if he did, they almost had enough money to find a better place to stay.
He nonchalantly waved his arm in a gesture for Drakkel to go, shifting his gaze away from him and back to the girl. “Nothing is going on here. Ignore what this girl says. She owes us some money and we’re just collecting our dues.”
The girl vigorously shook her head as the larger man held her, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
Drakkel didn't intend to leave so he stayed in his spot.
“What, not leaving?” the smaller man asked his gaze now returning to Drakkel.
Drakkel, whose figure was partially covered by an eave that sheltered part of the alleyway, stepped forward into the better lighted open area where the men and girl were standing.
Now seeing him in a different light, the smaller man’s eyes widened while the larger man’s face extended into a wide smile.
Although his appearance was different from before, Drakkel could still be called a beauty. With his long black hair, smooth pale face, and striking features, even some men would find it hard to resist his appeal.
The bigger man looked at the smaller man. “You know what I'm thinking brother?”
The smaller man nodded. “Yes, he isn’t bad either. Hand me the girl. We can take him too.”
The bigger man hurriedly gave the girl to the smaller man who also blocked her mouth to keep her from speaking. Then he turned to face Drakkel, licking his lips.
“Why don’t you come with us quietly?” He asked. “We promise to be gentle with you if you do.”
Drakkel shook his head. “No thank you. You see, I'm weak and malnourished. Wherever you plan to take me, I might not survive the trip.”
He tried to think of an excuse to avoid fighting the two men. Then what he had been told earlier came to mind. “Actually, I heard that some Sword Fighters were in the area. Wouldn't it be a better deal for you to let me and the girl go? If you do, we’ll be in your debt and we can make sure that no one knows you were here.”
The girl nodded. But Drakkel said this fully intending to seek out the Sword Fighters Reila mentioned after everything was said and done.
The bigger man smiled. “Do you think we would believe that? We’ve been here for months and we haven't seen a Sword Fighter come through once! If you want to come up with lies you better find more believable ones!”
Drakkel sighed. So he really wasn't getting out of this peacefully.
“Enough talk now!” The bigger man said. “If you don’t want to come quietly, then don’t blame us for being forceful!”
The bigger man dashed towards Drakkel, the sound of his heavy footsteps echoing off the walls of the empty alleyway.
But his movements were predictable and slow.
Drakkel easily leapt into the air and dodged the assault, landing behind the man.
The man turned around and licked his lips. “I will take pleasure in making you get on your knees when I defeat you!”
He ran at Drakkel again.
Drakkel dodged to the side and when the man stumbled trying to catch him, he kicked him in the back with a sword energy enhanced attack.
The man completely fell over, landing on his stomach.
He braced his hands on the ground, attempting to get up, but Drakkel had already made his way over, keeping him down with one foot to the back.
“You’re such a small and frail man. Who knew you had some sword skills?” The smaller man said.
His eyes shot to the sky, thinking for a moment, before he brought them back to Drakkel. “I see. If you’re all the way here without a clan, it can only be for two reasons, either you never had a clan and were taught by an independent master or you were kicked out of one. With your appearance so poor, I can only assume the latter.”
Drakkel laughed. “Don't compare us. You and I are not the same. Besides, the current situation isn’t favorable for you. I have your man and you have the girl. Instead of making useless statements here, shouldn’t you focus on how to get out of this situation? If you want, we can do a trade. That girl for this man.”
“Oh! So you finally showed your true colors!”
The smaller man looked down at his brother held under Drakkel’s heel.
Actually even if the man holding his brother was faking his weakness before, he wasn’t threatened at all.
So the man could defeat his brother? It didn't matter. Unlike him, his brother wasn't a sword fighter so his feat wasn't that impressive. The man was also clearly trying to leave without fighting. Considering these factors, the man in front of him likely wasn't that strong.
He smiled. “injure him or kill him if you want. But whatever you do to him, I will do to this girl.”
Now Drakkel knew they had come to an impasse. Truthfully, with his current strength, his chances of beating most sword fighters was very low. The person in front of him was probably more than enough to be his match. If he wanted to defeat him, he would need all his focus which included getting rid of the only vulnerable person amongst them.
“Fine, I'll let the man below me go first. Then you can release the girl, ok?”
He slowly released his foot from the larger man’s back and the man scurried up and clasped his arms tightly around Drakkel in return.
Drakkel continued to speak to the smaller man. “I’ve been captured already. Why not let the girl go?”
The smaller man laughed. “You really thought we would do that? Don’t you know better than to trust strangers? Now that we have you both, why don’t we just sell you off instead?”
“Was lying what got you kicked out of your clan, sword outcast?” Drakkel shot back.
The words came like a strike of lighting, silencing the entire area.
The smaller man’s expression slowly changed until he was wide-eyed with anger.
With a grimace on his face, he gazed angrily at Drakkel. His expression was as if Drakkel had just spat on his mother’s grave. But for what a sword outcast was, one couldn't say that his reaction was surprising.
A sword outcast was a person who trained under a swords clan but was kicked out usually either because their skills weren't up to snuff or they committed some acts that went against the clan rules.
Once a person was kicked out of a swords clan, it was rare for them to ever get into another again. This is not only because they had a bad record behind them, but because each sword clan utilized a different weapon. It was a well-known fact that once a person trained in one weapon style, it was almost impossible to be just as good in another. Also, like Drakkel, some of them spent much of their lives with their weapons. After learning a weapon, gaining a knack for fighting, and developing a strong sense of pride, performing normal work was difficult, even if one could get it despite their reputation.
Worse still, if you went to a swords clan in a larger town, word of you becoming a sword outcast spread like wildfire. Many even had lists with the names of living sword outcasts from Swords Clans in their vicinity. It was also the case that sword outcasts bore the mark of their status somewhere on their person. They were forced to make a slash on their body with their weapon before giving it up.
The man Drakkel was staring at had such a scar on his neck. With the way it looked and the location of it, it should have been the mark of the Berserk Cleaver Swords Clan that used large butcher's knives as weapons.
With the man momentarily distracted, Drakkel took out the rock he had picked up earlier and flicked it as his wrist, forcing him to let go of the girl.
The man’s recovery was quick and even with a hurt wrist, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him to catch up with the girl who was now running away, but he ignored her, still fuming with anger.
After she left he scoffed. “Your looks are superior to that girl’s. It’s only because you have offended me that I will use my full energy to defeat you today! We’re different, you say? So, you think you can look down on me? You may not have a visible scar on your body, but I'm sure we’ll see it when we take off your clothes! By then, you’ll have to apologize and admit you were wrong!”
The man pulled out a wrapped item attached to his waist.
Drakkel had actually noticed that the man had something attached to his waist and expected it to be a weapon. So when the man undid the wrappings, he wasn't surprised by what lied underneath.
The smell of blood drifted into the air as the man revealed a weapon which turned out to just be an ordinary butcher's knife. The blade was old, but it had a sharp edge and a thick cut.
The man stepped toward Drakkel who was still being held by the bigger man, when Drakkel kicked the bigger man in the knee, forcing him to loosen his hold and allowing him a chance to escape.
Drakkel jumped out of the man’s hold and propelled himself backward towards the exit of the alleyway, but the smaller man held up his hand and slashed in his direction.
Sword energy rushed out of the blade like a raging tsunami, heading straight for Drakkel. So Drakkel’s plans for escape were ruined and he was forced to change his trajectory to dodge the attacks, missing the exit to the alleyway and landing in a corner instead.
As he caught his breath, the two men moved to block his exit.
With how angry the smaller man still looked, Drakkel knew he wouldn’t be leaving easily.
But ordinary weapons couldn't handle utilizing sword energy for long and would break some time after just one use. If he dragged the battle out, even if the man in front of him was at a higher level, he might have a chance of defeating him. It’s just that he wasn’t sure if he had the stamina for that.
He taunted, “What did you do to get kicked out of your clan? Hanging around the back alleys of the street like a rat, it must have been something unsavory!”
“Does a beggar like you still have the mouth to talk? Where do you get off feeling high and mighty?” The smaller man spat.
Then his eyes suddenly widened. “Wait, I see now! You must be trying to buy time! You really aren’t too strong, are you?”
Drakkel didn’t flinch but the smaller man had already guessed his weakness.
And the man must have known it too since he continued to talk. “Come to think of it, I believe I recognize you now. A handsome face and a dirty appearance. We’ve only been here for a few months but even we’ve heard! You're Drake Fwiler the beggar! The one who does nearly any task for a measly amount of pay! Living a pathetic existence!”
“With how weak and frail you are, you should really be thanking your fate for meeting us! With your looks, maybe you’ll end up with some rich lord or lady! After we’ve had our fun with you of course!”
Drakkel began to see cracks in the blade the smaller man used.
“Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?” He asked.
The smaller man smiled. “Fine, if you don’t want to talk, we can continue to get down to business! Let’s see how much longer you’ll last!”
The two men dashed forward, attacking Drakkel together.
Drakkel decided to focus on taking down the smaller man since he was the only one versed in swords arts.
He dodged the tackle of the bigger man and kicked him in the back with his sword energy, making him barrel forward and run headfirst into a wall.
Then he used this opportunity to propel himself straight to the smaller one.
With his sword energy enhanced attacks, he used two fingers to mimic a sword gliding through the air to attack the smaller man. The smaller man blocked this assault and the two continued to trade blows.
He dodged all the moves of the smaller man and got in a few hits. But after a while, he sensed something amiss.
The man stopped dodging as if he was taking on Drakkel attacks on purpose.
That's when a foreboding feeling came over him.
“Now!” The smaller man yelled.
Drakkel turned around and saw the bigger man standing a small distance behind him with his arms open.
“You really shouldn't get distracted,” The smaller man said before aiming a fully powered sword energy attack at Drakkel.
Only when Drakkel took it head on, did he realize that this man was at the middle of Sword Hero. He was unable to fully block the attack and was pushed back, right into the arms of the large man that was waiting behind him.
Drakkel lamented on the fact that he no longer regularly practiced his sword skills, maybe working on them once every three months or so. In terms of his actual combat training, he trained even less. As complacent as he had been, it seemed he had gotten rusty.
The smaller man smiled as the blade broke in his grip, leaving only the hilt. He threw it to the ground and walked towards Drakkel. “You talk big for someone who was defeated so easily. But I wonder, you’re only a sword hero but you held us both off for so long. Which clan were you kicked out of?”
Drakkel could feel the hot breath of the larger man running down his neck as the smaller one made his way over.
Despite this, he was calm. Now that the blade broke, he had an opportunity. The moment the smaller man stood in front of him, he would break out of the larger man’s grip and hit the smaller man in his weak spot. But his plan was suddenly interrupted by a voice sounding from the entrance of the alleyway.
“Stop what you’re doing.”
Drakkel shifted his head towards the direction of the voice. Upon a glance, sweat dripped down his face and his mouth dried up faster than water in a desert.
Although it wasn't cold, he began to shiver as his heartbeat became so loud he could hear it pounding in his ears.
He didn't remember this man, but he knew his description. So he instinctively lowered his head to hide his appearance.
“Who says?” The smaller man asked, also turning his attention to the new arrival.
The man who stood at the entrance to the alleyway was tall, exuding a lofty and imposing energy.
He had long blonde hair like the color of golden wheat and large brown eyes which gazed at them as if they were simply ants under his feet. His eyebrows, which were sharper than a dagger, were furrowed as his mouth formed a scowl. Combined with his clearly muscular physique and intimidating aura, one wouldn’t casually approach him.
He carried a large item on his back. Although it was wrapped, one could tell that the weight was a heavy one and yet he effortlessly carried it.
His voice carried an air of authority as he answered, “I’m a disciple of the Golden Peak Swords Clan. My name is Rillian Adore.”