In Gold Chains of Fate [Plot/Training]

Atop the lush green hills of the Lucanian north west laid a paved dirt road. Its soil was trot over quite rarely by carriages and merchant caravans. It was temperate weather, laden with white clouds that stretched far within the vastness of the sky.

How rather peaceful today was. In pursuit of a fickle rumor regarding a band of thieves, Angelus had maundered unto this road. A radiant bastard sword of gold laid slung upon his backside. It was a rather lonely road that was not too often traveled, only really by the occasional caravan.

It was perhaps just a slight bit windy today. However, at certain times, with no rhyme or reason, the light breeze picked up enough to be called a full blown gale. It tugged ever so violently on Angelus' white locks of hair whenever the billowing winds came by, sweeping up the leaves of scattered trees into the wayward gale. If one looked to the north, one could see the snowcapped mountains that sheltered a particular isolated city not part of Reim. It was a minor nation ruled by an iron fist religion.

Upon this early day, a horse drawn caravan was to begin to near the backside of Angelus who was just traveling by his lone self. From within the caravan, a voice of an older gruff man was to call out to Angelus to step to the side. Once he heard the man, the traveler had no choice but to do just what the man wanted, so the caravan can go on without issue. It was then though, that suddenly, a gale was to pick up! Angelus was to feel the wind tug on his person, but he was to step out the way of the caravan regardless. However, the gale was perhaps a bit stronger than expected.

It was to definitely cause an issue for the caravan which was jostled quite a fair bit. In the midst of this jostling by the wind, a piece of the caravan back was to be undone for a moment before being reclosed. Yet, that was not the issue. It is precisely what followed and ensued from that incident that was to cause an issue, a dilemma for the traveler, Angelus Spinam.

It had rolled to the feet of Angelus, only somewhat damaged. It was to stare up at the man, pleading for help, with a full head of red hair, and lioness eyes. Angelus sighed, but was not content with the fact that there was scum who did not comply with the outlaw of slavery within the lands of Reim. It was then that the caravan was to come to a quick halt, and the slave brokers that led the caravan came out, gladius' and bows equipt. How troublesome.

In the face of the men, Angelus' dark visage and face were to present the brokers with a choice. It was the obvious choice to flee now, or fight the man before them that was eager to draw the blood of a few men. If he was honest, Angelus did not quite have the time he wished for to just guide these captured fanalis to the fanalis corps of the capital that was perhaps a few day trip from here. Yet, he was to do his duty regardless.

Angelus: "Hey, close your eyes, kid."

It was with a rather cold and stoic voice he urged the fanalis child to not lay her eyes unto the unsightly scene that was to unfold here now. It was then that the brokers were to take notice that Angelus was unwilling to surrender the girl. It was now unavoidable for this to escalate into a blood bath. Angelus drew his bastard sword. It was fed a sum of his own magoi, the energy that fed his rukh. It was to activate the magic circle that rested on the cross guard of his bronze gold sword.

If the code on the sword was fed magoi, that said magoi was to obey by the code, and then begin the encoded spell. However, when a user is comfortable enough with said code, the user can become capable of manipulating said code just a bit with his magoi and mind to force a new spell to be born. Angelus was a man who was at the current moment trying to train new spells onto his bastard sword, so the following events were to detail one of his first tries to build upon the coding of the magic circle.

In a rapid outburst of gold bronze dust, the bastard sword was to deform, becoming a cloud of metal dust that could reform at will of the caster. It was to dazzle the eyes of the small girl that rested behind Angelus, a bit beat up from the fall from the caravan. In her eyes, that man, that soldier, was nothing shy of a hero. It was with barely but a few words that he was to show consideration for the girl witnessing the horrors of murder. Angelus' cloud of metal dust was to effortlessly forge crudely made chains of bronze gold to tie the wrists of the slave brokers.

If not for the severity of the situation, this could be quite a laughable view to Angelus. Upon the forming of the chains, the cloud was to have reform back onto the hilt, while the rest of the gold would tie the men's hands. It made the men unable to strike back nor even load a bow. It had made them totally sitting ducks for Angelus' own viewing. Amusing this sight truly was. It was with a cold and menacing strut he came up to the faces of the men, his caligula boots imprinting their soles onto the soil of the dirt road. Angelus was to inflict fear on the men for what followed. It was no surprise though what was to occur to them though. Angelus fed his blade yet one more time.

It was to react well with the magoi of the man, dispersing to a cloud of gold dust, before forging a few shining guillotines. At the feet of Angelus, the rolling heads of faces distraught with what fate had come came to a halt. Just behind the heads, the bodies of the fallen few were to lie lifeless. It was ever so gruesome, but this was a fact of fate that had to be executed and carried out by Angelus.

Once the men had been slain, Angelus would begin to catch his breath. It was quite an exhaustive ordeal to have multiple formings of gold by the magic of the sword. It was definitely new and unforeseen territory for him. However, the endeavor proved fruitful to his development with the magic weapon. It was a useful experience that was to be of particular use later when truly honing the abilities. However, for now, he was to just ponder a bit further on the abilities and give them more practice later.

???: "Ah- Sir, thank you! What is your name? C-can you tell us where the nearest town is.. !?"

Explained the small girl, her big red eyes glowing with joy to have been freed. Angelus was to give a light smile, placing his hand onto her red head of hair. Angelus was to pat her head, before then saying to her his name and that her that he was to help lead them to the Fanalis Corps who likely knew what to do with freed slaves probably better than he did. It was to cause the young girl to cry tears of joy, truly content to have been found and rescued. If not for that stroke of fate, Angelus would not have known that caravan was one filled with captured people. Anyhow, the man did not dawdle. At once he was to free the people, consisting of a few refugees, red lion folk, and poor in debt people. It was then that Angelus was to begin the short journey to the capital where he could help the people return to normal life.

Angelus: "Alright folks, our destination is the capital. If you're old enough, feel free to leave on your own. However, for the children, we shall take you to the Fanalis Corps who likely will know what to do with you. Anybody have qualms with this? If not, let us set out."

Stated the man, merely doing his duty as a proud Reim national he felt.

???: "Ah- Sir, there are men at a road checkpoint back where we came from that are conspiring with the brokers."

Upon hearing this, Angelus was to remember just the day prior when he had crossed the nearby road checkpoint. It consisted of a few Reim guards who were responsible for ensuring that caravans were safe to pass. If this caravan of slaves had gone by scot free, then the young girl's claim that the guards were conspiring with the brokers that are now dead made sense. Angelus was to dawdle over this fact for a moment, pondering on how to take care of said guards. It just came to him that perhaps he should just go and capture said guards, and bring the guards back to the capital for interrogation.

However, before that time can come, the freed folk and Angelus had to make the trek back to the nearby town. It was a day journey. If they left now, they could get there by the following morning. So, with that being decided, Angelus began the short journey. During the midst of the said journey, he was to continue to refine and practice the bit of what he had learned from using his bastard sword thus far. It was to consist of constant training and decapitating of trees the travelers may pass by. It was perhaps a scary sight to most, but to the small girl Angelus had helped rescue just hours before, the magical act was nothing short of beautiful.

Angelus swung his blade with a wide stance, his blade dispersing into a cloud of gold dust right before strike. It was to then reform before the tree itself. It was a heavy guillotine, one that could perhaps even chop the head of a dragon cleanly off. However, that was but the purpose of the said spell. It was a spell designed to decapitate the deadliest of foes and creatures that the soldier may come to fight. Well, perhaps the spell was designed for dragons too on second thought. If the man was to glimpse back at the resting travelers, he was to see the girl staring at him training his blade with big red eyes. It seemed she was eager to learn, even waving a stick like a blade. However, Angelus did not have the expertise for training fanalis, nor did he have that sort of time.

Once the sun had begun to fall enough, Angelus was to call night and tell the folks to set up camp within the grass laden hills of this here land. Upon first sight of the silver moon that hung high, the freed people were to begin to light a campfire, a warm fire encircled by stone rocks. As this happened and was set up, Angelus' training did not cease. It was to no end's rest that the young man was to continue his exhaustive training. However, nobody really ever stopped to inquire about what the traveling soldier was training for? Well, perhaps most of the folks just imagined that he was training as part of just being a soldier. If there was someone curious enough though to just ask, that was the young girl Angelus had rescued, whose name he did not know yet. It was while he was training to shackle limbs with the bastard sword when the girl was to inquire of the purpose of his training. At first notice of the girl trying to find out his purpose of training, he was to undo the cuffs and chains he set unto the branches of some nearby tree, then reply.

Angelus: "Oh, my purpose? my reason? Well, there is never not a good time to train and hone your craft. However, perhaps one reason I am training so often right now could stem from the very fact that I know the time will come when I have to challenge a dungeon for the power of a King. If I just enter one untrained, I am sure to die. So, do you understand now, girl?"

Angelus said while he sat down on a log underneath the shade of the tree. In that time of rest, the girl was to ponder on the words of the man, before then nodding. If the girl understood now, then the soldier was to carry on with his magic weapon training. It was not easy trying to refine this spell of his. It required intense focus and practice to form the shackles and be able to add more shackles too. It was not only that which he had to do but he had to practice moving said shackles via the magic of the sword.