It's been several weeks since I woke up in this world, ending up in the body of a boy named Steel. The first week I was mostly just going through the motions as I came to terms with the fact that I really was in medieval style world.
Our house was a mix of roughly hewn logs and branches with a roof made up of vines, and what resembled pine needles, held together by a sticky sap. It seemed that they would add sap directly at the beginning and as they dried they stiffened into fairly air tight roof.
Normally this is to keep the wind and cold out as such a roof can't completely keep out the rain, but honestly it didn't feel like we needed it. Through the few weeks that I've lived here and worked with my family and the other villagers, it was obvious the difference in clothing choice between us. The other villagers were all bundled in heavy layers to ward off the cold, while my family barely wore better than a tshirt and pants.
Obviously it wasn't the Tshirt and pants I knew, I guess a tunic would be the correct term? At first I just assumed it was because we were too poor to afford better, and that was partly true, but I began to notice that we just don't get cold like they do. I took some satisfaction in this as I saw the 3 younger brothers that attacked Steel, before I inhabited his body, shivered as they faced the full effects of the cold. The oldest no longer working with the longer due to him learning mayor duties from his father.
"Pa, why don't we get cold?" I asked my giant father, both him and my brother Mountain turned to me with the same confused face they've been having nearly any time I talked. I tried to ignore it, but I knew it had to be because I didn't talk like they did. Words broken and improperly pronounced in short basic phrases. Yet he still replied.
"Mountain born, fire belly." He stated the same way someone would say the sky is blue or the grass is green. Pointing to the mountains before patting his hand over where his solar plexus would be. I placed my hand over my own and it did truly feel warm. Fluctuating with each breath as if I was stoking a flame with fresh fuel.
My eyes closed and I kept my hand over the warmth, enjoying the feeling of the heat intensifying with each powerful pull of air. I fell into a pleasant rhythm as I focused more and more on the heat and my breathing. Feeling it spread throughout my body before returning in calm waves.
I was suddenly snapped out of the moment when a heavy hand fell to my shoulder and my eyes opened to the beaming face of my father and awestruck brother.
"Steel! Fire grows!" Pa said and Mountain came to stand beside him placing his hand on my other shoulder.
"Steel strong!" Mountain affirmed shaking me by my shoulder.
I felt a little awkward as I had never felt such pure emotion directed at me before. I didn't have bad parents before, but I never received this level of pride from them. Love and happiness not bogged down in things like self consciousness the need to keep appearances. They didn't care that the entire logging group was watching us as they praised me and congratulated me.
"See chief. We go chief." Pa finally said, the smile never left his face but I could feel the seriousness of his words. By chief he meant the Mayor of Marlow, who just happened to be the father of the girl that Steel had had a crush on. Meaning the 4 people that attacked him last time were the 4 sons of the Mayor. From what I knew the mayor had only 1 official wife, but he was known to sleep around.
Nobody said anything though due to him and his eldest son, Roland, being the only ones in the village to have awaken their core. I wasn't quite sure what having a core meant besides having powers. I didn't know the limits or how much stronger it made them than a normal person. Had I awakened my core? Could anyone have cores?
It didn't seem likely since to, my admittedly limited understanding, only 2 people out of the nearly 200 people that lived in Marlow had them. Three if you counted me, I guess. My body did feel lighter and stronger, but I just chalked that up to me getting used to it and growing muscles from the hard work we did each day.
I was still thinking over everything I knew from Steel's memories, and the only thing he knew about Roland and the Mayor Quade was that they were both apparently black core mages. I didn't know what that meant, but I wasn't sure I wanted anything to do with people that try to kill a kid just because he had a crush.
We arrived at the town hall, entering to a small theater style room. Rows of benches leading out from a central chair that had a desk in front of it. In front of that was a podium that I assumed Mayor Quade would speak from. Currently he was sitting at his desk with Roland standing just beside him.
"Chief! We talk." Pa said as he pulled me along eventually placing me in front of him as we stood about 15 feet away from the Mayor.
"Yeees. Unfortunately me and all the others, you do speak." He drawled with little more than glance towards us. I felt my anger begin to burn at his treatment towards us. I could tell he thought none of us could understand his words, but I could.
"Yes." Pa replied with a nod as if that was the Mayor giving him permission to continue.
"Steel strong. Smart. Chief teach power." Pa said brokenly and I turned towards him.
"I don't want to leave you, Ma and Mountain!" I said, sounding more like an indignant 10 year old than I meant to. I was 27 before after all, but I was already beginning to love this family despite their lack of intelligence.
"See, smart. Smart talk." Pa said as he completely ignored what I said.
"Hmmm, perhaps. But why would I take away a valuable worker? Despite his meager intelligence, how can I know that he would be more useful than he would as a logger?" Mayor Quade responded.
"Exactly. Curs like you are good for nothing but manual labor. Do I need to teach you a lesson again?" Roland spoke this time finishing with his eyes on me with a vindictive grin.
"Chief teach?" Pa asked confused.
"NO! You dumb bastard, get the hell out of my sight." Mayor Quade roared as he slammed a fist on his desk, causing an ink well to rattle and spill on to the table.
"Look! See what you've caused, you disgusting giant piles of brainless shi-!" He raged even more leaping from his desk as spit flew from his lips. I didn't even realize what I was doing until felt the knuckles of my right hand connecting with his jaw. The scene replayed in my mind of me dashing forward, feeling the heat in my chest burn fiercely with anger as I leapt over his desk and punched him in the face.
He laid on his back howling as he clutched at his obviously dislocated jaw, teeth being spat to the floor.
"You fucking rat!" I heard from my left coming from Roland and I saw him lunge at me, something reflecting the light of the torches in his hand.
My body moved on instinct alone as I twisted away. Thankfully he didn't expect me to dodge, so I was able to grab his wrist as he went by and I twisted, hard. I could feel the warmth in my chest spread to my arms and even the rest of my body, noticing how it made me feel stronger and faster. I didn't have any professional training, but I had been in my fair share of fights, more than these two at least.
The clatter of the dagger followed the crunching and cracking of bone as I broke his hand. I balled my fist and drove it into his gut as he clutched his broken hand with his good one. He doubled and fell to his knees as he gasped for breath.
"Father! Brother!" A squeal came from across the room and when I turned I was met with the tear stricken face of the girl, steel had had a crush on. Helen was several years older than Steel at 15, but that hadn't stopped him from developing a one sided crush. From what I saw in the memories she was never mean or cruel to Steel like the rest of village was, but she also didn't return his feelings.
Now, however, only fear and anger filled her gaze as she stared at me while kneeling next to her father and brother.
"You-… you're a monster. Your entire family are nothing but monsters in human flesh!" She screeched as she began hugging her brother.
Roland looked up and seethed a fury burning in his gaze.
"You'll pay for this, you fucking bastard!" He growled before wincing as he clutched his broken hand.
By now more people began to filter in as they heard the commotion, all of them looking at me and my family with fear and disgust in their eyes. I felt a familiar hand land on my shoulder and I turned to Pa. Part of me was worried that he would have a similar look in his eye, but no. He still looked at me with the same love and loyalty he always had.
"Home." He said finally and we left.