《Cradle》 Chapter 1 - Inception The midday sun lazily floats in the sky. A village vibrant with life, people going about their daily lives, tranquil and subdued by the simple lives lived by it''s inhabitants. Some ways off from the village surrounded on all sides by plains, there lies an exception to that landscape, a group of rather sizable hills. It is a favorite spot for the village children, and even young men who wish to show their beloved a beautiful view when the stars shine. It is here that a young blonde girl wanders by herself, preoccupied in her own world as she searches for adventure away from the village. As she proceeds, she comes across a completely naked boy with white hair, who appears to be the same age as her at sixteen, greatly startling her as she realizes what she''s seeing. The boy notices her, but makes no move to speak nor explain his situation. Rather, no sense of shame appears on his face at all, as he quietly observes the girl''s face redden as she covers her face with her hands. Silence permeates the air for a long while, until the girl finally questions the boy. "Wh-why are you naked?!" She blurts out in a rush, due to the oddity of the situation as well as the boy''s perplexing behavior. However the boy does not respond, and continues to stare at her. The girl, continuing to be puzzled by the lack of response, peeks out from behind her hands, to return back the boys stare. "Ar-are you okay? Can you speak?" She asks the boy once more questions, trying to figure out the situation before her. Yet once more, the boy does not respond to her questioning, and remains staring at her. The girl, at her limit of handling the strange situation, starts backing away from the boy. "Stay there..I''ll be right back!" After those words, the girl runs off towards the village. The boy, staring at the spot where the girl ran off to, remains where he is. After awhile, his gaze sweeps around his surroundings, taking in all that passes. His eyes beam with curiosity. Following that, he begins to examine his body in more detail, lifting his legs and arms, opening and closing his mouth, and rubbing his hand along his body. He finishes his off his examination at the top of his head, where he spends the most time when he found that it feels rather nice. He watches intently the birds in the sky, studying their shape and movements, and looking at his own body to compare. The boy flaps his arms like the birds, but finding it not producing the same effect as the wings of the birds, he stops quickly. Feeling something tickling his feet, the boy crouches down and observes ants crawling across them, staring as they march over his body as though he were simply a rock in the way and not human to them. From his crouched position, the boy also takes notice of the green grass around him, reaching out his hand to touch it. While he does that, he uses his other hand to touch his head, comparing the feeling, and with a nodded affirmation, stops his comparison. "This way Milton! He''s over here!" Hearing sounds of yelling, the boy stands back up and stares at the direction of the noise, the previous girls voice transmitting through the air. Over the rise of the hill, the girl ran down from where she stood earlier towards the boy, panting from running round trip to and from the village. Following behind her a little ways is a man in his forties, his hair gray yet tinged with strong, healthy black. Keeping up with the running girl while simply walking, the man exudes a strength that belies his age through his gait, a unmistakable soldier''s march engineered to cross ground at a steady, reasonable pace. He eyes the boy while he calls out to the girl. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "Lia! Don''t just run towards him! We don''t even know who or what he is!" The man, Milton. picks his pace up after chastising the girl, Lia. The girl stops and waits for the man, shaking in excitement and exuding happiness at having found something interesting. During this whole series of events, the boy remains silent and motionless, staring at the two. "See Milton! He doesn''t talk or respond at all. I think he might be ghost!" "Lia, ghosts don''t just appear out of nowhere, nor do they possess completely material bodies. Nor, mind you, do they ignore a naive body such as yours to possess. Besides all that, he-" Milton examines the boy "in every-way, looks to be just a regular person." "But, aren''t there monsters that take the shapes of humans to deceive and prey on them?" "There are but there aren''t any around here....nor do they just simply stand there as people watch them. This is rather peculiar....Lia, head back to the village and tell the chief that I''ll be bringing this boy to him, we need to figure out what exactly is going on and I''d rather do it with help." "Isn''t it dangerous to bring him to the village though?" "No need to worry your little head Lia, your uncle Milton hasn''t lost his nose for danger, I can assure you I don''t sense a threat from this boy. Now get along, as I see about getting this boy back." "Alright~!" The girl, inhaling a deep breathe and giving a sharp exhale, began her trek back towards the village once more. "Now then, lets see about this boy..." Milton approached the boy cautiously, his words of encouragement towards Lia as much for himself as for her, as his mind was puzzled. While it was true that he did not feel a threat from the boy, that wasn''t all. He felt nothing at all from the boy, no sense of feeling at all other than the curiosity that shined in his eyes. "Boy, can you understand me? Do you have a name?" Receiving no response from the boy, Milton scratched his head as his mind was further puzzled, and by now was in reaching distance of the boy. "I''m going to take you back to the village, okay? Though you don''t seem to have any preference on what should happen...." Milton reached out his hand towards the boy, and seeing yet still no response from the boy other than his stare of curiosity, he grabbed the boy''s arm. The boy shuddered at this new sensation, but did not jerk away nor make a noise. Milton chuckled to himself at the scene before him, as he thought of the humor of a sixteen year old naked boy looking at him like he was the curious one. Pulling the boy along, Milton found no resistance from him, although his initial movements seemed to be foreign to him, after a few steps the boy, imitating Milton''s gait, marched in step perfectly with Milton. "Indeed a curious one...." Thus, Milton lead the boy back to the village without a hitch, as the boy stared at his surroundings, his eyes opened wide upon seeing the village once they reached the crest of the hill along way, and did not cease moving about when he saw the villagers dotting his view. Before long, they arrived at the village chief''s home, a modest abode only slightly grander than the surrounding buildings to show off the importance of the one who lived there. This slight increase was bare minimum, as the one who inhabits it is a rather crotchety old man when it comes to gaudiness, only allowing for that much due to the requirements of distinguishing his role in the village. This temper stems mainly from his intense pride in the village, as the village chief, and thus it aggravates him to do anything that looks like he''s abusing his job. Cradle Chapter 2 - Deliberation Milton leads the boy inside, a little forcefully as the boy slows to stare at the door as he opens it, although the boy loses interest quickly as he understands it. It should be noted the boy is now covered in a cloak provided by Milton, an article of clothing Milton always has with him due to the windiness of the plains. Milton finds a cloak suits the boy, despite the boy''s surprise at him putting it on at first. "We''re here Chief." Announcing their arrival, Milton walks towards a circular table in the middle of the one room house, seating the boy on one of the chairs surrounding the table. Sitting in the other chairs surrounding the table is an gray haired man who looks to be in his fifties with an intelligent gleam in his eye that clashes with his grizzled features and modest attire, and the girl Lia. Milton seated the boy directly across from the gray haired man, the Village Chief (he insists people call him by his title, a show of pride for his job) and settles himself next to the boy. In the background a woman is making drinks, her looks at the same level of the chiefs in terms of age, with eyes just as intelligent but even more so kind. "This the boy Lia was talking about Milton? He hasn''t told you anything?" "Nothing Chief, he hasn''t spoken a word at all. I haven''t a clue where he came from." "Peculiar...." The Chief rubs his bearded chin as he examines the boy, the corners of his lips rising slightly as he sees the boy returning the look back with curious eyes. "I don''t know where this boy came from, but there must be a reason for his appearance. Have you heard of any violence in the neighboring villages, Milton?" "Not that I know of Chief, course those sort of things can always happen rather suddenly and spiral out of control. I''ll set off tomorrow to find out if something has happened, especially since we can''t rely on the lord for help if something shows up on our doorstep." "That bloody bastard drains us dry....well, I suppose it can''t be helped due to the recent skirmishes with the Andratti, but I feel like only half of the money he takes from us goes towards that front...." The Chief''s eyes stare into the distance for a moment in thought, but quickly he returns his attention to the boy. "Question remains however, what do we do with this boy..." At hearing the topic of the mysterious boy, Lia grows restless and starts to speak. "Ooh ooh, can he stay here in the village? You know that there isn''t anyone around my age who hasn''t been married off or left the village for the world. Give me a friend, grandfather!" "I''m not your grandfather Lia, I''m the Chief. And we can''t just have a mystery boy living in the village." The Chief sighs. "But, we can''t just turn him away either...I suppose he can stay until Milton returns with news, and then a decision can be made then after consulting with village." Hearing the Chief''s decision, Lia''s face exudes a radiant glow, a smile on her face capable of making an angry bull ashamed of itself. "Thank you grandfather!" Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Hearing Lia calling him grandfather, the Chief mutters to himself about such a cute child being such a pain. Suddenly, the Chief raises his eyes at the boy, his face showing signs of thought. "Something we should probably address, how about giving a name to this boy. It''s no good to just refer to him as ''boy'' everytime, even if it isn''t his actual name." Lia immediately perks up at the Chief''s words, putting her hand on her chin to imitate his actions when he thinks. After a while, she bops her fist on her palm as she comes to a decision. "How about Elliot?" "Where''d that name come from Lia?" Milton looks at Lia questioningly, as her face shows signs of firm determination. "It''s the name Papa and Mama decided if I was to be a boy. It''s perfect!" Milton and Chief exchange glances at Lia''s ability to turn a mysterious boy into someone named by her own flesh and blood. "I suppose that''s fine.." The Chief looks at the boy who has been following the conversation with his eyes since the beginning, and points a finger at him. "Elliot. Just as good as any." The boy lifts his hand and points at himself. "Elliot...." Everyone except the boy show a surprised look, their eyes agape at hearing the boy talk for the first time. "So he can talk....did he not have a name before? This boy...excuse me, Elliot, just gets more and more mysterious. Ah well, we''ll learn things in a few days when Milton returns with news. As for now, you should get home Lia, your parents are probably getting worried since it''s getting dark out." "O-kay grandfather~" Sighing with weariness, the Chief takes an offered drink from the woman from earlier. "Thanks dear, don''t know how I could get through a day without you." "I don''t know either, nor do I know how such a high maintence man as yourself made it through life before you met me. Here ya go Lia, drink up before you head out, you must be thirsty after having ran so much today." The Chief looked up to the sky as he wonders where his wife''s kindness goes when it concerns him, but smiles wryly as he knows it''s her way of showing her love towards him. "Thanks grandma~" The Chief''s wife smiles kindly at Lia, completely acceptant of her addressing. Lia leaves after chugging her drink in a very unladylike manner. "I''ll take my leave too, then. I have to get started preparing if I want to make good time tomorrow. Thank you for the drink Laurette." Following Lia''s example, albeit with more grace, Milton quickly downed his drink and went on his way. "Now for Elliot, dear, shall I prepare the bed we use for when we have a guest from another village over?" "That''ll be fine, while you do that I''ll see if I can''t find any clothes that might fit him. I''d like to make sure Milton has his cloak before he sets off tomorrow." Thus night gradually descended, as the Chief and his wife prepared their home for Elliot''s stay, as Elliot himself watched with inquisitive eyes. Cradle Chapter 3 - Life Onward A week has passed since Elliot''s arrival. In those seven days he''s become able to speak fluently, has memorized the entire layout of the village and the names of the villagers, and has made acquaintance with each of them. Overall, his learning speed is monsterous, surprising immensly the Chief and the rest when they consider his state a week earlier. By this time, Milton had returned to the village to report that there wasn''t anything about a missing boy or anything, the neighboring villages were as usual. Considering the lack of information on Elliot''s appearance and the lack of options concerning him, it was decided he can stay in the village. Especially considering how quickly he was learning, people enjoyed his inquisitiveness as well as his innocence due to his naivete. The most thrilled with the decision was Lia, ecstatic to have a friend for her adventures. Elliot himself enjoyed her adventures as well, since exploring with her taught him new things. They formed a friendship quite easily, with Elliot also learning more about relationships such as friends as he had no memory until the day he met Lia. When Elliot was not with Lia he was either with Milton, who took an interest in teaching him the sword since Elliot''s speed of comphrension was outrageous and found he had reached a proficient level in just a few days, though he was no match for Milton who had over two decades of experience as a soldier, or with the Chief who educated him in academics and the like, as the Chief himself was an educated man. It is thanks to Milton and the Chief that the village has less of the younger generation than other villages, as their education of both battle and the mind give the children the opportunity to go out into the world when they reach the age to do so. Thus in the week Elliot learned that the village was called Graud which was under the rule of the Lindol Kingdom, the village specifically under the rule of Count Horth. When Chief spoke of Count Horth, disgust freely exposed itself on his face, a far cry from the usual calm and attentive look he usually had. When Elliot asked why Chief made that face when he talked about Count Horth, the Chief told Elliot. "It''s true that due to Milton and I educating the young they leave the village for the bigger world. But that''s not the only thing that brings our young men out of the village. That bastard forcefully recruits our boys into his army regularly, taking away their futures and making them serve him as dogs. And if that wasn''t enough, every time he does that he demands compensation from us beyond our usual taxes to support his increase in military...." Elliot listened attentively to those words, nodding his head despite not understanding why Count Horth needed to do those things. A characteristic of Elliot is that being as inquisitive and extraordinary as he is in comphrehending things, when it comes to emotion and desire he struggles to understand it. That is, to Elliot, the complexities of human emotion and the actions that result from it are an incredibly daunting thing. It is to be said though, when he was given the name ''Elliot'' from Lia, he felt the emotion happiness. Having no memory, with the gift of an identity he found himself feeling good, with no idea as to why such a thing was so. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Why does Count Horth do those things?" Elliot concluded he couldn''t understand Count Horth''s actions, unable to imagine the reasons due to his lack of understanding concerning human emotion. Chief wryly smiled at Elliot, at how his lack of knowledge on emotion ironically made him a pure individual. ''Truly a mysterious boy'', he thought. "I can''t say for sure Elliot, it may be a desire for power, wealth, any number of things. But remember, do not taint yourself for your desires. A desire pursued by a tainted individual will itself become twisted as well." The Chief sighed. "That said, things aren''t always black and white Elliot. Things that appear evil can in fact be good, and so can it be the other way around. Actions such as killing, by itself is something that should not be done. Yet suchs things as ''to kill so as to save'' exist. In the end, we must paint the color of our values of good and evil ourselves." Elliot nodded once more, not completely understanding Chief''s words. "Ah, let''s stop there for today then. By the way Elliot, how are you and Lia doing?" Confused, Elliot responded after a short pause. "We''re fine...is there something that we''re supposed to be doing sir?" The Chief smiled broadly. "Ah, no, nothing at all. Just wondering how you two have been getting along, it''s been long since Lia had a friend, and at her age to be friends with a rather handsome boy..." Elliot further found himself confused at the Chief''s words, and to his look of confusion the Chief chuckled. "It''s fine Elliot, you''ll understand in time as your days go." At this time Laurette put a delicious smelling pie in front of Elliot. "Speaking of Lia, could you deliver this to the Murl''s for me Elliot? Mrs. Murl shared with me some ingredients and as thanks I made her a pie from a bit of them. If you hurry, you may have enough time to enjoy it with them before it''s time to come home." Laurette winked at that last sentence. Elliot smiled at the prospect of tasting the sweet smelling pie in front of him, and quickly hurried to the Murl''s home on the edge of the village. Lia lived with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Murl. A couple who were well known in the village for their kindness and their energetic daughter. There had been plans for a marriage between Lia and the son of another family in the village, until the son in question was conscripted into Count Horth''s army. Since then, out of kindness the Murl''s were stricter with their daughter when concerning boys so as to give the other family respect in their time of loss. But that had been many years ago, and the family in question long gave their consent for Lia to be free of any guilt. Thus whenever Elliot came over, Mrs. Murl welcomed him like her own child since a remarkable young man was the friend of her daughter whom she wished to have a reliable husband since the prospects in the village were dry. Elliot arrived before the Murl''s home, slightly larger than the other homes due to the reconstruction efforts of zealous neighbors after the Murl home was damaged in a storm. Cradle Chapter 4 - Incomprehensible and Lively Knocking on the door, Elliot absentmindedly watched his surroundings. Some village children nearby were playing at being knights, one kid''s dramatics so textbook it made the other children giggle. "Coming!" A mature feminine voice on the other side yelled in reply to the knocks. Opening the door, there stood Mrs. Murl, a woman starting to show age on her face but with eyes that exhibit that she''s as full of vitality as ever. The mother of Lia, she gave her her blonde hair and sweetly flowing voice. "Elliot, dear, what brings you here? It''s a bit late for you and Lia to go out." Mrs. Murl flashed a questioning smile at Elliot as she asked him. "Mrs. Chief told me to bring you this pie." Elliot presented to her the pie he had in his hand, under a cloth to keep it fresh and warm. Mrs. Murl laughed with a woman''s grace as she looked at the boy who had transparent desire in his eyes when he looked at the pie. As for him calling Laurette ''Mrs. Chief'', the Chief''s wife told him when he was learning about family names "Family names are sometimes directly related to the family''s line of work. For example, blacksmiths will have the last name Smith. While neither my husband or I were given the last name Chief when we were born, he loves his job so much he took it a step further and changed our family name." "Why Elliot, would you like to join us for a slice before you go home?" Mrs. Murl asked knowing the answer. "Yes, thank you ma''m." Elliot bowed his head to show his appreciation, exhibiting manners taught to him by the Chief and his wife. He put a little more vigor into it than usual, showing how much he liked the sweet taste of Mrs. Chief''s pie. Invited inside the home, it shared about the same layout as the Chief''s home, with the main focus being a large single room that incorporated each part of the house. However, there was a small side room where the extension seen from the outside was, used as a bedroom by Lia. It is also from here she emerged to see who was here, spotting Elliot a grin erupted from her face. "I smell something sweet, did you bring something good Elliot?" Lia asked as she approached with flighty steps. "Laurette sent him with a pie in tow, so Lia, prepare some dishes for us. Elliot will be having some of it as well, so put one out for him too. You''re father should be back from the field''s in just a bit." Just as she finished saying that, a man of immense size and with a satisfied grin on his face entered the Murl home. This man was Mr. Murl, a face beginning to show signs of aging just like his wife, yet still showing himself full of life as well, his hair a vibrant black. To compare husband and wife, Mrs. Murl is a woman of patience and kindness, while Mr. Murl is adventurous and jubliant. It can be seen how the a girl as outgoing and friendly as Lia was brought about. "Elliot!" Seeing Elliot the man gave him a hug that looked like he was going to suplex him, holding him for a few seconds in that state, and then patting him on the back after he set him down. Mr. Murl geniunely liked Elliot, finding him to be worthy of his daughter''s. This stemmed from Elliot''s purity and honesty, and that Mr. Murl couldn''t find any ill will in anything Elliot did. Elliot was the ideal person he wanted for his daughter to have as a husband, even if his origins were mysterious. "What brings you around boy?" Mr. Murl asked as he gave a wide smile, his face alligning into a look that seemed to be what his face naturally looked like. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Laurette made us a pie dear, so get wipe yourself down and get seated as I divvy it up." Mrs. Murl answered in Elliot''s stead as he worked to get himself grounded after being embraced by the man-bear that was her husband. Settingly around the table, the Murl family along with Elliot ate and talked for a short while, before the topic of Elliot and Lia''s friendship was brought up by the adults. "So Elliot, spending so much time with Lia, how do you feel about her?" "Mother?!" Confused, Elliot scratched his head at this sudden question, his mouth slowing as it chewed the piece of pie he was eating. "What do you mean ma''m?" Elliot couldn''t figure out what she meant by ''feel'', as he definitely enjoyed being around her but from the look on Mrs. Murl''s face, he had the feeling she meant something different. He just couldn''t think of what. "How do you feel about her? Young men your age get more interested in the other gender, and certain feelings start to form. Have you felt anything strange?" Mr. Murl started beating his chest and coughing when his wife mentioned ''certain feelings'', his mind chaotic as he thought about them. He calmed down after a sip of water and seeing the confused look Elliot''s face, remembering the boy''s unique disposition. "I don''t understand ma''m, I like being with her." More coughing erupted after that statement. "I like being with you too, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Chief." A wry smile appeared on Mrs. Murl''s face, while Lia looked slightly disappointed. Mr. Murl was in the process of chugging down water, having actually started choking a little. "I see Elliot. Ah, there''s still so much for you to learn, huh? So quick to pick up on things except for these kinds of matters." Having said that, Mrs. Murl gave a beaming smile him. She also got up to help her husband who was beginning to look a blue. Elliot sat where he was, trying to comphrehend what Mrs. Murl just said. He wasn''t sure what it is he isn''t comphrehending, since he couldn''t really understand what it was he was supposed to be trying to comphrehend. Lia looked over at him with a slightly reddened face. "Just ignore her Elliot, she''s just teasing you. I don''t really understand what she''s talking about either..." Lia looked down as she trailed off. After this exchange, the meal ended soon after as Mr. Murl retired to rest, his gaze resting for a brief moment on the now empty pie tin. "So delicious, so deadly..." he whispered to himself as he walked on towards the bed. "Hurry home now Elliot, or Laurette and that husband of hers will worry. And tell her thank you for the pie." Mrs. Murl sent Elliot off after handing him the empty pie tin, Lia following in her father''s steps and retreating to her room for the night. "Will do ma''m." Elliot began to walk away. "Oh, and dear, be sure to think on what we talked about earlier. You might not understand it now, but I''m sure with your intelligence it''s only a matter of time." Mrs. Murl sent him a smile and a wink when he turned back. Elliot hurried home after, deep in thought at her words during the meal and the parting words she left with him. "Certain feelings...." Elliot mulled over that part especially, remembering as well that the Chief had asked him a similar question about his and Lia''s relationship. Cradle Chapter 5 - My Emotional Education *Author''s Note* Sorry for the long wait between this chapter and the last. Just hadn''t formulated how I wanted the story to progress, but thankfully I had a flash of insight today to continue it. Furthermore, I''ll be switching from third person to first person in narration. To bring the story more focused onto the main character as it gets going. I was actually wanting to do it in first person in the beginning but I wasn''t confident to pull it off, but I feel like I shouldn''t put it off since it is something I want to do. It''s eating at me my choice of name for the story. I wanted something to indicate a new beginning, but wanted to be edgy heh heh. With that, Cradle was chosen since it was rather unusual, and it fits perfectly for what I have in mind. Also, please comment on my writing, since this is my first fiction and I''d really appreciate feedback. ~ Saj Cradle Leaving the Murl home I meandered through the village on my way back to the Chief''s home. My eyes wandered around, eyeing the gradual darkening occurring due to the time of day. One week has passed since I''ve arrived here. I have no memory before when Lia found me in the small grove between the nearby hills. To the surprise of others, I do not feel a need to search for my past, with instead a desire for my future of which I cannot explain. A desire to make memories. ''Ah, but I still feel I''m unsure concerning that, as though with what I have done so far is missing something. The Chief mentioned it was my lack of emotional development due to the reset of my mind.'' This subject is confusing for me, even though the things the Chief and his wife teach me I learn with ease, it is this that I can''t seem to comprehend. If one thing is for certain, however, is that when Lia gave me a name, I knew what I was feeling. I was happy. My first experience with this intriguing and yet complex thing called emotion. If only it were so easy to grasp the other''s that the Chief describes to me. The genre''s of emotion are few and yet their range is incredibly varying, I am told, for the weight of difference can be that of a pond and an ocean. Albeit having seen neither, I understand the comparison thanks to the books provided by the Chief. Perhaps I should focus solely on happy then, for now. Hmmm, I am happy when I spend time with Lia. I can''t explain but simply being in her presence elicits the feeling of being happy. I am also happy learning new things. . Putting my hand to my chin as I''ve seen the Chief do as he thinks, though it doesn''t seem to do anything. I can''t find myself reaching any conclusions with merely this single emotion. ''Like being colorblind, unable to see the vibrant colors of the world'',the Chief once said. The Chief''s background also intrigues me, as their seems to be more structure in his behavior compared to the average villager of Graud, but that can be looked into later. Back to the pressing issue, emotion! Since focusing solely on happy isn''t getting me any ideas, maybe thinking about the others? Sadness, anger, fear, excitement, love, these I haven''t a clue on, despite their numerous descriptions in books and the stories told by the Chief and Milton. Milton''s in particular have a lot of fear and excitement in them. I wonder how ''exciting'' relates to the tales of blood and violence that he recounts.... The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I think I''ll start with sadness, since it is the opposite of happy. It is described as a feeling of pain of which is not physical and yet more excruciating than anything one can feel on their body, to which the absence of joy in a person causes a person to become hollow and unfeeling. Least, that''s the Chief talking about sadness in it''s most raw form. He get''s rather poetic when he''s drunk. Thinking on it, his wife cuts him off soon as he starts, warning me that any further and he starts to think himself a renowned philosopher. In reality, he''s as philosophical as a educated, inebriated man can be. I don''t know any other person though who drinks, as I haven''t met a drunken man yet, the villagers are too busy with farming to indulge in the luxury of muddling their mind, as well as a lack of alcohol in the first place. The only reason the Chief drinks is due, to his account, a ''habit'' from his past. Milton jokes it''s because he gets depressed realizing he''s an old bastard. Ah! I''ve gotten off track. I can''t wrap my head around this, and ended up on another subject. Still, n the end, I think I will only understand these emotions when I feel them, as like when I felt happiness. I don''t know what events will bring out these from me, however, I''m sure that I will feel them in time. Still in thought, I return home just as the sun starts to be half way submerged beneath the horizon. "Welcome back Elliot, did the Murl''s enjoy my pie?" Greeted by Mrs. Laurette, I recall Mr. Murl nearly dying to that pie, the look of fear he showed towards the dish he was just before devouring voraciously. I smiled without knowing why at the memory. "Yes ma''m, they invited me to eat it with them and we enjoyed it together." "That''s good. That husband of mine should be back here soon, he went to investigate strange tracks found around the village. The description of the tracks sound like just some roers." I nod my head towards her, the image of a fowl the size of a slightly small dog appearing in my mind. I rather enjoy the books on animals, the extensive variety of things and how they''ve evolved to survive offers me endless things to learn I feel. With that thought, I head over to a trunk which is surrounded by its siblings, each filled with books, each trunk it''s own collection of a subject; Math, History, Biology, Chemistry, even magic although those books are kept in a much smaller and yet more sturdy lock box the size of a dog a little on the smaller side. I peruse the Biology trunk, searching for < Bini''s Big Book On Birds > . Finding it, I settle snugly with the book into a chair the Chief had made for me (I assisted in the process, learning quite a bit on the creation of furniture), due to my habit of becoming engrossed in books. With this, I retire for the night, forgetting my thoughts on emotion and focusing on my book. Cradle Chapter 6 - A Reminiscence A castle set upon a small hill, the general construct of wood and stone. It''s defining feature is it''s central tower, which in inverse to what one would expect, is the shortest tower of the castle. For in the castle''s construction, it wasliterallybuilt into the hill, the tower extending down inside of it. It''s purpose was twofold, for the magic utilized by the mage who once was stationed here so that he could acquire more magic, and so that his research would disturb the rest of the castle. The research he was doing was nothing of world shaking importance, merely on ways to better understand how mana could affect a population, as it was with everyone. That is how mana is, ever present, seeping into people without their knowledge. It served no function for them, less they were a magical creature or one with the ability to sense it. Think of it as a limb you possess but without any ability to ''feel'' it, and even when told you have it you haven''t any idea on how to use it. To use it, one needs to feel it, knowing it is there within them and that it is something they can use. Alas magic has much still left understood, even the mages of the Great City of Alberra whom have the respect of all who practice magic admit there is much they do not know. What is known, however, is not to be trivialized, for it holds great power, such that a single mage is stationed for every castle for the Lindol Kingdom, as a sign of power and deterrence. It is to be further exemplefied as a single castle is in charge of the defense of many villages and a few cities. This is because of the might of a single mage, capable with enough preparation to thoroughly annihilate a good portion of any army without its own magical protection. Which the Lindol Kingdom has no fear of, as they educate and employ all mentionable mages in this portion of the world, however minor in the grand scheme of it all. Yet the Mage''s Quarter of this castle does not house its original occupant who would still be rather healthy for his age at this time. This castle is that of Count Horth, he who governs the defense of innumerable villages of various sizes, and the two cities of Vella and Irlow. The guards, however, are rather mechanical in their movements, an unsettling quiet resting over it all. All that can be heard is the occasional cry of a bird, always emitting a feeling of loneliness. The top of the central tower lies Count Horth''s office, presently occupied by him and a crooked man. The silence permeated in the room as well, till broken by Count Horth. "I can''t provide you any more specimens at this time, as it is not of a great concern for me at this time. I''m already benefitting greatly by your actions and do not wish to find myself at the King''s order to be executed by further delving into your black arts." The crooked man lifted his head, staring towards the Count, his body shaking. It began to shake more, and more, till a sound could be heard that could be called laughter, if only by those of evil repute. To all else, good or at the very least not too far on the opposite side of the spectrum, it was a grating squeal that rather than get louder simply became faster. The Count grew very concerned about this, his eyes slitting, having believed the man before him to cower and meekly leave, for despite not being a mage Horth was quite adept at fighting them and was outfitted at all times in magical protection. So when the mage in front of him began to laugh, it put him on edge. Finally, after what felt like ages yet was merely ten seconds, the mage replied. "Ye'' not be rid of me, foolish boy, already havin'' let me in. You can not stop what I have begun, and it will be seen to the end. Already you are powerless, believing that I would be subservient." Horth leaped into action, drawing his sword and cutting down the mage before him. Or, at least, that was what should have happen. It, however, did not. No, he merely remained sitting before the crooked mage, sweating as he could not control his own body except to speak. "What have you done to me, no magic should be able to touch me, not with magical protection granted to this armor by a Royal Magician himself!"The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The crooked mage gave a crooked smile. "Those idiots couldn''t stop a fart from me, to believe their half ass protections could stop my magic is an insult. For that, I believe it''s time to silence your tongue." Horth could no longer even speak, having lost all control over his body, his mind working fast trying to figure out what went wrong....it all started with the stationed mage here, and his mysterious affliction... ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In the Mage''s Quarters, specifically the bedroom which housed a king sized bed that would put a nobles to shame including Count Horth''s own, laid in it the stationed mage of the castle, a sir Hervault. Despite the nature of mages to be highly unsociable for they prioritized their magic over that of their relationships, Horth and Hervault were good friends, having shared many a drink together. This was not a time of merriment for the two however, for Hervault''s magic no longer worked and his body began to shrivel and die. This condition was entirely unheard of by Horth, and even more surprisingly by Hervault himself, having mana and its effects as his area of expertise in the research field. Unable to contact the Royal Magicians of the capital city of Eurl1 due to the inability to use magic by Hervault, they could do nothing but hope that the messenger sent to the nearby city of Vella would be able to return with a mage before Hervault''s condition went critical. The time to travel between Castle Levee and Vella was four days, and neither man had much hope. With a wispy smile on his face Hervault addressed Horth. "Horth my friend-" A fit of coughing overtook Hervault before he could continue. "This infernal...weakening is getting to be...very annoying." Horth smiled at his friends lack of concern about his own condition, but knew he did not believe he would make it. "Horth, do you remember....when we first met?" Horth nodden his head, and answered. "I was in employ as a guard for the Mage''s College, and you were a bumpkin from the sticks who some how managed to get to the capitaland find out you had the ability to sense mana. Really makes me think this affliction you have now is your luck finally running out!" Both men laughed at Horth''s statement, as Hervault''s luck truly was quite good, one time having gotten the consent of two sisters for a night of fun just because his first success with a spell to change his appearance was when showing off to Horth in the street, the ladies in question having arrived after, there for Horth yet quickly taken up by Hervault, not having seen his transformation. "I''d believe your to make a full recovery, with this reminiscing we''re bound to to bring it back from whatever hole it''s crawled into, having finally figured out it only was used for you embarking to become a mage and for chasing skirts." Both men laughed again, though Hervault quickly began to cough once more, and when he was done Horth continued. "As I said, a bumpkin, who didn''t fit in with the other mages due to the difference in upbringing." Hervault snorted. "Says the oh so posh...noble Count." Horth smiled. "Whether noble or not, a guard of the Mage''s College is on equal ground, both in skill at arms and reputation. It wouldn''t do for the guards of such an important place to be made inefficient by trivial matters." "No...not iw ould not..." Hervault gave a small smile. "And it was because of that, you being a bumpkin, and I being an oh so noble guard, we found oursives in a fist fight in a tavern! My face still feels the pain whenever I touch alcohol.." Hervault laughed himself back into a fit of couhging, and even then his body shook with spirit. After he recovered, he finished that tale. "It''s not my fault it happened, I don''t even remember how it started. I was minding my own business, drinking my liquor and drowning away my woes, when the next thing I know there''s a full on bar room brawl, suddenly including me into it. Drunken as I was, foolishly I joined in with glee, and may have punch your own drinking self not too far from where I was. Talking about it still hurting, the punch you sent back at me had me mostly toothless for a week till they finally let me have them healed back at the College. Oh, but it was worth it, when your face lost its color when you saw my mage''s robe and patch denoting me as a student of the College. You bout nearly pissed yourself, I do believe!" "I actually did, just not then. It sorta happened later...when I became more sober I was better able to imagine the consequences to the point the fear was too much." Once again both men laughed, and this conversation continued long into the day, till both men retired for the night... A time after Horth left, Hervault unable to fall asleep due to his condition, went still. His body did not stir, nor did it seem he was breathing. Only after a period did his body move once more, but it was awkward and uncoordinated. A major change, however, was that the movements no longer seemed to correspond with the health of the body, what should be weak movements of a frail, sickly being were instead filled with determination and vigor. Clearly, it was not Hervault who was controlling the body... Announcement - Its Sad So, I had a chapter 7 coming along, was nearly finished with it. and BOOM, computer went full and completely killed itself as I was trying to check on some notes I wrote for the story. Thus, forced me to restart my computer and LOSE the all of chapter 7. So, I''m rather irritated about the situation. Sorry for the delay, but I will most certainly try again some time this week.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Announcement - Hiatus (Ah-CUH, my throat) To not have you guys waiting who actually want to see more of this story, I''m gonna tell ya straight up. It''s not gonna get added on to for a while. My focus will be my current work Being Undead, and until that''s finished will I return to this. And actually, I won''t be returning to THIS, in particular, as I plan to redo it from the beginning, as I''m very unsatisfied with how it''s gone so far. I intend to use the experience I''m gaining from Being Undead to make what I make a better story when it comes to that point. Until then, I apologize to anyone who liked the story, but I do not intend for it to utterly die.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Some selfless promotion, please check out Being Undead, I am enjoying it''s creation and I hope you guys do too.