102 Mael Kelvin's pas

Tak!

Mael's chopping sound echoed throughout their neighborhood. Mael managed to chop all the woods his mother wants him to chop, he managed to chop one thousand chunks of woods in an hour.

He is a thirteen-year-old boy that is hardworking and diligent in practice. He is taught by his father, the basic sword fighting and to use a bow in case of an unprecedented situation.

He jogs before sunrise and practiced daily with physical exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, curl-ups, weighted punches, and close combat techniques like punches and kicks. He also likes to practice rapid side-steps as his main practice.

He is assigned to gather and chop woods as well as helping his mother to make some food. In the meantime, they are preparing for the upcoming festival in three days. He is gathering dry woods from the forest so they will have something to use when cooking.

They helped to make banners and placed them on the streets. The people are busy making their stalls of foods, drinks, and goods that are placed in the streets and making lanterns to the street posts. The joy of the village is seen in the faces of everyone, they prepared a once-a-year celebration of the Kingdom's foundation. Every first day of May, they held a festival to the capital and the surrounding towns and villages to celebrate the time the Creator of the two worlds created the heavenly realm and the mortal realm.

After Mael gathered the woods and helped his mom, he helped the other villagers to hang lanterns to their houses. They finished their assigned chores in the afternoon and Mael went home to his parents.

He walked to the streets and saw the village that is very busy and arrived at their home. Their village is called Shelkem village. He opened the small gate made of wood that is shaded by a tree. Their house is simple yet above the ordinary. It has twenty-By-twenty square meter dimensions with a second floor at the top and an attic to sleep with. He entered the main door and saw his mom cooking for tonight's supper. His dad Zak is brandishing his sword to perfection in the cabin.

"So son, have you finished your assigned work?", his mom said to him while stirring the soup she is cooking.

"Yeah, mom! and I've also helped others", Mael said as he curls his hands to his armpits.

"Very good son, now wash up first to have a fresh feeling and we will have fun to the festival later on", his mother Elma said to him.

Mael gained an idea to give presents to his presents later on. He changed clothes after he washed and hangs his towel to his shoulders and hangs it outside of their home.

When he is hanging his towel, he saw his father Zak that is swinging his sword near the cabin.

"Father, let's spar again", Mael said to his father while grinning.

"Heh, so you still want to win huh?"

"Okay fine and hurry up to grab your training sword", Zak said as he trusts his sword to the ground.

"okay", Mael replied to him

He hurriedly grabs his training sword and holds it firmly. He made a stance that holds the handle of the sword at the front while still sheathed at his waist. Despite his young age, Mael is aggressive when it comes to sword fights. He has sharpened battle instincts that are forged through fire and refined by his father. This is a sign for him to be a prodigy in terms of fighting.

He readied his stance and when his father shouted: "Fight like the last day of your life", he advanced with the speed that hurls the pebbles he has stepped in.

He darts steadily and then unexpectedly, he stepped to the ground like it's the first and the last step he'll ever make. The stomped the ground while he moved forward and it caved-in like it has been stomped by an elephant. Instantly, he draws his sword to his opponent, but his father swings it to meet his attack.

He delivers his blow and at the moment they clashed, Mael changed the direction of his slash and landed a hit to his father while evading.

"Nice! but too shallow, your strength is not enough for that tactics. I will show you how to do it", his father said as he advanced to Mael

Mael became more focused, for his father is coming to attack him. He tightened his grip and swings his sword to the back, and when his father approaches, he stepped back to gain more distance and at the last moments and at the right time, he released his swing and clashes with his father's.

His father did the same thing he did recently. Zak clashed his sword to Mael and slides it and hits him to his abdomen. He was thrown to the impact of his father's swing.

"Hehe! as expected of my father", Mael said as he wiped the corner of his mouth with a little blood.

"Well, I'm gonna be serious this time", he said as he stands up on his feet.

He darted again to attack with the sword that he held. This time, he held it with more force. He charged towards his father, faster than before. And again, he swings it to him. He used more force and then...

Pak!

The sword flew from his hands and is thrown to the ground, several feet from where they stand.

"It's still not over", Mael said as he jumped back and made a fighting stance.

He readied himself and Zak is astounded.

"Okay well let's continue!", Zak said as he readied his sword.

They again make their stances, Mael is deeply happy and thrilled. To fight when the odds are against him is what makes him excited. When he is facing challenges, his adrenaline rush is constantly brewing inside.

He approached his father with speed unlike before. His father slashes him and he evades them thoroughly. His father was amazed as well as annoyed with his actions. When focused, he is a prodigy of evading and of dodging but an idiot to attacking. When he is attacking, he has full of holes that will give a chance for the enemy to counter in several cases.

After a minute of evading and dodging, his battle instinct has been triggered. Once triggered in life and death situations, he will be like a beast that will attack his prey. He will become a different person when that happens but still, he is too aggressive in attacking leaving him open for counters.

He attacks using his feet with a normal roundhouse kick but his father blocked it and grabbed his feet. His father lifted his feet upwards and he is currently upside down.

"You surrender?", his father asked

"Yes yes, so put me down", Mael said grudgingly

"You're evading only on purpose! are you?", scolded his father.

"I will try harder next time so please...", he said while still hanging from his father.

"Ok fine but I will teach you next time how to attack without being countered", Zak said as he puts down his child.

"Now prepare yourself, for we will have to watch the opening of the festival", Zak said while handing him the swords.

"Ok", Mael replied to him then placed the swords to the cabin.

While he is placing the practice swords, he saw the family's heirlooms of weapons. From swords to armors and tools, they have gathered the things from his grandfather to his great grandfathers. But the cabin of weapon wares and armor wares still has mysteries behind every single weapon and armor. He closed the cabin without touching any single one of them.

He entered the backdoor and saw her mom Elma, she is preparing the food they will eat. He was instructed to call his dad because it is time to eat. Within a second, his dad appears to them and said to his wife:

"Your son is only evading on purpose"

"What? you're doing it again? didn't I told you to attack more cautiously next time!", she said to him while pinching his cheeks.

"I'm sorry mom, but it is easier for me to evade than to attack. Father is an expert so he can counter me easily, but on weaker opponents.....well they will not be my match", Mael said confidently

"Hey! enough with the same excuse, I know you're slacking off and you're not going to be a great swordsman with that attitude", Zak scolded him

"Hey guys, would you mind if we will eat already? I'm excited to go now", Mael said to them

"Yeah, the food will go cold. Let's eat!", Elma said to them

They ate with joyful mood and they talked about their son's daily improvement. They talked to their son about his future and Mael is still not sure what to be, but he wants to be a great hero someday.

"A hero! that's great! well, let us know where you will go to school. There is a school for knights, magicians, priests, rogues, rangers, warriors, swordsman, and fighters. Choose well on what you think what's best", said her mother.

"Yes mom!", said Mael while finishing his plate

"Humm, you're going to name yourself if you want to be a hero. Like the Dodge Hero, imagine the enemies shout like: the dodge hero is coming! Dodge for your lives! Ahhhhh!", Zak said as he burst out laughing.

"Hey, mom! Dad is making fun of me!", Mael said as he pushed the plate.

"Zak that's enough", she said as she collected their plates.

They finished their supper and washed the dishes. They changed their outfit to semi-formal and walked outside.

The lanterns are brightly lit beside the road and the people have gathered to watch the event, it will have an opening ceremony. They walked while holding the hands of his parents to prevent him to be lost. While they are walking, Mael dragged his parents to a stall of necklaces and bracelets. He purchased three necklaces for them and placed them in their necks; one for him, one for his mother, and one for his father. His parents were surprised and Elma kissed their child to the cheeks. Zak patted his child's head and said: "We're always proud of you son, we always love you"

While they walked to the stage where the opening ceremony, Zak placed Mael in his shoulders to watch from the top. The people are getting excited about the event of the year. They are watching and the MC greeted everyone. While he is making the mood lively, he declares the festival to be officially open.

On the first day of the may, an era of the reign of peace, presently in the midst of the festival celebration, the stars fall from the night sky and everybody gazed at it. Nobody knows what will happen or what crisis will arise until suddenly.....