“Father, wake up father! You promised to do some training with me today,” Sylex hears as he is coming out of his sleep.

“I am up, Fellan. Go to our training ground, I will be out in a moment,” replies the father. Sitting up as his son leaves the room, Sylex stretches his arms wide then rubs his face and wipes the sleep from his eyes. Standing now he puts on his breastplate and latches the buckles. After applying the rest of his armor he opens the wardrobe nearest the door and retrieves a heavy bag and throws it on the bed. Today his son will be able to leave the castle and do some training of his own, and the contents of the bag will be the proud father’s gift to him.

Jumping up to the open ceiling, Sylex grabs hold of a support beam and hangs, letting his own weight stretch out his back, then does a few chin ups. As the warrior drops to the ground a cup of water on the stand next to his bed nearly tips over as water splashes from it. After grabbing the cup and downing the water, Sylex stretches one more time, grabs the bag from the bed, throws it over his shoulder and leaves the rooms.

Exiting his house into the castles busy inner courtyard, Sylex winces at the sunlight. Stopping at a vendor, the warrior buys a few potions and throws them into the bag and slings it back around his massive right shoulder. Before heading out to the outer courtyard where his son is waiting, Sylex stops once more at the smith to pick up the fist weapons that he was having custom made for Fellan. After throwing the new weapons into the bag, Sylex tips the smith for the fine work he has done, and then makes his way to the outer courtyard.

Walking up from behind Fellan, Sylex watches as his son pounds on the training dummy, with the wooden fist weapons he uses for training. Ten feet behind Fellan, Sylex drops the bag to the ground and says, “Careful now, don’t want to break your sparring partner now do you?”

“Father, I am ready to leave the castle now. I am ready to train on my own,” Fellan says as he turns around to see Sylex.

“Are you now? You think you are ready do you?”

“Yes father, I do.”

“I tell you what, you knock me on my ass, and I will let you train yourself outside these castle walls. How does that sound?”

Not one to pass up a chance, Fellan rushes his father the moment the last word came from his lips. Swinging in for a blow to Sylex’s chest, the father grabs his hand and twists it around and uses his left foot to push one of Fellan’s legs from beneath him, and the son falls to the ground.

“Hah, a bit excited are we Fellan?” The father says to the son.

No words come from the boy as he is up to his feet and makes another charge in. Sylex moves to counter the blow coming at him the same as the first, only this time his son falls to the ground and slides between his fathers legs, latching his elbows around his father’s ankles as he goes. Falling forward Sylex places one hand on the ground and flips over and back to his feet.

“A little better that time,” Sylex says. “Just a little.”

“Father, do I really need to be able to knock you on your ass in order to survive outside these walls? For me to ever be as skilled as you, I would have to train in the furthest reaches of this world. You don’t intend to ever let me leave this place do you?”

“Fetch that bag for me Fellan,” Sylex says as he motions at the bag.

Receiving no real answer, Fellan hangs his head as he grabs the bag and carries it to his father. Raising the bag to his father he hears him say, “Open it, its contents are yours.”

Reaching into the bag Fellan pulls out a pair of gloves and excitedly says, “These are mine father?” “Custom made to fit you alone,” Sylex says.

Quickly Fellan pulls on his new gloves and hammers his fists together; enjoying the sound of metal over the wooden gloves he dropped to the ground. Peering into the bag again, Fellan says, “Father, a full suit of armor and some potions? What is all this for?”

“You are ready to go outside the castle walls my son! You have been for a few weeks now.”

Excited by these words, Fellan yanks the remaining armor from the bag and puts it on. Standing now, stretching his hands and legs out as he checks out his new look. Sylex puts his hand on his sons shoulder and says, “Go now, and be back by nightfall.”

“Thank you father!”
“Thank yourself Fellan, you have earned it.”

Barely able to contain himself, Fellan heads for the castle gates, as his father watches him disappear around the corner. Picking up his bag, Sylex heads back home.

As he is about to enter his home, Sylex hears a guard call from behind him, “The Captain wishes to see you.”

Turning to face the soldier, the warrior says, “For what?”

“I am only the messenger,” comes the guards reply.

Sylex opens his door and drops the bag inside and falls in behind the guard as they make way to see the captain.

Entering the threshold of the barracks, Sylex says, “Captain I told you, I am not going to look for the stone. My obligations are to my son, I am under your rule no longer.”

“You will retrieve the stone Sylex. You know I have sent others, and they have all failed, and now you will go for me.”

“You have been asking me for weeks to do this sir, and just as my first reply, my last will be the same. I will not go.”

The Captain sits back in his chair and says, “Then you leave me no choice, bring him in.”

Hearing the doors open behind him, Sylex turns to see his son being walked in, guards holding his arms from each side.

“Father, what is going on,” Fellan says as he is walked up next to the Captains chair.

“You will get me that stone Sylex,” the captain says as he sits in his chair next to Fellan.

“Let my son go, he has nothing to do with this.”

“You know what the stone is capable of Sylex? The Captain says. Without waiting for a reply he then says,

“You will go get it for me.”
“Captain, let my son go, I will retrieve the stone,” Sylex says in a worried tone.

Pushing away one of the guards holding Fellan the Captain stands at his side and says, “You will get it for me, and just to be sure.”

The Captain puts his hand on Fellan’s forehead pushing it back as he takes a blade and runs it across his neck. Blood begins spurting from his jugular. Only being held up by a guard and the captain, they let go as he falls with a thud to the ground. Screaming “Fellan” as he runs toward them, Sylex is rushed by the many guards at his side, and they force him to the ground. Screaming his sons name as the guards wrestle him to the ground, Sylex, unable to move, finally gives in as he says, “My son, you have killed my son you bastard”

Walking over to him, the Captain kneels down next to Sylex’s head and says, “Now you will bring me that stone. Well if you want to see your son again you will.”

Credits to Dekaron.com and Dekaron.net