Chapter 1
The sky was shining brightly over the green landscape in front of his door. The 14-year-old was ready to head out for the morning to buy food and necessities for his mother. He got used to life in this peaceful village. He liked the landscape and the weather. It was warm for most of the year and not too cold during winter. Not to mention the people here were close to each other. The village is relatively big. About 600 people live here. It has two main districts, a large district where the houses are located and are surrounded by walls. These had been built by an emperor that was said to have lived here for some time. And a district that holds all the shops and necessities just beyond those walls. It had been 14 years since he came into this world. Stories were the only place where he had experience of these sorts of things but experiencing them himself felt foreign to him. But he tried his best to learn from the very beginning. He retained whatever he had from before he came here but he quickly realized that it probably is not a great idea to tell people that he came from another place. Thinking that he might get burned or beheaded did not feel that stretched of a possibility. People here treated him kindly, and it was hugely part to his mother. She’s an exceptional healer and a kind and compassionate woman too. Learning magic from someone like her made him grow into a talented young man holding much potential. He used that to get a job in the village, much of it was making him do day-to-day stuff using magic that made it way easier than just physical labor. His thoughts were interrupted as he realized that he walked into the district right as the shops were opening. He saw a man eating while sitting on the edges of the fountain right next to the general store.
“Good morning, Father Jeremy.”
He said to the man. He grew used to seeing him alone all the time. Unlike where he came from, Priests here can get married and have children and yet he had never seen this man with a woman before. It could not have been because of the women here because most of them are beautiful and kind.
“Ah, good morning, Ash. Buying things for home I see.”
The priest had kind eyes and a gentle tone. Despite being a unique character, he was nice and forgiving. Unlike the other priests and nuns of the stars church.
“Yes, mother usually does this, but she was tired because of last night’s ordeal.” Ash replied as he sat down next to the priest, looking at the direction of his home.
“Oh, you mean that traveler who came last night. The sight of him was horrifying, but I am sure your mother is doing her best. After all she was in the royal palace for a while. Someone like that can surely treat burns and deep cuts.”
That is right. The man was found by a lumberjack in the forest close by. He had a hole in the palm of his right hand and scars all over his body. “His condition is better now. But he needs to rest for a few days before he can leave.”
The priest looked at Ash differently after those last few words. Ash was always cautious of strangers, and he knew that. The village gets its fair share of visitors every year because of its rich history and beautiful landscapes. Those visitors are not who Ash is wary of. It’s the people like that stranger that he keeps an eye on all the time. As Ash sees the general store owner walking in, he gets his stuff and leaves.
“See you later, Father Jeremy”
The priest looks at the boy as he leaves and gets ready to go to the church himself. Ash enters the store that was still relatively dark since it just opened. “The usual?” Said the fat and heavy bearded man.
“Good morning, old man.”
Ash looked at the man behind the counter. He was about 6,6 feet tall, and he looked fierce and rather scary. But Ash grew up knowing him and he knew this man was a kind soul despite his attitude.
“That’s no way to talk to elderly, young man. But well, I am getting old and frail.” The man said as he hands Ash the bag of food and medicine. Ash giggled as he took the bag.
“Don’t worry uncle Haymar, even with the years catching up to you, people here still depend on you and your strength. Being a lumberjack and helping at the blacksmith aren’t light work.”
That is right. Despite being over 70, Haymar was still a dependable and respected man despite his harsh and fierce character. Attributing his strength to his years in the province army.
“Well, I’ll just have to stay like this until my grandchild becomes of age and takes over the store so I can sit back with a drink in hand and retire.”
The man said while laughing. His belly bouncing with every laugh. “These things will kill your liver before you retire.”
Ash said while looking at the man’s puzzled looks. He realized that common knowledge from where he came from isn’t that well known here.
“Don’t worry about it, uncle. Just make sure Ron doesn’t accidently drink that stuff because of how many are on the floor.”
Ash said while walking out of the store. After finishing his chores and slightly helping around the village, Ash made his way back home. Kids ran along the streets. He saw some kids with wooden swords and shields.
“I, Emperor Rykard shall defeat all you false lords and unite the lands under my rule!”
One of the kids shouted as he started fighting the others. Boys with swords and girls with wooden sticks shaped like staffs all playing together first thing in the morning. one of them stopping Infront of him.
“Um..Ash can you give these to your mom? Tell her I’m thankful for helping my dog. Tell her he’s well now!” Ash takes the bowl of a few flowers and smiles at the girl. “She loves these lilies. I’ll give it to her when I get back. Thanks, Eve.”
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The girl rushed back to the other kids while smiling. He looked at the lilies with solemn eyes, a lump threatening to form on his throat.
“Oh, good morning, Ash.”
A soft voice awakened him from his trance. He looked at the person Infront of him. The scarlet eyes looking at him were a familiar sight.
“Catherine. Good morning. Heading out to help at the church?”
Ash said to the young woman. He knew her for a very long time as she is his mother’s apprentice in healing magic. Her father is the lumberjack who found that man resting in his home.
“Y-Yes, I also need some herbs for today’s lesson...” Catherine said to him timidly. “Is that man alright? Father had a weird look on his face after carrying him to your house. I never saw him looking like that.” The girl said with a puzzled expression.
“A few men went to patrol around the forest and repair the barrier. So don’t head out just yet. The herbs can wait besides I’m sure mother has a few herbs she can spare I’ll give them to you after lunch, ok?.”
Ash knew there would be monsters lurking around after a part of the barrier was broken so he did not want Catherine roaming around and ending up like that man. Catherine nodded
“A-Alright… I’ll stop by after lunch then. See you later.”
The girl waved with a smile as she headed the opposite direction.
“Time to head back…”
Ash said while sighing. He stood by the door and hesitantly opened it. He put the bags on the kitchen table and shouted
“I-I’m home...”
A woman walks into the kitchen after hearing his voice. Her blond hair shines as the sunrays enters the room. She smiles at the sight of her son.
“Welcome back. Did you get everything I asked?” The woman said as she sits on the chair looking a little exhausted.
“I did…did you sleep well? You look a little pale.” She looked beyond exhausted with dark circles under her eyes and disheveled hair. “Don’t worry, the process did take a lot of time, but It’s done so it’s fine.”
Ash looked at her then at the closed room down the hall. “Is he sleeping?”
She nodded at his question. Ash couldn’t get this feeling away, that the man inside their house has more going on than suddenly being found in the forest with burns and bruises. He knows the monsters in the forest cannot inflect burns and that made him all the more worried.
“A-Anyway…here. Eve wanted you to have these. It’s a thank you gift for helping her dog.”
He gave her a small bouquet of pink and white lilies. He knew they were her favorites. “Wow… they’re so beautiful. she really didn''t need to. I must thank her for them later.”
Silence fell between them. It was not something out of the ordinary for them not to talk for most of the day. Besides good mornings or checking up on each other, the two do not say anything more. The awkwardness between them was something she grew used to. She loved her son, and that was all she cared for. And yet…She longed for something more.
“Ash…Are you busy tomorrow?”
He looked at her with a puzzled look. It was rare for her to ask something like that. “I um…I don’t think so. Why?”
She smiled as she put away the lilies on the window. Letting them bathe in sunlight. “We rarely have moments together so…I thought we could head out tomorrow and enjoy some time together. You know, like a proper mother and son.”
Ash looked at her with wide eyes. He could not help but feel guilty for the way he always treated her. To her she always felt that her own son was distant. Of her own blood yet less than family. He knew that an attitude like that would eventually lead to her thinking like that.
“Sure…I’d like that.”
And so, a date was in order. She felt happy and excited with little to no patience for what tomorrow has in store. Before she could respond. A tired voice echoed through the room.
“Hope I’m not interrupting something sweet here.”
The source of the voice was a man leaning into the wall. Covered in dried blood and bandages, he looked at them and tried to walk. Ash stepped close and looked at him with eyes that barely showed any care and sympathy for the man in front of him.
“No good mornings?”
The man sarcastically said while coughing. “Never knew a healer who used to serve in the palace would end up fixing me up in the middle of a secluded village. Anna, was it? Thank you.”
Anna fixed her posture. “Do not think much of it. But you still need to rest. Those cuts are not healed and might be opened again and get infected.”
Ash stood in front of the man. “Here let me help you.”
He let the man rest on him while walking him back to the room so he could rest. “I’ll handle him, you wanted to stop by the church, right? Leave him to me.”
Anna looked at her son and sighed. She taught him basic healing magic so she knew he can keep that man in check while helping him rest. “Alright, I’ll be back in a few hours so make sure he sleeps.”
A few minutes later, Ash walked into the room with water and herbs. “Drink. They’ll ease the pain.”
The man thanked him. The drink was so sour that he coughed again. “Wow this’ll kill me before the wounds will.” Silence fell for a few moments before Ash spoke up. “So, who are you exactly?”
The man put down his drink. Ash noticed the hesitance to answer his question. “I’m just a traveler who was most unfortunate to fall in the claws of monsters.”
Ash did not buy that. He looked at the man with a serious expression. “Claws that burned you?” The man’s eyes widened. He coughed before answering. “Clever kid.” Ash quickly put a dagger to the man’s throat.
“Let me think this through and tell me if I’m right. You came here or wanted to go somewhere along the way but realized you were followed. And I say that because if you are a traveler, you’d have something, anything on you and yet you don’t and that means you were caught of guard before you could take anything with you. Some fight happens and you get severely wounded. And yet somehow you escaped and that is what I don’t get. You left a trail, didn’t you? You used magic to get here and those who followed you aren’t that far behind. That is why you want to leave before you can properly heal.”
The man looked at Ash in shock. He sighed before drinking again. “You’re just a bit off actually. But that’s the gist of it yes. So, what now? You’ll have me leave before I can heal? You’ll be going against your mother’s wishes you know?”
Ash put down the dagger. “No, you’ll “escape” while I wasn’t paying attention. Leaving a thank you letter and nothing else. While we tell your pursuers that you left in a hurry, and we’ll point them to your direction.”
The man looked disappointed in Ash’s words. He got up and walked behind Ash. “And you think they’ll buy that? They’re not the type to just shake hands with you and leave.”
“Who are they anyway? And what did you do exactly for them to run after you this far?”
The man stayed silent for a few moments. But before he could answer, screams and loud noises came from outside. Ash rushed outside to see what was happening. Only to find smoke behind the walls. He saw the gates closed but he knew they weren’t enough to stop whatever was behind them. He ran towards the guards. “What happened?!”
One of the guards looked at him with relief. “Ash! Thank the stars you’re here. Some mercenaries suddenly came and took everyone in the shopping district hostage.” He looked back to warn the man to stay put. But the man was no where to be found.