《Melancholy of the 31st Demon King》


 Prologue - year 2703 KDC

    Tobias clambered up the slope to the tent, slipping on the loose gravel in his excitement. Eventually he reached the entrance and threw the flaps wide, pushing his way inside.


    ¡°Professor! Professor! We found something,¡± he called out to the occupant of the tent.


    Professor Albrecht was standing by a table within the tent, reviewing a series of maps that were strewn across it, comparing them to photos he was holding in his hand, and muttering to himself.


    ¡°Professor!¡± Tobias called one last time as he thumped a book on the table.


    ¡°Careful boy! Some of these maps are delicate¡­¡± Professor Albrecht began to berate Tobias until he saw what had just landed on the table, ¡°Ooooh, is this what I think it is?¡±


    He looked up at Tobias and saw the excited gleam in his eyes. Gingerly he reached out and picked the large tome from where it lay, taking his time to run his fingers over the aged binding and cover.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take it over to the chairs, boy, and look it over better,¡± Albrecht said as he started walking over to a spot where two chairs where sitting opposite a small table. A chess set currently adorned the table, but it was quickly brushed aside and the two sat on opposite sides.


    Albrecht was a Professor specialising in Archaeology, his aged and weathered features making it hard to place his nationality. His name sounded Teutenic, but he had no hint of an accent, and he appeared to be able to speak a number of languages fluently, several of which were considered ¡®dead¡¯ languages. Anyone in the business could tell you of Albrecht, it was almost like he had always been there, part of the furniture now.


    Tobias on the other hand was a student who Albrecht had taken under his wing. He was small and skinny, and currently on his summer break from University. He helped Albrecht out on this current dig site, somewhere in the mountain range that stood between five different nations and had a different name in each, none of them very welcoming.


    ¡°Oh Tobias, we found this a lot quicker than I had expected, we¡¯ve only been here a week or so.¡±


    ¡°The location you directed us to Professor was spot on. The workers have uncovered a series of old rooms which could have belonged to a castle of some sorts. Seems to have suffered some extensive damage, and I don¡¯t just mean from age. Almost looks like it was hit by a volcano but there are no recordings of any in the area.¡±


    ¡°You are right there Tobias, there are no volcanoes in this area. We will have to explore further into the ruins as we can, but this is an amazing find, and we should look into it while we can. Tell me what you know of where it was found.¡±


    Albrecht was running his hand over the book as he spoke, testing its durability and current condition. He didn¡¯t do more than poke and prod at it now, as he had an ear waiting for Tobias.


    ¡°Well, Professor. The area looked sort of like a library, a small one. There were shelves cut into the rock wall of the mountain, and it looked like it had originally held, maybe, a hundred books at most. There are a few scraps of other books in there that they are trying to recover, but this one came out almost unscathed, and has survived all this time.¡±


    ¡°It is amazing, isn¡¯t it? I wonder how old it is? This could be an amazing find. Are you aware of the history of the area?¡±


    ¡°Only folk tales and legends. Talk of heroes and villains. Stuff of nightmares.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but this is the best part,¡± Albrecht appeared to be getting even more excited and was wholly focused on Tobias now, ¡°These legends, they have their foot in some truth. If you dig deep enough into the legends you can see that what all the different nations around us say the same thing about these mountains. Even Teuten says that these mountains used to be the home of demons. And from all my digging and delving into the past I have discovered that this is the location of a lost Kingdom, from some few thousand years ago, and what we are uncovering is the capital, the castle from which the King presided. The capital of the Kingdom of Damonica. Did you ever wonder where our calendar came from? This year is 2703 KDC. We know this as Kitik Disea Codere, or as the translation reads the Pact of the Five Nations. And we are content to believe that. But I have learnt that in the beginning it was called the Kingdom of Damonica Calendar,¡± Albrecht¡¯s eyes appeared almost feverish, ¡°But I ramble. Let us open the book and see what we have found?¡±


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    The two of them moved closer to the tome, Albrecht with greedy eyes and Tobias still trying to process what he had just been told. Slowly they opened the book where the bookmark appeared to be, or what remained of it. The text on the page was neat and legible, if not in a language Tobias knew. He could tell however, that this page seemed to be the very end of the book. Albrecht was mouthing words though.


    ¡°Tobias, this is a journal. In a very old language which no one has spoken for at least a thousand years, if not longer. Let me see if I can read it for you though.¡±


    <hr />


    25th day of the 10th month of the year 721 KDC


    This will be my final entry, on this day, the day of my birth these twenty-one years ago.


    It is hard to write this, knowing it will be my final entry, now that I have reached the last page of this cursed journal. Cursed it is, cursed to follow my blood. From the blood of my fore fathers down to me has this curse followed us, as I am sure it will follow those of my line who come after me.


    Hopefully this teaches those who come after. I should have learnt more from the other journals, but I did not take as much time to understand as I should have. My only wish is that the other curse of my blood ends with me this day, and that my son and his son do not have to live with the same cruel fate as I have.


    <del>Because of this curse</del>


    I have done wrong, some would say sinned. I so wish to blame this curse, but I know it was by my own hands and my own actions that these things have been done.


    With these hands I have hurt <del>my friends</del> those I once considered friends. I sent them to their doom. It did not need to be this way. Something could have been done differently, they could have been spared. But I was too caught up in what seemed important. I missed the little signs.


    I have killed.


    I have killed those that deserved it, and I have killed those that did not.


    There is no excuse. This was by my own hand. I physically wielded the blade which brought an end to their lives. All in the name of power, of obtaining more. I lost sight of who I was.


    I used to be¡­


    I used to be Ignatius.


    I still am Ignatius.


    But now all anyone sees is the Demon King.


    I AM THE DEMON KING!


    I am but human though.


    This day will be my last. I have demons, which chain me down, and today I go and face them. The demon that haunts my blood, today I go and face him. I will not return alive. I cannot. Not if I am to achieve what I need to achieve.


    On this day, my 21st birthday, I go and face my demon.


    I AM THE DEMON KING!


    And all the demons tremble when I draw near, except that which haunts my blood. How he mocks me so¡­

 25/10/718 KDC

    25th day of the 10th month of the year 718 KDC


    <del>My name is</del>


    <del>I am writing this journal</del>


    Today, this day, the 25 th, is my birthday.


    I turn<del>ed</del> 18 today.


    I had grown up in what we sometimes call an Institution. A place where children without parents grow up. Everything was fine when I woke this morning, but by lunch time my world had been turned upside down.


    The Matron kicked me out! Well, sort of. Really though, the whole thing is kind of strange. The other children left the institution when they reached 16. Usually given to some local trades person as a form of cheap labour. But I think it would be good for the child too, or young man/woman at that stage. They learn a trade, have a roof over their heads, and get food. For some reason I got none of this.


    First I was not released at 16, but rather I remained in there until today. A whole extra 2 years. I don¡¯t really understand it. But that is what happened.


    Second¡­ I have no work. No one was there to pick me up like they did to the others. The Matron dumped a small backpack beside me with my belongings and some food. Then she handed me this journal and a sword. Finally she pointed me towards the nearest town of a decent size. I believe she called it Sakura. Bit of a strange name I think. But who am I to judge.


    I do not know what I should be doing now. I don¡¯t even really know why I am writing in this. I mean, I¡¯ve never had a journal of any sort before. But when I stopped as the sun started to go down I just felt this urge, or maybe a desire, to write in this. I flipped through it and everything was blank. There was this strange writing implement inside it. Looks like one of those quills, that you dip in the ink, but seems to have a reserve of ink inside it, and it wasn¡¯t dry. I am just glad the Matron taught me to read and write as I grew up. Otherwise doing this would have been mighty hard.


    Oh, I got so caught up in writing this I forgot the sword. Let me have a look at it now. I¡¯ll try and describe it.


    It¡¯s fairly long. Slightly curved. The bit you hold, the handle? Seems to fit both my hands easily with some room to spare.


    It feels nice to hold. And light.


    The handle is not very ornate, rather plain. But what was I expecting, haha.


    The <del>holder</del> <del>case</del> I have no idea what it is called. But the thing it sits in is plain too. Like painted wood. Around the top, bottom and 2 places in the middle there are dull metal bands. Not rusted, just dull. On the middle ones are a couple of hooks and a sash sits between them. Seems to be made of some soft material, like silk or something. Doesn¡¯t seem to fit with the rest. I¡¯ve been using it to carry it today, over my shoulder. It felt comfortable.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.There is like some wire around the guard thing and the case thing, stopping me from pulling it out. I¡¯ll be able to get that off easily.


    Oh, wow, this is strange. I¡¯ve got the sword out now. I was expecting some sort of metal, but no. Looking closely at it the blade seems to be made of stone. It¡¯s like a dark grey, with tiny little holes all along it. I don¡¯t know if it is sharp, but it is stone, it couldn¡¯t be too sharp. I don¡¯t want to test it though.


    I could probably sell it in town. I mean, I don¡¯t have any money, and surely something like this must be worth a few coin? Even if just to use as scrap.


    I¡¯ll put it away now.


    It is strange how light it is though. Surely something made of a stone like that would be heavier?


    Hey, I just noticed a piece of paper on the ground. Looks like it might have been wrapped around the sword, since it is folded all weirdly. Maybe it fell off when I drew it¡­


    Let me transcribe it. Just in case I lose it.


    <hr>


    Ignatius <-- that¡¯s me, the Matron only ever called me Iggy though


    When you are reading this I will be long gone. You cannot come and find me, because I have not gone somewhere, I have died in a duel.


    You are probably a little lost now. I didn¡¯t given the Matron many instructions. She was to keep you in the Institution until you were 18. She was to hold onto the journal and katana until then, and give both to you when you leave. That is it. You will need to handle the rest yourself.


    You will be heading for Sakura no doubt. That is the nearest town of importance. Once there seek out a man named Balthasar. He also goes by Hawk. He will be an ally to you in the times to come, much as he was an ally to me.


    Beware though, the ones that will come for you in cloaks of red and grey. Do not put your trust in them. But you may have a use for them at some stage. Just keep your wits about you.


    Farewell my son


    <hr>


    Well. I think that settles it. Though this does not answer any questions I would have for my father, it does give me a purpose. I suppose I should rest now. Tomorrow I should be at the town of Sakura. I wonder how hard it will be to find this, hehe, Hawk. Who calls themselves something like that? I find it funny.

 26/10/718 KDC

    26th day of the 10th month of the year 718 KDC


    I write this now sitting on a bench at the base of the wall surrounding Sakura.


    The good thing is I made it! I went through the gates just as the sun was dropping below the horizon. If I was any later I may not have been allowed in, so I am glad I got here when I did. All shops had closed though and only food and drink vendors were active.


    This has caused me a problem. Now I am in a new town and have no money with which to be able to rent a room or buy food.


    I think tomorrow I will need to find a blacksmith and try and sell this sword. I know it is from my father, but at this rate I will die on the street before anything else, so getting some funds is important. Finding a job would help too. And then there is this Hawk person that my father mentioned in his note.


    First though I need to rest, I have been walking all day and my feet feel like they are about to fall off. With no place to go at this stage I have chosen this bench on the other edges of the town.


    I realise now, while writing this, that if someone were to pick this up and read it, whether now or after I have passed, then they will not have a clue about me except that I am 18. I should correct that before I go any further.


    I am fairly short, just under 5 foot. I have a club foot, which has made walking hard. My hair is an unruly mess of blonde which sits up above my head and seems to almost glow. And all my teeth are crooked.


    Haha. Almost fell backwards off the bench laughing at that. A couple passing by gave me a weird look as I started giggling for no reason.


    In all seriousness though:


    I am just under 6 foot tall, so fairly average based on the people I have seen.


    I have medium length dark brown hair, almost black. I have to keep pushing it behind my ears because it annoys me if it falls in front of them.


    I think someone said I have bluish/grey eyes. Not sure though, I haven¡¯t actually seen myself in a mirror.


    I¡¯m reasonably fit, but not strong or sporty by any lengths.


    My right foot does turn out slightly when I walk, I don¡¯t really know why.


    And my teeth are fine.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.Now that I have gotten that out of the way as you continue reading this you will have a bit of an idea of what I look like. Which is average, very average. I don¡¯t stand out like some of the people I saw tonight trying to entertain the crowds.


    I am starting to get curious as to why I am writing in this journal. As I said in the previous entry it is not something I have really done before. But when I sat down tonight I had this urge to whip out the journal and start writing about my day. Hopefully I can figure out what this feeling is, maybe it¡¯s just filling the void left after having nowhere to go. Maybe it¡¯s something else.


    Oh, oh. I just remembered something, better write it in. There seems to be a bit of buzz around the town at the moment, I¡¯ll list what I know from eavesdropping.


    - Seems that about 21 years ago, around this time, that the town was attacked by a demon horde. They beat them off, but did suffer some losses.


    - Every 21 years a different town gets attacked, never in the same place twice.


    - People are a bit on edge though because the hunters in the region have been sending reports back about increased demon activity hereabouts.


    - There hasn¡¯t been any major attacks for about 20 years now.


    This is both interesting and worrying at the same time. I mean, I have heard about demons, and seen their pictures in books, but I had never thought they were real. Maybe places slightly isolated aren¡¯t as likely to get attacked or hear about it. I do feel the urge to see them for myself. I would like to know if the pictures in the books were accurate to the real thing. But on the other side of the coin I don¡¯t want to be anywhere near when and if they do attack.


    I¡¯ll just have to hope at this stage that I can find something that will take me away from here before anything does happen. Maybe a trader needs some help and I can join him on his journey into the other countries.


    That would be the life, travelling from place to place, experiencing new things, buying and trading for unique items that you can¡¯t find in other towns.


    Well, that¡¯s enough for tonight. Hopefully I will sleep alright, and tomorrow¡­.


    Well¡­. Tomorrow I hope things go my way.

 28/10/718 KDC

    28th day of the 10th month of the year 718 KDC


    That was probably the hardest 2 days I have had in a long time.


    I have been wandering around the city pretty much since I got here. These bloody thieves woke me up in the middle of the night in the process of taking all my stuff. It probably didn¡¯t help that I was sleeping in the open, on a bench, but still.


    There were 3 of them. I was sound asleep, then all of a sudden I had this urge, woke up, and there was this guy trying to take my sword. Everything else was already gone. He seemed to be really struggling with it. But then they must have noticed I was awake and they left it and took off. But they had everything else.


    I jumped up, grabbed the sword (was as light as I remembered it being, was weird thief was struggling with it so much¡­?) and gave chase. But they outpaced me pretty quickly, I was still sore and tired from the walking to the town. All I had left was the clothes on my back and the sword in my hand.


    I ended up falling down beside a wall in a laneway, completely exhausted.


    I woke with the sun, still sitting there, sword across my lap.


    I tried to wander around that day and find somewhere to sell the sword, so I could at least buy something to eat. But I kept getting lost in thoughts and when I snapped back out I was always in areas with no shops. Back alleys and dirty neighbourhoods.


    I started feeling sick by the afternoon. Probably from the lack of food. But I kept wandering around. By the evening I had started to feel dizzy and I just lay down in the street somewhere. Somehow I managed to keep the sword with me all the time.


    I woke up again, still feeling sick. But I could feel something. Something was pulling at me. I followed the feeling. I wound through the lanes and eventually I broke into a building. I don¡¯t know where I got the strength from, as the night before I had just collapses on the cobbles, but somehow I managed to bust the door down.


    The room I went into was empty, thankfully. There was a heap of crap around everywhere, covering tables and over the floor. But I was drawn to a specific pile. Just there on the floor. I rummaged around and my journal was there. Obviously I must have found it, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be writing this now.


    As soon as I grabbed it a wave of relief flowed over me and I didn¡¯t feel as sick anymore. Still felt queasy, but didn¡¯t feel AS bad.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    I grabbed it and left. I didn¡¯t want to risk them coming back. I wandered again, holding the journal tightly to my chest. I didn¡¯t really have a focus. I was still hungry.


    I was sitting against a wall again when a person walked past me. They glanced at me, went past, then came back and crouched in front of me. It was a man, heavily cloaked, a couple of swords on his back. I was a bit concerned, but I was too hungry.


    ¡°I think you need something to eat,¡± he said to me. He sounded older and gruff. He had the look of a personal who had seen troubles.


    He grabbed me by the arm. I just stood up. He led me throw the lanes and to a stall that had setup just off the main streets. He treated me to noodles. While I was eating his eyes seemed to be checking out my sword the whole time. I offered it to him, but he just shook his head and smiled.


    After I had eaten I felt a lot better. I got a better look at him. His face was weathered and he had a couple of scars across his face, like the claws of a wild beast. His nose looked like it had been broken numerous. His smile made him look sinister, and I was worried.


    ¡°Look, you don¡¯t seem to have a place to stay,¡± he was saying to me, ¡°I can give you a bed for a few nights while you get on your feet¡­¡±


    I waved my hands at him, and told him I was fine, worried about the ¡®bed¡¯ he was talking about. He just laughed, and I felt embarrassed about it all.


    ¡°I run a group of mercs in the region. We have lodgings here with spare beds. You are welcome to stay, but if you don¡¯t want to, that¡¯s your choice.¡±


    And that is how I wound up where I am now. Sitting on a bed, one amongst many, in an empty room. Writing in the journal again, for reasons beyond my understanding. Feeling slightly better than half dead. But at least I can sleep now without fear of being robbed. Well, I hope I can. I might sleep with the journal and sword close, they are the only things I have left.


    <del>Tomorrow I can go and seek a blacksmi</del>


    By the seven hells. By the bloody seven hells. I just realised. This guy, his nose. He has a bloody hawk nose. He has a bloody hawk nose. Can¡¯t believe I missed it before. Maybe he is Hawk. I need to go find out now.

 29/10/718 KDC

    29th day of the 10th month of the year 718 KDC


    <del>I feel like an idiot</del> Look ¨C I was not feeling well and was not in my right mind. It is completely fair that I did not put all the facts together and come to the correct conclusion.


    I spoke with Hawk last night.


    It was a strange conversation. When I first found him he was sitting in a chair by a fire, with an empty chair across from him. Without even looking he beckoned for me sit.


    ¡°Bastian, have you finally remembered me?¡± was the first thing he said after I sat.


    This threw me for a spin. I asked who this Bastian was and Hawk just looked at me, his eyes filled with sadness.


    ¡°It must be you, Bastian,¡± he continued, ¡°You look exactly like I remember you, albeit a bit on the lean side, and you carry the katana and the journal. I thought you had left for good. It surprised me greatly to see you against after so many years.¡±


    I told him again that I did not know who this Bastian person was. He slowly shook his head.


    ¡°<del>Amisia</del> Amnesia. Must be. Maybe it¡¯s something to do with wherever you were.¡±


    I was getting extremely confused and worried for the old man. He obviously thought I was someone who I wasn¡¯t. I had never even heard of the Bastian person before. He looked concerned for me though. This must have been the reason why he bought me food and offered me a bed.


    I asked why he was so sure that I was this person from his memory. So he got up and went to a small box that was on top of the fire place. He rummaged around through its contents and came back with a small handful of papers. Some of it looked like old sketch pad paper, while one piece looked like a stiff card. He proceeded to hand them to me.


    I was surprised. There were a couple of sketches in there, but they didn¡¯t mean much. But there were 2 important pictures. One was of Hawk with a young man, looking like bickering brothers.


    ¡°We got that done during a festival here one year.¡±


    The other was a portrait of a young man, probably about my age. On the back was written Bastian 699. A portrait from a year before I was born. It showed the same man as the other picture, but in this he was holding a journal which looked a lot like mine, as well as a sword, a katana as people are calling it, which looking like the twin of my weapon. I raised my eyebrows at Hawk.


    While I was looking he had wandered off and grabbed a small hand mirror from a table along a wall. By the light of the fire he showed me my reflection. He plucked the portrait from my hand and held it up beside the mirror.


    I must have looked like a stunned fish. Mouth wide open. I was the spitting image of the portrait, the portrait was the spitting image of me. I had never really seen myself like this, but looking into the mirror I could understand why Hawk thought I was who he thought I was. I mean, if I hadn¡¯t known better I would have thought this was a portrait of myself.


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    ¡°Do you see now Bastian?¡±


    I interrupted him. Assuring him again that that person was not me. I explained my name was Iggy. Though, truth be told I probably should call myself Ignatius now, Iggy is a bit childish. I explained how I had grown up in the institution and that the sword had been given to me when I left. He looked so confused.


    At this point I rushed back to the bed and grabbed my journal and brought it back to him. I opened it to the first page and showed him the date I had written there as well as the entry about the letter. He gave out a laugh and a wheeze. It took him a long time to settle himself again.


    ¡°Well, that explains a lot,¡± the worried look was gone from his face from this point, ¡°You are the spitting image of your father as you can see. I knew him when he was only just a little older than you. I know a few other people who would be a little taken aback. Maybe I can use this to my advantage.¡±


    I was a little worried about this comment, as a devious glint had appeared behind his eyes.


    ¡°But, you have done as suggested, Iggy. You have found me, Balthasar. Feel free to call me Hawk, your father always did.¡±


    Since I didn¡¯t know much about my father I had to ask. It seems that Hawk knew my father for about 2 years, and during that time they had started this mercenary company from nothing. Now it was considered one of the most sought after groups in the region, though a decline in members lately was causing them issues in taking requests.


    Seems my father was quite the accomplished swordsman too, and that the katana I held was his weapon of choice. A weapon the two of them had spent months trying to obtain. Seems there is something special about it, but he did not feel the need to explain yet. It has me really intrigued. Why would my father search so hard for a stone weapon? I would need to test this out a bit later, maybe in a place where I can¡¯t hurt myself or anyone else, since I don¡¯t know how to use the weapon.


    We spoke for quite some time. I learnt a lot about who my father was. At the end he offered me to stay.


    ¡°I was going to give you the offer before anyway, thinking you my old friend. But would you consider staying with us? We can offer you training, lodging, and food. You would need to work for it, but the training should prepare you for that. And I think this is what Bastian meant when he wanted you to find me.¡±


    I told him I would think on it, as I had only just met him and had not known my father at all. Everything was happening fast. Tomorrow I think I will have a wander around now I have recovered my energy.

 30/10/718 KDC

    30th day of the 10th month of the year 718 KDC


    I spent almost the entire day wandering the compounds of the mercenary guild. They are quite large. Such a difference from the orphanage. Nothing against the orphanage, it was just a small place in an out of the way area, funded by the meagre money it received from the government, if it ever did arrive.


    But this place was something else. Each of the rooms set aside for sleeping were nearly half as big as our dormitory had been. And we had twenty or more children staying there, while each of these room appeared to house only a single person. I made sure not to intrude on anyone who was occupying a room, but as Hawk had implied yesterday there were plenty of vacant rooms littering the buildings surrounding the central square.


    The square itself was another wonder, easily large enough to fit the entire orphanage building inside of. It appeared like it was divided into different areas, and the ground, while looking like clay, was very well worn, by the numerous feet that have traversed it in his life time.


    Off to one side a few sparring dummies had been set up, the wood had a ¡®loved¡¯ look about it, but currently there was no one practising. Another area had some straw bales set up with cloth wrapped around them and targets painted on the front.


    I had sat down and watched for a while though, as a woman was practising archery. It was intriguing as I had never seen anyone do archery before. Watching as she drew the string back, lined her arrow up with the target¡­ released and¡­ <s>jiggling</s> the arrow flew straight for the target. Yes, that¡¯s what I watching, the arrow, definitely the arrow.


    When she went to release her next arrow she glanced over to where I was sitting <s>starin</s> silently watching her with my chin resting in my palm and my elbow on my knee. Sounds awkward when you write it, but you know what I mean. Well, she saw me, and suddenly the arrow shot over the top of the target, missed the wooden wall which acted as a safeguard, and sliced right through the paper coverings over the one of the doors to the room.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Silence followed for a short time, but then suddenly a crash echoed through the yard and with a last look my way, brow furrowed, she took off in the ooposite direction. She left me, someone unknown to everyone in the compound (well, I think I am unknown) to be in the line of fire when a man rushed out of the room, face red with fury.


    ¡°THAT WAS ONE OF MY EXPENSIVE VASES!¡± he was screaming while he pointed his finger towards me. I was at a loss as to what to do. I didn¡¯t know anything. He had started walking towards, and I had tensed up, but then he had stopped, looking at me, mouth moving but no words coming forth.


    This confused me to no end. Then suddenly.


    ¡°Bastia..?¡± he had started but I had quickly interjected.


    ¡°Iggy!¡± I called out. I must have seemed like a mouse though, cowering away from this massive brute who had come out yelling about something.


    The man blinked at me, and then muttered something as he turned and left. I think he mentioned Hawk, but I didn¡¯t quite catch it. The lady, who I think is older than myself, was nowhere to be seen. Looks like I dodged a bullet there. Seems a few more people know about my father than I had thought there would be. This might take some time to get used to.


    I kept wandering around for a bit until I found a quite section of garden, off past the baths. BATHS?? This place even has its own baths! And it looked like they may have been open air ones. I didn¡¯t go in to take a look though, thought it might be a bit rude of me, especially since I couldn¡¯t tell if there were separate ones for male and female or if it was just a single bath. But BATHS! If I do stay here at least it will beat the once a month rince off we got at the orphanage.


    Anyway, back to what I was saying. I found a small garden, and it had a nice bench, so I sat down on it and just contemplated what was going to happen to me going forward. I rattled off my current possessions:


    - <s>Sword</s> Katana


    - Mystery Journal (which I am currently writing in)


    Aaaaannnddd that about summed it up. It¡¯s doesn¡¯t look like I really have much. So, thinking on that, I was offered a position in the mercenary company by Hawk. Of course I would be lowly ranked, with no knowledge of combat, no real worldly experiences, and just nothing to make me a worthwhile person in the group at all¡­.


    Man, sounds like they really shouldn¡¯t have given asked me to join, when I write it down like that. But, anyway, even if it was only out of pity or duty or something else and it just all relates back to who my father was, even if it was about that I still need a place to stay.


    And I am willing to work hard for it! I am not above a bit of manual labour, not above getting dirty practicing every day. I will train in the sword! I will train in whatever they tell me to do! I will make them tea if I have to! But at least, if I accept their proposal, I will have food and a roof over my head, maybe even one of those spare room.


    Imagine, a room to myself. Just me, my bed, and some furniture. No vases though, they seem to get broken¡­ But a room! Look, I¡¯ve made up my mind, tomorrow I¡¯ll go see Hawk and tell him I accept!

 31/10/718 KDC

    31th day of the 10th month of the year 718 KDC


    They gave me some weird brown liquid


    I¡¯ve never had this befoire, my mind isnt¡¯t working right, what is this stuff that they gav me?


    Even my writing has been affected by this, I am finding it hard to write the way I normally would. It feels weird, I feel weird.


    The stuff was like fire going down my throat, god it burned. Well, I say that, but when it went down it felt fine, it was after, when I wasn¡¯t drinking anymore, that it was like fire, and my mouth had become a desert, devoid of any moisture.


    My mind is swirling, I am not sure what is what and I cannot walk as straight as I would like. My words started to slur, the next word blending with the last word as my mouth tried to say what my mind was thinking but my mind was working fatser than my mouth could work, and my mouth was slowed down by this firey drink.


    They called it bourbon, and said it was to celebrate my becoming one of them. I suppose this mean, that when I decided to join Hawk¡¯s mercenary band, that they decided to all drink this fire water and make me drink it too.


    I could say I¡¯ll never do this again, but that would be a lie. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever go out of my way, in the next few days at least, to try drinking some of this, but I am sure this will come up again, and again. They seem to have bottles and bottles of the stuff squirreled away in every nook and cranny of this estate.


    My head is swimming.


    I think I¡¯ll end up looking back on what I have written and decide I was probably better off not writing anything. But this drink makes you want to converse. I spoke with everyone at length, but that¡¯s all I can remember. The fact I spoke with them¡­. Not what I spoke with them about. Must have been complete drivel, if even I cannot remember it myself.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have had the 10th glass when it was pffered. But they seemed like such small glasses. I should have noticed my vision swirling around my 5th or 6th. Or maybe I did, but I didn¡¯t care. I stoill don¡¯t care. I feel like I am floating when I walk down the hall.


    Man, this stuff is crazy. At least I know why they try and stop younger people from having any of it. Woo eee, I feel I could fight an army, even though I don¡¯t know how to swing a sword, or even where an army is I could take out. Maybe I should tell everyone I killed some mythical creature??..... Or maybe if I told them that they would find another creature the same and ask me to slay it, and then what?


    Oh man, I really shouldn¡¯t have written in this journal when I feel the way I do, but I really couldn¡¯t help myself. Maybe I should write in a little more detail what actually transpired today¡­


    I went to see Hawk in that spoace where he was staying¡­ not his room¡­ like a study kind of thing? Whatever it was it was where he spent a good portion of his time when he was not running around outside the compound trying to get work form the company.


    Well, I went up to him and said straight to him¡­


    ¡°I would be delighted if you would kindly let me into your mercenary company.¡±


    He gave aguffaw at that. Maybe because I had been so uptight in the way I went about saying it.


    ¡°We had already assumed a s uch,¡± he said to me(or something along those lines anyway, something more intelligible than what I am writing down now), ¡°So we¡¯ve already had a room made up just for you, feel free to go and put your stuff away.¡±


    He then called someone who led me to my room. I was starting to put my things away in the small dresser that was there when the others had barged into my room.


    The grabbed me around the shoulders, took me out into the courtyard, and proceeded to play anynumber of drinking games, as they called them, that always seemed to end up with me drinking more than anyone else was¡­. I don¡¯t know if I was actually bad at the game or if they were rigging it to be that way towards me, just so they could get me like this without me knowing.


    I¡¯ll be a little more cautious about them next time. When they start acting all buddy buddy with me I¡¯ll be a little paranoid that something is about to happen. Maybe that¡¯s a good thing, it will keep me on my toes when the time comes to fight, or maye it will just drive a wedge between me an them¡­. I¡¯ll never know.


    I¡¯ll probably never know anyway, because I feel that come the norning I will have forgotten this whole ordeal and all that I will have left to remind me of it is this very poorly written and worded passage within my journal. Let this be a word to the wise, don¡¯t let your ¡®friends¡¯ take you drinking, you¡¯ll end up coming off second best¡­


    But not everything is a rose drowned in alcohol. I still got my place within the mercenary comapnu, and I got a nice room. I think I will enjoy it here¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

 01/11/718 KDC

    1st day of the 11th month of the year 718 KDC


    Oh man. They woke me early this morning. And I really wish they hadn¡¯t.


    My head¡­


    MY HEAD!!!!!


    And why did they wake me up so early? Couldn¡¯t they see I needed more sleep? The sun was hurting my eyes, even when they were shut, and the noises, oh the noises. This is probably the worst feeling I have ever had to endure that didn¡¯t actually come from me getting an injury.


    But up they got me. Before it was even past mid-morning. And they were laughing. Laughing! Even though I am sure they had drunk much, much more than I did I could not see them suffering the same effects that I was. They were all awake bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed. And here I was, shielding my eyes from the light and cringing every time they laughed at me.


    BAH! Not drinking ever again! (Though I am sure many people have said that and, in reality, it becomes an untrue statement at some stage)


    But, I digress. They got me up, I was suffering, and they started training! Training? The day after what I think is considered ¡®heavy¡¯ drinking? They are slave drivers!


    Anyway, Hawk took me out himself and gave me a wooden sword in a similar shape to that of the stone one my father had given me (in a very roundabout way).


    ¡°The stone one is too dangerous,¡± he had told me. I don¡¯t really understand what he means at the moment, but my mind was in no mood to press the issue.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    As I have never used a sword before he started me off with the most basics of basics. Such as, sharp edge hits enemy. For quite some time we just practised basic swings, a few different ones, but just the most simple swings there were. He kept correcting me, and eventually even the wooden sword started to feel very, very heavy.


    He let me rest a fair bit though. Recovering from drinking and trying to train were not ideal situations.


    ¡°But I need you ready for our next assignment,¡± he had told me. Whatever the ¡®next assignment¡¯ was I did not know.


    For most of the day I was training. Thankfully later in the day, after I had consumed copious amounts of water, I recovered from the hangover and could focus on the training properly. By the end my body and mind were completely exhausted. But Hawk let me out into the city for the afternoon.


    I just walked around a lot, looking at various things, not really trying to think too much because I was still recovering. I looked into the weapon stores, a mixture of imported goods and local blacksmiths, but couldn¡¯t find anything like the stone sword which I had in my possession. Maybe it was special, Hawk seemed to think so.


    What was strange though was, that through the whole time I was out of the guild¡¯s compound, I felt eyes on me. My neck was itchy from all the people who seemed to be looking at me. But when I turned around no one was there. Someone was surely following me though. Through the streets of the city they persisted until I was back in the safety of the compound.


    I might try and go out tomorrow and see if I get the same feeling. Maybe I should talk to Hawk about it. It¡¯s not exactly an enjoyable feeling, thinking someone is watching you at all times.


    But when I returned to the compound all I did was retire to my room. MY room. It feels great to think that way. I always shared at the orphanage, never had anything to myself. I mean, the only reason I have one to myself now is because there are so many spares that I don¡¯t have to double with anyone. I can¡¯t help it if the guild is a lot lower on numbers than it was during the times of my father. It¡¯s not my fault.


    Oh, how my muscles ache now though. Everything, from my ankles to my shoulders and out to my wrists. I¡¯ve never felt such an ache. Swinging a sword around really starts to weigh down on you after a while, and uses much more of your body than you initially think. Hopefully they don¡¯t expect me to continue training tomorrow, because I don¡¯t see how I will be moving in the morning after what I have endured.


    At least for now my future was secured. And hopefully the next assignment that Hawk was trying to get me ready for didn¡¯t turn out to be anything too dangerous. I don¡¯t like the idea of being put into danger with the little knowledge I have so far obtained.


    But tomorrow it another day, so we¡¯ll see how it goes then.