NIMBUS AND THE KNIGHTS OF CENFERUM

Chapter 4 part 2

In the weeks that passed, every day for three, sometimes four hours, Sir Lonios trained Nimbus in the use of the sword. The boy proved to be a good student and progressed with each training, occasionally managing to withstand three moves from his master before being considered the loser of the round. According to Lonios, they were right in the center of the continent, and mysteriously, the knight deviated from the main road, opting for various small shortcuts, all small trails. At night, the campfire was veiled and hidden among the bushes, another suspicious act. The knight always traveled with a hood, even under the strong sun, something he never used to do, and made a point of not talking much with farmers they encountered along the way, on the roadside. Lonios appeared concerned when he noticed a man approaching. He was coming very fast and crossed paths with the two, seeming in a hurry, but stopped when he seemed to recognize Lonios.

— Aren't you Lonios, the wanderer?

— Depends on who's asking.

— I'm just a messenger from Calamity, do you know it?

— It's been many years since I passed through there, but I used to frequent it in the past.

— You're famous there, you know?

After that, the messenger laughed and galloped away, disappearing on the road. Shortly after this encounter, Lonios changed trails, taking various alternative paths, until he decided to stop and set up camp. However, this time, he ordered Nimbus not to pitch the tent. That night, they would have only the stars as their roof, and the knight would teach a bit about them and how to navigate based on their positions.

Several days passed, and the boy forgot about the encounter. He started paying more attention to the sword that Sir Lonios carried at his waist, the weapon always wrapped in dirty white bandages.

Lonios never unsheathed it, ignoring the instructions he had given Nimbus to clean and care for the weapons daily to prevent rust. Despite this, on that day, Nimbus had carefully examined its hilt. It was made of scarlet metal, with the carving of a lizard head at the end. The boy had interpreted it as a dragon, but when he asked, Lonios only expressed a smile.

— Nimbus, you know, I admire your willpower, going weeks without asking me about the secret of this sword, why it's always wrapped up. Believe me, I was waiting for you to do that, but before, I need to tell you a story:

"A long time ago, in Victórius, the capital of Freedom, there was a family of blacksmiths. They were good but not famous; they simply practiced their craft, surviving on what little they earned. One day, their youngest son, who was very curious and enjoyed traveling for miles in his explorations, discovered that Victórius was a continent infested with lizard-like creatures. These beings had wings, were extremely aggressive, and, on top of that, breathed fire. They were considered a plague, destroying crops, herds, and even entire villages. They were the dragons. This curious boy once spotted a dragon that was not much larger than a dog. However, this encounter was almost deadly for him. Fortunately, some farmers accustomed to hunting this species saved the boy just before he could be incinerated by the creature.

To his surprise, he found the monster's nest nearby, and in it, there was an egg. Without hesitation and driven by his immense curiosity, he took the egg home. As expected, a dragon hatched from that egg. Still driven by curiosity, he decided to spare the baby's life and raised it as a pet, becoming his best friend.

To his surprise, the dragon didn't show aggression towards him; instead, it adopted him as a father. The boy fed and cared for the dragon in secret from his family. As months passed, the creature grew larger and more fierce, yet it never harmed the boy. The curious boy noticed that the dragon was also highly intelligent, much more than a dog, and even more loyal. He taught the creature tricks and tamed it completely. After a few more months, it became impossible to keep the young dragon a secret, and eventually, his family discovered it, followed by the people in the city, and finally, the entire continent. Initially, everyone wanted to eliminate the beast, but the boy demonstrated complete control over it.

So, the boy became famous, and his family's blacksmith business became increasingly sought after, especially when the boy assumed the role of a blacksmith, claiming to forge weapons and swords using the fire of his small dragon.

Everyone wanted a weapon forged by the fire of the boy's dragon, and his family began to grow richer. With fame and money, the family became more powerful. Their children became knights, they acquired a castle, and became lords of the region. They sought eggs of increasingly larger dragon species, taming them using the same method as the curious boy. After some time, after decades of research and investing a significant amount of money, the family created a new type of steel – stronger, lighter, capable of absorbing powerful impacts without breaking. With it, they could create weapons that would never dull and shields that would never be destroyed. They named it Diamond Steel. With this steel, they became famous worldwide, and everyone wanted a nearly indestructible weapon or shield made of Diamond Steel. However, over the ages, the temperament of this family changed. Once humble, they became increasingly arrogant. Many said that their temperament, like Diamond Steel, was forged by the fire of the dragons."

— Nimbus, you are like the steel, the knowledge I'm passing on to you is like the diamond dust that combines with this steel, your training is like the fire of the dragons, and I am like the blacksmith who will hammer and shape you until you become like this Scarlet Sword made of Diamond Steel. — Lonios unsheathed his sword and held it with both hands, offering it to Nimbus to take.

Nimbus noticed that the entire sword had a scarlet hue and couldn't help but recall the stories he had heard about his father, who, before facing the ether monster in combat, had unsheathed a weapon that seemed to have a red blade. Could it also be made of Diamond Steel? Regardless, he reached out, expecting to hold a heavy and lethal weapon. However, when he took the sword and raised it in the air, he noticed it wasn't heavy but rather light and elegant. The blade was much thinner than a common sword, as thin as a sheet of paper, and at least three times lighter than a normal sword. He twirled it in the air with ease, even though the weapon was designed to be held with both hands, he handled it effortlessly with just one.

— This is the Indolent, a Diamond Steel sword. It belonged to my father and my grandfather, and to many ancestors of my family before them. It has never been sharpened, only on the day it was forged. It's so strong that it can split shields in half and cut through the blades of other swords.

Nimbus looked at the weapon and then at Lonios, his eyes wide with visible astonishment. How could a wandering knight without possessions have such a weapon? Seeing the expression of shock on the boy's face, Lonios reassured him.

— Relax, Nimbus. When the time comes, you'll know everything. For now, let's focus on your training.

Almost instantly, Lonios gestured for Nimbus to be quiet.

— I think someone is coming. You know what to do.

Running, the boy began to gather their belongings and take them to where the horses were, behind some trees nearby. He saddled the animals and was almost ready to lead them to Lonios when a group arrived at the camp at a gallop and abruptly stopped the horses. Luckily, he wasn't seen because he was behind those bushes. But he could see through the vegetation the restless riders.

— Well, well, if it isn't the famous wandering knight Lonios. You have no idea how hard it was to find you — spoke a red-haired girl with flowing and curly hair, wearing a cloak and underneath it, only a leather bodysuit with various swords and knives strapped all over her body.

Lonios just smiled.

— Well, knight, I am Violentina. We've come to collect what you owe to Mr. Wynrid — the girl explained. The men accompanying Violentina dismounted their horses, unsheathed their weapons, and stood there in a combat position. After that, the girl calmly dismounted her horse and rested her hand on a saber she carried at her waist, next to a short sword, watching Lonios with a smile on her face.

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