The Trinity of Heroes (I Will Protect You Book 1) (34 page)

Upon hearing his new title Galvan lowered his head and bowed deeply.

Mason continued, “This one time, I will reverse the years of aging that you have experienced here. When you return to your world, it will be as though all of this were but a dream. However, you and I both know otherwise. You and I both know that you spent well over fifty years dedicating yourself to training with me. Remember, Galvan, I will only do this for you once. It is a curse, not a gift…. Immortality; oh how I wish I could go back…I was so young then.”

“Thank you, Master Hex!” Galvan exclaimed graciously, still bowing to the great sage.

Hex waved his hand over Galvan’s face. “The old become young again.”

The effects of aging on Galvan’s body were reversed; his scraggly, gray hair became clean and cropped, and his wrinkled skin became firm and tightened.

“Now, Galvan, I want you to place your hand over my heart and imagine yourself gripping my spirit. I won’t be able to speak from this body after you have done this, so make sure you follow my instructions very closely. Take my spirit and place it onto Jameson here. After you see my spirit become absorbed by his being, no matter how hard this may be, I want you to leave my body here and return to Haile. I want you to save your people, your city, and your lands. At the end of it all, return to the Everglen and restore it. Can you do that, Galvan?”

“Yes, Master. I can, and I will.”

Mason looked to Galvan one last time as he placed his hands at his sides, and bared his chest. “Then proceed, Master Galvan.”

Master! He called me Master! Is this what it feels like? Am I really worthy?

Galvan placed his hand on Mason’s chest and imagined gripping his very being. Galvan watched as a faint light began to glow in his hand. He could see an outline in the shape of Mason’s body beginning to stretch out from his physical form. The outline resonated a bright blue hue as Galvan pulled it farther and farther away from Mason’s body. Finally, it broke free. Mason’s body collapsed lifelessly in a heap on the ground. Galvan compressed the spirit by pushing it together with both hands. He formed it into a small, glowing sphere. He placed it gently on the back of Jameson and watched as it was absorbed into the creature shortly thereafter.

Galvan sat alone in silence for a long while, still grasping the concept of what he had done. Suddenly, a squeaky voice came from below, “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go, Galvan!”

Galvan looked down and saw the hedgehog standing on its hind legs pointing to the stream as it jumped up and down. “It’s time to leave, Galvan. Catherine is in trouble, we have to save her!” Jameson ran over to the stream and sat nearby awaiting his new master’s approach.

Galvan made his way to his feet and approached the stream. Jameson quickly and quietly made his way up onto Galvan’s sleeve. He jumped down into his pocket and said, “Now, Galvan, close your eyes and imagine your destination. Imagine yourself in Broken Wing Pass!”

Galvan closed his eyes and when he opened them, he stood alone in the center of a gaping chasm, surrounded by stone and dirt. He had teleported to Broken Wing Pass. His destiny awaited him.

Jerreth somberly walked away from the funeral pyre and sat against the base of a nearby tree. Lawrence soon joined him. There was an intense silence between the two. Neither of them said anything for a long time. Lawrence just couldn’t get his mother’s last words out of his mind.
Please forgive him. Haile needs you both now more than ever.

Lawrence harbored a deep resentment over his father’s past actions.
They’ve taken my mother, they’ve taken my city, they’ve even taken my girlfriend…what am I going to do? Those demons are unlike anything I have ever faced in my entire life. No matter how many times we killed them, they just kept coming back. I left her…I left Elsie…I ran in the face of danger, I’m a coward.

“Son!” Jerreth’s booming and very serious voice cut through the still air. It broke Lawrence from his self-pity and reminded him that there was still a battle to be fought. The hint of confidence that had returned to Jerreth’s voice gave Lawrence a glimmer of hope. “It’s time that you and I talked.” Jerreth motioned for Lawrence to inch closer to him.

Lawrence was still hesitant, but finally obliged his father’s request. He hunched his shoulders as he shifted his way closer to his father.

“Son, when I first joined the Knight Guard, there were a lot of things that scared me. I hated spiders, and still do to this day. But more importantly, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to protect my city from evil, or Sora forbid, from itself. When I was about eighteen years old, before I really came into my own, and before I met your mother, I struggled greatly over who I wanted to become and what my true purpose was.” He paused for a moment, just long enough for Lawrence to get a couple of words in.

“You struggled, Father? I have only ever heard stories about how strong and brave you were.”

“Listen, son, no one starts off at the top; you have to go through a lot of trials and tribulations before you reach that point. Look at me; I got beaten many times before I ever won a fight. I’ll never forget the time that Sabre and I snuck into-”

Lawrence interrupted, “Wait, you worked with Sabre?!”

“Of course I did, Sabre trained me,” Jerreth said.

Lawrence couldn’t believe his ears; his mentor had also trained his father. Even more importantly, his father had
needed
training. “I was squired to Sabre when I joined the Knight Guard. He has a very interesting way of training, that’s for sure,” Lawrence opined.

Jerreth nodded his head. “I thought so…. Son, I know this may be hard to believe, but back then Sabre Grey was an elite Knight. The only thing that topped his number of victories was the number of brews he drank afterwards. Sabre was the greatest Knight of his generation, and from the looks of it, he’s still up to his old tricks.” Jerreth smiled because he knew that Sabre had instilled in his son the same sense of purpose that Sabre had instilled in him when he was a squire.

Jerreth knew that running away was the wrong thing to do, and if it meant spending the rest of his life to atone, he would do it. “I realize that you did what you had to do back there with good intentions, and I can assure you that everyone else in Haile does too. Sure there will be those that talk about you, and how you ran away, but you did so for good reason didn’t you…not like me.”

“Father…?”

“Lawrence, listen to me; we all make mistakes. We are only human after all. Just remember the one thing that separates a man from a boy: a man will always own up to his mistakes and make things right. A
real
man never turns his back on his people; a real man always does what’s right. Even if sometimes it seems like that man doesn’t care, deep down he does. Son, there is something I want to give you. It is my hope that it will serve you even better than it did me. It is something that I have carried with me since before you were born, and it is very precious to me.”

Jerreth stood up and made his way over to a pile of equipment that lay nearby and rummaged through it until he pulled out the massive sword that he had used to slaughter the wurm. ”Son, this sword is very special,” Jerreth explained. “This is an enchanted two handed sword that can easily be swung with only one hand. I call it ‘Einhander.’” He swung the sword effortlessly with one hand, demonstrating the sword’s incredible balance and craftsmanship.

“Einhander?”

“Yes, son, this very sword has saved my life more than once,” Jerreth explained. “Do you remember the stories about Necromancer Ghast and his evil army? When Sabre and I rode against him, there was nothing more instrumental in defeating him than this weapon.” He held the sword in front of him, showing it to Lawrence.

The blade glistened as Jerreth held it up and offered it to his son. Lawrence obliged and grabbed the weapon. As Lawrence took the sword in his hands, he was shocked by how light it was. He looked at his father in bewilderment. “Father, this blade feels like it would shatter into pieces if I hit something with it.”

Jerreth laughed as he proceeded to educate his son. “I thought the very same thing when an anonymous blacksmith first handed the blade to me. According to the mysterious blacksmith, there is rare powdered dragon’s fang mixed in with the steel used in this sword, giving it its magical properties. It is even lighter than most one-handed longswords, and hits with the force and ferocity of a two handed sword. Trust me, son; in the heat of battle, it’s a real advantage to swing a powerful sword without becoming fatigued.”

Lawrence looked over the mighty sword; its golden handle felt like it was made just for him as he gripped it with both hands. He swung it easily with two hands, and then tried it with one. He couldn’t believe how effortlessly he swung the sword with only one hand. His eyes traced the golden handle to its hilt where its blade sat forged in place. His eyes continued to the blade, heavy gray steel that had a slight white hue to it, making it look as though it were almost glowing. “This is a great weapon, Father; I wish I had one just like it.”

“I think perhaps you misheard me, son. This sword now belongs to you. Unbuckle your longsword and give it to me.” Jerreth extended his hand to ask for Lawrence’s sword.

Lawrence was shocked and he defensively took a step back. “Father, I cannot take this from you.”

Jerreth took a step toward his son. “Lawrence, in the battle to come you are sure to face many demons. I will start facing my own demons right now by making things right with you. I want you to take my sword, and my word, that from this day forth, Jerreth Sanctus fights for Haile once again!”

Lawrence unbuckled his longsword. He handed it over to Jerreth who fastened it to his own belt.

“Well, it’s been a long time since I wore a blade like this; it’s going to take some getting used to. Lawrence, Einhander looks great in your hands.”

Lawrence didn’t know how to respond. His father had told him that the blade was enchanted. Lawrence had heard tales of some of the strongest swords in the lands, but he never imagined that he would ever get to hold one, let alone use one. Lawrence was entranced by the blade’s beauty and how unbelievably light it felt in his hands.

“So, let me get this straight. You’re telling me that when I hit something with this sword, it’s going to impact like that of a real zweihander?” Lawrence questioned his father.

“Yes, son, if you don’t believe me, try it out on that tree over there,” Jerreth instructed, motioning to a nearby pine tree about eight inches in diameter. “I bet you twenty cryn that if you swing that sword like you would your longsword, you will chop that tree right in half.”

Lawrence gripped the sword with one hand, still fumbling with it a little as the feel and size of the blade was still a bit unfamiliar to him. He approached the tree and took his stance. Lawrence closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about everything that had happened in his life up until this point. He thought of his training and of his dead mother. He thought of the Pyre family and the serious relationship he had with Elsie. He worried for Benni’s safety, not knowing if he had survived the attack or not. Lawrence even pitied Razzius, the man who turned his back on his people and now led an army of dark evil against Haile. However, the one thing he thought about most of all was the return of the exiled one, Phillip Arcel Galexia. Phillip had charged Haile with the evil army, and before Lawrence could respond, it had consumed his entire city. The only thing Lawrence could do was ride away with his mother, leaving the citizens to fend for themselves. He wondered if the Pyre family was safe, or even still alive. His stomach churned at the thoughts of the horrors that awaited the survivors in the dungeon of Knights Runn. Lawrence harnessed his energy and his thoughts. Finally, he opened his eyes. A fire of determination burned brighter than ever before as he readied to swing his new weapon.

“Hiyah!” he called out through the sprawling forest as he swung the mighty sword. The sword hit the tree and glided through its trunk like butter. Lawrence stood there for a moment, in shock at what he had just witnessed. The tree didn’t move, didn’t waver. He thought for a second that he had missed it completely. Then it began to fall. The tree toppled over, revealing a clean cut right through the middle.

“That’s my boy!” Jerreth shouted in excitement. He ran over to Lawrence and congratulated him. “I knew you could do it!”

Lawrence beamed at his father’s adulation. “Father, this weapon is incredible. I feel as though I don’t deserve it.”

“I know you will use it for good, for justice. Think of this as a tool with which to protect the ones you love, and the things you treasure most.”

“The things I treasure the most? Yes, I think I can do that, Father,” Lawrence responded, swinging the sword a few more times.

Their conversation continued, the two men finally forging some common ground and understanding. Lawrence realized that his father still loved him very much, and wanted badly to repair the damage to their relationship that he had caused. Jerreth became a tutor and went over the basics of fighting with the Einhander with Lawrence. Lawrence relished the opportunity to finally train with the legendary Knight. He felt contented that he had finally attained, in his own mind, at least a semblance of understanding with his father.

The two men finally lay down to rest for the evening, knowing that the next day would require all their strength. Jerreth whistled shrilly, and a fiery red steed emerged from the surrounding woods. Lawrence stared in awe at the animal, mesmerized by its red-orange coat and long, swaying mane. The horse neighed playfully as it trotted up to Jerreth who caressed its slender snout. Lawrence recognized the horse as Jerreth’s trusted steed. It had survived for five years here in the wilderness with him.

The night grew darker; the dawn loomed nearer. Lawrence lay there on his side looking at the pile of smoldering wood and ashes from the funeral pyre. His thoughts danced in the embers.
What if I’m still not strong enough? What if I fail again? What will happen to all of those people that I care about? What will happen to Elsie? What about her dreams and aspirations? I have to protect them! No matter what, I have to save them! Tomorrow, I ride to Haile to take back my city! Tomorrow, I fight for my home!