I'll never break a promise to Dad ever again for as long as I live.
When Dad said he would make our daily training "challenging," I had not expected it to be so grueling. I haven't worked this hard since my days as a Commando. Of course, it wasn't quite the same thing, but man, am I completely exhausted.
Long-distance running while casting magic, short distance suicide runs until I drop, and bodyweight exercises until my limbs melt off me. It was hell in the form of exercise, and these last two and half weeks have been gruesome.
Dad even took time off work to make sure he could "help us understand" our mistakes. Cerila wasn't having much fun either, even though Cerila's stamina and mana control were better than mine. Dad made sure he accounted for that. Even I had to start using mana enhancement just to survive this punishment.
In all honesty, I deserve this.
These grueling workouts can only do so much to numb the feelings of failure I have in my heart. Letting Mom and Dad down that day will be one of the worst days of both my lives. Cerila feels the same way, of course. However, we both talked it out afterward, and both wholeheartedly agreed we would never do such a thing again.
Mom had no remorse in grilling Cerila, which brought her just as much shame. Cerila has grown attached to Mom over these last few months. I think she is even starting to see her as an actual mother. She stopped calling her Ms. Shadowheart sometime ago, but I haven't heard Cerila call her Mom yet. It was only a matter of time.
And, of course, I didn't mind one bit.
Cerila has been a part of my family for a long time now, even before she began living with me. So it was only fair that my parents were her parents as well. Does that make Cerila my older sister? I don't really know.
She really doesn't feel like an older sister, not even a younger one. But then again, I've never had a sibling, so I don't know what it's like to have one. I just know it doesn't seem that way, at least to me. Perhaps an irreplaceable friend?
I was lying on the couch recovering from this morning's hellish training when someone knocked on the door. Although I could already tell who it was by the heavy footsteps, I went to see what he wanted.
"Yes, Padraic?"
"What? No hello to your wonderful friend who isn't a troublemaker? That's pretty messed up," Padraic said with his trademark shit-eating grin. I could tell he had one on before I even opened the door.
"Hello. You know I can't hang out with you. We still have three more days."
"I'm actually not here for you. As Dr. Jacobs's number one student, I don't talk to delinquents. Go cause some trouble for somebody else," Padraic said smugly while waving me away.
Little shit. You just wait. When I get out of here, you are going to catch a pebble with your forehead at Mach One.
"Oh, good morning Padraic. How are you?" my mother asked him as she came to the door.
"I'm doing fantastic, Ms. Shadowheart. You look very lovely today," Padraic said kindly.
Flirting with my mother in front of my face? I know my mother is lovely, but you don't need to be one to say it. Let's bump that up to Mach Two. Maybe all that meat in your head can block what's about to come.
"Here is the order of arrows for Mr. Shadowheart. My dad wanted me to give it to you in person and told me to make sure that Kaladin understands the weight of his sins. So have you learned your lesson?" Padraic continued.
"Oh, I've learned. I've learned that you will have a real hard time dodging my spells in three days."
"Now now, Kaladin. Padraic was just joking with you."
"Yeah, man, I was just joking."
He was not joking.
He hasn't managed to stop grinning since I've opened the door. His mouth is twitching from trying to suppress his smile.
"Sure. See you soon, Paddy," I said coldly.
I snatched the two quivers of arrows and promptly slammed the door on him, not letting him get a word in. I let out a deep sigh, and I smiled to myself. Even if he is a pain in my ass, I do miss that meathead.
"Well, that wasn't very nice, Kal," Mom chimed.
"He will be fine. Padraic is made of tougher stuff than that."
Mom just shrugged her shoulders, and we went back to lounging around. Mom also took some time off for whatever reason. I guess she doesn't really need to go to the shop to work, and she can always just work from home. She must like to commute to work to separate work from home.
"So, Kaladin. Have you decided yet?" my mom asked me.
"Huh? Decided on what?"
"Oh my, don't tell me you have forgotten already?"
What was she talking about? Forgot what exactly?
"I… I don't know what you are talking about," I said, confused.
"It's a good thing Cerila is asleep right now. You might break her little heart if she knew you forgot her birthday."
Oh.
I did forget that her birthday was coming up soon. It's hard to remember birthdays when you celebrate them every five years. I only remember mine since it's in the middle of the rainy season, and there is literally nothing else to think about during those times.
Not only that, it was her tenth birthday which was an important milestone in this world. Most civilizations recognized individuals as adults after their fifteenth birthday so turning ten was a big deal.
"Uh. Sorry… I guess I did forget. But decide on what exactly?"
"Don't apologize to me. Just don't let Cerila know you forgot. I promise I won't tell her," she said with a sly smile. "But have you decided on a gift? She would be absolutely devastated if you didn't get her something."
"I uh… no. I don't have anything," I admitted.
I had no idea what to get Cerila. Let alone anything I could afford. I've spent nearly all my money on teaching supplies, but I did have a sizable haul from my Nekchic slaughter. But of course, Dad didn't confiscate the money since Cerila and I earned it fairly.
"Well, that just won't do. I have to go to the port tomorrow to sell some things. Would you like to come with me? It can be a little mother and son date, and we can find you something to buy for Cerila?"
"Yeah, that sounds nice. But, are you sure it's okay? I'm still grounded, after all…"
"You've been a good boy. I'm sure one day won't hurt. Besides, you don't have much time. The rainy season is almost here, and the port will be closed in a few days. And you can always find nicer things there than you can at the market."
"If it's okay with you, then let's go."
It should be fun going to the port. I've never left Owlkirk before, so it should be interesting. I was curious to see what life was like outside of this little home of mine.
—
The next day I traveled with Mom to Eastport. It was the only port on the island and was apparently decently sized. It was about a four-hour round trip from Owlkirk via carriage ride. People would hitch a ride in the mornings and come back later in the evening.
I knew Mom would come to the port at least once a month to sell some of her wares here, but I've never gone with her. She almost always goes alone, as far as I know. Even Cerila hasn't gone with her.
The ride so far was uneventful.
A road ran straight through the middle of the island that connected Eastport to the bridge that connected this island to the bigger island. Most people didn't even bother stopping in Owlkirk or the more northern village as it made no sense since it was just a straight shot to the capital.
It seemed people didn't want to spend more time in the jungle than they had to. Although the military maintained and guarded these roads, a monster attack was still possible. I heard the driver even mention that bandits had been prowling around recently. I didn't think much of it.
I doubt people could circumvent the rangers patrolling for long. If they could find two kids in the vast forest, I imagine a group of armed men wouldn't last much longer.
However, one notable thing was the fact the carriage wasn't using horses. I had been expecting them, but she told me horses are mainly used on the mainland when I asked Mom about it. Instead of traditional horses, this carriage was pulled by a single giant lizard. It seemed docile for the most part. Mom encouraged me to try and pet it, but it hissed at me when I reached for it.
I just wanted to pat it…
The lizard did just as well as any horse would do. Maybe even better, considering the awful heat and humidity of the jungle. I'm sure a horse would have been struggling from the weather by now. But the red and green lizard didn't even seem bothered by the adverse conditions.
There was also one more peculiar thing going on.
"Mom? Why didn't we feel the barrier when we went through it?" I asked curiously.
"That's because the village wards don't protect this road. So it's sort of like a double-edged sword. The rangers protect and maintain this road, but in case of an invading force, they block the paths and let monsters into the area. So it helps deter would-be attackers. But we will pass a much larger barrier in a few moments, and I hope you are ready for it," she explained.
I see. That's very creative and makes the most sense.
The rangers don't seem to be too numerous, so using guerilla warfare would be ideal. A few hundred rangers could probably hold off a massive invading army in the jungle, maybe even long enough that they would run out of supplies before reaching the capital. Then, of course, an army could just sally out anywhere on one of the islands, but the jungle would be just as deadly as the rangers. All in all, it's a good strategy.
After the final hour, we should have been able to see the sea, but it just looked like the same road we had been traveling down. Then the feeling of crossing the wards washed over everyone.
It was much more intense than the one around the village. Everyone let out muffled grunts. Some exhaled quickly, trying to expel the feeling from their bodies. Even Mom, who was a regular, seemed unsettled by the phenomenon.
It was essentially twice as bad as the village wards. The feeling crawled straight into your brain and made you so uncomfortable you wouldn't want to proceed anymore. Even the ever-so-reliable lizard needed to stop to gather its bearings. This is what must keep monsters from coming into the barrier.
But upon breaching the barrier, everything changed. The jungle cleared out, and the vast ocean spread across the horizon. Seeing it for the first time was breathtaking. The aquamarine color stood out even this far away.
The wind was warm and smelled of sea salt. Of course, I had seen plenty of oceans in my time. I've even been on entirely water planets with no land to speak of. But somehow, this beautiful scenery could captivate even me, someone who has crossed the stars.
"This view is always worth the trip. I don't think it will ever get old," my mother spoke fondly.
I could only nod in response. It was crazy to think that this was only two hours away from my tiny home in Owlkirk. I doubt I could grow to find fault with this view no matter how long I lived. Just what other kinds of scenery does this world have to offer?
Upon reaching Eastport, everyone clambered off the carriage, and together with Mom, we headed deeper into the port. Although Eastport was a small town, it didn't have many permanent buildings.
Most people here just set up cloth tents and makeshift wooden stalls haphazardly. It felt more like a bazaar than a traditional market. Everyone was hawking their wares, but it didn't seem hostile at all. The people were all smiling, and the atmosphere overall was enjoyable. The constant smell of seafood and salty seawater was also very refreshing.
There was a myriad of different people here. Beastmen, Elves, Humans, and Dwarves were all present. Wood Elves still held the majority but not overwhelmingly. I also saw a Dagin for the first time.
I was expecting them to be like Beastmen, half Human, half fish, but that was definitely not the case. Dagins were literally bipedal fish people. The only vaguely Human thing about them was they stood upright when they walked on land. They also came in a variety of different colors and patterns, making them quite diverse from each other.
But there were two things I couldn't help but notice. One, they didn't wear any clothes. It was somewhat awkward to look at them without clothing, but most of them seemed to at least cover their more intimate parts with a simple loincloth.
The other most eye-catching thing was that everyone had a bubble of swirling water around their neck. Mom explained to me that Dagins need water to breathe, so only Dagins who can use water magic can come onto land.
So every Dagin that is walking on land right now is constantly maintaining a spell for circulating water through their gills. It seems troublesome to me, but it doesn't appear to be too much of a problem for them.
I was also somewhat worried that my internal instincts as a former Death Commando would take over upon seeing a species that was very much not Human. But I was pleased to find that I felt completely indifferent to the Dagin, even a bit curious. All the other races I've seen so far have been closely related to Humans. Perhaps I've just grown accustomed to how things are now.
Or maybe my brain isn't working against me anymore.
Mom went ahead and trusted that I wouldn't stray too far as she sold her wares to a few merchants. I've been walking around for some time now trying to find something for Cerila but nothing has caught my eye. However, it hasn't all been in vain.
I've been learning about the economy and how things work around here. So far I've been able to deduce this much from listening in on conversations and asking merchants myself.
One hundred silver coins equal one large silver coin. Ten large silver coins equal one gold coin. One hundred gold coins equal one large gold and beyond that is twenty large gold coins, equaling one large Mithril coin. So far, every merchant I've spoken to has said they have never seen a Mithril coin, and most haven't even seen a large gold coin before.
So roughly speaking, a family of four needed to make a little less than one large silver a month to feed themselves. That makes me wonder how much Mom and Dad bring in.
Food has never been a problem, and we have plenty of luxuries. I'd have to guess that together they make at least five large silvers a month. I make about half a large silver with my hunting, and that's just me doing it for fun once or twice a week.
Also, all currency isn't the same. I've learned that every merchant around here weighs every coin no matter what nation the coinage came from. The Syn'nari Dins, the currency I have been using my entire life, is actually one of the worst currencies in the world.
Compared to just across the pond, City State Ostela's Marks are the highest appreciated coin and are the standard used worldwide. That was a little sad to hear that my home nation had one of the worst economies around, but I guess most people live off the land around here, so it shouldn't be too surprising that our economy isn't all that great. Even more so is that we are an archipelago nation and have to trade using the Dagin's resources.
"Find anything, Kal?" my mom whispered in my ear.
I jumped in surprise. I couldn't hear or sense her coming at all. My mom could be terrifying sometimes.
"No… nothing interesting."
"Well, I know a few stalls that might have something. But are you hungry? We haven't eaten lunch today," Mom suggested.
"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry."
Mom dragged me around to a new section of the market we hadn't been to yet. This part was a little closer to the docks. I guess Mom knows the general layout of this place. I started browsing a few stalls while Mom ordered us some food.
I finally found something that might be somewhat interesting for Cerila. I figured clothing was useless for her since Mom made her outfits, but one of the miscellaneous merchants had a small notebook for sale that would make a great diary.
Girls like writing journals, right? Maybe I should get one too...
The diary was simple in design with a brown leather cover; it also had a slight yellow gem-like stone in the center. The book also had well over two hundred pages of paper instead of parchment. It was also very affordable for me at only one large silver. With a little bit of haggling, I'm sure I could get it down to at least 85 silver. Unfortunately, most of the things here were so far out of my price range I could only dream of purchasing them.
I went ahead and haggled with the merchant for a bit, waiting for Mom, and managed to get the price down to eighty-seven silver. A very fair price if I do say so myself.
As I was handing over the money, I could smell the aroma of grilled seafood wafting toward me. I turned towards the delicious smell to see Mom walking over to me with… three empty wooden skewers and one that was half empty.
"Here you go," my mom chirped while taking another bite out of what little remained of the last skewer and handing it to me.
What was the point of asking me if I wanted food…
There was still a lot of meat on it, but that only begged the question of how she managed to decimate three and a half skewers worth of this grilled fish on the way towards me. Mom, seemingly being able to see my distress, hugged me suddenly.
"Sorry, I got a little hungry on the way over," she said sheepishly.
"It's okay. This should hold me off till dinner."
Mom tightened her hug even more. "I'm also sorry about how I've been treating you. You might be thinking I've forgotten about you since Cerila has come to live with us, but that's not the case."
I could only look up in surprise. I might have to admit I was a little jealous about how much affection Mom was giving Cerila the last few months. But I tried not to let it bother me all that much. Guess I really can't hide anything from Mom.
"You are a smart boy so you might have already figured it out, but… I'm sure you know Cerila needed more attention, considering what happened to her. She hasn't had parents in almost four years. That's a long time for a little girl to be lost."
I understand now. It does make sense really.
It's not too exaggerated to say Mom has helped Cerila the most after moving in with us. Cerila's overall attitude and confidence have completely skyrocketed in a short amount of time, mainly due to Mom's affection for her.
It could have taken years for Cerila to recover mentally, but the amount of time and love Mom has shared with her has helped tremendously. I doubt even I could have helped Cerila out this much in such a short time.
It made sense, but I was still a little jealous. This tiny brain of mine is confusing…
"It might be wrong of me to say this, but it's just how I feel. No matter what, Kaladin, I will always love you more. I don't know if I could ever love Cerila as much as I love you, my first son, my pride and joy. Right now, it's just that Cerila needs a little bit extra, so I hope you don't think I've forgotten you."
Mom spoke so sincerely that I felt like I was about to cry. I was selfish in wanting to monopolize Mom's affection, but I completely understood what she meant. I cared about Cerila, too, and was ever thankful for my parents accepting her so willingly and showering her with affection.
So I just hugged her back and sucked my tears back in, and tried my best to reassure her. "It's okay, Mom. I understand. I love you too."
Mom looked down at me, her eyes watering slightly. "Mmm. I'm glad. What did you find for Cerila?"
I showed her the diary, and she nodded slowly. "Not bad. But we can do better. It's her tenth birthday. It has to be a bit more special than that."
"But I thought it would be nice… and I don't have any more money."
"It is nice, but that can just be extra. And don't worry about money. I have something perfect in mind."
Mom led me to a stall that was a short distance away. A tall, lanky High Elf with long silver hair operated the booth. He smiled at my mom when we walked up together.
"Ah, Seana, it's nice to see you. Is this your son?"
"Hello, Aien. Yes, this is my son, Kaladin. Kaladin, this is Aien. I sell a lot of my clothes to him."
"Nice to meet you, sir," I said politely.
Aien gave me a slight bow. "Ah, so polite. Your mother speaks very highly of you, young man. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Now, what can I do for you two today?"
"We are looking for a gift, but I remembered you have a particular item. Would you still happen to have it?" Mom asked.
Aien gave her a knowing smile and procured a small wooden box. "I believe this is what you are looking for?"
The box was made of some kind of light gray wood. The grain had a beautiful swirling pattern on it, making it look like a snowstorm trapped inside the wood grain.
"Yes, that's the one. Here take a look, Kaladin." Mom encouraged me to open the small box.
The box could fit in the palm of my hand, and I opened it slowly. Inside was a white lace collar? It was gorgeous in a weird type of way. The lace was intricate and finely made. Tiny blue snowflakes also adorned the white lace at regular intervals. At what I assumed to be the center was a small bright blue gemstone. I had to guess that it was probably a sapphire or at least a piece of one. Even though it was only a gem fragment, it was still very elegant looking.
But why a collar?
"It's a collar?" I asked, confused.
Aien just laughed, and Mom gave me a wry smile. "No, it's called a choker. It's High Elf fashion from Tel'an'duth. I'm positive Cerila would absolutely adore this if you gave it to her."
I could only look at them apprehensively. I felt more akin to giving my pet a collar than a girl. Would she actually like this? I mean the way Mom is looking at me makes me feel like Cerila would like this. They have spent enough time together that she should know Cerila's taste by now.
"I assure you, young man, that any girl would love to have such a beautiful gift or your money back, guaranteed," Aien spoke confidently.
I guess the man knows how to make a sale. Indeed this cost too much, though. The gem alone was probably worth nearly a gold coin.
"Are you sure, Mom?"
"Do you think it would look nice on her?"
I have to admit the choker would probably fit Cerila very much. It wasn't too far off to say the thing might have actually been made specifically for her. I wasn't sure if she would like it, but Mom thinks otherwise.
So sure, why not.
Mom paid for the choker, but I didn't see how much it cost. Aien also gave us the box for free, concluding our shopping for the day.
But Mom left with me with one request. "Make sure when you give Cerila the choker you put it on her, okay? Promise me."
It didn't seem like a big deal to me, but I could do that much at least. It was probably hard to tie that small knot behind your neck anyways.
Together we walked around the market for a few more hours, just browsing around until the next carriage came to take us back home. Today was a lot of fun. It's been a long time since I've spent quality time with Mom, so this felt nice. Mom helped reassure me of my own feelings and even bought a nice gift for me to give to Cerila. All in all, today was a good day.
—
Mom and I arrived late back home. I already miss the cool weather and atmosphere down at Eastport. Perhaps I'll move there one day. But right now I had more pressing matters to attend to.
Although, knowing Cerila, I had a limited amount of time to hide these gifts, I knew she would descend upon me at any moment. And I wanted these gifts to be a surprise after all.
I was going to place the gifts in the top section of my closet, somewhere where I was confident Cerila wouldn't be able to find them. I began to panic a little bit as I listened to the approaching footsteps as they silently tip-toed towards my room.
She's arrived too soon.
Cerila threw the door open and made immediate eye contact with me. I still had the diary and box in my hands, and I didn't even have time to make it to the closet. The staredown lasted what seemed like an eternity.
Neither of us made a move until finally.
I put the diary under my arm and signed with one hand while placing the box behind my back,
I'm in danger.
I didn't get a chance to make another excuse.
Cerila had already lunged at me at full force, knocking me over onto my back. I barely managed to drop the diary to safety, but the box was still in jeopardy. Cerila pinned both my arms to the ground and then held down the arm that had the box with her knee.
I couldn't let her see the gift yet.
Cerila might be bigger, stronger, and faster than me. She is even a better mage than me. However, there is one thing I am the undisputed champion in. I guarantee there isn't a single soul on this planet that can beat me in hand-to-hand combat.
I've spent thousands of hours mastering and honing my skills with over two thousand years' worth of Humanities finest martial arts, everything from Boxing to Brazilian jiu-jitsu to Krav Maga, and everything else in between. So I would not be bested by a mere fox girl in another world.
I bucked my hips off the ground aggressively with enough force to make her go airborne. I used this time to drop the box and used both my hands to push her legs back.
I wrapped both my legs around her waist, putting Cerila in a guard position, then I trapped her left side with my leg and used my other leg to scissor sweep her. I put a healthy amount of mana into my moves to guarantee my victory. I had already won in just mere moments, and now I was on top.
Oh, how the tables have turned my dear friend.
Cerila seemed equal parts shocked and embarrassed that I had easily turned things around. Her face was turning bright red, but that didn't stop her from trying to fight back. However, I made a critical mistake.
In the heat of the moment, I had forgotten the whole point of this and left the box unattended. Cerila snatched it up, but I managed to pin her down before she could open it. It took everything I had to keep her down, even for a few moments. We thrashed around, attempting to outdo the other, but eventually, we both stopped. Our chest heaving and out of breath I slowly turned my head towards the door, and our eyes met.
"Sorry for interrupting!" my mom shouted.
"NO! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" I shouted back.
"Sorry!" she yelled while quickly running down the hall.
I could only let out a deep sigh. Well, this is embarrassing. This was the first time I've wrestled Cerila like this.
Typically, I just call uncle after thrashing around for a bit. But I wanted to protect the surprise. So much for that. I should have just left them outside for a bit and then retrieved them when Cerila was asleep.
The box had opened during our struggle at some point, and the choker fell out. Thankfully it didn't get caught in the melee, so it wasn't dirty or damaged. I picked it up and placed it inside the box again. Then I gave the box to Cerila.
Cerila gingerly accepted the gifts, and she seemed both happy and a little ashamed.
Mom also made it very clear to me that this was supposed to be a gift from me to Cerila, not a gift from Mom and me.
Cerila was inspecting the choker. I couldn't make out her expression. It seemed like a mix of a lot of different emotions to me. But her tail and ears swaying quickly back and forth betrayed her joy.
Cerila's eyes looked like they were about to burst out of her face,
What's with that look? It's really not a big deal.
Cerila gingerly handed me the accessory, and I began to tie it around her neck. I could see how this would be difficult for you to do on your own.
The tiny thread to secure it to your neck made it challenging. Once finished, I stepped back and admired Cerila's new choker. It fit her perfectly. The white lace was almost exactly the same color as her hair. The blue snowflakes and gem reminded me of her ice magic as well. It was a perfect match.
Cerila was patting at her neck. She looked equal parts happy and surprised.
She promptly embraced me, and I had been expecting a hug disguised as retribution for earlier. Instead, it was similar to the warm hug she gave me all the way back when I was carrying her home for the first time. Somehow this one felt even more impassioned. I just hugged her tightly back, not wanting to spoil the mood.
Mom really does know best. I'm happy that Cerila likes it so much.