2 Chapter 2 (2/2)

2 years later

I was so focused on the book I was reading that I didn't hear mother speak to me. The second time she spoke, more forceful than the first made me wake up from my studies.

”Wilfred, would you be a dear and head down to the market to grab some meat for tonight's supper?”

I acknowledged her with a nod and picked up the small coin pouch on the table. I had a rough grasp of the currency of this world now. 50 Copper pieces made a Silver one and 100 Silver ones made a Gold piece. We had some money but not enough to be called rich. I had about 38 copper pieces in this pouch, more than enough for the meat with some to spare. A family of four could eat for around 16 coppers a day, a.s.suming they went for the least expensive and most nutritional food they could and ignored taste.

There was a butcher that lived not too far from us. He was a sort of family friend. He gave us a good price and in exchange father made sure his knives were all sharpened. I headed down leisurely, enjoying the sights.

The city of Drecos was the capital of Leganon. It was the smallest of the three human kingdoms but there was still some prosperity. The two larger Kingdoms often had conflicts and we were neutral towards both, that helped trade flourish and neither wanted to ruin that relations.h.i.+p or make it so that Drecos would join a particular side to flip the odds in the enemy's favor.

The architecture was oddly reminiscent of late medieval era from my world, mostly using stone and wood with some of the more wealthy citizens starting to use refined bricks.

I picked up the order from the butcher and headed back home. It was getting late and the sun was starting to set. It was especially dark at night as there was no moon orbiting this planet. At least I a.s.sumed it was a planet, I hadn't gotten any information on that front yet. I often thought back to G.o.d and that conversation we had. I didn't know how he expected me to bring change or try and do good in these circ.u.mstances. Perhaps that was the point. That I needed to risk myself or perhaps that it was simply due to luck.

”Well well well, who do we have here?”

A voice called out to me from within an alleyway. Not stopping walking but glancing to the side, there were 3 boys, all of them older than me and looking quite rugged. The neighborhood we lived in wasn't very rich so it only had a minimum amount of guards on patrol. Crime was not rampant but it wasn't non-existent either. I tried to hurry up my pace but a girl cut across from another alley and blocked my way forward.

”If it isn't little w.i.l.l.y” Spoke the largest and meanest looking of the bunch.

”I'm surprised you're still up and about. What with that fall you had. I was sure you'd be dead.”

”I'm sorry, do I know you?”

The small gang all erupted in laughter and what appeared to be the leader stepped forward.

”Oh don't worry, you'll be sorry. Looks like that fall knocked some marbles loose in that head of yours, you'll remember us in time.”

I had almost no chance to dodge his punch from that distance and I dropped the package, falling to the ground. I still remembered my hand to hand training but that kid had double my weight and at least 8 years on me.

I got up and entered a defensive stance, trying to calm myself and remember exactly how this went.

”Well well well, looks like he'll put up a fight this time!”

They all laughed again and the big bully swung hard. This time, I was ready. I pushed down on top of his arm, making his punch go downwards and to the side of me while closing in and raising my knee into his groin. It wasn't flashy or manly but I had to play with the hand I had. There was no way an 8 year old boy would beat up a 15 year old one in a fair fight and that was without counting the support he might have from his friends.

His eyes bulged and he stepped back, obviously in pain but not before managing to yell out.

”Grab the little f.u.c.ker!”

Hands from behind and all sides caught me and held me in place. Even the girl, only a few years older than me, had quite some strength. I was in a pretty bad predicament. If only I had my equipment back from when I was a soldier.

As I was straining to no avail, the bully regained his composure and started to approach me. This wouldn't be good, I couldn't get killed again. But then I felt something. Like closing your eyes and sensing an object is there, being aware of it and knowing you could just reach out and grab it. It felt silly in retrospect but I had nothing to lose, I couldn't move my hands but I reached out anyway and I grabbed it.

I couldn't feel the hands grabbing me anymore. Everything was quite silent. I felt empowered, lightweight. It then came to my attention that I was glowing green, some kind of translucent s.h.i.+ning emanating from me. I didn't have any idea how magic worked but neither did they and so they ran.

I quickly picked up the package and ran back home with due haste, not wanting to test my luck if they came back and realized I had no idea what I was doing.

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