2 An Oath

When he awoke to light filtering in to the small room his normally bright green eyes opened but were rather dull and lackluster. He was in his room and there was not a dagger in his chest. 'Maybe just maybe it was all a dream. Mam and Luna are in the common area waiting for me now...' He thought and he jumped up to go see his Mother and Sister. As soon as he moved he toppled to the floor in intense searing pain and he let out a small scream. The familiar voice he heard before spoke again. "Don't be so quick to try and move around. Even with magic there is only so much I can do." This time he recognized the voice it was his father. His father had moved across the room and was lifting Rain up to lay him back down and Rains arm went up to his shirt collar. He winced in pain but didn't cry out. "Dá… I… Mam… Luna.. I couldn't… Are they…?" His father sighed and laid him in his bed. "They are in a much better place right now.." The man said softly. "Get some rest son.. You deserve it…" Tears streamed down Rains face as he heard his father speak. "I...I'm sorry.." Kai-en shook his head. "No son.. I am sorry… I should have been there.. But i was too late.." The voice and everything else faded and Rain was once again unconscious. When he awoke he stumbled out of bed. The pain was blinding but he forced himself not to cry out and then to get his feet. When he gained solid ground his elbow rested against the window and he held himself up. His eyes glanced out the window and there he saw it. Under a large tree that Rain had before so casually played on and climbed. There rested two makeshift wooden crosses. There was no more thoughts about it being just a dream. It was reality and he could do nothing about it. Rain forcefully moved himself across the room until he got to the door and swung it open. He moved until he got to the end of the house then stepped outside. The moment he stepped outside he fell flat on his face in the mud. This however did nothing to stop him he pushed himself up and took another step staggering and drunk on pain and emotional turmoil he fell every step he took until he no longer had the strength to lift himself up. When he fell the last time he was just a couple feet from the crosses but to him it seemed like miles. He had no strength left to get up so he decided to crawl. Soaked in mud and tears he crawled until he reached the two crosses and there he lie. Crying and broken with the loss of nearly his entire family he laid at their crosses. Rains father heard the commotion of grunts and stumbles movement and had walked behind him to the door but chose not to intervene. For an hour Rain laid and cried then he pushed himself up once more. And there at the foot of his family's graves he spoke. As to who he was speaking too. Maybe it was to himself. Maybe he just wanted them to hear it from heaven. "I will do whatever it takes to become strong. I will be the strongest person in the entire world. And this will never happen again.." His father continued to watch him as he sat there motionless and without a sound until night fell. Kai-en walked out and placed his hand on his son's shoulder. Rains hand immediately went up and clasped his father's wrist. "Teach me… Teach me how to fight… Teach me how to be strong.." His father's face was sullen but he merely nodded. "I did not want this life for you Rain. I wanted this to be different.. I will teach you how to wield a sword. But for now you need rest." He lifted his son from the ground and carried him inside. The days that followed were long and tedious after Rain had recovered he was set to a hard life of training. Sculpting his body through various exercises including pushups and situps thousands of each every day. He was hard pressed to learn every sword and technique that could be used with it. Such as the long sweeping blow of a falxs or a backhanded clash with a shortsword. Each move drilled into through countless repetitions. Though it seemed unending Rain never questioned his father even when he was completely out of energy and they would spar. A year eventually passed and Rains father decided it would be best to stop for a day. It was exactly a year after his mother and sister had been murdered in cold blood that he sat there calmly under the foliage of a large tree in the backyard. He sat in an odd pose with his eyes closed and his hands in front of him. He weaved his fingers into nine distinct patterns as he sat slowly trying to meditate. He was brought back to reality by the creaking sound of wooden wheels mixed with the crackling of hooves. In but a moment he was standing the long blade of bastard sword in hand as he moved closer to the small shack. He would not go down so easy this time were it again bandits. As he reached the back door he could see a trail of dust following a carriage with the standard of magnolia behind it. It was a bright red banner as if died in blood centered by a golden crown and two short swords. Rain entered the house to find his father completely unvexed at the thought of people coming. "Dá, did you know company was calling?" Rain asked as he relaxed his weapon. "No. Though I believe I know who it is and why they are coming." His father replied shortly. The carriage pulled to a halt outside and they both went to meet the guests. A large gruff man stepped out of the carriage cloaked in a dark purple armor with an equally massive battleaxe. He had a scar under his left eye and a bit of stubble budding on his chin. Rain watched him carefully but his father's voice rang out loud and happily. "Lieutenant Draven!" Kai-en smiled as he embraced his friend. "Commander. It is a pleasure to see you again after such a long time." The gruff man's voice was low but bellowed out loudly. Rain looked at the two and Kai-en turned and pointed at him. "Draven this is my son Rain Alister. Rain this is Lieutenant Draven. He is a good man who I would trust my life too." The lieutenant sized up Rain and smiled. "He's a bit small don't you think Kai-en. Are you even feeding this boy?" The man laughed and moved closer to Rain. Rain eyed him head to toe then looked back at his father before speaking. "It's nice to meet you, sir." Rain said cheerfully lowering the blade in his hand. Draven noticed the slight movement and smiled at Kai-en. "Is he any good with that blade?" He cackled. Kai-en nodded and smiled. "Why don't you find out? Rain, it seems you get a chance to test your mettle against a real warrior." Rain was stunned. He was only ten years old yet his father wanted him to fight with an officer? He quickly shook it off then stepped forward blade in hand. The lieutenant laughed but not a condemning laugh a joyous one that caused a smile to spread to Rains lips. "Very well!" Draven said sliding his battleaxe off his back with practiced ease. There was a tense moment where Rain didn't move but the moment the axe swing came down on him his body lurched and tumbled to the side as his blade skirted up the handle of the battleaxe nearly taking of the mans man's fingers. Then again he rolled his leg kicking out at the large man and knocking his bulk out from beneath him his blade reeled the tip pressed neatly at the mans throat. "Aye you are indeed an Alister." The man said laughing haughtily. "Wish I had that damned Alister blood flowing through my veins." He moaned as Rain released the tip of his blade and the man sat up. The evening went on and they went into the small shack. "Eric there must be a reason for your visit. I assume I am being summoned to go to the front lines?" Kai-en asked as Rain was in the back cooking a small meal for the three. "Unfortunately it is as you say. The King understands your situation but there is a war going on. And we require good soldiers and better leaders." Draven said. Rain could hear the conversation but was unable to bring himself to interrupt. "Well then. Let's hear it. What is going on in the world?" Kai-en said as Rain brought out a tray of cooked deer and some eggs. "It's a pretty predicament were in this time Sir. The wars have grown in the past year. On the western front we lost the mines that we secured and they dispatched any miners that wouldn't show loyalty to the west. Though they still have their hands full to the south. The damned pirates are parading around like an army of sorts. It's likely to be quelled eventually but their navies are too busy with that to bother with war on the western or eastern borders. And the eastern.. Well the godforsaken jinxers have apparently summoned a dragon…" He said sullenly. Rain perked up and before he realized it he was speaking. "A dragon?? Like a real one? I thought they was just stories." He said and Draven looked at him grimly. "Stories they may be. And we've no way of knowing whether it is true or not but every scout brigade we've sent has been completely slaughtered and their charred remains have little other explanation." He said in a low voice as if someone might overhear. "Rain. You must remember that people have never been very imaginative. All stories come from some sort of reality." Kai-en said solemnly. As if he knew it were the truth. "Very well. And our mission will be?" He asked looking at Draven now. "The King believes the Lions Pride to be the best fighters in all his land. Ergo he is sending us to deal with the Dragon. Though I don't know if its because he wishes too or if its it's because the nobles think they'd have an easier time managing everything without us lot. Particularly you Kai-en." Draven replied. His response seemed strained as if he didn't wish to involve Rain in the conversation. Kai-en merely shrugged it off. "To hell with the nobles. They only fear us because we go against them so brazenly and now some of the commoners are beginning to as well." Kai-en said. The two men got up and Rain hastened to follow them. "Rain, stay here. I have to go for a bit but all goes well I should be back in two weeks." He said as he walked into his room and a few moments later emerged in a suit of armor Rain had never seen, with the same deep purple color as Dravens but with a golden lion stamped in the left part of the torso. And a large sword he had only seen once before. Almost a year ago as he was teaching Rain about a sacred battlefield. In that moment Rain could distinctly hear a loud roar that seemed to come from the blade itself but the other two seemed oblivious. "You will come back… right Dá?" Rain pleaded hoping against hope that his father would be met with nothing that resembled a dragon. "I will do everything within my power to come back." He said then leaned in to Draven and whispered something into his ear that Rain couldn't hear. Draven nodded and then they got things prepared for the two to leave. Time passed by excruciatingly slow for the next two weeks. Rain was alone. He practiced to try and take his mind off of everything that was pulling him down. From the time he woke till the time he passed out unable to move to even his bed he trained. In the past year he had taken a particular liking to a large blade roughly his height and half as wide as his chest. At first it had been difficult to move but over the past year he had became strong enough to use it as he pleased. After a long and tedious five weeks Rain heard it. The thundering and thumbing of hooves and the squeal of carriage wheels. He ran outside dropping his sword into the dust and looking out. When it came into view he saw the same banner of Magnolia and knew it was his father. But behind that banner he saw another. A pure black banner that meant the carriage carried the dead. His heart sank. As the carriage pulled to a stop and a battered Lieutenant Draven stepped out. He looked at Rain forcing the boy to meet his sombre gaze. "Dá…." was all he could manage to say. The Lieutenants face dropped and Rain crumpled. "We brought him back to be laid beside his wife…" He said softly as a few men carried a large black coffin out of the carriage it was covered with a purple and gold banner. There was no grand funeral procession no great returning of a hero there was just an orphaned boy whose tears had long since run dry with a battered warrior who lowered the body of a man into a grave beside his beloved wife and daughter. After the grave had been filled and Rain was given time to mourn Draven approached the boy. "Ahem…" He cleared his throat to try and start the awkward conversation. "Rain.. I know we have only met once but your father.. Kai-en.. asked me to watch over you in his stead… I told him I would take you back to Magnolia and look after you until you were old enough to look after yourself." He started but Rain jumped up. "I am old enough! I'm almost eleven and I can fight on even footing with even you!" He shouted. He knew his anger was misplaced but he still felt as though he was being beat down. There was nothing left for him and now he was going to be tore away from even the small shack he was raised in. Draven was silent and put his hand on Rains shoulder. "I know kid.. I know it's not fair. This world gave you a great family but took it all away." He said his voice solemn and filled with pain. "I can't replace them nor would I try. But come with me. It is my duty as Kai-ens friend to see that you live when he could not." He said as Rains face dropped the anger in his stomach quelled to pain. He followed the man to carriage as the sun began to set they headed to the great gates of Magnolia.