2/4 A Hillsman Remembers: Graduation

Author's note: Thank you to all my followers and to those who posted comments. It really encourages me to keep writing.

This series is part of a very long Hillsman series, which will be released over a long time.

Of course I don't know what language was used 3500 years ago so I am using English for all of us to understand.

All my stories are in a fantasy or parallel universe similar to our own.

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Previously in the Hillsman series:

- Joe Christianson outlived his contemporaries after the Not IN Love series.

- In A Hillsman Remembers story, Joe found out the he was a Hillsman, an ancient, long-lived, warrior race who swore to bring justice to the region. He was 3500 years old but had amnesia and had forgotten about his past. However, his memory returned at the Hillsman's, mountain stronghold.

This chapter is about Joe's graduation.

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Joe hugged his mum, Holly, to pour energy into her. He'd been doing this for the last few years but today was graduation day, so he gave her an extra big boost of energy with his hug. They walked together to the top of the ramp. Holly talked to Lizzy so Joe joined Sally and Roger, a few metres away.

All his class mates were dressed in: a white, linen shirt; loose, leather trousers; knee-high leather boots and their long-swords in their scabbards attached to their leather belts.

Joe watched Mary talking to Peter who was sitting on the parapet. Mary giggled as she stood beside Peter. She stood on the parapet.

Joe said "What's she doing?"

Sally and Roger looked at Mary and Sally said "We're all excited. She just being silly."

Suddenly, Peter pushed the middle of Mary's back and Mary disappeared over the parapet with a little yelp.

"MARY!" yelled Joe, and ran to the parapet. He looked over the edge to see Mary laying on the ground a hundred metres below.

Joe ran down the ramp, jumped a few meters off the bottom of the ramp and ran to Mary's body. He picked her up and poured his healing energy into her, but she was dead. He hugged Mary's body against his. He was too shocked to cry. Why would Peter do that?

Mary's parents, Stacy and Walter, arrived so Joe passed Mary's body into Stacy's arms. He looked up at the parapet to see Peter smiling over the edge. He looked back at Mary's parents, who were crying.

Joe ran back up the ramp and asked Peter "Why did you do that?"

"To see what would happen." answered Peter, still smiling.

Joe shook his head, in disbelief, and said "You murdered her."

Joe turned to face the five councillors, who had gathered for the ceremony, and said "I saw Peter Gillies murder Mary Fielding. According to Hillsmans' law I ask that Peter be immediately trialled and sentenced for murder."

Peter laughed and said "You can't harm me, I'm a Hillsman."

Joe looked from Peter to the head councillor, Malcolm, and asked "What's your decision?"

Just then Stacy carried Mary's body through the crowd towards the councillors. Joe pointed to Mary's body and asked "Will you put Peter on trial for Mary's murder?"

The councillors conversed and Malcolm said "Hillsmans... Joe Christianson has accused Peter Gillies of murdering Mary Fielding. We call upon all witnesses to come forward and tell us what they saw. We will then decide if Peter is guilty of the accusation.

"Joe, tell us what you saw."

Joe told the Hillsmans what he saw, followed by Sally and Roger's statements. Others provided their statements and it was certain that Peter pushed Mary off the parapet.

The councillors conversed and then Malcolm said "Peter Gillies, how do you plea to murdering Mary Fielding?"

"Guilty." answered Peter, still smiling. "But I'm a Hillsman and no Hillsman is allowed to hurt another Hillsman so what are you going to do about it."

Joe was shocked. Peter seemed to be sardonically mad as he stood there, smiling.

Malcolm did not seem phased. He said "We have found Peter Gillies guilty of murdering Mary Fielding. The penalty for is death. We sentence you to death."

Peter stepped forwards and asked "And who will attempt to kill me." as he looked around at the other Hillsmans, challengingly.

Joe looked around at his fellow Hillsmans expecting a senior Hillsman to respond. He thought that one of Mary's parents would take revenge but they seemed too busy grieving. No-one responded so Joe said "I will."

"Ha." laughed Peter. "You have no chance against me. Besides, I'm a Hillsman and you can't hurt me."

Joe felt the surrounding Hillsmans crowd around him in support. He said "Peter, Hillsman harms no Hillsman but you just murdered Mary so you can't possibly be a Hillsman. You're just an experiment gone wrong." Joe saw Peter's anger starting to rage and Joe knew that he had weakened Peter. He continued to say "You were included in our class not because you were a Hillsman's son but just to make up the numbers."

Joe braced himself for Peter's anger. Peter wailed in anger, drew his sword and tried to strike Joe. Joe raised his sword with his left hand to block Peter's strike and smiled at Peter. His sword was still partially in its scabbard. He only needed to block Peter's strike. He trusted his fellow Hillsmans. Seven swords bonded with Peter's and stopped Peter from striking at Joe again.

Joe was confused. He felt pain at his waist. He looked at his left side and saw a sword projecting between his left elbow and his waist. The blade had nicked Joe's waist.

Joe looked behind him to see Councillor Malcolm holding the sword. Malcolm looked apologetic and whispered "Sorry."

Joe said quietly "I'll take it from here thank you councillor."

Malcolm nodded, removed his sword from beside Joe and stepped backwards. The other councillors and the Hillsmans behind Joe stepped away to allow room for Joe.

Joe took five steps backwards, slowly drew his sword and said "Peter, Hillsman harms no Hillsman..."

Joe was interrupted by some Hillsmans repeating his words, whispering "Hillsman harms no Hillsman."

Joe waited for silence. He nodded to the seven Hillsmans who had bound Peter's sword. They stepped backwards and Joe was finally confronting Peter to inflict justice. He said "You murdered Mary so prepare for justice."

Peter laughed and said "You have no chance against me. I've always won when we fight. I'm the best warrior."

Joe slowly shook his head and said "Peter, you still don't realise that we let you win. Isn't that right, Sally."

"Yes." answered Sally, from behind Joe. "We let you win, Peter, because you get so upset when you lose."

Joe saw the energy rippling through Peter's body. He knew exactly what Peter was going to do.

"AH!" yelled Peter, and stuck at Joe.

Joe waited for the last fraction of a second and parried Peter's strike. Their swords bound close to the hilt of Joe's sword and close to the tip of Peter's. Joe moved slightly sideways and touched the point of his sword against Peter's torso, drawing blood.

Peter seemed too enraged to notice the cut. He kept rapidly striking at Joe, but Joe knew exactly where Peter was going to strike by watching the energy rippling through Peter's body.

Time and time again Peter stuck at Joe and each time their swords bonded near the hilt of Joe's sword, Joe parried and nicked Peter somewhere on Peter's body.

"I'm the better Hillsman warrior." said Peter, as he kept striking at Joe.

Joe laughed and said "You're not a Hillsman, Peter." Their swords bound and Joe pushed Peter a few metres away. He said "A Hillsman would notice the cuts on his or her body and adjust their attack accordingly. At best you're just a Hillsman trained warrior."

Peter looked at his body and saw his wounds. He cried out in rage and struck at Joe. Joe stepped slightly sideways and cut through the four fingers of Peter's left hand. Peter could still hold onto the hilt of his sword with his thumb and palm of his left hand and his fully functional right hand.

Peter cried out in anguish and said "Joe, how could you? You're my friend."

"I was never your friend, Peter." answered Joe." I just tolerated you."

"Sally, Roger, you're my friends." said Peter.

"No, Peter." answered Roger. "We just tolerate you."

"That's right, Peter." affirmed Sally.

"You murdered your only friend, Peter." said Joe. "Mary was the only person who cared for you. She tried to be your friend but you murdered her."

Peter struck at Joe again but Joe saw what Peter was going to do and easily parried Peter's strikes. Joe was going to kill Peter with a thousand tiny cuts, slowly bleeding Peter to death but he changed his mind as he watched Peter losing his temper and frantically striking at Joe. Joe was a little bit amazed at how easy it was to defend himself from Peter's blows and how easily he could kill Peter at any moment.

Joe said "Look at you, Peter. You're not a Hillsman. You can't even hide your aura."

"BULLSHIT!" yelled Peter and struck at Joe.

"Mum, can you see Peter's aura?" asked Joe, as he easily deflected Peter's attack.

"Yes I can, Joe." answered Holly. "I can see the red of anger and the black of ill intent."

"You see, Peter." said Joe. "Even an old, dying Hillsman can break through your pathetic defences and see your aura."

Joe slowly lowered his sword as he continued to say "You see, Peter. You can't be a Hillsman. A Hillsman harms no Hillsman and..."

Joe was interrupted again by the whispered chant of the surrounding Hillsmans "Hillsman harms no Hillsman."

"You murdered your only potential friend." continued Joe. "You can't hide your aura. You can't even control your rage." Joe continued to lower his sword, making an opening in his defence for Peter to attack. "You are a convicted murderer and this stronghold will be better off when you're gone."

Joe could see that his plan was working. Joe feinted an opportunity to Peter. Peter was heaving with hate and effort. He cried out angrily and struck down at Joe. This was what Joe was waiting for. Peter had slightly over extend his back swing and was committed to a downwards strike. Joe stepped sideways and swiftly struck upwards with the false-edge of his sword, slicing through Peter's right wrist.

Joe then sliced the tip of his sword horizontally through Peter's eyes and before Peter's sword could hit the ground, Joe cut through part of Peter's knee. Peter collapsed onto the ground.

Joe picked up Peter's sword. He flicked off Peter's severed, right hand, that was still holding the hilt. He wiped Peter's blood off his blade on the hilt of Peter's sword and passed Peter's sword to Councillor Malcolm.

Malcolm took the sword and said "This sword will be unceremoniously destroyed."

Joe sheathed his sword: he lifted the rag, attached to his scabbard, on top of his left hand, which held the top of the scabbard; he wiped the left side of his sword over the rag as his left thumb slid along the entire length of the sword's fuller [groove]; he then felt the rest of the blade pass over the rag on the back of his hand and the tip fall into the top of the scabbard; he lifted the hilt of his sword and wiped the right side of the blade as he pushed his sword into the scabbard; he let his left thumb slide along the entire length of the other fuller until his sword was fully sheathed; he then wiped both hands on the rag. Joe had done this hundreds of times and it had become an automatic process once he'd decided to sheath his sword; he could clean his sword as he sheathed it without looking and thinking.

Joe looked at Mary's parents and nodded. They nodded back.

Joe grabbed Peter's calf of his injured leg and said, as he looked at Mary's parents, "With your permission I will cause Peter a very slowly and painful death."

Stacy and Walter nodded, so Joe wiped his thumb through his blood on his waist, from the wound that Malcolm had accidentally caused, and pressed his bloodied thumb into Peter's wounded knee. Peter cried out in pain and writhed like a headless snake held over a naked fire.

Joe dropped Peter and watched Peter struggling on the ground as he tried to touch his knee with his phantom right hand and the fingers of his left hand.

Joe picked Peter up by his shirt front. He said, using as much force in his voice as he could, "Hillsman harms no Hillsman. Peter, you are NOT a Hillsman, so get off this mountain."

Joe threw Peter a good 25 plus metres down the ramp. Joe was impressed with his effort, and although, being down the ramp gained distance, it was still a good, one-handed push. As Peter flew through the air, Joe heard others whispering the locution 'Hillsman harms no Hillsman'.

Joe watched Peters body roll a couple of times and then stop with his back towards Joe. Joe watched Peter for about a minute. Joe could feel the other Hillsmans looking at him. Peter didn't move. Joe wondered if he'd killed Peter but he could see the energy in Peter's body, so he wasn't dead.

Peter moaned and rolled. Joe turned, didn't look at the others, saw Peters severed hand and fingers, picked them up and threw them at Peter as he said "Here's something to eat on your journey off the mountain." Joe wondered is that was a bit too severe.

Peter's severed hand and fingers hit Peter in the belly. He groaned and clutched at the hand. Joe saw Peter trying to push the stump of his hand onto the stump of his arm but he was unsuccessful. Joe knew that a true Hillsman may be able heal themselves but Peter couldn't.

Joe turned, the crowd separated. He saw Mary's parents and bowed towards them. They nodded back. Joe felt that he'd dignified Mary's honour, at least to the satisfaction of Mary's parents. Joe ignored the others. He looked for his mother, she smiled at him. He saw that she was weak so he walked to her, put his arm around her waist and poured his energy into her. He asked "Mum, I don't feel like attending the graduation ceremony. Do you mind if we go home?"

"No, of course not, Joe. Let's go." answered Holly.

They turned to leave when they heard a councillor say "Hillsmans... out of respect for Mary Fielding, her parents, relatives and friends... the graduation will be postponed until after Mary's funeral."

Joe looked at Holly, they turned towards home, Joe put his arm around Holly's waist and Holly put her arm around his. They slowly walked home with Holly's head resting on Joe's shoulder. Joe felt safe.

They arrived home and as per their habit, hung their swords on the wooden pegs next to Ken's, Joe's father, washed their hands and Joe filled the billy with filtered water. Holly sat at the table as Joe heated the billy on the stove. He used small twigs to feed the fire to make the billy boil more quickly.

"Pass me my old tinder box please, Joe" said Holly.

"You mean your dope tin?" asked Joe, with a smile.

"That's the one." answered Holly with a smile.

Joe placed the tin on the table in front of his mum. He placed two wooden bowls on the table. The billy boiled so Joe, removed the lid, threw in some tea leaves, took the billy off the stove, swung it around three times and placed it on the table.

The base of the billy added another stain to the table. The table was clean, but the centuries of stains built up over time. Almost the whole table was black or brown with centuries of individual stains.

Joe tapped the side of the billy with the lid to encourage a few tea leaves to sink to the bottom. He then poured tea into their bowls, fitted the lid onto the billy and placed the billy on the table, forming another stain to the patina on the table.

Joe blew on his tea. He didn't like his tea too hot. He watched his mum take a very big, three-fingered pinch of ground-up cannabis from the tinder box, put it into her mouth and start chewing. She took sips of tea to wash down the cannabis.

Holly saw Joe watching her. She asked "Would you like to try some?"

"I still haven't graduated." answered Joe.

"You're an adult now." said Holly. "Especially after today."

"So killing Peter makes me an adult?" asked Joe.

"No, the way you dealt with the situation makes you an adult." answered Holly. "Besides, you're twenty-five. Your brain would have rewired itself by now and dope's not likely to cause psychosis unless you're that way inclined and I'd prefer to find that out while you are at home."

"Does it help with the pain?" asked Joe, knowing full well that it helped his mum cope with her pain.

"It does for me." answered Holly, so Joe took a big pinch of cannabis from the tinder box. "I'd start with about half that amount, if I was you. Unless you've had it before?" said Holly.

"No, first time." answered Joe, and took a two-fingered pinched of cannabis. Joe put the cannabis flakes into his mouth and chewed. It was dry and seemed to suck the moisture out of his mouth. Eventually, his constant saliva overcame the dryness.

Holy indicated Joe's tea with her bowl and said "Chewy isn't it? Tea helps wash it down."

"Mmm." agreed Joe and drank from his bowl. Joe emptied his bowl by the time he'd washed the last of the cannabis flakes from his gums and teeth. He poured them both another bowl of tea.

"Get the dice please, Joe." said Holly.

Joe sighed but knew it kept his mum's mind distracted from her pain, so he brought four dice to the table and gave two to Holly.

"Ready for a lesson in humility?" asked Holly.

Joe laughed and answered "I'll learn from watching you, mum." which made Holly laugh.

They both rolled one die each. "A six." said Holly. "It looks like your turn to experience a thrashing."

Joe enjoyed the banter that they exchanged whilst playing dice and settled into, what would probably be, a few hours of play.

Joe had rolled a four so it was Holly's turn to first roll her second die. She rolled a three. Joe needed to roll a five to tie and a six to win. He rolled a three, which sent Holly into a cascade of boasts about trashing her poor, inexperienced son. Joe smiled.

They kept playing and throwing, friendly, insults at each other. There was a lot of laughter as they played, trying to outdo each other's banter.

Joe paused to pour them some more tea. He looked around the room. The light, beaming through the windows looked brighter. The colours seemed more brilliant and the items in the room seemed more vibrant. He realised that he was stoned. He'd seen his mother almost constantly stoned of late. He thought that he might have felt more inebriated, but he just felt happy and more aware.

Joe considered losing his best friend and lover that morning. He felt sad but then decided that being stoned helped cope with Mary's demise. He thought that cannabis was a useful drug.

Joe and Holly continued playing dice. He used mindfulness and his inebriated condition to fully immerse himself in the game. He needed to roll a six to beat Holly. He rolled the die. He saw it almost stop with a five facing up. He could see the six facing him and he willed the six to face upwards. To his surprise, the die rolled over to present the six. Joe frowned. That should not have happened. There didn't seem to be enough angular momentum for the die to keep rolling. He looked at his mother.

Holly sat there, staring at the die. Her eyebrows were narrowed. Her lips pursed. She's looked at Joe and asked, calmly but suspiciously, "How'd you do that?"

"I didn't do anything." answered Joe, defensively.

"You're not in trouble, Joe. I just want to know how you did that?" said Holly, more affectionately.

Joe looked at the die. He said "I don't know. I don't even know that I did that."

"Okay... Well... that wasn't... normal. Was it?" asked Holly. Joe shook his head. "Well I didn't do that. I would have rolled a one." said Holly.

Joe laughed and felt less vulnerable.

Holly said "I've been playing this game for centuries and I think that I would have worked out how to do that before I was just about to die.