The Shadow of the Accursed Executioner

Chapter 10: The Realm

11 Years earlier, The Capital of the Realm

Days Before the Raid of Pillagers: Two

Sparks rained off from the face of a freshly forged blade, as I clash against the steel once more of blazing-hot magma. For the shaping of the blade was complete, now as I place the blade into a slack tub of simmering water. As Kiah Furswall, my noble lord, (the lord of this sector within these parts of the peasant-homes of the realm), widened the wooden doors of the shop with her relentless, yet frail arms as they close behind her with a faint clang and a creaky rumble. She approached a finely display of refined swords then stares at the blades. Now she raised her elderly hand toward the grip of an ordinary blade, which was small and plain, a little dull, especially for a noble lord as she wields it, the hilt, now staring at the blade with her vague and uncaring expression.
"Have you given it some thought, lately?" She asked, as she tilts the blade downward with her wrist then stares along the blade.
Yet, without even a care to look, not even to seemingly acknowledge the presence of my own noble lord in my own shop, I continued along with my work in subtly.
"No." I said. Then eventually I placed my hammer down beside my anvil, continuing. "Fighting is a devil's game, kiah. I will never lift a sword."
Then she hung the sword over the display. "Yet, you choose to become a blacksmith. Why?"
Then eventually I turn my eyes toward Kiah, my noble lord, as I stare down, pondering.
"Because I...like this." I answered, admitting. "This... I...enjoy this."
Then she continues to stare, to watch me work for a moment. Then she stepped closer to rest her hand over my shoulder-to touch me with her light and frail hand, I thought, (for she was never this nice), her hand, had froze me in place from her gentle touch.
"We need more fighters." Kiah said, with truthfulness. "The king's blacksmith will forge all the protection this realm needs."
"But we have the knights, who protect the realm." I argued. "We also have the sentries, who protect the people. Not to mention the Black Suns as well."
"The Black Suns..." She mocked my words, rolling her eyes as she turns away. "The Black Suns, 'shadows who fight for the king and the people'..." She lectured. "The Black Suns have lost their cause and purpose as assassins under the king. They've lost their ways... Whispers have spoke of them as mercenaries outside the walls of the realm now. If so, then I wish them the best beyond I suppose..."
"We still have the sentries." I added.
"Oh please, the sentries are no fighters. Just prison-beaters, glorified men behind shells of steel."
"Surely, you at least don't think of the knights of the King's Court, who protect the realm, in the same manner as the Sentries and Black Suns."
"Ah, oh yes, no." She frowned with false amusement. "The knights are the true heroes and fighters." She admitted.
Then Kiah strolls toward the opposing end of the shop, to gaze at a shield from amongst the many displays, which was a silver kite shield, the same shield used by the knights of the realm. She stared into its raw, dreamy silver, still shining as if the sun had hid within the sheen of its face.
"...There are not enough knights to protect the realm." She said, turning away from the shield to stare back. "They, are the true fighters of the realm. But barely, we have no army."
Then Kiah glanced about the shop once more.
"We have a wall but no army..." She said, along with a faint sigh, a sliver of sadness had poured from her voice.
But now she wondered about in silence as she stares away, to look as if she were about to leave the store, somewhat.
"It's always the same..." She spoke.
"..."
"Once it effects one, the child will bare it..."
I continued along in silence, now, but she instead, had confronted me before the anvil, her shadow blanketing over my body.
"Don't you feel anything inside?" She asked, her eyes began to glow. "No burning heart for justice? No boiling blood from what happened to her on that night?"
Then I stared away from her eyes-to dread her next words, once more.
"They made your father watch her for weeks." Now, she spoke furiously. "As they...bashed him for weeks whilst they squirted inside your mother's belly-!"
"Enough of that, Kiah..." I spoke with strong composure, as she had mentioned the same story-the same tragic death about how my mother had died beyond the walls of the realm.
She backed away from the anvil.
"It's the only reason why I ask, if you ever decide to become a fighter. You may have what it takes to become a Knight of the Realm, with a bit of luck."
Then Kiah strolled away in her laced boots toward the door. She wore a fine gown in full black, with a veil revealing only her nonchalant face.
"I was lucky." I spoke sudden, from a short silence.
As Kiah stopped in her place before the doors.
"Mother and father... They would always leave me before they ventured beyond the realm. To leave me with their noble lord." I confessed. "Thank you, Kiah. You were the one who persuaded them not bring children beyond the walls of the realm. And for that I thank you...for choosing to raise me here instead."
She carefully pulled against a wooden cross attached to the left door of the shop's entrance, (a new type of handle, I, had recently created, replacing my own door from the many ringed handles still used across the Capital of the Realm within the peasant and noble homes).
For Kiah's dull confusion had stretched my mouth with a faintly wondrous, yet mischievous grin.
"Remember, Kiah. You need to twist the new handle."
Then she rumbled the wooden door to reveal the light of the world's, yet faint-blue air of clouded skies, piercing through as white rays, of bare light. Then she turns back to stare toward me with a vague sight, as she held back the left door by the cross-shaped handle from amongst the double doors of the shop.
"If I wasn't an old and frail girl, and not raised by golden plates and silver spoons, the Pillagers would all be gone by now, if you ask me..."
Then she peers off, out through the door.
"The handsome one... H-He's still here??" Kiah said, amazed, astonished, as she stares back into the shop. And yet even for Kiah, she, was somewhat impressed by his patience. "And just so you know, he's been waiting for you all morning."
For Kiah's mentioning of him returning once more was enough to excite me as she departs from the shop.
He, had finally come back.
As now, I had pause all my work for the day and, knowing now that at least the swords were complete, I headed for the doors with a key beneath my tunic, now locking the doors and, to finally see him once more.