STEEL BORN

SANTUX

Santux was a young boy endowed with strange strength, strange according to his peers and the indigenous people of Ludia - a small village in Xion, located about eight cities away from the capital. He never saw anything wrong with cutting down a dry wood with one swing of his axe, or lifting the tree alone and carrying it to the backyard of his father's farm house, where he pieces it for making cooking fire for his mother and warming fire during the cold as he was doing now. He never understood what anyone meant when they called him too big for his age, he solidly believed the age of fifteen was enough to be doing a man's job. He was spotlessly handsome, taller than his peers and was already beginning to form strong square shoulders. His mother agreed he would be a very tall, strongly built man.

His mother - Maya, was a shy petite woman who spoke sparingly, she loved the comforts of her home better than the gathering of women, she abhorred gossip and preferred to listen. She knew the talks flying around in the village were mostly centered around her family and most especially her boy. She saw the envy in the eyes of other women when they stared at her son. Even though her husband was well over six feet in height and heavily built, they wondered how they were able to sire a boy such as this. Many said he must have been fathered by one of the gods. They whispered that one of the gods must have possessed Bogina - her husband, during the i*********e that led to the birth of their son. And that was in a light mode, because the meaner people gossiped he was actually fathered directly by a god who must have gone in with Maya in the absence of her husband. Maya heard them all and even though she doesn't hate the whisperers, she preferred to keep her distance knowing fully that is was only out of envy. Santux was her son and Bogina was his father, Mrs Tinka can roast in hell if she is vexed.

Bogina watched his son from the back of a vine tree, the one situated not too far from the wooden fence demarcating his compound from his animal shelter. He had inherited the compound from his late father, with its accompanying wealth which consisted of a large farm land where he made used as garden planting different kinds of vegetables and food, and the animal shelter which housed different animals including a stable housing only two horses. The house where he lived with his beautiful wife and son was built in front of the compound, it was an old wooden one story building. He was collecting vine for the production of wine, which he would carry to the capital for sale on the next market day. He knew of the rumors in the village, he had once heard it from the angry cow named Ideme at the tavern when he had confronted him in public for harassing a young lady months ago. But he didn't care because he was sure Santux was his and even if a god had fathered him, then the gods should be praised. He watched as Santux dropped the small sized but lengthy wood heavily on the ground and began cutting the branches into smaller sizes to be packed among the ones in the wood shade. He was greatly pleased with his son.

Santux finished his morning duty, which was majorly fetching of water from the well behind the house, filling the containers in the house. There was one in his mother's kitchen, another in the wash room - where they bathed and another in the parlor from which they drank. Then he would proceed to the woods where he found dry wood to top up the shade, to avoid suddenly running out. It would have been a weekly duty but he preferred flexing his muscles every morning before his daily activities began. He was already studying the act of the sword and the rudiments of wrestling with the other young men of his small village. He was loved and respected among young men older than he was, who he was generally found with. It was not their concern what their fathers and mothers thought or whispered among themselves. His best friend was seventeen and exactly the same height as he, his was named Faro.

Faro lived not too far from Santux. He enjoyed hunting or hiking or climbing with Santux. He liked the way and vigor of his friend. They were planning to go hunting in far woods this evening after their lessons of the day. They had the same teacher, a man who taught the boys of the village in the ways of battle. He saw Santux approaching from the window of his father's house, and ran out towards him. He swung his fist aiming for Santux's face, the boy flew back with the speed of lightening and responded with a kick to his waist, he blocked it with his hands and they fought a bit as they did certain mornings when they are in the mood. Santux threw him and fell on him, his left fist on his neck.

"Satisfied?",

"It's your turn this morning, Santux",

"I would throw you any day", Santux bragged.

"You know that is not entirely true", Faro responded laughing. Santux arose and helped him stand as they continued towards their master's house.

The house was built like a small arena. There were young men of different ages practicing different forms of fighting. Some were learning to use the sword, others wrestling, others lifting heaving logs, some were jogging round and round the arena. Others were washing their heads and arms in the large bowl by one corner. Some were just sitting and observing. There were diverse training materials organized in their places. Santux and Faro joined the activities at once.

"Santux", the commanding voice called. It belong to the trainer, a heavily built man who was very learned in the act of battle. He had been trained by the master himself, among others who were now serving in the Royal army, long before the arena was completely built. It had, in fact, been rumored that the master had trained the commander of the Royal army, and he had in turn funded the building of this arena in his hometown. Santux ran towards him, "you will pair with Garrett... Faro".