Leo wiped the sweat from his brow, smudging the dirt and grime from
his work all over his arm and forehead. He lifted the hammer once more to
flatten the steel atop the anvil where he was working. He made several
expertly placed hits against the soon to be sword. He wrinkled his nose
and considered the blade briefly and placed it back into the forge to be
reheated so he could begin more fine work with the blade.
He walked to the back door of the shop, placing his hands on the top of the doorframe and stretched forward letting the cooling effect of the spring breeze spill over the contour of his body. He closed his eyes and filled his lungs with the crisp fresh air. He took a moment to center himself, and meditate briefly on his breathing. It always had a calming effect; especially after the hours of loud steel pounding he endured.
He bent over to stretch his back when he heard a man shout back at him, "LEO!" He turned his head quickly and saw a gentleman in his late forties with a dark beard gesturing for him to come to him.
Leo walked swiftly over to him, "Yes, Mr. Sern?"
"This gentleman is here for the ornamental sword made for his majesty King Edgar," Sern pointed to a finely dressed gentleman who seemed rather proud of the fact that he was so finely dressed.
"So, you are the infamous Leo?" the man gracefully raised an eyebrow.
Leo nodded. He turned away from the man and walked towards to stock of the shop.
"He doesn't like to talk much," Mr. Sern said quietly.
"I've heard a lot about your work," the man continued, "quite extraordinary, really."
Leo nodded, acknowledging the compliment.
"So, have you done this all your life?" the man continued.
"Ho ho ho! You'd think so!" Mr. Sern smiled widely. "Leo here is a find of mine. He was roaming around the continent not knowing which way was up, but the boy had some muscles on him. I knew he could at least lift the hammer a couple of times. He not only lifted the hammer many times, beyond my belief, but he mastered the art of bladesmithing."
"I can see that he has a passion for swords," the finely dressed man acknowledged. "But is it true that you don't know who you are or where you come from?"
Leo carefully lifted a sword from the back and placed it in a protective case gently. He latched the case closed. "That would be correct," he said finally. "Incredible..." the man whistled. "You don't remember anything?"
"Not since Kefka's defeat and our freedom restored!" Sern added.
"So, nothing at all?" the man pried.
Leo lifted the case and walked it towards the courier. He never cared to talk about this, but it always came up, at first everybody from the town HAD to know about this man, and every time someone came from another town, it was the same story again. He had hoped that he could live a quiet life in Rhodeina, a small middle of nowhere town, however his blade work had earned him, and this town fame worldwide.
Although, most thought it urban legend, he still seemed to get the 20- question treatment often. One day, he thought he would just make up something so that he could live out the rest of his life in peace... or perhaps pound the hammer so hard that he would lose his hearing and never have to listen to these asinine questions.
"But you do remember something, don't you Leo?" Sern prodded him. "I mean for one thing you do remember your name."
"Yes," he nodded curtly.
"And some girl's name, what was it?" Sern always seemed to enjoy this. "Tina..."
"Terra," Leo said quietly, "Terra Branford."
"She must've been quite a lass to even endure amnesia!" Sern laughed heartily while clapping Leo on the back.
Leo winced at the patronizing behavior Sern displayed, but tried to play it cool in front of the customer.
"Terra Branford?" the courier's eyes widened, "You mean The Terra Branford? The half esper, half human who helped bring an end to Kefka's dismal plans?"
Leo looked back at the man half interested, "I don't know. It's just a name."
"How could you not think of her name?" he laughed haughtily, "Her power, strength and amazing beauty has caught the attention of several men. I wouldn't be surprised if you just heard her name during your travels."
"No," he looked back at the man coldly, "I have not."
"Doesn't matter, she's definitely out of your reach," the man teased. "I would forget about it all together and continue with your work here. You have a great reputation."
"We have a great reputation," Sern corrected, "After all, it's Sern's Blacksmith Shop."
"Yes, of course," the man nodded. He turned to leave, "I hope the payment is sufficient."
Sern looked into a bag that was dropped on the counter, "The gods! This is more than enough!"
"The good King Edgar is always very generous."
"If you excuse me," Leo paused, "what is the sword being used for?"
"The anniversary celebration, of course. Have you been living in a cave?"
As much as he would have liked to, no he hadn't, "What do you mean?"
"It's been 5 years since the defeat of Kefka. The kingdom is finally in a place where it can celebrate with a grand ball. I'd say it's the event of the new age!" the man remarked incredulously.
"Of course it is," Leo replied.
The man, obviously annoyed by Leo's lack of interest turned to leave the shop, "you know, of course that Miss Terra Branford will be there." He stalked off arrogantly. "Good luck trying to get in."
Leo frowned deep in thought. Sern turned to him, "Aren't you working on a dagger for the Lady Maria?"
"Yes, of course." Leo muttered as he returned to the forge.
"Don't tell me you are actually considering going to Castle Figaro," Sern stared after Leo.
Leo sighed, "Yes, I'm considering it," he paused, "that's the only link to my past that I have!"
"Do you really think it's the same girl?"
"I won't know unless I meet her."
Sern looked after him thoughtfully. "You know I was thinking of closing up shop for a couple of weeks, kind of take a break of some sort. Of course, you can take your pay and do whatever you like..."
Leo turned toward Sern, "Serious?"
"Leo, you are my best worker, definitely made a rich man out of me. Take some time, find this girl, if it's not her, you always have a place here. If it is, well you still always have a place back here."
Leo chewed on this lip thoughtfully, "thank you...," he said quietly.
"Just finishes the dagger first, will ya?" Sern added.
He walked to the back door of the shop, placing his hands on the top of the doorframe and stretched forward letting the cooling effect of the spring breeze spill over the contour of his body. He closed his eyes and filled his lungs with the crisp fresh air. He took a moment to center himself, and meditate briefly on his breathing. It always had a calming effect; especially after the hours of loud steel pounding he endured.
He bent over to stretch his back when he heard a man shout back at him, "LEO!" He turned his head quickly and saw a gentleman in his late forties with a dark beard gesturing for him to come to him.
Leo walked swiftly over to him, "Yes, Mr. Sern?"
"This gentleman is here for the ornamental sword made for his majesty King Edgar," Sern pointed to a finely dressed gentleman who seemed rather proud of the fact that he was so finely dressed.
"So, you are the infamous Leo?" the man gracefully raised an eyebrow.
Leo nodded. He turned away from the man and walked towards to stock of the shop.
"He doesn't like to talk much," Mr. Sern said quietly.
"I've heard a lot about your work," the man continued, "quite extraordinary, really."
Leo nodded, acknowledging the compliment.
"So, have you done this all your life?" the man continued.
"Ho ho ho! You'd think so!" Mr. Sern smiled widely. "Leo here is a find of mine. He was roaming around the continent not knowing which way was up, but the boy had some muscles on him. I knew he could at least lift the hammer a couple of times. He not only lifted the hammer many times, beyond my belief, but he mastered the art of bladesmithing."
"I can see that he has a passion for swords," the finely dressed man acknowledged. "But is it true that you don't know who you are or where you come from?"
Leo carefully lifted a sword from the back and placed it in a protective case gently. He latched the case closed. "That would be correct," he said finally. "Incredible..." the man whistled. "You don't remember anything?"
"Not since Kefka's defeat and our freedom restored!" Sern added.
"So, nothing at all?" the man pried.
Leo lifted the case and walked it towards the courier. He never cared to talk about this, but it always came up, at first everybody from the town HAD to know about this man, and every time someone came from another town, it was the same story again. He had hoped that he could live a quiet life in Rhodeina, a small middle of nowhere town, however his blade work had earned him, and this town fame worldwide.
Although, most thought it urban legend, he still seemed to get the 20- question treatment often. One day, he thought he would just make up something so that he could live out the rest of his life in peace... or perhaps pound the hammer so hard that he would lose his hearing and never have to listen to these asinine questions.
"But you do remember something, don't you Leo?" Sern prodded him. "I mean for one thing you do remember your name."
"Yes," he nodded curtly.
"And some girl's name, what was it?" Sern always seemed to enjoy this. "Tina..."
"Terra," Leo said quietly, "Terra Branford."
"She must've been quite a lass to even endure amnesia!" Sern laughed heartily while clapping Leo on the back.
Leo winced at the patronizing behavior Sern displayed, but tried to play it cool in front of the customer.
"Terra Branford?" the courier's eyes widened, "You mean The Terra Branford? The half esper, half human who helped bring an end to Kefka's dismal plans?"
Leo looked back at the man half interested, "I don't know. It's just a name."
"How could you not think of her name?" he laughed haughtily, "Her power, strength and amazing beauty has caught the attention of several men. I wouldn't be surprised if you just heard her name during your travels."
"No," he looked back at the man coldly, "I have not."
"Doesn't matter, she's definitely out of your reach," the man teased. "I would forget about it all together and continue with your work here. You have a great reputation."
"We have a great reputation," Sern corrected, "After all, it's Sern's Blacksmith Shop."
"Yes, of course," the man nodded. He turned to leave, "I hope the payment is sufficient."
Sern looked into a bag that was dropped on the counter, "The gods! This is more than enough!"
"The good King Edgar is always very generous."
"If you excuse me," Leo paused, "what is the sword being used for?"
"The anniversary celebration, of course. Have you been living in a cave?"
As much as he would have liked to, no he hadn't, "What do you mean?"
"It's been 5 years since the defeat of Kefka. The kingdom is finally in a place where it can celebrate with a grand ball. I'd say it's the event of the new age!" the man remarked incredulously.
"Of course it is," Leo replied.
The man, obviously annoyed by Leo's lack of interest turned to leave the shop, "you know, of course that Miss Terra Branford will be there." He stalked off arrogantly. "Good luck trying to get in."
Leo frowned deep in thought. Sern turned to him, "Aren't you working on a dagger for the Lady Maria?"
"Yes, of course." Leo muttered as he returned to the forge.
"Don't tell me you are actually considering going to Castle Figaro," Sern stared after Leo.
Leo sighed, "Yes, I'm considering it," he paused, "that's the only link to my past that I have!"
"Do you really think it's the same girl?"
"I won't know unless I meet her."
Sern looked after him thoughtfully. "You know I was thinking of closing up shop for a couple of weeks, kind of take a break of some sort. Of course, you can take your pay and do whatever you like..."
Leo turned toward Sern, "Serious?"
"Leo, you are my best worker, definitely made a rich man out of me. Take some time, find this girl, if it's not her, you always have a place here. If it is, well you still always have a place back here."
Leo chewed on this lip thoughtfully, "thank you...," he said quietly.
"Just finishes the dagger first, will ya?" Sern added.