Chapter 146 - First Meeting

Tyriece and Lofey's first meeting was when the former was still six years old. It was on the day of the Goding's Younglings Division preliminary round. 

They held the competition in the battle arena of Goding Red Cape Knight School. Men, women, and children of all stations sat on the bleachers of a rectangle-shaped stadium. Most of the wealthy families gathered near the battleground while poor families situated above the bleachers. Some children dressed with small armors on them. But most wore simple outfit.

Although Tyriece was now a registered Chiangda, he had to fight and win in this arena so his family would receive the promised rewards right away. Non-winning Chiangda had to go through more training in the barracks and graduate the course before receiving their rewards. So this fight was truly important to him.

Tyriece stood in the arena, having bruises showing under his torn cheap clothes. A smiling boy, who was also a stone Chiangda, the same age as him and wearing lavish clothing, stood beside him. A tall man went between them and lifted Tyriece's opponent's hand. 

"The winner is the young Demetrio Ovalus," the man shouted.

Tyriece's mother and father went to his side to console him. But as his mother held him, he yanked his mother's hand and ran away from the arena, from the crowd, and from his dream. 

"Tyriece," his parents yelled behind him. His father ran after his son but couldn't keep up as Tyriece used his powers, opening a wall, ran out, and closed it as he headed straight to the forest.

His mother caught up with his father only to find him alone. The couple went to the city gate, shouting his name. Later, a downpour came, and they went home worried sick for their son.

Tyriece heard their cries near the city gate, but he did not come out. He concealed himself like a rock near a tree. When the rain came, he saw them left. His mother was crying on his father's shoulders as they walked home, but he still did not reveal himself.

Tyriece transformed back into human form and ran toward the bushes, away from the city. He could bear losing to a noble's son, but could not bear failing his father's expectations. Although his father was very understanding and kind, yet Tyriece couldn't bear seeing his father labor daily at the water port, carrying heavy loads while earning a meager wage. 

His eyes were blurry, wet with his tears mixed with the rain, as he stumbled on a root tree. Tyriece crawled up from the muddy ground and huddled under a tree. He cried his heart out, thinking on the day his power came out. 

On that day, they celebrated like they had never had before. The feast was enormous. Food and wine served the whole day, feeding their poor neighbors, not knowing it was a month's worth of combined wages of his parents. 

He never learned of this until hearing the conversation of his father with the lender who came for a visit. The man asked for the pay, including the interest. He saw his father handed their money over after receiving his monthly payment just minutes ago. And yet, it was not enough to end their loan.

From there on out, he practiced hard to win the incoming yearly feast for the promised prize for winning fighters and an entrance to the Goding Red Cape Knight School. And yet, he lost.

On that fateful rainy late afternoon, General Lethmo emerged from a rundown house, disguising as a filthy beggar. He was running away from an underground bandit organization he was investigating for months. This time he accidentally gave away his true identity and had to escape.

As he was nearing the city gate, Tyriece saw a beggar running for his life against a dozen well-dressed men. This angered him. 

"Pompous rich men. How dare they bully a beggar in blatant daylight," he told the wind. He wiped his face and positioned himself under a bush. 

A water Chiangda threw a sharp hardened water at Lofey. Lofey saw this. He faced his palm to the incoming attack. As Lofey was about to throw his fire, Tyriece shot a pebble, bursting the sharpened water. But the boy's attack did not stop. He sent more rounds of pebbles to the men's running feet, sending them stumbling on the ground.

The men stood covered with mud all over their faces and clothes. The one in front flared up to kill their attacker. 

Lofey hurriedly swept up the lanky Tyriece in one arm and jumped high on the wall with boosting white flames under his feet. After his feet touched the ground, he sprinted inside the beggar's alley, where those wealthy nobles would never dare set foot. And hid among the poor shanties. 

The pursuers followed them. As Lofey predicted, the men halted their search when they reached the entrance to the smelly and disgusting alley, as they described the place. 

While hiding, Lofey had a good look at Tyriece. And saw his bruises and tattered outfit. He presumed this boy lost in the arena today or maybe bullied by nobles and thought of an idea.

As night set, Tyriece headed home but before leaving, Lofey held Tyriece's thin arm. "Wait, what is your name, boy? How old are you?" 

"Tyriece, Mister. I'm six."

"Tyriece, that's a good name. My name is Lofey."

"So?" said the aloof Tyriece, brows high. "Please let go, Mister. I've got nothing to do with you. Bye." He yanked his hand away, but Lofey held firmly.

"Wait, boy. I am not what you think I am." Lofey was about to tell him his full name with the title, but clamped up. "I am actually a soldier in a mission. You are a talent, son." 

"So what? Let go of me now or I'll shout. You don't want these beggars mobbing you, right?" said Tyriece. His chin up.

Lofey did not give up. "Are you willing to be trained by me?"

"For what? Let go," he wrenched his hand from Lofey's hold and stepped away from the shanty.

"Boy, don't you want to join the great General Lethmo's army? Don't you want to stand by his side as a knight?" Lofey stood, waiting for the child to come back. "I can give you that chance, if you desire."

Those words hit Tyriece to the core of his desire. "Really? Or are you just fooling me since I'm poor?"

"I'm serious. Listen, I don't care about your background or life or what happened today. What I'm interested in is if you're willing. Remember, opportunities knock once." Lofey fell silent, waiting to let his words sink in.

Young Tyriece stared back at the tall man in front of him.

"If you're interested, come back here tomorrow at mid-noon. I'll wait for you for an hour. No more than that." After speaking, Lofey walked away.

The next day, before the set time came. Fresh Tyriece was already there, waiting at a corner. The rest was history.

He only learned the true name and rank of his mentor during the opening ceremony on his first day in Goding Red Cape Knight School. Tyriece's mouth gaped to see his teacher, who usually wore commoner's clothes but now standing in shining armor and wearing a red cape at the podium, giving his welcome speech. 

After learning, the more he strove hard to make his parents and his second father, Lofey Lethmo, proud of him.

Yet, General Lofey was fair and just in every way, including his grades. If he failed, he failed. This treatment was the same with the general's sons. No favoritism. So no one complained against the general. In fact, the general's sons were closed to Tyriece like their own brother because they understood their father's temperament well. 

The general's sons fared well in academics and combat, so they got their titles as Knights too but entered as the King's Warriors, the highest honorable position for a Knight, standing and protecting the Kings. They shunned the thought of leaving their families like their father leaving them for months to years, winning cities in the name of the King.

Tyriece stayed with General Lethmo's side. Their relationship was nothing new for the Goding army. That's why they fought and bickered like father and son wherever they went. Even in this snow-covered, god-forsaken place.