The morning came with ease, the sounds of villagers around Albys home grew noisier, people walking around, the sounds of kids running and laughing, playing games in the dirt pretending to be knights hitting each other with wooden training swords.
"Alby, get ready and come outside, it's about time I taught you how to survive"
Lucas was sat outside of the wooden hut on a tree stump, a knife in his hand carving a small pointy stick waiting for Alby, bits or small wooden pieces flew here and there, landing just below his feet.
The sounds of birds tweeting came from outside of Alby's bedroom, his eyelids opened and with a big stretch Alby got up and got dressed, his clothes had been smudged in dirt and mould from the previous day, the stain of blood from where his bounty of rabbits was placed around his waist had dried into his rugged clothes.
"Urgh they need a wash, I'll do it when I get back later."
Alby put on his clothes and rushed outside to not keep his father waiting, the creaking of the smell of rabbit and fish from the night before made Alby rather hungry.
He grabbed his little knife with a Yellowish gold handle that was placed on the table that was just held together with string, he opened the door to the outside, the sun creaked into his house and into Alby's eyes, Alby placed his hand above his eyes to make a shadow allowing him to see what was in front of him.
"Morning farther, sorry to keep you waiting but did you say I had to learn how to survive?
What will I be learning?"
Alby focused on his father as he was carving what looked to be little letters into the pointy stick but Alby didn't know what language it was, the look of confusion spread over Alby, he never knew his father could write nor read, he always saw his father as someone who only knew how to cook and kept to himself.
"Alby, do me a favour and don't ask questions when different ears are around, today you shall be learning from me while your mother has gone out, she won't be back until later so we have almost a full day with each other.
Now, follow me and stick to me closely, do not ask any questions until we get to our destination, got it?"
Alby nodded his head, his father who wore a black cloak lifted his hood then placed it over his head, Alby seemed to have noticed tiny particles as the hood went over his head, but he wasn't able to ask questions per his father's request.
They walked for some time, through the southern forest of the village called Elenthor, Alby had never been to the southern forest before as it was filled with monsters that were stronger than anything he had seen before.
The rumours that spread around the village had scared Alby a little so he never went in.
"Urm... Father this is Elenthor forest... why are we going into the forest knowing how dangerous it is?
I'm weak compared to everyone else, not only that... but you... when have you ever held a sword, you've always held a spoon and a jug or booze... how is it possible for both of us to even run in this forest... I thought this forest had a selthian residing in it?"
A Selthian was a dangerous creature it was around eight feet in height, it was almost spirit-like, a purple glow that would light up the area around it, it was as if the Selthian was the guardian of Elenthor forest itself, keeping anyone and anything away from it's home.
"Son, as soon as we get to the middle of this forest we will be met with danger, so stay with me very close, keep me in your eyesight at all times, you understand me, you are my only child I do not want to lose you."
The look of Lucas as he turned his head slightly towards Alby made an imprint in his heart, Alby became curious wondering why his father was being like this, as this was the very first time in the fifteen years he's been alive to see his father serious instead of his carefree yet protective state, this was the look and speech of life and death for Alby if he didn't listen to Lucas.
They walked through the forest for some time, nothing came close to them not even a squeak for a common rat.
The sound of the forest was silent as if you were walking through deaths valley; Silent, eerie and dark.
The forest began to get slightly colder the further they walked, webs both large and small covered the tops of trees to the ground they walked on, the sudden noises of scuttling rushed from left to right, above and on the ground, Alby clinging to Lucas's hooded cloak for dear life.
"...F....ff...father... we are deep into the forest now, isn't it time to go back? it's creepy and there are spiders here... have I ever told you I hate spiders... what normal creature would have eight legs and try to eat you for looking like a god damn snack... I mean come on I don't go crawling on all fours to the market spewing on every bit of bread shouting my precious... come to me my precious..."
The sound of scuttling came closer and closer gradually getting louder and louder as Alby spoke to his father, in all directions, left to right, right to left, the sounds of scurried scuttling came chasing towards Albys voice as if the noises had locked onto the voice of Alby, faster approaching.
*Splatter*
Green blood flew past and on Alby's head, smudging his right-hand side of his face with green gooey blood, Alby looked up in shock wondering what it was all about, as Alby slowly inched his head up bit by bit, his father's fist was up in the air with half of a spiders body slowly sliding down his arm.
Lucas's arm, still as a brick wall covered in green gooey blood the spider's body flopped to the floor, the spider's carcass still twitching on the floor while its blood slowly gushed out of its crushed body as if it's been squeezed brutally.
"Haa.. Father... Y..yoo...your arm... how strong are you... that spider was the same size as me... and you just waved it off as if it was nothing... I'm here sticking right behind you feeling my underwear slowly getting heavier worrying about what mother would say and here you are just wafting your arm around as if you're just stretching your wrist... Now what...?"
Alby was shocked, yet his eyes gleamed with ideas of what his "survival training" would consist of.
Lucas's face also slumped just thinking of how Kiyah would react to his idea of survival training.
"Shitty pants, don't tell your mother, not only that as you can see we are surrounded by these creatures, not only that these spiders are called Incretious Spiders, they are annoying and very hostile towards anything in their territory.
We will need to handle this before moving forward, so do me a favour and don't say a word until we get out of this mess."
Lucas picked Alby up with one arm, he then ran towards the spiders with haste, before Alby knew what was going on it felt as if he was dancing the movements of his father, calmed him, yet also made him rather nauseous.
Alby saw bits of spider go everywhere, legs being thrown, guts being spun into the air, heads landing in the trees, abdomens being whacked into trees with webs seeping out like a liquid.
The stench of spider blood covered them both, desolate forest area at which they stood carcasses of spiders was at almost every inch of the place, parts of the ground smashed and coming apart as a strong being had just fought a great battle.
"Father, I hope you realise that not even the Terendale Knights in groups could handle these spiders two at a time... just how... there was at least 40 of them at once and you just butchered them with a single-arm... just who are you? who are you really father?"
"Alby go collect all their cores and their fangs and while you're at it don't let your guard down as it's not over yet we have still got "it" to deal with yet I need to just rest for a quick second"
Alby brought out his knife, he slowly waddled towards the nearest body trying not to step in the pools of blood that covered the forest floor, he started cutting off the fangs and slid his knife directly into the main body of the spider, slicing it open, he stuck his hand deep into guts of the spider rummaging around to find a core.
His hand was deep in spider guts, warm yet gooey, until his hand, found something as hard as a rock he pulled out this green core, the core itself was around the same size as Albys hand, the inside of the core was like a green moving cloud, endlessly drifting around in circles.
Alby did this over and over again until he felt the ground on the last carcass, it shook suddenly, Alby looked up slowly to see red eyes grow closer to him from the distance.
"Ah, father there seems to be a big problem if the "it" you were on about earlier is eight red eyes gradually getting bigger and bigger while the ground shaking then I do believe it's here... I think I noticed its children slaughtered, I mean if you can't smell the blood then well... you clearly nose blind, because I need a bath that is for sure."
The "It" grew closer and closer, shaking the trees around it as it walked, Lucas stood up after a period of time as he rested waiting for "it" to come.
"Heh, about time it showed up, listen Alby, watch and learn, this is the first step of your training, it's called weakness you will have to find your opponents weak spot as quickly as possible while in a fight, now while I'm fighting it you need to find the weak spot then shout it out so I can hear you, got that?"
"Yes father, you can count on me, but what creature is it?"
the ground shook so much Alby fell, the eight eyes that were coming from the distance had grown to the point they were now the same size as a teenager, the body itself was taller than the surrounding trees, it was huge, Alby had to try and find the weakness of this huge creature.
"My son, this here is the Incretious Spiders mother, it's called "The Dark Velvet Arachnid" this huge monstrosity is born every thousand years, but this one looks like it has been in deep sleep for at least three thousand years, so that means it's not laid an egg yet."
"Ha? you mean this huge spider is older than your pair of crusty socks father? Yikes and you want to fight that thing? just what type of person are you?"
Lucas jumped up higher than the trees and hovered there, all of a sudden a white light grew out of his hand and covered his body, as Alby looked above him and saw his father looking brighter than the moon his eyes lit up brightly.
Alby looked back to the spider and started looking at every nook and cranny of the huge spider for even the slightest type of weak spot.
The fighting began between Lucas and the velvet arachnid, Alby could see his father, the only thing he could see was almost like a firefly shooting here and there the glimpse of a blurry light just shooting about the sky became surreal to Alby.
"Son, have you spotted the weak point yet?"
Lucas was playing tug of war with the spider fangs while not even breaking a sweat.
the fight lasted for a while as Alby was looking for the weak spot of this giant spider.
Alby's eyes suddenly focused on the underneath of the spider at the back right leg, there was a chunk of skin missing at the crease of the leg that lead to the belly of the spider.
"Father I have found it, it's the last leg at that back of the spider at the right-hand side, the crease of the spider has a chunk of flesh missing when he moves towards that leg stiffens up so there isn't much power going into that attack."
"Ha that's my boy, now watch this you'll have fun seeing this, this is also training for you because where we are going after this you will be spending a full year in so you're able to learn this yourself."
Alby stared at his father as he was about to do something phenomenal.
Lucas's body that was glowing brightly began to concentrate back on his hand, in the next breath Lucas's eyes started to glow white not even the pupil was seen.
"Veshmal ne'gia alda deroth" (For light is my sword - Ancient Elvish)
The concentrated bright light suddenly light up the sky, as if the sun had come up, yet it was in the shape of a sword, this sword came slashing down on the spider's body and cut the back leg completely off before slicing the rest of the spider in half.
The swords aftermath also let a huge slit on the earth at least fourteen feet down and wide enough to fill it with water to be called a large pond.
The spider split in half and slammed each side down to the ground with a sudden shake, the spiders body still twitching even after its death was creepy the blood was highly toxic and yet it never damaged Lucas, not even a scratch.
"Now my son find the core, as this is one creature you are going to need its core if you want to become stronger."