2 The Awakening (1/2)
”Rise and Shine my Boy!” my father shouted.
I grunted and wanted to sleep some more but then I realized that if I did, he'd just come up here to bother me some more. So I forced myself to the side of the bed and sat down as I rubbed my eyes, slid my feet into my boots and tied them shut. I stood and went towards the window for some fresh air--I opened the window and took a deep breath...
”Oh I love the smell of fresh baked bread in the morning!” I muttered excitedly to myself.
I followed the smell of fresh pastry from my window and saw the baker kneading bread a couple of houses away. The smell got my stomach growling in hunger. Before I headed downstairs, I cleaned myself proper: combed my shoulder length, curly and sunset colored hair--I proceeded downstairs and there I met my father
cooking breakfast.
”Took you long enough my boy! there is corn bread and some boiled eggs! I'm about to head to work so I'll be leavin' you in charge of our home!”
”We don't have any meat?” I remarked.
”Be greatful with what you have, meat is expensive nowadays. Oh and remember! no going outside the ho--”
”The house without you father, I know, I know!”
”Good.”
After that he slammed the front door shut as he hurriedly went away for work. He keeps telling me that as if I would sneak outside! anyway even if I did I can go without him, I'm already sixteen; I'm not a child. I ate breakfast and did all the morning chores around the house--since it was just me and my father we had to do the chores ourselves. I went sweeping around the rooms in a daze thinking about random topics but usually I thought what would the world be like? I've never really traveled apart from Yorkburgen a couple of times. I want to explore and see different things in life! like a castle! or maybe even the ocean! I've only ever read about them from books and pictured them inside my head; they all seemed wonderful.
I spent the next few hours cleaning around the house, from top to bottom, dusting and wiping away all dirt that had been there. My quiet morning session was interrupted with joyous laughter that came from in front of the house. I went to peak from the window and saw children playing outside, their care-free laughter and abundant smiles while frolicking about were wonderful although there was something odd about one of the children... The child had no face as they played about, but as I stared ever closer I realized that it was probably the dirty windows so I ignored it and grabbed a rag then started wiping the windows clean; might as well do every window.
In the afternoon, I cleaned the used pots and pans by the kitchen. I checked if we still had water--
”Empty” I thought.
I grabbed one of the two water containers and went to the well. There I lowered the bucket, waited for it to get filled as I admired the view of the forest and felt the warm light of the sun in this wonderful afternoon. In the midst of getting water from the well while pouring some into the jar, something caught my peripheral vision as if some sort of blurred object was aching for attention. Filled and ready to go, I glanced to my right where the forest was--In order to see this attention-seeking enigma that caught my curiosity. When I did, I only saw a figure of a man and like the child from before this man had no face as well... I stared intently with my skin crawling and screaming out of fear, but I felt something grasped my shoulder from behind that pulled me.
”Hey! I've been calling you, what are you looking at?”
As I turned I saw Jackson Leyland, he was the only son of Nolan and Leila Leyland; the employers of my father. Their business focused on masonry and construction within Yorkburgen, they couldn't exactly say no when they saw my father especially when a person like him could do two times the work of an average person. Jack was taller compared to me but only a few inches, had dirty-blonde colored straight hair and would have been a great person if only he wasn't so full of himself. Can't blame him though, since his family had better coin than us due to their business; he always worn better clothing than I did.
I turned around again and looked at the forest only to find disappointment.
”Nothing, I thought I saw something... What brings you here?”
”Haha!” he remarked.
”I only wanted to visit my old pal! because I know for sure he'd be bored to death!”
I led him through the back door and we went to the kitchen, he took a seat as I placed the water onto the shelve. I sat opposite of him at the table.
”So...”
”So what?”
”The Festival of Yorkburgen is happening tonight”
”Yeah I know. What of it?”
”It's going to be fun! merchants everywhere! people merry-making as they drank from one tavern to another!”
”I know what you have in mind already... I can't.”
”Oh come on! I'm sure that he'll let you go and I'll be sure to bring you back just before midnight! I want my right-hand man beside me as we go through the streets looking out for voluptuous women!” he smirked.
”Even if I ask and he miraculously accepts, the chances are he'll be coming along! that won't be fun at all!”
”But you can't let your old man decide everything for you! you're already sixteen, you're a man now! when will you ever do something for yourself?”
”He says that it's too dangerous to be out there!”
”Dangerous?! what a load of rubbish? even if it was I won't be alive talking to you right now? right? right?”
I stopped for a moment and contemplated on what he said, I've never been out by myself my whole life and It's not like I'm going to be with my father for along time; I'm grown up. I can be on my own and I can protect myself especially if I'm with Jack, I doubt that something bad could happen. I'm tired of my father treating me like a child, I can hold my own and be responsible.
”Alright Jack I'll come along with you after dinner... just wait by the well behind the house and I'll meet you there.”
”There we go! I swear you won't regret it! oh! we are going to have so much fun!” he exclaimed.
I spent the afternoon chatting with Jack and he told me all this incredulous stories that his father told him. His father having worked with a lot of people, It was hard to believe that some of these stories were true. Until this one story that caught my attention...
”Have you heard? the King of Cyneweard had been murdered in his sleep.”
”Who would do such a thing?”
”Talk had been running around that it was his own son! the greedy bastard probably wanted the throne for himself and couldn't wait!”
”But he was the only son? I don't think that he'd do the deed?”
”Well they found the murder weapon with his son... poor lot. If you wanna do a crime! do it properly!” he said laughing ignorantly.
”Now who'll inherit the throne if his son will be placed to the dungeons?”
”They say that their distant relative will take the throne in their stead.”
The kingdom of Cyneweard was the ruling body over the country of Ystallia ever since their assault on the Cursed children of Laxxo and their massive army they took down the demonic tribe and from there they started claiming lands, one after another. Well at least that was what the books say about their history. I've always wanted to meet the Great King Carlisle Cyneweard but looks like I won't get a chance. Soon enough Jack went home and told me that he needed time to ”Prepare” himself for the Festival, He was foolishly going on and on about women... I wonder what made them so different and it's not like I've not met any women in my life.
I looked through the window and saw that the sun was setting so I immediately attended to the stove in the kitchen. I placed firewood in it, some kindling right below the stacked logs so I could start the fire--Right when the fire started my father barged into the door. As usual he lowered his head to pass through and placed a sack on top of the kitchen table.
”What's that?”
”Open it.”
I slowly took off the covers and out came beef.
”WHOHOOO! we are going to have meat! I joyously exclaimed.
I took a look at him and when his thick mustache lifted; I saw a big and hearty smile.
”Now, son! time to chop some vegetables along with it! we can't have a beef stew without any vegetables in there!”
He placed on the table another sack filled with vegetables. As I took the materials needed for it. Soon enough we were eating a hearty meal, I remember him telling this morning that meat had gone expensive. So then I had to ask.
”I thought you said that meat had gone expensive?”
”I've gotten some extra money from Mr. Leyland since it was the Festival this evening, I worked extra. I can't have my son getting all skinny, you're already skinny enough! you need some meat in you my boy!” he said as he begun to chuckle.
”Hey! I'm not all skin and bones! I've got some meat on me!” as I tried to flex my arm as hard as I could.
”You call those muscles son?!” as he laughed hysterically.