Chapter 1

The Village Trainee

The boy ran fast through the running path, balancing his sword with both his hands, his sword and body in a complete rhythm advancing towards the target, the wooden man magically enchanted to withstand any assaults from the trainees, he leapt when he was almost near his target, which was indicated with the presence of a black line, he was in the air for a seconds, his sword was wavered up, he came down to the ground with the sword at the statue’s head his hands were a-wide, the usual way of hitting a dragon, a spark of energy escaped through the end of the tip of the sword, the wooden piece, the target remained still.

“Again the same thing it seems” said the boy in despair.

His hairs were black but there still appeared some grey ones, his eyes was purple with a little bit of crimson shade at the corners, he appeared to of an average height five foot five, was not so skinny but yes was like what most village boys used to be.

“Try again, harder, I am not going to leave you unless you show some progress in the practice, breaking the wooden man. You have the skills and powers, the talent, do it! “Said the trainer with white beard and black hair, having dyed his hair white, who stood over the boy tremendously.

“This sword is a little slacky, I just might do better, you know, if I change the sword or a blade just for practice. I fancy the one over there.”

“No, you must understand Leofin, as I have told you many a times, you can’t have any other sword. Why don’t you get it, you are bonded to the sword and it appears the sword will only serve you, because the sword is bonded to you. Another sword won’t word and do you think to use the blades which are used because the swords are unavailable and the blade portrays a sword.

“Well, why am I the only one bonded a sword in my hands which does not even work as useful as a blade?”

“I don’t know, neither am I the one to say the thing to you, the sword always works with its wielder very mystically, some directly work in the hands of the wielder, some has to be learned to be used. So retrieve the sword and start practicing.”

“Well I could learn with another sword and then turn to my sword, you know switching after matching an easy one.”

“No, learn by your own sword, you are a warrior and learn to be one.”

“Well, I can’t see anyone else doing, practicing with a particular sword.”

“Well they will have to choose a sword, and the sword has to choose them when the time comes, the heir-born or new-made, and only a few can be bound, even those who are not bound uses only a particular blade.”

“Ask what god does it anyway, wouldn’t it be always better to learn with multiple swords at once and hence more options of survival in a battlefield.” said Leofin looking aside.

Two boys of his age were waiting near the armory, which was a very small one meant only for trainees and was enjoying the conversation of the master and pupil. Leofin had said to meet them as fast as possible after the practice and was to go on to the market. The two boys waved bye smiling at Leofin and walked away from there.

Mystcot said

“Don’t you know what good is it Leofin, and now your attention is somewhere else, those who are binded by the sword become warriors and are respected by the people, even it is more better than knights, the King will hire you directly, while those who does not make a bind becomes blacksmiths, soldiers, peasants and a very few highly trained among them the knights, got it.”

“ooh” said the boy grinning away.

“what! ooh! , speak Leofin.”

“Those warriors swords are great powerful, made by powerful wizards and sorcerers, some by priests, and what about mine, a trainee trying to make something and when it fails is brought by a not well to do family for its child.”

“I have seen even a soldier by just a blade making a sword blast with release in tremendous energy, he trained himself.”

“And they are called knights, or are made one and the one must be…”

“Me, of course, can’s you see me using this blade and still fight like a warrior, why even our King is one among the type of soldiers who have gained control over their self and fight like a warrior but without a sword.”

“Yes, but with a same blade chosen by you only, according to your specification, and the King is in the capital anyway, all of those in capital are powered by the aura of the location.”

“that’s what you think about the king, anyway can’t you sense that’s why I am asking you to use the same sword, though it may appear not powerful. That’s why I trained you in the art of using a blade also though without any power and you have mastered it and even it appears your sword has no power, that it’s just a blade binded to you by some crooked wizard, you can still be a soldier or a knight even. The world is not good and maybe the creator too, but then live the way it is or make your own way.”

“I get it, but I have complete every steps, except in the art of warriors, I see all my friends of this border village going for patrols, while I just stay and practice to be what I am not itself.”

“get started”

The boy, Leofin went away with his sword, doing the same way, sometimes running and smashing the wooden man sealed with magic to overcome strikes, sometimes standing over the same place and striking with a lift over to the ground. Master Mystcot went away seeing the boy in practice, after having sighted the scene. The tender maid who served the masters of the village came with a tray of finished glasses and said to Mystcot who was going to the outside arena showing a sign that the other masters were waiting for his arrival.

The Master Mystcot went inside the master’s mirth, just an ordinary hut from the outside and inside, but could change sizes from the inside when necessary. There were other master waiting for him he being the senior most of them all.

“Again the same fight with the child huh, questioning, answering, you should send him out and satisfy his need to be considered a trained fighter among the ranks of the patrol group. Or do you plan any other profession for this child.” said his wife Mayoko, who was a human arrowcast who trained people with arrows. She continued “Think, some of the arrows I taught him might help, it will do hi some good.”

“Where will we get an elf to train him now.” said Ogrek, the master of warhammerlamping.

“I have already trained him”, said Mayoko, the wife of Mystcot.

“A human can never truly master an arrow, you didn’t tell me how you got that elf to train you with the arrows” put forth Marmok, the priest of the village.

“Nothing of the kind you all think about, just friendship and loyalty which every honorable living being value, anyway the child is talented and I think arrows will do him better because his eyesight his keen and his hands are as fragile as it strong, precise in its movements.”

“Arrows! Uh, the child’s sword-bind, he asks many questions and might have learned many arts from you all, but finally he will need his sword when it comes into any service, but no matter whatever I talk to him, he is interested in everything but sword.” said Mystcot grinningly.

“Yeah, the most famous master of the Kingdom, living at the border village just to train a wimp who does not want to learn, you could be at the castle with the King running errands, whose son is he anyway.” said Revarin, the wizard.

“That is the most unknown part, he was found by me in front of my house as a child, there was some kind of magic of age and memory done over him, I took her to Eleen the elf arrow-cast, she was just trying to put him forth to foster care while noted the tiny think of the shape of the sword in his hands, well Mystcot is the expert in swords, he found the child was sword bound. As soon as the sword was taken in the hands of Mystcot it grew to that of a normal size, he took in the child to train and left all his missions just for the child. He treats him a disciple now.” said Marmok.

“Marmok, shut up, lest the child hear it, but you see I am not the only master here who is the best of the land, anyway it is I alone who cares for him.” said Mystcot.

“Not you alone dear, we too care for him, but we are here being tired of errands and matches, you still like it, you can still leave Leofin to us, he is not a child anymore and we will train him.” said Mayoko.

“The child’s sword-bind at a small age and that means he becomes a great warrior in the future if he trains from the beginning, it takes a normal person many years to become a soldier, then if possible to be sword bound by the capabilities and luck, and then many more years to train with the sword to master it. If Leofin directly trains with his word, by my age...”

“so, by some age he will be great and powerful and recognized, and you are to just deny the call given by the king to come and take part in the new mission to restore peace, just because you don’t care for yourself.” said Ogrek.

“No, I meant by his youth we will have a powerful warrior by our side, this kind of person appears once in few centuries, and even if they appear they may be striped if their sword by jealous people before they are even trained. Can’t you sense I am trying to hide this child from the eyes of the Lords so they may not kill him!”

Marmok murmured, “as though we cannot protect this child ourselves.”

They were in a kind of shabby house of appearance so none could sense who they really were, they lived there as it is though they were the great masters of the kingdom. They used to train the trainees of their village, and their village was full of trainees which was far away from the capital realm of humans, at the mediocre of the places from everywhere, far away from the politics of the realm headed by the King of realm and other Lords, so these trainees may not be utilized for bad deeds, and they may decide what to do in the future independently.

Every village had their own training houses, but this village, the Reverill village was the main epitome of training.

Leofin again did hit the wooden man but it did not break, the test being to produce energy through the sword warding off the protection of spells and then destroy the statue. He practiced again and again with different postures and gestures trying to unlock the sword’s potential. It was the daily routine to try and was he not ready daily to break the wooden man coated inside with steel and warded outside with spells, and hence he failed.

A few of the boys of his age took the spears in their hands from the armory, blades attached to their belt, wearing the armor of the patrol group for their daily rounds, were passing by and stopped to admire him.

“You!, are very lucky you got a real sword, a real one at least not a wooden one not like ours at this age, but then you should join us rather than spend time with this statue here.”

“Shut up and leave me alone or you may turn out to be unlucky in my hands” said back Leofin.

“Whatever” said the armored fellow and continued with his group.

It was of course as if a daily routine for the patrol people to think his a real warrior behind the gates but admire his sword, of course not knowing he’s not bound to it completely, that it would take anyone it its wielder if anyone worthy and trained well in mind decides to wield it.

It was turning dusk of at last, the time for every trainees to rest, the time for every newly trained to wander out of the gates of the Reverill village. The training began when the sun rose till it set. Leofin seeing the sun set put the sword back in his belt and went out of the arena.

Mystcot sighed seeing him leave, at the time even before the sun had set completely rather than think over his sword and rest for the next day.

Many children stood around the platform of the storytelling base all of them being trainees. The market was more crowded at the dusk filled with trainees and some outsider interested in filling over the trained one over to their side. The market was set up as an entertainment to the trainees and also as training after the life of training. Many women carried a bag of vegetable and foods while men could be seen seeing weapons ready for sale, mostly the retired fighters or the relatives of the trainees allowed to stay till the child completed the training.

Many soldiers came in through the gate, the village being surrounded by one side by the forest and the other by an endless road open to everyone. They returned having done their part of the guard and as many soldiers were already out on their own account sensing to find a traveler, maybe a Lord or Arch mage and hence be brought into service else to fight some crooked runaways and win some badges of glory giving them more chances of living.

Leofin stood there looking at the soldiers coming through the market, knowing he was better than many among them and he could also have been among them. Many who had started later than him was already in the patrol guard and many had even made out of the village. There was a person of his age in the guard, one who started the training with him and completed with him but was able to make out since he did not had to master his sword, because he was a soldier. He was the only friend of Leofin with whom he could spend with time merrily.

He stepped away from his group, his duty being done and went over to Leofin, seeing him standing, waiting for him.

“How was the arena?”

“The same, the usual. I can break any other statue and have done also but the wooden man they have kept, it’s the only problem with that one, needs power than skills to break it. Did you find any intruders, Ivan?”

“No, but stopped a few vagabonds, a few people trying to steal trainees, kidnapping children, stealing money from travelers, villagers.”

“and what”

“And what, nothing. They were killed by us, not much trained were they, their corpses are sent to the capital to be identified cause they were more than humans, well, one among them was known, Chorin, the son of the wizard of the black ruses, anyway he was buried separately.”

“I wish if I was able to come and make myself experienced in all this.”

“You can, if you break over the Zer’Ku’lan Maiya, you know the wooden man in your tongue I had to face my own kind of test, had to fight the master myself.”

“Stop that, I don’t want to hear again from you, heard enough from Master Mystcot.”

“Let’s go to my home, my grandmother will be waiting for the return.”

“Well you know, I have to return to the trainee house and practice with Master Marmok.”

But before anything was heard, his hands were caught by Ivan and they were running through the market.

The house was not so big as the traditional ones, but was old and small but still stood majestically over the others. It was not decorated as the neighboring houses according to the taste of the trainee but was plainly painted. An old women sat by the door cleaning her blade and its silver handle which still held its luster, one of the few of its type. The women at her age was a great fighter and had even served under the Duke of Zekura, when dukes ruled, which was supposed to be a settlement far away, other kingdom of the same land. She and her grandson stayed there not because of her grandchild, Ivan was a trainee but Ivan trained cause since she was one of the fighters and was allowed to stay on her interest. Yet she was one among the very few who followed the old customs, who had a privileged mind.

Two boys approached from far towards the house, the women sensed it keenly having her senses intact.

“So you have returned from the battle field huh.” said she without taking her sight from the blade in her hands.

“not a battlefield granny, but just a round of forest.” said Ivan shyly.

“Did you kill any elves tonight, or did you get smacked by those sorcerers, blades! made just in the shape of a sword with sharp edges without any powers. Stay away from those of mystical powers and beware, I don’t want you to loose, and I can’t come searching for you at this age.”

“It seems like you hate all being other than humans than you care for me to live.”

The grandmother looked at Ivan as though he done a crime in saying these words and having not killed any other being of a different race, and Leofin for staying silent and hence indirectly supporting Ivan in the eyes of her.

She motioned for them to get in and they were already inside before they could even count the seconds, she closed the door behind the empty streets.

“It seems you fancy those elves and is under an illusion, its good the elves have stopped sending their cadets for training here.”

“Yes we know you hate the elves the most.” said Leofin

“Haven’t I told you the story?”

“Which story?” jumped Leofin.

It was a predominant practice for both of them to listen to the old warrior while she told the stories of her glory, of her fights in the lands of needs, how she had smashed a goblin into two halves, how she saved the lives of a village all alone, how she fought side by side with the wizards against the sorcerers, how she overcame those enchanters who wanted her at her side, how she fought being the Delmany Warrymn of the southern courts for a period of twenty years until she was relieved by someone else, the realm became against her specifications and she left it all behind, how her sword bound to her sent binds of energy through the air at the fighters, cowards according to her who fought with long distant weapons.”

“I think you told it only to me when he had got some punishment after the day to do the extra work.” said Ivan, taking pride over the fact he knew something his friend did not.

“Hum, you could just repeat this one once again, I just wanted to…” said Leofin, his hands going back to his head as if in a sigh of resignation over his temptation to hear the wonderful stories. He in fact knew it was not allowed to say ill of other beings since the pact of peace was made among different being, even if it meant speaking the truth.

The old forgotten fighter began as usual.

“There lived a lot of barbarians together spread over this land, the lands of Demru, and from among them rose many warriors and warhammerlampers, the most powerful fighters in the lands of Demru. Many searched over paths of darkness, those who were barbarians no more, but just weak humans, others path of elements, of nature, and hence rose many wizards, sorcerers, enchanterers, priests, psionists, and other people with mystical powers. The barbarians and humans were one of course but had different ways of life. Then one day many workers of the field was lost unseen, many died unannounced. The house had vanished, the fields turned to be forests and many elves came to fight for the land, it’s their dark magic. Many of our people just fell, being hit by arrows, their forests appeared in our lands, the land of humans, our world, killing all the common folk, we fought back equally, all the powerful among us, but they had hideous beasts who came in search of them but was diverted to us, those orcs, goblins, and many other beings, the cowardly elves shot from the back hiding from us.”

“Nothing was left to do, whence was a time when we started to walk in one direction we returned back where we started but now, everywhere was those beasts, elves, hideous creatures.”

“Our King had to make a co-alliance with them, they took away the west most lands beyond the Reverill forest, where the beasts and monsters were pushed to live, thus making a barrier between our lands and where the elves reside. We were now surrounded and concentrated by all sides towards this land.”

“That is why I always say to you both, if you ever see any elves, kill them at the sight, do not listen to them, they will as well say they inhabited this land before us.”

They both knew this was not possible cause even if they had inhabited the lands first, they were restricted by the decree of the King that they cannot do as told, shoot at sight.

Leofin as usual to arouse her said sarcastically

“Well, I doubt how much the truth in it, but it is a good story, that makes my day today.”

“Story, how dare you call it a story child, I Myla of the dropnet, never lies.”

“What he means is it has a good moral granny”, said Ivan thinking to cool her down.

The doors were banged and Ivan rose to answer it. A senior trainee entered the room, he being sent over to retrieve Leofin, he came over to him taking Leofin by hands walked outside, forcing Leofin to come by wherein Leofin did not resist a bit.. The time of free moving was over for him and it was time to sleep.

The warrior Myla sighed at seeing a warrior being led away by nothing, just because there was no one to train him well.

The two trainees entered the camp, the younger one sent the elder one to the masters room. There were seated all the masters in round as if to judge him.

“Where were you” asked Ogrek.

“I was just in the market, and was lost in time when…”

“Next time onwards if you repeat this, you will be sent out of this camp, to the Reverill forest all by yourself, then you can lead your own life, now go to your cabin and sleep.” commanded Mystcot.

“Maybe you are not interested in practicing with me, huh, don’t you want to master the sword.” said Marmok.

Leofin did not know what to do, whether to stay and answer or to go and sleep. Mystcot directioned him to leave and he went away as commanded without saying anything, the door was closed by Marmok, and after seeing him have reached far away as not to overhear or to eavesdrop, he turned to Mystcot saying,

“Why are you so much worried about that child anyway, I don’t think he

will make out of the camp for another ten years. You should stop it, he had his chance and he proved his worth.”

“Well I sense that too” said Ogrek, “If he doesn’t make out within three years, he will reach nowhere. I think why don’t you put him among the patrol than asking him to do that exercises, like we train warhammerlampers. We learn by fighting really, not as in trying to beat a logically and craft-manly made wooden man.”

Mystcot sighed and said “that is too the way of us warriors and soldiers Ogrek, but first he has to have a minimum energy test to be passed, what will he do if he comes over a wizard, or any really powerful fighter, I am not training him to be an ordinary fighter. You all are talking the things which I myself know, there is a reason behind all this which only I know, for now let him have the Zer’Ku’len Maiya, the wooden man test.”

“I say he can lift that sword itself is great.” said Eleen.

The night was spent by everyone as usual, but who knew alone than the Dimensioner of what was to happen ahead.