Legend of the Empyrean Blacksmith

HISTORY OF THE SWORD

Lino sighed audibly, feeling rather bad after seeing Eos bleed out from her eyes . He’d expected her to defend with her Will far more than she did, having forgotten that Ella had defiantly trampled over it just a few minutes prior . There was no turning back now, though, so he heaved Eos up over his arm and threw her onto Grim, flying over toward Eggor and Ella .

"Where’s Hannah?" Ella asked .

"We parted after exiting the Realm," Lino said . "Said she had to report to her Elders . So . . . keep her from spilling her guts out?" Lino added, pointing at now passed out Eos .

"That’s the plan . " Ella smiled .

" . . . " it was only now that Lino noticed the faint bulge over Ella’s stomach, his eyes quickly turning into saucers . "I--I--- I’m gonna be a Big Brother---ugh, fuck," he gagged for a moment, his conversation with Umbra flashing through his mind . "No, fuck that noise . No . "

" . . . glad to see you’re happy for us . " Eggor grumbled .

"No, not that . Of course I’m happy!" having recovered quickly he exclaimed, leaping over and hugging both widely . "That kid’s one lucky son of a bitch! Or a daughter, you know? Whichever!"

"What’s important is that I’m still a bitch, huh?" Ella smirked .

"Well, you are pregnant . " Lino winked . "I’m fairly certain he didn’t breathe that kid into you . Congrats guys," his expression mellowed, smile turning warm . "I don’t know anyone else more deserving of it . . . and I certainly don’t know a luckier kid than yours . "

" . . . yeah, seeing how you turned out," Ella said . "We’re kind of terrified, actually . "

"Oh, don’t worry about it," Lino said . "This one’s not on you . By the time you go to me, I was already beyond fucked . By the way, if it’s a boy, leave the lady talk to me . "

"Yeah, I’m definitely gonna turn my son into a whore," Eggor groaned . "Because that’s the sort of an upstanding person the world just lacks . "

"Hey, hey, who said anything about turning him into a whore?" Lino frowned, putting on an expression of genuine hurt . "I mean, I know you snatched her, but let’s face it big man -- you and women? You don’t make sense . Me, on the other hand? I get the ladies . "

"Heh, you really think that?" Eggor chuckled .

"Ah, however much I hate to admit it, he’s right honey," Ella glanced at Eggor and smiled apologetically . "You are just a walking bubble of awkward when it comes to other women . Remember that one time you tried to show me up by flirting with that tavern hostess?"

" . . . . . " Eggor’s cheeks suddenly flushed red as he turned away .

"That’s a story I fucking need to hear!" Lino exclaimed .

"And you won’t," Ella chuckled, turning back toward him . "What’s your plan with her, anyway?"

"As I said, I get the ladies . "

"I have no clue how Hannah tolerates you . "

"Neither do I . " Lino shrugged . "Right, big news . Met the last living Titan, the guy killed himself and gave me his heart . So, that’s a story . "

" . . . I’m not even gonna ask . . . " Ella sighed, shaking her head . "Be careful around Eos . " she suddenly warned . "While interacting with her Will, I’d come to know she’s turned quite . . . manipulative . But, then again, it is you . You and manipulation are practically married to one another . "

"Hey! That hurt! How dare you call me manipulative?!" Lino exclaimed .

"What? That farewell speech of yours during the lunch was just an expression of good will?" Ella smirked .

" . . . yeah, fair enough . It’s nice to see you’ve listened, for a change . " Lino smirked back .

"Listened? No, of course we haven’t . " she chuckled .

" . . . ah . So that’s what this unpleasant feeling in my Soul was . " Lino sighed . "Really? Isn’t my life talisman enough?"

"When you stop doing stupid and reckless things, it will be . "

" . . . so never, huh?"

"Yeah, never . " Eggor joined in after recovering . "I’ll come with you and help set up the Entrapment Formation for Eos . Honey, go and rest . That can’t have been a walk-in-the-park for the baby . "

" . . . you really think I’d let anything happen to our child?" Ella suddenly frowned . "Huh . So that’s how it is, ha? Alright . Go and set up your Entrapment Formation . And then accidentally trap yourself . Or don’t . I don’t care . "

" . . . yikes . " Lino sucked in a cold breath as he saw Ella vanish while Eggor’s face turned pale . "You aren’t gonna recover from that one quickly . "

" . . . it’s the pregnancy," Eggor was quick to complain as they mounted Grim . "She’s determined to go through with it naturally, so she’s affected by it like all hell . Just the other day, in the span of five minutes, she went from batshit-insane-throwing-plates-at-me to crying-in-the-corner . "

" . . . yeah . I really didn’t need to know that . " Lino commented .

"And I really didn’t need to share that . " Eggor coughed lowly, agreeing . "Anyway, you alright?"

"Alright?" Lino turned around and faced Eggor, with Eos passed out in-between them . "Yeah, it’s been a while since we last saw you . "

"Oh, I see . You’re training on how to be a dad . " Lino chuckled while Eggor grumbled dismissively . "Hey, I get it, okay? And thanks for asking, but I’ve been great!"

" . . . I haven’t said anything to her," after a few moments of silence between the two, Eggor spoke out in a heavy voice . "But I’m really worried, Lino . "

"About what?" Lino asked, dropping the joker act .

" . . . about Ella, about our kid, about you . . . about everything . . . " he sighed heavily . "The world . . . it ain’t right . And, I know, I know, it’s never been right . But it’s different this time . Has Ella ever told you why she and I left and settled in the Umbra Kingdom?"

" . . . uh, not explicitly," Lino scratched his head . "But, I’ve pieced a few things together . Something to do with a Disciple betrayal, banishment and such . . . "

" . . . against my better judgment, it’s probably time you heard the actual story," Eggor said, taking a deep breath . "Her Grandfather was the Patriarch of the Clan at the time, and her banishment was planned ever since her sixth birthday . "

" . . . huh?!" Lino exclaimed .

"It was the day they learned she had whatever-immortal-soul," Eggor said . "Well, while everyone flaunted it to the world, her Grandfather had entirely different idea on her future . About a month before she was banished, he found me stranded in a random cave in the middle of nowhere where I was drinking my sorrows away . "

" . . . "

"One of the strongest and wisest men in the entire world," Eggor said, smiling bitterly . "Burst out into tears in front of me like a child . . . and bowed to me, Lino . He thanked me over and over, for helping Ella discover herself . He then spent hours apologizing, offering his life in return for my forgiveness . . . "

" . . . why do I have a feeling Ella doesn’t know this story?" Lino chimed in .

"Ha ha ha, no, she knows," Eggor said . "I’ve told her a long time ago . Anyway, in spite of his incessant begging, I was still angry . Mad . Broken . Bottomed out, really . I was unwilling . "

" . . . "

" . . . but, the bastard kept on pushing . " Eggor chuckled . "He stayed with me for nearly a week, talking so much I swear to god he’d spoken every single word of the Common Tongue . In the end, I gave in . I decided to hear her out . He then told me his insane plan, all devised to ensure Ella left the Holy Continent entirely, crippled . "

" . . . why?" Lino frowned .

" . . . because of you . " Eggor suddenly smiled, startling Lino .

"Me?" Lino exclaimed softly .

"Well, not explicitly you . He just mentioned that the Warring Era is breathing its last breaths . . . and that the person who’ll end it will be an Empyrean . "

" . . . and that’s the part you never told her . " Lino suddenly exclaimed .

" . . . he he, what, can’t a man have a secret or two he keeps from his better half?"

"Hey, I keep no secrets from Hannah!"

"Sure you don’t buddy . Sure you don’t . "

" . . . khm, so, why did he think that?" Lino asked as the two routed to a nearby mountain range and found an isolated flatland surrounded by thick woods on all ends before landing .

" . . . honestly? I don’t know . " Eggor said, sighing . "He just told me that Ella would be instrumental, and that if she stayed there . . . she would wind up dead, at best . He also told me that war after war would soon break out, compounded in the end by the Realm Wars, and the Wars of Creation or Origin Wars -- whatever the hell that is . "

"Are you sure he’s strong enough to know this?" Will’s robotic voice startled Eggor who fumbled back and fell off Grim, cursing lowly .

" . . . give a man some warning, dude . " Eggor cursed . "You think he ain’t?"

" . . . it doesn’t matter . "

"Yea, I’m strong enough or whatever . Speak old man!" Lino quickly spoke out as he realized that his Soul was back in his body .

" . . . yeah," Eggor looked at him dubiously for a moment but continued . "As I said, he never really explained anything to me . . . just listed things out . He told me that, if she ever met an Empyrean, it would be my job to, you know, rekindle the flames of cultivation inside of her . Turns out, I didn’t really have to do that . "

" . . . there’s a weird spin to this story," Lino suddenly grumbled, feeling a headache come onto him . "And I’m sure the bastard’s gonna share it one day . . . but by god, if I don’t go mad by then, I’d at least have gone insane . "

" . . . Ella’s finally strong enough to tangle in the world’s affairs, at least the surface ones," Eggor said . "But . . . "

" . . . don’t worry about it," Lino suddenly smiled, patting Eggor’s back . "I’ll talk to her . "

"Heh, you think you can convince her?" Eggor chuckled bitterly .

"Well, I did convince Hannah to have sex with me . " Lino said . "How hard can it be to convince a woman who already loves me to just stay still and raise her kid proper?"

" . . . attaboy . . . " Eggor, begrudgingly, sighed out as he saw the glimmer of expectation glistening inside Lino’s eyes .

"Don’t ask me why, but I have a feeling her grandfather was a Descender . " Lino’s lips suddenly curled up in a smile as he stroked his beard . "Oh my . There certainly is a spin to this story . I really wish I could delay the whole Eos business and go and have some fun . "

" . . . what?" Eggor asked, confused .

"Old man," Lino mumbled lowly, his smile turning into a grin . "Or should I call you Grampa? Geesh, you better spoil me rotten old man . "

Meanwhile, within the small, inconspicuous-looking lake, old, balded man’s eyebrows were currently twitching, while two younger-looking men standing next to him were shaking, trying to hold back their laughter .