Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Seven Stones ❯ Old Friends ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

There he was just walking down the street letting his hair blow freely in the wind. He kept his eyes opened slightly as he walked onward with his hands resting on the back of his head. Whistling with joy because of the fact his partner, Naya, said the "H" word which was taboo in her own little tongue. Still it didn't matter, it was rare that she admitted she needed help in doing something so now he was going to take the opportunity to relish in it, although he dare not rub it in her face.
Opening one eye just a bit more he eyed the corner and walked briskly around it and down the street. It was his time of the week that he took a stop at a shop that he has become quite familiar with all these years. The place was a bit run down but he treasured it none the less. Looking up he enjoyed the bright sun that was shining down on him, nothing could make this a more perfect day, despite the fact that today was his birthday. Yep Jaliard turned 20 today and he was quite happy about it. Despite he had no friends but Naya to celebrate it with, he was content with that and kept on.
Finally his boots came to a halting stop in front of his destination, "Mystic Kingdom". Hell the shop looked run down from first glance at it, with the paint peeling off the walls on the outside and the sign hanging down. There was even tape over the windows to keep them held together. Opening up the old door he walked inside and the bell clanged, hell the bell might have been the only functional thing in that place.
From the inside the floorboards creaked and the air was filled with a moldy smell that made his noise twinge slightly. Jaliard has been coming in this shop for years and still this smell bothers him a bit. Looking around he eyed a few old books on a dusty shelf and removed one looking at the cover reading the title to himself, "Abeno Spells of Taio Sin Kai". Sighing slightly he placed the book back on the shelf, after all spells that altered one's perception of reality didn't seem to take any interest with him.
Alas there came a shout from the back of the store, "Whatcha doing there Jaliard?"
Turning slightly he took notice upon the old man that sat behind the cashiers desk reading today's paper, "Ahhhh Hogarth didn't notice you sitting there." He gave a slight wave of his hand as we walked towards the old man.
Noticing the young friend coming forward the old man laid down his paper and folded his reading glasses on top of it, "What you in here on your birthday for eh boy?"
JJaliard reached the desk and placed his hands down upon it leaning forward slightly, "Ehhh you know I'm in here at least once a week, got to keep up on what material you get in."
Laughing to himself slightly the old man leaned back and let his shoes clunk onto the desk, "What new stuff you talking about boy? You know this shop has hit the shitter years ago. " He looked around slightly, "Hell, sometimes I don't even know why I don't sell this place." Changing the tone of conversation slightly he asked, "So what do you want for your birthday huh?"
Jaliard looked to the side a little bit and let out a lil sigh, "Oh nothing much really. Infact I'm pretty content with the way things are right now with my life." The old man was a bit puzzled at this young mans look on his birthday, "Oh come on now you don't mean that. Boy if I was the age you are right now..." he whistled slightly "Give me a good looking woman with a set of big ol' honking hooters and I be in heaven itself." Looking down at the old man he leered his eyes, "Your a pervert you know that?"
Hogarth let that go with a groan, "Eh I'm old Jaliard......at this age I'm allowed to be a pervert." Holding up a few of the manga books that he collects he added on, "manga says old men are allowed to be perverts."
Jaliard rolled his eyes around, "And the Japanese said it was ok to bomb Pearl Harbor at a time too. Lot of good that did them now did it?"
Hogarth threw the books to the side a bit and asked, "So, how old are you boy?"
He replied to that with, "Twenty."
The old man smiled only a bit, "Ahh twenty was a good age." Than he paused as if he just remembered something important about twenty, and than he got up from his chair. "But, twenty maybe different for you son." Before Jaliard could inquire about such a statement, he turned around and went into the backroom.
There Jaliard stood against the desk eyeing the backroom with great interest. Thinking to himself, "Now what could the old fool mean by such a thing?" He closed his eyes slightly, "That old man is so mysterious anymore. I don't know what is up with him.
Moments later the old man came out of the backroom carrying a large object wrapped in a gray cloth. Slowly he placed it down on the desk and ran his hand up and down it. With contempt he looked up at Jaliard, "Boy, I know this is a bit touchy for you, but your father told me to leave this here for you until the day you turned 20, I was too give it to you."
At that the shock came upon Jaliard’s face, "Father?"
Thinking back to years ago when he was five years old he could get a fuzzy glimpse at his fathers face as he told him the last words he would ever hear from his father as he held young Jaliard. "Young man, Im going to be gone for awhile....I have some business to take care of in a far off place."
The young boy asked, "Why Father? Why you got to go?"
The father loved his son much and was near tears when he said, "I'm sorry boy I can't tell you, ok? Someday, you'll understand why I had to go. And I promise you I will come back and always be with you ok?" At that he kissed the boy's head.
His son looked up with a content look on his face, "Ok Daddy come back soon, I love you...."
Closing his eyes the father added, "I love you very much son." But the father never came back. For years Jaliard begged on the streets for food and went from orphan home to orphan home till he was old enough to open up a place for himself and go into business living on his own till the day he met Naya.
Opening his eyes Jaliard laid them on the object in front of him. Letting his hand rest upon the grey cloak he pulled it aside to unveil an unsuspected surprise. There wrapped in the cloth was a beautiful sword the size of an average man. The blade was long and broad shined and sharpened to perfection. The hilt of the blade was beautifully crafted silver with twisting dragons that wrapped around the beginning of the blade with rubies in their eyes. Each edge of the hilt was pure diamond with gold that ran like veins down to the bottom of the hilt. Which for the butt of the sword was a beautiful black onyx stone.
Reaching down with one hand Jaliard let his hand grip around the hilt to the sword and slowly raise it to eye level. Studying it up and down thoughts ran through his mind, "What does this mean? Why a sword? And why on his 20th birthday?" Noticing the old man kept quiet he looked at him.
Noticing the stare he finally spoke, "It was his parting gift. When he left you he came to my shop before he left on his journey and handed me this sword. Literally telling me to hold it and take care of till my twentieth birthday and give it to you."
Jaliards eyes lowered, "My old man. What does this mean?"
Hogarth just shrugged, "I have no clue Jaliard. Your guess is as good as mine."
Looking down he noticed the sheath for the sword and for the moment he placed the sword down as he hooked the sheath over his shoulder. "I got to go Hogarth. " Pausing slightly, "Things on my mind I got to take care of."
The old man lowered his eyes, "I understand."
Taking up the sword and sheathing it he made his way quickly out of the building, and down the road. Running slightly those thoughts raced through his mind. He didn't know what was going on. He hadn't heard from his father in years and now this? What did this mean for him?
Rounding the corner again he took site upon an emergency. He saw a boy picking up his ball in the middle of the street. What worried him though was the car that was about to hit the boy and kill him. Sprinting into the middle of the road he raised his hand and screamed, "Watch out!"
The boy only raised his head and turned slightly to see the car. Frozen in fear the boy could not move out of the way.
"Dammit" Jaliard muttered to himself as he ran faster. For some unknown reason his hand went to the sword on his back and unsheathed it. As he reached the boy he went into a sliding grab to get him out of the way, and the hand holding the sword plunged the blade into the road, cracking the ground as the sword was imbedded and Jaliard and the boy were behind the sword as the car hit it.
What came as a shocking surprise was that the sword did not budge. Infact the car bent around the sword with the force of the impact, completely destroying the front hood. Passerby’s in the street stood with awe at this spectacle as Jaliard slowly opened his eyes to see what happened and he too came under shock. All he could mutter was "What the...?" And slowly get up. Even the driver was stricken with awe as he sat there behind his wheel.
Noticing the attention around him Jaliard put the boy down and took up his sword and sheathed it again. Backing up slowly with a hand behind his head he grew very nervous. People just stared at him as if he was a monster or some freak of nature. The nervous tension becoming too much for him Jaliard just turned and sprinted as fast as he could back home muttering to himself, "What the hell did you give me Dad?"