My father is something of a legend among the people of the Upper Realm. He was the one to save them from the destructive force of the Shade of the Stryker Circle, so I understand the gratefulness that is directed at my family, however much I don’t want it to be. The Solas Sword that he left after his demise is all I have to remind me of him. I realize that if he had not done what he had, our whole world would not exist, but that does not make it easier to accept that those few moments in which he held me would be the only ones that I would see him. Even those memories are overshadowed by the time that passed since then. My mother tells me about him, and I hear about him in the town square of Aroc, the town where my mother settled, but nothing can take the pain of not knowing him personally away. I have been training for the whole time since the day I could hold the weapon that would become my secondary. My primary was already decided to be the Solas Sword before my father left it for me. He had chosen it for me. I was on the way home from one of such training sessions when I felt a presence. I had learned early in my life to detect them, and to discern between them.

“Bourdon, you’re early.” My voice sounds questioning, even to me.

“Did you really expect someone else? How childish the son of the mighty hero is.” His voice sounds like the scraping of blades against the stone walls of the Upper Center, the only training facility for thirty miles in any direction.

“ You dare make jokes about my father? How would Master react? Have you thought of that?” My anger was building, but I held back, knowing that it was dangerous for it to show.

“How would he find out in the first place? He’s just an old blind man who sits and babbles all day. You can’t expect me to take him seriously.” The anger inside me was getting dangerously close to overflowing, and I had trouble controlling it. The tricks Master had shown me did not help me cool my temper. “He never even leaves his mat in the cave.” Bourdon’s eyes narrow, “Why do you ask? You didn’t tell him, did you?” his haughty expression changed to anger in an instant. “Don’t you dare tell me that you told him!”

A sudden calm comes over me and the second presence that I felt earlier drops beside me. Dressed in loose, dark clothes, Master straightens.

“There was no need for Osgood to tell me anything. I had to simply follow him around to gather information about you.” Master growls in a hard voice, his gaze as cold as the arctic wind that freezes the sea near our walled village every winter. “Remember this meeting Bourdon, for the next time you make jokes about Farad may be your last.”

The fear in Bourdon’s eyes brings me satisfaction. He had been in my way, causing trouble and then blaming me. Of course, nobody believed him, but it was still getting to me.

“O-of c-c-course, sir!” Bourdon stammered. He quickly turned and fled, trying to increase the distance between him and Master.

“Thank you-” I began.

“You didn’t tell me that Bourdon was attacking your father’s legacy.” Master interrupted. It wasn’t a question, or if it was, it didn’t sound like one, so I did not reply, only nodded. There was nothing to be said, he knew everything about what had gone on between me and Bourdon. Master sighed, deeply, meaning that he was annoyed with the secrets that I had kept from him and started walking in the other direction.

“You were the one to tell me that I should be strong and not show anyone any fear or emotion at all.” I reminded him, following. It was better that I did. Who knew what he would think if I didn’t explain. “All I was doing was following your instructions. If you have problems with that, it’s you who you should be angry at, not me.”

I know that Master isn’t really angry at me, just at the fact that I had almost shown emotion of any kind, and to my self-declared nemesis of sorts. At least I hoped that it was that way, otherwise I could have misread the whole situation, and just gotten Master angry at me.

“You’re getting braver,” Master noted, “That is good, considering where you will have to go.” His ancient gaze sweeps the Pavilion at which we had stopped near with such intensity, I am surprised that they didn’t burn.

“Are any of them near?” I ask. There is no need for any other words to go out of my mouth. Master knows who I am talking about, and turns, after surveying the crowd, shaking his head.

“No Kakutan around, at least yet.” His face turns dark, as he looks past me. “There will be problems… but not yet. I apologize, Osgood, but there is some business I have to take care of right now.” Cloaking himself, Master disappears, his outline barely visible in the dark of the alley. Turning around, I notice someone whose presence I had not felt, run around the corner. There were only three people who could hold that for such a long time. Bourdon, me, and Zenia. The only reason that I had known that Bourdon was there was that my ability for sensing presences is stronger than many others. There was no way that Bourdon would return to spy on me since Master had told him to not bother me. Especially because Master protects me. So it had to be Zenia. Why would she bother spying on me for? She was better than me at most things, so it wasn’t jealousy. But what else could it be? Curiosity? I decided to put it off until another time. There were more pressing things for me to do. I stepped into the Pavilion and headed in the direction of the Living Quarters. I had to explain the situation to Mother. She would not be happy.