Preparation ll

David dabbed and blow the dust from the wrapped sword. He unwrapped the cloth and brought out the sword. He looked at the sword, the edge of the sword was still very sharped, the sword did not show any sign of corroding, on the contrary, it looked like a brand new sword, and the material that was used in making this sword was different than iron, it was none rusting and stronger than iron.

A symbol was engraved on the handle by melting the gold. Engraving a sword was believed to be a sign of adding integrity to the sword as well as its owner. It was too expensive to make a sword like that 

and only the king and higher-ranking nobles were allowed and able to engrave a special symbol that represented a noble house.

With the sword and armor, he was ready to explore the cursed forest of Azazel.

"Darling breakfast ready, come and eat it," Catherine called him for breakfast, he stood and put his sword and armor on the bed before going.

He quietly sat down and began to eat breakfast, he glanced at Catherine a few times to talk about an expedition in the forest but couldn't find the right words.

Catherine broke the ice and said, "I know that you are planning to go inside the Azazel forest." David spat the soup as soon as he heard it.

"Cough! cough! Ye-yeah, how did you know?" David said vigorously coughing.

Catherine was keeping an eye on him the moment he woke up, saw him repairing the armor and bringing out the sword she pretty much guessed the answer.

"And even if I stop you, you will still go but can you at least promise me one thing that this time you will return home on your own feet," Catherine said.

David grinned and said, "I will." Catherine also smiled faintly. He understood that behind her smiling face she hid her pain.

"Also, You took out father's sword, are you planning to take it with you," Catherine asked.

"Yes, my sword is damaged from yesterday's battle and can't be used without the proper restoration," David said as he continued to chew the in his mouth.

After breakfast, he put on his armor which was worn out and had many small dents, it showed that the armor was continuously used in battle and fulfilled its duty by protecting the wearer.

He once again looked at his father's sword, it was shining more brightly as the light of the sun fell upon it. The edges were showing how sharp it was. He put the sword in the scabbard and placed it on his waist.

he wanted to wake his son up before leaving but he controlled himself and gently stroked his son's forehead and kissed his forehead. He kissed his wife too.

Although Catherine was worried sick for David as he just recovered and now was again going to do a deadly expedition inside the cursed forest of Azazel, but she didn't let her concerns take over her face. She sent him off with a smile, unlike other days.

She didn't go inside but stayed at the door, she was seeing his husband's figure getting smaller and smaller(farther and farther) with every passing moment. After some time David's figure disappeared from her sights leaving only tears in her eyes.

David went to the village chief's house because he had to report the chief about yesterday's incident and to get permission for an expedition.

Although if he wanted to go on an expedition then there's hardly anyone who could stop him, he had always put village safety as the number one priority and followed the village rule, and do what was good for all villagers and not only for his family. 

After confirming with the village chief, the guard let him go inside the house. It was the village chief's grandson's idea to Put the guard outside the house. He believed that villagers should learn some etiquette like nobles. In the past villagers often barged into the village chief's house as the villagers thought of the village chief as family, the same goes for the village chief, he treated all people with kindness and never thought that he was above the rest.

Because everyone just barged into the house uninvited they sometimes caught the grandson trying to rape some village girl and his reputation got worse among the villagers because of this he insisted his grandpa(the village chief) that he should put a guard outside the house so no one could barge in as they please. 

The village chief didn't like the idea but his grandson convinced him somehow. 

David went inside the house, there an old-looking man was sitting on a chair. He was eating breakfast with his grandson, whose age was not more than 20 to 22.

"Good morning village chief," David bent his back a little and said as he saw the village chief. 

The village offered him a chair to sit down and had breakfast with them, but David kindly refused the offer of breakfast and sit down on the chair.

"David, I heard you got injured yesterday in battle with orcs then why are you here? You should rest for a couple of days." The village chief said he knew that David got injured yesterday as he sent other guards to take David's place but he didn't know how severe his injuries were.

David didn't want to waste time so he briefly reported everything to the chief, the chief was only nodding when David explained the whole situation, at the end of the report the chief face was grim.

The piece of bread in his hand fell on the ground, he didn't know what to do or how. He was pondering when the sword on David's waist attracted his attention, he instantly recognized the sword and guessed David's motive.

"So what do suggest? what should we do now?" The village chief said.