Dael 6

The years passed more or less peacefully. The orphanage itself remained unchanged over the years. Oldest residents left when they were old enough and new came to replace them due to the constant warfare. Though, where orphanage remained the same, so did Dael's personality.

The teachers and staff of the orphanage had been almost scared to see Dael slowly grow up. They were sure Dael's teenager years were going to an endless nightmare. But in the end, Dael might have become a bit better person. He wasn't ever exactly rebellious either. At some point he began training himself and running around the orphanage along its walls daily and that was just one thing. He was also often seen lifting up weights. Not to mention the fact that many did as much as possible of the heavy work with their powers, Dael simply did the same with his physical strength. Needless to say, Dael was growing up really quickly and was becoming a very large man. It was all about Dael preparing for his chosen future work in military.

As Dael grew up, his general look began settling down. It was that of a large man. Even, if he was very strong, he wasn't any pile of muscles, but more like someone from central kingdoms where people had no powers. Dael always kept his hair short, though long enough to hide at least partially the scars on his head. Also, as was a custom in Cas Canthar for men have some kind of beard, he left a tuft on his chin. It did fit him, but, regardless, it wasn't exactly a fashionable choice. Dael didn't care what others thought about it, though. He kind of liked it.

The thing Dael wanted most was fighting training. Each year recruiters came for a visit a couple times and that was the only time Dael had a real teacher for using swords and other weapons. He tried to learn about it as much as possible each time, but really didn't get much more than basics. He was still very happy about even such slow progres. He wanted to learn everything and the sooner he'd learn fight the better he would get when got the training for real. He still wanted his revenge and it was what most likely fueled Dael's daily life.

There were several more who wanted to join military and so Dael sparred with them with training swords. Also Dael's only friend, Roag, was one of them. Roag didn't train as hard as Dael, but he wasn't that far behind. Where Dael tended to trust sheer strength, Roag seemed to like think about his moves a bit. Dael was still quite unbeatable by the other children.

Unfortunately, Dael was just very good with what was physical work. Other things didn't go so well for him. The orphanage, of course, provided basic schooling such as reading, writing, history and other such things. It has to be pointed out that Dael wasn't stupid or simple, but he still had problems learning things like reading or writing. It wasn't just working out for him. Dael was still attending same lessons that many year younger went to, but it wasn't helping much.

"Well, Tarhi, how does this look?" Dael said after he was supposed to write his own name. "I think it looks fine, doesn't it?"

Tarhi, who was the teacher in the said class came to look at Dael's work.

"I thought I already told you how to write the letters, Dael", Tarhi muttered. "This isn't very good. You should spend more time with writing and reading on your free time. You still can barely do either and you are much older than anyone else in this class."

On Dael's paper read his own name. It looked more like "dAeL".

"It should look something like this", Tarhi said and wrote Dael's name next to the other. "See the difference?"

"Kind of, but it's nearly right so why isn't it good?" Dael continued.

Tarhi sighed and with slight use of her powers she cleaned the paper.

"Trust me, Dael. Write it again like I showed you."

"Fine."

Dael slowly wrote the letters on the paper. That attempt looked like "dAL". Dael felt it was better this time.

"You are right; it looks much better this way", Dael said and gave the paper to Tarhi.

"No, Dael, you did it wrong again", Tarhi explained. "This is worse than the other one."

Dael was getting slightly angry.

"Damn it!" He shouted. "Why don't you understand? I can write well enough. I have written longer things than that."

"Those are barely understandable so we are trying to reinforce the basics", Tarhi commented. "Now try again. I have made you an example. Just write so that it looks the same."

"I don't want to", Dael said. "Why don't you go burn that stupid paper. I'm not going to learn anything."

That time they just continued arguing until Tarhi gave up and told Dael to write something for the next lesson. It was basically same each day with slight variations. Dael himself didn't mind his problems. He thought he'd learn everything he needed to know during his military training. After all, he had basically dedicated his life for revenge.

Then the day he was going to leave the orphanage came closer. The recruiters were coming next day and this time Dael was finally going to leave with them. Dael was now eighteen years old, but, due to his extensive training, he looked a few years older. It was evening and Dael sat in a garden, which had been built a few years back. He liked the place, because it reminded him of the garden his mother had back home…until it burned down, of course. There was even an apple tree in there. The garden had such calming effect on Dael that it was the only place where he had never acted violently and it was a place where you could talk with him and get serious answers.

"You know, Dael, these have been the longest eight years I have had here as a head of the orphanage", Eklara said as she appeared from behind the corner. She slowly walked next to Dael and sat down. "I'm sure the Angry One, Redstone, will be remembered for the years to come. I'm not sure, if I should be sad on happy to see you go. You sure made life here interesting."

"Perhaps", Dael answered. "But you do know I know what I want to do. I have nothing to lose and everything I want right now is to avenge my family. That is a path I have never deviated from. My behavior here must have been because I have been frustrated how I must wait."

Eklara sat there silently for a while and so did Dael.

"I do not like war", Eklara said suddenly. "If it was up to me, I'd never let anyone from here go to the army. I let the recruiters come here only because I know many are a bit like you, Dael. Many want to fight and it isn't my place to tell them what they should want."

"I think we need everyone we can have to fight the druids", Dael said. "They'll kill everyone otherwise."

"Perhaps. I wish we could both sides just drop our weapons and stop casting our magic and go home. This war has gone on for so long time that it doesn't even make sense anymore. It has got us nowhere and I think it will never do. I think it is time for peace, but it seems impossible."

"It'll happen when other side loses and I for sure intend to do my own share to make sure it will be druids who disappear."

"I fear that might be the only solution. There is no one to build bridge of peace which is strong enough."

Eklara stood up.

"I think we'll miss you, Dael Redstone", she said. "Regardless of everything. I wonder, if I will see you again some day."

"Who knows", Dael replied. "You don't like military and I will spend most likely rest of my life there so I doubt it."

"I wouldn't be so sure. There is something about you. Something I can't place. Something very different."

Eklara turned around and started walking away.

"What do you mean?" Dael asked curiously.

Eklara didn't say anything, but just shrugged and so Dael was left even more confused. He then thought himself that Eklara had always been strange and decided to forget about it.

And so the day finally came. It was early morning when Dael was already cleaning his place and picking together his few belongings. Going away was going to be easy for him; Dael had never really tied any strong bonds with the orphanage. To him it had just been a place where he could grow up and now he was finally done that. Now it was time for him to go elsewhere. Once Dael was done he picked up his package and walked to the doorway. He turned around and looked into the room and then without saying anything walked out and closed to door behind him.

"Yo, Redstone", Roag shouted. He was already waiting with the others who were going that day. "Feeling wistful yet?"

"Nope … and I doubt I ever will", Dael replied and sat down next to Roag. "Today is too important day to start missing this place. Today I leave behind my old life and embrace the one I have known I wanted for a long time. I'm going to make my name known! Some day all those dirty druids are going to tell horror stories to their children about me."

"I know you are not going to listen me about this", Roag said. "It is a fine goal you have there. Still, you have single track mind. There exist things in life that are more important than revenge. These things don't even have to exclude each other."

"There is very little else there for me, Roag", Dael said and grimaced a bit. "Look at me. Do you think man like me is going to get anything else done? I'm ugly and people shun me. My power is weak so I won't get jobs…except for military. I don't have money. Simply moving to central kingdoms is suicide; as soon as wandering druids notice me, they'll come strangle me in my sleep. So…I do what I can and it is also something I want to do."

"You are so pessimistic, but I'll leave it here. I'm not going to try pissing you off. I'd lose."

Roag left it there for the moment. Dael felt confident that his choice for a future was good regardless what others said. That's why he took the lead and went to look for the recruiters, while others followed. They ended up in a room where two soldiers and one officer were waiting. Dael didn't hesitate even a bit when he was given a scroll to write his name on.

"Welcome to the great army of Cas Canthar…Dael", said the officer who had the scroll. He chuckled a bit when he read Dael's name due to how it was written, but it was good enough.

"My pleasure", Dael said with a slightly devious smile. "Just give me druids to kill and I'm yours."

"Good man!" Officer replied. "That's our intention."

Dael went wait out of the way near the two soldiers standing near the doorway and watched as Roag and the rest wrote their names on the scroll too.

Afterwards it took a few hours to finalize things with orphanage and with the recruiters. It seemed there were probably not coming many in a few years. Eklara seemed to be happy about that and she also had a few snide comments about it and several other matters for the recruiters.

When everyone finally jumped on several wagons with all their stuff loaded on, Dael turned around to have a last look at the orphanage. It still looked quite much the same it had looked when he came. Dael thought to himself that he wouldn't probably ever come back. Why would he?

And then wagons got around the corner and orphanage disappeared from Dael's sight.