The Oath of Heldric
The morning sun rose over Ashenveli with a soft golden glow, spilling across the half-rebuilt houses and casting long shadows across the village square.
Smoke curled lazily from the forge Raven had set up, and the rhythmic clatter of tools echoed from every direction.
For the first time since the bandit attack, the village felt alive—buzzing with purpose, hope, and unity.
Voltaro stood in the center of it all, hands on his hips, surveying the wooden frames rising like young trees around the ruins.
Helderic, the architect who had offered to help when no one else in the kingdom would, stood beside him with a rolled blueprint tucked under his arm, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
“Here,” Heldric said, pointing at the eastern row of houses. “The foundations are uneven. If we build like this, the walls will warp in a year. It must be leveled before we continue.”
Voltaro nodded. “Raven. Selena. Front line.”
Raven, drenched in sweat from chopping timber, raised a hand. “On it, boss!”
Selena followed close, her silver-blue hair tied back, small droplets of ice dust shimmering around her fingers instinctively. “I can freeze the soil in place once it’s leveled,” she said. “The ground won’t shift for years.”
Heldric blinked. “Magic reinforcement for civilian structures… innovative. Risky, but if controlled properly… brilliant.”
Voltaro smirked. “Selena’s control is perfect.”
Selena flushed a little but smiled proudly. She had come far from the shy demi-human girl Voltaro rescued months ago.
Together, Raven and Voltaro hauled planks, hammered joints, and dug out the uneven soil while Selena sealed the earth beneath with careful frost magic—just enough to stabilize, not enough to damage. Heldric watched all three of them, his brows lowered, deep in thought.
As they worked, villagers gathered around, offering water and snacks, helping lift beams, and cheering at each completed frame. Laughter filled the air. Even the children imitated their movements, pretending to be mighty builders.
Heldric glanced at Voltaro again—this time not as an observer, but with growing admiration.
He had traveled through many kingdoms, worked for countless nobles, and designed mansions for the wealthy. But he had never seen anything like this. A leader working shoulder-to-shoulder with his people. Subordinates who followed not out of fear, nor obligation, but out of loyalty and genuine joy.
Heldric whispered, barely audible, “This… no royal architect could hope to experience this.”
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By midday, another house frame stood proudly completed. The villagers erupted in cheers.
“Another one done!” Raven shouted, lifting the final beam like a trophy.
“Stop flexing,” Selena muttered, though she smirked.
Voltaro wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Good job, both of you. Heldric, your design saved us half a day.”
Heldric shook his head. “No. You three saved the day. Your teamwork…” He paused. “It’s extraordinary.”
Voltaro didn’t think much of it. To him, it was natural—Raven and Selena were like brother and sister now, bonded by training, hardship, and the trust they shared under him.
But to Heldric… it was rare.
As dusk approached, they moved to the next construction site. This time Voltaro took a saw while Raven carried the lumber. Selena etched simple frost runes along the posts to strengthen the wood.
Again Heldric observed. Voltaro’s presence inspired people to rise higher, push further, believe more strongly. Raven’s strength lifted spirits as easily as he lifted logs. Selena’s quiet discipline balanced the entire group.
This wasn’t just a building team.
This was a family.
A few hours later, Heldric leaned on a wooden barrel, hands trembling slightly—not from fatigue, but from emotion.
Voltaro noticed. “You all right?”
Heldric looked up. “Voltaro… may I speak honestly?”
“Always.”
Heldric took a step forward, swallowing hard.
“I… I’ve spent decades designing homes, towers, mansions.” His voice shook. “But never have I seen people build with such joy. Such unity. You—your people—your territory… Ashenveli… this is something I have never witnessed.”
He paused, breathing deeply as if preparing for something heavy.
“I thought I came here to build houses. But now I realize—I want to build a future.”
Voltaro tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
Heldric and his brothers dropped to one knee.
Raven and Selena froze. Nearby villagers fell silent. Even the wind seemed to pause.
“Voltaro,” Heldric said, voice unwavering. “I have decided. From this moment forward, I will serve under you. Not as a hired architect. Not as a traveler. But as your man—your subordinate—your lifetime builder.”
Voltaro’s eyes widened. “Heldric—why such a sudden decision?”
“Because,” Heldric said, lifting his head, “I see how you lead. How you fight. How you treat your people. I have worked for nobles who rule through fear, kings who command without lifting a finger, and warlords who crush loyalty instead of earning it.”
He clenched his fist. “But you… you lead with your heart. You protect with your life. And your men follow with smiles.”
He pulled out his rolled blueprint and held it up like a symbolic offering.
“I want to dedicate my craftsmanship to you. To Ashenveli. To build a home worthy of your dreams and your strength.”
He bowed deeply. “Voltaro, please accept me as your subordinate. Let me call you my boss.”
The silence that followed trembled with emotion.
Raven grinned. “Well damn… another three joins the family.”
Selena nodded softly. “Welcome, Heldric.”
Voltaro stepped forward and placed a hand on Heldric’s shoulder. “Raise your head. There’s no need to kneel. If you want to stand with us, then stand.”
Heldric raised his gaze—and Voltaro extended his hand.
“Heldric. From today onwards, you’re one of us. A pillar of Ashenveli.”
Heldric gripped his hand firmly, tears shimmering in his eyes. “Thank you… boss.”
The villagers erupted in cheers. Children ran circles around them. Raven lifted Heldric off the ground in a crushing hug while Selena laughed at the sight.
The night sky deepened overhead, filled with stars that gleamed like scattered diamonds. The laughter, the warmth, the unity—it all blended into a single, unforgettable moment.
Heldric wiped his tears and straightened. “Boss, if I may… I already have plans for Ashenveli’s entire layout.”
Voltaro raised a brow. “Already?”
Heldric spread the massive blueprint on a wooden table illuminated by lantern light.
“This,” he said proudly, “is my dream we will build together.”
Voltaro, Raven, and Selena leaned in—and their eyes widened.
Heldric had drawn everything:
A central hall for gatherings.
A fortified outer ring.
Training grounds twice the size of the current ones.
A marketplace.
A watchtower.
Homes arranged in circles like tree rings, symbolizing unity and protection.
“This…” Selena whispered. “It’s beautiful.”
Voltaro looked at Heldric. “You made this today?”
“I made the draft years ago,” Heldric admitted. “A dream for a place that deserved it. A village that worked together like one heart. But I never found such a place.”
His smile widened.
“Until now.”
Voltaro exhaled softly. “Heldric… we’ll build this.”
“We?” Heldric chuckled. “Boss, we’re doing this together.”
Raven flexed. “Let’s get to work then! We’ve got a village to build!”
Selena raised her palm, letting gentle frost shimmer around it. “For Ashenveli.”
Heldric lowered his head, overwhelmed with gratitude. “For the future.”
Voltaro stood tall, overlooking the half-built structures and the starlit land that belonged to him and his people.
“Ashenveli,” he said softly, “from tonight onward… we rise.”
And under the night sky, with tools in hand and unity in their hearts, the four of them began the next phase of Ashenveli’s rebirth.
Together—not as workers, not as strangers, but as family.
Too be continue...