[THE WEEPING FOREST, INTERIOR REGION]
Jacender, Aleximus, and Hidemi watched Nahasch rise from his throne, take a stand in front of a line of weeping trees and stick his arm out.
Just like they'd seen him do several times before, energy coiled around his fingers and spread about the trees, until they had all been covered.
The trees shook terribly and started shortening before their eyes, and then before Aleximus had realized the difference, the trunks took humanoid shape.
"What–!" Jace flinched. Next to him, Hidemi's surprised eyes widened as he murmured, "Owa!" and raised his trembling arm
As if by some miracle, from where the trees once stood, emerged several dozen dwarves — each one with different colored hair but all with a striking beard or a goatee. Each of their faces wore dried tears and were caught in the middle of crying before they shrieked in unison.
"PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"
"—N-NO!"
"AGHHH!!"
"WHY?! WHHHY?!"
"These are dwarves who were banished from Xastol over the last hundred years and found their way into this forest," Nahasch explained to them. In the background, the freed dwarves crashed to the floor and cowered in fear, whispering to themselves as they did so. It seemed they were not yet aware they had been let go and thought they were still pleading for their lives with the lord who had long since frozen them.
"I found that turning them into trees serving as warnings for other fools with ideas of approaching these woods would prove more useful than killing them."
All three boys stuck out their tongues, showcasing their disgust, and stepped back. "That's horrible!" Jace yelled and crossed his arms into an X. "You can't just turn people into trees, you freaky bastard!"
Nahasch looked at him with an innocent, uncaring face and shrugged.
"At least say something!" Jace shouted comically.
"There is no time for explanation," Nahasch said as he beckoned the forest animals forward. "We must act with haste."
The tree dwarves jumped back together, finally registering what was happening, and nearly sobbed at the sight of the fearsome animals. Most of them had never been outside Xastol's walls before and were forced to meet their end here in the Weeping Forest at the hands of this dark entity. Hidemi seemed to be the only one to understand their fright.
"Ahn!" He grunted, taking a stand with the dwarfs and pointing accusingly at the forest creatures. He shook his head, pouted seriously, and turned his pointed finger into a thumbs down. "Owa! Owa wa, wah wo!" he spluttered indistinctly.
"Uh…" Jace's brow rose, "...That's right! You tell 'em, Hidemi!"
Nahasch sighed. "As you wish. I will give them a chance to choose."
Hidemi's frown flipped into a large grin as he shouted, "Owa!", before turning his attention back to the group of dwarves behind him. He raised both his hands in a "don't worry, you're safe," way and let Nahasch take over.
"You must be wondering why you're here," the lord started. "The answer is simple. That boy there, Hidemi Murong, is in need of your help. Because of him, your lives were saved."
One of the dwarfs in the front, a silver-haired young man with bushy, arrow-like eyebrows, stammered, "W-What does he n-need from u-us?"
"Y-Yeah!" another added. "How c-can we trust you?!"
"For one, you have been freed. But I must confess I am reconsidering that." Nahasch told them. "Secondly, you are being given a chance to get your revenge against the people who exiled you here."
Their eyes widened as each of them thought back to the formidably powerful walls of Xastol and its sentries. "You mean—"
"Yeah," Jace cut in. He approached Hidemi and rested his arm on his shoulder. "We're gonna be helping Hidemi here win that Dwanivit a month from now! And we need your help to do it!"
"H-Hidemi..?" the silver-haired dwarf responded. "By any chance… Are you master Ivan's son, Hidemi Murong?!"
"You know him?" Jace asked with a creased brow.
"PLEASE!" the dwarf cut in with wide eyes. "How… How old are you?!"
Hidemi raised his fingers and formed a twelve, causing all the dwarves to chatter loudly amongst themselves.
The silver-haired one staggered forward and bowed as deep as his head would allow. "Young master! My name is Shao Liwu, and I-I used to be a loyal follower of your fathers! I, as well as a handful of others here, assisted him many years ago in becoming a Paragon! We were banished due to our continued loyalty to the master and were forced by Grand Elder Dwygrand to leave Xastol before you were born and enter the Weeping Forest!"
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he hiccuped. "What fortune… To think that it would be his son to save us again all this time later…"
Hidemi knelt on the floor and put his arm around Shao's head. He remained like that for a few moments, hugging him gingerly before he let go. "...Owa…" he grinned while extending his hand to him. Shao accepted and rose with his young master. The message was clear:
Hidemi was thanking him.
"B-But," another dwarf stammered, "What of Master Ivan himself? Is he alright? And lady Gwentyn?!"
Nahasch shook his head. "Gwentyn Sora died shortly after giving birth to Hidemi. As for Ivan, he has been held deep within Jianyu Prison for several months now without access to Sanctum Energy."
"What?!" they all stirred. "How could that be?!"
Nahasch's eyes became serious. "Three months ago, on December twenty-first, Ivan Murong: the former Speaker of Xastol's council as well as the acting Paragon of Iron Forges… was arrested on grounds of the murder of his fellow councilperson, Ruo Murong — his elder brother."
Anger and confusion swept through the dwarfs like wildfire. They all jumped to their feet, shouting curses regarding Xastol, and collectively released their Sanctum Energy. They had completely forgotten their fear of Nahasch.
"Murder?" Shao spat incredulously. "Don't make me laugh! Our master would never do such a thing! Do you know what family means to him?!"
"Right! Something else must be afoot! We must bring about justice!"
"YEAH!!"
"So what?" Aleximus finally spoke. He blocked their way and scoffed. "Are you gonna storm that wall and fight? You'll be shot down before you even see the other side."
A stifled grunt rippled amongst them, not a single one able to retort.
"I thought so. You're builders — creative people, right? So start acting like it. Hidemi needs teachers; people who can give him a leg up on the other Dwanivit participants in a single month. Nahasch obviously brought you out here because you're loyal to his dad, but I'm not so convinced. If you were really loyal, you wouldn't throw away your lives so easily."
An older dwarf pushed past the others and scowled. "Shut your mouth, brat! We are loyal! That's why we must—"
"—Then prove it!" Aleximus snarled back. "Train Hidemi! Make him strong enough to prove to those stupid elders that Ivan's way isn't wrong! That we can work together! That is how you get revenge! Got it?!"
Jacender smiled proudly. His brother's words had gotten through to the dwarves. They all hung their heads in shame, unable to look at Hidemi.
"Now, now," Shao said, resting his arm against the shoulder of the older dwarf. "The boy is right. Master Ivan would have never tolerated fighting — especially amongst dwarves. The system must be changed from the inside. We must leave no room for argument."
The others nodded in unison. The older dwarf, who had been on the verge of tears, wiped his face and drew in a deep breath. "Boy," he said, facing Aleximus. "I was wrong and impulsive. Your words hold truth and wisdom beyond your years. I thank you."
Aleximus turned around with a "Hmph," and stepped to the side. "Whatever."
Shao faced Nahasch — the others following suit — and bowed respectfully to the lord. "We thank Your Excellency for reuniting us with our master's son!" he shouted. Their eyes were serious and focused now. No longer were there any doubts in their convictions. "The depths of our gratitude can not be expressed in words! We will train the young master with all our ability and bring him to the rank of Stieli! Our master will be freed!"
"Good. You seem more assured now," Nahasch smirked.
BHOOHM!!
Springing from the ground behind the dwarfs, several stone structures rose and replaced the tree areas where they had been released from and looped around deeper into the forest until a sleek, oak fence formed. Behind the fence, steel ore from deep rumbled and shot upwards like pillars and broke apart to form cozy, one-story homes. The trees on the outer edges of the fence dissolved into energy and nestled comfortably at the top of each house, becoming roofs as they took solid form once again.
"I have supplied you with all the materials you will need for the next month," Nahasch told them. "You are to train this boy and sharpen his skills with the intention of surpassing his father."
"Huh?" the dwarfs murmured. "We can train him well, but to surpass Ivan..? Can something like that even be done in a month?"
"Yes. I even believe that Hidemi can… play the Song of Arsaes."
A sharp gasp left each of their lips. This child, not yet a man, could he truly play the sacred Song of Arsaes; Something that could only be played by the chosen successor of Arsaes himself? It was nothing but a myth at this point to many dwarves; Something embedded deep within their lore and culture to serve as motivation for their younger Sanctum-Smiths.
But would the lord lie to them without reason? "No", was what they finally settled on.
Shao grabbed Hidemi and threw him over his shoulder. "Please excuse me, young master, but it's imperative that we begin now."
"Huh?!" Hidemi fussed as they took his away towards the small village Nahasch had constructed.
"Do not resist, young Murong," Nahasch instructed him. "Build your path with your own two hands. You, Hidemi Murong, must be the change."
It was the same thing he had told the boy when Jacender and Aleximus had begun their Sanctum Emergence test. Hidemi was slowly beginning to understand the contents of his words.
The boy nodded and allowed himself to be carried away by his father's supporters.
"HIDEMI!!" Jace shouted. He cupped his hands around his mouth and drew in a deep breath. "WHEN WE SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN, WE'LL BOTH BE STRONGER, GOT IT?! DON'T LET US DOWN!!!"
Hidemi's eyes glimmered with hope as he read his lips; Hope of a promise to be kept between friends.
The unmistakable feeling of excitement ran through his body as he grinned and caused his Sanctum Energy to raise his hair. He cocked back his fist over Shao's shoulder and threw it forward into the air with a resolute, "OWA!!"
The message was clear even though they couldn't communicate:
A confident, "YOU GOT IT!"
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[XASTOL CITY, IRON-HAMMER FORGE — LATER THAT NIGHT]
Iron-Hammer Forge was a large multi-room Sanctum-Smithing area in Xastol city comprised of three buildings. To train there, one needed the mindset and skill necessary to remain in one of the forge's scorching hot rooms for the period of time they'd reserved it for. Of course, the time period could never exceed eight hours in case someone were to collapse due to exhaustion and heat fatigue.
Hisagi Murong, age thirteen, had been forging for nearly twelve hours straight in his private room.
A large, roaring forge shaped in the form of a giant hammer crackled hungrily as it heated up the metal chunks he'd left to heat and meld together. The chamber itself was a large room hanging with black-iron banners wearing the Murong clan symbol and a few vents meant to disperse the hot air back outside through the forge's interior system. However, due to the amount of time he'd already spent in there, Hisagi's vents were pried open by his own hand with their functions inverted to hold the room's heat in place and not let it escape. He'd worked too hard to reach his desired temperature to let it go now. Hisagi Murong was a creature of habit — hardworking to the bone.
"Tsk!" he grunted, raising his hammer and bringing it down on the flattened ore he'd been working on: an ore named Twinkling Pleoritie — known for its incredibly malleable properties. It was proving a problem for him to dispel its black-spotted impurities without getting its shape to break. The heat was the only thing that he knew would help.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Hisagi's face, a mix of irritation and weariness, looked to be consumed by his work. But the truth was that his thoughts were consumed by something else. Frustration.
It all dated back several hours before he had entered his smithing room — when his uncles, the counselors, had told him the news that Hidemi would be joining the upcoming Dwanivit.
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[XASTOL CITY, DRAGON'S BREATH TOWER, TOP FLOOR — TWELVE HOURS AGO]
"That's ridiculous!" Hisagi had shouted when presented with the news. "Why, uncle?! Why would you allow this?!"
Gido held up his hands and gave him a sharp look. "Calm yourself, Hisagi. I understand your frustration, but I will not remind you who you stood before. Here, we are the council of Xastol, and you will address us correctly!"
"Quite right," Huin added while shifting his glasses. "Any decision we make, we do not make it lightly."
He pulled a slab of metal ore from his sleeve and handed it to the boy. "What you must do now is prepare yourself for the Dwanivit. If we are to keep the boy and his father outside of Xastol forever, we must depend on you to be the final wall he cannot surpass. You are the culmination of Xastol's younger generation; the brightest and most talented Sanctum-Smith we've been able to nurture."
Hisagi begrudgingly accepted the ore and lowered his head.
"This Twinkling Pleoritite will be the first of many investments we will give you over the next few weeks. The clan is depending on you, Hisagi — We are depending on you. Do not fail our expectations; Make us proud."
Hisagi clenched his jaw and nodded without meeting his uncle's gaze. There was nothing he could do or say. The law was absolute.
"...Yes, councelors."
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[XASTOL CITY, IRON-HAMMER FORGE — PRESENT]
Damn it all! Hisagi shouted to himself. Damn all of it!
He brought his hammer down again, his frustration reaching its boiling point, and aimed to strike the very core of the Pleoritite. However, distracted due to his thoughts, when his hammer came down again, he struck his thumb with the tip of his hammer and roared hellishly.
The tool dropped to his feet with a clungk as he winced. He glanced at the Twinkling Pleoritite and watched its outstretched form shrink back into a slab — all his hard work becoming undone in seconds.
Hisagi exhaled and dropped to the floor next to his hammer. On the side of his table sat a switch used to control the forge's heat. He pressed it and rested against the table's leg, watching the heat he'd spent so long cultivating disappear within moments. Once again, he'd failed to meet his own expectations.
"Damn it all…" he whispered to himself. His eyes watered at the sight of the dying fire as he covered his trembling mouth.
What would father say? He asked himself. What kind of dwarf am I? How can I live up to everyone's expectations with such meager skill?! I'm useless, damn it!!
He unloosened his armguards and thought about his father, Ruo. He was a stern man who could always be found drinking alcohol. He was bold and arrogant, and expected great things from Hisagi no matter what. His son took pride in making him happy with his abilities.
Hisagi remembered reaching the rank of Koda, second rank Sanctum-Smith, just a year prior at the age of twelve and how his father had boasted to all the other counselors and city people about his achievements.
"That's my boy!" he'd say. "An exemplary dwarf indeed! Much better than Ivan's brat anyway!"
Hisagi removed his hand from his arm-guard lace and paused. His uncle's voice reverberated in his mind:
"The clan is depending on you, Hisagi — We are depending on you. Do not fail our expectations; Make us proud."
A teardrop fell onto the back of his hand. Then another. Then another.
"Father…" he sobbed quietly. "I…"
"OWA!" a familiar voice rang in his ears. He inhaled sharply and looked to his left and right, realizing there was no one there. He knew who the voice belonged to and thought of Hidemi's face.
Hisagi recalled a scene from years ago: Hidemi and himself sitting deep within Arsaes Park, huddled around a black-gold stone tablet with large grins affixed to each of their faces. Hidemi had pointed at one of the markings on the tablet questioningly and leaned in close to get an answer from him. Hisagi had blushed and smirked, happy that he could help him out with an answer, and directed their attention back down.
Why..? Why am I thinking about that now, after all this time? Damn it…
Hisagi looped his loose armguard lace back into its eyelet and tied it tightly using his mouth. What am I doing..? Getting caught up on the past like this? Tsk!
He picked up his fallen hammer and rose to his feet, clicking his table's button once again.
GRRRRRUHHHH!!
The forge burst back to life, its fires rejuvenating within seconds.
Hisagi rested his hammer down on the table and slapped his face as hard as he could. Expectations? Failure? It's all nonsense!
His silver-brown Sanctum Energy rushed forward from his arms and climbed about the rest of his body until he was wrapped in it like a protective seal.
"I…" he raised his fist, focusing on the Pleoritite. "...am Hisagi Murong!"
CRAAAACK!!!
His first came down on the ore, splitting it in two and dispelling all of its black spots with a single blow. Forget the law… Forget the council! In this upcoming Dwanivit… I will rank first — for me!!
He tossed the broken down Pleoritite into the bucket in the forge so it would melt down and took out another piece from the burlap sack on his waist.
I'll show you all what it means to be a dwarf! I'll crush Hidemi's spirit and advance as Arsaes's true successor!!
Hisagi wrapped his fingers back around the handle of his hammer again and raised it triumphantly. He was, after all, a creature of habit; Hardworking to the bone.
[PREPARATION]