Chapter 10. Embers

I stood alone a empty room that used to be mine,  all that was there was a lavished floor and a single window massive windowsill. I've only been here once, but every so often I find myself here. Of course I run out and leap down the man floors, before running outside to look back and see my hold home. A massive castle that was charcoal black with golden decals all over it, I turn around to put my back to the massive building.  I then see the townspeople below the massive stairway, carrying on with their lives. Yet something was off about them all. They were there, but also were not. It'd be more accurate to say that there are people there, but their faceless almost as if they were rubbed off with sandpaper. Despite whatever the case maybe, I still heard echoes of what could supposedly be their voices saying a multitude of things such as. 

"Good Morning!"

"Fuck off"

"Buy one get one free"

"Help someone murdered my children."

 I am then picked up by a hooded figure that also processed the rubbed off looking face, setting the right side of my face ablaze. Of course I screamed in agony as I feel the area around the right side of my face burn. The figure then throws me to the ground and looked in my direction. It's voice in particular was more clear and much more defined as it broke through the echoes.

"You are a waste of my blood, I wish you would've burned to death that night so I could've forgotten what a stain on our family you are."  

It was familiar to me as it was the voice of the man that was supposedly my father.  Although no ordinary father could say such a thing their child and not have regrets about it. However my old man was anything but ordinary. He was a harsh, unapologetic, egotistical and extremely talented with the Gift that we inherited from our great grandfather. It's hard to believe that such a man could be from a bloodline of humble Kings who'd wish to only help the people. It doesn't help that his skills were praise worthy by my grandfather the current King Haco, whos praise only fueled my father's ego. However, very time I have this dream; I can't help but remember that I.. am despised. 

I quickly get up and start to make a break for it, pushing past the crowd of people and to a single building. I then open the door and awake from the nightmare in a cold sweat. I inhale and exhale at a fast rate, as my heart was trembling in fear. After a few minutes I calmed down gently lift my right hand too meet the side of my face that got burned in my dream. I start at the chin area and slowly raise my hand further up my face. My cheek area is all clear , but as a I raise it further, I started to feel the leathery texture that covered the upper third part of my face. I was unmoved by this revelation, I had accepted it a long time ago that my face was now scared and whatever looks I would've had at my now current age was forever tarnished by this ugly gash of scarred tissue that covered my eye, and extended midway towards my ear.  

After a few minutes I take a deep breath before slowly pulling myself to the right side of the bed, where I sat up with my feet on the ground.  I then run my hands up and down both of my arms and legs to check for any blemishes that I need to attend to before anything else. 

"So far so good..."

I then check my face for any blemishes, failing to keep the thoughts of the scared tissue out of my head. After checking my face, I find myself gently reaching towards the burns part of my face subconsciously before I shake my head.  

"I can't pointlessly dawn on something I accepted, lets just try to get through this day."

I said to myself as some poor excuse for a confidence boost. I then start getting myself out of bed, wearing only a thick red nightgown with matching undergarments.  I slowly stripped out of my nightgown, before throwing on my red dye colored Sand Drake bottoms, followed by my black thigh high boots that have a low raised, wedge bottom. The next part of my attire are my crest wrappings, after that is my light black tunic. I felt that wearing these two colors  pair up nicely with my dark hair and tanned complexion. Next up is my hair, I look in the mirror and check to see how messy my hair is.  It was surprisingly not too curly and wild, today so I decided to put into a ponytail. My hands gently parted whatever hair was on both sides of my face, putting it all towards the back of my head where I then gather up my hair in my right hand.  I then aim the collected hair towards the lower part of my head, right above my neck before grabbing my black leather strap that was made from the same material as my pants and wrap it around the base of the ponytail. 

"Now then, for the last but most important peace of my attire"

I signed before slowly walking over to the table where my burgundy and black eye patches sat, right next to a wooden jar filled with a supposed "Healing Ointment". I open the jar and dip my left index finger into, scooping out just a little bit so that I can apply it to my eyepatch.  After a small debate with myself, I end up choosing the black eyepatch and began to gently apply the ointment onto it.  Once the ointment had been applied to the part of the eyepatch that covers the burnt areas of my face, I slowly put two ends behind my head and buckle it in place. Now that its secured nicely on my head, I then gently run my right hand over the areas where I put  the ointment on. This is to make sure that this eye patch is stuck to my face since the ointment possesses a somewhat sticky texture to it. I 

"Alright, now I'm read for the day."

I go about on my stroll through town to start my mornings so that I don't get bloated like gravel pigs. I walk past my friend Natalia wearing a amber colored dress while teaching kids about the kingdom. Honestly she's probably one of few people in this kingdom that can make me interested about a topic, cause I pretty much don't listen to many topics that have nothing  to do with blacksmithing. I don't mean to be easy drop either, but her words did always have a way with me, that often myself sticking around from time to time to listen. I always admired how she could make the boring and dreary things seem interesting to learn about.  After her lesson was over she walks over to me and we'd greet each other by hitting our fists against one another's. 

"Hey what's up Alice?"

Natalia said as she parted her blond hair, to reveal her brown eyes to me. I smile and gave my usual reply .

"Nothing just came to check in on you really."

Natalie smiled before thanking me.

"Thanks for worrying about me Alice. Unfortunately my next session of kids to teach will be here soon, maybe we can go for drink later?"

I found that question she asked me was so silly, I couldn't help but laugh for a moment before responding to her. 

"You can bet your sweet ass we'll meet up for drinks later. Gives me something to do besides working in the forge. Come find me after work okay?"

Natalia nodded before running along to find her next session of kids.

"Well I probably need to get going, or else Randelias is going to blow a fuse again."

I say to myself before leaving for his Forge that that was hip skip and a jump away from my home. I get fairly quick but as soon as I enter the shop, a small hammer flew past my face and into the wall beside my head, following by a loud voice.

"ALICE DO YOU HAVE MY SMOKES?!"

I reply in a loud voice, seeing how he could've killed me with that fucking tool.

"NO I DON'T YOU OLD FART! YOU HAD THREE PACKS YESTERDAY!"

I shake my head and walk through the shop, to see Randelias my adoptive father standing there with his arms crossed. I looked down at him, a man standing man about 2 feet shorter than myself; standing right beside the two differently sized furnaces that were built for our difference in height.

"Look I'm sorry, but with all do respect. You need to cut that shit out. You're literally killing yourself at this point, and for what? A few moment of relief from your aching fingers. I'm ready to take the forge okay, just have a bit of faith in me. okay?"

Randelias sighed deeply and nodded.

"When did you grow up to be such a haughty girl on me huh? If I was twenty years younger, I'd tell you off; but unfortunately you're right Alice. I taught you the best I can, and believe me I'd be damned if you turned up on streets due to me." 

I smiled softly before kneeling down to hug my old man, after then he took off his leather apron and hung it up on the wall. 

"I suppose I'll go finalize the paperwork, but there's one thing I got to say to you Alice. I don't say it much cause that's how us blacksmiths are, but I love you Alice. You may not have been my real daughter, but hey family doesn't all have to be blood related eh?"

I shook my head, and laughed a bit, seeing her old man try to express himself. Randelias was embarrassed and shouted at me.

"What's so funny? You're old man tries tell you he loves you and you laugh at him?"

I gave him a simple reply.

"No of course not. You'll forever be my father, even if we're not blood related."

After that, things were good for a while. The shop got put in my name, and Randelias spent his time relaxing and teaching me how to order materials for the shop. However one day a man in a burgundy cloak with the hood concealing his face walked back with Randelias; they were both laughing has if they were drinking friends in a far flung past. They two of them walked in the back of the shop and sat at the table were I would each something nourishing my body while taking a break from extensive projects.  Just before I could go and join them, I heard a thump near the door, so naturally thinking something had fallen over there but when I got over there and saw nothing had fallen out of place. I then noticed a man by the door wearing a set of jet black armor that belonged to the Ember Knights.

The word amongst the town people say that these knights were once the worst of criminals. Cannibals, Rapists and Killers you name it and who ever is inside of the armor had supposedly done it at one time or another. More rumors say that they were the top knights in Prosperum Ignis who, once fitted with their new armor were sent to meet the King who waited for this group of ten men in the dungeons far belong the castle floors.  Not much is known after that, but after their meeting with the King, but only four out of ten men emerged from the dungeons with their armor was completely scorched.  Besides those speculations, nothing much is really known about the men who served under his Lordship. 

"Ah sparks... I should see who Randelias brought back with him to the shop, cause this isn't looking too hot."

I ran to the back of the shop where Randelias and the stranger was, but once I got there I saw the stranger and shouted at him.

"Who the fuck are you?! One of those Ember Knights are waiting outside, that means your trouble. So pull that fucking hood up and show us who you are!"

Randelias looked  concerned at my outburst with the stranger slowly raising his arms up to show he means no harm and spoke in a calm tone.

"Now now. I really don't mean you, or your father any harm young lady. Please allow me to reveal myself."

I respond feeling a little more relaxed after hearing how calm the man's voice. 

"O-okay..yeah but if you do anything sneaking I-"

The stranger cut me off and said.

"I only wore this to keep eyes off me, it's hard to get out these days."

The hooded figure put down his hood to reveal a tanned older gentleman with long greyish hair that wasn't curly. His hair did have plenty of dark black steaks throughout his mane of hair, but what caught my eye about this man, was that his eyes were a ruby red color just like mine. I felt a cold sweat going up my spine as I immediately put together who walked in with Randelias. 

"N-no.. you can't be.."

I said, tear welling up in my eyes as I put my back against the wall and slid down still I was sitting on my rear, with nothing but memories of that horrible day flashing through my mind.  The man noticed my fear, and slowly stood up from the table to make his way to me. The man slowly kneeled down in front of me, before speaking in a gentle tone.

 "Hello there fire fly.. It's good to see you."