Road to a Hero: Three chances in another world. Chapter 15: Flame filled memories

Arc 2: A vigorous first month

On a small island, visible from the shore of Walgonia is a small village. This village holds about four hundred to five hundred people, with simple buildings made out of wood and stone. Filled with retired knights, soilders, and even some members of the Leviathan Army. In that village A young boy with dark black hair plays with his mother in their backyard is found, the happiest in his life.

"STOP… I'M NOT TICKLISH!"

Mom: "Oh sure?"

They sat as the sun slowly sat with them, in a constant bliss. A Helsing able to live and be raised in a life without battle; an unimaginable dream was coming to floriation. 

Dad: "Ok! HONEY, EDWARD COME ON INSIDE DINNERS FINISHED!"

Edward Van Helsing, his father Gotsu having passed before his birth. Now, raised by his birth mother Jasmine Van Helsing, a master swordsmen, and Bjorn, a master combatant. His voice rang out from the small two story cabin in front of them. Both the boy and the mother yell, "ALRIGHT!", and dash off inside. They then sit down in their cozy kitchen and prepare to eat dinner.

Dad: "So, how was your guy's day?"

Mom: "Oh we had fun, I'm glad to get the day off!"

Edward: "I'm glad too."

They finish their food and the day reaches its end. The mother and father walk with Edward to his bedroom, smiling and moving slowly.

Edward: "Do I have to go to bed?"

Mom: "Yeah we don't want you to be tired now do we?"

Edward: "But I'm not tired! And I'm way too old to have a bed time!"

Dad: "Hey calm down, if you sleep now you can get up early tomorrow with me. And I'll start really trainin you like I said."

Edward: "Really!? Or uh, that sounds good I guess."

His mother rubbed her hand over his head, pulling him along to his bed.

Mom: "Here why don't I tell you a story."

Edward: "Arent I too old for that too? "

Mom: "That doesn't matter, here I'll make it about dad okay?"

The mother looks at the father, almost like she feels awkward.

Dad: "Look I know I'm not his real dad, but don't let it detract from him learning about his real father, he was a hero! And a dear friend."

Mom: "Alright then. I'll tell you about his first mission. When he got his white hair he was only fifteen years old. That's only three years older than you! He was really scared, though Musashi was excited! He had already gotten his white hair and was pumped for his first big mission! Now when they got there your father stayed near the back, holding his sword close to himself. A hundred pound sword at that."

As she spoke Edward could only sit in amazement as his father, the white haird monster and brother of the worlds strongest swordsmen. Staring at his softer hands, unable to even think of himself holding a blade. Let alone a massive one.

Mom: "His brother was at the very front, mowing through his opponents, though unbeknownst to any of the Leviathan army soldiers a group of the Demi-human army had snuck around them! Your father was frozen in fear, though he swung with all his might! The demi-human he was fighting had a big sword bigger than your father! Though the demi-human wasn't expecting your father to swing, he knocked him down. Though the demi-human got back up, about to finish your father off! Your father, filled with adrenaline, roared like a beast ramming into the monster pushing him down the hill they were standing on! Once they got to the ground the demi-human was stunned, Your father looked more like a monster than the real monster! The man swung the big sword at your father, though your father blocked it!"

Edward: "Yes!"

He blushed, embarrassed, but only got a laugh out of Bjorn and Jasmine. She then continued, tapping on his nose and pushing him back onto his pillow.

Jasmine: "Though the strike broke his blade, he was able to get up to the man, punching him so hard is flung him back, the demi-human dropped his sword, and your father filled with rage and adrenaline somehow picked up the giant sword, he put so much strain on his body, his hair turned white from the stress, "RAAAH" he said as he swung the giant sword at the monster, killing him in one swing! He looked around and saw that everyone was watching him friend or foe. Then he looked back at the monster and realized that the MONSTER WAS THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITE TEAM, everyone on their team surrendered, making your father the MVP of the battle, and after that, he earned his title as "Gotsu the Monster hunter."

Edward: "Cool!"

Mom: "Alright, good night sweaty."

Dad: "Good night champ."

The mom kisses Edward goodnight before she leaves his room. Edward fell asleep, though he jolted awake after hearing people screaming. He runs to his window looking out to see dead bodies everywhere, houses burning and pirates running around killing the villagers. Then his parents rush into his room, pick Edward up trying to run to the basement.

Edward: "Mom!? Dad!? What's happening?"

Mom: "It's okay sweaty, there are bad people here and we need to get to the basement."

Edward: "What? Why? If there are bad guys you can fight then right?"

Mom: "I'm a proficient swordsmen and your step-father, Bjørn, he's a master martial artist...he can -

She gets cut off mid sentence by an explosion, one that consumes the front of the house and sends all three of them out the side. The mother had protected Edward, but in the process had suffered massive injuries. Broken legs, a broken wrist, and horrible burn marks on her back, prohibiting any further movements. Edward is speechless as he looks around frantically for any semblance of hope. The sounds of screaming villagers fill the air, thicker than the black smoke already doing so. Edward feels his mother grabs his leg, trying to speak to her son.

Mom: "Honey...you need to run... Mommy is fine, we're going to go to the basement okay?"

Once again she's cut off, but this time it's by her husband. Bjørn is thrown beside the two, destroyed. His tears flood the blood off of his face, and the gruesome sight of his legs snapped in half, just like his arms. His skin is far worse though, bubbling from the fire currently blazing on him. Then a large figure walks out of the smoke of their destroyed home, smoking a cigar. The large Demi-human with blue fur, a golden nose ring, a black coat with a fur collar, and a large Fu Manchu mustache to boot. He picks up a barely alive Bjørn, chuckling to himself as he watches him struggle.

Moro: "Names Moro, and we're the Gravestone Pirates. I thought you'd be a difficult fight, you fought with Musashi, Alon, Jasmine, Jong, and Gotsu, yet you fell before a fight."

Bjørn tries to get out a word, but with his body being closer to a crisp than an actual human, it's simply impossible. Moro understands this, simply throwing his body onto the grass so hard that it explodes in a pile of ash, covering Jasmine and Edward. Jasmine tries to swat Moro away, but without a sword, hand, or legs, it means nothing.

Moro: "Wife of Iron Fist Bjørn, mother of Gotsu Van Helsing's child, and you're this weak?"

Jasmine spits on Moro's face, causing him to drop his cigar. Moro of course is angered by this, and right in front of Edward's already horrified face, uses his large razor-sharp teeth to rip through his mother's neck, tearing her head clean off. The area sprays with even more blood, getting in Edward's dead eyes.

Moro: "Nothin personal."

With that horrific display, Moro simply walks away. And without a thought in the young boy's head, he crawls to the secret basement Sitting there for hours, completely still and quiet. He hears more people walk into his house. An old man opens the hatch Edward was hiding in. The old man looks at the child in horror.

Edward looks at the other man recognizing him.

Edward: "Uncle Musashi…? And who are you…?"

Al: "My name is Al… and you must be young Edward… I am deeply sorry for what has happened. Would you like to come to live with Your uncle and me?"

Edward: "Al…"

Now the current Edward is currently looking at Al lying dead on the ground. He turns around to see the mansion he has called his home for eight years, starting to burn due to the fire magic Conroy had used to fight Edward earlier. Edward feels something pounding at the back of his head, like a beast about to go berserk. He starts taking steps towards the Anarchists, though before he can fully devolve himself into a pure rage he hears something in the distance.

Gray: "EDWARD REACH OUT YOUR HAND!"

Flying through the air on what looks to be a winged drake, is Gray and the others riding atop it.

Conroy: "WHAT THE FU-"

Edward grabs Gray's hand just before the anarchists can reach him. Anibys tries to use her whip followed by a volley of bandages, but it's no luck, as they were going fast enough to get away from them, flying through the air to safety.

Gray: "WOOOOOOH! THIS IS SOO SCARY!"

Rosemary: "Got that right!"

Rosemary held tightly as Grays sweaty hands did the same to the Spirit beasts reins. Soku held just as tight to Rosemary, with Edward being a good barrier to make sure she and Ophelia, who was hanging on for dear life. doesn't slip off the back. The animal itself was large but not too big, weighing her down and making it a tight fit.

Edward: "You got Musashi's Earth-bound dragon! Nice!"

Gray: "I KNOW RIGHT!"

Soku: "WAIT WHAT ABOUT AL?"

Opheilia: "YEAH WHERE'S HE AT?"

Gray and the others looked down, seeing the site of his body and the anarchists surrounding it. However they didn't see anymore around, but they didn't want to go back either. So they travled down the street and floated mid-air for a bit, slowly descending down into the capital streets. As they did, Ophelia began to cry again, Rosemary doing the same. Edwards was pushing everything he felt, even the berserker like anger. Gray on the other hand wasn't hiding his anger nor the somber feeling in his gut, but still, he had a large wavering smile.

Rosemary: "Al, he did this for us. So we have to keep going, for him. Gray get it to land us down near the main street!"

Gray: "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MOVE THIS THING!?"

With that, the Earth Bound Dragon began crashing to the ground, landing like a parralel parked car between two carriages. 

Edward: "I'm glad you came back. I was probably gonna die there. Thank you, all of you. And I'm sorry, you were right Gray."

Gray: "Yeah you were gonna die, though we got lucky there was this dragon. Nothing like a deus ex machina to save the day. "

Edward: "Well it's Musashi's, so it's well-trained. We've had her for a few years now but she's really starting to grow."

They all got off, Soku still holding and reassuring Ophelia. Rosemary held her other hand, with Gray looking away and rubbed their savior.

Ophelia: "The mansion, it's burning…"

The large shadow of the burning home loomed over them all, the people in the streets Demi-human and human looking over and standing all around.

Soku: "So what do we do now?"

Rosemary: "Just wait I guess."

Gray: "Rosemary your stomach, it's still bleeding, you good?"

He quickly stepped over but she pushed him back, covering her wounds.

Rosemary: "I'm fine, but you're bashed up."

Gray: "I'm good, I'm just gonna take a long nap. So what's this Dragons name name?"

Edward: "Actually I don't think she has one."

Gray: "Oh, Ima call her…um. Dema. For, deus, ex, machina, animal!"

With a pose for every word, he didn't get a laugh like he would have wanted. So he sighed, staring on at the burning mansion with the others.

Soku: "So clever."

Opheilia: "What's a deus ex machina?"

They all sit there for a while, waiting for something to happen. Gray sleeping on Rosemary's lap, Soku, and Ophelia sleeping on each other while Edward watches the mansion burn to the ground. Having been patched up by some healers and water magic users. Those water magic users, with affinitys or spirit affinites, worked together while Gray watched in awe.

Putting their hands together, the water spirit mana in the air came together and condensed. The mages all working together then made a very simple magic circle, screaming out after.

"WIGNIS!"

A large stream of water then crashed into the air and rained down against the raging fire. On the bright side the anarchists had seemed to vanish, something Edward was telling some nearby soilders.

They were all quiet, right until Musashi and his company run up at full speed. Causing Edward to abruptly end his conversation with the soilders and run toward Musashi and Kioshi.

Musashi: "MY HOUSE!"

Edward: "MUSASHI!"

Musashi: "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?"

While Musashi was acting a bit loudly, Kioshi was silent. Staring at the only true home she ever knew coming to the ground.

Arthur: "We go out for drinks for one evening and come back to this. That's some bad luck huh."

Musashi: "Damit! Oh well, you guys come with me, explain on the way. They should send some knights or water mages over to put out the fire."

Edwards look of fear, sorrow, instantly informed Musashi of what he needed to know. And why only one person from the inside of the mansion was missing. And before Musashi could get his feelings settled, Kioshi spoke out.

Kioshi: "DAMMIT! IF ONLY I WAS HERE I COULD HAVE -

Musashi: "Calm down! This...no...understand. I'll have that dealt with...But....But we have to look past this for now. he Lord selection is happening sooner than we thought, so you guys have to preform in the knight exam in two days to impress the other countries knights and show off for us. We are gonna head to the Royal Castle and will stay there until then."

Gray: "UHG! Come on let me sleep! And I hate tournament arcs."

Gray slowly went back to sleep before getting pulled toward a nearby carriage with the others to be taken to the castle in the center of the four districts of Walgonia. Musashi went toward his mansion instead, stepping out onto the grass while being enveloped in the heat and shadow of his raging home. And dead in the grass, in a pool of his own blood, and holding the stab wound on his chest. Dead, with a smile.

Musashi: "So long, old friend."