I strode down Steel Avenue with Alec and our little group close on my heels.
Steel Avenue was were all the blacksmiths in my capital were quartered. They were legendary, many people from around the world came here for their steelwork. Though they were the leading money maker for Red, I struggled to find enough iron and coal for them to smelt.
We were heading there now, for the purpose of outfitting my new squire in steel.
At the end of Steel Avenue was our destination, to a wolf named Aleric. He was possibly the best blacksmith the world had ever seen, however he only made his steel for those he felt deserved it.
The women chatted aimlessly since I had told Kelly and Blair that they could relax and Id bring my warrior-preists so they didnt have to be my guards. Now they were deeply involved in girl talk with Kate, Lilly, and Alyssa.
I never thought Id see my steel clad, bad-ass, warrior girls giggling.
Alyssa skipped up to me, "If we are getting armour, Ill need a sword. My sword is in White, at my fathers estate in Tarvin, our summer home."
"Can you not send for it?"
"Well I could, but Blair and Kelly told me that their is a woman's foot tourney tomorrow , and my sword would take at least two weeks to get here."
"But, this is already an ungodly expensive trip."
"Interesting choice of words," she gave me puppy dog eyes, "Of please, Keirrn."
I sighed, "Alright, but that is a mean trick you know."
She gave me sly eyes, "I have no idea what you mean," she said dropping back to the others of her giggling troop.
I growled softly to myself but in good humor.

Suddenly there was a large boom followed by several screams.
I turned calmly to the group, "Alec, your coming with as befits my squire. The rest of you continue toward the blacksmith. Alec, lets go." I ran off to the right toward the center of the comotion, Alec close behind me.
People swarmed by us running in the opposite direction as we emerged into the city square.
It was an interesting sight. One lightly armoured wolf was surrounded by at least ten members of the city guard, including its captain, Ser Leric Parndasy, both parties had weapons drawn.
The lone wolf easily fought off the ten guards, in an impressive display of skill and bravido.
I smiled as I walked up to Ser Leric, where he had just been tossed on the ground.
I hardened my body and composure until I was as again the cold and aloof God-king of Red.
I stood before Ser Leric as he struggled to his feet, "You need to leave, quickly, I dont know how ugly this cou-" he stopped as he realized who I was, "Your Majesty, forgive me, I didnt know of to whom I was speaking, I beg your forgiveness."
I waved away his apology, "Perhaps you would be so good as to explain the situation to me, I see ten city guardsmen, but the wolf is still not in chains."
"Sire I-"
"Silence, I dont want excuses and call off your dogs, I will deal with this swordsman."
He nodded, a sudden excitement to see his God fight gleamed in his eyes as he shouted to his men to retreat.
"Alec," I said quietly, "now is a prime opportunity to watch and to learn. Not me though, my skill has been perfected after hundreds of years of practice and use, but watch him and see if you can spot the mistakes he makes."
"Yes, my Lord, your will be done."
I scowled at him, "Only be that formal if we are in a crowd, otherwise it annoys me."
I advanced on the silent hooded wolf, drawing my sword, so kindly named by the people, as Godslayer.
The sword had a bloody history as my weapon, in the two-hundred years of my rule I had to use it to kill three Gods of Black when they grew frustrated in our neutrallity and attacked, as well as a Prince of White ,when I gained my godhood, over an insult. One of Alyssas elder brothers.
During the reign of Hanival II, the first God of Black to attack the small fortress that guarded the thin iths that was the only access to Red that wasnt by sea, I sent my brother and his son to repel the invaders. Their heads were sent back to me in baskets, in an attept to provoke me to accept a duel, he offered along with the heads.
I accepted and slew him after only a few blows, and in my anger I damned his soul to hell instead of granting him rest in the Hall of Gods, which was his right.
My denying his right, was my greatest sin, and everyday I lived from that point was in anger and guilt, tell I hatched Serenity and bonded with her.
My sword, Godslayer, was a Hand-and-a-half sword or "Bastard" sword. The extra length on the hilt of the sword made it easy to weild as a two-handed sword when fighting with out a sheild, as I was now.

I held Godslayer lightly, ready, but not in an agressive manner.
The hooded wolf laughed at me, "Run away, little wolf, unless you want a thrashing like those city-guardsman," he taunted. His accent was of the free-cities, Island cities that were aligned to no color, but hated by all.
I smiled lightly "Come then, Havoshi, we do not allow anyone to cause trouble here, especially free-city scum."
He scowled at me from under his hood, "Im here to kill the God-king and claim his power, and I bost enough skill to do so, YOU think you could beat me?"
"Kill the God-King? Well you dont know me so I can understand you not recognizing me, but maybe this will help."
I shrugged out of my cloak revealing my armour and insignias.
"You wish to kill the God-King? Well im here, lets see what you got," I shoved the point of Godslayer into the dirt, waiting.
He licked his muzzle and smiled, as he began pacing in front of me.
"You really are the Blood-drenched Red God?"
"I havent heard that name in years, but yes I am."
He stopped pacing and narrowed his eyes.
His sword arced towards my neck, but met empty air as I leaned back to avoid the blow.
He pulled back and stabbed at my gut. I stepped to the inside and tapped his wrist with the flat of Godslayer as his sword impaled the spot where I had been moments before.
I called over to Alec who was watching in silent attention, "Never over extend on a thrust, it leaves you open, besides what is the point of shoving four feet of steel into someone when it only takes six inches to kill?"
The Havoshi growled and spun to the left toward my back and cut at my neck. I ducked and turned under the blow and punched him in his studded leather jerkin with my mailed left fist.
The air whooshed out of him and he fell back a few paces, barly keeping his feet.
I stood and looked at the Havoshi, "I believe it is my turn now," I smiled at him as Godslayer whisled through the air, a silver blur.
He barly managed to parry it and he gave ground quickly, even after I slowed my strokes so as not to end the fight too quickly.
I swung Godslayer at an angle from the ground up, aiming to cut him in half fom hip to shoulder. The Havoshi jumped back and found a wall blocking his movement, and instead despretely attempted to block the deadly blade. He swung his own sword to try halt Godslayers movement, and the two blade edges met. Godslayer sheared through the Havoshi's lighter and thinner longsword to continue to into the man's body. The sword crunched into the Havoshi's chest just below the armpit, having been deflected off its original course during the impact of the two swords.
The Havoshi leaned against the wall and chuckled as blood dripped from his muzzle. His chuckle soon turned into a fit of coughing as I looked at him with cold, merciless, eyes.
"Here is the reward for my folly," he said gesturing to Godslayer stuck in his side, "I suppose that I never stood a chance, did I? At least my death was honorable, killed by a God, oh how the singers will praise my courage." He chuckled again.
The 'Bastard' sword was embedded deep into the mans chest, the blood a bright crimson on the black-tinted steel. I yanked the sword free of his body, and the Havoshi, slumped against the wall, fell, dead before he hit the ground.
I squatted and wiped the blood from my sword on his cloak, before sheathing it.