Restless Sword - Chapter 1

The sky opened up into a wide stretch as far as the eye could see; pure unscathed blue. The way the sun hit the town it seemed to glitter in the light, the castle a shining spot in Asbel's vision. He squinted momentarily, trying to adjust from the shade he'd been walking under. This place seemed so much darker when he'd left seven years prior.

Anger besets a man's vision, or so he'd been told.

He had been told quite a few things before he left. Ladies of the court in Gralesyde had bemoaned his leaving, saying he was too young, too inexperienced to leave them just yet. Whenever Malik caught wind of it, he simply laughed. Asbel hadn't quite worked out what to make of that reaction just yet. Other knights had given him advice in dealing with such creatures, but with some further prying it was found to be all second or third hand. No one in the area knew what to do with a beast like this. It was probably why no one volunteered when word got out.

Last to speak with him there was Duke Dalen, a kindly man who's trust had not been too easy to earn at first, now welcomed the two knights into his town and court with open arms. The duke had looked over Asbel's letter with small smile, almost amused. The letter came with no signature at the bottom, no return address, but the plea within was personal. Asbel only shared it to see if the older gentleman had any ideas about the letter; he felt himself drawing more blanks the longer he looked at it.

If the duke knew anything, he said nothing, only shaking his head and handing the letter back. Still, it returned with a few words of advice. "Go back Asbel," he had said, "Someone is counting on you. A knight shouldn't let down anyone like that, correct?"

At the man's word's he nodded and agreed quietly. Malik had said things not unlike that too; it must have been the right direction.

Now that he was here, standing before the gates of Barona with that very same letter in his hand, he couldn't help but wonder who it was. The writer was probably waiting for him here, maybe someone he knew before. A part of him wondered how he hadn't been completely forgotten. Seven years was long enough for a heart to grow cold. Idle hopes stirred in his mind, but he left them there as best he could. He had a duty here now; as a knight and as the son of a lord in the area. Whether that lord would appreciate his efforts, he did not know. Maybe he wouldn't even recognize him.

No, it was best to see once he reached the castle; see who greeted them and how things stood with this beast. This dragon terrorizing the countryside for reasons no one could work out. Dragons usually took up to the mountains and stayed out of the way of human villages. But Asbel didn't not anticipate that anyone in Gralesyde would know much about dragon behavior.

Once the knight got through the gates into the familiar Barona, he didn't find himself needing direction. Very little had changed in seven years. It was a relief. He found himself at the entrance to the castle and upon giving the guards his name and business he was allowed in without much of a fuss. In fact, he was directed right to the throne room. He had to wonder if maybe he was expected here.

They must just need help with the dragon that badly...

Members of the court passed him looks as he scaled the stairs toward the throne room. There were few faces he could recognize, but it couldn't stop him now. It wasn't a trip to meet back up with old friends. He had run away from this place a very long time ago; they probably didn't recognize him.

As he reached for the doors, another pushed out from them, nearly knocking him back. The eyes he met with were familiar; ones he would know anywhere.

"Hubert...?"

The young man in question took a step back, crossing his arms and looking Asbel over. Now that Asbel could get a good look at him back, he recognizes the short cropped blue hair the same as always and the face of a brother who was usually always tailing after him. It really did feel like he had been gone a lifetime seeing him grown up like this.

Hubert's eyes narrowed and he scoffs. That look of disapproval was a new one.

"If it isn't Asbel. And here I thought you were dead or at least playing it pretty well," Hubert answered shortly, no joy in that tone. He was dressed differently than any of the knights he had seen around this area; he had to have come from somewhere fairly far away.

"Hubert...what happened to you?" he blurted out. The question was met with another huff out of the younger brother.

"After you left us Mother and Father were so kind as to send me off to learn with some nobles in Strahta; not that you would care. You're here to try and claim Father's title, aren't you?"

Asbel wasn't sure if he had ever heard so much poison in one man's voice before. It almost hurt to listen to, but he steeled himself as best he could against it. "What are you talking about...? I can't take that title just out of nowhere. I came about the monster," he answered, hoping that would curve some of the venom away.

Hubert's expression turned from less of a spiteful one to a more honest glare. It was a step up in a way. "You should probably speak with the king then." No more words, Hubert opened the door up properly, leading the way into the throne room. There were people already gathered around inside, all focused on Hubert and Asbel once he followed him in. The man he expected on the throne was not there, instead it was another familiar face.

Asbel bit his cheek just to stop from shouting out and running up to the seat at the end of the carpet. That was not the king; that was the prince. At least, the last time he was there this man was a boy and still "prince" to everyone around him.

If Richard is on the throne then...

It seemed like there was a lot more going on than just a change of power, if Hubert's words were any indication.

The blonde on the throne gave Asbel only a short glance before he seemed to recognize him. The strained frown on his face relaxed, if only for a second before it settled back in.

"This is the man I believe you were looking for, your highness. Funny he should show up only when you now decide to tell us he isn't dead," Hubert announced in the most curt way possible. At one point he had been so quiet and respectful...

Asbel shook it off and focused his gaze on Richard's, meeting it as confidently as he could. "Your highness...I came when I received a letter about slaying a dragon...That's all. I don't intend to have any business with my father, the lordship or the court," he explained as shortly as he could.

Richard's expression took on that strain from earlier, only a touch worse. "Asbel...your father is dead. He had tried to kill the dragon himself, but..."

The king did not need to go on. The news hit Asbel in the core, it felt like it sent him reeling causing him to take a step back. Hubert at his side only remained in place, watching his reaction as if he were gauging it. It left a cold feeling in his chest, knowing all the eyes in the room were on him and everyone already knew. Trying to speak came with stress, his voice trapped in his throat for a moment before he could force it out.

"The dragon...killed him?" he repeated a bit desperately, hoping the story would change this time.

"Not too long ago. Lord Ashton had written me a letter asking for my help, but it seems I didn't make it in time," Hubert supplied the answer, blunt and to the point.

"The letter I got...that wasn't him was it...? He couldn't have known I was there..." Asbel whispered, trying to still work all this out. He really was dead to them all this time? His shoulders tensed; the hand on his blade grasping tightly, so much so it shook. It took a silent few seconds, but Asbel lifted his head and looked directly at Richard again.

"Your highness, I'm going to kill the dragon. I won't come back until it's done," he said firmly. He had done everything else wrong, at least he could sort out this mistake.

Asbel felt Richard searching out his features, trying to gauge what he intended, but he lets it go. "I had hoped you would do so, Asbel...If you can cut out the heart of the beast and bring it back...the whole of the kingdom will be able to know what you've done."

He only nodded to the king once before turning in rush and making a fast walk for the exit. He felt Hubert on his heels, but paid him no mind. It wasn't until Asbel nearly made it to the castle doors that Hubert actually spoke up.

"That's it? You hear the news and you just run off to die again?"

It broke Asbel's stride. Almost strung up in place, he doesn't cave and turn to look over his shoulder at his little brother.

"I have to do this...I should have before. I should have been here," he lowered his voice as he answered only in an attempt to keep from raising it.

The contempt in Hubert's voice swayed for the moment, softening into something else. Asbel wasn't sure what he meant with it. "You're right. You're probably entirely right...Go try. But don't think I'm willing to clean up any more of your mistakes."

It sounded something like permission; Asbel took it. It was probably the best he deserved. The thought and those words clawed up against the front of his skull as he walked on; full purpose in his steps to get him out of Barona and into the open. Anywhere but this spot.

The next few days felt like they passed in a fever dream. These familiar roads, the knowledge that rattled around in his skull, all of it felt foggy and heavy at times. There was no undoing what he had caused; he knew that better than Hubert could blame him for it. He could barely work out what the feeling here was. It wasn't revenge, no—he couldn't take revenge for a man who died thinking his son was dead to him. That wasn't a weight he had earned the right to bear.

Then what am I doing here?

He grit his teeth and pushed himself on. Maybe once he had made it to where the dragon had last been sighted it would make sense. This cursed thing he'd only received a letter about, none of the other important information he needed. It had killed plenty of other knights already; he knew that. That and there was a sliver of a feeling in his chest that told him it was the least he could do. The smallest thing he could do, for Hubert's sake, for his mother if she were around somewhere. It hadn't even crossed his mind to go speak with her before he left.

Probably for the best at the end, he told himself.

I could be next.

Following clues from farmers with burnt crops and fields still hot from bursts of flame, Asbel was able to make it to a fairly open area, a forest in sight across the stretch. From what he could work out this was probably where the dragon was resting from its last assault. He wasn't exactly catching it worn out, but maybe even the smallest thing could play in his favor.

He halted in crossing the field when he heard the sound of beating wings; large ones. Out from the forest sprang the dragon itself, carried high on a wide wingspan.

So close to towns and attacking like this...They usually aren't this aggressive.

Asbel immediately fell into form when he realized the beast had its gaze fixed on him.

Stay steady.

A practiced posture, hand over his blade at his hip, he prepared for the worst. A roar his direction was his last warning. The sound from the monster was strong enough to shake the earth, the rumble echoing into the distance. The beast came to land, stopping a short distance from Asbel; enough to crane its neck and let out another growl, this one paired with a burst of flame from its gaping jaw. Unsure of the radius of the streak, Asbel jolted off into a dash with meaning to circle around. He didn't get far before a wing swept at him; the knight dipping under it to also stay in motion.

He gripped tight at the hilt, once he came close Asbel drew his blade in a wide slash across the right ribs of the monster. The strike hit square but the sword nearly bounced back out of his hands. This had to be a much older dragon than he ever could have guessed it would be.

His fumble left him open, enough that the beast could turn direction with a push of its wings to try and slam into the tiny figure at its side. Only barely Asbel slipped away, hopping back to miss the reach of scale and claw.

He had to stay close; he was never going to get a shot if he backed out. Holding back was not an option either. Sword returned into his sheath, he prepared another draw after ducking under a swipe of edged claws. The sharp points nearly flew through his hair, barely skimming overhead.

It felt like his heart was pressing up out of his chest, trying to get his nerves worked up.

Steady, calm.

The simple reminders helped the most.

With the arm outstretched, Asbel gained just a second of opportunity. The draw came fast, Asbel putting more focusing into this one to summon up a spread of lightning; the burst joining steel and goring through a softer portion of the dragon's joint from limb to body.

Asbel couldn't say whether the following roar was in pain or anger, but it was enough to make the beast take up to the air in a hurry as it flew out of his reach. It was all he could do to flee when the dragon started spattering the area under itself with fire. Each huff of flame snagged a bit closer at his coat tail as he ran, but with the beast in a rage like this it would have to wear out its energy for this eventually. At least that was his hope; he'd never fought one this big or this angry. It was hard to call its movements at times.

A few seconds of this was far too much and Asbel opts for a riskier move. He shoots for right underneath the belly of the beast, jumping up with everything he had to reach upward and get a decent swing skyward and across. He doesn't tear into much flesh, however it got the creature bleeding by the time he landed. The dragon looked to do the same, right on top of him even. Asbel slipped aside the initial swipe of back claws, ending up right at the thigh of the damned thing as it landed. The ground shaking threw off his balance, so much so he didn't catch the time to dodge the incoming overhead smash of the beast's tail. Desperate, he lifted sword in sheath to block; the heavy appendage crashing into the block. The sheer power of it left his arms feeling numb. The dragon seemed content to keep pressing down into him, but once it realized the knight was not relenting, it uplifted the tail—just a bit- and swung it at him instead.

Asbel nearly flew across the field, hitting hard into a patch of charred grass. Somehow, he'd kept his blade in hand, using the end of it in the sheath to help himself up. Back on his feet again, the damage clocked in, his chest aching where he'd been hit and his fingers were left still tingling. He'd have to play defensively and put himself back together. The thinking was spot on as the dragon let out a murderous roar; lick of fire spewing out of his mouth. The stream had a distance to go from beast to knight; giving Asbel the time to throw himself out of the path of the blaze. Once he hit the earth he rolled back up onto his feet, tearing at a semi-circle around the beast.

Hesitation, worry, fear all tossed behind him, Asbel only saw this fight, this creature and himself in steady motion. Even as his heart was pounding up against his chest, it felt like he weighed nothing; there was something freeing in sprinting like this. Danger be damned, everything felt clear, open, simple.

Sliding to a stop, his body low to the ground, he drew his blade and called up the energy to go with it. A faint glow circled at his feet and when his sword hung straight in the air, the glow brightened and six blades of light burst forth from the sphere, converging on the beast from the side. The magic energy drove into the dragon puncturing through scale, stuck in flesh until they all burst into light; gone and leaving nothing but the fresh wounds in their place.

He got it bleeding a bit more, but it wasn't down or dead yet-nowhere near it. While the beast was growling over its new injuries, Asbel sprinted forward as fast as his legs would carry him. The dragon turned its neck to meet him and swamp him in flame, however Asbel was ready to risk it this time. Into the oncoming flames, he worked magic to steel and upon drawing his blade, cross shaped bursts of ice contacted the flames. The freeze left him enough of a window to duck aside the path of the fire, to jump up and swing his blade up under the jaw of the dragon; effectively shutting it and cutting off the swarm of flame. As soon as his boots hit the ground he was in motion again, spinning a kick at the dragon's neck; hopping to kick up into the jaw; knocking the cursed thing in the mouth once more. He had to keep the maw shut while he was close.

The strikes hit just hard enough that the beast snapped its neck back. In that whip back it managed to bare its fangs again, meaning to come down and mash Asbel in its jaws and be done with this pest. Asbel held his ground, drawing his blade back and swinging it upward with a burst of violet energy crashing upward into the nose of the beast. The stall from that hit gave him a tiny chance, but it was just enough. Blade back once more, he thrust it outward, right between the teeth of the monster- loosing another long blast of energy bursting forth and almost exploding within the beast.

Not even able to roar anymore with the blast to the throat, the dragon reared up one final time before crashing limp to the ground on its side.

Asbel panted there for the moment, having been able to get his sword and arm out of the jaw just in time; both now hanging loosely at his side. This thing many, many times his weight and size lay felled before him, bleeding and still. It took a few seconds for it to sink in that he had actually pulled it off; that the work in front of him was really his own.

"Cut out the heart...right?" he muttered aloud simply repeating Richard's words. It still felt unreal. Steps slow, he approached the exposed chest of the monster and plunged his blade in, swinging wide to tear open a wide hole. He'd prepared himself for a torrent of gore and blood from this motion, but nothing spilled out. It felt like his vision had crossed or simply failed before he realized there came a light from the chest. There was no heart, instead a large bubble of something; something so bright Asbel couldn't tell what it was. After a few seconds the light faded and something stepped out from the bubble.

A pair of bright violet eyes looked up at him, their owner looking lost. It had to be some kind of trick.

There's no way...this girl came from inside?

Asbel stared at her and she stared back, the silence hanging thick between them. Each time Asbel tried to find something to say, he found himself more confused about what exactly he was looking at. She seemed like an almost normal girl; she was dressed strangely, her hair strung up in pigtails at either side of her head and she was fairly small, apparently young. He would have said she appeared more misplaced than anything, but he couldn't put the words together in the moment. After quite the staring contest, Asbel found something he could ask at least.

"Are you the dragon's heart?"

The girl tilted her head aside, looking more confused than before. He made a few more attempts to say something, but none of that made sense either. After putting his sword away, he took a step back and set one hand to his chin. This definitely wasn't a dragon heart, at least not that he'd heard they were like.

If Malik were here he'd know what to do...For now...no one is going to believe this girl is a heart. And I can't just leave her here.

"Well...I guess...Why don't you come along with me for now? You don't have somewhere to go home to, do you?"

The girl shook her head, her pigtails swaying with the motion. With that settled, she stepped up a bit closer to him before wandering off a short distance to look around the field. At least she wasn't focused on the corpse she came from...

It wasn't exactly a heart, but he could bring that back. Asbel draws his sword once again, prying open the jaw of the beast and cutting out the tongue. It took a bit of shuffling around, but he untied the bag from his hip and put the cut inside. The bag was once again tied to his side, as well as the sword stuck in its sheath before Asbel joined the strange girl.

She had knelt down, looking at a group of flowers in the field. He remembered these, they grew not too far from home when he was kid. The sight was a little sore, but the girl appeared engrossed in the field of purple.

"Do you have a name?" Asbel questioned a bit more gently this time, kneeling next to her. Once again she shook her head and Asbel frowned.

Someone was going to have to take care of this girl, take responsibility. I killed her mom...if the dragon was like her mother or something...

"You'll need some kind of name..." There was a pause as the girl plucked up a few flowers and nearly stuck her nose into them. Asbel's frown turned to a slight smile. "Do you like these flowers?"

She turned her head and smiled at him warmly, answering him with a soft, "Yes."

"These are sopheria flowers...If you like them...why don't we call you Sophie? Like the flower," he suggested lightly.

At first she appeared muddled, but soon enough she was smiling again. "Sophie...I'll be Sophie then," she said and promptly stuck a flower into Asbel's hair.

The tiny gesture put a bigger smile back on Asbel's face. "Alright Sophie...it's nice to meet you. I'm Asbel."

"Asbel," she repeated, putting another flower next to the first. He wasn't sure why, but it felt like the right motion; patting her head once. He stood up and offered her his hand to help her up as well.

"Let's head back, Sophie."

Sophie took his hand and held on once she was up, her eyes fixed on his and waiting for direction.

"Let's go, Asbel."