M'Linzi One-Shots

The Guard

M'Linzi sat outside Gimbels shop, he had his sword in hand, staring at the hilt and staring at his reflection in the blade. He could remember the first time he held a sword, it felt like a lifetime ago.

"He's never going to live to our Clanname if he becomes an airhead!" "Having a heart and compassion is not being an airhead." Voices shouted as a young M'linzi sat in his room, on his bed as tears streamed down his face as he held onto a stuffed animal, its form unrecognizable in the tight grip of the young Goliath. "I wish they would stop fighting." He mumbled sadly to the stuffed animal. He sighed and laid down pulling the covers over his head and tried to drown out the arguing by telling his companion a story his mother told him about the time she faced down a Thanator, the only time she ever hurt an animal.

He had dozed off half-way through the story and panic awoke him as he was shaken awake. His father looming over him. "Get up." His father growled pulling his son by the arm painfully, M'Linzi pulled back weakly. "You're hurting me!" He whimpered but his father only pulled again, and M'Linzi followed quickly trying to keep pace to lessen the pressure on his arm. He didn't hear his mother, but he was confused when his father opened the door to their small hut and two other Goliath stood there. "These are Tribunes N'Kandri and Atchara. They are my seconds in command. Atchara leads the second Battalion and N'Kandri the Third." His father had finally released his arm using his hands to gesture to the two Goliaths respectfully, M'Linzi raised his other hand to rub at where his father grabbed, wincing at the pain as circulation returned to his arm. "Hello Sirs." He glanced at the two males before him. "Legate." Atchara said putting a fist over his heart and bowing.

"Your going to join the Guard." His father said sternly. "No son of mine is going to be some soft healer. Leave the cooking and herbology to the females. Males are to be strong to protect Clan and Kin." M'Linzi knew his father was apart of the Kings Guard but he never wanted to be, he had wanted to heal, he hated fighting, hated confrontation and now his father was forcing him to do things his way. M'Linzi opened his mouth to protest but watched as his fathers hands twitched and M'Linzi realized that his father wasn't taking "no" for an answer. That, and he knew his fathers strength, he wasn't head of the Guard for nothing. "Yes Sir." The young boy replied as he looked at the two men, as one held out a small blade, to the larger Goliaths they were basically small knives but in the hands of young M'Linzi it looked like a full sized sword. M'Linzi stared at himself in the blade, in the reflection he could see the stern gaze of his father looming over him as if he was a shadow M'Linzi would never shake.

M'Linzi snapped back to reality as he felt the sword vibrate, bringing him out of his memories. He couldn't dwell on the past, it was too painful and haunting. He had to keep his mind on the here and now. And right now his mission was to get the Horns.