Agares Duchy
Within a massive garden, the soft sunlight streamed through an open rooftop..
Bathing the surroundings in its warm inviting rays…
The air smelled fresh of flowers, rare herbs and a thick concentration of essence from all the impossibly rare herbs, herbs that would be any alchemist's wet dream, some almost extinct, yet scattered wildly, like common grass within this carefully cultivated garden…
Swish!!
997…
Swish!!!!
998…
The sound of air parting could be heard in the silence of the garden…
Swish!!!!
999…
Swish!!!!!
1000…
Hooooooo….
Following the exhale was a clear thump..
The sound coming from a training great sword being planted into the ground….
The sword looked like something that weighed a lot…
Almost 500kg to be precise..
And yet, this same sword had just been swung over one thousand times, in perfect form…
Standing there, sweat slicked, breathing haggard from clearly overworking his still immature frame, sweat matted his snowy white hair, making it cling to his chubby baby face…
Raiden Agares…
Son of the DEMON DUKE
Young lord of the AGARES house
Finally stood, regaining his usual breathing rhythm…
Now 5 years of age..
He stood at a height of almost 5ft..
His frame already growing broad and wider, showing that he'd clearly inherit the intimidating build of an agares through and through
A size that made people doubt if this was still some toddler, if not for the baby fat on his face…
He looked down at his palms, rough skin already healing itself in a slow process that never ceases to amaze his childish curiosity…
Swinging a sword weighing almost 500kg, something no 5 year old, no matter how magically empowered had a business doing, something that should have broken him before he could even lift it..
Something that did break him after his father, Micheal agares, agreed without an ounce of hesitation when his 5 year old son asked for training in the sword…
But yet, his body proved more resilient than anything, his bones creaked but the pain that should've racked his body, made him whimper and cry like the toddler he was, was nothing but an ache, a dull fading ache..
He bones that should have broken, holding strong, creaking but never breaking, and so..
At 5 he started sword swings, from the smallest of weighted swords, to the 500kg monstrosity he just casually impaled in the ground…
Hooooo…
He breathed out again….
A small smile playing at his lips..
"At this rate" his voice came out, small, babyish, yet carrying some weight present in that fact that he was AWARE of just who he damn well was…
"I'll outgrow the 500kg sword before my birthday in a few weeks time" he said finally..
A small satisfaction settling in his chest…
Clap, Clap, Clap…
A slow, rhythmic clapping sounded across the wide expanse, a garden turned training spot by a pampered young lord..
Turning around, Raiden felt himself smile, an expression of pride and satisfaction clear on his baby face as he looked at his father's approaching figure…
______
Duke agares looked at his son…
His son of only 5 years old…
A son that had come to him with a conviction that screamed "I want to learn to fight"…
His 5 year old son that seemed to be a walking mystic, walking at barely 8 months old, already speaking at 2, and now only 5 years old, was already telling him to train him in the way of the sword…
He should've declined, no matter how talented, training should wait, until he awakened, his body strengthened…
He should've said "No" knowing anything else would probably earn a month of couch sleeping…
But the thought died the moment his golden eyes locked with his son's own..
Eyes that burned with fiery conviction, evident characteristic of an agares man stubbornness..
And he knew, oh he knew, whenever that look appeared, it usually meant 'I'm doing this whether you agree or not, I'm only here out of courtesy'..
He knew, after all, he himself was a firm wielder of that look, as was his father, and his father's father.. typical Agares stubbornness that would rather a situation kill them that let them be weak..
So he agreed, and to no surprise when the little gremlin asked for a great sword…
He obliged, waiting for the boy the crash and burn, for reality to fix the stubbornness..
He waited and watched as he struggled to lift the measly wooden great sword, his face scrunched up in pain and struggle, until it wasn't..
The boy's expression morphing into mild annoyance as he lifted the sword and executed a swing, clumsy, without form, but a swing with a wooden sword that weighed whole Kg…
He felt it instantly…
The warrior spirit burned brilliantly in his son..
And so, his hesitation vanished…
Yes he earned a full month of couch duties after his wife found out..
But looking at his boy now..
The pride that settled in his chest made it clear..
Those torturous months were worth it…
This boy,
His son,
Was a monster…
A monster more terrifying than anything he'd seen before..
And that, THAT was saying something, considering their agares lineage bred monsters like they were free…
______
"That was impressive" Micheal said, his pride clear…
"Hehehe, old man, impressed aren't you" Raiden said, giggling with glee and pride…
"Heh… don't get Cheeky with me brat" Ruffling his son's white hair, Micheal spoke with clear fondness in his tone of voice…
"Ughh!! Stop ruffling my hair old man, you'll mess up my look" grunted Raiden, trying to fix the mess his dad made..
"Look at you, barely a toddler and already bothering with how you look?" His father barked a short laugh, looking at him incredulously…
A sharp toothy smile immediately curled up his lips as he spoke smoothly " heh, this young master is going to be a lady killer when he's big old man, so I don't need you messing up my style" quipped Raiden, in what might've looked cool if his chubby baby face didn't just make him adorable instead…
"Heh.." Micheal just shook his head with a scoff..
"Whatever you say little man" he said smoothly, already turning around..
"Your mother is looking for you" he said, voice drifting over his shoulder..
"What for!" Raiden quickly followed..
"She's going to visit Evelyn, said you must follow with" Micheal said..
Evelyn Aeldris…
Empress of the Aeldris empire
And best friend of Seraphina Agares..
Raiden hearing his next appointment, couldn't stop a groan from escaping him…
"Do I have to?" He questioned with puppy dog eyes…
"Heh, you're free to decline, I'm not helping out with whatever your mom decides after though" Micheal spoke up with a sneer, clearly enjoying his son's discomfort…
"Uhhhh, on second thought, I don't think it'll be so bad to see her again" he chuckled nervously, clearly terrified of his mother's reaction….
"Hahahahahahah" Micheal's laughter filled the hallways soon after…
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