The Tale of Three Weapons - Chapter 12
Created | Updated May 3, 2007
A Wielder's Past
Josh and the other kids were playing with Thayn's new ball.
'Time for dinner, Josh!' called his mother.
Josh went in.
'Wash up first, you're filthy!' said his mother, laughing.
He was filthy. He was actually very pale from always being sick as a baby, although not as pale as he used to be, due to all the time he spent outside playing. But right at this momen,t he was a very dark black, a charcoal-looking black.
After Josh washed up, they had his dad's favourite: a very tasty stew of a certain bird whose name has been forgotten.
After about ten minutes, his dad walked in. 'Happy birthday, Dad!' Josh and his mom shouted.
Josh ran up and hugged his dad. 'You're home!' said Josh.
'Yeah, and this time for a while.'
'How long will that be?' asked his mom hopefully.
'Did you forget, honey?' said his dad.
'Forget what?' asked his mom.
'Today was the day that I was finally able to retire from the army. The war is over. I'm not needed,' said his dad. Josh's mom almost fainted from pure joy.
'We made your favourite,' said young Josh.
'Thank you, honey,' said his dad.
After dinner, Josh's dad tucked him in bed for the first time in five months.
The next day was Josh's birthday, right after his dad's, and Josh woke up early. The first thing he saw was his dad coming into his room.
'Looks like I don't get to wake you up,' laughed his dad.
'Daddy!' said Josh, jumping out of bed to hug his dad.
'Come out and eat breakfast,' said his dad, not able to keep a smirk off his face, but Josh didn't notice.
In the kitchen, a staff sat against the doorway. 'Happy birthday!' said his mom and dad simultaneously. His dad gave him the staff and it magically shrank to fit him.
'This,' said his dad, 'is a special staff that a man who said he knew us said to give you on you eighth birthday. He died afterwards, but here it is. He also said it was the only staff that can grow to fit the wielder.'
After breakfast, Josh's dad began training him in how to use a staff correctly and Josh somehow also began somehow teaching himself, with no guide, how to use basic magic.
Three years later, the day after Josh's 11th birthday...
'They're coming!' yelled the guard. 'They're coming!'
The men and boys skilled in fighting, including Josh and his father, assembled in front of the gate. In the distance was a huge cloud of dust. Within five minutes, Josh was in the thick of the battle, his staff now longer for him.
Three days later, Josh was a prisoner in his own house. They had lost, but not without a price to the victors. Their numbers were so greatly reduced that they couldn't fight another small village without defeat, but they had reinforcements coming. Josh was the only one who had survived the fights and the fires.
Josh woke up on the ground, yet in his own room — but except for him, it was empty. Everyone, even his parents was dead. He got ready to help cook breakfast for the victors, but when he walked out the first thing he saw was the cook, dead. Everyone else was also dead. He built a pile of the dead bodies and burned them. After that, he left the village and dedicated the next four years to disposing of the army that had destroyed all he had known.
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