I got home relatively safely, I was out cold for three days. When I woke up I helped my brother move the anvil where he was building the forge, along with the materials. While working he mentioned how my body was entirely covered in healing magic while I was asleep. I need to recreate that.

We began to truly prepare to attack the tribe who took over our home. I was going to get our home back. No matter what. I began training even harder, finding the heaviest things I could possibly lift, the farthest I could run, and becoming the strongest, because I'm still weak. My brother bagan his own training, and began to smith. He was under apprenticeship with our uncle before the village was attacked.

Today we began trying to open the safe. I only knew half of the mana lock, so I had to just keep guessing. I got lucky and got a third of the way through it. I asked my brother to make me a large shield, though I guess we didn’t have enough materials. I managed to hunt two fire boars today as well. Good food tonight.

I completed the mana lock, he probably made it in a way that only i could guess. It was shaped like my favorite animal, the gorka toad. There was orichalcum in there and a note to the deed to the smithy, this material is hard to work with but my brother said he could work with it with enough time. It was just enough for a smaller grand shield. I remember reading a storybook about a legend of a group of nine warriors who used these shields alongside other weapons, mages, swordsmen, warhammers, greatbows, and even a slingshot. My grandpa told me of these, he believed they really existed. He loved them and their stories.

Maybe I could be one, even if they aren't real, maybe I can make them real. It doesn’t matter too much. I was getting stronger, better, faster, and more confident. The tree that I tried to uproot, was now nothing to me. I still needed that last push, the final piece to my puzzle. This town is my home and I never abandoned it. For my friends and family I will take it back even if I die.

My brother says the shield will be done tomorrow, it's been five months since we escaped. We got another letter from our parents, along with them saying that they’ll come here soon to bring us ‘home’ with them. We sent them a letter back of all that’s happened, and how I will take the village back.

With the letter sent, I rested. The solo raid was tomorrow. I will win. My brother said he is going to finish the shield by the morning. Tomorrow I will make a name for myself, and take back what’s mine. I will show those monsters zero mercy. Before I go to bed I go to my brother, and put my fist out to him. “I will win, because I am a shield that no spear can pierce.”