Glenn's Anguish Part VI

The Sword and the Test

By Star Kitten

"Glenn! Hey Glenn, get up!" A voice called to him. It was Cyrus of course. Glenn reluctantly opened his eyes, which were greeted by an flood of the bright morning sunlight. He squinted and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Now-?" He replied sleepily. "It's too early, lemme sleep a little longer."

"No way, Glenn." Cyrus said cheerfully as he yanked the covers off from him. Unfortunately, Glenn was so tangled in them that Cyrus accidentally pulled him off of the bed. He landed head first on the drafty wooden floor, and he noticed the a few rats had taken residence under the bed in that time. At least that had explained the knowing that had kept him up all night.

"Oops! Heh heh, sorry." Cyrus said with a laugh. "Well that woke me up." Glenn sighed as he pulled himself off the dusty floor of the inn room. "Come on, hurry and get dressed." said Cyrus as he thrust his boots and cloak to him. "Today's the day!" He added, he seemed like he was about to burst with excitement.

Glenn wished he had that same optimistic feeling too, instead of the sick feeling in the pit his stomach. He quickly pulled on his boots and threw on the cloak. Cyrus was rushing him so that Glenn almost forgot to pick up his dagger from on the table.

Before Glenn knew it, they were back on the street. Which was now bustling with activity as people rushed about their business. It seemed like the day itself was being rushed to Glenn. Yet soon the crowds and noise faded away as they walked the beaten dirt road that led to the mountain.

"Take a good look at that, Glenn." said Cyrus and he nudged him by the shoulder. Glenn glanced up from his fixed gaze on the path below. The huge shadow of the mountain loomed over the horizon. "So that's the great Denorado (sp?) mountain range, huh?" Glenn mused. "Yeah, I hear the winds up there are incredibly strong sometimes, enough to blow a man clear off at worst."

"Wow… amazing…" Glenn muttered. "Not to worry though," Cyrus chimed in. "It's only like that during the autumn, we shouldn't have to worry since it's only spring."

"That's good." Glenn replied tersely.

"Glenn, you're sure you're not worried about this? I mean, you haven't exactly been completely gung-ho about all this."

"Me? Worried?" Glenn chided. "Of course not! I'm psyched!" he forced a smile for what had seemed like the millionth time.

"Don't lie to me, Glenn." Cyrus replied flatly. "Something's got to be bothering you."

.

That was Cyrus, he could always tell when a person was really worried. Besides that, Glenn knew he was doing a lousy job of trying to hide his anxiety. For a moment he looked away, just to gather his thoughts at least. The mountain range was getting larger as they approached. A thick blanket of trees surround the foot of the huge mountain. Flocks of birds flew from the canopy in search of the morning catch. It was almost hard to believe that a place that look so… normal could hold such a secret.

"Glenn…" Cyrus called to him. "O-oh, sorry." Glenn stammered. "I was just thinking…"

"Come on, Glenn. Just tell me."

"Well… I guess… I am a little worried." He admitted reluctantly. Cyrus gave him a warm smile at his reply.

"Is that all?" He sighed. 'Was that all'? How could he keep such a calm attitude towards this. Not even Cyrus could totally dismiss the risks they were taking on such a dangerous journey. Didn't he even care? Or was it just some typical adventure in the life of a hero?

Glenn felt a pang of jealousy wash over him at the thoughts. "Hey, don't get me wrong." Cyrus spoke up, almost as if he had been reading his thought. "I'm worried too, you know."

"Really." Glenn muttered skeptically.

.

"Listen Glenn, you're not the only one who knows the risks we're taking… We might not even make it back…"

Glenn shrugged and continued walking, picking up his pace a little. "Glenn, don't be so difficult." Cyrus huffed. "Just because everyone think I'm so invincible and so great doesn't make me any less of a person emotionally. I'm worried about what could happen too."

"Yeah," Glenn sighed reluctantly, dropping back. "But how come you're always acting so calm then?"

Glancing up for a moment, Glenn realized they were entering the forest at the foot of the mountain already.

"Oh come on, Glenn!" Cyrus scolded as he cut away a cluster of branches from the path. "You can't go and give an opponent the benefit of a doubt. You're training to be a knight yourself and you didn't know that-?" He pushed his helmet low over his brow as her spoke. "You have to act brave in the face of danger, make them think that nothing can phase you. Even if you do fell like you'd rather run screaming for your life."

"Guess I just haven't learned enough about all this hero stuff…" Glenn muttered, hoping over a small creek's gap.

.

"You see?" Cyrus retorted. "You think to low of yourself. You could be something so much better if you just had a better opinion! It's your attitude that's holding you back. Not your skills."

Again, Glenn just shrugged in reply and ran his fingers through his hair nonchalantly. "So let's do it then." He said. Cyrus grinned and patted him on the back. "Now that's more like it, Glenn."

.

The roar of a waterfall was heard in the distance. After pushing through a large amount of dead branches and fallen logs did they come to it's source. The falls were huge. Toppling over a cliff nearly fifty feet high. Rickety looking rope ladders and bridges were laced along the gaps and over hangings of the huge cliff face. Strange looking creatures that held large wooden mallets lay dozing near some of the areas they walked by. The two taking special precaution not to wake them as they passed.

"At least we haven't come by any trouble." Cyrus whispered as they quietly passed by a third creature. They both made their way up the worn old rope ladders and across and rotting bridge at the cliff's widest gap. Cyrus even pointed out a large rainbow that arched over a spot near the middle of the waterfall as they passed.

They trudged on, Glenn's feet ached from all the hiking up the mountain side. Yet despite their easy travel up the mountain, it seemed like the travel was a little too easy.

From the stories Glenn had heard, there were usually packs of blood thirsty monsters ready to pick off travelers at a moments notice. Yet all they'd had come by were the sleeping goblin creatures, and the only even slight disruption came from the rustling in the bushes they passed every now and again.

"Can you believe our luck?" Cyrus remarked as the neared the mountain top. "I would have thought we would have come by some interference by now."

.

"Yeah… it's almost too good to be true…" Glenn muttered under his breath. Finally, they climbed up the largest of the old ladders and found themselves at a huge cave opening that sat on a rocky outcropping by the gentle stream that was actually the source of the raging falls they had past. "Whoa, check out the drop down there." Cyrus gasped, pointing over the ledge.

One false move and they could easily go toppling down to the base of the cliff. Which would be one heck of a fall considering, how high up they were. "We did it Glenn!" Cyrus cried triumphantly. "Now all I have to do is go to claim the Masamune from that cave."

The knight fearlessly trudged into the mouth of the cave, Glenn following close behind. Oddly enough, they were greeted by a rush of cold air that seemed to blow all around them before quite suddenly dying away.

As their eyes adjusted to the dim light in the cave. They noticed that two pillars of light shone from openings in the ceiling. A third pillar lie in the exact center of a large elevated platform that had a row of stairs adjacent to it. Stairs in a cave? Glenn thought.

Upon examining the pillar more closely, Glenn realized that it's light was made much brighter by a metal surface that pointed out from the platform's surface. Yet it wasn't just a peice of metal that shone. A delicately carved hilt that was encrusted with fine red colored ruby like rocks sat elegantly atop it. "The Masamune…" He gasped in awe.

Cyrus hesitantly approached the large platform that the legendary weapon sat upon. With a shaky hand, he reached out towards the grand swords hilt, his eyes fixed on it as if he was in a trance from the mere sight of it.

A sudden gust of wind swept through the cave, nearly knocking both Cyrus and Glenn over.

"Hold it, pal!" A young voice cried out. "You think you can just waltz in here and take the Masamune?!"

"Masa, calm down." Another child's voice snapped. "But big brother, you know the rules!"

.

"Rules?" Cyrus echoed. "What rules?"

A young boy abruptly stepped out from one of the first two pillars of light. He clothes dusty and his hair ruffled. "Well you see-" He began to say in an authoritative tone.

"You gotta fight us first to claim it!" Another boy, who looked almost exactly like the first, cried as he lept from the second pillar.

"Fight kids?!" Cyrus laughed skeptically. "Oh get real!"

.

"We're not just kids!" The second, hyperactive child hissed. "Yes, for you see…" The first continued. A blinding flash of light suddenly filled the room, accompanied by the roar of wind. Once it had dim, there we no longer two shabby children before them.

Two odd looking beings, both dressed in lavish robes bobbed about. Their eyes were glossy and had a knowing look in them, and even odder, their ears were pointed out like an elf's.

"What the-" Cyrus gasped in surprise. The two beings lept backward, one on each side of the Masamune.

"We are the brothers Masa and Mune!" The both cried out in unison. "And as sacred guardians of this fabled sword, we challenge you for the right to weld it!"

Cyrus shifted to an attack position. A determined gleam in his eyes. He raised his sword high into the air, and brought it down to point in the twin's direction. Obviously he was going to put on as much of an introduction as the two. "All right then!" He boomed in a obstinate voice. "I, Cyrus of Guardia, except your challenge!"

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