This is book one of a 4 book series following a young man on his quest for vengeance, travelling across the land to avenge his family and find his father. Our hero meets many faces, some old some new, but most of whom will reappear throughout the se...
Malakai awoke fiercely as he heard a door slam. He jerked up to only be stopped by a sharp pain in in the center of his chest and his right shoulder, he looked down to see that there was a bandage wrapped around his arm and torso, covered in blood.
"Hello?" Malakai said remembering some of what had happen. He stood and slowly walked over to the door across the room and opened it. When he went through he saw a man standing over a pot of boiling liquid.
"You're awake?" The man said without looking at him, his Voice Low and raspy like had inhaled tree bark "I was starting to get worried. I'm Andre... The Blacksmith."
"What happened?" Malakai asked wincing from the pain.
"You don't remember?" Andre cocked his head quizzically. "I heard a commotion from outside, and I saw you at my feet, your eyes were open and you responded to both me and the guards... Unfortunately, I wanted to take you inside, they wanted to kill you. So, I killed them." He chuckled as he clenched a fist "I may be an old bastard, but i still am the one who made their weapons, and betraying my age, I can still overpower a handful of guards!" He finished as he inspected the pot.
"Oh, well then... I guess I owe you my life.. Thank you" Malakai said with great earnest. Andre, now facing Malakai with a rather amused look. His hair was nearly all grey and white.His face holding a scar diagonally to the right across his face. The eyes that looked to Malakai from under an intense brow, a dark brown.
"Child, you owe me nothing, it was my choice, and I did not lose anything from helping you, save a few bowls of food." He chuckled, beginning to stir the pot of liquid again, a wonderful smell began to fill the air.
"But what about your reputation with the nobility!" Malakai stated loudly, throwing his arm behind him, gesturing to the outside world.
"Let me worry about that." Andre said, scanning Malakai from head to toe before grumbling. "I take it you didn't see the fresh pair of clothes I left you on your bed, you need to change. After that you eat, and after that you rest." He finished while motioning Malakai to his room.
"Bu-" Andre cut Malakai off and handed him a bowl of the liquid.
"Room now, get changed, eat, sleep, I've already re-sharpened your sword. Your Malakai, youngest of the Haven Family. I'll talk to you later.¨ Andre demanded.
Malakai now feeling weak and hungry made his way back towards His temporary room, changed into his new clothes, they oddly seemed to have been made for Him. After he got dressed, he collapsed on the bed and slept.
Andre Slaved over his forge for hours while he allowed the stew to brew longer, he had added some new ingredients.
"No... Not right..." He cursed to himself as he re-smelted the piece of metal to retry. "C'mon... Almost... Th-... Perfect!" He smiled as he submerged the metal into a vat of water. " Now all I have to do is re-shape it." Andre said as he lifted the metal sheet in front of a flame. "Should be easy enough. After all I did make him new clothing." He smirked as he turned to the room housing Malakai.
Malakai awoke, the sung hanging rather low in the sky, on the table next to him was a set of
armor with a scrap of paper on it that read "Put this on, and meet me in the main room."
The armor Gleamed in the sunlight leaking through the window, he started to meticulously place the armor upon his body, piece after piece, he moved his arms and legs around to get them used to the added weight. Then looking to the helmet, he tried to put it on, but sadly it was too small so he just sat it back down and looked at the armor he was now clad in. The armor was light but still made of metal. "What is this made of?" Malakai asked himself, astonished at the remarkable lightness of it. "It's mostly metal, how is it this light?!"
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"It's made of Mythril." Andre stated walking into the room. "Lighter yet stronger than the greatest of Steel." He finished as he examined his handiwork. grumbling to himself as he saw the helmet sitting on the table "Too small?"
Malakai nodded and moved his arms again, The armor may have been lighter than normal, but it was still heavy...
"I had a sneaking suspicion that you made this..." Malakai said as he sat down on the bed slowly. "Thanks you, but may I ask... why?" He asked flexing his shoulders to get used to the extra weight.
"Well, there are two factors to that." Andre said with a tone of humor. "Nothing protects as much as a suit of plate armor and two, well..." He chuckled, then all humor left his face and was replaced with pure seriousness. "We train. I've seen how you fight, awake... Not impressive. we need you to be able to fight like you were born to..." He said staring at Malakai with a fierce stare, his eyes nearly piercing into Malakai's soul.
"Well...." Malakai chuckled in attempt to break the serious tone. "Can we at least do it after dinner?" his stomach growled as the small bowl of stew he had eaten before had already been digested.
Andre laughed. "Hah! Of course! I was planning that anyways. Let's go." Andre held the door open for Malakai leading to another boiling pot of stew. This pot however seemed different to Malakai.
"What's in this?" Malakai asked as he ate. "It tastes amazing."
"Old family recipe." he stated rather bluntly then he finished his first bowl and went for his second. "Actually. One bowl is enough for me, you finish up... I'll set up the training equipment." He said standing up and heading for the door leading to the 'back yard.' Malakai finished his dinner and went to the back where Andre went, only to be met with a dulled Iron sword to the abdomen. If it weren't for the armor, Malakai would be on his knees puking up the Stew he just finished eating.
"OWW!!! What was that for." he gulped as Andre stood their in his own metal armor, his although was made of iron and consisted of only a chest piece and a pair of greaves all were heavily rusted.
"An enemy will not give you a chance to prepare yourself." Andre said raising his sword and not giving Malakai one. "First lesson, disarming."
That's when Malakai knew that this was going to be a lot harder than Theo's sparring sessions...
