Adventure of Exiles

After a walk he was out in a field where Jakob was waiting.

“You’re late.” Jakob said sternly.

“Yeah, yeah whatever. I was busy, you old bastard raven.”

Felix threw off his cloak with a dramatic flair just to annoy Jakob even more and drew his sword to start training.

“Don’t you have the respect to address your elders?”

“No.” Felix replied.

“Well, you better shape up before I put a foot up your ass. Now, let’s start with fifty swings and then fifty swings with the other arm. Then we will move on to footwork. Let’s go. Begin.”

Felix got to work, as he went through the motions his mind wandered off.

He has been training with Jakob for a while now. Sometimes Lukas would join as well.

Felix had to hand it to Jakob, he knew his stuff. He must have been blessed by Ragnar, the God of War because Jakob was an expert in the application of violence. He had the strength and stamina of a beast. He could wield a sword or a mace and swing with such force it could smash bones. Jakob was also an expert tactician with his deep experience as a mercenary. Sometimes telling Felix stories of his past.

As for Felix, he just had a natural knack for violence and being a pain in the ass.

He and Jakob started sparring.

Jakob’s sword came fast and furious. Jakob always surprised him as he was much faster than Felix thought.

Felix dodged the attack and then struck back.

“So, how were the ruins?” Jakob asked.

“It was a bust. All we found was a piece of old wood and a few skeletons. No coins or treasure.”

“That’s not what my granddaughter told me.”

“What did that loudmouth had to say?”

“Lisa said you were quite the hero. Protecting her and Noah. She said it was quite a battle. She told me too about how you were willing to sacrifice your own life. You get off at being a pretend hero, fledging?”

Felix scoffed, “that girl.” He kept up his attack on Jakob.

“I have to admit it might be at some fault here. Her uncle and my son, Anton was a soldier for the loyalists army. She heard stories about him as a child. I wasn’t the most exciting storyteller, but it was clear that Lisa has a vivid imagination. She always had a soft spot for Anton.” Jakob said as he kept blocking Felix’s strikes.

“What happened to him?” Felix asked as he came up to strike Jakob’s blind spot.

Jakob deflected the strike without hesitation having already anticipated Felix’s next move. “He died in the civil war.” Jakob replied.

Felix scowled, yet another old man with a dead child. Did he see Felix like a son? Just like Edwin.

“Let me ask you this. What would you give if you had the chance for revenge? If you came across your son’s killer, what would you sacrifice to take that man’s life? What would you tell someone like that who lost his daughter to the same war?”

Felix asked frustration. He started to attack more recklessly.

Thinking of Edwin just made him angry, and he wasn’t sure why.

Jakob easily blocked Felix’s attacks, “I would tell him revenge isn’t everything. It wouldn’t bring back your daughter, only furthering your suffering. Those who passed on wanted you to live well and be happy not to wallow in the past. They wouldn’t want you to live the rest of your life in the shadow of the dead.”

“What the fuck does it even mean to live well!” Felix yelled and reckless swung at Jakob.

Jakob grabbed Felix’s arm and threw him over his shoulder. Felix slammed into the ground.

“Oof!” Felix said reflexively.

Jakob then stepped on his chest and kept his sword pointed at his throat.

“That’s a lesson to you. Never lose yourself in the fight, letting anger cloud your judgement. It will lead to your death.”

“Tsk...perhaps it’s better that way.”

Jakob paused for a moment as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“You don’t think anyone will understand you. You are alone. You have been for some time now, haven’t you?” Jakob asked.

“What would you know old man?”

Jakob snarled at Felix, a look of disgust on his face.

“I know all too well looking at you Felix. I know because I was you. I fought and fought hard. I killed many men. I lived for battle. I lived to kill. The war was my home. I thought the sword and violence would be the only thing I could call my own. Why should I care about life when I knew that I would die on the battlefield? I felt this sense of dread and impending death the entire time. Yet something strange happened.”

“What happened?”

“I lived. It didn’t feel quite real.” Jakob paused and took a deep breath.

The moment of silence between the two men lingered.

“It’s not easy being the one left behind. It would be easier to die along with the others.” Jakob said finally.

Felix’s expression turned grim, “you’re right. It would have been better.”

“Wrong answer, kid. You must live for those that cannot.”

Felix laughed bitterly, “what a noble sentiment.”

“It is.”

Jakob’s eyes were serious. Deadly serious.

Felix grunted and looked away from the gaze, “…I wish I had said something like this to Edwin. At the time I thought I would have just a little bit more time with him. Just a few more moments really are all I needed. I tried talking to him one last time, but I was too late. He died before I could tell him. To tell him, that I wanted him to live. I just don’t understand. What could possibly be worth throwing your life away like it was nothing?”

“The past is the past. All your remorse all the sins you carry, make up for them with your future. You can carry those you lost in your heart.”

I don’t want to carry his weight! I don’t want to carry his hopes, his burdens. I just wanted him to live, damn it!”

“Felix. Look at me. Live! And live well!”

Felix sighed and relaxed.

“Alright, enough of the emotional bullshit. Can you get your foot off my chest now?”

Jakob lifted his foot and then reached down to help Felix up.

“Thanks, you old bird.”

“You’re welcome. You fledging.”

Felix laughed, “well, thanks for the lesson.”

Jakob patted him on the shoulder, “You’ve been through quite a lot, haven’t you? I have a feeling you haven’t told me everything and that’s ok. Whenever you want to talk about it. I’m here.”

Felix shrugged, “sure.”

“Well then. Time for your second lesson.”

“Ugh, what now?”

“It’s called gardening. You are going to help me clean up my garden.”

“Fuck! Why do I have to work more?”

“Because I said so.”

Felix groaned, “what if I have something else to do today?”

“Then you better reschedule. The sooner we start the sooner we will be done.”

“One thing first old bird. Can you make a practice scythe? There is someone I want to spar with.”

Jakob nodded, “you must be talking about that Isaac boy at the clinic. People have been talking about him. The mysterious man who washed ashore with a battle scythe. People think he is a reaper from the Underworld.”

“Really? That’s goofy. But yeah, that’s the guy.”

“I will see what I can do. I’m curious about how he fights as well to be honest. But first, there are weeds to pull.”

Felix mentally cursed his fate.

Jakob looked at Felix, “you aren’t far enough on your journey yet to know why this matters. But you’ll look back and understand. It can be fishing, chopping wood, or a different number of things. What’s important is giving yourself a task, a goal. Something to get through the day and keep the mind occupied. For me it ended up being gardening and owning a farm was just a bigger garden.”

“Something to live for?”

“Yes. Something to live for.”

Felix sighed. He still wasn’t sure if he understood but he was willing to let Jakob lead the way.