Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

February 6

I have just left the house of my friend. His name is Stephen the Great One. He is the best blacksmith I have ever known. It is a sham that he will never craft the next greatest suit of armor. Let me explain.

I had reached his house with no difficulty. Two thieves tried to stop me, but they were taken care of with no difficulty. I went up to Stephen's door, opened it, and walked in. The smell of ash was everywhere. I heard of what seemed a hammer against steel and followed the sound. I walked down a hall, and descended a flight of stairs. All along the walls of the hall were magnificent swords, armor, you name it.

As i descended the stairs, I was blasted with the heat of Stephen's Smithy. He stood next to the furnace, a red hot strip of steel being hammered into another of his many great creations. "Stephen!" I had to shout to be heard over Stephen's racket. He nearly had a heartattack, he was so scared.

"Oi, what the blazes are ya doing? Ya nearly made me heart stop beatin" He gave a thorough look at me, then beamed. "Ay, it's good ta see ya Flame. On another one of your missions are ya?" He dropped the hammer and walked to me, wrapping me in a bear hug.

"I am on a new kind of mission, Stephen. I need your help."
"Well, I should know if yer in a deep mission if'n yer askin for me help." He released me and turned to remove his dark leather apron. After flinging it onto a nearby work table, he motioned with his hand that we head back upstairs. We walked to his den, where we sat. He poured himself a mug of ale, asking if I cared for one. I shook my head.

After 2 twigs of the liquor, he wiped his hands and faced me, "So what can I do for ya?"
"Well, I need some god armor. My old armor was lost in a skirmish with some pirates about a month back."
"Ah, that wouldn't happen to be the armor I gave ya last time, now was it?" He rested one arm on his knee and stared at me. I nooded my head.

"Oh... Well, looks like I gotta get ya some new armor then, now don't I?" He grabbed a string from his pocket, stood up and motioned me to a pedestal in the middle of the room. I walked to it, stood up, and after removing of all my gear, raised my hands to let him measure me.

"I don't want any armor on the chest. I haven't recieved a blow there for years. Besides, I don't have enough gold to pay for that."

"Alright. So, ya just want gauntlets, Shoulder guards, a new belt, and..." he looked at my boots, "... and some new foot gear."

"Indeed. I want it to be stronger than Damascus armor."
"Stronger, ya say?"
"Is that a problem?"
"Well, yes and no. I had a customer come in about 3 months ago wanting armor stronger than Damascus armor. I made it for him, but he never returned for it. It is the one in the hall that ya passed by."
"Why can't you make another one?"
"I can't make it now because I have to make the metal first, and I don't have the minerals to do that."
"Oh. How large is the armor?"
"Oh, not that big. The man was almost your size, me thinks."
"I will try it."

We walked to the suit. I tried on the gauntlets, shoulder guards, belt, and leg irons. They fit like a glove.

"I'll take them. How much?
"Ah, about 600 gold pieces will do it." I removed the amount from my pouch, handed it to him, and was about to leave.

I said my farewells to Stephen and was making my way to the door, when I say about 50 men in armor heading for the house. I looked closely and immediately slammed the door shut. I shouted for Stephen, "It's Underground Alliance assassins."

"And-" Stephen looked outside a window.
"They want me dead."
"What the blazes... Why would they want ya dead?"

"Because I am on a mission to wipe out the Underground Alliance."
"What!! What the hell gave you that notion, man. Yer insane I tell ya."

I grabbed my sword from its sheath. It started to glow, then catch fire as I willed myself into anger. I turned to Stephen. "Get down somehere and hide. Don't come out until I tell you to."

"I'm not afraid of no assa--" Stephen flew backwards into the wall, an arrow sunk deep into his heart.

"Stephen!!!" I yelled, but Stephen was already dead.

I yelled at the top of my voice, flung the door open and dashed out to meet the assassins. The all rushed me, swords and spears at the ready. I attacked the first man to come at me. The blade of the sword cut right through the armor that the assassin wore. I cut off his head, and rushed to the next man. I dodged his thrust, knocked his sword out of his hand, and sank my sword into the man's belly. His body erupted with the flames bursting forth from the sword.
I dropped to my back to dodge an attack from 4 men, rolled to my feet, parrying their attacks. I jumped, back-flipping behind the men. Before they could turn, i sliced their bodies in half. I turned facing some other men. I grabbed knives from my belt, launching them into their necks. I turned to block another attack, and suddenly, pain burst through my chest. I flew back about fifteen feet, an arrow lodged right under my rib cage.
I rolled in the ground, pain writhing my body. Another arrow sank into my back. I screamed. The forty assassins surrounded me, swords ready to finish me off.
I can't explain what happened next. It was like a bright light shot out from everywhere. I looked up to the source of the light.
It was a woman. She was tall, wearing a white gown and carried a staff. Her eyes were golden, the light seemed to come from them. She raised her staff towards the men surrounding me. They dashed at her, ready to slice her to shreds. They didn't, for instantly lightning shot out from the staff. The lighting shot out to all the assassins. They all dropped to ground in one instant, burnt to a crisp. The lightning dissipated back into the staff. She walked to me, knelt over, and pulled the two arrows from my chest and back. What felt like lightning shot through my body, nd for a moment, I felt like I was dead. But then I felt fine. No pain in any part of my body.
I rose to my feet, staring at the woman before me.

"Flame, it is not time for your death yet. God still needs you to destroy the Underground Alliance." she reached and touched my cheek.

"What about Stephen?" I asked.
"His time is complete. He has fulfilled the task that God placed on him."
"And what was that?"
"To make the protection that you need if you want to succeed."

I slumped to the grass. Another of my friends had died because of me.
"It is not your fault, Flame. Stephen is in a much better place now."

I looked up at her, nodded, and rose.

The woman turned to leave.
"Wait, what is your name, madam?"
"Joy." She disappeared.

I will never forget Joy. She saved my life in two ways. I will not make her help to be in vain.

I am 5 months journey from the UA. I will start tomorrow.