5 Forging The Sins

As we all ate breakfast we began talking and chatting about certain hobbies we had, Mason likes to build, Akira to hunt and explore, Levi loves experimenting and discovering all the knowledge there is to know about anything and everything. King enjoys relaxing and taking care of Jotun, when they asked me, I dodged the question. I wasn't ready to tell them I enjoyed fighting and bloodshed, instead of answering I got up and said,

"Let's get right to work!"

They all got up and walked into the store room and picked out the metal they wanted to use for their weapon. Then we all walked into the forge room, where I had my men of darkness put everything a person would need when it comes to making weapons. Water buckets, anvils and everything else was lined up against the wall. We began bonding and forging our weapons, as a family. We talked and laughed as our bodies sweat and our hands stung, I knew I'd found a good group of people. I knew we'd make a difference in this world, and this was just the start of it. I looked at my solid piece of gold and found my perfect weapon, something that would enhance my close combat abilities even further and be more dangerous than ever. I began pounding the gold into the perfect fit to wrap around my hands, I cut the block with what darkness I made a knife out of. After hours of pounding the gold fit perfectly in my hands, I began cutting in the gold to make holes so I could use it to hit and punch. I began to let my hands do the work and hours later, I was looking at a pair of weapons that fit me perfectly. I was looking at a pair of golden knuckles, with spikes on the outside and a blade each side. I looked at the weapon I had masterfully made, and came up with a name instantly. I decided to call my creations, Brand. I knew what the term meant, it means blade or sword. Which is what it is, a blade. I looked around, the group was making their weapons, and I decided to leave the room. I walked out, thinking I needed to test these weapons out. As if on cue I heard a massive crash from the nearby stream, I raced outside to see what it was and saw a massive beast with huge white horns and a stone covered body.

"Perfect, a stone wraith." I said with a smirk.

I calmly walked up to the massive beast, knowing they are highly aggressive. I channeled my darkness into my hands, causing my golden weapons to glow a bloody yellow, like the sun when it sets. I punched the beast once with my full strength, and it managed to crack the hard stones that littered the creature's body.

"Perfect.." I thought to myself.

I knew I had made the perfect weapons for myself, they amplified my fighting power and magical power. The stone wraith recoiled in pain and agony, screaming out in pain. I wanted to make a special dinner for the group, and I knew stone wraith meat is rich and delicious. Perfect for cooking and fetches a good price at markets, so i can make all the meat and whatever is leftover i can sell at a nearby town. I decided to end the beast quickly by slashing the beast with my darkness amplified blades. He died without any pain, and I began carving up the beast. Mentally preparing the dinner in my head, I slung massive wraith meat chops on my shoulder and walked back home.

Hours later

I had dinner ready when the rest of the group finally finished their weapons, I was just about to call them into the kitchen when a timid

"Hello.." echoed through the castle. I dropped the plate of meat I was carrying. I know that voice, it's her. She finally found me,

"Damn it I thought I had more time.." I said quietly.

"More time for what?" Someone said. I flipped around and saw Akira standing there.

"She's here." I said, my voice an icy cold.

His face dropped, he knew who I meant. I was about to say something else when I heard Levi scream

"Intruder!" Then my switch flipped, in a flash I raced towards his voice. I raced ahead of him to protect her, but when I laid my eyes on her I froze. She was exactly like back then, her body so curvy, her hair as black as night, her eyes as blue as a cloudless sky. Her name was Emma, and she was the love of my life. Levi was racing at her, she got scared and drew a tiny silver dagger,

"Help.. Me!" She cried, then I transformed into my devil mode. In a flash I had Levi up against the wall by his throat,

"Captain.. What.." He tried to speak but couldn't, I dropped him and cried,

"No one touches her, NO ONE." My voice was deep and menacing. I tried to calm myself down, eventually I was back to normal. I turned from the group to Emma, she looked at me with fear in her eyes.

"I.. feel.. Like i know you.." She said, obviously scared. I knew if I said she did she'd want to know a lot more, so I lied.

"No you don't." I said,

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"I saw this huge castle and wondered who lived in it, since it appeared seemingly overnight.." She said quietly.

"Six people live here." I said,

"Now do you need anything else?" I asked, eager to get her to leave, to buy myself some more time.

"I need your help.. A band of giants has taken my townspeople hostage and they're demanding a ransom of human blood if they don't want their town destroyed." SHe said, a sense of urgency in her voice.

"This castle is our last hope, please sir.. I beg you.. I'll give you anything.." SHe began to cry. I looked from group member to member, no one disagreed with what I was about to say.

"We will help you." I said confidently.

"Come with us to our main hall, we will talk more there." I said, guiding her inside.

Once we entered the hall I sat her down and she told me everything, and once she finished I recapped.

"So a band of six giants want a human sacrifice otherwise your whole town is destroyed?" I said.

"Yes, that's right," SHe said, wiping the tears from her eyes. I looked from sin to sin, they had a look of awe in their eyes, but none had regret.

"The giants will come tomorrow for the blood… if we don't get some help, half our town will be slaughtered.." She said, sadness in her voice.

"Well help you, but what you need to do is go warn the townspeople, have them evacuate to our castle, tell them to bring enough to last for two full days." I said sternly.

"Go now." I pointed out the door. She got up and raced out, eager to get home. Once she was out of ear shot I explained everything to the group, everything. Once I finished explaining there was a moment of silence,

"Are your goals the same?" Levi asked.

"Yes. What I said to you all was true, I do want to do all of those things, I truly do. But at the very end, to completely rid the world of all evil we need to fight… my family.`` I said, I braced myself for the incoming.

"Well help you break the curse." Levi said.

"We value you, and we want to help you. Not because you're our leader, but because you're a part of our family." He continued,

"Does anyone disagree with that?" He asked. No one said a word, and it touched my soul. I began to cry,

"Thank you.." I stammered, I knew we'd do it. I knew we'd break the curse, all the pain and heartache would finally be gone. I began sobbing into my hands, the group just watched as I broke. I cried and cried, envisioning each and every time Emma died, over and over.

"We're going to go plan strategy, clean up when you're ready." Levi said. Moments later Mason and Akira stood next to me, each a hand on my shoulder,

"DOnt worry Cap', you've got us now. Well help you." Akira said,

"Thank you.." I said, my voice oozing grief and sadness.

They left me alone, and once they did I felt happy, so happy I smiled and began to laugh. I didn't know if the group thought I was crazy or insane but they said they'd help me, and for now that was the hope I needed. My face was wet and tear covered, so I walked into my room and slept until the next morning.