Char Resurrected, Char Steel [christmas read aloud txt] 📗

amazement.

I shrugged and looked into the blue dancing flames. Savitar shook his head and finished eating. Until a groan erupted from behind the rock. I froze and looked at Savitar and Ronan. They had heard it too. Savitar sniffed the air and looked curiously at the rock.

I gasped and prayed that the dead would stay dead but I was not in luck. Another groan erupted from behind the rock so Savitar stood up and strode over.

" Wait!" Ronan called out making him stop.

" What human?"

" You don't want to go behind there. There's a spider leg behind there with eyes that can turn you to glass."

Savitar raised an eyebrow and looked towards me as I groaned and buried my head in my hands. Oh god this was bad really bad.

Savitar looked to Ronan. " Really? Then how do you explain to me that a leg is groaning? And " he reached for the boot and pulled the rest of the dead guy out " how do you explain how a spider leg turns into our best friend Mern?"

Ronan gasped and looked with wide eyes toward Mern or Merny which is what I heard. " What? But - how - can that be?" He spluttered.

Savitar shrugged and pointed to me as Mern woke up and pulled himself to his feet and glared at me arms crossed. " Ask your friend over there."

Ronan looked at me. " Char?"

" Um well see I lost both my parent's today from the Dark Queen who destroyed my village with a spider. And then I barely escaped when I was just sitting there and a Lopa attacked me but then he killed her and almost killed me. So I retaliated and struck him until he got dead or actually unconscious and I thought that I would be killed for killing a warrior of the king so I hid him and the Lopa. Then you came through so I panicked and didn't tell you about him. And made up some false story about it. So that you wouldn't discover him. Then the elf came and I panicked more and thought you would discover him. And then he moved and is now alive and glaring at me and I don't know how he is even alive and honestly I'm freaking out." I said in a rush.

Everyone glared at me and I thought oh shit oh shit their gonna kill me. Until Merny broke into a big smile and strode forward hugging me.

" It's okay lad. We understand and besides we're not those prized warriors. We're a  band of thieves called the Ruffians."

" Thanks Merny." I said as he bellowed into a laugh and had to sit down from laughing so hard.

From that day on I had been integrated into their band and learned fighting, magic, and thieving. And unto this moment when the king hired us to be in their army for the final battle against the Dark Queen.

 

The Biggest and Bloddiest War - Part 2

 

" Hello are you even listening to me?" A cat like voice broke through my thoughts about when the Ruffians and I had first met.

"Hmm?" I said not even noticing that Lodz had been ranting and raving at me for the past five minutes while I had been standing there with a dreamy smile and my sword in the air.

" You haven't been listening have you?" Lodz said mournfully and curled up into a little ball managing to make himself look like a poor lost kitty. " I guess no one cares about me."A tear slipped down his cheek.

I gave him a look and proceeded to train once again. " No one falls for your pity acts anymore Lodz. Anyway what were you ranting and raving about?"

He glared at me." First off. I was not ranting and raving. Second off. I was talking about how you need to stop waking m-"

" He was talking about how he loves Luna and wants to see her again and then hold her tight and kiss her then start making love to her and make bab-" Merny interrupted but was interrupted by a hissing Lodz.

" I was not talking about THAT!" He yowled and proceeded to bare his fangs at Merny.

I rolled my eyes and stopped my training putting away my blade and left them gathering my other weapons and clothes inside my hut. Typical Lodz. He was very protective of Luna even though he tried to make it seem like he did not like her. The same way Luna does him. Luna was a black leopard that had rescued Lodz when he had been held captive. She had come in all her glory and flashiness with her daring green eyes contrasting to Lodz stormy grey ones rescuing him then pretending like she was a higher royalty. She hadn't found her familiar yet so she sticks around and keeps an eye on Lodz when he's not looking.

I put on my fighting gear. The same looking gear I had on when I had met the Ruffians except it was newer since I had grown out of the old ones. I strapped on my weapons and stepped outside.

" Where's the other guys? They were supposed to be here this morning."

Merny broke away from the glaring competition with Lodz. " They probably at a tavern somewhere. You know how those whelps are."

Yeah I knew how they were, always getting into fight's over the women with guys bigger then them. Which meant that I usually had to go in there and break it up. I would arrive there and see Ronan flirting with the prettiest girl while the ever faithful Savatar standing watch from the corner with a hood over his head. Then some heavy muscular dude that could always beat Ronan would start beating him up then Savatar would step in then this dude would always would have 20 friends that are already in the bar start beating them up then oh god then I had to step in.

" Ok." I sighed. " Might as well go and get them so we can get a head start."

" Aye I'll knock their head together when we reach them." He said and started saddling the horses. I had gotten my own horse a black stallion with white socks about a year after joining them.

" I'm going to go and travel with the other familiars. I'll meet you there okay Char?" Lodz said.

" Okay Lodz see you there." I told him and watched as he loped off into the jungle.

I whistled and watched my horse trot to me raising up dust as he came to a stop. I grabbed the saddle and put it on before starting on the next horse. When we had gathered all the supplies that we needed we started off winding our way down the mountain pass and through the forest before alighting on the trail to the town.

I pulled my cloak up as we came into town. No need to attract attention. Not that we didn't need to attract attention since the king himself had asked us to fight for him. He was a good king after all or we wouldn't have even considered it.

Nobody looked at us as we rode into town after all there were many people hurrying that day. Soldiers rushing everywhere getting ready their silver armor glinting. Merchants selling their wares so that they will sell for more. Women gathering their children and scolding them into the houses. While at the water docks fishermen came in with enough fish to feed an army.

I urged my horse on to the most famous and best tavern in town The Burning Fish. I know what your thinking The Burning Fish? Really? But there was a legend that said a fish apparently irritated a customer so he burned it alive. On his plate. And it was a dragon.

Me and Merny arrived at last and jumped off our horses tying them off just as the shouting, yelling, and breaking that signaled a fight started in the tavern. We both sighed and headed up to the doors and pushed them open and ducked as a drunk flew over our heads and out the door. I walked inside and made sure to stomp a little to attract attention as well as did Merny even though he didn't need to stomp as he always stomps. The scene froze as everyone watched us enter and stop.

Glasses were overturned and shattered everywhere.Tables pushed over and splintered. Chairs broken in pieces and scattered. Men passed out on the floor with bruises and broken arms. Men standing over each other with beer glasses and chairs waiting to crack the other ones head. Ronan and Savitar in the middle back to back as they protected each other. Ronan had the brawniest guy in the tavern in a headlock while Savitar had the poor owner's windpipe between his finger's ready to crush it.

" Is this anyway to show respect and loyalty to the our king?" I said in a deep voice as I stood there hood over my face the sun behind my back and probably the biggest guy in the kingdom standing at my side with a face that screamed I want to bash your skulls together.

The men stood dumbfounded and one guy even passed out.

" Well? Answer men." I demanded and put my hand on my bow hanging at my side.

" Uh no." A lucky guy answered hid knees knocking together.

" There's a smart one." I said as the guy nodded gratefully. " Today is a day of war against the Dark Queen men not against each other. Today the king needs every man on his side to win against this wicked witch. He needs your help to kill her that way she does not destroy your homes and kill your family's. Today he needs knights and warriors not thieves and drunks squabbling against each other. Today he needs our help. Do you want him to see drunken men? Or do you want him to see warriors ready to fight against his side?"

" We want him to see us as warriors." The crowd said.

" Aye the king need us in fact he needs every race of every species it does not matter you can be a hybrid, fairy, fey, vampire, werewolf, elf, witch, mermaid, wizard, dragon, gnome, troll, dwarf, familiar,ghost, wraith, or even just a human. But if we are to win the war he will need everyone! Do you agree?! I shouted.

" Aye! The crowd roared and beat their fists and mugs against the tables and chests.

" Well men today is the day we fight! Toady is the day we prove we are worthy! Today is the day that we prove that we are better then the queen! Today is the day we go and get our brethren and fight against her! Today is the day we do not squabble instead we share our weapons and fight! Today is the day that we do not give up like we have done so many times before!" I shouted and unsheathed my sword into the air.

The crowd roared.

" Today men I need you to go and gather even more men no matter who or what and bring them to