Chapter 6

•Talfen, Capital of Coldshore

•Adler Helton

•March, Year 1720

The name of the sword was Outlaw. It was a double bladed, straight bladed sword which was capable of piercing iron or steel armor. It had a long hilt to provide a proper grip to accommodate two hands. The blade was made with hard steel on the outside and soft steel on the inside; this allowed it to be strong and capable of absorbing damage. It was a swift, precise and efficient sword. It was also Malcer's sword.

Mival gasped as the sword shone in the rays of the sun that streamed from the medium-sized round glass in the ceiling. The sword looked like it was fashioned from the brilliant rays themselves but it was fashioned from something much more hotter.

"That's Malcer's sword," Mival said with his hands covering his mouth. "How did you get it?"

"He gave it to me."

"Is that another language which interprets to you stole it? Malcer will never part with Outlaw. He wouldn't even let me touch it." Mival said as he took an intimidating step towards Dante, narrowing his eyes at him. "So you definitely stole it. Do we have a thief in the Adler Helton?"

He sounded like he actually believed that Dante stole it which made Dante blink repeatedly in surprise.

"No, I didn't steal Outlaw. Malcer –" Dante was cut off by one of the armed guards in the entrance hall that yelled 'Hey!' and quickly started heading towards the two men by the stairs along with another armed guard. Dante turned his head around to see the two armed guards behind him, their swords already out of their scabbards.

"Drop the weapon," one of them stated as he raised his own sword, ready to fight Dante if things go awry. Dante furrowed his brows in confusion as he quickly dropped the sword back into the box and the guards slowly sheathed their swords with their eyes narrowed at him in suspicion.

"Ah, its fine Elyas. He's just trying to prove that he knows Malcer," Mival said with a grin on his face as he stared wistfully at the sword in the box.

"He knows Malcer?" both of the guards asked, sounding surprised.

The grin suddenly slipped from Mival's face. "The both of you don't know Malcer. Why are you asking if he does?"

"Isn't it the same Malcer that owned five shops that sold jewelry and clothes made of silk on the first floor?" one of the guards asked Mival as he furrowed his brows in confusion before he turned to face Dante. "Are you his son?"

'Seems like Malcer is well known,' Dante thought.

"Does he look like his son?" Mival sneered at the guards who also sneered back. "You don't know Malcer. I'm the only one that knows him. Shoo."

The guards rolled their eyes. "This is why he called you crazy. Young man, is Malcer coming back to the capital?"

"Ah, no," Dante replied and the guards let out an exasperated sigh.

"Looks like he's really not coming back," one of them said before they both walked away.

"Malcer's really not coming back?" Mival asked, sadness evident in his voice as the corners of his lips turned downward.

"You believe that I know him now?"

Mival shrugged but he still looked sad. "A little bit. You called the sword its name and only a few people know it."

"... What would make you truly believe that I know him?" Dante asked monotonously and Mival's eyes suddenly glinted mischievously.

"Let me touch Outl-"

"No," Dante stated firmly because Malcer had already told him not to let Mival touch it and Mival sneered at him.

"He told you not to let me touch it, didn't he?" Dante nodded in response. "One more thing... What's Malcer's last name?"

"He doesn't have one."

Mival didn't say anything else and gave Dante a long, hard stare. "Follow me," he said as he began to climb the stairs and Dante quickly closed his box before picking it up, quickly following him up the spiral staircase to the first floor.

There were less people walking around the hallways than on the first floor but conversations drifted out of the shops as sellers fawned over ladies that were trying out silk dresses and jewelry to convince them to buy it. In antique shops, sellers talked about the age, beauty and rarity of the antiques that buyers were interested in. There was also a tea shop at the end of the hallway where people went to relax and have tea.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?" Mival asked him and Dante shook his head before he realized Mival was looking straight ahead.

"No."

"Do you have money?"

Dante grimaced. Malcer told him that if he didn't have money in the capital, he wouldn't be regarded as a person at all.

He cleared his throat. "No."

"Do you know anyone in the capital?"

"No."

Mival rolled his eyes and slightly shook his head as they walked into a dress shop that had a lot of armed guards waiting by the door. Sellers and a couple of ladies sitting on couches were fawning over other ladies that were currently twirling in silk dresses while a couple of maidservants stood in a corner with their heads bowed down.

The room became silent and one of the twirling ladies tripped over the dress and fell to the floor when Dante and Mival walked in. Two of the maidservants quickly rushed over to the woman on the floor to help her up but she pushed them away as soon as she got to her feet and blushed when Dante glanced at her.

"Look away, ladies. Look away," Mival stated while waving his hands in front of him like he was trying to swat away buzzing flies as he and Dante walked towards a door that was at the end of the room. "Yes, I know he is a little bit good-looking but look away."

"Uncle, don't be like that," one of the ladies sitting on a couch said sweetly. "Introduce us to the young man."

"Lady Luna, you're engaged. You're the one that shouldn't be like that." Mival opened the door when he and Dante got to it and he ushered the young man into the room behind it. "Now, as you were saying..."