Traveling Down the Road

Fire; I know no material that was hotter than the flames itself…

Yet today…as I completed a weapon that felt like it was a legend made for the people in hopes of something great…something so damn impossible, the feeling of my heart beating in to the knowledge of such an accomplishment, I could never have imagined that what I was feeling right now…the pride that I had with this accomplishment, it is without a doubt hotter than fire itself.

And the boy who helped me with it…I owe him everything…I owe him my life if anything.

If he had not come…if our fate had not crossed, I might have died in the depression of not knowing when I would reach this goal…

Today…a sword was made with my own hands, one that I could call my very own greatest creation.

I remember it very well…

At the last stage of its creation, when the boy told me of it having to have a show my strength and have a strong essence…I felt it, the sword called out to my name.

It wasn't the magic behind it or the sun's essence…instead, I felt the sword's very existence call on to me…and there, I understood why it did what it did and what I had to do.

Like a newborn child wanting to touch the hand of its parent, this sword called to me.

And just like what a parent would, I responded to its will…

A sword had a will…I felt it.

This sword was alive…and I knew of it as it called to me…

As I came to touch the very handle, I felt a fire course through my hands…it ran through my vein…and there, it touched my heart.

Yet it did not burn me…it was warm…welcoming…yet I felt such potential in this sword…

I knew what I had to do…

Without saying anything, I went into the forest. With my calm steps and my gentle carry, me and my own creation went deep into the forest.

I wanted to have peace…

I wanted to have no interruptions…

As this moment was the very critical part of the stage of its completion…

It was the only way to complete a newborn into the wild life of Astra.

A stage in the life of every parent had to go through…

It was to name its child.

As I stood in the middle of the forest, I heard the call of the wind as it passes through me, I felt the gaze of the sun's light as it rained on me, and I could hear the flames of the sword as it shakes on my hand.

"...Bruneheart…your name is Bruneheart."

Without question, the sword shook even more, as if wanting to come of its scabbard, and not denying to its obvious request, I pulled the sword out and flames erupted into the sky.

There, the flames formed its own name to the sky like a beautiful entry to its start at a life as a sword.

"!?" as it did, I felt as if my life was being sucked on by the sword…

"T-this must be the essence that boy was talking about."

Although it felt like my life was being sucked in, a moment later, that feeling disappeared and I was back to my own self.

"..." although what it did was unexpected, I could only smile knowing that finally the sword was complete.

And deep within the sword, a part of me was carved into the sword at its own volition. It was the perfect way to always remind me that this sword was made by my own hands…we were connected in a way.

But before long, the last thing I remembered was that I collapsed down with no effort at all…

In the end, even at my age, I still had a limit as a blacksmith…my old age is already catching up to me, but now, I have no regrets in life…

****

As time went, we were now in the middle of road, travelling to the Dragon Empire.

"Hnn….huh?" the sound of the Old man's waking voice could be heard as he lays on the back of my wagon.

"Oh, your awake Good."

"...W-Where am I?"

"Hmm…you still seem pretty doozy but It may be hard to believe but…you've been out conscious for about five days now." I said.

"F-five days!?" he suddenly sits up looking surprise by what he had just heard.

"Yeah, ever since you collapse in the middle of the forest, you haven't woken since then, thankfully you were still breathing but the Town chief was getting worried so we decided to take you to the Dragon Empire to see a Doctor."

"Hnn…couldn't you just take me to the Infirmary at the town?"

"We did at first but after checking on you, the people at the infirmary couldn't do anything at the situation. When they saw your pale face and high temperature, they thought that it might have just been a fever, but the temperature continued to rise as the days passed, thankfully at the fourth day, you regained your normal temperature. But the people were worried that you might be in more critical danger so we're going to see a doctor at the Dragon Empire."

"...and the sword?" he asked, wondering where the sword was.

"Its by your side, the town chief told me to bring it since we thought that we might as well send the sword to the noble who ordered it after you get better."

"Hmm…I see." he answered quite down with his reply, feeling as if something was bothering him.

"...are you concerned about your sword away?" I asked.

"N-no, I'm used to the fact that selling my weapons to a warrior is classic business…but today, the sword that I carry is more special to me than most blades that I've forged before…I'm not thinking of walking away and not giving it to the customer, I will…but it feels hard to my stomach. Its worries me that I had to part ways with the sword this early and giving it to a noble who god-knows what will happen."

"...Are you worried that they'll use it in a bad way?" I asked.

"...In the past, I made weapons for the purpose of having to use them for protection. For Hunters to warriors and soldiers…everyone I made weapons to are using them for their purpose…I have no right to say what becomes of a weapon as long as it use properly. I know they kill…but I also know that they protect the very hand that holds that weapon."

".…"

"So if I give this sword…if I give Bruneheart to the noble, I know that this sword will protect that warrior…and I'm proud of that fact."

"So you named the sword Bruneheart?" I asked.

"...It comes from my name…Josy Brune."

"Oh, that's cool. But why did you name it after your last name?"

"...because I felt it."

"You felt what?"

"...The sword is alive…it called to me."

"Hmm, I see." so it was like naming a son after his family name…making the sword a part of the Josy Brune family tree.

"...Bruneheart will be given to a noble known for their bloodline of producing a line of wonderful Knights and Soldiers. With it, I'm proud that my sword will be held by a warrior who serves the kingdom."

"Oh, I was worried that you would give it to a family only uses the sword as decoration."

"If that was the case, then I would have never accepted their order to make the sword."

"Well…I guess your right."

"My pride in the making of this sword holds everything that I stand for as a blacksmith."

"Hmm, what's the name of the family noble's called?"

"...they are known as the Percival Family."

"Whoa…it sounds like a strong name." I said.

"It is. Either way, I thank you for the opportunity to visit the Dragon Empire…I need no time to waste when giving the sword."

"Okay, we've been travelling for quite a while now so I think we're already halfway there." as I said this, we came across two paths with a sign on the middle that points to its next destination.

"...Oh, the road in front of us leads to the Dragon Empire…and the other road goes to a town called Ace village? Where's that?"

It was an intersection of two roads.

"Hmm, have you not visited that place before?" asked the old man.

"N-no."

"Ace Village is a place that is opposite of where Desvey town is. With the road to Desvey, it leads to a blocked entrance to the well-known path of the Flat Bioma, that's where you came out from…and Ace village on the other hand leads to a more safer path to the Hearts kingdom."

"Heart's kingdom?"

"Do you not know what the Hearts kingdom is?"

"No."

"The Hearts Kingdom is another Kingdom that is in opposition to the Dragon Empire. They are enemies with one another. If you were to take the Ace Village path, it would take you fifteen days to reach the Hearts Kingdom…but if you were to take the Desvey town path and cross the Flat Bioma, it would take you both incredible luck and a rumored three days to reach the kingdom. It may be short but the time is cut very highly."

"...Hmm, is that so?"

"Why did you not know of this information? Didn't you came from the Hearts kingdom yourself? After all, you did come out of the Great Eden Wall."

"...Not really, I didn't come from the Hearts kingdom, I just followed a different path." saying this to the old man would probably be okay since he himself hasn't gone to the Flat Bioma…he does not know the terrain or the truth of any other path.

"There's a different path?"

"Hmm, yeah. I followed it while I was wandering around on my own."

"Where did you even come from anyway?" he asked.

"...Oh, I came from a very isolated village deep somewhere in the South."

"Hmm, I see."

"Anyway, how are you feeling? Is your body okay?" I asked.

"Its nothing out of the ordinary. My back still hurts but that's simply the life of an old man."

"So do I have to take your word tht we don't have to see a doctor?" I asked.

"No, it is expensive and I'm more excited to see what the nobles will react to in seeing the sword that we forged."

"We?"

"Absalutely, if it weren't for you, I may have failed…you and I both made this sword together…you as the mage-boy and me the blacksmith. HAHAHAHAHAHA"

He laughed proudly with this being the fact, but I was a bit annoyed of being called a mage…

*Sigh* "Anyway, just sit tight, we'll reach the Dragon Empire in few hours now."

"Hmm…by the way, I noticed that your wagon has a roof now? The last time I saw, your wagon didn't have a roof."

"Ah yeah, this is because of the town Chief, he wanted to show his appreciation with the help that I did and because of that, he gave me a lot of gifts, the roof was one of them…I left them at the town for now, but I'll come back to pick them up when I'm finish with my business in the Empire."

"Gifts huh, I see….boy."

"Hmm?" Having called out to me, I leaned my head back to see why he called me out.

"...I owe you everything that I have to offer. Because of you, I was able to make the sword…and because of that, I have no more regrets when I come to pass. So when the time comes, I will grant you anything that I can provide. Please, accept this gratitude..."

"...Actually, yeah there is one thing that I need from you." I said as I continued to ride the wagon down the road.

"Anything!" he bowed his head…ready to listen to my order.

"I came across the town hoping that I would find a person that could make me things that I need. But now, after I saw how you made the sword face to face, I was envious of the fact that I wanted to be like that…"

"..."

"I wanna have the tools to become a blacksmith."

"...You want to become a blacksmith?"

"Yeah, it was awesome to see you in action…each strike down the iron was like a spark out of a firefly. It was nothing but beautiful."

"...I see. Then in honor of my pride as I blacksmith, I will provide you with everything that I have to offer and I'll show you the true way of becoming a blacksmith." he said this with such a smile on his face, it made me smile back knowing that I found a nice person. A proud person.

And as we made our way to the dragon epmire, finally after hours of riding, I came in sight of something so grand and hard to believe even with my eyes up front.

"W-what is that?" I aske, shocked by the view of what was in front of me.

"...Is this your first time seeing it?" he asked.

"Yeah…what is that white wall in the distance."

"That is the Pride and Joy of the Dragon Empire. The greatest and grandest man-made wall known to all of Astra."

"..."

"That is the Pearl Ebony Wall."

From where we were, the the wall itself seemed small…

But as we got closer and closer, I was amazed to see that this wall was five time higher than the Great Eden Wall and it feels like it was five times thicker…and the white marble-like wall felt so dazzling from the distance. It was like a pearl found in a clam, the way it shined and made itself known to anything from a distance.

This was without a doubt, an empire.