While I had won, that was dangerously close, as I was sweeping his legs, his sword came dangerously close to my neck. Had Uncle Chris not been worn out and slow from our previous encounters, I would’ve lost my neck there.
I thanked Steven in my head for saving me once more, and let the feeling of victory set in. Over the few months of training, my birthday had passed, but I was too engrossed in training to really notice. I was seventeen. Seventeen long years training. Ever since I could walk, ever since I could hold a sword, I’ve wanted to be a Diver, and I’ve trained accordingly.
Having all these years of work finally produce a tangible result created such a massive and powerful mixture of emotion inside me. I’m finally a Diver, I’m a new man today.
Uncle Chris got up and looked at me approvingly, “No Garg in the whole deep stands a chance against you my boy” He pulled me into a hug and gratitude washed over me.
“Thank you for the training Uncle Chris.”
“You would’ve become this strong on your own, I only hope one day I get to brag I trained the strongest Diver to ever live.” He laughed.
I gave him one more squeeze and thanks before I set off to tell everyone the news, but as I walked off Uncle Chris called out to me.
“One more thing before you’re off on your journey, Ray Remory.”
So he was finally calling me by my name now huh? My full name at that, I guess I’d earned it.
As I approached him he held out a small knife to me.
“A knife?” I looked at him unsure.
I gestured to the greatsword on my back, “I already have a plenty good blade.” I told him.
He slapped me on the back of the head, “Dumb boy, you gonna skin your game with that ridiculous blade? You’re going to need to hunt on your journey boy.”
Oh. Right.
“Don’t call my sword ridiculous.” I mumbled.
The Old Man put his face in his palm “Whatever Laddie, off with you”
I took the knife and thanked him once more before turning away to head towards the smithy. I traversed Halsry’s winding streets and walked in to see Steven and his dad working on a new project, when they noticed me enter and wave.
“So?” Steven asked.
“You’re talking to the world's newest addition to the Diver ranks, Ray Remory.” I boasted.
Steven’s face lit up and his father looked at me approvingly.
“You’ve come a long way Ray.” Steven’s father said.
“Thank you Mr. Lithil, your sword is amazing”
“If it’s the sword you’re thankful for, Steven insisted he do most of the work on that project so thank him”
I look at Steven and smile, though the smile he returns quickly fades. “So when do you plan to leave?”
When huh? It didn't feel real, I’d never even seen outside the city walls and sometime soon I’d be leaving here for who knows how long, perhaps never coming back. I pushed those thoughts out of my mind for the moment though.
“I think I’ll be leaving here in around a week's time, I want to learn everything I can about the Deep from all the ex-Divers here before I leave, and spend some more time with everyone.”
Steven looked relieved at the news. “Then at least wait for me to finish this project I’m working on here, it should be perfect for your journey”
“Project?” I asked, looking at what to me was just another lump of Slissite, though there were many more alloys around the Slissite too, truly a contraption only a genius from the Lithil family could understand.
“It’s a surprise for now, you’ll know when you leave” Steven told me.
“This kid really is crafty, even I couldn’t have thought of something like this. You’ll find good use of this device Ray.” said Mr. Lithil while ruffling my hair.
Steven made a stupid face, as if drunk on the praise he just recieved.
We talked for a while longer about how the fight went, and after letting Steven know I only won with his advice, I took my leave.
This was going to be scary, going home to my mother. She had always been relatively protective, and with her abilities as a mage, was likely the strongest person in the entire city several times over in terms of raw strength.
I opened the door to my house and saw a few things; my fathers smile, a mixture of pride and nervousness, the back of Uncle Chris’ head, he must’ve ran ahead of me while I was at the smithy, and my obviously irritated mother staring my bruised and cut body up and down. This was not going to be fun.
“S-so, Mom, you already heard the news from Uncle Chris?” I asked, scratching the back of my head.
“Damn right I heard the news! And you are absolutely out of your mind if you think we can let you out there on your own!”
Yikes, my mother was the only person in the whole city who would talk to me like that, everyone else was either too afraid of what I’d do if they made me mad (I was the man who just took down the strongest man in the city after all).
“Now, now Sarina, your boy is pretty amazing, one of the most promising fighters I’ve seen in the city!” Uncle Chris took my side.
“I know how strong he is Christopher! He is my son, of course he is strong, but do you know what else is strong? The gargs! He is too overconfident, I can't just let him waltz off alone only to challenge a corrupted Fire Dragon and lose his life!”
“Mom I-”
“No Ray, this is not a conversation for you to participate in.” My mom cut me off.
A shiver ran down my spine, I’d never make the mistake of challenging her. Uncle Chris may be the strongest man in the city, but that was only because my mother was not included in the man category. So I quietly went to my room to listen to the argument through our walls.
“Sarina, the boy has worked far too long and far too tirelessly to deny him this opportunity he earned on his own.” The Old Man really had my back here, I’m thankful for him.
“Christopher is rig-” My dad tries to add.
“Darling?” Mom interjects.
I can’t even see the dining room but I can feel my mother’s cold stare on my father through my bedroom wall.
“Sarina, you say you won’t let him go alone?”
There’s a long pause before my mother finally said “That is what I said yes but…”
“Then let me take him! Just to the first town outside, and I’ll take him on his first outing into the deep to decide whether he is ready then.” Uncle Chris proposes. There is nobody my mother trusts more than her ex-party members. After all, they had all felt death’s breath on their necks together before.
“Are you sure you want to come out of retirement just for my son, Christopher? Is it even safe for you to leave Halsry?”
Halsry is a city full of ex-Divers and their families, the city is small but everyone here is extraordinarily strong, so it's exceedingly secure. Outsiders often seek protection behind the massive wall and sheer cliff face that protect the city but are turned away, it's a very selective group of people. Many people also come trying to challenge the many retired legends that live here, such as Christopher Olbeck, or Sarina Remory. If he were to leave the city it’d definitely be no small matter.
“I can disguise myself well enough, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better escort than myself.” He said. I was surprised Uncle Chris condoned letting me leave so heavily, it takes no small amount of courage to stand up to my mother.
“If it’s you I’m sending with him I guess I can trust it, but if you deem him unfit for becoming a Diver then you will both come home immediately.” It wasn’t a definite yes, but I doubt we could get her to budge much further. Still, if I proved myself once more I’d get to take my journey by myself!
When my mother came in to tell me of the decision, my happy face told her I was already listening in on the conversation. She put her face in her palm and sighs before finally looking up.
“Be safe out there, Ray.”
“I know mom.”
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