"Where did you get this sword?" I asked ignorantly but my question was met with a roar instead of an answer.
"Has it been that long that you forgot the sword that was meant to be yours boy!" Master Ryden replied with his hoarse voice. "Do you hate your father so much that you would dishonour your family by not following tradition!?"
"I do not want that sword master!" I talked back to him as if I were a child and broke character. I hate that sword more than Him.
"Titen, you cannot abandon the traditions of your mother's family. Remember you are not only a Terragon but also..."
"Royalty! I am not only a Terragon but also a Shibuya! How long are you going to use my mother into coaxing me to do things I do not want to do."
"I am not coaxing you boy, without a sword of high quality how do you expect to fight someone as powerful as your grandfather. You need a weapon that can complement your abilities, and, on the day you were taken from Metallum your mother gave the Creed this sword so you would never forget who you are."
"That sword does not belong to me but to that angry child. That angry child, who was meant to be grandfather's weapon just like his father. I have walked away from that darkness to a new darkness, the darkness of killing my own flesh and blood." I looked Master Ryden straight in the eyes. "What more do you people want from me?"
A gentle breeze came from my left, my long brunette ponytail danced in the air then settled down with the aid of my right hand. The silence between me and Master Ryden reminded me more of the consequences of my departure today. The second I leave Amplexum I will have to fight my family and those who want to fight me.
I have no past, no present and nor future without war. Master Ryden understands that for me to survive I need to fight to the best of my ability everywhere I go. I cannot escape that. I understand that I need a sword of superior quality to fight my family but why this sword, the sword that man used to carry with himself everywhere. Why couldn't the blacksmith Donavon make me a new, this sword reminds me of my past sins.
"Titen you are not that person anymore, and if you regret your past there is nothing you can do about it. The only thing left for you to do is change your future. Please take this sword for my old friend, Akira." said Master Ryden while bowing his head to me.
I never heard him say my grandfather's name before, so this was a strange situation for me. No, it was a strange situation for the both of us. There was nothing left for me to do other than respect my master's wishes. I reached out both my hands and went down on one knee and bowed my head to my master. He lifted his head and unsheathed the black katana a little bit. He then cut his palm and stained the Ha or edge with his blood. Traditionally on the day a child receives their own family crested sword. The blood that should stain a Ha is that of your bloodline but for orphans the blood that stains the Ha is that of their master.
I am practically an orphan so it is acceptable for my master to stain my sword. He ran his palm on the Ha all the way to Kissaki or point, this meant the sword was given his blessing. The katana was black with a red line, Master Ryden held it horizontally and whispered to it his prayer. He sheathed the sword and gave it to me , I held it with both hands and stood up. I looked at the red handle and its matching colour sheath, it is light was the first thought that came to mind.
"Thank you master." The first words that came out my mouth were sincere, I think the first words I learnt to say sincerely to others here in Amplexum. Now the only thing left for me was to receive a Tsuba or guard from my maternal side of the family, since the sword came from my paternal side—but whose left on my mother's side?
I placed the sword at the side of my waist in between my hakubutai or belt, then I drew my sword, lowered myself to the ground by crouching on one knee. The other leg was outstretched and then I held the sword at the handle horizontally. This sword was made from black steel Elementium, which meant I couldn't change its shape at will even though it was made from metals I could control. Black steel elementium is made from silver, iron, carbon and elementium which makes it the strongest alloy made. I cannot control carbon thus I cannot control steel but I have seen Master manipulate steel by only focusing on the iron. His manipulation isn't as good as with other alloys but it must be because he is controlling one part of the alloy, we are meant to control two at once.
Affinities are like development, instead of walking, us with Evolved affinities are meant to run and skip walking. The only alloy I think can compete with my sword is that of those five swords, in fact I think my sword is inferior when it comes to durability. The other issue when it comes to durability is that if I try to bend and manipulate the iron, silver and elementium in my sword with my Artems it will lose some of its refinery. I must be careful how I use my sword otherwise when I face my family it might shatter. That is a problem for the future but at present I think I will only use the metals I create with my chi.
Talking about that I just remembered that I haven't fully mastered alloy manipulation art, I can only make alloy out of iron, tungsten, copper and silver. Plus, since there are other metals that I can't control in my sword, it would take more chi to manipulate my sword than usual alloys that contain the metals I can wield. In other words, I have no choice but to use my chi to make the alloys I need. I need to get stronger and fast before I fight my family to the death.
"Let's head down to the village boy. It is time to say your goodbyes and leave." Master said with his stern normal voice.
"Yes master." I replied.
We descended from the hill, normally since I am leaving. I should be doing so with luggage but I came here with nothing so I will leave with nothing but my sword. We made it downhill as fast as we could by augmenting our bodies with chi and running superhumanly down the hill.
The village had not changed much since I came here except there were more people who had accepted me. Unlike before everyone hated, no, hate is a weak word. They were revolted by me but there were others who felt indifference to me, I did not care I despised everyone either way. Today I feel indifference to basically anyone who comes my way, I just can't afford the luxury of caring these days. The village was a little bit active today which could only mean one thing, there were patients that needed relief. Most of the patients were Creed warriors, the reason I say this is because Creed warriors wear hooded cloaks with their country's colours and symbols called palliums.
The more steps I took into the village the more eyes were on me. These eyes possessed hatred towards me. Most of them were people from my country. I guess there was a rescue mission in Metallum, and it didn't go well it seems. Most of these people are desperate to save their friends and family members but they should be smart enough to know that the lives of the few will never mean more than the lives of the many. These rescue missions should come to an end because I see no value of risking warrior's lives on a suicide mission.
Their eyes calmed down once they saw Master Ryden walking next to me, well of course they would, there isn't a Metalloid that doesn't respect him. It is like they think he will be the one to stop my family and not me, I could never wrap my head behind their ideology.
We kept on walking in the busy streets that were filled with resentment towards me, as if I am the cause of their troubles. A few people walked up to Master Ryden asking him to help save their families, but Master Ryden would comfort them by reaching out his hands and all the people did the same by reaching out their hands to Master Ryden while kneeling to him. Their eyes which already could not stand me became fiercer when they lifted themselves after accepting Master Ryden's promise gesture.
"Are you going to fix the transgression caused by your tainted bloodline boy!?" one of the angry women walked up to me and asked me.
I was silent, the reason is because I do not entertain people at all, but Master Ryden once told me that I must pretend to care from now on. He said it was a way for people to accept me and that it will be essential for me to make alliances. That all understandable but that look in her eyes, the look in all their eyes brings doubt to his logic. They look at me as if I was the one who took over Metallum all those years ago. They look at me as if I was the one who took away their families, their homes and peace. I can't help but to feel injustice in my heart, injustice against me because of my name. I won't say that I haven't done wrong myself, but I didn't choose to be born into that family just like anyone else. If we did then all of us would choose to be born nobility or royalty, we would choose to be born in times of peace and not war.
They ask me to fix the transgressions of my bloodline, they fell victim to my grandfather's wrong doings. I do not blame them for the hate they give me, I just want to know why they will not accept that the first victims of evil men are their own families. I am a victim as well because I have never had the chance to choose my own path in life, which is a choice destiny decided was too much of a pleasure for me. Everywhere I go, I am seen as a Terragon or as a weapon. They see me the ways they want to see me but never the way they need to see me. I am a child, yet nobody will ever admit that to me, not even Master Ryden and he is at the moment the only person I trust right now. I ignored her and looked straight ahead, this made her even more furious.
"You Terragon scum answer me when I am talking to you!" she screamed at me.
I looked at her and could immediately understand why she talked so entitled and rude to me, she was a noble and a smug one at that. She wore nice subtle jewellery and a fine kimono, but you could also tell from the simplicity of her attire that she was a lower-class noble—or dressed as one. I do not care about status or class after all if I were to point out to her that I was royalty, and she should know her place. The first factor I would have to remember is that I am in a foreign country which means my authority does not stretch over borders.
The second factor is that I, whether she would accept it or not, I am her superior, and she should know her place. I wanted to remind her of that, but then I remembered that such things only mean a lot to the greedy and insecure. The one thing I realised about my family was that they didn't care about the money and other things nobles love more than their own children. It was the power that they were after, and they were able to achieve their goal easily. Unlike the other noble houses who thought money was power, the Terragons knew that authority was power and enforcing that authority was the true essence of greater power.
"Please calm down." Master Ryden tried to calm the woman, but it was obvious he poured oil on her flame. The people who were watching from the sidelines drew closer, and Master Ryden pretended to ignore this. I'm sure what was racing through his mind was how to resolve this situation peacefully, after all what kind of leader would harm his own countrymen.
"No, the little bastard should know his place and be taught some manners."
"I will not ask again ma'am, am I clear."
Master Ryden said the last part with his low voice and raised his chi a little bit so that everyone in our radius felt it. The woman backed away, and all those who were thinking of approaching us did the same, I guess grandfather was right. Authority is power, and enforcing it is greater power because you need more power to maintain the power you have. These nobles will never understand why they lost it all, but the commoners and peasants might get the idea as to why Metallum fell in a day.
Everyone went back to their business and tried to ignore us as we went about our way. I have seen some of my grandfather's teaching in Master Ryden over the years, but today was the first time I saw him embrace them a little. Despite being childhood friends with grandfather, he has never told me about their past and whenever I asked him about grandfather's youth. Master Ryden would tell me that he was full of anger but would suppress it every day and put on a non-emotional mask just like me and my father. What angered my father? I wonder, that man has no emotion, no resolve, just battle. A weapon indeed.
It angers me to be compared to the both of them, but it is understandable that personalities can also be inherited. I wonder sometimes what truly corrupted grandfather to the extent he was corrupted. Was it the death of my great grandparents, or was it before. I will never know since I was born in the middle of this story, but why does this bother me so much? I should let go of such thoughts of weakness. After all, my grandfather is on my kill list. We went to the center of the village, where the temple was situated, which was by far the largest building in the village. It was a towering temple, and the inside of the cream white building made you feel even more miniature than when you were outside. It reminded me of the Tungsten Castle.
When I entered the temple, I still could not stop being amazed by the marble statues of the gods and demi-gods. They were so detailed. The statues from what I heard were made to honor the demi-gods after 'The Age of Gods', which I understood from books and legends was an era where the gods and demi-gods reigned over us mortals. Something happened two thousand years ago which led to the most tragic incident in history 'The Fall of The Demi-gods ', whereby all the demi-gods died, and the eight Gods returned to their home forever after the death of their children. That is all the history I know, like I said before the information I was allowed to receive has always been monitored and filtered.
We were heading straight for the village elders meeting room where they held my mother's memory crystal. We entered the room and went down on one knee, of course if grandfather saw me humbling myself like this to a bunch of four old bags. He would cut off their legs and watch them bleed to death on the floor, grovelling before him and death. Luckily, he's not here. It was hard for me to accept that age was respected just as much or more than power when I first arrived in this village and was placed in front of the elders. In Metallum the hierarchy of respect is all about power ranking and who is more loyal to the Terragon house. The first time I was in this room I was not on my knees, and I swore at all of the elders, in fact at everyone I met except Master Ryden.
I lowered my head just like Master Ryden who was beside me, then I raised my head to look at the village elders. They all for some reason wore the same robe and their chis were not something at which you could laugh at. Amongst the elders sat two men at the ends of the table and two women in the centre of the table, after lifting my head I looked at them.
Me and Master Ryden greeted them together. "Pax vitae."
"Pax vitae." They greeted us together.
There were four figures sitting on chairs behind the large curved table, the first three were normal elders. What that means is that they were three old looking people, they all had grey hair and skin that looked well old and wrinkled. Everything you would expect village elders to look like but then there was this one person who stood out from the other elders. I had already discussed this person, and what made her so special and crucial to the village's survival till this very day.
The first elder, his name is Christopher, and he is the head of the village's medical department and the Grand healer. In other words, the head doctor of the village and he is the youngest of the elders at the age of sixty-eight. He likes to tie his black and grey hair into a tiny ponytail and out of all the elders he is sensitive and caring towards everyone including me.
The second elder, her name is Margaret, and she is the head of the village's herbalist department. She is somewhere in her eighties or nineties, considering that she is a witch she may be somewhere in her hundreds. She is the one elders I just cannot have a good relationship with. Whenever our eyes meet, I just can't help but look at her the same way she looks at me. She likes looking at me with disgust, so I do the same, but she has nice puffy afro hair.
Master Ryden swung a right hook at me, I quickly saw it and dodged. He was warning me to stop looking at the witch with an attitude and for me to lower my head again. Before I did, I looked at the last two village elders. The third was Henry, the village's head of defence department. He is clearly in his seventies, and he is also the silent type.
Last but not the least is the loli that has my family on a thin rope, the Oracle. She is the oldest amongst the village elders but differently does not look like it, I guess, those are the perks of having the blood of a god in your veins. I lowered my head again, I guess, I was etching their faces in my memory one last time. I guess I have been doing this since I woke up this morning, because today could be the last day I see this place. I've come to enjoy Amplexum and its culture, knowledge and people.
"Titen are you ready for your mission?" asked Christopher with a gentle smile.
"He…. better be, we have invested a lot of resources in him!" said the witch with her hoarse voice. Whenever I hear it, I just cannot help but feel like taking my sword and cutting my ears off.
I raised my head and smiled at the old hag, this tactic is always effective on her. I will smile at her first and then I say something offending to her. She loses her mind and bubbles with rage, then Master Ryden disciplines me with his fast reflexes. She starts calling me names and then the Oracle reigns her in, then the forehead veins go away.
"I wonder what resources I have, because food was never one of them, I feel so malnutrition right now." I said jokingly. The old hag grinded her teeth and popped a few of her forehead veins. I have to say to Lady Margaret, "I think you have the most beautiful and functional forehead amongst all human beings. I heard that whenever humans are overwhelmed emotionally, more blood flows to their brains for them to think logically in situations. I am sure master Chris has explained the biology behind your forehead before to you, but I am more than likely to explain to you—if he hasn't. The blood vessels in your forehead dilate, well better than any person to allow more blood to flow to your head. This means two things: Lady Margaret. You can think more clearly every time you are stressed, or it takes a lot of blood to calm you down. I think the second point is right, it is a good thing your blood vessels can keep up with the demand."
The hag was red in the face, yep, she was far gone in her world of anger. Master Ryden swung at me and landed his right on my sternum, I didn't expect him to move so fast this time.
"You are an ungrateful little bastard, fucking Terragon scum. You should be happy you were fed in the first place." The hag spat.
Man, she isn't holding back today. It must have been what she wanted to say to me for a long time now.
It looked like she wanted to carry on, but the Oracle cut her off.
"Margaret please behave right now, he likes it when he gets a reaction out of you. How many times do we need to have the same conversation that he does not belong to our cause." The Oracle said so with her calm child voice.
"Yes ma'am." The veins on her forehead disappeared after her scolding by the loli.
"I am offended by the Oracle, who said I was not on your side." I said non-emotionally. Margaret was showing signs of imploding but a quick glance from the Oracle calmed her.
"Are you sure about that Titen, then you wouldn't mind answering my question?"
"Have at it, my lady."
This comment brought back the ultra-dilated forehead veins on the old hag, I guess she was angry I was talking to her favourite person so casually. She wanted to say something but held back because of the respect she has for the Oracle. The peace would last for a fleeting period of time until I say something she can't overlook, then she won't hold herself back.
"If you had the choice between saving the world with only your father as the only person who could aid you, or let the world burn while you try to kill your father." She asked me this question knowing very well that I am only honest when it comes to that man.
"Honestly, I see no problem with the world burning, but I do see a problem with allowing him to live."
The old hag could not handle my honest answer it seemed, because her face was at the peak of displaying anger.
"You see! Oracle. We cannot allow this child to leave Amplexum, he is nothing more than the spawn of those devils. His grandfather's brainwashing still has not been rendered from his mind, he might just go back to Metallum and serve his grandfather." The hag explained.
"Margaret, you are exaggerating again."
"His so-called hatred for his father may be an act, a ploy planned by the Terragons to get him proper training of his elemental affinity. They may have brainwashed him years before to not care for his mother!" When she finished her sentence, I wanted to cut her tongue, her toes and her fingers one by one. I could not allow her statement to get a reaction out of me, because then I would fail this test, that they have set up for me. Though I understood her logic, since only one other person had my affinity was Master Ryden so a plan would be made to get me under his tutoring.
"I understand we have our differences, Lady Margaret but never again mention the late princess of Metallum so carelessly in conversations. It displays to people how much respect you have for Metallum's culture, you never mention the dead so carelessly." I spoke calmly.
"You little…."
"He is the right elder Margaret. It is disrespectful to speak of the dead in a careless manner." Master Ryden interrupted.
"Yes, indeed in your culture and ours it is offensive to speak of the dead so carelessly. We apologise for that, but we had to test the boy's restraint, something that will be tested in the outside world." Chris intervened.
"He will not only be challenged physically in the outside world but also mentally as well." The silent elder Henry spoke for once.
"I understand elder Henry, I did not know it was a test."
He is lying, he knew that this was a trap but could not stand his best friend's daughter being ill spoken of.
"Titen…" the gentle voice of the Oracle called out to me. "Today you will be leaving for Electruim, the capital of Fulgar. The Creed entry exam will be held two days from now."
"I am prepared for it, Oracle."
"Good, this means that you have half completed your part of the deal. We also as the Creed have completed our part of the deal, now all you must do is show your power to the rest of the world at the exams."
"How can you be so sure that your side completed your part of our deal?"
"You will see for yourself, Titen." The gentle voice closed my question.
"You will be escorted on your nineteen-hour trip to Electruim by a Creed warrior voyage like a valuable personal. You will only be told this once, boy. You are to never leave your carriage under any condition, am I understood." The old Henry spoke while directing his index finger to me.
"Understood elder Henry." I spoke respectively.
"Thank you for being such a cooperative Titen, this means a lot to us. Take into consideration that one wrong mistake and the war will tip to Terragon's side. We cannot afford to lose you Titen, no matter what everyone says. I believe you are the hero who will tip the scales of this battle of peace and chaos." Chris preached.
Hero!? don't make me laugh, Chris. I am just a weapon that changed owners. I'm a sacrifice for people who would never do the same.
"It is time you left, boy!" the hag spat.
Master Ryden and I stood up and bowed our heads, "Pax vitae."
"Pax vitae." The four elders said harmoniously.
We walked out of the meeting room and into the tall halls of the temple. We went straight for the outside of the temple, as I got in one last look at the building. Probably my last look at this place and its grand halls with mosaics, monuments and other depictions of gods and demi-gods.