Vail

You're a Scholar, not a Blade Rat.

    The sky was clear, the weather almost perfect, with the occasional cloud passing overhead to bring some shade to the land below. It was about midday, which means Vail should have been in a stuffy classroom full of overachieving boys eager to become the next noble of worth. Yet, he never showed up for his class, and his professor was not surprised in the least.

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    "Come on now! You can do better than that!" Clang!  The sound of metal on metal clashed through the small alleyways. " You've been doing this long enough boy! Come on, show me whatcha got!"

    "You asked for it!" The voice of the young boy was closely followed by the rapid succession of metal clangs, and ended in a dull metal blow.

    "Oof," a sword falls to the ground as a heavy man falls to the ground. "Well done mate! I was wondering when you'd stop takin' it easy on me!" The voice of the man was slightly muffled as the front of his helmet had slipped down when he fell.

    "Well I didn't want to mess up you pretty armour now would I Jerson?" Said the boy laughing at the fallen knight.

    "Har, har. Very funny Vail." Said Jerson, as he chuckled at the boy. "Help me up, would you mate?" Vail grabbed Jerson's hand and helped lift him back onto his feet. Vail snatched up the man's fallen sword and kneeled down in front him.

    "You weapon sir," Vail said sarcastically, "You don't want to leave it laying around when dragons, or barbarians could be near."

    "You've got one imagination boy, I wish I was a little school boy again!" Jerson said with a chuckle.

    "I'm not that little!" Vail argued, "I'm eleven years old and I can beat your sorry ass." He shot at the older man.

    "Ha!" Jerson bellowed, "You've got a hell of a mouth there little man, if it were anyone but me you'd of been skewered!" He said to the boy.

    "Na, I'm too good to be skewered." Vail said, "Besides, they'd have to catch me first!" Vail tore off down the alleyway and was lost behind a corner before Jerson knew what was happening.

    "That boy. A handful he is." He sighed to himself. "I'm comin' for ya boy!" He yelled after Vail. Jerson sheathed his sword and took off down the alleyway after Vail. After running through the twists and turns, he finally found Vail resting at a dead end. "I gotcha' now boy!" Jerson jokes.

    "Never!" Vail laughed. "Why can't I be a knight like you Jerson?" the young boy asked. Jerson looked at Vail, as unprepared for the question he was he was fond of the boy and didn't want to shoot him down like the noble always had.

    "Well, you weren't born to be a knight Vail. You were born to be a lawmaker, or a castle designer. You're a very bright kid, and you should put your brains to use for the kingdom, not risk getting them splattered on a battlefield."

    "But I don't want to make laws or design castles. I want to get armour like you, and fight the barbarians and savages that try to take our land. I don't want to be famous, I want to be useful." Jerson was taken aback by Vail's words. He had never heard so much passion from such a small voice.

    "Young Vail, you have more passion than some of the grown men I fight alongside with. If you're that passionate about being a knight, I'm sure you can find a way. And you better find me and let me know when you do!" Footsteps were making their way toward the two and they turned around as a noble man came around the corner of the alley.

    "You, boy!" The man snapped at Vail. "You should've been in class, yet I find you here swinging swords with an overgrown ape in metal. You should be ashamed for your family."

    "You shouldn't be so rude to Jerson! He's a good man!" Vail yells at the noble man. 

    "That is no way to talk to your father you ungrateful brat!" The noble shoots at Vail. He walks closer and puts out his hand to the boy, "The sword, now." Vail hands the sword over to his father and stares daggers at him. His father slaps him on the side of the face and says, "Do not look at your father that way. And you," The noble man turns on Jerson, "If I ever see you with my son again, I will personally make sure you spend the rest of your life in the dungeons." He turns and starts to walk back out of the alley.

    "But, Father!" Vail begs, as the noble turns to look at him.

    "No buts! You're a scholar, not a blade rat." The man spats. Vail looks at Jerson, with red eyes and then slowly walks away. Once the father and son have left, Jerson sits on a barrel at the side of the alleyway.

    "I always liked that boy, I do hope he makes it out all right." He says sorely. "You can always accomplish your dreams Vail, never let them knock you down."