Chương 13: chapter 13
Note: Chapter 10 was the beginning of the second volume
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Kelver looked at Khaled, "It seems you've made your decision."
Khaled leaned against the door, "I think it's the right time to leave all this behind and spend some time with my grandson."
Kelver nodded as he headed towards one of his cabinets, "Do you remember our conversation during the Battle of Anwal?"
"By the creator of hell, how can I remember a war we fought in years ago, let alone a conversation within it?"
"Let me refresh your memory. The first lieutenant retired from the Dir due to the loss of his hand."
Khaled sighed, "You mean your talk full of youthful enthusiasm about creating a legend after crafting a weapon unlike anything else."
Kelver pulled out a heavy box from the cabinet before speaking, "Yes, that talk. Unfortunately, it remained just a conversation and never had a chance to become a reality. But since that day and until now, I've been trying to fulfill a part of that promise."
Khaled looked at him in surprise, "What do you mean?"
Kelver slowly opened the box, "For the past fifty years since that promise, I've been investing my money and efforts in a small project. Initially, I did it to fulfill my pledge, and then when I retired from the battlefield, I continued for the sake of my children. Eventually, it became more of a habit than a goal, and here I am today without any children."
As Kelver pulled out the blade from inside the box, it revealed a sword sheathed in a thick, brown leather scabbard with a width of 10 centimeters. Green runic engravings adorned the surface of the scabbard. The sword's hilt was silver-blue with a spiral design running along its length. The crossguard was straight, but the pommel curved slightly upwards, featuring intricate runic letters.
As he drew the blade, its blue glimmer catching the light, Kelver began to explain calmly,
"Over the course of fifty years, with the wealth I acquired and my connections due to my position as the butler of Lord Gawain and my military affiliations, I sought the assistance of skilled runic sorcerers to craft this piece. It may not be the best in the kingdom, let alone compared to legendary weapons, but it surpasses the capabilities of most young nobles."
And as he fully drew the blade, which was about 125 centimeters long, he continued his speech
"On the hilt, there are three runic letters, with the runic letter of wisdom ﴾Ansuz﴿ as the foundation. The hilt was crafted to be the largest support and guide for the wielder of the weapon. As for the blade itself, it contains five runic letters, all directed towards dealing swift and deadly strikes, with the runic letter ﴾Sowilo﴿ representing the sun as the core of the composition. I crafted a blade that cuts through metal like butter and generates a high heat I've never felt in my life," he said, sheathing the sword again before focusing on the scabbard
"Finally, the scabbard, the last thing I crafted, contained my last hopes. It bears six runic letters, all directed towards healing and revitalizing the body, while avoiding the runic letters associated with physical harm, with ﴾Othala﴿ representing the ancestors as its core. The entire design is based on the principle of unity and harmony. I tried my best to create a versatile weapon that encompasses lethality, support, and healing, with each aspect reinforced by a runic symbol dedicated to restoration to avoid any lasting damage to its structure or the essence of the runes."
Khaled couldn't say anything; he never expected his old friend to work on something so extraordinary over the past years.
This time, Kelver didn't return the sword to the box or explain anything else. Instead, he turned to Khalid and said, "I finished working on the sword four years ago when the professionals warned that adding any more runes to the blade would destabilize the rest of the runic formations. Since then, it has been sitting in the box collecting nothing but dust, contrary to what I created it for." Suddenly, Khalid interrupted him, saying, "My friend, I don't think I'm suitable to wield it. I am old and retired."
The butler looked at him with surprise before saying, "And who said it's for you?" This made the old warrior feel embarrassed and angry at the same time. However, the servant continued before the old man could erupt, "I want you to give it to your son, grandson, or anyone you deem worthy. Unlike me, you have a family, and you also have enough free time to travel." He paused before adding, "Plus, I know your inclination for getting into trouble. Adding this old body, you won't live for at least 10 more years. This sword will grant you additional years."
Veins of anger became more pronounced on Khalid's forehead. "So, you make me work for you for free, and not only that, but you also prolong my life for the sake of work," he sighed before continuing, "Fine, give me this sword. I'll make sure no one takes it except my grandson." Khalid snatched the sword from Kilver's hand and turned to leave, only to be stopped by a call before he exited the room. "Take care of your bones, old man, and give my regards to your family." Khalid continued his way without looking back but whispered audibly, "Fine."
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"Hello," he tried to respond mentally as well, and it seemed to work as the young man's eyes widened in surprise and, more importantly, relief.
"Thank God you're not a corrupted spirit," the imaginary eyebrow of the armor raised at such a declaration, and he said, "Why would I be?"
The young man's voice hesitated a bit in his response, "It's just that a healthy spirit isn't expected to possess complete bodies." The bird interrupted him from completing his statement by tapping on his head, diverting the conversation. "By the way, what are you doing here?"
The armor answered sincerely, "I'm a bit lost... so, how should I address both of you?" His soul could only show a little excitement as he hadn't communicated with anyone for a long time, and now he was eager for any form of connection.
The bird and the man exchanged a few glances before entering into a small struggle.
"Should we trust him?" the man asked.
The bird responded with annoyance, "Are you foolish? What if he can curse people through their names?"
"But don't creatures that have a combative appearance usually not curse? Besides, you said he doesn't hold any hostility, so why the sudden caution?"
"Usually! What about a creature we know nothing about? And yes, I said he doesn't hold hostility, But asking for a name by a rune being is just an invitation for trouble, whether they are hostile or not."
"As he can curse our names, he can also curse us if we don't give him our names. In the end, we lack information or expertise in this matter, so there's no need for empty assumptions." The bird shook its feathers in annoyance before conceding, "As you wish, I've warned you."
Cedric turned his attention back to the armor and replied, "My name is Cedric, and this annoying bird is my companion, his name is Zalel. We live in a nearby village. What is your name, sir?"
The armor remained silent for a moment as it didn't know what to say.Does he give his real name? He has read enough myths to know that names are cursed in magical stories. Although it seems that this isn't the case here, since the man gave him his name, his own name also seems inappropriate, as the world and names have a European character, especially from ancient Europe, at least from what he has seen so far. Therefore, he leans towards using a name that suits the world, at least until he knows if there are Arabic names in this world.
'You can call me Darius Stormbringer.'
He used a name he likes of Persian origin, while the nickname is just something he heard before.
It seems that this gesture made the young man more at ease, so he decided to ask another question that has piqued his curiosity from the beginning.
"By the way, what are those glowing letters in the attachment, and are they the reason we can communicate?"
The young man replied with puzzlement and inquiry, "It's a runic letter for communication... don't you know what runic letters are?"
Damn, it seems he asked a stupid question; he just hopes it doesn't affect the flow of the conversation.He decided to answer the question honestly, "It's the first time I've seen something like this... Oh, by the way, can you give me some directions around here? I'm new to this place."
The man and the bird exchanged glances again before Cedric spoke to him, "Can you... we want to have a little private conversation, is that okay?"
The armor nodded in understanding and watched them as they moved away.
"What do you think?" This time it was the bird who asked.
"Well, considering that we were the only ones affected before, if we reveal the gathering place or the village to him, we'd be responsible if he turns hostile and causes harm to others."
"It's not about that; it's what he said... the man doesn't know the runic letters, which is strange."
"After considering it, you're right. What do you think?"
"I really don't know. Either he wasn't around civilization for all these centuries or he's a newborn, but he doesn't look like a newborn. His voice sounds like someone in their thirties. If we follow the logic that traces of spirits retain a part of their identity after death, then he died at least in the thirties. And he seems to be armed and has general knowledge about communication and people. This means he wasn't far from civilization during his life. So why doesn't he know runic letters?"
Both of them remained silent for a moment before the bird continued speaking, "His armor is new, and he doesn't seem very old. This means he recently inhabited the armor. Ask him about his age; he seemed honest except for the part about his name, but I didn't sense any deceit or trickery from him, meaning he's just cautious."
"I will do that, but the important question now is what do we do with his request."
The bird shook its feathers in annoyance, "Of course, we can't just give him a map and leave him in the forest. It might bring trouble to us or others."
"Then should we take him to my grandfather?"
"I believe that's the best choice. If there's someone who knows how to deal with this situation, it's your grandfather."
Cedric returned to Darius and said as he touched him, "We don't have a map here, but you can accompany us until I finish my task, and then I'll take you to my village. My grandfather has many maps that might help you. But, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you exactly?"
Darius hesitated for a moment, suspecting that Cedric might have the ability to detect lies, considering his communication skills with animals and telepathic abilities. He wondered if Cedric knew he was lying when he gave a false name. After all, it wouldn't be surprising if Cedric could discern the truth from lies. So, he chose to be honest but still manipulate his words slightly, saying, "I'm not exactly sure, around 500 cycles since I inhabited this armor."
Cedric looked at Zaleel 'He's not lying, but he's also not telling the whole truth.'
"Then does he not mention his exact age?"
"I don't know, maybe because he didn't recall his life before death or anything of that sort."
"But what does he mean by 500 cycles?"
"I think he means years. It aligns with his lack of knowledge about the runes. Perhaps after he died, he lived the rest of his life away from civilization and only recently inhabited this armor. After all, the lifespan of the runic system doesn't exceed 460 years."
"So, you're saying we are conversing with an old man who is over 500 years old and older than my lineage!"
"Calm down, fool. It's just a speculation. We'll know more when we reach your grandfather."
After Cedric calmed down, he gestured to Darius to proceed.
Darius nodded in agreement, unaware that he had been transformed into an ancient artifact centuries old.
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