Not This Day

“Father, what is that?” I asked, pointing to the strange bladed weapon hanging from a display high up on the wall. It had a strong semblance to an energy sword, but the blade appeared to be made of some sort of metal. It was within arm’s reach of my father, but for my brothers and me, it was beyond our grasps. I must have seen only ten or twelve solar orbits or some number like that at this time.
“It’s a burnblade, Slack-Jaw,” said my older brother, Del. He playfully punched me in the side of my arm, although there was much force to it, and it made me sore.
“Indeed it is, Del,” said my father. He moved to the weapon and carefully removed it from its mount. He held the blade by its face with one hand, and in the other he held it by the hilt, with the weapon lying on its side in the palms of his hands. He lowered his arms to show it to Del and me. “This was carried by our ancestors before the Writ of Union. In those days there were no energy swords, and this was the weapon of choice for any swordsman. Like an energy sword, you press a button on the hilt that activated the weapon. However, with this, you need not activate the weapon to inflict damage: there is already the blade. The activation of the heat capacitor adds more damage, however, and in a sense, it mimics the capabilities of an energy sword.”
“I can see why we shifted to the energy sword once it was invented,” commented Del. “Seems bulky. Unwieldy. Especially when you don’t need it.”
Father looked at him, briefly pausing in silence. “Yes,” he finally said. “When it is unneeded, the burnblade is deactivated and placed in a special holder called a scabbard, usually made of leather. It is certainly heavier than an energy sword, and takes up more space whether or not it is planned for use. It was also unwieldy to carry. In those days, most warriors would carry it at the small of their back, or over their shoulder, or maybe on their dominant side, by the hip. Either way, it was cumbersome compared to the energy sword. And of course, it simply does not have the extreme cutting power of the energy sword.”
“But even if it would run out of batteries, it could still kill someone.”
“Oh yes, a burnblade still has a proper material blade should the batteries for its heat capacitor runs out. So, one needn’t worry about running out of energy.”
“I’d still prefer an energy sword.”
Father chuckled. “Perhaps if you held it, you might understand the value of this weapon.” He outstretched his arms, offering the burnblade for Del to hold. My elder brother carefully took it in his hands, but as Father let go and allowed the entirety of the weapon’s weight to fall into Del’s hands, his arms nearly buckled under the blade. Luckily, he caught himself and mustered the strength needed to hold up the heavy blade.
“Gods, this is heavy!”
“You are only thirteen, little one. This is a weapon of a grown man. But fear not: one day you shall wield a sword like it, and you will bring honor to our family.”
“Maybe not this exact sword, but a sword I shall nevertheless wield.” Del then looked at me. “C’mon Slack-Jaw, do you want to hold it?”
I nodded excitedly and smiled as I opened my palms. Suddenly, however, Father took back the blade. “This is a family heirloom, not some random toy,” he admonished. “Yes, many millions are still stored in ancient arsenals scattered across the system, but this blade carries the weight of history. Our ancestor, Ardor ‘Kalar, wore this blade as he bore witness to the signing of the Writ of Union between the White Arbiter and the First Hierarch all those millennia ago. This is perhaps one of the oldest weapons in our state, maybe even our world. I would be remiss if I let any random damage befall it.”
Father placed the burnblade back onto its rack on the wall. I looked at the weapon dejectedly, but I kept my composure, and did not allow my expression to betray my stoicism. Father then looked at me. “One day, when you are ready, I will allow you to study the burnblade as well, Kai. But it is not this day. Now both of you, get ready for sparring. Find your staves.”
Category:The Weekly