8 Chapter 8

A loud knock sprung Elias from his peaceful rest. For a brief moment, panic gripped his heart.

Slowly, he blinked away the blurriness from his eyes, trying to get a better view of his surroundings.

Sable's gentle voice from outside of his door hit his ears first, flooding his mind with memories of the day before - ultimately setting him at ease.

"Eli, it's time to get up. Dominik wants to begin your training."

"I'll be right out!"

Elias stretched, almost aggressively, letting his spine extend as much as possible. Small, satisfying cracks here and there let him know that his stretch was effective, and he couldn't help but let out a pleased sigh.

After splashing some cool water in his face and getting dressed, he opened the door to find Sable waiting on him.

"Finally" she said. The smallest hint of a grin revealed itself on her lips.

"Sorry" said Elias, "but that was the best sleep I've had in years."

"Oh I'm sure" she replied, "but it's never good to keep Dominik waiting; He's very punctual."

Grasping Elias' hand, Sable hurried down the stairs and into the main hall of the house. Servants moved out of the way as the pair passed, but never stopped doing their assigned chores for the morning.

At the end of the hall, near the massive double doors that led to the outside world, stood Dominik. His all black outfit almost hid him among the shadows cast from the pillar he was leaned up against.

"First thing you'll learn about the Wardens" shouted Dominik from across the room, "is that we are always on time."

"Go easy on him, Dom" said Sable, "Eli's had a hard life and he needed to catch up on some much needed rest."

Elias exchanged a simple goodbye with Sable, and headed out into the Upper Streets with Dominik.

The morning air was cool on Elias' skin, and a low fog clutched the ground like a blanket. The sun peaked just over the horizon, illuminating everything in the Upper Streets.

"What's our plans for today, Dominik?" asked Elias.

"Today, we'll hold off on your actual training, since you're still recovering from that knife wound. Instead, we're going to see a old friend of mine to get you equipped with a weapon that fits your style."

"Fits my style?"

"Mhm."

Dominik didn't say another word to Elias as they wound their way through the streets. A few strangers greeted the pair warmly as they passed, but they travelled largely unnoticed by anyone.

Even though the Upper Streets were still part of Oclus, they seemed like an entirely different world when compared to the Lower Streets that Elias was used to.

The people seemed generally happier, there were no rats scurrying around, and the street didn't smell entirely of piss and other excrement.

Dominik led Elias down a few more side streets before they finally arrived at their destination.

A large, albeit plain, stone building stood before Elias. A slender chimney erupted from the roof of the building, but it was otherwise completely unadorned.

The sound of metal hammering against metal rang through the air, and the heat coming from the building itself caused the air around it to shimmer and dance slightly.

Dominik swung open the wooden door and casually strolled in, bidding Elias to follow him.

A large man covered in sweat and soot stood over an anvil, hammering away at a piece of glowing metal. All manner of armaments hung on the wall - a testimony of his craftsmanship.

"Well, well" said the Blacksmith, "look what the cat dragged in."

"It's good to see you too, Oro" replied Dominik.

Oro quenched the glowing metal in a barrel of water before setting his hammer aside and removing his heavy leather Blacksmith's apron.

"What can I help you with today, Dominik?"

Dominik poked his thumb towards Elias, who was standing slightly behind him admiring the work hung all around the shop.

"This is our newest Warden - Elias - and we need to get him outfitted with some weapons that fit his fighting style."

"And uh...what style would that be?" asked Oro.

"Unclear."

"Okay then. Is he a Wielder?"

"Also unclear."

"I'm not" interjected Elias.

Oro gave Elias a brief look over, before continuing his conversation with Dominik.

"You're not leaving me with a whole lot to go off of, Dominik."

"I know, but you're the best there is, so I'm sure you'll figure something out."

Dominik flashed a grin to Oro before browsing through the shop. Oro couldn't help but shake his head a little at his friend's nonchalant attitude.

"Well, boy" said Oro, "have you ever used a weapon before?"

"Not really, no. I've used a small hunting bow when I was younger, but that's about it."

"This ought to be interesting then. Come with me. We'll find something that works for you I'm sure."

Oro led Elias out a back door to a large, walled in lot behind the forge. Training dummies made of various materials stood at the far end of the lot, and a massive, wooden table filled with every weapon imaginable sprawled out between the men and the dummies.

"Go ahead and pick something up" said Oro. "The best way to find your ideal weapon is to practice with them a bit."

Elias browsed over the table, letting his hand run along the hilts and handles of everything on it. Finally, he settled on a long spear to start with.

"Ah, a war pike" said Oro, "A mighty choice for a lot of warriors, and especially effective against cavalry."

Elias walked across the lot, taking up a position against a dummy mounted on a wooden "horse". Clumsily, he attempted to imitate strikes he had seen soldiers use in the past.

Elias quickly realized that handling a pike required more strength and dexterity than he thought - a fact solidified by most of his blows glancing off of the wooden dummy as the pike wobbled awkwardly in his hands.

After a few short moments, he decided to test out another weapon: a battle-ax. A few test swings later, Elias decided that something lighter may be better for him.

"Might I make a suggestion?" asked Oro.

"Please do."

"Take no offense to this, but you're not a massive boy" said Oro. "While there's no doubt you have some hidden strength in you, you need a weapon that fits your naturally litheness."

"What do you mean?" asked Elias.

"You need a weapon that's as fast and agile as you, but one that can also deliver an exceptional killing blow when needed."

Elias looked over the table, finding a small pair of straight, matching daggers.

"Something like these?" he asked.

"Hmm...those could work, but I'm afraid they won't be as lethal as you need for your new job. Straight daggers are really only good for puncturing. You don't want to limit what your weapon can do for you."

Elias looked harder at the table. He saw swords of all shapes and sizes, a few more spears, hand axes and battle axes, but nothing was truly catching his eye. That's when he saw them.

A pair of curved daggers, larger than the straight ones he looked at previously, drew his attention like a moth to a flame.

The entire body of the dagger was curved, allowing it to fit in his palm comfortably. A small ring sat at the end of the hilt, letting him slip his index finger through for a better grip. The blade itself was double-edged, and resembled the claw of some massive beast.

"Those would be an excellent choice" said Oro. "They're called karambit knives, and they come from some far off land. A travelling merchant brought me those a few years ago, and I've been working on making them ever since."

"Karambit..." mimicked Elias, transfixed on the blades in his hands.

"They're exceptionally deadly: able to slash and stab with both edges. The ring on the end ensures you'll never lose your grip when it becomes slick with blood, and they are easily concealed from your enemies."

Elias walked back over to the dummies, this time finding a straw one that mimicked a soldier with a sword-and-shield combination. He took a few test slashes before truly letting loose.

As the minutes passed, he took to the new weapons like a fish to water. Boldly, he incorporated various rolls and tumbles into his attacks, always attempting to strike new areas on the dummy.

Oro's laughter snapped him out of his own little world.

"I think you've killed him, boy" he said jokingly.

"Sorry" replied Elias, "I guess I got a little carried away."

"It's perfectly fine. That kind of energy is what happens when you find a weapon that fits you perfectly. Hell, Dominik was the same way when he found his dual hatchets."

"That's not true and you know it."

Dominik's voice caused both men to whip around, startled.

"When did you come out?" asked Oro.

"Oh, I've been out here since about the time he fumbled around with a spear."

Elias blushed at the realization that his mentor had watched him struggle so badly.

"I'm glad you found something that works for you though" continued Dominik, "If you're settled on those, then let's go."

"Sure thing. Where to next?" asked Elias.

"Well, I've changed my mind from earlier. Next, we'll actually begin your training."