"An Ignite?! But you said she was an illustratio." Shouted Kaleem, strong confusion occupying his senses.
"I did. To protect you from the heart break. Your mother didn't meet the fate I told you about." Saleem was kind hearted and still is, but life can turn one colder.
Not knowing what to believe, his mind going through several scenarios, he finally asked. "You mean she didn't die when she gave birth to me?"
Painfully direct, Saleem uttered. "No, she was killed by illustratios in the motherland."
A tear force broke through his eye, his throat feeling tight as he hollered. "What? Why did they kill her?"
Trying to describe everything, Saleem slowly butchered. "She was a Witch. Through illas influences, the Guards along with the town folk burned her alive while I was at work."
Not believing what he's hearing, Kaleem reached to the point of an emotional breakdown but still forcing himself to hold it all together.
In the midst of this staggering sadness, understanding that crying it all out will make the killers feel prouder if they know, Kaleem asked. "We won't let her blood dry, make a plan!"
Puzzled how his son swallowed harsh facts swiftly, Saleem spoke. "So you don't mind that your mother was an Ignite and a Witch too?"
His face red, anger occupying his mind as he burned down the tear that broke out earlier, Kaleem expressed. "My mother was not a Demon, if she was, you wouldn't have married her. I know you too well."
A tear wanting to break but not allowing it, Saleem has to explain. "Son I couldn't be more proud on how you're handling the truth but there is little we can do, we can't wipe out the whole Capital."
Stupidly motivated his whole life, Kaleem started expressing his developing grudge with shouts. "I will train! I will work hard! I will burn that Kingdom to the ground!"
"What difference will we have from them if we do that?" His father yelled, not preferring Kaleem's way of thinking.
But understanding his son's pain better than anyone else ever could, under a calmer tone Saleem pitched. "If you wish to fix this hell hole, help the Ignites. We can't burn down innocent families, maybe there are illustratios who think the same as us."
His rage shunning down like a torch thrown in the sea, Kaleem just sat down on his chair again and murmured. "They had no right to kill her."
Glad that his son is old enough to have such a conversation, well at least the situation forced them to talk it out. Saleem offered a way to tame this hate, "This has been haunting me for 16 years son, I know how much this would will hurt. But do you know what made the bad feeling go away bit by bit?"
His attention grabbed away from pain, the boy asked. "What could it be?"
Slowly but surely, Saleem replied. "The smiles on the Ignites I've helped that couldn't even help theirselves."
His courage arising with new ideas, Kaleem demanded. "Then teach me, teach me to fight! Teach me to me to help those people!"
Still slow on his tone, but undoubtedly willing to direct his son, Saleem cited. "You can help people in many different ways without risking your neck. Gold for example, many Ignites lack it even though they work their asses off all day."
Other ideas in mind, the patriotic boy slightly shouted. "But I have Magic, I can fight."
Realistic, wanting his son on a safer path too. He pitched, "You don't know how to fight, you need time. With practice, you can rip a man in two."
Kind off hearing what he wants to hear, the young motivated man asked. "Then we will be able to help Ignites?"
Glad that a deal has been found between the two, Saleem continued to explain. "Yes, I'll even do it with you but first I need to train you. Once I feel that you're ready, we will leave this God forsaken shithole."
Eager, finding motivation out of pain although not fun. Kaleem insisted, "Yes! Let's start now!"
"Now?" Saleem asked, trying to recover a bit from this day he has low motivation.
Still insisting, Kaleem added. "Yes now! No time to waste."
Trying to relax a little bit from the tiring day, Saleem stretched the conversation with a fact. "Good but one thing first. From what your mother spoke, rage almost made her heart dark, it came along with her powers apparently. You could be dealing with the same thing, so you need to start fresh today and focus on Inner peace."
Taking a moment to comprehend all of this, Kaleem can only answer. "I will try my best."
"I have an idea, just replace rage with cockyness. Such as doing a victory dance like this!" Right after he stood up and with one foot against the ground and one hand on the air above his head, he started jumping and spinning clockwise.
Which shook the entire house but it's adorable to watch and made Kaleem laugh a tad bit.
Liking how this day will end up, the young brave hearted man spoke. "I will try it! We have a plan then.
For the Ignites! For the innocent!"
Complimenting his son's chant, Kaleem shook the furniture with a shout. "For the Ignites! For their freedom!"
...
Waking up earlier than usual to avoid the 12 hour long daily tasks, Saleem's aiming to build a training room in the basement, Kaleem needs a place to train after all.
He can rearrange the wooden crates who hold storage, place them here and there in the house. Their House isn't exactly small so they have space to spare. But anything in the basement has to go.
Having a forge literally near his house, Saleem can make any additional tool he requires. And what he can't make, he had gold to spend.
First he has to make a training dummy, it ie a task easy to do. With chains he just has to tie a bag filled with chopped wood around a thick wooden beam.
Against that support beam, Kaleem will be practicing the ways of the Sword.
Even though his strength gives him the ability to crush skulls without breaking a sweat, a Sword provides attacks from a better distance, blessing him with more safety.
Rushing in the basement holding a ladle, Kaleem shouting with one eye open. "Where are all the crates? Did we get robbed?"
Calmer, Saleem cited. "Not at all, this is where you will train from today. Do you like it?"