Chapter 24: Asmon’s Departure (2)
Asmon crouched down, smiling, and affectionately ruffled his brother’s white hair.
"Hey, little genius," he said.
"I expect great things from you, you know? When I come back, I want to see my little brother even stronger. Maybe one day we’ll have a real fight."
Lukas looked at Asmon. At the hand resting on the sword hilt. At the determination in his eyes.
"I don’t want to be a swordsman," Lukas said quietly, so only his brother could hear.
Asmon blinked.
"I know," he replied just as quietly.
"But you’ll need to fight someday anyway. So learn. Even if you don’t want to."
Lukas sighed.
"Fine."
Asmon laughed loudly as he stood back up.
"Come back soon, brother," Lukas said, extending his small hand.
Asmon carefully took his brother’s hand, remembering Lukas’s extraordinary strength, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I will. Take care of Mom for me. And Judite."
"I will."
"I know you will."
Behind them, Clavor made a joke.
"When you come back, Lukas might already be stronger than you."
Asmon gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, a competitive gleam appearing in his eyes.
"If that’s the case, I’ll accept it. But only after a proper sword fight. I’ll wait for you to grow up, Lukas. And I’m sure you’ll become a better swordsman than me."
Lukas merely smiled, neither confirming nor denying it.
In his mind, becoming a famous swordsman was far from his plans. He would learn to fight in order to survive, yes. To protect himself. To protect the people he loved.
But his heart would always belong to animals.
Asmon climbed into the carriage. The coachman closed the door behind him and climbed onto the front bench.
"Everything ready?" the coachman called out.
"Ready," Asmon answered from inside the vehicle.
Clavor mounted his black horse, which had been brought from the stables to escort the carriage to the main road.
"Let’s go."
The coachman cracked the whip.
The horses moved forward.
The carriage creaked and began to roll, its wooden wheels turning over the packed dirt road, kicking up a small cloud of golden dust beneath the sunlight.
Everyone remained at the mansion entrance for nearly five minutes, watching the vehicle disappear along the dirt road winding through the wheat fields. The dust slowly settled. The sound of the wheels faded into the distance. The birds resumed their songs.
Aurora sighed, wrapping one arm around Judite and the other around Lukas. Her violet eyes were still moist, but her smile was brave.
"He grew up so fast," she murmured, more to herself than to her children.
"It feels like only yesterday he was the size of Lukas..."
Judite sniffled, still upset, but she did not cry. She had promised herself that she would be strong.
Lukas stared at the empty road, at the point on the horizon where the carriage had vanished.
’Good luck, brother,’ he thought.
’Stay safe.’
Tilbo, perched on his shoulder, slowly moved her antennae, as if she too were saying goodbye.
The morning continued. The sun climbed higher into the sky. Life in the Dmond mansion carried on.
But something was different.
A piece of the family was far away now.
...
Time passed.
Another month went by after Asmon’s departure.
Lukas was now ten months old.
He focused on learning even more about the world. He could already read simple books on his own, although most of them did not contain the deep information he sought. The texts were superficial, written for children, filled with simplistic moral lessons and vague descriptions.
He wanted details. He wanted to know about the geology of this world, its history, its creatures.
He asked Aurora and Clavor many questions about the Kingdom of Rhyne.
"Tell me about the kingdom," he requested one evening while sitting on his father’s lap as the fire crackled in the fireplace.
"The Kingdom of Rhyne," Clavor began, his voice deep and solemn, as though telling an ancient tale.
"It is a strong human kingdom. Far from being the largest on the continent, but respected for its military power. Most noble families distinguish themselves through some form of combat or magic."
"Like the Dmonds?" Lukas asked.
"Like the Dmonds," Clavor confirmed proudly.
"We are known for our skill with the sword. We have no famous mages, nor extraordinary wealth. But we have a reputation. A Dmond never retreats. A Dmond never breaks a promise. A Dmond always protects what belongs to them."
Lukas absorbed the words.
"And the beasts?" he asked.
"The magical creatures? Are there many?"
Clavor frowned, surprised by his son’s interest.
"There are. More than we can count. Some peaceful, others dangerous. In the forests to the north, there are Frost Foxes. Their fangs freeze the blood of their victims. In the swamps to the east, there are Mud Serpents that spit corrosive venom. In the mountains to the south..."
"And the Gray Mountains?" Lukas interrupted.
Clavor raised an eyebrow.
"You remember that name?"
"Yes."
"The rarest and most dangerous creatures live there. It’s forbidden territory. They say Wyverns exist there, though they are becoming increasingly rare. Some claim that true dragons still sleep deep within the mountains, but no one has seen them for centuries."
Lukas felt his heart race.
’Dragons. Wyverns. Three-Tailed Wolves. Frost Foxes. All of them are real.’
"I want to see them all," he said with a conviction that surprised even Clavor.
His father laughed and shook his head.
"You’ll learn about them when you’re older. For now, focus on walking and talking. You’re already doing more than enough, little one."
Lukas asked about magic, about the "inner light" that made the Dmonds’ skin glow and made them faster and stronger.
But Aurora, who entered the room just in time to hear the question, merely smiled and ruffled his hair.
"You’ll learn about that when you’re older," she said in a tone that ended the discussion.
"For now, just enjoy being a child, my love."
Lukas sighed.
’For now,’ he thought.
’Everything is "for now."’
He did not press the issue.
