The world of the mountain kingdom was simpler than many would expect. The people though rough and tumble enjoyed probably the most relaxed existence as possible. With a value placed so heavily on family and bonding, most mornings were filled with the jovial exclaims of adults as they roused the sleeping children under their care. The children are just as eager as the adults to start their day awoke with laughter and smiles before a race of some sort was devised. Who can eat breakfast the fastest? Who can get dressed the fastest? Who is the fastest one to the center fountain for their morning bathing? Healthy competition among peers meant to encourage bonding and comradery within the kingdom. Family, loyalty, bravery and strength. These are taught at the very beginning and enforced throughout their lives.
Axton knew these codes and lived by them all the same as anyone else. His role now no longer one of combat, but no less important if not more important than the others. However, he held no sense of superiority and often wished he could just be normal. A warrior and nothing more, allowed to go where he wanted without a care in the world. Not one of the blessed blacksmiths that the whole of the kingdom relied upon. As he stood before the forge, heated to perfection and ready for him to start his day his mind wandered to the afternoon he spent with the delightful skunk and her father. It was as if he was just him, Axton the badger and nothing more. Which is probably why he was eager to get what orders were there for him done and out of the way so that he could think about how they would spend another afternoon together.
With the recent postings about the beast roaming the outer edges of the Kingdom the idea to leave the safety of the walls was not a smart one. However, it could be a bit of fun for them? Exploring what lay beyond and facing whatever danger they would come across together.
“Listen to me,” he said with a shake of his head and a sigh, his hammer lifted and brought down with a mighty swing that bathed him in a shower of brilliant blue sparks. “I sound like a child who has never spent time out in the world. A child who dreams of adventure and danger for I know no better,” he scoffed at himself and lifted the hammer again and again. The action as natural as breathing, his gaze never wavering though he hardly needed to see to work the medal. It was the
only thing he could see and as such he often relished in the sight of it. Watching as the piece was molded and formed from a hunk of nothing into a weapon of protection and defense for the kingdom he loved so dear. By the time, the morning was over and midday had taken a firm grasp, a dozen shields with matching swords rested off to the side. Waiting for their owners to come and claim them.
“Time for lunch!” voice far too excited for a creature his size though this time he did not bother to check himself and merely gathered up his staff and went out into the market. Along the way, he got some fresh fruits, bread, and some cured meats. A simple lunch that he hoped would be adequate as he once again shooed his guards further back from his person. “I can take are of myself!” he proclaimed. The pride and confidence clear in his voice even if his lack of sight and general importance made the guards reluctant to obey. “Just stay out of sight and don’t bother us. Alright?” he finally grumped at them which appeared to be a feasible middle ground that his guards accepted.
At the clinic, he used his staff to knock lightly on the door and stood there waiting for Chiero to answer.