13 Going Home (1/2)
Swords, ignoring those that are of extreme quality and worth fortunes, aren't great against armored opponents. This includes tough and scaled monsters as well. Swords also lack piercing and stopping power when it comes to charging targets. While an estoc does counter some of the weaknesses of most swords, it also loses some of their strengths. The biggest advantage of a sword lays in its versatility in ways to attack. Estocs have flat edges. The edge that is usually used for cutting and slashing, is replaced with one only able to inflict blunt damage, thus decreasing the weapon's versatility. However, there are obvious advantages to specialization.
Estocs (for those of the races) can generally range anywhere from a meter in length to almost two. Kalin's was closer to the prior. Though it was on the shorter end of the spectrum, because of his small stature, the sword, when combined with the length of the handle, was slightly taller than himself. Though he'd eventually grow into it, the sword was very large and awkward-looking when held by the tiny figure.
Mei and Kalin stood outside the entrance of the weapon shop. It was still too early for lunch, so the road was almost barren. Only the metronomic sound of metal against an anvil came from behind the shop, filling the quiet morning air. The only other noise present was a quiet hum coming from Kalin as he hugged his new sword with both hands and rocked back and forth on his toes and heels.
The scene broke with the sound of a door opening and closing. A small elf with horns and a tail approached the duo with a mischievous look upon her face. Seeing her, Kalin's face lit up. ”Thanks for the present Lili! It's so pretty!”
Though the two girls chuckled at his questionable usage of the word 'pretty', it brought a smile to their faces. Feeling smug, Liliana puffed out her flatness and pointed her nose into the air, ”I am pretty great, aren't I?” She said with an evil laugh that made her look more adorable than menacing.
Mei couldn't help but smile bitterly at her former captain. Though she looked adorable to an onlooker, this caused her to be underestimated many times during their adventuring days. Her efforts to come off as grand or menacing lead to the ending of many family lines after people mocked her as a childish.
Still holding his sword, Kalin jumped at his sister and gave her a giant squeeze, burying his face into Lili's torso. Lili's expression mellowed, as she started stroking her brother's head. After several long moments, she felt Kalin lift his head and place his chin on her chest, to allow him to look directly at her face. A giant grin filled his face as he said, ”I love you Lili. You're the best!”
Liliana smiled, before leaning down and giving Kalin a quick peck. Pinching his cute button nose between her fingers, she said, ”Come, let's walk Mei home. After that, we need to leave so we can get home before your bedtime.”
After separating from his sister, Kalin gave a small half-spin and grabbed Mei's hand. ”Don't worry Mei,” he said proudly, ”I'll protect you!”
Smiling at the child, Mei just smiled in confirmation, allowing Kalin to lead the way back. Surprisingly, Kalin didn't have any problem navigating the streets back to the eatery, causing the trip back to be very short.
”We'll be back in two weeks.” Started Lili, ”Think about the proposition I made. As a mage and staff fighter, I'm limited in what I can teach Kal, and you're the person I trust the most. I'll get your answer then.” Lili wrapped her arms around her best friend's waist, ”Thanks for letting us stay the night. It was great to see you again.”
Mei reciprocated the hug and smiled, before saying, ”I'll see you in a couple weeks. I'll miss you.”
The hug between the two of them looked somewhat humorous, due to their height difference. As Mei was well over a head taller than Liliana, the scene looked more like a mother comforting her child than a pair of best friends. After the two eventually broke their hug, Mei picked up Kalin and gave him a tight squeeze, ”It was great to meet you Kalin. Make sure you come back soon.”