Our walk back home was mostly uneventful once we made it out of the town. My father and brother didn't say anything, but they probably just didn't feel the need to. Arriving at our small shack we saw my mother sitting on a log mending some of our shirts. Even she was a staggering 7 foot tall.
"Pa, sons." She said, placing her work beside her as she stood to greet us.
"Ma, Steel go. Chief mad." Pa said as they embraced to which Ma pulled away with a sad look filling her expression.
"My baby?" She asked looking back and forth between me and Pa, tears forming in her eyes which caused my chest to tighten. As I looked at the ground I felt the familiar weight of Pa's hand rest on my shoulder.
"Steel strong. Warrior!" He pronounced cheerfully as he squeezed my shoulder with a proud smile on his face.
We embraced and then talked while we ate, but all I could think about was the trouble I had caused with the Mayor. As I laid trying to sleep I just kept wondering about this power that I now possessed. What did I plan to do with it? So far the only people I had seen with the power was the Mayor and his son, but i didn't want to be like them.
Before I knew it I had fallen asleep and was being gently shook awake. I opened my eyes to Pa, who gestured for me to follow him. Only the faintest hints of light were crossing the horizon, but this body knew the shack well. I maneuvered around the sleeping forms of Ma and Mountain until I reached the door where Pa was standing outside.
He stood with a proud smile on his face, holding a large sack and one of our wood chopping axes. I could feel the anxiety flood through me, but I pushed it down as I approached my father.
"Steel leave. Grow strong." Pa said as he put the strap of the large sack over my shoulder. I could feel the softness of clothes, but also weight of food and one of our water skins. Next he handed me the axe which I took weakly. I didn't know whether they were my own or remnants from the previous Steel, but tears began to fall down my cheeks.
"But what about you all?" I asked, but Pa just looked confused before hugging me tightly.
"Family strong. Love Steel." His simply words carried by the rumbling of his deep baritone voice worked in calming me, but it didn't ease the sadness I felt. When he pulled back he fished out one more small bag that he handed to me. Opening it up I found coins, a pouch full of bronze coins. When I tried to deny it, he just closed my hand around pouch and pushed it to my chest.
"Steel need." He said firmly and I nodded, cinching the bag with a string and putting it into the sack.
"Steel be safe." Pa said and I looked up to meet his gaze and nodded with a smile.
"Yes. I'll be safe." I replied.
With no more words I took my first steps towards a journey that I had no clue what to expect. I had left home once before, but that was in a different world and I had a plan already. Everything here was foreign and the only thing I had going for me was this power that I now possessed.
Reaching the town square it was mostly still quiet. None of the excitement from yesterday as the town still slept. I walked through and made my way to the westward road. I didn't know much about the Kingdom of Sapin, neither did the previous owner, but I did know that a larger city lay just to Marlow's west. A city named Valden.
The only plan I could think of was to join the adventurers guild there and rise through the ranks. Even Steel had heard stories, while passing through the town square, that adventurers could become famous through their deeds as they rose through the ranks. So that's what I decided, I would climb the ranks such that I would be able to get rid of the Mayor and his sons. Give my family a better life than the mistreated and disrespected current life they led.
With the sack slung over my back and the axe resting on my shoulder I set out westward. Toward Valden, but most importantly the start of a new life. I didn't know what to expect, but I knew I could figure out. While I may have been spoiled by the family I found myself with here, before I had been alone quite a long time and knew how to take care of myself.
And now that I had a family that I wanted to make proud, I would show them and the rest of Marlow what I'm capable of.
So begins the Story of Steel.