The Pommel

1. Remember your heritage

Sierra brought Junior just outside the Gates of Sanctuary. He was about the age of ten. Her hands were holding something, something she wanted to keep hidden. Junior swore he saw a glimpse of it - it was moving.

-Now, now, she said quietly. Close your eyes, or you'll spoil the surprise.

Junior did as told, and shut his eyes closed with anticipation. Sierra delicately opened her hand on the ground, and it hopped out.

-Open your eyes now, she added with a smile.

And so he did. A small lizard was hopping around a marveled Junior; it had to be the greatest gift ever! Sierra backed away to talk with a figure -a guard, maybe. Minutes later, Junior tried to take the hopping lizard in his hands, but it thought otherwise, and bit him. Junior yelped at the pain, while the critter ran off into the darkness.

-Mommy, mommy! It bit me, cried the little boy.

The woman knelt and puts a soft kiss on his hand.

-You have to be gentle with it. I will go get it back, she said, as she crouched to the ground.

She closed an eye, and wiped the ground a bit, as if looking for something. Suddenly, she stands up and skips away in the same direction the lizard had.

The Grip

2. Know your cause

Later that day, Aaron put Junior to sleep when it usually is Sierra's doing. He was silent and calm, more so than he usually was. Without any words, he left Junior to the darkness of his room.

Junior, without his bedtime kiss and story, could not fall asleep, the darkness seemingly heavier than usual. He slipped out of bed, aware that he should not. It was a violation of the home rules; but again, his kiss and story lacking were a broken rule too, right? He moved silently across the bedroom, and glanced out into the hall. The same figure was talking to his father, Aaron, but Junior only caught wind of the last words:

-... luck with Sierra?

His father shook his head grimly as he added:

-The worse of luck has befallen upon her and me. Her skull was cracked open, and emptied clean...

Junior was not too sure of what this meant at the time, but the heavy and asphyxiating grief of his father scared him. He hurried back to his bed, hiding under the covers, awake for the rest of the night...

The Cross-Guard

3. Remain detached from your cause

Years had gone by, Junior had grown to his fifteens. Much had changed since the death of Sierra; Junior followed Aaron on his expeditions and hunt to kill aberrations. He learned much from those trips. The figure, the man, came more and more around - his father's friend.

Several times he had seen his father recite a quick prayer, before a fight against hook horrors. His greatsword would glow pure white and would cut through the hook horror's hide like butter, with an intimidating screech.

His father took the habit of brooding, more and more. He grew sombre, as any man who would love his deceased wife. But in the years of Junior's fifteen, the idea of vengeance had consumed completely the father, but neither of them knew until...

They ran into a trio of hook horrors. His father merely grumbled inaudibly the prayer, even more than before, and ran to meet the hook horrors, with a berserker's cry. Junior who stood back and away saw and knew the Earthmother had left him - his family sword was not glowing and barely scratched the hook horrors. Aaron did not seem to notice, as he kept yelling and fighting, vengeance pouring out with his cries and blood. He understood but too late that he did not stood a chance - he was impaled and supplied and begged Junior to leave and run. Junior did, tears to his eyes, and began to run blindly back to where they came, into the damp darkness.