Weapon Cultivation History (4)

Eight years, in our lifespan it was just a small fraction of time, like just opening and closing our eyes. But this whole eight years have been so tedious, specially the last 3 years. A lot of our companions have perished, and we had bled a lot. I was starting to get tire of this. Originally, I was against getting out of the plains but during the first years of our quest, I started to feel it was possible and I had a feeling of wanting more.

During the conquest so far, I have started to fear the other races. They are tenacious and are strong willed. Also, they can adapt quick and formulate counterattacks or other methods against us.

What seemed to be an easy quest, has turned into a carnage. Our overall forces have been halved. Many of my friends have died and among them my son perished.

It happened during the battle for the dominion of the Orc Kingdom. The orcs are a warrior race so fighting against them was a challenge. Not only their men fight but also the women. They had green skin, a couple of two fangs, a muscle body and a hellish strength. One of their special race characteristics is that once they enter a rage state, their skin and eyes color changes to black and red. In that state, they don't care for their wounds and only focus on fighting with all their strength.

So, while I was fighting with an orc, two of my friends fall under their attacks and the killers turned to me. If just fighting with one of them with a rage state, imagine how it was against two more. I was somehow able to kill the first one, but a spear pierced my leg. As I lost my balance another blow came from behind and I fell. I was waiting to the final strike yet it didn´t arrive. I felt blood falling upon me.

What I saw after opening my eyes, was my son standing before my receiving their attacks. A spear had pierced his chest and a sword was struck on his stomach.

"Nooo!!!! Eisan!!!" I cried in pain.

"Ahh" he coughed blood.

"Eisan!!! Why?!?!?!" "Why did you sacrifice" I said with tears as I throw myself towards him"

"Father…. I can´t let you die. You still have a role to play in this war. Please don´t let our race fall.

Look after my son, dad.

Yina…. I´m coming to you" was his lasts words before collapsing on my arms.

"Aghhh!!!!!!"

As the sorrow of losing my only son invaded me, rage and despair invaded me. My weapon started to mutate: its length increased, pikes appeared along it and a dark aura appeared.

[Kill, kill them all, don´t let anyone survive] a voice said in my mind.

"….."

[They took your very flesh and blood. Now, get your revenge]

Following the voice, I pulled the string and twenty black arrows were formed. Letting go the string, the arrows flew with an astonishing speed piercing hundreds of orcs. The battle turned into a one side slaughter.

"What is happening to the 8th elder?"

"I don´t know, but let's kill all the enemies while they are in confusion"

For the next hours, we killed over 300.000 orcs and by the end I had already lost conscious.

When I woke up, I was on a single tent. My body hurt a lot.

"Where I´m? How long I´ve been unconscious?"

"You are in the main army Crolen and 2 weeks have passed since you battle in the Orc Kingdom" a voice said.

Turning around I saw the Patriarch there.

"Patriarch" I said with respect

"Don´t need for formalities. Just answer me some questions with the truth"

"Yes"

"Before passing out, did you saw any changes on your weapon?"

"Yes, it started to change, and many features appeared"

"Did you hear a voice in your mind?"

"Yes"

"…." "Seems that you awaked the dark face of your weapon"

"What? What does it mean?"

"I can´t tell everything, except that according to the reports, it happened after seeing your son die and that this should have been impossible to happen to you. However, I´ll tell you when the time comes. For now, rest a couple of days before going back"

"Oky…."

After this brief exchange with the Patriarch, I was in deep thoughts. What does it mean that the I awakened the dark face of my weapon? How is it related to the death of my son? I pondered for some time. A few answers appeared on my mind, but I discarded them quickly because if the rage and despair of loosing a family member or companion will be the trigger, then all our race members would awaken that dark face.

After recuperating, I was sent back to my army. During the week I needed to travel, I saw how we had changed the lives of the people in the kingdoms we conquered. Fields had been burned, we looted the cities and villages, despite no touching the people, I could feel their hate, anger, fear towards us.

One day I was resting by a river when suddenly a kid tried to stab me. He had blue skin, green eyes, red hair, and was tall despite his age. If my memory didn´t fail me, he was troll child.

"You!!" he said in anger as I grasped the knife with one hand.

"Let it go!! I´m going to kill you!!!" he roared.

As I let go the knife, he hit his foot with a rock and fall into the river. I thought he was going to come out soon, but he didn´t appear. Not caring for my things, I jumped into the river and rescued the kid.

"Ahhh" he grasped for air.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"…."

"Come, you will get sick if you keep you clothes wet" I said while preparing a fire and taking out a blanket from my bag.

"…."

"I won't hurt you, so just come here"

With fear the kid sat near the fire.

Noticing he didn't take off his clothes I said "Take your clothes off or you will get sick"

"Don´t need it. We trolls have a high resistance towards cold"

"…."

After been in silence for some time I asked

"Why did you try to kill me?"

"…."

"You can tell me, I won´t punish you"

"B-Because you kill father and big brother. I wanted to take my revenge on you"

"….."

"Why did you kill them?!?! We didn´t do anything to you, yet most of our tribe perished under your attacks!! Why?!?!" he roared with tears.

"..."

I didn´t know how to respond him. I could have tall that it was because we were going to conquest the continent or other reasons, but he had a point that made me to stay quiet and it was that they didn´t do anything to us.

We were just following orders of our Patriarch, yet after all these eight years of war, I had gotten tire, really tire. Yes, this path was filled with blood and deaths. Not wonder the citizen's of each kingdom hate us.

"I don´t know"

"....Why you seem sad?"

"…. I have just lost my son on a battle"

"Sorry"

"No need, we were fighting, and we knew the risks. But you? It was eight years ago that we decided to set out of our place of living and conquer the continent however, there were some of us, included me, that were against it"

"Then why you didn´t stay?"

"Because the orders of the Patriarch are absolute and as an elder of our race I couldn´t disobey him"

"But you could have escape"

"Yes, but I couldn´t leave my race just because of my selfishness. And you know? Our race has a deep bond of brotherhood, we don´t feel envy or hate towards us. We can fight or discuss among us, but we would always support us as it was only be the only way for our survival" I said while fixing my sight in the fire.

While I was staring at it, a voice said

"Trifon!!" "Where are you?!?!"

"Mom I´m here" said the troll kid.

"Trifon!!!" she exclaimed happy, but her body stiffened when she saw me.

"Trifon, get behind me" she said afraid I would hurt them.

"…."

"My I ask you why my son was with you?"

"….."

"Sir?"

"Ah, Sorry, he didn´t do anything wrong. He had fallen into the river when I was passing out, so I rescued him" I said.

"...." "Thank you"

"There is no problem, just be careful next time kid" I said.

"Y-Yes…"

As they left my gaze was fixed into the pair of mother and son. I could tell how my wife was feeling right now. Her only son had died.

Why do we keep fighting? Is there a meaning for all this? I asked myself. In the beginning I and other members were against leaving the valley, later I started to believe this was a good idea, but now…. I don´t now anymore.

This brief event I had with that troll kid was the first change that will affect our future.