Chapter 2: Legacy
A bright campfire tickles, it's pitch dark outside and it's freezing. After walking for a few hours, they decided to stop in the middle of the night close to a small lake.
Saki sits cross-legged near the flames, staring in the glowing embers. Across of him, the old man reads a noticeably worn book.
"Hey… old man," Saki finally muttered, breaking the silence. "I told you my name. What's yours?"
The old man glanced up, closing the book slowly before sliding it back into his bag.
"That sword.. it carries history. Who gave it to you?" He says.
"It belonged to my dad. Before he passed away."
The fire pops. The old man looks at Saki and the sword for a few seconds before talking again.
"You carry his will now." The old man says
"His will? it's just a sword to me."
The old man shakes his head slightly and sighs "Nothing is ever just anything."
Saki tightens his grip on the blade "I don't deserve it anyway. I don't know why i still carry this."
"Then perhaps…" the man said quietly, "you're carrying it to find out."
"I was weak," Saki responds. "I couldn't save them." He whispers, as he puts his hands on his face.
A short silence gets broken by a crackle in the fire, the sparks reflecting in the old mans glasses as he leans back.
"You'll learn, Saki" he replies calmly. "The weight you carry.. will teach you how to stand"
The man waits a few seconds, then leans over and grabs a map out of his bag.
"We have to wake up early tomorrow." he says, while spreading out the map next to the fire.
"We are still in the Conto region." The man points to the location on the map "It's only a few hours from here to the village. it's slightly over the border of the Legio's state"
To Be Continued