Savala Town

Great aunt made some food for us, then the questions began. Father narrated some of his stories, mother told some of hers and even I shared a few things of my own. "To think you'd become an Emperor… Raz and Lily would be so proud of you, Nex. Though, how could you leave your beautiful wife and daughter alone for so many years?", great aunt questioned my father.

"I guess selfishness, I'm not going to even defend myself. I missed my daughter's childhood and my wife felt lonely… I'm here now, and will try to make it up to them", father replied. "Well, at least you understand your mistakes. I guess like father, like son. Raz wasn't any different, though your mother wouldn't allow him to go anywhere alone. Anyway, it's good that you are back and together, it makes me happy you found your happiness", great aunt added.

Raz and Lily were my grandparents, just like Grandpa Philip. They were no longer around, but they lived in the hearts of my family nonetheless. Great aunt turned towards me next, "You became a young lady already. Sixteen years old, eh? Did you find anyone you like yet? If not, we can find you someone no problem. Such a beautiful lady will be a head turner for sure". "Stop it, please. I'm too young to think about such things…', I said with my face turning slightly red.

"Well I guess you wouldn't be interested in some town boys, right?", she added. "Great aunt is mistaken about something. Just because my father is an Emperor, that doesn't mean I would treat someone badly. Especially if they came from a humble place. Besides, we don't live in a palace or anything like that. To be honest, our house is smaller than yours. It's also in the middle of nowhere… Well, there is the sea and Apium close by, but nothing else really", I replied.

"Heh, our Anna is too modest. Your mother raised you really well, she must've had it hard without that idiot father of yours", great aunt took another stab at my father. "There were a few hurdles in our way, but we made it through. Idiot husband is trying his best to help out now, so there's progress", mother said while staring at father. "Alright, I get it. Will you give it a break? We didn't come here to talk about incompetence, but to visit our family. Anyway, what about Aron, Haily and Norty? Are they doing well?", father changed the subject.

"Yes, they have their own families as you know. Aron was an exception, but he married a few years ago too. Aron has one son, quite a bit younger than Anna. Norty as well as Haily gave us two grandchildren each. I will send someone to contact them, since they live in nearby villages. You know, keep an eye on the affairs there and such. I'm sure they will be really surprised to hear that Nex Wintersteed returned for a visit. Hehe, it's a shame I won't be able to see their expressions", great uncle replied. Norty, Haily and Aron were my father's cousins, therefore my uncles. 'Turns out that our family is really big. I have so many relatives', I thought.

"That's good news, because we came here for two reasons really. Of course for a visit, but also for a wedding. You see, we didn't have any official ceremony yet. Therefore we figured that once we are here, we might as well make one large wedding ceremony for our family and friends. Besides, Fox wants to wear… Ow.. You do want to wear a wedding dress, so don't punch me. I hope you guys don't mind", father explained.

"Why didn't you mention that sooner! We need to prepare everything, we need loads of food and...", great aunt panicked. "Calm down, Tina. We have time, there's no rush. We don't have to return home, like tomorrow. Besides, I have to collect a few other people for the wedding. This alone might take a while", father tried to calm her down.

"...You are right, I got a bit too excited. Anyway, so the ring on your finger is the wedding ring, I assume?", great aunt asked my mother instead. "Yes. Looks great, doesn't it?", mother replied. Great aunt had a closer look, before nodding her head. "It's beautiful, and suits you really well. The blue stone gives it a great contrast. Though aren't you a bit cheap, Nex? Silver and what looks to be Black Steel… I mean, you are an Emperor for crying out loud. Can't you afford something better for your wife?", she berated my father. "That's not Silver, nor Black Steel. I'm not cheap, it took me years to get those materials. You can't even get them on this continent", father defended himself.

"Are you sure you are not trying to fool your wife?", great aunt asked suspiciously. "You think I'm joking? Finch, wanna give it a go? You can use your full strength to slam this ring. I can guarantee that the ring will not sustain any damage. Heh, you will not even leave a mark on it", father replied, annoyed. "Calm down, Nex. You too Tina, why would you try to test him like that? Even if it was a cheap ring, what would it matter? Their love is more important than some rings", great uncle said. Great aunt apologised to father, but me and my mother knew father didn't lie. The ring was really special and rare. I was sure that even the Emperor of the Endrosian Empire, wouldn't be able to afford such a ring for his wife.

"Anyway, what exactly did you put in that ring, to make you feel so confident?", great uncle asked, interested. "Lunite", father replied briefly. Great aunt's and uncle's faces changed when they heard that. "What, not so high and mighty anymore, eh?", father added smugly. "You win this round, Nex. Your aunt did indeed mistreat you, but where is your ring?", she asked. "I only had enough to make one ring… Besides, I kind of forgot about my own ring", father replied. "You know where the smithy is, right? Why don't you go and make it... Now", she ordered father. "I can deal with that later. We have time", father tried to dismiss it, but great aunt just stared at him. "...Fine, I will go cast it now. Happy?", he said, then left while mumbling something to himself.

"Men are like that. They think giving us a ring will solve everything", great aunt said while looking at great uncle. "What?", he asked, confused. "Nothing", she replied. 'I saw this before. She is jealous of my mother's ring… Are all women like that? I mean, just like uncle said, what matters is love not some ring', I thought.

We chatted for a while, before my great aunt showed us our rooms. "If you guys need anything, let us know", she said. "We will be fine, thank you. Anna, why don't you take a look around the town? Maybe you can make some new friends, alright?", mother proposed. "Sure, I can take a look", I replied before leaving the house.

The town houses were similar to that of Ama's house in Sedon. The bottom half was made from stones, while the top half from wood. Some of the houses were purely made from stone, like my great uncle's house. The roads had stones embedded in them as well, just like Sedon had in their roads. Though the walls were not as tall and thick as they were in Sedon. Perhaps four or five metres tall at most.

There were no towers at each corner of the walls either, though I saw a few people standing atop them. 'They must be archers, since they stand atop walls. None of them attacked us when we arrived, I assume it was my father's doing. He really is strong... With a single swipe of his hand, all the warriors simply slammed the ground', I thought.

I made my way through the streets, but people wouldn't stop staring at me. 'I'm a bit embarrassed to approach them myself, and they seem afraid to approach me too…', I thought. A bit further down the road, I noticed some youngsters. They looked younger than me, perhaps fourteen or less. "Hey, I'm Anna. Can you tell me where the smithy is?", I introduced myself and asked. The youngsters watched me for a while, until one of them replied, "Just follow this street, then turn left over there and go straight. You will see some smoke rising from one of the houses, that is where the smithy is". "Thank you, and what's your name?", I asked. "I'm Karen… Nice to meet you, Anna", she replied. I waved Karen farewell, before heading towards the smithy.

With Karen's simple instructions, the smithy soon appeared in front of me. There were two other people inside except my father. Both men were muscular, but older than him. "Heh, so this is your daughter, Anna?", one of them asked. "Yes, isn't she cute. Anna, come over here for a bit. Let me introduce you", father beckoned. "This is Paul Treland, and next to him is Gerond Flatarm. They are both Master Blacksmiths of the Savala Town. Paul's family was always very close to our family, hence you can call him uncle", father introduced. "I'm Anna…", I started but wasn't sure about my last name. My parents were not married before I was born, therefore I didn't know if my last name was Wintersteed as well.

"You don't know which last name, eh? Though me and your mother were not married, she was already considered my wife. Therefore you are a Wintersteed, and always will be", father said with a smile. I nodded, "I'm Anna Wintersteed, nice to meet you uncle Paul and master Gerond". "What a polite little lady. Tell me Anna, are you interested in smithing too?", master Gerond asked. "Well, no. I'm not interested at all. I study Formations and practice the sword. There's no time for me to worry about such things", I replied. "Nex, you got yourself a smart daughter. Unlike us simple blockheads, who can only hammer metal all day long", uncle Paul said.

"Anyway, why don't you have a look at the rest of the town? I'll be here for a while, since they pestered me about a few things… You guys were supposed to be masters", father said. "Sure, I just wanted to check up on you. Don't work for too long", I replied then bid everyone farewell. 'I wonder if they have anyone who practices Formations here… I will ask my great aunt or uncle later'.

There wasn't much inside the town. There were no performance stages or fun courses, this was a simple town where people lived. 'Hmm.. This place is full of greenery, water and life. Maybe creating a small fun course with obstacles wouldn't be such a bad idea. Not only would that be a great practice for me, others could have some fun too… I'll ask about that later'. The town was familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. Savala Town looked like a miniature Sedon, with some exceptions.

I actually enjoyed walking around, and sightseeing. There were a few youngsters I met on my way, but everyone acted a bit shy. Though we had a few conversations here and there, they seemed rather reserved. 'Perhaps this has something to do with my mom. She is half Furian after all, they might be a bit scared', I thought. Either way, I continued on my sightseeing adventure.