In the year 785, the land of Florentia stood as a bustling city where traders go to sell their goods. The city is occupied by a great lake, and has beautiful buildings like the large basilica that stands in the city center. At the edge of the city, near the forest stands a small farm that resided far away from town. In it lived a boy named Ben Parvus. He and his grandfather lived and worked together, tending to the crops and animals they had.
On this day, Ben and his Grandfather have been hard at work harvesting the barley and wheat in their field. The soil was not very fertile, but they made do of what they had. Apart from the barley and wheat they also grew olives and fresh, delicious grapes.
"I'm going to get a glass of water Ben. Let's take a break!" said Ben's grandfather, wiping his sweat off his head.
"You go ahead grandpa! I'll just finish this and catch up with you." he replied with a smile.
On what seemed like a bright, peaceful, summer day, trouble came.
The door bursts open, startling the old man who had just gotten inside his home. Three men came in the house, each one of them reeked of alcohol and looked filthy.
"Hey! Old man!" exclaimed one of the men "The boss wants his money."
The old man still tired from the labor he had just finished replied "There is no need to be rude, like I told your boss I will have it by tomorrow."
"We're just here to remind you. Don't forget, you also owe us the interest."
"I remember, I also remember it wasn't you people I owed this money to originally. I borrowed the money from the previous owner of that pub. He was an old friend of mine. I still don't know how you people got him to hand it over to you."
"That's not your concern. All you need to know is that after we 'convinced' him to take an early retirement the place now belongs to my boss, as does everything tied to it, including your loan!"
As the conversation went on, Ben, who had just gotten inside, stayed hidden in the kitchen too afraid to move. His mind was frozen, as if it was separated from his body. His heartbeat grew loud and his sweat became cold.
"You better have it old man or there will be trouble. Let's go boys!" With that said the three leave slamming the door, causing a vase to fall on the floor and shatter.
As the heinous laughter of the three men fade in the distance, Ben rushes to his grandfather to clean up the sharp shards on the floor. "Let me clean it Grandpa." he said picking up the pieces as tears run down his face. "I'm sorry…I-If only I was strong, then I could get rid of those guys. I wish I was strong enough to protect you!"
As his hands shook in sorrow his grandfather holds him and says in a calming voice "You are strong, and you care so much. Strength is not just physical ability, but an indomitable will and kindness of heart." his Grandfather places his hand on his shoulder, reassuring him. "You are much stronger than you think."
After hearing those words, and seeing his grandfather's warm smile, Ben feels calmer but still his feelings of frustration and helplessness linger.
"Well why don't you start pulling out the weeds in the field." said his grandfather. Ben nods and walks to the field. As he enters the field, his mind filled with many thoughts. Thoughts of getting stronger, to be able to fight, and protecting what he holds dear.
He finished his job and gathered the weeds in the barn so it could be burned the next day. As day falls in to night, he goes to his room and prays that tomorrow will be much better than today.
Meanwhile that night, the three men who burst in to Ben's home gather together in a pub to meet up with their boss. "So boys, did the old man pay up?" said their boss, a large, muscled man called Jacques Merde, whose face was red from drinking.
"He said he would pay tomorrow, cutting it close if you ask me." the man snarled. "By the way boss, why do you want that piece of land anyway? I mean it's just a mud heap, why go through all the trouble of forcing them out of it?"
Jacques drank a large mug of ale and said "Well I don't really care about the land, it's what's in it." his men gather to listen in curiosity "There is a rumor going around that one of the Sacred stones is somewhere there."
"The Sacred stones? Isn't that just a legend?" retorted the underling.
"On the contrary, they are very much real. I have seen it. That was a long time ago but I can't forget something like that. I happen to be passing by as a man was being threatened by a band of thieves. He was inhumanly fast, and strong. Strong enough to break through solid stone, in the end none of those robbers was left standing and he just walked away. The power he had, I want it!"
"Wow. So you think the old man has it?"
"I don't know but I am going to find out. I want that power! Then I can take over this town! And nobody is going to stand in my way!"he exclaimed in a drunken fury.
"But boss...what if the old man does have the stone? He might use it against us."
"If that was true he would have used it a long time ago." he explained, "besides if he doesn't know about it, I wanna keep it that way...However, I am growing a little impatient."
"So what do you wanna do boss?"
Jacques thought for a second then a smirk appeared on his face "He said he was going to pay tomorrow right? Why don't you boys give him our 'warmest' thanks. Hahahaha!"
They all cheered, laughed, and drank in satisfaction of their plan. Little did they know that in the background, a man in a hood has overheard their scheme.
As night turned to day, the sun rose peaking from the mountains and the roosters cry out their call. From kitchen Ben's grandfather calls him "Ben! Wake up! It's morning!"
His eyes slowly open and he throws himself up from his bed. "Ben! It's time to get up!" his grandfather repeated. "I'm coming Grandpa!" he replied as he stretched out his arms and put on his pants and boots. He made his way down stairs to the kitchen where his grandfather had been waiting.
"Oh! Ben! Good morning my boy." He greeted his grandson with a warm smile "It seems as though we have run out of firewood, would you mind going out to the forest to get some? I'll get things ready here."
"Sure thing Grandpa!" said Ben. He walked out the door and breathed in the fresh air. The sky was clear blue and the birds sang their song. Ben picked up an axe and made his way to the forest not too far from his home.
He wandered around until he found a small tree that had fallen over. He chopped the log to pieces and carried a few on his shoulder. "I guess I'll be back for the rest after breakfast." he said to himself. As he walked back, he noticed something he hadn't noticed before. Just a little bit off his usual path, he saw an old tree stump and in its center was a tree hollow. In it something caught his eye.
As he cleared some dried leaves from the stump he found a small, round gem.
"What's this?" he said. As he stared at the gem stone in his palm, it started to glow and a strange symbol appeared.
"What's happening!?" he yelled as the stone starts to slowly enter his hand and when it fully submerged, he blacked out.
For a while he felt a calm sensation and saw nothing but dark.
"Where am I?" he thought "What's going on?"
Suddenly a light appeared and a heavenly voice answered "There is nothing to fear. I am a friend."
"A friend?"
"Yes, I am here to help you. Help you fulfill your destiny. If you are worthy."
"Destiny? Worthy? That's impossible for me. I am weak."
"Is it your wish to be strong to defeat your enemies?" said the voice.
Ben thought back, to the times he felt useless, unable to help, and feeling afraid.
"No. I want to be strong to protect the people important to me!" as he said that there was a brief silence, then the voice spoke again.
"You have a good heart. That is all I need to know. I choose you. Trust in me and I will make your wish come true."
Just like that, Ben woke up suddenly. He saw the trees, hears the birds, and when he recalls what happened he bounced back up and looked around for the stone. With it nowhere to be found, he looked at his hand.
"Was that a dream?"
Unsure of what happened he decided to make his way back quickly, thinking he had been gone for a long time. He picks up the pieces of wood he had gathered and headed back.
As he ran to the clearing between the forest and his home his eyes watered, and he dropped the logs. The sky was no longer clear but was filled with dark smoke, and beneath it...his home had been set a blaze.
"GRANDPA!!!!"
He ran as quick as he could. As he neared the farm he could see the animals have left the barn and are scattering and running past him. He made his way to the front door and when he did his face grew pale.
"Grandpa!" Ben yelled as he rushed over to his grandfather who laid flat on the ground, his face covered in ash. "Grandpa, let's get you out of here. You're going to be ok!"
"Little boys shouldn't tell lies. Besides what can a runt like you do!" said a voice in the midst of the smoke.
"Who's there!" said Ben in anger
From the heavy smoke emerged one of the men from the day before. And with him were twenty other thugs, some with torches and others with knives.
"Y-You did this?" Ben said in anger.
"I don't like that tone of yours boy. It's not our fault. Your stupid grandfather wouldn't agree to the new terms, so we had to take drastic measures." The man said with a smirk on his face.
With tears in his face, Ben dashed towards the man with his fist in the air. "BASTARDS!"
As he closed in on the man, he threw his punch but before it hit, the man had kicked Ben in the gut and pushed him back.
"What did you say you brat?!" said the man in an irritated tone "You should just stay quiet little boy or you could get hurt." He kicks Ben again and turns his back laughing.
Ben buckles from the pain as all the other men laughed and jeered. "Damn! I can't do anything!" he thought.
Then once again he hears the heavenly voice. "Didn't you say you wanted to be strong?"
Ben felt shocked, and unsure. "Let me help you. Let me fight with you." said the voice
"I don't know if I can." Ben replies
"Do you want to protect your Grandfather?"
Ben's eyes widened and looked at his Grandfather still lying on the ground.
"I do. I want to protect him! I want to FIGHT!!!"
Suddenly a burst of energy erupts from Ben's body. The men around them fell silent as they saw Ben's dark hair fade to white, out from the smoke a pair of daggers appear in to his hands, and as he stood up to face them his eyes glowed a bright red.
"What the hell are you?" the thug said in fear.
Ben raises his arm to the sky and suddenly his body been engulfed in the smoke and when it cleared he was gone.
"WHERE DID HE GO!?" the man yelled "Find him! He couldn't have gone far!" Before they could move a large cloud of smoke surrounded them, and none of them could see anything around them. And everything was silent. "Keep your eyes peeled guys!"
"AHHHHHHHH!" A loud scream broke the silence and fear had crawled up the spine of the man.
"What's going on over there!?"
One by one, in quick succession, a sequence of shrieks of pain erupted from inside the smoke cloud. Then suddenly in a split second the smoke cloud clears revealing to the man all his comrades now lying flat on the floor with their weapons and torches broken in pieces.
"WHERE ARE YOU, YOU STUPID PRICK!?"
"Over here."
The man quickly turns to find Ben with is eyes glowing red and daggers in his hands. Ben moved towards the man. "Stay back you monster! I give up!" the man screams in terror "Don't kill me!"
In a second, Ben shifted in to the smoke and reappeared inches in front of the man. The man became stiff, unable to more from fear. Ben raises his arm and flips the dagger to a reverse grip and thrusts it at the man. "NO!" the thug screamed in terror. In that instant Ben's knuckles strike his jaw and he falls to the ground.
"I'm not going to kill you." said Ben as his eyes faded back to normal. The fire dies down, and the smoke disappears. Ben looks back at his grandfather and rushes towards him.
"Grandpa! Grandpa! Are you ok?" Ben says holding his grandfather, shaking him lightly.
The old man lets out a small cough and his eyes slowly open. "Ben? Is that you?"
"It is Grandpa! It is!" Ben said pouring out tears of joy.
"What happened to your hair?" said the old man "Oh no! The house!" the old man grieved as he saw his home burned to ashes.
"I'm sorry Ben. Those men suddenly barged in and they didn't even accept the money. They just started to destroy everything." his grandfather said, his hand clenched in shame and anger.
"Don't worry about it Grandpa. I took care of it."
"What?" the old man paused in shock when he turned to see the group of thugs all laying senseless on the ground. "How did you do that?"
"I don't really know how to explain it." he replied with an awkward look.
Just before he could say anything more, the man Ben had punched stood up shaking. "This isn't over!" he yelled "I'll be back with more guys and my boss. You will soon fear Jacques Merde!" He then turns and runs away out to the clearing towards town.
"Hey wai...." Before Ben could finish his words, a loud crash shook the ground and the ground in front of the man split in two and crumbled down. The shock caused him to fall back just enough not to fall through the giant crack that had appeared in front of him.
"You won't have to call your boss." said a mysterious man in a hood. He was large in stature, with a giant axe in his hand where the large crack leads to. "I have your boss right here." He says as he flings a sack towards him, and inside was Jacques Merde, unconscious and beaten.
"When I heard your little plan in the bar I decided to confront your boss when you guys left earlier this morning. I wanted to talk it out peacefully but there seemed to be a misunderstanding and that happened." said the stranger pointing at the beaten Jacques Merde. "Though before he passed out he agreed to tell you men to stop and leave that family alone. However when I got here I saw something more interesting." The man looked at Ben clutching his grandfather.
"Who are you?" Ben asked in both curiosity and in caution.
The man lifts his hood revealing his face, a strong yet welcoming kind of face. He smiled and replied "I am Angus Clemmens, wielder of the Axe of Ramiel. And from what I have seen, you are the wielder of the twin daggers of Raphael. You were chosen by the Spirit of Humility. As I was chosen by the Spirit of Kindness"
"WHAT!?"