(Flashback)
Erik peered over the outcrop of stones, his father capped his son's head with his wide hands and lowered the boy's head a bit, "Down son. To high and it'll catch sight of you and that's all there will be to it." The boy was no more then ten, his eyes wide with both excitement and fear. Before the both of them was a lone Hungry Direwolf. Ulrich, a soldier of Ala Mhigo, had been dispatched to the south of the capitol on reports that this creature and others of its kind had been seen, far to north of their natural range. Erik watched the wolf and froze a bit as it looked to the sounds it caught of him, even though it looked away.
"Tell me boy, how will you go about slaying this dog?" Erik's head snapped to his father's face, a dread whisper from him, "Me father?!?" Ulrich smiled, "You think I made your mother angry wit' me and dragged you out here on a sanctioned mission just for the fun of it. You wade through those books your mother gives you all to much. Time for you to get dirty boy." Easy for him to say, a Knight in form, armored in his thick black armor, the greatsword held to the ground. Erik swallowed and looked to the wolf, "How?" Ulrich looked at him, "You brought your sword and shield as I asked, so go and kill it." Erik panicked more, looking at the items named on the ground, "But how!?"
Ulrich sighed, more at his own parenting then his son, "You have to be bold and rush him, he will not expect such madness, a boy as small as you. The real problem will be if his friend's are about." Erik looked out and took a deep breath as his father pushed him, "Good luck boy." The boy tumbled over the rocks, falling straight into the direwolf's sight. The beast growled as Erik scooted back in fear. Ulrich had moved to the top of the rocks, smiling and waving his had, "Best get up boy. He looks pissed." Erik began to run from here to there, the wolf hot on his heels. He would stop and swing blindly, only to miss and continue running. As the painful sight continued Ulrich pick up a small rock and threw it behind the wolf as his son and the beast ran past. The wolf froze and turned to the noise. Seeing the chance Erik swung as the beast looked away and took it down.
He stood there panting, proud and terrified, panting. Ulrich hopped from the rocks and placed his hand on the boy's head, "Good, very good." Erik was in shock, looking to his father as he spoke, "Bu... But I was going to die I thought. The wolf was.... I was no match for him!" Ulrich placed his hands on his son's shoulders and spoke, "No... you lived, unlike that poor beast. Now you can stand here and tremble or you can take pride in what you did, and learn it's lessons. Do you know the lessons?" Erik shook his head, his trembling slowing. Ulrich put an arm around his son's shoulder and lead him to start walking, "One, you can overcome any opponent. And two, that sometimes if a challenge is greater then your body can beat, your cunning can and will make up the difference. Diversions can be most helpful in times where you find yourself overpowered. Your cunning is as important as your sword."
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(Present)
Erik stood in the connecting square of the Hall of Flames. He heard the men approaching from all sides, the sounds over the pearl...... the pearl. Erik's eyes widened as he remembered his father's advice. He lifted his finger to his pearl and barked into it, changing his voice as much as he could, "All Flame units.... intruder located in the sub-basement, Hall of Armaments." As the footfalls of a dozen soldiers stopped and then began to move away, he smiled, "You always were wise I thought, despite what mother said." He allowed himself a quick chuckle then made haste to the roof, and into the night.
Erik peered over the outcrop of stones, his father capped his son's head with his wide hands and lowered the boy's head a bit, "Down son. To high and it'll catch sight of you and that's all there will be to it." The boy was no more then ten, his eyes wide with both excitement and fear. Before the both of them was a lone Hungry Direwolf. Ulrich, a soldier of Ala Mhigo, had been dispatched to the south of the capitol on reports that this creature and others of its kind had been seen, far to north of their natural range. Erik watched the wolf and froze a bit as it looked to the sounds it caught of him, even though it looked away.
"Tell me boy, how will you go about slaying this dog?" Erik's head snapped to his father's face, a dread whisper from him, "Me father?!?" Ulrich smiled, "You think I made your mother angry wit' me and dragged you out here on a sanctioned mission just for the fun of it. You wade through those books your mother gives you all to much. Time for you to get dirty boy." Easy for him to say, a Knight in form, armored in his thick black armor, the greatsword held to the ground. Erik swallowed and looked to the wolf, "How?" Ulrich looked at him, "You brought your sword and shield as I asked, so go and kill it." Erik panicked more, looking at the items named on the ground, "But how!?"
Ulrich sighed, more at his own parenting then his son, "You have to be bold and rush him, he will not expect such madness, a boy as small as you. The real problem will be if his friend's are about." Erik looked out and took a deep breath as his father pushed him, "Good luck boy." The boy tumbled over the rocks, falling straight into the direwolf's sight. The beast growled as Erik scooted back in fear. Ulrich had moved to the top of the rocks, smiling and waving his had, "Best get up boy. He looks pissed." Erik began to run from here to there, the wolf hot on his heels. He would stop and swing blindly, only to miss and continue running. As the painful sight continued Ulrich pick up a small rock and threw it behind the wolf as his son and the beast ran past. The wolf froze and turned to the noise. Seeing the chance Erik swung as the beast looked away and took it down.
He stood there panting, proud and terrified, panting. Ulrich hopped from the rocks and placed his hand on the boy's head, "Good, very good." Erik was in shock, looking to his father as he spoke, "Bu... But I was going to die I thought. The wolf was.... I was no match for him!" Ulrich placed his hands on his son's shoulders and spoke, "No... you lived, unlike that poor beast. Now you can stand here and tremble or you can take pride in what you did, and learn it's lessons. Do you know the lessons?" Erik shook his head, his trembling slowing. Ulrich put an arm around his son's shoulder and lead him to start walking, "One, you can overcome any opponent. And two, that sometimes if a challenge is greater then your body can beat, your cunning can and will make up the difference. Diversions can be most helpful in times where you find yourself overpowered. Your cunning is as important as your sword."
-----------------------------------------------
(Present)
Erik stood in the connecting square of the Hall of Flames. He heard the men approaching from all sides, the sounds over the pearl...... the pearl. Erik's eyes widened as he remembered his father's advice. He lifted his finger to his pearl and barked into it, changing his voice as much as he could, "All Flame units.... intruder located in the sub-basement, Hall of Armaments." As the footfalls of a dozen soldiers stopped and then began to move away, he smiled, "You always were wise I thought, despite what mother said." He allowed himself a quick chuckle then made haste to the roof, and into the night.