The Runic Alchemist

Damian could not just jump out of the ring for no reason so he continued the fight. Yovan released water blades going above his head aiming towards the Spellsword captain's visor slits.

The captain used his heavy sword to parry each water blade without so much an effort, Damian on the other hand used this chance to bury the spear into the ground and use it as a pole to kick the heavy armored Spellsword captain in the back which made him miss one last blade that came a bit later than the others.

It hit him directly in his head, he had a helmet on though, so it wasn't that big of a deal.

However the result was not pleasant at all, he looked pretty pissed.

Damian just saw a blur of a shiny leg coming towards him when the back roundhouse kick connected his poorly raised spear's long side and shattered it, going past the spear and connecting with Damian's chest. The attack had too much power, Damian got flown out of the ring crashing into the wooden building behind him.

The two other captains alongside the Spellsword captain stopped everything and came rushing towards Damian who had broken the front wall of the wooden building and was just laying in the rubbles now. A face of a short golden haired girl flashed in his mind for a second. And a deep sigh escaping his mouth.

'Is my fate really just to be kicked around by more skilled swordsman than me..?'

"Kid, I am so sorry.. Are you okay..?" Said the heavily armored Spellsword captain sounding really apologetic.

"Kid, can you breathe..?" The mage captain supported him from the sides.

"Can't you control your hits a little, Valoris..? We just had that talk of going easy like not even five minutes ago..." Said the pugilist captain.

"Sorry.. Sorry.. Okay..? It was just a reflex thing.. I didn't even realize what I was doing... They surprised me..." The Spellsword captain said hurriedly, trying to explain himself.

Before they would send for a healer or make even bigger mess of this Damian just shook his head and stood up using the kind mage captain's hand as support. Then looking down his messed up clothes, Damian tried to remove the dirt, pieces of woods and splinters with his hands. All three captains stopped talking all at once and just looked at the little kid cleaning his clothes in front of them.

Damian realized what he had done wrong and instantly stopped all his actions and yelled 'ouch' while heavily leaning on the mage captain's stretched out arm. All three captains gave him a look that screamed that they were not convinced at all but Damian did not care and just kept on acting poorly in front of them.

Sam also came beside him leaning on one of the soldiers and just laughed while pointing at him, Damian wanted to kick the bastard but he had to stay in the character.

The tests ended as both Damian and Sam were transferred to the infirmary and were laid down on empty beds. Being healed by the people who just knew basic customary healing spells. There was not a single proper healer there but then again it would be a waste for them to be here. They were already rare and only used in most important places, frontlines and important missions.

After some 45 minutes of laying there surrounded by numerous people. The three unit captains came to see them after finishing their final speech to the newly selected recruits.

"How are you doing kid..? Feeling any better..?" The mage captain asked clearly not very convinced that Damian was hurt in the first place just like the other two captains with him.

"Yes, a little." Damian lied like a pro.

"Well I am sure you will feel better in no time.." Said the pugilist captain placing her one hand on Damian's naked ankle.

"Anyway.." said the Spellsword captain. "I apologize once again for hurting you like this and don't worry about the tests.. You and your friend here both made it fair and square.. You all officially start the training a week from now at dawn."

"Ohh.. Thanks.." Damian smiled.

"Hell yeah..!! I knew I could do it..." Sam yelled a few beds away from him.

"It's good to see that kids these days have such great enthusiasm for serving their country..." The mage captain said happily.

"He is just greedy.." Damian explained.

"Uhmm..."

"Pffffhhhmm..."

The pugilist and the Spellsword captains tried their best to hold their laughter at mage captain's awkward reaction. With saying all that they had come to say, the three captains turned to leave.

"Ugghhmm.. ughhm.." Damian fake coughed to get their attention.

"Is there something you wish to say, recruit..?" Asked the Spellsword captain.

"Uhm.. I was injured in the tests you know, and it will take weeks to heal properly.. So uhm.. How would the poor us afford to eat by then..?" Damian said with a deadpan face acting as fake as three dollar coin.

"Hehh.. Ughm.. I guess we could give you two shelter and food till the training officially begins.." The Spellsword captain said awkwardly while looking at his two companions who were equally at lost with the clear blackmailing attempt.

"And you call me greedy..?" The useless assistant chimed in from behind.

Damian just glared at the fool as the captains coughed awkwardly and left them alone with the many mages turned temporary healers. After half an hour more of this inefficient healing and forced resting Damian and Sam were finally shown around the camp like a mini tour by one of the soldiers which ended at the huge newly constructed wooden building that had many bunkbeds lined up neatly in rows.

Damian and Sam chose one in the last corner near the window. The bunk beds were double-decker. Damian, being the grown-up, occupied the lower one, while the annoying child assistant took the upper one. Even though the whole room was empty and he could have slept anywhere for the week.

A week was given to them before they were supposed to officially begin the training and come to stay here full time. Once the soldier left with his job being done, Damian and Sam walked back to the city gate and waited in line to go inside. They still had to check out from the inn and get all their stuff from the room.

Damian wasn't expecting the captains to let them stay here as compensation, he was expecting more of a money or some weapon or something like that. Guess the Spellsword captain felt more guilty for his sudden outburst then he showed.

It was kind of Damian's fault too though, he could have just received a simple hit and get away from the ring but seeing a good chance with Yuvan's spell he just could not resist. Guess he did not like to lose either.. he was more childish than he remembered being. This body was not without side effects.

Packing their stuff and saying farewell to the kind lady owner of the inn and familiar staff, Damian and Sam walked in silence towards the city gate.

"We will have to kill people..." Sam said suddenly without no further explanation, but Damian understood what he was thinking.

"That is the war.."

"Why are they even fighting..?"

"Who knows..? Ashenvale is just bored maybe, for not being able to fight anyone for years.."

"What if we win..?" Sam asked with his hands behind his head, walking with relaxed posture yet serious expressions on his face.

"More conflict will follow.. Eldoris will become equal or even greater in size than the Empire. Since the Empire is mostly barren lands and desert. The other kingdoms won't let it happen though, once the war leans in one favor the others will join to share the pieces of pie fought over blood and fire." Damian explained.

"You sound like you don't want to fight..? Or just don't want Eldoris to win..?"

"I just want to earn enough credits and go away somewhere else where there is more peace and quiet..."

"But you are so powerful and smart.. You have more abilities and potential than any famous knights or heroes that I remember had in their childhood..." Sam asked genuinely curious about the topic.

"I am not a warrior Sam, I am a Rune shaper. With training in martial arts, becoming warrior I can maybe earn a big name and good title with plenty money, but that will be all. However by innovation of brilliant tools and ideas I can change the lives of millions.

Besides there are no great knights or heroes Sam, just killers and survivors." Damian did not want to say such morbid things to such a young child but they were going to train for war and Sam had really little time to truly understand what they were really going to do.

This world was not kind, it was much more prettier, magical, and a place of greater potential than earth but there was no kindness to it. The class system and power distribution with hierarchy made sure of that. Sometimes Damian felt like a pawn in some video game or a really messed up part of someone's joke but those were all thoughts.

No matter how real or fake, the people here were sentient and felt things just like him, which made them just as human as he was. Nothing more was needed.

He just needed to make a good life for himself, that was always his goal and it had yet to change.

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