Chapter 4 Raid

After watching my parents destroy the pack of kobolds I insisted on them beginning to train me. Apparently I couldn't learn Ma's magic because it came with her Status, or Falna, and the old magic used in the Ancient Times was too unwieldy for a six year old. So instead she started doing lessons about magic and monsters, as well as teaching me how to throw knives like she did.

Da and I made my own set of throwing knives fit for my smaller size. They were shaped like long flat teardrops, the points sharpened like a stake.

Ma taught me that unlike normal throwing knives that spun while airborne, you practiced throwing to make them fly straight, only using a quarter or three-quarters turn with your wrist. It took a few days for me to be able to consistently hit the target.

After that it was moving while throwing, being able to hit a target despite my momentum and imbalanced state.

Da started sparing with me, he crafted a bunch of different weapons in wood and had me try them out.

Even though that had begun to eat up alot of my time, I still learned herbology and smithing from my parents as well. Ma had begun to teach me how to create a few potions and poisons. I even got to watch her use the magic stones from the monsters to make some healing potions, though they were low grade because of the weak monsters.

They had also begun to press more cultural things on me. Ma taught me about the elves, though she herself had grown up in an orphanage. Elves apparently were adverse to being touched without permission, more so than any normal human, and wore more conservative clothing than was probably necessary. They also held blood and lineage into high regard, especially high elves. Which from what I learned pretty much meant they had pointier ears and stronger magic than average. They also loved to commune with nature and be in peaceful environments.

Elves also were less… direct in verbal confrontation. They would make analogies when discussing sensitive topics.

Dwarves were different, skinship was a mark of brother and sisterhood. It had to do with them often fighting, smithing, and drinking shoulder to shoulder. It was a mark of trust and reliance that didn't need to be put into words.

On the opposite side of the spectrum to Elves, Dwarves were curt with their words, to a point that they would say what they thought, but not explain it in detail. They loved the heat of battle and the forge, to be put to the test constantly.

I don't know if it was the balance between the two bloodlines or the human from my past life that made me have a blend of the two.

I also wondered how my parents ever even got together.

Da had started to teach me more smithing techniques and had actually let me handle some of the work, though he always kept me in arms reach just in case.

"Da, how come yall are so willing to teach me all this?" I asked one day.

We were in the forge, both shirtless. Despite my young age my dwarven blood made the heat of forge comfortable, though the sparks still somewhat stung.

"Before, we wanted ya to be like we are now, maybe a potions maker, maybe a smith, maybe both, but we should have realized the spark in yer eye. It was selfish of us to have ya, a child blessed by the Miracle of a spirit and born between an elf and a dwarf, but it was foolish to pretend that it would never cause ya problems. Altina is a country of magic, innovation and development. If some of the great noble families or strong elven mages saw ya they might tear ya apart to see if they could make more of yer kind. Gods and Goddesses might want to lock ya in a cage and brag to others."

"If one day ya want to travel the world, or go to Orario and be a dungeon diver, then we won't try to stop ya. We will however prepare you best we can. The worlds a dangerous enough place with monsters, but ya can learn to fight monsters, its people that will always surprise ya."

He wasn't wrong.

A month later they were attacked by raiders.

…

The forest that Teshgar resided in was burning, they had noticed it early in the morning. Immediately my parents began to get their gear on, ready to dive into the woods and help out the Spirit, but before they could they both stopped.

"Screams?" Relias said.

I heard nothing, but I still followed their gazes to the neighboring houses on the distant hills. Normally I'd see one or two shadowy silhouettes, but now I could see a couple dozen, running down slower people.

"Raiders, and they're Blessed with a Falna, or maybe they're beastkin," Deions said solemnly.

"Come on, we need to leave, now." Relias ordered.

I didn't have time to grab my throwing knives, or even change before Da threw me over his shoulder and began to run.

"We can try to go through the forest but we might get caught up in the fire," Ma said.

"Shouldn't even try, we can run in the shade of the trees and try to head to the city. We should also start callin' Tesh though it seems hes having his own issues."

"How are we going to be able to call Teshgar?" I asked, still being carried by Da.

Ma fished out a necklace from her blouse, Tied to the necklace was a large seed.

"As long as we have this the spirit will be able to hear his name being called. Teshgar left it with us after we nursed him back to health."

They continued through the forest for almost an hour, never looking back once. Every once in a while Ma would call out Teshgars name.

We crested the hill that would show us the city.

"Fuck."

The city itself was fine, but several dozen raiders could be seen chasing down individuals as they tried to flee to the safety of the walls. That wasn't the worst part however, the worst part was the group of raiders that were halfway up the hill, their eyes catching our small family. Instead of riding horses they rode giant sand colored lizards. They were mostly humans with dark sun beaten skin and loose clothing. Behind them were a dozen people in a line, their wrists clamped in chains.

Da pushed Ma towards the forest, and they both started running. Moments later the raiders yelled and hollered, their mounts feet pounding against the ground.