A/N: Welcome to my third fanfic on this site. This story was already posted one but i completely remade it from scratch. Hopefully this one does not have any plotholes in it, like the last one
WARNING: This chapter may be a bit disturbing for some readers, reader discretion advised.
YEAR 1081
HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
NORTHERN PARTS OF BAVARIA
A young boy was walking down a path with his gather. They were just coming out of the main city. The two were going there to get some food, God was not happy this year. Almost nothing had gown on the field.
They had nine mouths to feed for goodness sake, but no matter how much they prayed, the crops kept dying for unknown reasons.
The vegetables and fruits were rotten when they came to harvest, but just the previous day, they were fine as water when raining. It will be hard to survive through winter.
That is why these two were pulling a wagon from the city.
Ah, I forgot to introduce you to the boy didn't I?
His name is Wilhelm. A quiet boy of 12 years. He was quite tall for someone his age and strong too. He had black hair and blue eyes. His face looked nearly identical to his father's. When he grew up he would be indistinguishable from him, really. Or did it.
His father's name is Ludvig, a blacksmith. It is because of him that the family managed to survive through the winter. He made some of the finest sets of armor and weapons you could find. But because they were from a farm, some hours away, the merchants in the city did not believe the quality of the items he was selling. They thought he was a robber and he robbed some noble on the road and thus would only buy it from his at a quarter of the original price.
Sad, how things worked around here.
"Well my boy, what have you learned today in the city?" The boys father asked him while grinning and pushing the wagon. They could not afford a horse, much less any other animal right now.
"Ummm..." The boy did not know what to say. Then remembered those slimy merchants. "To never trust a man wearing a funny looking hat?" He tried to guess.
"Hahaha, while that is also also true, you must remember if you wish to survive in this day and age, you will be forced to make deals like this. Selling quality goods for a quarter of it's original price, while not ideal, it is enough for you alone to survive." They man lectured his son. The young boy just nodded.
"But aren't there 9 of us in the family?" The boy asked his father.
"It depends on the quantity of the goods you're selling, we have made a gamble while selling our goods. For example, if you would sell on sword for one silver, you would be able to buy a meal, but not for your whole family. Now we had 65 swords making that 65 silver, meaning more food for the entire family. The armors and nails we sold for 235 silvers. Now, count those two numbers together and what do you get?" The father kept lecturing the boy, that is also how he thought him to count read and write.
The boy was thinking hard. His father never asked him a question that hard. They mostly stayed around numbers like 20 and 30. After a few seconds of math he gave his answer. "300 silvers?"
"Haha, that's my boy! I knew you would get it right! Now come after we get come and unpack everything, I will teach some tricks at sword-fighting!" He encouraged his son.
Wilhelm began pushing the wagon with more force then before. His father never thought him swordsmanship unless he was really good and working hard helping him.
AT THE FAMILY FARM
It was midday when they came back home. The smell of fresh bread was already in the air. Wilhelm saw his uncle and grandfather harvesting crops that were not rotten, which was not much. Not even half of their wheelbarrow.
While he was working on the field the others were probably inside, making lunch.
"Hey! Were back from town!" Ludvig shouted at everyone. The man's brother and father turned to him and welcomed him back.
Ludvig stepped to them and started conversing about the money the got.
Suddenly something was heard inside the house.
"Brother!" The door to the house burst open and three girls came rushing out. Before Wilhelm could jump away the already tackled him.
These were his younger sisters.
First were the twins. Sofia and Mia the looked identical, but if you knew them long enough, you could see the differences. These two were 8 years old
The older one was Emilia. She had her mother's blonde hair, while the twins had black hair like their father and brother.
"Now, now girls get off of you brother, I'm pretty sure he's tired after dragging that wagon around all day and don't you have other things to do." The girl's eyes opened and quickly ran inside. They were the ones in charge of lunch today after all.
"Thank you for that mother." Wilhelm said while getting up and cleaning himself.
"Don't mention it. It's practically everyday the girls tackle you." His mother said to him.
"Ah, to be young again." His grandmother came out and sighed.
"Hello grandmother." Being respectful of his elders and relatives was something thought to him by his father.
"Hello to you too, dear nephew." She greeted back. "How was your journey?"
"It was pleasant. The road wasn't too long and when we came to the city it was stunning. I have never seen tall building like that." The boy recounted his journey.
"Then we went to meet with the merchants. At first they tried to trick us by giving us not even a quarter of the set price, but father called them out on it and they agreed on exactly a quarter. After that we went to buy the food for our stock."
"Well good to know those merchants are still scamming people of their money." His grandmother sighed and shook her head.
"Wilhelm! Come help us harvest the surviving crops." His uncle shouted and the boy quickly turned around and went to help them.
Harvesting what was left of the crops, Wilhelm was surprised that two of their wheelbarrows. This will last them for half the winter. For the other half they'll have to rely on the money the got from selling the items to the merchants.
"Lunch is ready!" Emilia said to the men that were working outside.
"Well we are done anyway! Let's get this stored and go eat!" Ludvig said to his son. Both of them had a wheelbarrow each and the uncle went to unlock the storeroom.
After storing the crops, they went into the house and smelled food. Hopefully the girls have done their job right this time. Last time they made lunch they somehow burned it and Wilhelm did not want to eat burned food again.
It tasted horrible.
Walking into the kitchen they saw the food on the table, cooked properly and it smelled really. The women were already sitting down around the table.
The three men quickly sat down at the empty spot. Just as they sat down they gripped their hands.
"Whose time is it to thank God?" Wilhelm's mother asked.
"Mine." Said the boy and started to pray
Herr wir danken Dir fuer die Sonne und das Wasser,
wir danken Dir fuer den Fisch und das Essen,
die wir auf unserem Tische haben.
After he was done, everyone started to eat their meal. They were all surprised that the food was great, better then the mother's and grandmother's cooking.
Wilhelm slowly ate his meal and started thinking what he should do for the rest of the day. Usually he would help outside harvest the crops, but since all the healthy crops were already harvested he had nothing to do.
Wait... didn't his father tell him he'll teach him how to wield a sword properly. He was the last to finish the meal. His father was already outside.
Setting it down to have it washed, he went after him. He was at the workbench where he worked on all the weapons. Wilhelm opened the door to the blacksmith house and Ludvig turned to him.
"Ah, Wilhelm I just wanted to get you!" His father exclaimed. The boy just tilted his head. "Why?"
"Why! For your training with the sword! Come here! I'll teach you my own sword style." His father was excited to show someone else his style of fighting.
Taking two gauntlets that had were slightly bulky on the forearm and putting them on, he said to his son "These two gauntlets were from my glory days. Back when I was fighting in the army." He put them on and flicked them.
Two blade appeared on the upper forearm on both blades, they were about. Wilhelm's eyes widened, he never saw contraptions like that. The only complicated thing he ever saw was some of the doors in the city.
"These my boy, are arm-blades! First of their kind. I made them as my first weapons. They were really useful for confusing your opponents." The boy tilted his head "How so?"
"Well, you can make them think you're unarmed and then when they least expect it BAM, your blade is already through the enemies head!" His father was right in that subject. Your enemy will not suspect a blade to be in your gauntlet. Well not in this day and age anyways.
"Now, come I'll train you in using them." His father walked outside with him. When they got to a field he asked his father one more question.
"Father do you have an armor that goes with the gauntlets?" He asked. If the gauntlets looked so good, then the armor must be even better.
"I do, but unfortunately it's not in working condition. The helmet is broken and the chest piece is cracked everywhere. Same with the boots and the leggings. It's currently in the attic." They had an attic, he never knew about that.
His father's eyes widened after he said that "Don't tell your mother I said that. She wanted to keep the things in the attic safe and undisturbed. So please don't try to find it." The young boy nodded, he was still curious what else is in the attic but if his father said not to go there, he won't.
"Good! Now let's start with footwork!"
It was evening when they finished. Wilhelm took his father's seriously when he trained.
"That's enough! Let's get back home! I'm starving." His father said. Both were exhausted as hell after that training. Wilhelm because he never trained that much before and Ludvig because he was out of shape, he did not train for 15 years after all.
The sun was already dipping below the horizon and when they got near the house they smelled food. It was probably made by grandmother now. Everyone's cooking smells different to Wilhelm and he knew everyone's by heart. Storing the arm-blades before stepping into the house, he saw the girls and his uncle already sitting around the table.
"What were you two doing outside so long?" Wilhelm's mother asked the father accusingly.
"Father was teaching me how to wield ar-?!" Ludvig quickly clamped his son's mouth and said "I was teaching him how to wield a blacksmith's hammer!" Smiling all the while.
His mother still did not believe him, but let it go, not wanting an argument to break out at the table. The father and the son sat down and the family gripped their hands. It was Mia's turn to pray now.
They started to eat when the prayer was finished.
It was night and all members of the family retired to their rooms.
"Good night!" Was heard multiple times throughout the house.
Wilhelm changed his clothes and went to his bed tired from all the training he and his father did.
Tomorrow he will ask him again, if he's willing to train him.
He soon entered the world of dreams.
FIRST PERSON
Black. That was what I saw. Standing up and looking down I saw there was no floor. Only blackness. Infinite blackness. But, how come? I saw myself, like I was standing in the sun. Is this purgatory? An infinite void of nothingness.
Walking forward meant nothing, as there was nothing but darkness. But is still walked
Still nothing.
Suddenly I walked into something solid.
It looked like a big piece of glass. It lacked a reflection.
Then, a shadow appeared inside of it. Well it looked more like a clump of smoke shaped like a person.
It mimicked my movements.
"Who are you?" I asked it, hoping I get a response.
"I am you." It answered back.
"How can you be me?" I was perplexed. This shadow was me?
"Because I can and I am"
"What are you?" I decided to ask a different question.
"A shadow of yourself."
"But, I haven't done anything bad. I do not deserve a demon living inside of me."
"I am not a demon. I am a shadow that will soon be haunting you. Very soon."
I narrowed my eyes. This shadow was getting on my nerves.
"What do you mean by that? Answer me." I asked with more force. The shadow then chuckled.
"Soon, yes, very soon. In fact right now!"
The shadow disappeared and I woke up gasping.
'It was only a dream. It cannot harm me in any way.'
Looking around I saw it was still night and everything was still. No voice of animals were heard outside. Not even the wind blowing like it usually does.
It was all still.
Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
A shriek pierced the silent night. It was Mia's voice! What happened?!
"Shut up girl!" This voice I heard was not natural. It was deep and guttural, like an animal.
"No please! Father! Help me please!" Quickly going to my bed and pulling out the dagger my father gave me, I hurried to my sisters room only to see my father already there and choking a big monster. It had hooves for legs and horns on it head. I came to a conclusion that it was a demon! A really big one at that.
My father saw me and said "Wilhelm give me your dagger! Now!" I ran to him and gave it to him.
The stench of blood was in the air. My father sighed and turned to me. "Thank you my son for the dagg-"
My father did not get to finish that sentence.
He...
He was...
…decapitated by the demon.
I started hyperventilating. My father. The man who raised me, thought me everything... was... dead.
I was enraged at this monster. I could not thing logically and rushed the demon with the dagger I picked up from my father.
It saw me running and snarled "A puny human coming to attack me!? A child at that!" Then it saw my dagger "What are you going to do with that dagger? Stab m-?!" I tackled it with force comparable to a rhino. When did I get this strong?
I quickly stabbed the horse-demon in the chest and I kept stabbing.
And stabbing
….And stabbing...
I don't know how much time has passed since this all started but it was all a blur to me.
I finally stopped and saw the demon's chest full of holes and it's organs hanging out.
Wait... MIA! Where was she? I looked around and saw her huddled in the corner and crying with her knees to her chest. I rushed to her an hugged her.
"Everything is going to be okay." I started whispering to her that everything is okay. She was still hysterically crying.
'STOMP, STOMP, STOMP, STOMP'
Turning around I saw an even more terrifying demon then before. It was over 15 meters tall, had many horns on him and was that... blood on his mouth. I feared the worst.
"HMM SO PUNY HUMAN CAPABLE? YES VERY CAPABLE. HE KILLED HORSIE. HORSIE WAS BULLS FRIEND. YOU KILL BULLS FRIEND. NOW YOU DIE!"
It started swinging a whole tree. It hit me and I was knocked into the wall of the house... well what remained of it. I was out of breath from that and then i realized that Mia was still in the same place.
'CRUNCH. CRUNCH'
I weakly looked up and widened my eyes.
My sister was... eaten before my eyes.
I started hyperventilating.
'SWALLOW'
"MMMM HUMAN DELICIOUS. BULL WANT MORE."
I could not believe what I just witnessed. MY own sister being... eaten.
I felt like I could embody the sin of wrath right now.
Shadows enveloped both my hands and father's arm-blades appeared on them. Looking more demonic than before.
Something was in my mind. Controlling me.
Standing up with more energy I ran at him, emitting a demonic battle cry that even the demon got scared of.
The bull-demon swung the tree again, but I jumped higher, on the tree and from the tree to his head.
Deploying the arm-blades I stabbed my right one into his eyes and through his skull.
The demon started thrashing around and swinging like crazy.
To stop the demon I plunged my right blade in to his neck. Severing the spin.
It collapsed on his back after that.
I took a breather.
Then I realized...
..I'm going to have to dig a lot of graves won't I?
I walked into the ruined house. Checking the all of the rooms, all of them were empty.
'So the bull did eat them.' I thought sadly.
Realizing what kind if situation I am in I started crying. I had no one now. Not a father, a mother, an uncle, sisters and a grandma. I curled up in the middle of the house. Rain started to fall.
'Why did this happen? Why? Why? WHY!?'
"Calm down, kid" I'm starting to hear voices in my head now.
"I'm a little offended kid. Don't remember me? The shadow in the dreams?"
Now I remember, the shadow, in my dream. 'Are you here to mock me?'
"Oh, goodness no! I'm here to help!" I did not trust this thing inside of me.
'What can I gain with your help?' I started risking everything on this thing inside my head. Hopefully I can trust it.
"You can gain power, wealth, revenge! Anything you want! It is withing your grasp, if you let me help you of course!" I did not want that, all I want was my family back.
'Can you bring my family back?' I asked, sounding hopeful.
"Unfortunately... no, I cannot. But..."
'What is it? Come on tell me!'
"Look at it this way, even if there is no way to bring back your family, you can start your own. Be happy with a wife on you side and maybe even a kid. Who knows! Your family would like you to move on. Bury them, mourn them and move on, but do not forget them. Maybe you'll see them some day... in Heaven."
I nodded. Determined, I found a shovel in my dad's blacksmith house and with it started digging 8 graves for my family near grandfathers grave on top of the nearby hill.
I did not have a body to bury, so I just wrapped up their most treasured belongings and wrapped them up for each grave.
I also made a wooden headstone.
After I buried them I stood there until the sun came up.
"Alright, bud before we start your journey, let's go find your father's armor!"
I smiled and nodded. Saying on last goodbye to them I departed from their graves.
I arrived home and searched in the remains of the house.
After a few minutes of searching I saw a hook on the ceiling. It was in the corner of the kitchen. Pulling it down, stairs appeared before me. I started walking into the attic.
It was dusty, like it was not open for some time. The attic was full of cobwebs. In the corner I saw a big chest. Clearing the cobwebs and walking to it, I saw that it was unlocked. I opened it up.
Inside was demonic looking armor. Black like the night with red highlights. As father said the chest piece was cracked. The helmet had two large horns curved backwards, two smaller horns bellow the bigger ones and a small one in the middle.
I went down to the kitchen to look for a bag. After I found it I packed the armor inside, thankfully it was large enough.
When I stuffed the armor inside I looked back inside and saw two more swords, equally demonic looking like the armor.
The smaller one was a curved dagger, it was serrated on the end and the large one was a greatsword, this one was serrated too. I made a mental note to train with these two.
Arriving downstairs I remembered the two demons that I killed somehow. Walking outside, I saw that they disappeared. I widened my eyes 'Are they still alive!?'
"No. I am positive you killed them. Somebody else must have taken the bodies."
'Do you know who?' I slightly calmed down after that, but if there were more of these demons out there, I would need to be alert.
"I am clueless as you are. I am not omnipotent, I have just woken up after you saw me in the dream. The only thing I know Is that those were indeed demons. Besides that, nothing else."
I nodded and went to the blacksmith house. I'll try to repair the armor.
Around 10 days later and I have finally finished repairing the armor. It took me a lot of work to restore it, I think I don't feel my arms anymore, from the amount of hammering I did. But the armor was now whole, I wonder what cracked it in the first place.
It looked like it was too big for me now, so I stored it in the bag, with all the food I could take with me on the road.
'I hope I find something to live for in this world.'
From then on I forged a legend, a legend that will be remembered well in the modern world. For all the wrong reasons of course.