This clearing in the woods was a sanctuary away from the monotonous life I had. It was where I practiced my hobbies and exercised. Going to the hollow tree stump near a line of bushes, I reached inside and pulled out a pair of worn out daggers.
I always practiced with these daggers, my spear, and then my makeshift meteor hammer. I preferred my meteor hammer to these but the books I picked up from a famous adventurer, Nayeli Abel, said I need variety. Ms. Abel was kind enough to give these to me but I didn't understand why.
She said that I had already paid with something priceless.
Reaching into the hollow stump again, I pulled out the book that focused on weapon combat. This book and the other two were special due to the way they linked up with the mind to teach the reader. I still feel like I was lucky when receiving them.
Flipping through the book allowed me to find the page I was working on previously. I had perfected my stance, my breathing, and prediction. Now was the final task. I needed to perfect my speed.
'The perfect cut requires more than just precision.' I repeated internally whilst reading. 'A dagger is only used at its best when the user utilizes their speed.'
I continued until I read the entire chapter before placing the book back into the hollow tree trunk.
"I still feel uncomfortable when using these damn things." I grumbled under my breath.
Shifting my left foot forward and my right foot backwards, I gripped both daggers tightly in my hands before rushing towards a tree marred in cuts and dents. I brought both of my daggers forward as I approached before trying my best to cut into the bark.
No matter how much I tried, it felt uncomfortable and my cuts barely went deep. I thought that my physique would work in my favor but it seemed no amount of muscle would help in this task.
I could possibly do better if I had better training equipment but that cost money I didn't have.
'I could try and see if there's any better spots to train.' I contemplated.
I had been using this area for years and never ventured any further. It would be good to have a new area to train, perhaps a change in scenery would even boost my mood. Turning towards the hollow trunk, I noticed that beyond the bushes behind it was a worn out path. Perhaps I had always noticed it and dismissed it but I doubt that.
'Then again…' I couldn't help but recall how I'm always so focused on those books, I never think to pay attention to my surroundings.
Brushing that aside, I placed my worn out daggers back into the trunk. I walked through the bushes while making sure to look out for any snakes or bugs. Once through the little barrier made by the greenery, I followed the path until it brought me to another clearing. This one was larger than the one I trained in and there were ruined boulders all around. Some of them even looked like they were cut in half!
"Wait. Is that…?" I muttered unconsciously.
Something in the center of the field caught my attention. In the center of the training field, there was a large stone with a flat surface, embedded in that stone were two daggers connected by a golden chain. The daggers had a black outline whilst the center of the blades both had a gold finish and that chain looked enough to tie up two people.
"Did someone leave it here and forget about it?"
That wouldn't make sense though. The place where they had been sitting looked old. The rock had moss growing over it which was going onto the blade. Hell, some parts of the blade looked stained, as if rust had tried to develop but failed.
I checked around the stone to see if there was any clue about the daggers but all I could find was a strange ring with a blue gemstone in it. Taking the daggers out of the stone, I decided I would take them to the blacksmith tomorrow to see if I could learn anything about them. I decided I would head back home now. It had been an hour since I parted ways with Ceclia, after all.
'Perhaps, I can ask grandpa about this…' I considered it for a moment. 'No.Grandpa would just say to throw them out. My best bet is Ryt.'
Returning to the clearing I originally trained in, I decided to leave the daggers in the hollow tree until tomorrow. I'd come back for them tomorrow so I could get them analyzed.
I managed to make him home a few minutes before the sun had completely set. Right as I entered the house, my nostrils twitched. I realized Mama was cooking dinner. I could smell it, the baked chicken. I thought I could also smell Uruan yams but I was unsure. Upon entering the dining room, I noticed the table had already been set. My mouth water at the spread. Even after living like this for so long, the taste of my grandmother's food could never be beaten. Nothing else would ever be able to compare.
"Esther, wash your hands before you even think about touching food I worked hard to cook!" My grandmother commanded once she caught sight of me near the table.
I raised both of my hands in defeat while walking upstairs to wash my hands in the bathroom. By the time I had come back down, my grandfather was already at the table and seated. A fact about my grandfather Walter was that his love for my grandmother was immeasurable. He had served in the Emperian Army just to prove to Mama's father that he would do anything to protect her. To me, he had done the coolest thing in the world. I wanted to do the same.
I wanted to become a soldier.
"What are you waiting for, boy, a divine signal?" Grandfather asked me, amusement lacing his tone.
My grandmother's shoulders shook in mirth while I rushed to my seat with red dusting my face. I took my seat before putting my hands together. My grandparents mimicked my actions as a strange silence took over the table.
"Through the grace of the sun we grow, by the mercy of the moon we become nourished." I began. I was used to saying this prayer every night. "May the goddess Reina protect us eternally and may the lord, Nacht, repel all evil. Treu."
"Treu." My grandparents added on after I finished.
While I was no devout follower of the Sect of the Twin Gods, my grandparents believed that everything we have was due to their mercy. I wasn't sure how true any of it was and plenty of texts I had read on it detailed Nacht as some absolute being. Seemed like nonsense to me.
The last time gods had been seen in Emperias was when Dame, the goddess of hope, helped the fifteenth emperor reclaim his throne
Halfway through my meal, I paused my eating. I turned to my grandfather and debated how to broach the topic. Grandfather had no love for the army. He had joined that army at fourteen. All for my grandmother's hand in marriage. That was cool, in my opinion, but he always said that he could have tried anything else to earn Mama's hand in marriage.
That was one of the reasons my father wasn't allowed here, besides the fact he abandoned me as a child, he had become a soldier even when his own father told him not to.
And I was planning on doing one of those things too.
"Grandpa…" I hesitated for a moment. "I… I want to know what it takes to join the Emperian Army."
It took a moment for my statement to sink in before two things happened. My grandmother's cheerful expression fell. It started out as a blank mask before her eyes drooped and her mouth turned downward. I could tell a deep sadness had overtaken her.
My grandfather had a different reaction. His face scrunched up, which made the already existing wrinkles look worse, and his grip on the butter knife tightened to the point it looked like he was crushing it.
"I-I know that you don't like the topic but…" Trailing off my sentence, I watched as he let out a grunt.
He placed his utensils down before turning to me. His face was a mask of calmness but I could see the rage beneath his eyes.
"Esther." He began by calling me by my name. He rarely does that. "There is nothing to be found in the army besides suffering and bloodshed. There is no glory. There is nothing glorious about taking a life. "
It was the same statement every time. He always used that as his reasoning. Something within me felt offended. Almost like I personally disagreed with that statement. I often just accepted his statement. I would nod my head and agree.
This feeling within me wouldn't allow it. This rage at how isolated and unfulfilled my life was. I couldn't continue living like this.
"Why can't I decide for myself if that's true or not?!" I bellowed at him. "Why can't you just help me and let me become my own person?"
"Who do you think you're yelling at?!" He demanded. "I am your guardian. I know what's best for you! You won't be able to do anything if you die!"
"Maybe I want to die doing what my heart and soul call out for!" I countered, passion and rage coating my voice. "I didn't ask you to take care of me! Maybe you should have just thrown me to the wolves because, obviously, your own son left for a reason!"
Silence permeated throughout the room. My grandfather seemed hurt by my statement. A heavy feeling settled in my gut. It felt like an anvil had been placed directly on top of me. I wouldn't back down, though.
"I'll be going to bed." My grandfather said.
Mama and I sat at the table while grandfather retired for the night. I could still feel that boiling rage. It was calmer now, quieter even, due to how guilty I had felt for saying such a thing.
"You know," Mama said. "Your father was the same way-"
"I don't want to know about a deadbeat who left me because he couldn't handle the responsibility of his actions…" I replied.
She didn't look offended. It looked like she knew something I didn't. Like there was some cosmic secret that only she had discovered and couldn't share. She finished her food before placing the dishes in the sink. She looked tired so I assumed she wanted to leave them for tomorrow.
I watched as she walked up the stairs. Once I heard a door shutting, I turned back to my food. I savored my food this time instead of eating it quickly like I did this morning.
If anyone were to notice how the dishes were clean and the kitchen clean after I went upstairs, I wouldn't say a thing.