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The Tales of the Scarlet Suns - Ch 4: The Protector of Ampwick

Author's note: Hi everyone, Sasha and Tenchi here. We wanna apologize for the sudden update of this chapter, but we were still figuring out stuff when we posted this chapter at first, but now after polishing the details a bit, we can release the actual fourth chapter. So enjoy this!

As the time went on, the world changed a lot with it, and so had Irving as he swung his greatsword, delivering consecutive strikes against Mark's shield, as well as the various swords and axes of his fellow Guardsmen. Oh yeah, we didn't tell this. During the four years, not only had Irving gotten to hear that Sir Padhama had been sacrificed for someone to make a pact with demons, but also that the same person had turned out to be the new captain of the Guardsmen. However, Irving's sense of justice had been a far greater force, ending the traitor's life quickly upon the reveal of his crimes. Then no less than a week later, he had to also bare witness to two guards that tried to hide something, which turned out in itself to be that they were secretly in pact with the demons too, even with one of them being an actual demon in disguise.

It had been a rather quick execution and disposal of them by Irving. All these deeds earned him the respect of the village elder, who had on Katia's request sent a guard to a nearby village to purchase the object that the guards had attempted to cover up. This object had turned out to be a greatsword capable of draining part of the wielder's own elemental power to grow stronger, even at the cost of rendering its wielder unable to use their elemental powers further. Irving had not thought twice before wielding it when the village elder, on request of Mark who was now the captain of the Guardsmen, made him the vice captain. It was also a few days later that a new recruit to the Guardsmen named Philos had revealed himself to be in possession of not only a pendant connected to Irving's past, but also stories about how he had been the adoptive child of Irving's grandmother, the elder of the village. However, it didn't stop at just this as some research into the background had provided some information leading to Irving getting united with his older sister named Tavia. (This is however a story for another day.)

As for Irving's puberty, it had proven that like the expectation of being a descendant of Garazir of the Eight Winds, Irving had grown tall and stood on par with Mark's height and his voice had gone from the soft and caring boy they all knew, into what could only be described as the voice of a man determined on protecting those he care and love. Speaking of love, Irving had already hooked himself not one but two lovely girls, which currently worked in the forge and stables and at the age of 14 years old, Irving had learned what sex was. (This is however a story for another day.) Now that we are caught up to the current timeline, lets continue.

Taking a last spin with the greatsword, Irving knocked the other Guardsmen down, panting a bit as he stabbed the blade into the ground, hearing applauds from the others as Mark smiled proudly, "Not bad, Irving. You are becoming a real defender. You didn't have any of us manage to land a single blow on you." Irving took off his helmet and his booming voice came forth during the panting, "You are all really good at taking my strikes. Even back then when I was still learning, you all flew back whenever I swung my sword. Now you are all taking every strike like it is nothing. Must be because I learned to hold back on using the elemental force inside me." Mark nodded, "Yeah, that thing gave you pretty much an unfair advantage against most of us as we are mostly Earth affinitists."

Irving had learned quickly after an accident about the affinities' weaknesses and strengths and even a little sentence to remember it all, "Air can wither down the Earth whilst it feeds the Fire. The Fire feeds upon the Air whilst being drowned by the Water. The Water kills the Fire whilst helping Earth grow. The Earth dries out the Water whilst breaking down by the Air." Mark nodded at how Irving remembered, "Good. Your memory still serves you well. How about a break before we continue?" Irving nodded, that sounded good right now.

Over at the stable, Naphalee had just finished mucking out the last stable before returning to the foal that was happily nursing from its mother, watching it as she smiled, "You gonna be a beautiful stallion one day." She felt a hand on her shoulder as the stable master, an old male ferret smiled to her, "I am sure of it, Naphalee. He is one strong little colt. I am sure that once he is of age, he will be as loyal to you as you have been helpful to all the animals in these stables." Naphalee beamed proudly to him, "Thanks, mister Cartzmeir." The ferret laughed, "Please, just call me Vance." Naphalee knew she would never call him by his first name, as it was more respectful to call him mister.

Over at the forge however, things were not as great as three guards were carrying out the dead body of a large male wolf while Chae was being held close by the wolf's wife, crying against her chest. The wolf was the village's blacksmith Ulvrich Steelnail and it had only been a week before that he had suddenly fallen ill and then earlier that day, asked Chae to lean in as he told her that she was now the owner of the forge and she had been the greatest apprentice he had ever had, before his eyes slowly shut themselves and with a smile upon his face, he was gone. Chae had not seen him as only her mentor, but also as a second father figure when she wasn't at home. "M-Miss Steelnail. I-I won't let mister Steelnail down. I will carry on his legacy." The wolfess had only hushed and held her closer as Chae's attempt to sound determined had still fallen a bit weak due to getting choked up in her throat from the tears, "I know, Chae. I know."

The sun was slowly setting over the mountains when Mark called out, "Okay everyone, good job today. We will come back here tomorrow and train more. I want everyone to be ready for whatever comes our way!" The soldiers called out loud and clear, "Sir, yes, sir!" Irving's voice boomed next to Mark, "And anyone who dares to go easy on the others will have the blunt end of my blade shoved up their backside. Do I make myself clear?!" The guards shouted clearly, "Sir, yes, sir!" Irving nodded, "Good, now dismissed for the evening and good job." The soldiers lifted the weapons towards the setting sun in unison, including Mark and Irving, as it was a tradition to thank the Sun for protecting them and bless them with its warmth. After this, they had all split off and headed home. Mark had it better as not only did he have Katia, but now he also had Juniper living together with them, which also meant that Irving got a chance to share the same room with Chae and Naphalee, to which no one complained. Cuddling up to the two hybrids' naked bodies after removing his armor, Irving was quickly falling asleep.

The sleep wasn't long however as soon screams of fear and pain could be heard from the outside, rousing Irving from his sleep as he sniffed and soon gasped, "The house is on fire!" Chae and Naphalee were quickly roused from their sleep too by this and Irving quickly made his way out after swiftly slipping the armor on and sliding the greatsword into the slot on its back. The sight greeting Irving when he came outside was enough to give him an insight into how his village of birth would have looked like before Mark and the others had arrived. Seeing Chae and Naphalee running in two separate directions, Irving drew his greatsword just in time to bat away flaming arrows coming towards him and a loud, evil voice called out from somewhere outside the walls, "Your pathetic village will burn under our might, you offsprings of the elementals!"

Mark ran up next to Irving together with Katia, Juniper and Tavia, also they looked in shock at the flaming inferno that was growing, but Irving's voice soon boomed out, "Katia! I want you to handle the archers. Mother Juniper, check that everyone is safe! Tavia, use your spells to put out as many fires as you can! Mark, with me!" They were about to question Irving, but those eyes didn't permit it and all they could do was nod before Juniper ran to care for any injured villagers, Tavia readying herself before causing rain clouds to appear in the sky to put out the fires while Katia made her way towards the gates, followed by Mark and Irving. Katia's leather armor allowed her to move swiftly as she ran into one of the watchtowers and soon leaped out into a horde of archers, "Time to die, you scum!"

Irving had the gates opened just as a tall demon walked up towards them and laughed, "This is all the defense you can muster. A little furball and two walking metal dolls? Laughable. I will gladly burn down your village into a charred husk!" The demon looked at Katia who spun around and every archer around her suddenly got ignited before she spun around to blow them back with the air around her, the added air causing the archers to suddenly explode and spread their burning body parts around, some of them even igniting the other archers, which were triggered by Katia spinning around to blow winds and cutting wounds open on them.

The demon looked back at Mark and Irving, "So you have someone who knows a few simple tricks. So what? We are endless! We will simply rise again and again, as long as evil exists in the hearts of you all!" Mark simply yawned, "Listen here, you overgrown corpse. We are tired and would appreciate if you could leave us alone." The demon growled, "How dare you mock me, you insolent little insect? You are nothing compared to me." Mark struck his shield into the ground, causing the earth below their feet to crumble and give way for a fissure, but it was too quick for most of the archers to react to and slowly Mark closed the ground until the only sound other than screams were the sounds of bones shattering.

This didn't come without a price as Mark fell to his knees and laughed, "I am out of practice on this." The demon laughed, "You are pathetic. Now, die!" From its back, the demon drew a massive axe and swung down towards Mark as he kneeled and panted. Katia's voice rung out when she realized he was in trouble, "Mark!!!" The sound of metal being cut was heard and soon the wall had the axe head embedded into it as the demon stood there with a shocked expression when Irving not only cut through the handle of said axe, but also held onto the handle itself and didn't let go, "I have seen enough. By Garazir of the Eight Winds, I will end you!" The demon's face twisted as he was angered beyond anything else, "Those insolent fools! They were meant to wipe them all out. They let ONE useless little whelp like you survive?! They failed me. I will punish them personally by bathing their souls in the most burning of fires!"

The words sunk into Irving's mind and soon the metal handle began to shake as Irving lost control of his air elemental powers and the demon quickly drew out a second axe and swung at Irving, this one however wasn't cut as easily and the pressure of Irving's rampaging elemental power was already taking its toll on the greatsword as cracks began to form on its surface from the repeated blocks Irving did against the demonic titan's mighty blows, his legs slowly giving in from how much strain it was putting on him, the demon only laughing, "You are weak. You are not like Garazir of the Eight Winds. Your mastery ain't close to his at all."

Irving swung his greatsword, but the axe struck and shattered it, forcing Irving to leap back to avoid the mighty axe swing that was embedded into the ground. He looked at his hands and then up at the demon, "You are right. I am not like Garazir at all. I am not ever going to be like him." Irving's eyes began to glow, "But Garazir is not the only one I am blessed to have the bloodline from." The demon's feet suddenly slipped as sprays of water erupted from the ground as Irving called forth the water from an underground lake to aid him. The demon's axe plunged into the ground as Irving called out, "I am also carrying the bloodline of Bafai of the Tidals!"

The demon regained his footing again, but not in time to block the incoming blow as Irving had grabbed the axe and spun it over his head to build up a tremendous momentum before delivering the swing that not only struck the demon's neck, but also separated the head from the body entirely and struck a nearby tree with such a force that the horns kept it in place, but Irving didn't think it was enough as he flung the axe into the tree, cleaving the head in two.

The cheers behind him was louder than the day he had officially become a Guardsman, as the entire village stood at the walls when the clouds called forth rain to kill the burning fires remaining. Irving chuckled and removed his helmet before waving to everyone before he felt the arms of Chae and Naphalee catch him as he fainted.

The next morning when Irving woke up, he did so to a breakfast near his bed and also a letter which he read while eating his morning bread, "After you have eaten, come to the Ampwick Cave alone. There is something me and the elder want you to see." Irving thought to himself what it could be, but to not keep the elder and Mark waiting, he was quickly finishing up his breakfast and pulled on his armor before noticing that none of Chae, Naphalee, Juniper, Tavia and Katia was around in the house.

Leaving the house and taking the road leading to the Ampwick Cave, Irving was wondering what was going on as the final stretch of the road to the cave had Guardsmen lining the sides and when he walked there, they raised their weapons as a form of salute, making Irving cry a bit inside from his greatsword having been broken in that battle with the demon.

As the last couples standing in front of the cave had been reached, Irving looked the faces of Chae, Naphalee, Juniper, Tavia and Katia, wearing leather armors with the Guardsmen's symbol embroided on the chest. He stopped and saluted Katia, who saluted him in return before he stepped into the cave and walked through the darkness before arriving in a room bathed in a blinding light from what was a strange type of fluorescent fungi covering the walls.

"Good, you finally arrived." The elder's voice could be heard as Irving stepped up towards where Mark and her stood, right in front of a tomb looking like it was sealed by chains to keep others out, "It is time you are let in on a true legend of Ampwick. This is the tomb of the avatar of Garazir. A being containing the last living essence of the once great air elemental lord himself." Irving stood in front of the tomb and looked over it. "So you brought me here to look at a dusty old tomb? Seems a little weird to make a big thing out of it for me. I was hoping you would have at least some interesting."

Mark held up the shards of the shattered greatsword, "You mean like this?" Irving's ears fell low as he nodded, "Yes, but it is broken." Mark nodded, "We found something interesting with this greatsword. Sir Padhama didn't only have this made in secret for you, but he had a purpose for it. The blade and hilt fits perfectly with a spot on the tomb here. He must have foretold all of these events and had this blade made in order for you to fulfill a duty that would save the entire world. It is told in the legend that only someone with a pure heart and a matching affinity can undo the seal on the tomb. This is why they tried to hide it. They knew that we would figure this out and have you being sent out in the world to slay any corruptions that comes your way."

Irving looked confused at Mark when he was handed the shards as Mark explained, "The greatsword has to absorb enough of the wielder's affinity when it is in use. As you used it with your air affinity, you have given it enough to hopefully work. Put the hilt in the tomb's hands and then place the shards accordingly." Irving kept being confused, but did as he was told when placing the hilt in the hands of the warrior on the lid and then the shards in their right position.

As the last shard was in place, the shards began to merge with each other to restore the greatsword before the chains broke off and the hands let the greatsword go as Irving took it and sheathed it, looking at Mark and the elder who motioned him to open up the tomb. Grabbing the lid on the tomb, Irving began to slowly push it off until he was face to face with statue of a phoenix with a greatsword laying with the hilt resting in the open hands.

Both Mark and the elder stepped back before Irving reached in to grab the hilt carefully, but at the first touch of the hilt a storm began to form and lightning struck around him, but not damaging the walls or anything, like it was just visual effects. As Irving began to lift the hilt, he found his hand being caught by the hands of the statue before they opened up and as he lifted the greatsword, a phoenix made of air sat up and followed along as it spoke, "A worthy hand touches Átta Vindr Kló. And I feel that it has the same feel to it as mine. You are one of mine, Irving Garaz, or should I call you Irving Tohka? I am Garazir of the Eight Winds. Or what remains of me in the plane of existence. Carry my blessed blade and my blessing. Now, go ahead and claim your destiny, Irving of the Eight Winds."

Irving saw the phoenix disappearing before the storm subsided and Irving spun around with the greatsword in his hands, looking at both Mark and the elder that stood in pure shock before he began to make his way out of the cave and out to the masses of villagers and soldiers before he raised the sword to the sky and called out, "Hear me, Ampwick! As long as you have me, you will never have to fear anything again. Come demons, come their lackeys. I will await them and show them why no one messes with me or any of the Guardsmen! Now, lets begin to rebuild our homes!" The cheers went loud as the evil-doers left the village in fear of the legend having come true and Irving was the most respected Guardsman in the village's history ever.

However, this wouldn't last for more than 4 years when Mark had assigned Irving, Chae and Naphalee to travel out into the world and find whatever evil that lurked in its nasty corners. Many of the villagers had been there to take their farewells to Irving and his two girls. Irving had felt bad for leaving them, but the dear words from all of them only strengthened his resolve to protect them, especially once he had passed through the gates of Ampwick together with Chae and Naphalee, looking back a final time at his family and friends before the gates closed and the only thing ahead of them was now the wide open world. As the wind blew their cheeks, they left the village behind and began their crusade for a world free of evil and corruption. The tales of the scarlet suns begins now!

To be continued in chapter 5: Journey to the Nala Crags.