The Path of the Adventurer

Chapter 16

Erion, who hailed from Casthor, became a well-known hero after finding Lady Carolin and defending her from wicked goblins. His deeds led him to be beckoned alongside four other heroes to defend Briarbeth from the orcs. With an old wizard, a dwarven cleric, a tough warrior, and a desert bandit by his side; Erion set off on his grand, albeit surprising adventure.

Their first mission in their grand adventure was to take back an ancient stone from the evil dragon Deadeye. At first, Erion believed the task to be impossible. But through the help of his allies, Erion was able to persevere through every trial and tribulation that crossed his path. In the end, Erion and his allies proved successful in taking back the stone, making him a brave hero just like the great Sir Thomas. However, many questions remain unanswered. Who was responsible for Deadeye's emergence and the orcs' liberation? How did Sir Thomas magically recover from his disease? And why were Erion and his new allies called in to embark on these quests in particular?

After a long night, Erion and his allies stayed in Grassfront, waiting for Ixis to send them a messenger. The journey into the mountain exhausted them terribly, so the company made use of their time to recuperate. Huffey spent his day buying potions, some having greater healing power than the potions they had bought before. Alongside potions, he also bought food for future quests and collected water from a nearby river. Tikana found nothing that catered to her interests, so she engaged herself in anything that could pass the time. Magon, having his robes and hat soiled by the dragon's flames, bought a new set of clothes: A blue tunic, white pants, and brown boots. Besides, his pointy hat and robe were out of fashion anyway. When Tikana first saw him in his new garments, she said "Looks like Mr. Cliche Wizard isn't so cliche anymore!". Aside from this, he spent most of his time studying his spells, seeing if he could improve or learn the spells that he aspired to cast. As for Norder and Erion, they practiced swordplay.

On that windy morning at the very top of a hill; Erion and Norder engaged in a simple sword fight, the only rule being that they had to fight holding their swords with two hands. This would be their last duel during their stay at Grassfront, as they were to be back at Norder's house by teatime.

"Take THIS!" Exclaimed Erion. Erion and Norder clashed together in the open fields; both of their swords met and bounced off each other. Attacking simultaneously again, they continued their daily sparring. The two warriors exchanged blows yet were both able to continuously fend off each other with success.

"Let me try that move again!" Norder said as he raised his sword. He swung it several times, and Erion parried all of his swings.

Erion smirked at Norder. "Ha! Now's my chance!" Releasing a strong cry of determination, Erion swung his sword twice and followed them with a powerful strike that Norder deflected with effort.

"Careful, Erion!" Reminded Norder, quickly.

"What's the big deal? You did the same to me!"

"I did, but don't you think that was a little rough?"

"Sorry." Replied Erion. "I guess I can get a bit carried away at times. Or maybe it's because I tend to focus on the sheer strength of my blows instead of those sophisticated battle techniques."

"Come to think of it, you are right." Admitted Norder. "In a sense, that is your own style of martial combat."

"So does that make my style stronger or weaker than yours?" Asked Erion, interested.

"It's difficult to tell which style is superior, but it is worth mentioning that both of our styles of combat are have many differences, including the basics of both."

"How so?"

"My style is based on the use of strong, large two-handed weapons, while you excel in using one-handed weapons. Furthermore, I also focus on different techniques to trample and overpower our foes, while your battle style is fueled through sheer strength and determination."