I was travelling with Reken, and some other of my cousins. But they were mostly distant, connected rather back with grandfather's bloodline, or even older than that. Being one of the oldest houses, it was rather a big and very complex family tree and that meant that its roots stretched even to other houses.
Those families were smaller, and couldn't inherit the name, because of something about pure bloodline. And that wasn't something I got to know from the system.
I was sitting in the carriage, with my cousin brother Reken, who was immersed in an old book. The book was torn from many places, and rugged with age. But Reken was immersed so deeply that it reminded me of my own study days.
The sweet days of struggle and pain. Really, I hated it with all my guts, but what else could I do.
A man must do what he gotta do.
"Say Reken… Brother. Is the head of the family really going to be present there… And the price you told me about. What was that?"
I asked for an infinite time. I have already perplexed him with all my questions in the journey. We both were sitting in a carriage, and it was being pulled by some of the biggest and muscular horses I had seen as of date. After all, there was nothing else to pass time.
And learning more about the world and the family seemed more appropriate.
Regen slightly lifted his eyes from the book and glared at me.
"No one is asking for any price. It's a prize you stupid brother of mine."
"Right right. Prize it was, so what about a lava crawler being a prize." I asked awkwardly.
"Seken."
"Yes."
"Are you sure you are not pulling my leg?"
"No brother definitely not, after all I don't even have that much strength to even think about it."
"Seken."
"Yes brother."
"Shut up."
I shut my mouth immediately. Regen resumed reading his book, while I just decided to look out from the carriage.
The wind hit me immediately like a friendly bypasser. I strained my eyes, to look at the two horses, reining our carriage. I had seen their character window and got to know that both of these horses were twins and not just that, they complimented each other.
They were out of ordinary and moved in sync with each other. Though I had been quite skeptical, when Reken's official Guard had called them young.
Looking back, a few other carriages were being pulled by other horses. They weren't of the same stature but they were majestic nonetheless.
"Kokun, Sodor, you are killing it. Keep it up." Meanwhile I shouted to boost the morale of the twin horses.
"Hey!" My brother called me from inside.
"Yeah," I immediately got in.
'Aren't you a bit chatty today." Regen looked at me with unbridled suspicion.
"Huh," I asked, feigning ignorance. Inside I was starting to sweat. Was I grabbing too much attention?
"Don't huh me. Answer me." Regen looked at me in seriousness.
I looked around the passing trees, and then stared straight at him.
"I wanted to keep my mind off it. You know, I thought this journey will at least bring me something helpful. That's why I am trying to experience everybit of it."
Regen looked surprised, but then he immediately smiled.
"The prize is a sword bead. It contains the finest teaching that one can get without needing a teacher. A very precious artifact for those, who don't have orthodox teachings like we do. That's why the tributary is held every year."
"That sounds powerful."
"It is. Get ready, we will be reaching the city anytime now."
Regen started packing his book, in one of the pouches, that was made from the combination of leather and metal.
Quite an unusual backpack.
It didn't take long before we started seeing people with their own carriages, and other pulling carts, walking in the same direction as us.
The roads were not developed like they did in the real world, but they were good nonetheless.
I stretched my body, after getting out of the carriage. Regen's guard had told something about paperwork and accommodations.
The other warriors of the family were gone with him, leaving me and Regen, who insisted that we watched the market together.
The city had been surrounded by proper walls, erected with the help of heavy stones, mended and polished together to make a strong foundation. Senetry stood on the walls, guarding and looking for any possibility of intruders. In Fact I was quite surprised to see them wielding bows and arrows.
That was the first time I had seen someone carry something other than the sword. Otherwise it looked like they were all sword crazed fools.
The marketplace was heavily crowded with people, firstly because it started just after the city fencing, and for others because of the tributary.
"Are these many people all coming for the tributary?"
I asked curiously. I had to raise my voice quite a bit to be heard among the other noises.
"Yes, but they all won't be there for the main ceremony. They can join shortly after the sword acknowledgement ceremony."
"Really, don't you think it is quite large of a number."
I could already make the crowd get bigger, to make it around tens of thousands of people. But Regen laughed at my conclusion.
"You aren't seeing even a tiny bit of it. People from all around the world come to get a glimpse of it. After all, this will not happen till the next sword calling."
"Sword calling, what's that?"
"That is how the name suggests it. The sword calls for the other swords to gather for the ceremony. After all, every sword has its own life."
"Are you sure you aren't making it up? What if the sword doesn't call for decades, what then."
"You really think too little of the swords. You should be thankful that I am not like my big brother. Otherwise I would have beaten you sore, just for saying that."
"That sounds excessive."
"It is."
A rueful smile came on Regen's face.
I was left speechless because of that.
Anyways, while we were talking with each other we had reached another check point. The guard stood as emissaries to sort out the crowd, and make way for people to go inside.
Regen took hold of me, and took me through one of the least crowded lines. I could feel the eyes of people burning behind my back. They were looking as if we were some sort of celebrity and then whispers broke between them, some of them reaching my ears.
"That's Sokyro Heir. Look at that sword."
"Right, he does look like Sokyro's House head a bit."
"Who is the person with him?"
"Isn't it his younger brother, Regen."
"Have you truly lost your wits, haven't you seen lord Regen before. Eyes, like a hawk, with the gait of a steady tiger. The older one is Regen."
"Then what about the younger one?"
"That's Seken. He is the son of the First hand of Sokyro."
"First hand!"
"So how powerful he is."
"You guys don't really know anything do you. Sigh, he can't lift a sword."
"What! a member of Sokyro House, not lifting a sword, you aren't making fun of me are you."
"No, I am serious, he doesn't have the pathways to understand the flow of the sword.""What a pity."
Yeah talk all you want behind my back. I was massaging my neck, while the line proceeded.
Seriously, the people here were too noisy. So what if I wasn't able to lift a sword. It wasn't like a man could be defined just based on his ability to bear a sword.
If they think like this, there was something seriously wrong with this world.
While I was immersed in my own thoughts, someone called out to Regen in a bear-like voice.
"Regen, my friend. How are you?"
The man had great height. Like seriously he was around 6 foot 5 inches or so. And his hands were equally that big.
"Feetern, you have become a giant of a man already.
Regen approached the man, with a hand on his sword, while he smiled, as if meeting a long time friend.
"Truly so. Haha."
The man patted hard at Regen's back. Regen staggered a bit and then stood immediately while hiding his frustration for the man. Standing behind them, I could feel the power behind that friendly smack. I wasn't too sure if my body could have taken that easily.
"And who is this little fellow," While saying that Feetern the giant man actually swung his hand in my direction.
I saw not a hand but death heading my way.