"Rodrick said it's dangerous." Dan is yelling at me, I guess he still sees me as a father or a already trusts me as a friend. I didn't ask for this... I want to tell him but... I don't want to hurt his feelings.

"Still, Dan, I need to go. If I can't do this your doomed, all of you."

"But why... Rodrick is an old adventurer" he points at Rodrick who silently corrects him "Old hunter" but he continues and his tones continue to rise "Rodrick knows this job, or maybe we send word to Jade who's wasting time out there instead of helping the village here."

"If they could do this then why was your father sacrificed?" I ask, accidentally almost matching his tones. Dan goes to open his mouth but he doesn't have a thing to say, he starts to question it himself.

"If I may," Rodrick steps into the argument. " Dali had... Has... A big strong body, but he's also strong because he, uses magic without knowing."

I look at Dan confused only to see him shrug at me. "Umm... Can I use it too?" I ask

"It's complicated, go grab your family axe, boy." He tells Dan. "I'll explain to D- Fren how to use."

After Dan runs back home to bring the axe me and Rodrick step out to the yard, him in a suit of rough cloths and metal plates and a small sword and shield. "You're not going to spar with me when I'm unarmed, right?" I ask worriedly, even thought I'm probably twice his weight.

"I was taught that with time everyone can learn to use their magic to hit stronger or last longer in battle, even heal faster and stuff." I guess he's just going to ignore my question. "Also, old weapons take some of that magic and become stronger like that, the family axe gathered plenty of that over the generations, Dali became proficient with magic that way."

I'm having a bit of a problem understanding this completely new concept. "So... Are people magic or the axe?" I ask him but he just waves his sword art thin air, it looks like training, or a warm up.

"You're not going to ask me what 'proficient' means, Fren?" He asks me, I don't understand why I would, what is he-"Dali was a simple man, strong, but not very bright. You're not only brighter, you also have knowledge he didn't have, of words he never heard. I'm sorry if prying into your origin makes you uneasy but I am far too old to be inhibit my curiosity, and too little tact to do it subtly." He peers into my eyes, most likely to check if the words Inhibit or tact require explaining.

A few minutes after, Dan returns with the axe in hand and Rodrick starts the lesson. "Take the axe and swing it at the pine over there." Rodrick points to a tree on the road next to us. Seems easy enough, not very kind to the tree though.

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I take it and prepare to swing at a diagonal from above, Dan looks to see what's going to happen but "Before you swing," Rodrick interrupts me "feel the axe."

Dan looks to the handle, checking for splinters, and to the blade to see if it's chipped. I don't think Rodrick meant it that way though. I close my eyes.

I can feel the axe, it's wood, but I also feel as if I'm holding someone's hand. It's a feeling like you know there is something alive on the other end, like when I look into someone's eyes and you know they're there. Then I feel energetic, like I have power, in my arms especially.

I open my eyes "I can feel it", I can still comprehend the feeling of seeing this axe as a living thing, I can still feel power in my body, most of it feels like the axe is guiding me but some of it is my own will. I swing at the tree as I planned before.

"Well done, Fren!" Rodrick shouts, we three stare at the tree with the axe still inside, more than half way through. I yank it back out, the tree leans down a bit on itself but doesn't fall over, that's good because I don't think Rodrick would appreciate a tree blocking the road to his house.

"That was amazing!" Dan says loudly.

"It sure is, Fren, if you train you can be even stronger."

"So that's magic?" I ask

"a poor man's magic, yes, no spells or wands. It's not as useful, and most people don't know how to use it, even less that it exists."

"How do you know?" Dan asks, that was about to be my next question too.

"I'm an old hunter, and I had some guild master that was quite the know it all." He mysteriously answers, and as much as I would like to ask him about it, what's more peaking my interest is.

"So... Why are you in gear...? Are we going to..."

"Oh, no no" Rodrick answers "I'm coming with you. I thought you we're capable, now I know you are. "

"What?!" Dan yells

"You're not coming" Rodrick adds, Dan makes a sour face.

"He's right" I quickly agree with Rodrick before Dan would try to refute this decision. He looks at me... If I really want him to stay I'll need to do more that decided for him.

"But I thought you said you don't have the energy even to lift your old gear, now you're wearing it and going there?! I'm much younger than you and I don't think any of us should go!"

"Dan, Rodrick knows what to do, you need to be the man of the family, now that you're dad is... You need go home and take care of you mom and sister." He can't even make eye contact, wrinkles appear at the sides of his eyes and tears start to come out. I grab his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Dan, I'll be back but you need to tell me that you understand why I'm doing this, and why you need to stay."

What a poor boy, I'm beginning to tear up too as I hug "You know I'm not your father, but I am your friend, you need to go home do you understand?" I say once more, forcing myself to look into his eyes.

A faint "Yeah" is all he can say beyond the gasping for air, then he runs in the direction he came from. I look at Rodrick and he looks back at me, but I can tell neither of us have anything to say about this.

"I'm not done preparing, We'll need torches, and a rope maybe, I got some stuff stashed inside. Preparing is half the hunt, even more if your good at it."

"Alright, I'll wait, good to know I got someone to count on." We walk back into the house. "Do you have anything my size?"

"Just don't get hit, haha" I had a feeling that'd be his answer.