Chapter 16

The Sword of the Shaman

(that time I learned Fire Strike... )

I wasn't much for religion. Most of the time I just rolled my eyes when my moms and dad spoke of different myths and gods. I’m sure some of it is real, there is some resemblance of truth in every story. In my past life I saw what religious cults and fanatics were capable off. Sacrificial murders, summoning monsters, it seemed like every other week there was a new deity rising from the underworld that only a hero could slay. I even remember hearing stories of how heroes would be summoned from other worlds by guild masters, blackmailed into completing quests so that they could either return home or start a new life. Those ways all seemed lost now, though several in Haven swore to have been the descendants of summoned heroes. It was even said that during the Age of Prosperity that many of the buildings designed were based on what summoned heroes had called home.

Mid-Summer was considered the holiest time of the year, when the harvest was collected and we feasted like we were kings and queens. Other times of the year were held in high regard, with rituals such as Solstice and of course Moma-Mia's favorite, the Great Night. When the Great Night came around mother Sudra made me a grotesque mask to wear alongside my mother Mia at one of our yearly bonfires. I was hesitant. I didn't want to dance and I definitely wasn't excited about wearing a gross mask and sheep wool. My mothers insisted though, telling me that I was special, born a Krsnik, I was a Shaman. Moma-Mia and I were the only ones left that could partake in this event. In more ways than one others in the village looked at me as if I carried a piece of the gods themselves inside of me.

And so I danced with Gob on my shoulder and my mother by my side until the sun rose. Wearing a mask that looked like a grotesque wolf-monster and dancing throughout the village, howling, and acting like a fool. Any other kid would have loved it. I didn't quite understand, it felt like we were giving praise to Veles, the god of the underworld, our enemy.

Of course, I was wrong. My father did his best to remind me that nature was about balance. Even Veles was important. Without the darkness there was no light. At some point we would all meet with death.

After the Great Night I waited near the old ruins. Jor was finishing my sword and told me he would be delivering it to me that day. While sitting cross-legged I was deep in thought. Thinking about the afterlife I saw after I died, the unending darkness. Was Veles there? Was he the shadow? The monster I felt in that void? And if he was how did I reincarnate. Shouldn't I be floating in a river of the dead somewhere? I thought about venturing down, asking Alantris what she thought of such things. Every so often I would see a small spider sitting on a stone and wondered if she was spying on me, or the village. Most likely she was looking for Thomas and wondering why Mia never came to visit.

I shrugged it off. I had more life to look forward to and I still had to grow up and search for Rak and the rest of my guild. There had to be a way for me to find them. If I still had my memories, it had to be somewhat possible that they too remembered what happened. If not why was I different? Why would I be cursed? Sometimes, on the rare occasion I questioned whether or not any of it was real, or if somehow I had dreamt up the entirety of my past life.

"No," I said aloud. Only the spider was sitting close by listening. Probably wondering what it was I was thinking about. I couldn't brush off my past life like it was nothing. I couldn't dishonor myself that way. If this second chance had taught me anything it is that there is a reason for being. I was like those legends, those heroes, summoned from other worlds, only I was summoned from the afterlife. My secret. Well, mine and Gob's secret. The little Tenrec seemed to have all his memories intact as well.

Another few hours passed and it was mid-day. I had no training with Ajax or my father, who was, most likely spending some quality time with moms. A thought I pushed out of my head, especially since I'd recently walked in on them once and felt scarred for life. I wished we lived in a bigger house, maybe one with walls that weren't so thin.

"Kai!" I heard Jor's voice call out. "There you are!"

He was walking up to me with Mori and Ajax by his side. Mori had received a sword of her own that day as well. Made of steel, small, slim, straight blade held by a grip wrapped in rare, brown shark skin, bought and paid for by her father. Not that it mattered. She deserved it. After today none of us would be practicing with wooden swords anymore.

Jor was wearing his set of armor with an open face, but with protection from the sides covering just up to the ears. Attached to its side were two small dragon horns which curve forwards, one of which is partially broken. The shoulders were pointy, very long and large in size decorated with a masterfully crafted leather demon wing carved on each side. His lower arms are covered by vambraces which have rows upon rows of small leather pieces, mimicking fish scales. His breastplate was made from many circular layers of leather with squared edges and decorational runes, some of which I was sure Jor himself had designed. His armor covered everything from his neck down ending at the groin, but the shoulder area was fairly exposed to allow for more movement space. His upper legs were covered by a skirt of horizontal layers of leather and fur reaching down to the knee. Thin fur pants are worn beneath it all. All things considered, it was a lot of armor for him to be wearing inside Haven.

"Here we are my boy," Jor smiled handing me an object wrapped in brown cloth. I smiled, knowing exactly what it was. The blade was made of the cores my father and I gathered from the Arachnids. It reminded me of a dragon's tooth. Hardened, stronger than steel. It had a jagged, warped cross-guard, creating the ideal weight balance to allow for smooth and accurate swings with this blade.

"The blade itself is bare. No decorations or engraved patterns. Your moms said you would add your own runes to it later," he explained.

"Why are you wearing so much armor?" I asked.

"Its ceremonial. Its not everyday I get to present a Shaman with a new sword, if you wouldn't mind I'd like for us to spare for a bit," he smiled.

I nodded. I'd only really spared with my father, Ajax, and Mori. Neither of them had the experience as my father or Jor.

"Great, great! Exciting! I'm so happy you agreed. You see, I already beat poor Mori here in a duel and she and Ajax, avoiding chores I'm sure, insisted on coming to watch the two of us fight," Jor laughed.

"Is there something special we should do?" I asked.

Jor took out a piece of chalk from inside his armor. "Mori, please draw a circle. We will fight until one of us either falls or is knocked out of the circle."

"Sounds good," I said.

"Now, may Puren give you protection and guidance," Jor grinned.

The two of us stood across form one another inside the circle Mori had drawn while she and Ajax watched from the outside. Jor readied himself, moving into a fighting stance, lifting his own short curved steel sword in the air and holding out his other hand flat.

"One more thing Kai, don't hold back," Jor said. His words echoed my father's. I nodded and handed Gob over to Mori. Besides my mothers they were the only two I trusted to hold my little Tenrec.

Our swords struck one another and I felt the ground tremble beneath our feet. Jor was using some kind of wind magic to move twice as fast as any normal person should be able to wearing such heavy armor. But he had one weakness. All of his strikes came from above. He left himself open after nearly every strike. Despite my best efforts though my every counter bounced off his armor and I was blown back by the power of wind from the palm of his hand. Several times I nearly fell out of the circle.

On the verge of losing I could feel my frustration growing. I'd just spent the entire day mediating, thinking of my past life, when I was an Apostle of Fire, a swordsman. Had I the powers I had then I Jor would be no match for my strikes. With one final counter I concentrated my mana into my new sword and lit the air ablaze.

Damage Dealt x 30

Jor fell backwards, my strike had burned a small hole in his armor and most likely burned all the way through to his skin. I didn't mean to actually hurt him but we both knew the risks. Surprised, he stepped back and out of the circle. Mori immediately declared me the winner. With a smile on my face I struck the ground with my sword like I was lighting a match and held it up in the air. I'd acquired a new skill Fire Strike and for that moment, holding my flaming sword in hand I felt like my old-self again.

Name: Kai

Race: Krsnik

Level: 5

100 / 100 HP

0 / 100 Armor

100/ 100 Mana

Class: Shaman

Reputation: Explorer

Guild: Haven

Title: Arachnid Slayer

Skills:

Mana Regeneration

Replenish

Dark Vision

Shape Shifting

Fire Bolt

Wall of Fire (Fire Wall) (Fire Dome)

Quick Draw

First Strike / Slice

Flash Step

Fire Step

Fire Shield

Fire Slash lvl 1

Sword Strike lvl 1

Rising Slash

Strength: 5

Agility: 6

Endurance: 5

Intelligence: 7