The Journey, Chapter 43 = previous chapter
Chapter 44, Edena
The Elderly man nodded, shocked at what had just happened, “Yes, in the Termini Cliffs”
Nekonata nodded his head, “Bind their hands, and take them there.” A group of men stepped forward to do as was asked.
Once the Humarf's were bound they were surrounded by the defenders, and they all started to walk towards Edena.
“Tell me about Edena...” Nekonata said to the Elderly man.
“It once was a village but now more of a city, we've expanded a lot in the last few decades. You really don't remember anything do you?”
Nekonata looked at the man, “What am I supposed to remember? I've never been here before.”
The Elderly man shook his head. “I am Patrick, I'm the one who taught you your swordsmanship when you were seventeen years old, you were such a fast learner we couldn't keep up with you. You know just as much as Master Vivi, yet he tells us you are ten times stronger than him.”
Nekonata looked straight into Patrick's eyes, he could see the man was telling the truth, but he still couldn't remember...
Nekonata stopped and dismounted Kimbo. He walked up to a soldier and asked to borrow his sword. The man hesitated.
“You'll get it back I promise,” Nekonata reassured him. The man handed it over.
Nekonata walked over to Patrick. “A practice duel.”
Patrick dismounted and drew his sword, Nekonata walked away from the horses so they wouldn't get spooked. Patrick didn't wait but charged straight for Nekonata while his back was turned, Nekonata swung the sword over his shoulder and parried the blow. He turned around and they’re blades crossed, Patrick smiling. Nekonata face showing no expressions. They both pushed back off each other’s blades and moved in a slow circle. Nekonata jumped in with a jab that was deflected, he turned his waist slightly and quickly brought his sword up in an upswing motion again Patrick parried. Nekonata stepped back, it was Patrick's turn... He jumped in with a flurry of blows, twists and turns, but Nekonata deflected them all with ease. Patrick stepped back panting and sweating, the other troops watched in awe, the Humarf's clearly surprised at the display of swordsmanship.
“Enough...” Nekonata said, and Patrick nodded, sheathing his sword. Nekonata looked at the blade in his hand and noticed it was chipped and dented. “Look at your blade.” He told Patrick, “You are going to need a new one... as will you, I'm afraid.” He said as he handed back the borrowed sword.
The man looked at his sword, “You must be strong to chip, dent this blade.”
Nekonata looked back at him, “What do you mean?”
“This is a dwarvish blade... the only other blades stronger than this are those that are made by the Elves... Your sword is of an Elvish blade but I've never seen the likes of it before.”
Nekonata unsheathed his blade and looked it over.
The man held out his hand, “May I have a look?” Nekonata nodded and gently handed the blade over. “My name is Broyd, I am the master Blacksmith in Edena... I was trained as a smith by the dwarf Prince Althor... This blade of yours could have been made by only one of three Elves: Gabija, Martheel or she who we do not name.” Nekonata looked confused. “She will reveal herself when she feels the need to, all I can say is that she's a shapeshifter.” Broyd handed the sword back, and Nekonata sheathed it. “There is an etching of a swallow on one side and a squirrel on the other side, that’s very intriguing, what are their meanings?”
Neko shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know.” He thought for a moment, then asked “A shape-shifter?”
“Yes a person with the ability to change themselves into an animal, there are few shape-shifters strong enough to change into more than one animal, only one has been heard of in recent times, and you know that person.” Broyd looked ahead and noticed Edena getting closer. “I must go ahead to check the jail cells.”
Nekonata nodded and watched as the master Blacksmith raced ahead.
Loki flew down and dropped a silver necklace with a swallow pendant on it, Neko caught,, he looked closely at the swallow pendant, his eyes flashed purple, he suddenly felt a little dizzy, but remembered opening a little wooden box that was holding the necklace inside it, and a note that read happy birthday.
He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, trying to fight the dizziness away.
“Ok, you are?” Loki asked worriedly. Neko nodded his head. “I go, I must.” Said Loki, “I see people, I must.” Loki looked at Nekonata, Nekonata nodded.
“Don't be gone for long Loki, or I will miss your company,” Nekonata replied.
Loki chuckled and flew away. Nekonata watched him go. Santaya growled and looked up at Nekonata, Kristolia's tail wagging.
Nekonata looked up again and noticed they were coming up to a stone walled entrance, there were walls all around Edena Village, this Village was ready and fully equipped for a war or a siege. The walls were immense and made of carved white bricks.
“The white bricks come from Termini Cliffs,” Tyler commented. “They are carved from giant boulders. It was said long ago that they were a cure for a Dragon if they were not well. The dragons would apparently heat the boulders with their fire and then crush them into smaller portions so as to eat them if you ask me it just tastes of tangy chalk.”
Nekonata laughed out loud, “You've tried to eat one of these bricks?”
Patrick smiled, “No, Master Vivi dared me to lick one once.” He said laughing.
They both entered Edena and came into a small square, there was a towering statue of a huge man in fine armour in the middle.
“My Father, Dade” Patrick said, “He was the Mayor of Edena, he passed away from a fall at the Termini Cliffs three years ago.”
“I'm sorry.” Replied Nekonata. He could hear hooves clicking against the cobbled street, they were gaining quickly. A man, riding the blackest horse Nekonata had ever seen, was fast approaching. He wore blue robes and held a sunstone staff in his hand. The Rider stopped, his mount reared and thrust its legs into the air, the man patted the horse and stroked his mane, the horse quickly calmed down.
“Well met young man. I see you like my horse!” The man said with a laugh to Nekonata whose eyes had been transfixed to the house. “His name is Malhela”
Nekonata looked up at the man, “Who are you?”
The man paused. “My name is Vivi, I looked after you when you were a child.”
Chapter 44, Edena
The Elderly man nodded, shocked at what had just happened, “Yes, in the Termini Cliffs”
Nekonata nodded his head, “Bind their hands, and take them there.” A group of men stepped forward to do as was asked.
Once the Humarf's were bound they were surrounded by the defenders, and they all started to walk towards Edena.
“Tell me about Edena...” Nekonata said to the Elderly man.
“It once was a village but now more of a city, we've expanded a lot in the last few decades. You really don't remember anything do you?”
Nekonata looked at the man, “What am I supposed to remember? I've never been here before.”
The Elderly man shook his head. “I am Patrick, I'm the one who taught you your swordsmanship when you were seventeen years old, you were such a fast learner we couldn't keep up with you. You know just as much as Master Vivi, yet he tells us you are ten times stronger than him.”
Nekonata looked straight into Patrick's eyes, he could see the man was telling the truth, but he still couldn't remember...
Nekonata stopped and dismounted Kimbo. He walked up to a soldier and asked to borrow his sword. The man hesitated.
“You'll get it back I promise,” Nekonata reassured him. The man handed it over.
Nekonata walked over to Patrick. “A practice duel.”
Patrick dismounted and drew his sword, Nekonata walked away from the horses so they wouldn't get spooked. Patrick didn't wait but charged straight for Nekonata while his back was turned, Nekonata swung the sword over his shoulder and parried the blow. He turned around and they’re blades crossed, Patrick smiling. Nekonata face showing no expressions. They both pushed back off each other’s blades and moved in a slow circle. Nekonata jumped in with a jab that was deflected, he turned his waist slightly and quickly brought his sword up in an upswing motion again Patrick parried. Nekonata stepped back, it was Patrick's turn... He jumped in with a flurry of blows, twists and turns, but Nekonata deflected them all with ease. Patrick stepped back panting and sweating, the other troops watched in awe, the Humarf's clearly surprised at the display of swordsmanship.
“Enough...” Nekonata said, and Patrick nodded, sheathing his sword. Nekonata looked at the blade in his hand and noticed it was chipped and dented. “Look at your blade.” He told Patrick, “You are going to need a new one... as will you, I'm afraid.” He said as he handed back the borrowed sword.
The man looked at his sword, “You must be strong to chip, dent this blade.”
Nekonata looked back at him, “What do you mean?”
“This is a dwarvish blade... the only other blades stronger than this are those that are made by the Elves... Your sword is of an Elvish blade but I've never seen the likes of it before.”
Nekonata unsheathed his blade and looked it over.
The man held out his hand, “May I have a look?” Nekonata nodded and gently handed the blade over. “My name is Broyd, I am the master Blacksmith in Edena... I was trained as a smith by the dwarf Prince Althor... This blade of yours could have been made by only one of three Elves: Gabija, Martheel or she who we do not name.” Nekonata looked confused. “She will reveal herself when she feels the need to, all I can say is that she's a shapeshifter.” Broyd handed the sword back, and Nekonata sheathed it. “There is an etching of a swallow on one side and a squirrel on the other side, that’s very intriguing, what are their meanings?”
Neko shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know.” He thought for a moment, then asked “A shape-shifter?”
“Yes a person with the ability to change themselves into an animal, there are few shape-shifters strong enough to change into more than one animal, only one has been heard of in recent times, and you know that person.” Broyd looked ahead and noticed Edena getting closer. “I must go ahead to check the jail cells.”
Nekonata nodded and watched as the master Blacksmith raced ahead.
Loki flew down and dropped a silver necklace with a swallow pendant on it, Neko caught,, he looked closely at the swallow pendant, his eyes flashed purple, he suddenly felt a little dizzy, but remembered opening a little wooden box that was holding the necklace inside it, and a note that read happy birthday.
He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, trying to fight the dizziness away.
“Ok, you are?” Loki asked worriedly. Neko nodded his head. “I go, I must.” Said Loki, “I see people, I must.” Loki looked at Nekonata, Nekonata nodded.
“Don't be gone for long Loki, or I will miss your company,” Nekonata replied.
Loki chuckled and flew away. Nekonata watched him go. Santaya growled and looked up at Nekonata, Kristolia's tail wagging.
Nekonata looked up again and noticed they were coming up to a stone walled entrance, there were walls all around Edena Village, this Village was ready and fully equipped for a war or a siege. The walls were immense and made of carved white bricks.
“The white bricks come from Termini Cliffs,” Tyler commented. “They are carved from giant boulders. It was said long ago that they were a cure for a Dragon if they were not well. The dragons would apparently heat the boulders with their fire and then crush them into smaller portions so as to eat them if you ask me it just tastes of tangy chalk.”
Nekonata laughed out loud, “You've tried to eat one of these bricks?”
Patrick smiled, “No, Master Vivi dared me to lick one once.” He said laughing.
They both entered Edena and came into a small square, there was a towering statue of a huge man in fine armour in the middle.
“My Father, Dade” Patrick said, “He was the Mayor of Edena, he passed away from a fall at the Termini Cliffs three years ago.”
“I'm sorry.” Replied Nekonata. He could hear hooves clicking against the cobbled street, they were gaining quickly. A man, riding the blackest horse Nekonata had ever seen, was fast approaching. He wore blue robes and held a sunstone staff in his hand. The Rider stopped, his mount reared and thrust its legs into the air, the man patted the horse and stroked his mane, the horse quickly calmed down.
“Well met young man. I see you like my horse!” The man said with a laugh to Nekonata whose eyes had been transfixed to the house. “His name is Malhela”
Nekonata looked up at the man, “Who are you?”
The man paused. “My name is Vivi, I looked after you when you were a child.”
The Journey, Chapter 45
Chapter 45, Swallow “You know me, that means you know my name? And how old am I? And where do I come from?” Neko asked excitedly. Vivi looked at him with a solemn expression. “You child, are 17 years old. You come from the capital, Branclough. As for your name, I sadly don’t know it, as a baby...
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