Chapter 1:

I lived in a small village called Legna. Everyday I went into town to help protect it. I have always been a warrior. I moved to a smaller town to start a family, and I wanted somewhere friendly and not too noticeable. Legna fit this very well. I built a cottage for my wife Victoria and I, and soon after it was complete we were expecting a child. I added on another room before my son Kellen was born. It was a nice cottage, small, but perfect for our family. The dark wood blended in with the trees and I had built it on the outskirts of town.

Like everyday I would get home a little while after dark. I walked up to our cottage and saw smoke coming from our wooden chimney. Victoria was keeping a fire going to keep our home warm. I walked up the porch and opened our door. Candles lit the kitchen. Victoria sat at the kitchen table I built for her, relaxing from a busy day of cleaning and taking care of our son. Her beautiful wavy black hair hung down to her shoulders that I couldn’t help but to stare at every time I see her. Her eyes were closed and she had dozed off waiting for me to get home. I went over to the table and took off my plate mail gloves and helmet. I looked at my reflection in the gold helmet, and the faded red outlining the face. There was dirt all over my face and my dark brown goatee. I bent down and kissed Victoria on her forehead. Her eyes opened, beautiful dark brown, like swirls of chocolate.

“Searon… I’m sorry I must have dozed off.” She said.

She quickly got up and went into the kitchen. She grabbed a large pot and placed it in metal circling tubing in-between the counters. It sat in there perfectly, and she created a fire with flint and steel on some twigs, which she quickly replaced with small lumber. She got out two wooden bowls and set them on the counter with wooden spoons. She went back to the pot and began stirring it.

I walked into the kitchen behind her as she stirred the soup. I put my arms around her and kissed her smooth neck. I bent down to her ear, “I love you.”

She turned around and looked deep into my eyes. “And I love you.”

Our lips touched and what was mere minutes seemed to last a lifetime. Her hands were placed on my back and mine were in her soft hair. After our kiss, I held her in my arms while she continued to cook our soup.

We sat at the table eating Victoria’s lovely vegetable soup.

“How was the field honey?” She asked.

“We got a few new young ones today, I spent all day teaching them how to wield a sword.” I said.

“Their fathers ought to be teaching them that.” She said.

“They come from farmers, they’re used to holding rakes and shovels all day. It’d probably be best to have them as pikes men, but I still want them to know how to use a blade.” I said.

“What did you and Kellen do today?” I asked.

“We went for a swim in the creek, and he caught some fish. They’re in a barrel full of water out back for later. We got vegetables out of the garden, and I showed him how to slice them. Other than that I’ve been reading to him, and we’ve had some good mother son time. I wish you were home more, he needs more father time.” She said.

“I know. After we get these new recruits trained up a bit, I’ll take some more time off to spend with him.” I said.

“I know you will honey.” She said and kissed my cheek. She got up from the table and took the bowls to the kitchen, where she pulled a rope causing water to fall in the steel sink so she could rinse the bowls out.

I got up and walked into Kellen’s room. He slept so peacefully on his bed, with his homemade blanket that Victoria made him. I sat on this bed and rubbed his curly brown hair. He got his curly brown hair from me, one of the reasons why I’ve kept mine short. He stirred in his sleep, but didn’t wake up. I kissed the back of his head and got up. I turned around to see Victoria leaning against the doorway smiling.

I went over to her and put my arm around her, “Let’s go to bed.”

I awoke to the sound of our table being thrashed across the room and our door flying open. It was the middle of the night. Two ranzak entered my room. Ranzaks are a short muscular race with black scaly skin like a dragon. They have red eyes, long fingernails, dull yellow teeth, and axes in their hands. Before I had enough time to move from my bed one was already there and slashed Victoria in her stomach just as she woke up. Her eyes widened in horror and her breath followed in gasps. The ranzak arched his axe back for another slash, but I grabbed Victoria and rolled her off the side of the bed followed by me. We collided on the floor and I laid her down on her back. I jumped up to my feet and quickly ducked from a swing of an axe. I got on the bed and rolled across it onto the floor close to the door. I swung my legs across the standing ranzak causing him to trip and fall. I got to my feet as the next one swung his axe at me. I grabbed the handle with my right hand and punched him in the face with my right. The one I tripped got back up as I round house kicked him in the jaw. I rushed over to my dresser and pulled off my claymore turning back around stabbing both of them in their chest.

I ran back over the bed and dropped down to Victoria and held her in my arms. I took off her shirt and looked at her wound. It was severe the wound went halfway into her stomach. Blood was stained everywhere around the floor. I quickly tore her shirt in half and tied it tightly around her stomach. I bent down and kissed her lips. I heard more thrashing outside our room, and turned to look out our bedroom door. I looked back at her barely breathing now.

“Kellen…” She spoke.

I got to my feet and grabbed the claymore off our bed where I placed it and ran out of the bedroom. In the living room two ranzak were throwing all of our furniture across the room and catching it on fire. I ran towards them and swung my claymore down at the first one. He rose up his axe and blocked the first strike. I swung my blade to the side to my left, which he blocked just as easily. The other one came at me from behind with his axe, and with barely enough time I ducked. I let my blade fall to my level and spun it around and shoved it in-between my armpit upwards into his chest. With a yell he fell to the ground as I took my claymore out of his heart. Blade dripping in blood I rolled backwards dodging another strike from the last ranzak. I dropped my claymore and grabbed the dead ranzak’s axe launching it at the one standing. The blade penetrated into his skull and without a sound he collapsed onto the ground.

I grabbed my claymore and got to my feet as I heard my son’s scream. I ran into his bedroom seeing one last ranzak. What I saw brought shock and horror to my face. He stood there with an axe held in one had, and my son’s head in his other held by his curly brown hair, his eyes wide and mouth open. Shock froze me for a minute and then rage quickly took its place. I ran at his full of anger slashing all across him before he could defend himself. I sliced off his right hand holding his axe, and then followed by his left. My son’s head dropped to the ground and rolled across my wood floor. He tried to run off, but didn’t get far as I used all my power to slice through his leg below the knee. After that I sliced off his right leg and spun around stabbing him through his stomach. I brought the blade back and held it in front of my face. It reeked and stained of blood. The last ranzak couldn’t move and leaned against my son’s bed. He was dying. It wasn’t enough; I held my claymore in my right hand and lifted him off the ground with my left. I brought my blade across my left shoulder and with all the strength I had left I beheaded him and watched his head roll across my son’s bedroom. I dropped his body to the floor and let my teeth relax from being gritted.

I rushed back into my bedroom and jumped across the bed dropping my claymore. My wife lay there motionless. I held her in my arms trying to feel her pulse. There was nothing. Tears rolled down my dirty face. Everything I had, everything I lived for was now gone. There was nothing left in this small town for me. I had moved here with her, and began my family. Now I had nothing. The ranzak were going to pay.

I walked outside and grabbed my shovel and began digging a hole on the side of house. Once it was large enough with a pile of dirt on the side I grabbed a large stone rock and dug a small hole for it to put it in. I went inside full of tears and grabbed my son’s body and head and put in the hole, followed by my wife. “I love you both,” I said. I filled the hole with dirt over their bodies. With my claymore I engraved the stone rock.

Here lay:

Victoria & Kellen

Beloved Wife & Son