The scent of the soup drifted up towards my nose which was piquantly rich with the earthly aroma of wild rabbit meat which was boiled at a low temperature overnight by the maidens, filling the house with warmth even in the pleasantly cold and invigorating morning air.
I crunch my little nose, puffing out my little chest in protest. "You know I can eat on my own!, I'm not a baby anymore!"
My voice came out firmer than I intended, but it only got me an amused glance from everyone.
Stephanie's lips curled into a knowing smile as she tilted her head sideways, white strands of her hair catching the morning sun light that came through the window. "Is that so my dear?"
Stephanie asked, voice laced with mirth.
Across the table, my father burst into laughter, almost spilling his soup. His white teeth peeking out
of his mouth as he grins shaking his head at my words. " Hey, listen to the young prince speaking!. His all grown up now!,"
He chuckled, while making a cheers to me with his spoon filled with soup before taking into his mouth.
I knew they'd laugh. To them I was nothing but a child; just a five year old boy who needs help eating. I crossed my arms, with cheeks burning bright red, while trying to maintain a firm face.
Suddenly the warmth of my mother's fingers brushes over my cheek, before gently tucking a stray of her hair behind her ear, giving me a warm smile.
"Alright then all grown up"
Ursula who was quiet suddenly spoke up with a teasing smile.
"Show mommy how it's done"
My mother said handing me the wooden spoon with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"You got this son!"
My father cheered for me, while raising his cup of hot cocoa tea.
Determined to show them all I gripped the spoon tightly, scooping up the golden steaming stock, I raised it toward my mouth. Everyone was so quiet while looking at me intently, not even moving an inch. Which seemed really awkward to me, I was okay at first but now with all the staring, it got me shaking. Like my body was scared of failing to feed me. Though I was gripping the spoon tightly, it still wobbled in my grip, threatening to spill, but i calmed myself before continuing to raise it toward my lips. But as I was about to put it in to my mouth, the whole thing came pouring down my chin ruining my clothes.
Everyone's silence was broken by the echoes of their own laughter. Their voices rang through the house like morning bird songs, warm and familiar. I huffed in irritation whipping my chin and trouser, casting a glaring look at the bowl as if it had betrayed me.
My mother just smiled, ruffling my spiky long hair. "It's ok son, you will get use to it soon enough"
"I should have been able to feed myself a long time ago, if you guys stopped feeding me!"
I protested.
Which again brought another laughter from everyone. I wanted to say something again, but instead, I just let my mom lift the spoon for me. Just this once. For there's a saying that goes " It's beautiful under the sea. But if you stay there to long, you'll drown". Meaning: some depths are meant to be visited. Not to live in.
Sigh..well, these mornings can be addictive, such a nice and warm breakfast I sapos. After finishing my breakfast, I got cleaned off my clothes before heading out to play.
"Be careful when you play out there!"
My mother shouted behind me.
"Okay mom!"
I replied while running out of the house.
And to tell you guys about the house, it wasn't a just a simple hut but a massive pile of logs, each one of them was thicker than a man's body stacked together with great precision. The gaps between them were covered with with a white rubbery substance which I assumed it to be latex. Latex is a name given to a milky white sap that flows from a tree, when a sliver of its bark is removed. Back in my world, it was known as the rubber tree. It was used in the production of many things. It's utilized in medical devices, aircraft and car tires, pacifiers, clothes, toys, etc. It can also be easily moulded in various shapes and sizes. It is also employed in making gardening tools, pipes, hoses and more.
But yeah lectures later..
Once outside the village on a small hill outside the village, I stopped and took some time to study the village. All the other houses was no different from ours, but the only difference was the size of each house and style in which they are built. the chief's house was right in the middle, surrounded by all Its people. Though one was not quite large as the chief's house, they all had smoke rising from the chimneys, curling up into the mountain air slowly.
I just smiled to myself; who would have thought this primitive looking village, would be able to survive in the valley of the mountains where the air is thin but pure. The valley present in the southern mountains, was no stranger to death; monster attacks, the harsh winter, bandits attack, including tribal wars that claims the life of the weak.
But standing here and looking over the White clan village, people were going on about their daily work. Women left for the fields, even in these mountains they were able to maintain a good livelihood, farms, cattles and everyday essential was maintained by them, and surprisingly they were a lot disciplined. I thought medieval barbarians was always brawl and plunder and wouldn't even care about such things. I know what you might think of me, but though I learnt about the life of medieval people, I still had my doubts about it. Now seeing it with my own eyes, it was like a shocking discovery. The whole thing looked like a movie scene, with the beautiful morning sun brightly on the horizon, showing the bright smiling faces of everyone below me very clear.
I also learned so much about my new family in these past five years. The White clan is divided into five circuits and among the five circuits, my father's clan(The Whites) have people of strong bloodline and powerful warriors. I came to know that behind those kind smiles from the people of my father's circuit, were savage fighters feared by all the other circuits in the clan.
My father was nice, a man who kept his word, still. I don't know what the damn freaking misunderstanding was because I felt as I had joined an army. Like a sergeant wearing a beret, my father forced me through the training field that the village had day after day, proving my scientific discovery that the after life was not a far off place for anyone, including me.
Luckily for me, I trained my body in private when I was three. It became a routine, because like I told you guys before. This freaking world is full of creeping crawling blood lusting freaking monsters!, and I'm not planning on getting myself eaten. I don't care if it's part of the food chain crap, or the ecosystemic balance shit!. Anyhow.. had I not prepared my strength before, I would have passed out on the grass with my tongue sticking out of my mouth. My father trained me every three hours and while this might sound like a short amount of time to you guys, it felt like a very, verrry long time for a five freaking year old kid. The first hour consisted of warming up exercises, which focused on building up my stamina. In the second hour, I was given a wooden weapon of different type every day to train with. I started by repeating the basic actions which is for that type of weapon. Such as striking, slashing, stabbing and parrying. With my genius brain, I came up with a shorter term for it. Which is known as, SSSP. After an hour session doing the SSSP method, I would take a 20min break before going into an hour sparing session with my father.
You know when I was a kid, I always wished that I was born back in the medieval period. But now, I regret ever wishing for it.
The part of wielding a weapon was not a simple and clean path to walk. If you are thinking that, all it need is for you to think in a mere straight line to wield a weapon,bro. You gotta think again.
For one the wield a weapon, any weapon. You need to consider many angles and employ them from a great variety stances. The reality is far more different from video games, as both the body and and the mind had to act one. It was an obvious fact, yet its diligence was indeed a bitter one. After six months, I was able to master the six primary directions in which a weapon should be employed to finish a fight quickly, with only one strike.
By "a weapon", I mean any weapon that is carried into a battle field.
Upon seeing my achievements, my father was pleased, for he believed that I have a natural talent. I know some of you might be wondering that if, my father was a sword fighter. Than how is he able to teach his son about another weapon right?. Well, my father can also handle any weapon but he prefers using a sword, which he said it was his favorite weapon. But one thing I came to realize was the difference between having a teacher, and not having one.
Though I was a top student back in my world, you might be thinking it's all because of the teachers I had. But that's not even the case, for I have obtained knowledge from my own hard work. You see there was this small library in town that not many people go to, because they had this devices that can give them an answer in a split second by using the internet. But I never had one, so I decided to find my own device that will give me answers. And that was the time I stumbled into the library with my little sister by accident. The library had six double book shelves that contained books that looked like they were hundreds of years old. To be honest at first I thought I had arrived at a witch's domain. But after a quick glance through a book that had a few dust on it. I realize that this book were the originals of their copies which I used to learn with back in the classroom. The room also had a few study tables placed near the window that allows you to look outside while reading or studying. After speaking with the receptionist and getting the library's schedule, I left with my sister. And from then on we both always spend the weekends studying and reading in the library. The receptionist was a young girl around our age, who also spent time with my sister, teaching her different languages she had learnt in the past two years she had been working here while reading a lot of books for there wasn't much to do. I mean people do come by, but just like me. They thought this was a witch's house filled with horrifying spell books.
Okay long story, short one is that. The teachers I had were freaking lazy, all they cared about was getting paid and not teaching. So when I found the library, I self-taught myself. Later I began to invite my friends and soon the library always get full every weekends from me and every single one of my classmates, including my sister.
Yeah, back to the story...
I always get tired out from the torture, but I could also feel my strength and skills improving day after day. After the three hours of intense training, we would head home and catch a little rest before my father would head out for work, while I train in secret testing out my eye's skills which I called "the panoptis technique" inside my room on the second floor. Seems that as my body's strength increase the longer I can use my skill, at my current level I can hold it for fifteen minutes.
I also learnt that I can create my own clone using the skill, but it is only visible to me but not to the others. When I first created my first clone out of curiosity I thought it was just an image that cannot do anything apart from just being a decoy. But that all changed when I tried fighting it, I just threw a casual punch without expecting anything from him when all of a sudden, he was able to dodge my attack striking me with a counter attack. Which gave me a black eye that shocked my parents the next morning. From then on I stayed back in the training ground after training with my father, testing out the weapon I have just trained with, against my clone using the same weapon.
But I tell you this, to fight against someone who has a brain 100% that thinks exactly like yours. It's a real pain in the ass for both of you, you both can deliver few hits to the other but no one will have the upper hand, until someone's stamina runs low. My clone is like an invisible man that no can see accept me, but he can hurt anyone including me. And he can't speak, maybe in the future I guess.
The technique was not effective if not one lacked the required strength and agility, yet I have to train to become more effective in using the skill. I wasn't just training to look cool; no, I have my long term goals in mind. I practiced like this whenever I have time. Since I didn't have much to do in this little fragile body. Interestingly enough, my strength has risen well beyond my imagination in the past few months.
So it came to me that, I had been training for a year in secret. And five months with my father, which was a torture.
I found myself training once more on the hill outside the village which I went to in the morning. I swung my wooden daggers here and there without hesitation at all, for surely I knew no one was watching.
After an hour of warming up, I took a rest to calm my breathing, then activated my "Panoptis Technique"
As my skill was activated, my clone appeared in from of me holding a double edge war axe in his hand, while staring at me with a blank face. Which always happen to give me goosebumps. But unlike before, I always make the first move with him just standing, now he gave me a slight nod before taking up a fighting stance holding his battle axe over his head like he was going to make one instant kill strike on me. I swallowed my saliva as I got into my fighting stance holding my daggers. And just as I was about to jump forward, he made the first move by closing the distance between us while making a powerful low swing with his axe. Seeing him go for my legs I jumped back trying to create a gap between us but he didn't let me, he continued his charge. Seeing me air born he continued his swing making it a 360° angle strike that delivers a double combo. Seeing him coming around quick for the second strike, I panicked and lost my balance falling to the ground hard on my butt while holding my daggers in an X position protecting my vital organs, I closed my eyes and waited for him to strike me but Instead, only a breeze blew my face without anything hitting me. Opening my eyes I saw my clone's blade stopping just a few inches away from my daggers, while still giving me the blank face. After two Seconds of staring at each other he turned and walked back to his position.
"What the heck is your problem jerk?!, are you trying to get us both wiped out from the face of this planet?!"
I shouted in frustration.
Standing up I dusted my butt before going to my position as well, still angry at my clone. Unlike the other times we sparred together, something is not right about him today. Like I said before, he has a 100% copy of my brain so there is no way I could have misread him. Meaning I know what his gonna do next after his first attack but now he seems to be a different person all together. I could feel my heart beating from fright but also there was a bit of excitement burning.
"Hey,mind if I ask who thought you that style?!. I'm sure it wasn't me!"
I couldn't help my curiosity so I asked taking up my stance again.
But instead of replying, he just continued walking until he reached his position, turning around he gave me the same dead eye look and took up the same fighting stance.
"Since you are not in the mood to talk, guess I'll have to force you then!"
I shouted with an exited face as I charged towards him.
To be honest I'm not really sure what is really pushing me to want fight him, but I can feel my blood boil like it had finally found a worthy opponent. Unlike sparing with my father I don't feel this much exited to get myself beaten by him, and the whole thing really felt weird but I think this is what a warrior feels in battle when faced with a tougher opponent. Well it's just a guess because I've never fought in a battle before, I'm just an ordinary high school student who got killed for no reason and now trying to act all warrior like. Just thinking about it makes me want to dig hole and die inside instead of embarrassing myself.
When I was five metres away I threw one of my daggers at his face while going for his abdomen. Bringing the the axe's blade to the front he blocked the flying dagger while using the handle to block my attack from under without even flinching. Seeing that he blocked my attack I didn't fall back but instead I jumped onto him tackling him to the ground, when we hit the ground I quickly sat up on top him while stabbing down with my dagger. Before he could even react my dagger had already stabbed him in the heart, he spat out a mouth full of blood onto my face as he tried pushing me away on the chest. I just stared at him with a horrified face as I watched him choke on his own blood and die before disappearing into thin air. I just sat there thinking about what I just did while breathing heavily looking at my hands that were covered in blood with its scent filling up my nose which I couldn't take it anymore and started vomiting.
"So this is how it feels like to take someone's life"
I said before canceling my skill.
My mind was in a mass while multiple emotions flooded my body which made me feel like I was going to go crazy.
I've never taken anyone's life before and this was the first time I did it, and I couldn't get myself to calm down. And the worse part was that I took my own life and I watched him slowly choke and die. Killing an animal or a monster wouldn't trouble me, for I did go hunting back in my world. But taking a human's life was way to far for me, I didn't practice for this I trained to kill monsters not people. What would my parents think of me now?, will they still love me like they always did?. Or will I be cast out of the house?. No it's gonna be fine for at least no one knows about it right?. Nobody can even see my clone, so yeah it's all gonna be fine just like always.
I sat on the grass with a blank face while talking to myself like a drunkard man, who had taken to much alcohol realizing that he had only a penny left in his wallet.
During that time when Quinton happened to kill his clone, the time was already at noon. But now the sun was already starting to set with only an hour and a half left before dark.
Meanwhile back at his home everyone was starting to look for him, his father went out asking his neighbors if they had seen him somewhere. His mother couldn't even sit down for her mind was trying to figure out her son's playing spot, only to be met with nothing coming to mind. For his only playing spot was their backyard under the tree. Which he was supposed to be there, but instead he sneaked out. The maidens were also worried but there is nothing they can do for they were told by his father to stay with his mother while he went out searching. Meanwhile Quinton was sitting in a folded position while repeating the same words over and over again, his face had become pale and his face showed a frightened expression. "Nobody knows,Nobody knows..."
"Karape!"
A deep voice called.
Karape was standing Infront of the village gate while looking at the sun that was already about to set when he heard the voice call, turning around to see where the voice came from, a man dressed in a military uniform with a sword strapped to his side was jogging towards him. He didn't reply but just kept looking over his shoulder waiting for the guy to come. Only did the guy arrive to where he was did he turn around to face him with a serious face.
"What did you find?"
Quinton's father said with a bit of anger in his voice.
"The morning guards who stood at the gates said that he followed the walls heading east, but didn't see him return until their shift was ended at noon"
The man stated calmly.
"Okay thanks, I'll take it from here"
Karape said lightning the torch he had from the nearby fire.
"Take my ass, you knuckle head"
The other guy said lighting his torch and followed karape from behind with an exhausted face.
Karape just let out sigh after seeing his friend following form behind as they followed the village walls heading east. They walked slowly while listening for any sound of Quinton, as they kept walking Karape couldn't help but feel an uneasy feeling that was telling him to hurry. Without saying anything he sped up walking towards the hill Infront of them, when all of a sudden an arrow whistled passed him hitting the tree behind him. His friend also saw this and without a second thought he through his flaming torch towards where the arrow came from. With the help of the moons(yeah I said moons, because this world has three moons that doesn't move an inch. The closet moon looked like the planet Jupiter and the other two was the same but the distance was different) lights it was easy to see an obsidian tip arrow. When the fire landed on the ground about twenty metres ahead there was no one to be seen, but after a few seconds of waiting a huge figures could be seen under the moons lights approaching the the fire while walking in a relaxed manner.
That's it guys, hope to see you again in the next chapter....