26 – Ed Longsocks

The sun was at its zenith.

His traps hadn’t caught anything today. Not a rabbit, not a bird, not even a goblin, though he’d planted them too close to the village for it to be a serious possibility.

At least, he hadn’t walked right into his traps, this time.

Ed rubbed his leg, the memory of the pain still fresh.

He stopped home, ate lunch, and returned outside. He had work to do. If he didn’t reach Silver by the end of next year… Everyone believed him to be a trapper. Not a very good one. But he had the excuse that he was a beginner.

He sneaked behind the house belonging to Bamir, the healer. The man wasn’t too attentive to who came and went. Even more so recently. There, he retrieved the axe he’d “borrowed” from his mom.

Careful not to be seen, he walked through the back alley, carefully avoiding the streets, to make his way to the plains. He’d built a training dummy for himself, just far enough from the village it wouldn’t get found out.

The grass was tall. Most villagers didn’t have the energy to clear the back of their houses. He heard a noise, and crouched to avoid attention. Slowly, he hid his axe under the growth.

Just in case.

“Ed?” A woman’s voice asked.

She’d seen him.

He stood up, hands empty, and smiled. “Hi.”

It was Mira. What was she doing here? He hid a grimace. He was right behind her house.

“Aren’t you a bit too old to sneak around like that?”

Ed scratched the back of his head, and laughed. “Ah, well, I’m only fifteen.”

Mira pouted. “Well, you almost scared me.” She shook her head. “But that’s fine.”

He waited. His axe was still hidden beneath the grass. He couldn’t train without it.

“You know,” Mira said as she knelt down. “I spoke with the new girl today.” She pulled a weed stuck to her house’s foundations. “She’s not that bad.”

“Really? I’ve heard rumors.”

“She’s a bit strange. Awkward, that’s for sure. But apparently she’s already killed a Mimethys and a Perub.”

Ed’s eyes went wide. “What? No way! What’s her class?”

Mira shrugged. “I haven’t asked. Nor should you. That’d be rude.”

“Of course.” Ed swallowed. “But you have a guess, don’t you?”

Mira shook her head. “Actually, I don’t. I have not seen her fight, and all she carries around is a sickle. Hardly a marker of a combat class.”

After a few more weeds, the woman rubbed her hands on her apron, and stood up. “All done.” She looked at Ed. “See you around.”

“Bye, Mira.”

As soon as she was out of sight, Ed recovered his axe and left the village making his way north-west. Soon, the village was out of sight. He stopped near a large rock, and recovered the dummy he’d hidden in a crevice.

Made out of linen stuffed with dry stems and grass, it wasn’t the ideal sparring partner. Still, it was the best he could do. Soon, he wouldn’t have to hide. But until then, it was better that nobody knew about his class.

Warrior. He’d gone against his mother’s wishes and selected the Warrior class on his birthday. He wasn’t going to let his family’s lack of ambition hold him back. After Marick, someone would need to lead Lanterne. That someone would be him: Ed Longsocks.

Unless his mother found out, and forced him to change his class, erasing most of his progress save for a few skills.

Ed placed the dummy on a flat section, and started his routine. Axe in hands, he struck, stopping before his hits connected so as to not damage his target.

Level ten. He wouldn’t tell them until he reached level ten. By then, he’d be strong enough to convince Marick to teach him. And once the chief took him under his wing, nobody could stop him.

He swung his axe at the dummy’s neck. His movements were precise, with little wasted energy, his control sharp. Right before the blade would have made contact, he pulled back.

Again.

The axe was heavy, his muscles were straining under the effort. This time, he aimed for the legs, and felt his power wane as his axe approached his target. He adjusted his stance.

That was the reason he needed guidance. With Axe Mastery helping him, he could rely on himself to improve, but that would only take him so far. The teachings of a skilled warrior would accelerate his growth.

It would come when the time was right.

When he stopped to take a break, his body was covered in sweat. He’d removed his top to save himself a laundry chore. The sun was hitting his chest, but he spotted clouds in the distance. They were still far away. It wouldn’t rain until tonight.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author’s preferred platform and support their work!

Ed sat down on the rock, axe resting horizontally on his legs. He ran his finger on the edge of the blade, drawing a drop of blood, and dropped it on the side of his blade. The metal shifted, allowing engravings to appear.

Axe Mastery 9 -> 10

“Finally. I’m getting close to my first uncommon skill.”

He looked at his full status.

Name: Ed Longsocks

Class: Warrior

Rank: Bronze

Level: 5 (71/250)

Strength (STR): 21

Dexterity (DEX): 13