Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler Page 0,59

over their prejudices and misconceptions. Sometimes he wished he was human and didn’t have to face the world’s scorn. It would make things much easier for him and his new companions.

They made camp not long after crossing the great Tyborg River. They ate a sparse meal of dried beef and wild onions. The small company all sat around a crackling fire as the sun sank below the horizon. “K’xarr told us you’re a trained swordsman, Kian, is that true?” Rufio asked from where he sat, leaning back on his arms.

Kian nodded. “Yes, that is true.”

“Don’t take this as an insult but how did you find a master to train you, being a Half Elf and all?”

Kian gave the Rufio a sad grin. “It is a long story.”

The stocky Dragitan moved around until he seemed comfortable. “I have nothing to do at the moment but listen to a long story.” The others all gathered around waiting to hear what Kian had to say.

He had not thought of Elu in a long time. “My first master was Elven, his name was Elu Elensar. He was a frequent visitor of my mother’s.

He was a very old, even by Elven standards. I took a liking to him right off, sometimes when he was waiting for my mother to take him up to her room, he would tell me stories about knights and dragons and Elven heroes from long ago.”

Rufio sat up. “Your mother was a courtesan?”

Kian hung his head. “She was.”

“No shame in that, Kian, I have known many fine whores,” Cromwell said. “There was one that lived in the villages of the Claw Clan that had the biggest…”

“Cromwell,” K’xarr interrupted.

“What?”

“Shut up, Kian, go on with your tale.”

Cromwell gave K’xarr a dirty look. “My apologies, Kian, go on.”

Kian took a breath and continued. “I grew very fond of the old man ,he was kind to me. Few of my mother’s visitors were. Elu was smitten with my mother, Kia. He came to see her at least twice a week. The old man had asked her to marry him many times, I could tell she was fond of him but her answer was always no. Once I had asked her why she always turned down Elu’s proposals.

“She told me she didn’t want to disgrace Elu and was not worthy to be any man’s wife. Her refusals never deterred Elu from trying to win her hand. I think in the beginning his offer to train me was one of his ploys to get her to agree to the marriage.

“Anyway one night as I readied myself for bed, she asked me if I would like to live with Elu for a while. I was very hurt, I thought I had done something wrong and she wanted to send me away or sell me, a fate that happened all too often to the children of Thieves Port. Mother saw I was upset, she told me Elu would teach me things that she could not, like how to defend myself and how to live with honor.

“I asked why she could not teach me these things. She said, ‘I’m not an Elven warrior and I have no honor left, Son.’”

Kian paused, remembering the tears in his mother’s eyes that night. It had bothered him a great deal when he found out she felt that way.

The Half Elf went on. “Elu would not take my brother, he said Tavantis could be trained when he was finished with me. He told us he could only handle one student at a time. My mother and I both knew Tavantis was a more resilient boy than I. So she wanted me to be the first to go with Elu, so I agreed. I was eight years old.”

“How old are you now, Kian?” Vandarus asked.

“I’m fifty-two, I believe.”

All the men looked at each other. Vandarus seemed the most fascinated by the Half Elf’s age. “You look no more than twenty. So it’s true about how long the people of the Elven race live?” The blonde man asked.

“Yes, Elu was over a thousand years old and I would be considered a very young man by anyone Elven.”

Vandarus looked at the Half Elf in disbelief.

“Vandarus, you’re as bad as Cromwell, just let him finish,” K’xarr said.

Kian nodded his thanks to the Camiran. “Elu had been a Shield for the Last Ruler of the Elven King Tathar Celebrindal. The Shields were the Royal Guard for the Elven King and his family.

“From the first time I picked up a