**

Beron Dismantler of the Ring

**

Beron stood on the front deck of a freighter heading westward to trade in the far away lands. Leaning against the edge of the deck, he stared into the distance at the sunset over the Alchemist Archipelago. The sea was calm, a gentle warm breeze pushed the ship forward, inch by inch, relentlessly onward to it’s destination.

The ships captain, a long time friend, wandered over “I don’t think I’ll ever tire of watching these sunsets” he said. They both stood for a few moments watching the red and orange colours illuminate the evening sky. The captain turned to Beron after a few minutes and continued “You know this is for the best, it just isn’t safe in these lands now, for you or your family” he said. “Aye” Beron replied wistfully, “I’d have stayed, we fought the likes of him and won in times gone by, but I have my wife and daughter now to think about now” Beron paused and continued “and I’m not that young man I once was” he added with chuckle. This was very true, Beron had been semi retired now for a good few years, returning periodically to the warriors guild when called upon. The explosive raw energy that had been a feature of his fighting when youthful had all but gone, replaced by skill and guile learnt from the many battles across the years. But he’d settled, married a wizard, adopted her eldest and welcomed a new life into the world with his wife. And this had changed him profoundly.

A warriors greatest attribute is that they are unbound in this world. They live for the fight, for the warrior code. Their sole focus is being the finest in their discipline and earning their glories on the field of battle. As Wizards are born to greatness, Warriors must earn theirs. Beron, had earned his through long years of service and many glorious campaigns where he earned the honour of his name being placed in the Warriors Chamber, a temple at the guild where only the greatest of warriors names are remembered. Not legendary, not by a way, but enough that his name and deeds would be remembered and written of in the Chamber. Now though, for the first time in his life, he was backing away from conflict. His step daughter murdered by a brutal lord and his families safety uncertain, he had for the first time in his life backed away from the fight. It felt uneasy to him, uncomfortable, despite the fact he knew it was the best and only real option to keep his family safe.

As he stood staring at the silhouette of the archipelago in the setting sun, he suddenly felt a disturbance in the air just behind him. In a swift movement he grabbed a wood rope peg off the rigging mount, turned and blocked the assailants wooden weapon. “DADDY! You never let me win!” his daughter wailed as Beron scooped her up in his arms. “One day my child, one day you will!” The captain who had left a few minutes ago bellowed down from the quarters “dinner will be served in 10 Beron!” Beron nodded towards him. He then popped his daughter onto his shoulders and started walking towards his wife, who had been sitting towards the other end of the deck. As he walked his daughter swished her sword, as if fighting some foe. She paused for a moment then spoke softly “Daddy, do you think I’ll be a great warrior one day like you?” Beron chucked, then looking at her out the side of his eye said “If you choose that path, I’m certain of it! If not, you’ll be the best of whatever you choose to be” She looked back at him, a long searching stare and then said with confidence “I’ll be the greatest warrior of them all then!!!” Beron smiled back. And then lifting her off his shoulders places her down and whispered “I’m gonna speak to mummy a moment, dinner is almost served, go get yourself washed up ready!”. “Ok!” she said and with that she ran off towards the cabins delightedly exclaiming “Yay, dinnertime!” swishing her wooden sword furiously as she ran.

Beron knelt beside his wife and wrapped an arm around her. “Are you ok?” He asked softly. “I’m fine” she replied. “There are so many memories there, I just needed a moment, a little time to myself to say goodbye” Berons wife was a wizard, an Alchemist from the Archipelago. She had left a year or so before they met, her first husband had gone missing, not heard from to this day and she felt the only way forward was to leave and start a new life with her daughter elsewhere. Then she met Beron and life had been good for a while. But it didn’t last, her eldest daughter had gone to work as an Alchemist for a Lord and after it became apparent the Lord was using the fruits her work not for the promised good, but to conquer and subjugate the lands around him, extending his domain outwards, her daughter had refused to continue working. A few weeks ago word had reached them she had been executed. They could no longer be certain of their own safety and took the difficult decision to leave for the relative safety of far away lands. The sun had set and the Archipelago was now a vague silhouette, dotted with lights like fireflies in the night sky. Beron cuddled his wife a while as they looked out over the sea, until the voice of their daughter rang out “MOM, DAD, dinner’s getting cold!” “We’re coming” Beron called back.

The warm wind still blew steady that night, filling the sails, pushing the ship relentlessly westward. That night however, was some years ago now.

Entered by: 0x1c91…857E and preserved on chain (see transaction)