Chapter 0
Big headache and a crazy man
[Location: Rasenkai clan]
Rasenkai's POV
My mind was about to blow up as I get up and get my headache medicine. "I think my headache's getting worse" I said as I complain a little. The weather outside is nice as usual. I smiled and put my book away. Anyway for a short introduction, my name is Rasenkai. I don't know my last name, because I don't have a last name at all. Maybe because I'm an orphan "Oh well, at least things will go peaceful. Oh crap… I shouldn't jinx it." I wanted to kill myself for jinxing it, but I must live with it, because I have been bad luck all the time. I don't know who's causing my bad luck. As I get up, I looked outside and see my friend carrying stone and wood for fire. "Hey Rasenkai oh pal!" I waved at him. His name is Rais Galdim. He lives with his uncle that's next to my house, so he is my neighbour. Clumsy and always embarrasses himself, he causes accident's that makes me or Rais get in trouble. So me, the usual must tell and convince that I didn't do or neither did him. I saw a small pebble on the ground that Rais is going to trip on and I shouted to him to warn him "Hey Rais-!" Too late and as that happen, he tripped, dropping all the wood and stones that falls on him. I scratched my head for I feel sorry for Rais and I ran outside to help him out. "Rais you are such a klutz when it comes to errands" I shook my head. He gave me the "Don't make me slap you so silly" glare. "Want to help me out? I need to put these wood and stones in the storage house. I want to be done so I can spend time with my uncle, helping him with black smithing" He said struggling. I shrugged and helped Rais out. "Alright, fine, hold your horses then." I stacked up the wood and stones together. "Obviously you've been stacking! You know better" I said, taunting him. "Hey was that supposed to be an insult!" I chuckled, patting his shoulder. "Come on you know I was teasing ya." I laughed. Rais couldn't hold back and laughed. "Okay, I am a klutz! I admit it." He smiled back at me. I helped him up. "So anything going on with that headache of yours?" He asked me as I nodded. It's been going on for 11 years and there's no cure for it. Many doctors tried curing it but no success. "Yeah, no matter how they cure it, I don't think I won't be able to feel better, plus it's making me concentrates less of my swordsmanship. I'm only a junior level swordsman. I'm not ready to become an intermediate" I said my answer in details. "Aw cheer up pal, we'll find a way." He tried to comfort me with words as I agree. "Alright, let's put these stone and wood in the storage house" Rais nodded as we carry the wood and stone to the storage house. The house can only stack up to the maximum of 400 wood and stones, though as it builds up more, it will increase the number of stocks. We put the wood and stone in the house and closed it up. "Phew, all done. So anything else that needs to be done of?" I asked Rais as he looked at me. "Hm, no not really and we are done with the current errands for now" Rais said. I wanted to go back home to read my book but something furry rubbed my leg and it was the cat that's fond of me. Silly thought that it doesn't like Rais for any reason; maybe it has issues with Rais. "Oh hey there" I kneeled and patted the cat as It meowed very adorable. Rais tried patting her, but it scratched him, leaving a mark on his hand. "Ow! Damn it!" I kind of chuckled a little of him being scratched. "Rais, what's with your problems with cats?" I asked, trying to not laugh. "I don't know, maybe they hate me." I still hold my laugh from bursting out loud. The cat afterwards went back and pulled something under a house. My friend Rais told me cats are good luck when it comes to white cats, so reminder readers and keep away from the black ones! "Want to check what she found?" I nodded to him. "Yeah, it's better than to keep her waiting." We went to the house the cat went, as me and Rais walked, she pulled out an [angel doll]. I somewhat recognized that, it belongs to Laura, the girl in my neighbour's home. She was crying when she lost it, I wonder how she's feeling. "You still have feelings for Laura?" He asked me with grin smile. "No!" I shouted at him for being a total idiot. Every though I attract girls, doesn't mean I have a crush on them. I'm only friends with them! He shouldn't get the wrong idea! "Okay, alright you know I was just joking, you're a good guy to try to keep his cool, right?" That is so very true but not quite. Anyway as I picked up the Doll, We went to Laura's house as she was feeling fine but still sad. "O-oh hi Rasenkai, glad you can visit." Laura Garcia is a friend of mine that became friends with me, not to mention we are buddies she's also friends with Rais due to mine crafting, a strong girl for her age like she is a dwarf. "Hey Laura and yeah I came to visit to see if your feeling fine or happy at least." I greeted her, saying the right words without making her cry. "Oh, I thought you were going to find a gift for me" And there goes my cue. "As you said, I found something you truly lost." I gave her the [Angel Doll] softly. She gasped and hugged it tightly as she screamed in happiness. "Thank you! Thank you! I thought I lost it. It was my best friend." She was smiling again as she kiss me on the cheek which I blushed and Rai's chuckled and I ignored him. "E-eh, no problem Laura, glad I can help you find it. Actually, it was the help of the cat that helps me; I owe her a lot for fixing a situations I'm into" It was true; I should see that cat and give her a treat when I can. Maybe a luxury item or a good quality fish that she can eat. "Yeah, I love that cat! She is very cute, but she belongs to you right?" She asked. I shake my head slowly. "No, I don't even know where she came from. Every time I'm tried to find her, she magically appears in front of me or behind including falling from trees." I said. It has been a few years since I met that cat. I met her when she was a kitten, she no family, no other cat friends she could play with. So I took her in but not made her mines. I want to be able to find her owner. Since then she was very fond of me but I have been feeling this weird aura around her like she's human or so. "So what did you name her?" Laura was asking me. I haven't thought of her name at all. But I think I know what to name her. "Hmm, I think… Lumeria would do. What do you think about that name, Laura?" She smiled "I think it's a wonderful name" I smiled. "You think so, Laura? Because I never did good names for anyone" I asked and she nodded. Lumeria meowed as she runs off very quick. "… A very speedy girl" Laura tapped me on the shoulder as I look at her" Yes?" She asked me if I believe in rumours or so. "Well… depending on what it is but I'm in. So tell me about it." I asked. "Do you know that mostly in the afternoon, a crazy guy would take away kids and make them his own, but as you see… he doesn't do well with kids and thinks they are just annoying? If they don't stop, he eventually starts abusing them" I was shocked. "Abusing!?" She nods with a serious look. "It mostly happens sometimes but not every day. So you have to watch out for him, though it's just a rumour, right?" I thought about the rumour and maybe it will come true, I just know it will happen. I look at my time and its 3:00 PM. "We'll just have to put it into test then." I said with calm voice. "I don't know, it's just a rumour right?" Rais said. He never believed in rumours. He says there just gossips that cause trouble. Though curiosity kills the cat right? "Well... we just have to give it a try. Come on Rais, work with me here." I said with a weak smile. "Alright fine, but what's in it for me though?" I then answered "This is just one rumour right, so this will be a one-time test okay?" I begged him to join so we can find out together. "Alright, alright! I try this with you. Just as long we don't into too much trouble." I nodded afterwards. It was 7:00 PM and my sword trainer came to me as he wanted to test my sword. I shook my head and told him about my headache. "I see, so it's making you concentrate less, am I correct?" I nodded. "I can see the problem now. What you're having is an Amterian amosis. A kind of headache you'll encounter when you sense something, but we will call it "keens eye". A be-on-your-feet sense power and we don't see much people with that. So it's rare these days" He wondered why I am the only person with it is the question. "So how can I use it, I want the headache to stop." He then answered "It won't stop; the power belongs to your eye and as of now, the headache occurs when you're in danger." My eyes widen; as I knew something. So no wonder there isn't a way to find a medicine to heal, it's my power, the power of keens eye. It only happens when there's danger coming towards me. So I think I mostly understood a few details of the Keen's eye power. After speaking with my sword trainer, he left and went back to the training grounds. I wanted to find something else to do instead of reading; well I am a book worm, so that's what I do people. Due to my luck, Rais came to me if he wanted me to come with him, so I agreed and walked with Rais. "So what's going on?" I asked him wondering what's up with Rais. "Well, I was hoping if you want to black smith, or craft for another word." I have been watching him and his uncle black smith. Rais is a medium level intermediate and I'm only a beginner to be honest. For my first try I was nervous when I first made my weapon and was a fail, because I never understood it well. How does black smithing work? Well, Rais told me about it so I would get better, First: You have to gather the ingredients and materials from outside or so, second: You need to smelt it and then use a mold shape of a weapon then pour the smelted materials. Once it's done, use heat-proof gloves to handle it, that's what Rais told me to do. Step three: One of the trickiest part of black smithing is hammering it, so make sure you hold the hilt of the sword and then start hammering the edges, once the edges, guard, and point are flatten out, cold it. Then hammer the handmade sword again, carefully not to force it to much, forcing it to much cause it to break and you wasted good quality of materials. Step five: You have made your first weapon, so go ahead and customize it. So yeah, I guess that's how you black smith.
[Location: Aurion Galdim's house]
Reaching to his uncle's house, Aurion Galdim is Rais's uncle and a long time black smith. He's a much higher level than us; he can even create a powerful weapon to split the tree in half. All alone, he lost his wife; His beloved wife Maria Galdim. I do really felt sorry for his lost. At least Rais was there to comfort him. I wish I had a family that takes care of me. Oh, what am I thinking, come Rasenkai be a man. Entering his house, stands a working figure in his chair, that is Aurion Galdim. "Ah, hi Rasenkai, been a few weeks since I saw you." I was surprised he still remembers me. "Gee, you're not the only who always remembers me." I said, scratching my head. "Haha, of course Rasenkai, you know I wouldn't forget you and your mistakes. It takes me back when I was your age, father told me the basics and it didn't go well. He said that I was using a substitute and not using the correct items. Boy was I embarrassed, but as I adapt my black smithing skills, I can forge powerful weapons to even split a huge tree in half." He still continued on his past as I listen, except for Rais because he listened to this more than five times. He was a little tired about his past and thinks it was boring. True he does make a point, but it's not that boring. Maybe if I listen to him more, I could actually learn something. "So Aurion, me and Rais were hoping we could black smith with you?" I asked him. He smiled at us as he'd laughs. "Hahaha, now that what I'm talking about! If you want to get smithing, you both need your hammers!" Now that he said it, I don't have a hammer to start black smithing. Though except for Rais, he has one since he's living with his uncle, man talk about bummer. I scratched my head from disappointment. "You don't have one? You can get one by either crafting or buying it. Though black smith's hammer is more expensive then you can think of, like about Three thousand [Rakenkie]" Three thousand! There's no way I can get that much money. I only have one-thousand five hundred Rakenkie's! Oh, right you don't know what Rakenkie's. There the currency for my home land and are shaped as any regular coins. There are a least five types of Rakenkie: Copper, Bronze, Silver, gold, and Platinum. Platinum has more value than you think, it has about 100,000. Copper has 10 only, really short and doesn't do much but these one's are everywhere in my world. Bronze is twenty and can buy a least a few candy by four groups. Silver is fifty and has enough to by you a potion. Gold is one thousand; it's common or rare to find gold in my clan though I'm the lucky one to find it, and I've been saving a lot in my allowance. Platinum is the rarest of all Rakenkie's, as I said there a hundred-thousand Rakenkie's and has enough to buy a good sturdy weapon or a house. I could find another job since I've already done one of them and I have to come back tomorrow. I asked his uncle where I can find a good quality hammer and he said I can find one at the general store. Good news is that there on sale, and I hate the bad news. The bad news is that it's only on sale for twenty minutes. I think I'll be able to get to the general shop before they run out of stock for good quality ones. "Okay, thanks alot Aurion!" I thank him and went out as fast as I can and head to the general shop as I have about fifteen minutes before sales gone. I really need the hammer for one really good reason: For making a weapon! As I was about to reach where the general store is, someone shouted "Help" and I stopped where I am. I looked for the one who shouted, and the rule for being a good warrior is helping out that in need. Man, what should I do? If I don't get to the general store, I'll never be able to get the hammer or maybe I should do what my heart tells me and go to the desperate person that's in need of help. What's important, the hammer or saving the person? As I think, I act fast and went to the person who yelled help. It was Miss Margatroid, Shinki Margatroid. As I went to Shinki, her face tells me that she is missing something that she holds dearly. I think about what a mother holds something precious after giving birth and it was a child. That's what she was crying about and I would do anything to help recover her child. "Shinki it's been while!" I said as she turn and does a weak smile. "Hey Rasenkai, yes it has been a while. How are you doing?" Shinki Margatroid was a good friend to me since I was little. She invited me when I helped her carry stuff. I and Shinki talked about things in this world that can be good or bad, I was impressive of what she talked about. As I was about to leave, she was feeling her stomach as I look at it and it was big, Shinki was pregnant and will be having a child soon. I always wanted to know where do baby's come from and I think I know my answer. When she to the hospital, I haven't saw her again. It has been eleven years since I saw Shinki again. "Well I've been well. What happen Shinki; I've never seen you this sad before." I was worried about her and tried to help her up but she told me about the child that was stolen from her. I knelled down and listened to her story that occurred 15 minutes ago.
[Occurring 15 minutes before Shinki's child was stolen]
Third person POV
While Shinki was doing little shopping for her beautiful daughter and was happy to be with her new child. At first she thought that she wouldn't be ready to be a parent because how hard it was to do it, but then she knows her heart tells Shinki that maybe she can one day give it a try as I she sighed. "Rasenkai, he was so cute when he was at her age, oh the good old days." As she was about to reach her house, a shadowed figure sneaked around as he found his target "This child… yes, she perfect…" He needed to make sure he does this perfectly or he won't achieve what he's looking for. He then tried to silently rush to Shinki, thanks to Shinki's hearing; she manage to trip the man but due to his reflex's, he then pushed her back, making Shinki dropping her child as he catch her and running away as fast before anyone starts noticing him. He was about to head to the forest until he saw a guy that had an aura that's more special then her and was afraid because on how powerful it is. He then hides to be sure he's out of detection.
[Ending the flash back]
Rasenkai's POV
"Oh my god, He stole your child?" I was extremely shocked of what I heard from Shinki. I can never imagine on what he did there, pushing an old friend of mine! "Rasenkai, please don't get over reacted on what happen. Even so, he stole my dearest child that I hold dearly" I then looked at Shinki and then hold out my hand to help her up. "I'll look for your child, I can't forgive what that man did there" I recall Laura's words and it was true, but wait… It's not afternoon. Could it mean, that rumours about a man, stealing children and making them his own… is actually be true! Though I might want to erase the afternoon part, but still! He did something that's unforgivable and I need resolve this. "Shinki, while I look for her, why don't you call for more help?" Shinki shook her head "sorry dear, I tried that. No seem to heard me" though strange, usual they come for help every time. Maybe sometimes not right, I then knew what to do. "Shinki, I think I have to track him down. I don't know where he went, but if I can gather a few clues, I may be able to perceive that man" Shinki then nodded. "Thank you Rasenkai. I really appreciate the help, but don't involve you in this incident. I just don't want to" I then interrupted her. "Shinki, I don't care if so. The only thing I want to do is retrieve your child back and track him down." She tried to convince me but then I objected and put an understanding in my words. "Shinki, I know this is dangerous but I won't let be mopping around in town. You always told me that I can do anything to help those in need; you said "You can do it Rasenkai, just listen to your heart and soul; go forward and trust yourself and never give up". Those are the words you taught me." Shinki was surprise of my determination as Shinki knew she can't stop me from doing this. "Rasenkai… you're stubborn and a little troubling, but you may be right." She smiled "Guess there's no way to stop you then. Alright then, but be careful alright." I nodded and hugged her. "Thank you Shinki. I knew you would be able to trust me in this" Just before I was about to leave "Wait!" I stop and look at her. "Yes?" She opened her door and went inside and pulled out a bunch of bottle like vials. "Bring these with you, you need it when in dire times in use" She gave me 5x [potions] and nods. "Thank you again" I turned and run's back home and grab my [training sword]. A gift from my trainer and I hold it with two hands and say the three code's of guardian "It's not about skill, it's not about strength, it's not about friendship" once I said my three words, I sheathed my sword in the belt slot and equips it. Packing the 5 [potions] in my [bag]. Just as I was about to leave my house, someone called my name. "Hey, Rasenkai! Are you there?" I looked outside and it was my friend Rais, I was hoping he wouldn't stop. "Don't try to stop me Rais, I need to do this. I can't let Shinki down!" I answered back. "I know that, that's why I'm helping you" I then was surprised. "Rais? Why are you-" He enters my house. "As you said, "If you just stay and watch your friend go on without you, you may never be with them again" I recall those words from you." I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled "Thanks Rais" Afterwards; I started to look around for clues to where Shinki's child went while Rais ask some people to where the man could have gone. There was no luck yet as I keep looking, than when I was about to leave the central plaza, I stop where I'm going to see a very well made [ribbon] that was made by Shinki herself. "A well made ribbon? This is for Shinki's daughter." I picked it up and smelled it. The [ribbon] itself is still fresh and well made. "It actually smells nice like a cup of tea" after smelling for a few times, I closed my eyes and to my surprise… a bunch of flashbacks came to me. It was showing that the man was running off to the woods as Shinki speak off, he has her child. I quit the flashback as my eyes widen. "W-what was that? Did I just…." Rais came to me "Hey, found anything?" He asked. "Yeah, he's off to the woods! We need to catch up to him!" Rais nodded and we both run to the woods. "But wait… we can't go there. That's the Kinomouri forest, I'm you heard that monster in there are dangerous these days, and we need to step away from there. One student tried entering there and never came back again." My eyes were covered in shadows as I speak "Do you know what we are here for? Where here to save her child and not gonna back down now. So which one, stay or follow me?" I gave him a choice to see what he'll really do "A-alright, I come with you because you're my friend. Let's just be careful, right?" I nodded and looked at the forest as there were no guards to stop us. "No patrolling huh? Someone's not doing their job right." I shook my head. "So what do we do? Should we enter now or still be prepared." I answered "There's no time to gather stuff for exploring, it's either move it or lose it. We don't have much time before he gets away with the child of Shinki." Rais shook his head and went in thoughts 'Geez, he sure likes going into danger that's for sure.' I entered the forest as he realizes I wasn't there and follows me a little scared. "Hey you okay, Rais? Because I hear shaking" I look at him and Rais stops his legs "Nope! Nothing to be scared! I ready for anything! 'We are gonna die!'" Rais was still scared to go in the forest due to monster. I'm a little frightened at first but saving something made me go into confidence as I keep going. "Think we are going to be alright?" Rais was worried that we may not come back. "Rais, as long you have your sword lessons, right? We may be able to win once" Rais nods a little "A-alright, if you say so" We both nodded and run deeper into the woods.
Maybe… entering the wood… was a bad idea… but… we can't give up yet. There's something that needs to be done… and that's saving her child
Chapter 0 {end}