Heather's Adventures: The Search for Maxamus

Chapter 9. Max

"Max, Rheannah, your father would be so proud of everything you learned. You both are fine swordsmen." Our swords teacher praised the two of us.

"Yeah right. He's not my father. He doesn't own me." Rheannah put away her sword from our training session and walked out. She had what we called "ownage issues" because she believed no one owned her.

It was all because our father never came back that day. We didn't know what happened to him. He never left the cave. Whatever was in there killed him. A monster apparently lived in there. No one went into that place and ever came back alive. The price of moonlight spring water skyrocketed since it was so dangerous to obtain. Rheannah and I were training to go in there and defeat that monster—whatever it was.

"Did I say something?" Our teacher asked.

I just shook my head, "She's taken the fact our father walked out on us far too seriously. He's not our father. Our father would've came back. We hate him. You can't claim people she says. And you don't even want to know what she thinks about love and true love. I've gotta go catch up with her. Thanks for everything."

"Max...just a word of warning. If the scouts come by your house...don't opt into the war that's brewing of the resistance in the pure Alfred branches. Don't go to war. Neither you or your sister are ready for the grief. They have already drafted me, however they do know your name. Because of your father—"

"I told you. We are not related to him anymore. The only thing that we share is a last name. Merrywell."

"Do you know what your father did for a living that opted him to become such a fine swordsman?"

I look to my feet, "he's not my father."

"He did the work for our lords, Maxamus. He lived taking that risk that he may not come back. You know you are an heir of all four branches of our lords, correct?"

"Just because I am doesn't mean anything. My father did shady work. People still stop by requesting for him, however it doesn't concern you. It doesn't matter what he did. I am not like him and will never be anything like him." I turned to my teacher to glare at him before I walked away. I also changed my sword back into my watch. Was my father a good guy at all even? He was always seen around shady people all the time.

"Max..."

"I'm sorry but that is the truth." The words stung bitterly in the air as I left. There was no reason to sugar-coat the damage that had been done years ago.

"Your father was a good man, just don't forget that."

I turned around one last time, "he left me to die. What good is a man who leaves his own son to die for no reason at all and never comes back?" With saying that, I turned around and walked off back home. Recruiting a twelve-year-old for a war. Who would do such a crazy thing?