[Chapter 10] - Chains - Part 2

Year 952, day 313, Elfen territory , Gharfien village , 10am.

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Sitting on the branch of the same tree that played hide and seek, Kalui waits for the man in the chains. In the past three days he has waited for five hours since seven in the morning. Swinging his black feet from the ground, he reflects on life while he waits.

"I haven't seen Roldi at home these days ... I've been having so much fun with my new friends that I forgot to try to get stronger. Did he get sad and give up training me? I'm going to apologize to him today. Meanwhile, after the death of his uncle and aunt, Whiger trains every day until he passes out ... Shame on Kalui ! What are you doing? Talking to the chain uncle will be the first step in my improved training. " , Thinks Kalui .

A musical whistle is heard by the boy. As he looks down, he catches sight of the dancer and jumps from the tree falling behind him.

Unsurprisingly, the man says in a soft tone:

— Good morning boy.

Kalui waves to him and replies:

— Hello sir!

The young man looks at the boy, waiting for him to do or say something, but the child just keeps looking back at him with shining eyes. A few seconds after the awkward silence, he asks:

— So, child, what do you want?

— Sir ... Can you teach me what you were doing with the chains?

The dancer looks at him in disbelief just before he burst out laughing.

— For real? Hahaha ... My name is Matheus, child, since you didn't ask. What would be yours, first of all.

Embarrassed, the boy replies:

— Ah, sorry. My name is Kalui .

— So, Kalui . I'm sorry but you are neither old nor strong enough to handle such a weapon.

The boy leaps for joy and exclaims:

— I knew it was a gun! I knew it! Everyone said it was just a dance, but I knew it was training!

Matheus scratches his head, reflecting on how to respond.

— Let's say you got it right and so did your friends. Currently I focus on art, on dance, but yes, it can be used as a weapon. But again, you have neither the age nor the strength to think about learning. The chain is thick and its ends even more so.

— Mr Matheus, I swear I can, please teach me!

The young man stretches the palm of his hand on the boy's head and says:

— Even if you can learn. Carrying and handling something heavy will not be good for your child's body. In a few years I'll teach you, okay?

Kalui looks down, saddened by his disappointment and makes his last appeal.

— If I have a chain that I can take it easy, would you train me?

The dancer claps a palm and replies:

— Well remembered, Kalui . A single chain is an advanced level of art. Beginners start with two chains, one in each hand. One with the blade tip and one with the metal ball tip, which may or may not have spines. In addition to two chains for training, which has nothing on its ends. But answering your question, yes. If I can get a chain that you can handle without major difficulties, I will teach you. They are not cheap and the village has a single blacksmith. Visit him later.

The boy seems to be bewildered by so much information. But he replies firmly:

— Yes sir! I'll go to the blacksmith right now.

Later that day, Kalui finds Roldi talking to some people close to home. He joins the circle of people and waits to finish talking to speak alone with Roldi.

— Roldi! I really need something!

"Good to see you excited like that. And to think that two years ago he was about to die ... And recently he lost two loved ones. " , Thinks Roldi.

He strokes the child's head and says:

— He can talk!

— I really need you to buy me some things!

— Do you want me to hunt something specific? — He messes up the boy's hair. — You haven't asked me for a while! Hahahaha ...

— Actually, I need you to buy me chains. I know that you teach me how to fight and I like the part without a weapon. But using swords is very tedious and strange ...

Roldi looks at the boy in confusion and says:

— Proceed.

— I saw a man train a strange and beautiful dance while I played hide and seek with my friends. In short, I asked him to train me and he accepted. Only ...

— Only ...?

— I need to buy chains to train. He said that I couldn't train with his.

— Hmm ... — Roldi takes the child and puts her sitting on the back of his neck and raises an arm in celebration. — Let's go to the blacksmith to choose the best chains he has!

— This! — Kalui screams, excited.

Younger children surround the giant man carrying Kalui .

Arriving at the blacksmith, the boy goes down and stands behind Roldi, at the door of the place, waiting for him to come in and buy his things. The gray-haired gentleman pushes the child forward and says:

— Come on, solve it. Greet him and talk. Ask about what you want.

Unsure, when entering the store the small door bell rings and the boy is faced with something not yet seen by him. Shelves and more shelves of weapons of the most varied types; armor of various sizes, weights, materials and shapes, for humans and various animals; a forge at the end of the shop lit by the fire and several scrolls hung by ropes attached to the ceiling.

The chunky, plump black-eyed blacksmith gets up from his chair behind the counter and approaches his new client. The bald, sweaty man wears thick trousers attached to sturdy shoes, as well as a leather apron, with no blouse underneath.

In a thick, threatening voice, he asks:

— What do you want here? Kid.

Kalui looks down, stroking his hands.

— Ee-I came comp -β— PRAR currents. — He looks up, in the blacksmith's eyes. — Do you have chains?

The strange man scratches his short beard and replies:

— Hm ... I liked you, child. What is your name?

The simple boy opens a big smile.

— My name is Kalui ! What's your name, sir blacksmith ?!

— My name is Smid . So, you want to buy chains, right?

— This!

The blacksmith scratches his head and says:

— I don't have many options ... Since the young prodigy stopped using them in combat, he didn't have to make chains anymore, since only he wanted it.

The child looks around, looking for chains.

— Follow me, there are about eight chains at most. If you don't have the one you want, it's more expensive if I have to.

— All right.

Smid shows Kalui the seven chains. The first is like Matheus's, thick and heavy, with the metal ball at one end and the blade at the other. The second is even thicker and the ball has large and wide spines all over it. The third is as thin as a thumb and with two small metal balls, one at each end. The fourth is the same as the first, but with two blades. The fifth, in terms of weight, is a middle ground between the first and the third, with a metal ball and a blade, one at each end. The last two have nothing at their ends and are as thick as the second.

— I only have those. You can move the will, if you choose any let me know. Don't break anything!

Kalui tests the weights of the chains, wrapping them in his hands one by one and moving his arms.

"Really, that constant weight is irritating ... But it is still better than a sword or shield."

— Mr Smid ! I have already chosen!

The sturdy gentleman gets up from his chair and goes over to the boy.

— Will you want which one? — He takes a closer look at the shirtless boy and notices the chain wrapped around his arm. — So you chose this ... Okay. Unroll it from your arm. It is dangerous without protection. The blade can fatally cut you on the wrist.

Kalui hands the gun to the blacksmith and signals him to wait a second. He opens the door, leaves the store and returns with Roldi shortly thereafter.

— Good Morning. Are you going to pay for the child's gun?

Roldi extends his hand and the blacksmith greets him by squeezing it.

— Good Morning. That's right, Mr. Smid . How much?

The three go to the counter and the blacksmith shows the weapon chosen to the gray-haired man.

— A silver coin and 50 bronze.

— I understood. — Roldi looks at Kalui . — Boy, didn't you say you needed chains?

— Yea!

— Then why is there only one?

Kalui stares at the chains for a few seconds.

— ... Um ... Oops . — He starts laughing. — Forgot it!

— Kalui , do you need more?

— I need one like this, only with nothing on the ends and ... Ah! Another thing that I had forgotten. You have to divide them in half! One with the ball and one with the blade.

Smid holds the chain at the top and says:

— Well, breaking them in half is easy and free. Now, a second chain like this one I don't have. If I did, I would just take the weapons off the tips, but I really don't have one. I can forge one for you, but it will be much more expensive.

Kalui looks at his adoptive father in distress.

— How much would it be? — Roldi asks.

— A chain exactly like this, but with no weapons at the ends, would go for ... Four silver coins.

The gray-haired gentleman smiles at Kalui and says:

— No problems. In addition to the one you already have, I want you to forge two of these, one with the guns and one without the guns. How much would it cost?