The Wounded Warsong
Chapter 53: The Created
"(Sure don't look like much... And what the hell is that!)"
"There it is! Hey! There's a container outside!" The archway was featureless but looked like a darkened glass pane was just behind it. The container looked like an upright one-piece restraining table that held the demon solidly in place. There was a small inscription on the waist restraint.
"Hmm... Speed A, Strength D, Will Power F. Sounds like this one would make a good scout. Let's just set him over here for now..." He slowly dragged it away from the arch. Bob looked deeply through the archway.
"Well boss?"
"Hmm?"
"Uh... s-should we?"
"(I can't see anything through there... betting Bob is scared of that. Such a wuss! He's shaking all over!)"
"Well... let's see what happens." Haborym slowly walked toward the arch. He reached forth with his hand and-
"(Busted!)"
"Gah!" An arm from his left stopped him from going further! Haborym quickly turned. "Grand Duke!"
"I'm glad I caught you. If you'd have touched that arch you'd have been uncreated." He jumped back away from the arch and lowered his head.
"I'm sorry Grand Duke... my curiosity got the best of me. Your guest asked about the Waker but I did not know..." Isaak eyed Orinthia for a second and sighed.
"No worries. I thought this knowledge had been more known but I guess it died when I left. It was when I asked Romwa further how we were made that I saw the effect myself when she was called here by Batym one day to try and identify the remains... You simply fall apart into dust without a sound. The dust still carries a certain something though... She was able to name who it was. I don't know how..."
"Well Boss? Where's the other Boss?"
"He's... thinking about what I've told him. He knew... he just..."
"You mean he knew who he was all this time Grand Duke?" Isaak nodded.
"He is the Tenth swordsman of San d'Oria. Dixième, as we called each other by number. He was a very close friend of mine as I was the Fifth, Cinquième. He had lost his entire will to ever fight again after my family was wiped out after the fall of Davoi."
"So... he was... he was-"
"He was trying to forget. He didn't want to remember... but he saw you and everyone here stagnated when he was wakened. No doubt you were eager to have him here as he had an 'A' ranked Will Power somehow, meaning he would make a great commander and had the potential of easily gaining and earning the trust of those around him. That is what an 'A' rank is, but from hearing about him and now from him... He thought he might try being useful to you to forget. He always forgot about many things whenever he was training or practicing when he was alive. That was his escape: the handle of a blade." He put his hand to his head and looked away a moment. "Please don't mention it to him, and don't mention this arch. I guess if he'd have known about this then he'd have ended himself long ago."
"And... and you were the Fifth..." Haborym's eyes peered into space as memories returned to him. "I... I wanted to become strong... like the Ten Swords. I trained hard when I was... I guess this is why the Marquis was impressed that I had skill with the weapon, said I had a proper form and good technique. My arms still have a phantom ache at times. I wondered where this came from..."
"(Lot of good it did you hahaha!)"
"Where are the others held? The other containers?"
"Oh they're over that way. There's a lot of them though Boss..."
"Orinthia, I'm going to need your nose to help me sort through them. Bob, Haborym: I'm looking for nine of them. These nine... they were previously Mithran soldiers. Romwa used to belong to this particular group and told me the others were to be awoken later... I wish I had asked further... I don't even know their names."
"An exhibition?"
"This is a time of peace and he thought it would help drrraw more out here if we put on a display of ourrr fighting skills. This won't be serrrious, just a bit of everything unless he can't help himself haha. Xalmo was that full of himself so long ago... I sent him back home when he came looking for fight in San d'O-"
"Really?! You're going to fight Huu Xalmo?" She smacked her forehead with her palm.
"Bah! It was supposed to be a secrrret but yeah, we're going to put on a show. He'll throw down his cane and say he wants a rrrematch for everyone to witness! He wanted to brrring back some talk about the place; maybe even open his dojo after a while. Yagudo and Taru and Mithra training under the same rrroof! Such nice dreams... I'd like to see this too."
"But what of this?" She still clutched the arrow. It didn't have an arrow head, just a sharp, darkened tip.
"That... Perih gave you that rrright?" She nodded. "I see. She must be rrreally serious about this... I'm glad." She looked at the ground as it moved away from them and smiled.
"Must really be serious?" Nomo lightly tapped her cane above the places where her eyes would be.
"To end the war back then, to have a tomorrow as a nation... that arrow is what she used." Maa looked at it again: it was unusually polished and smooth but wasn't wooden; the fletching wasn't made from feathers either. "That is an arrrow made for rituals and sacrifices. In the hands of few it can perform a terrible miracle. To make it... she had to-" Abuela cleared her throat and nodded.
"Ahem-hmm. So you're gonna come watch us then Na- errr, Nomo?" Nomo laughed!
"Hah, I will have the best seat!" The wagon hit a bump and jostled them.
"I even requested a Rojos come and keep a ten-hour fast beat forrr us." She eyed her. Nomo clutched her cane tightly with her hands and toes as she lightly shivered. "Don't worrry, he won't hurt you. In fact he's in the wagon in front of us with the drrrum."
"Roh-hos?" Abuela laughed lightly.
"Ah yeah, he's wearing a cloak just like Nomo. I'm sure you saw how she's black faced; well a Rojos is red faced and male. He is marked this way because he cannot have children... They act as guards, enforcers, or drummerrrs. They can keep drrrumming a steady beat for over three days for certain occasions. This will be easy for him... and hopefully he's enjoying himself while being outside the Old Country."
"I don't think I've ever seen a male Mithra before..."
"Males are a rarrre birth for us... There aren't any males within Windurst that I know of. Most find Humes, sometimes Elvaan and Taru, and rarely Galka for husbands herrre, so many of the kittens you might see are actually half-breed. They usually lose most of theirrr family marks but I guess it's not that important here."
