SETVER 15TH YEAR 548 ASMERIAN CALENDAR
"Goodbye, brother," He paused as he lifted the last sack onto the cart. He was a tall slender man who was well-groomed wearing the finest clothes you could buy. His bright red shirt and leather jacket along with his blue jeans made him stand out among most Asmerians. The country he served as a knight, Asmeria, was one of the most wealthy nations on the continent of Alta. "I will miss you."
"What did I tell you about saying goodbye, James?" His younger brother, Connor, replied. He was shorter and of a bigger build. He was in good shape for a man of his age, however. His blond hair and blue eyes only added to his charm of a merchant.
"I know, I know, it makes you feel like you'll never see me again and all of the other crap you spew out about how merchants should never say it. But I just don't give a shit, Connor." James was tall and lean and his brother couldn't be more different. Connor's short stature and dirty blond hair were in stark contrast to James.
"Would you at least care enough to watch your language around my family?" Connor quipped, his two children and his wife were sitting in the cart, ready to leave.
"Alright, why did you have to become a merchant, Connor? Is it because your feelings are too fragile for knighthood?" James said as he latched the back hatch on the cart shut.
"Not at all, I'd just rather enjoy my life and not have to worry about windowing Veronica and my children."
"Ha, I'll miss you, brother. Stay safe up in Greendale; it's not like the capital."
"I've been there many times James, I'm not at all worried," Connor said as he sat down on the bench of the cart.
"I wasn't talking to you, Connor. I was talking to Jackson and Alice." He said as he took a step back from the cart.
"We will uncle, thank you for everything." Jackson, Connor's son and eldest replied as he waved goodbye. He was a stout boy in his early teens, he was in top shape and physically stronger than most men twice his age. He and his sister Alice both shared Connor's blond hair but Alice's was a bright golden compared to her father and brother.
"Goodbye brother may favor, and good fortune befall you," Connor said as he snapped the reins, the horses jolted the cart forwards and towards a massive wall with a gate.
"And may strength and wisdom guide you, Connor." He waved as they exited the city's gate, leaving the capital city behind. It was a month-long journey to Greendale, which sat in the northeastern region of Asmeria. While Connor and his wife Veronica had traveled all across the country, Jackson and Alice had only ever lived in the capital with James. The day turned into night and for the first time in years, they slept together as a united family.
The country of Asmeria was one of the most extensive powers on the continent of Alta. The northern nation of Gregoria was a close rival of Asmeria. Connor loved watching the countryside as they traveled north to Greendale. He had always wanted to have a place for him and his family, but being a peddler didn't allow for him to be able to settle down with his wife and kids. "So tell me, Jackson. How was training under James in the capital?" Connor asked.
"It was fun father; uncle James is the best swordsman in the entire capital." He said with glee, his enthusiasm about swordsmanship made Connor proud of not only him but the fact his son made good on his promise.
"That's why he's the commander of the Order of Asmeria. I must say, I was proud of him when I heard that the Senate approved him for the position."
"The king used to be the only one that could lead the order."
"Yeah, but since the civil war, the King's fortunate that he still is able to wear a crown, let alone breath Asmerian air."
"You should wear the crown father."
"Should I? Only war would come of it. The church of Asmeria ensures that people stay loyal to King Zander's bloodline. And I'd be contradicting everything the Scottkey's have stood for in the past." He said disgruntled at Jackson's idea.
"Uncle James never let us go to church with the other kids, is that why?"
"Maybe Jackson, you'd have to ask him. The Scottkey's have never paid into the church, even when we were nobility. But now, look at us, I'm one of the richest merchants in Asmeria and James is the commander of the Order of Asmeria. I like to think we're still nobles in our own right."
The month came to pass as they rode through the gates of Greendale. The town was significantly smaller than the capital city was. At only three thousand residences, compared to the capital's seventeen thousand. The walls of the town were grand feats of engineering and status, standing at ten meters and with armed guards patrolling along the top. The gatehouse was immaculate; it had a statue of an Asmerian Knight to the right and a merchant on the left, both made of marble.
It was guarded by two men, both wearing chainmail and gambesons. They stopped at the gate as the guard flagged them. "Morning, sir, state your business in Greendale." The guard asked as his armor shimmered in the sunlight, the reflection blinding Connor for only a moment.
"We've bought a shop and a house here and are settling down." He replied as he pulled the brake on the cart to keep the horses from pulling them away unexpectedly.
"Very well, do you have the deed with you, sir?" The guard asked holding out his hand so as to demand the deed.
"Yes, I do." Connor retrieved a piece of parchment from the satchel next to him; it had a small blue ribbon attached to it, signifying that it was a legal document.
"Thank you, and here I thought that you were a merchant."
"Well, I used to be a peddler traveling all across Asmeria and even outside of our country."
"Ah, well then, you're free to enter Greendale; however, you will need to speak with the head judge as soon as you can. That is if you want your name on our registry." The guard said as he handed the piece of parchment back to Connor.
"Why would I want to be on a registry?" He asked.
"Well, that's how we tell who and who not to tax. Simply put, we only tax outsiders seeking to use Greendale for commerce." The guard said as he pointed to an extensive index sitting on a table inside the gate. It was a rather large book with two cloaked men standing guard near it.
"I see, thank you for that information. I shall see the head judge at once."
"No matter, you would've figured it out sooner or later. Have a good day, sir." The guard stepped away and waved to the other men to let them pass.
With that, he released the brake and the horses pulled the cart forwards and down the streets of Greendale made of cobblestone. It wasn't long before Connor stopped the cart in front of a large house that sat atop the central hill in Greendale. It was a two-story house within a gated yard. It had two large Siri Trees on either side of the walkway that led to the front porch.
Connor jumped down from the cart and helped his wife, Veronica, down from the bench. Jackson jumped down from the back of the cart and gazed at the house. It wasn't at all like his uncle's apartment in the capital. "Jackson, stop staring and help your sister into her wheelchair," Veronica commanded as she pulled the wheelchair down from the cart. Jackson helped Alice down from the cart and into her wheelchair. She looked up at him with a smile and thanked him by nodding her head. She preferred to not speak in public.
Connor opened the gate and Veronica, followed by Alice and Jackson entered the yard of their new home for the first time. "This is much better than you described dear," Veronica said as she looked up at the Siri trees.
"I'm a merchant, so it was hard for me to downplay the house. But I'm pleased you like it," Connor said as he wrapped his arm around Veronica. "We can finally raise our children."
"I've been longing for a home for so long, thank you so much, Connor." Veronica started to tear up, but they were tears of joy.
"Can I go inside father?" Jackson asked.
"Of course you can, it's your new home. I want you to search every nook and cranny." He replied opening the gate that guarded the pathway to the front porch.
"Thank you, father," Jackson exclaimed, "come on, Alice, let's go!"
Jackson pushed Alice up to the porch, which had both a stairway and a ramp for Alice. Connor pulled Veronica tighter and started walking to the porch.
"So tell me, Connor."
"Yes, dear?"
"I've not looked at our savings as you asked, but how much did this place cost us. I swear if we can't stock enough firewood and food for the winter-" Connor swung her in front of him and grabbed her by the shoulders. Her face showed just how worried she was, but her expression changed as she saw the look upon his.
"Twelve." He said with a grin from ear to ear.
"Twelve what Connor?"
"Twelve Asmerian gold coins and eight silvers."
"How did you talk him down that much?" She asked.
"Because my dear, you married the greatest merchant in the country."
"Tell me the truth!"
"What, you don't believe that I'm the greatest merchant in the country?"
"If you were, you wouldn't need to tell me."
"Oh, Veronica, what did I ever do to deserve this? Can't a man just relish in his glory every now and then?"
"If I let you do that, then you'd be lynched every time you left my sight."
"Well shit, I can't argue with that." Connor laughed. "Honestly, the owner was in debt, and I exploited that debt to lower the price. Which I might add, was 7 Caston Gold coins."
"We paid less than half of the original price!?" Veronica exclaimed.
"Well, all I can say is that even if the price were seven Caston gold coins, I would've happy gave him the money. After all, I was going insane by thinking of all of the days we missed with Jackson and Alice."
"Don't make me give you more children," Veronica said as she walked up the stairs to the front door. Connor couldn't help but have a smug grin as he made his way inside.
Jackson ran around the first floor, which was three times the size of James' home in the capital. He finally came to the mantle, which had a painting of the Asmerian capital as the sunset behind it over the Delir Ocean. Jackson knew the exact hilltop that the painter used as his vantage point over the city. He had trained there with his uncle, and there was an arena not far from the hill where Jackson dueled several knights.
Jackson then headed upstairs to where his bedroom was. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see that the room was fully furnished. There were two beds which meant that he was likely to share the room with Alice. "How do you like it son?" Connor asked as he pried the door ajar.
"I love it father, but will I be sharing it?"
"Yeah, you will be, I'm sorry but your mother and I are not well seasoned in taking care of Alice just yet. So we decided it would be best to let you take responsibility for her."
"I don't mind it father, I enjoy taking care of Alice," Jackson said as he sat down on one of the beds.
"Still, you need to go out and find another girl that you can take care of. You're almost fourteen; you need to start thinking about marriage."
"I know but I'd rather be a knight like uncle James than a family man. Having a wife just doesn't interest me, father."
"You need to learn something other than swordplay still. As much as I support knowing how to defend one's self you need to learn how to take care of others. Your uncle, my brother, has married twice now. Unfortunately, none of his wives bore any children."
"That's not his fault father. His last wife cheated on him and slept with a king's guard."
"I know, I know, he told me in the capital. Just don't let his misfortune with women lead you to believe that you don't want to get married," Connor said as he shut the door. Jackson heard him make his way down the stairs.
It had been two days since they moved into the manor on the hill. Jackson headed out for the first time to get acquainted with the town. He brought his sword with him because he didn't trust anyone in the town yet, even though Greendale had a relatively low crime rate. Nearly everyone had a sword or a knife of some kind.
Most everyone in Greendale was passerby's, just making their way out of Asmeria or deeper into Asmeria looking for better trades, dealings, and homes. Greendale had almost more inns than homes and even more stores and shops than anywhere Jackson had ever been before. There was a massive fountain in the plaza nearest to his house. Jackson gazed at the sculpted knight standing in the center of the fountain.
The knight had a large shield in his left arm and an arming sword in his right. It looked as if he was getting ready to parry an attack from an opponent. Jackson drew his sword and copied the pose. He found it to be more stable than he initially thought. "Nice job lad," A man said as he approached Jackson. He was a rather large man, more muscle than anything else standing at about six feet tall. He wore a red wool shirt and overalls. The straw hat blocked the sun ling and made it hard for Jackson to see his eyes. "Sir Alexader Greendale couldn't have done it better himself," He said in a deep northern accent as he walked past Jackson.
"Thank you, sir. Is that the knight's name?"
"Aye, it is, he's the one who the town here is named after if ya couldn't tell lad."
"I could!"
"Haha, I'm messing with ya lad. Now, tell me, are ya just passing through or are ya staying here in Greendale."
"I just moved into Greendale sir. My father bought the house up on the hill there," He pointed to the manor on the hill.
"Really, so I guess that means yer a Scottkey then?"
"Yes sir, my name is Jackson. I'm the son of Connor Scottkey."
"Ha, just my luck, running into the son of one of the richest men in Asmeria." The man laughed as he took a seat on the fountain. The fountain was made of white marble, Jackson's father had a business partner from the Cambrian Empire who exported such rock to the rest of the world and it was through that partnership Connor Scottkey made his fame.
"How do you know about my father?"
"Please lad, this is Greendale, if ya didn't know every single merchant in Asmeria after living here for four years. You're deft, dumb, or dead, either way. Yer father is all of the rage for gossip and the like." The man's accent was really coated on to that last phrase. It was a northern accent but Jackson couldn't tell which one, Gregorian, Caston, maybe Quilton, or even Fluklard. All of which were similar and all used the same abbreviated speech and anecdotal use of phrases which was far more common in the sparse northern tribes or Gregoria.
"Really? Well, I better get to learning then. I don't care for merchants; I'd rather be with my uncle learning how to be a knight than having to learn math and reading."
"Haha, I understand lad, I'd much rather tend to my crops than have to deal with these cutthroat merchants." The man smiled and turned around to face the statue. "Y'know, Sir Greendale isn't even an Asmerian?"
"Really? Why is there a statue of him then?" Jackson asked.
"Aye, he saved the town more than once when it was founded, so even though it may be illegal for foreigners to have statues erected in their image, he earned the exception."
"Wow, I can't believe that a foreigner saved an Asmerian town."
"Aye, he's from my homeland, Gregoria, and he's the stuff of legend and childhood stories."
"What did he protect the town from? Was it another army, or mercenaries?"
"Nay, goblins and other foul creatures of the forest," The man said as he stood back up. "Y'know, I believe it's been just about three hundred years since then and I can't recall any other attacks or raids since by those detestable creatures of the devils."
"I didn't think that goblins and the forest beasts actually existed. My uncle told me that they were just stories made up to keep me scared of the forest."
"The Bowing Woods is a very frightening place to visit. We Gregorians do our best to avoid it when we can. But as a farmer here in Greendale, I have clients that live in the forest, elves mainly guard the wood against outsiders."
"You know elves?" Jackson exclaimed.
"Aye. I know of a few. But I wouldn't say any are friends." He stated with a voice filled with unease.
"Why not, my father used to travel with an elf before I was born," Jackson said as he easily could read his statement.
"Well, while we Gregorians have mutual respect with the elves, they fought alongside the tyrant king out of a lost obligation to King Zander Asmeria who has long since passed."
"I knew that already, but Gregoria didn't do much in the civil war other than defending Farmville."
"Is that what ya think? I'd like to tell you Gregoria's side of the war sometime."
"Thank you, but do you have to go somewhere?"
"Aye, I have to tend to crops and be ready for the festival coming up here in a few days."
"Oh, well I hope to see you soon Mister-"
"Miller, my name's Frederic Miller." He said as he took off his straw hat and formally introduced himself.
"I'll see you later then Mister Miller."
"I'm sure you will, I'm normally around here during the day if I can help it."
Jackson and Mister Miller parted ways and headed in different directions. Miller headed to the Northern gate and Jackson headed down a street that led to a dead-end. The wall of Greendale cut the lane off from the outside world, or that's at least the impression it gave him.
He headed back to the Plaza where he found his mother with his sister. They were looking at places to eat and shop. "Hello, mother!" Jackson shouted as he ran across the plaza.
"Ah, Jackson, where have you been?" Veronica asked.
"I was all over town, I even made a friend here at the plaza."
"Oh, is that so? Well, I'm proud of you Jackson."
"Thank you, mother."
"Mother, can he join us please?" Alice asked.
"Of course, are you hungry Jackson?"
"Yeah, I haven't eaten anything other than breakfast this morning."
"That's no good; you can join us for some lunch then. We heard about this Tavern called the Black's Tavern. I hear it's excellent."
"I can't wait, I hope it's good if it's not then I'll have to raid the kitchen."
"Jackson!" Veronica exclaimed, "You mustn't talk like that."
"I was just joking," Jackson said as he ran ahead of Veronica and Alice. It wasn't long before they were at the Tavern. Jackson had to carry Alice up the steps while Veronica brought the wheelchair.
A waitress quickly saw Jackson and Veronica at the door and rushed to their aid. They were quickly seated and the waitress apologized. They looked around the dining area. It was decorated with shields and swords hung on the wall. Several of the swords were very rare, such as an Asmerian War sword, and a Luccian Longsword. He looked around for Gregorian swords but couldn't find any; his uncle taught him about the swords made in Gregoria. They made the greatest swords, and even the axes and spears were also superior compared to Asmerian weapons.
"May I help you?" The waitress asked as she approached the table.
"Yes, please," Veronica answered, "I'd like the beef stew and a half-pint of ale."
"And your children miss?"
"Can I have a steak mother?" He asked he didn't have a chance to look at a menu, so he wasn't sure if they served stakes or not.
"Sure you can, which one? They have beef but they also have a steak cut from a deer."
"I'll take the deer please."
"And you Alice?"
"Can I have a stake too?" She asked.
"Of course you can, this is our first time eating out together so pick whatever you want."
As they were waiting on the food Veronica cleared her throat. "So tell me, Jackson?"
"Yes, mother?"
"What was it like training to be a knight with your uncle?"
"I loved it, and every day was something new. I'd wake up really early and get my things together. Then I would meet uncle James in the courtyard of the barracks."
"What did he teach you?"
"It was mainly exercising and a lot of sparring."
"Really? I was going to ask what he was feeding you. You're in better shape than the Luccian Athletes or even the Gregorian knights." She said proudly. "You'll easily be able to find a wife soon and give me some grandchildren."
"You know I don't want to marry. I'd rather join the Army or be an apprentice to uncle James."
"Son, is that really what you want? Why not live in peace and prosperity like your father?"
"Because I don't want to mother, having children isn't something I want. I want to explore and go fight for Asmeria as uncle does."
"Very well, we'll support you no matter what you do, Jackson," Veronica said with a smile. But it wasn't a smile of reassurance. "I have to admit; I'm torn."
"Why's that?"
"Because while I want grandchildren. I'm just happy that you found something that you want to do more than anything else." She sat back in her chair, still with a smug grin. "So, your father and I decided that we want you to show us everything that you've learned over the past ten years."
"I'll show you everything when we go home, mother!" Jackson exclaimed with joy.
"Hold on now; we don't want a demonstration. There's a town festival coming up, and we enrolled you in the swordsmanship competition that will be the main event for the festival." Jackson's jaw dropped; he was dumbfounded and ecstatic. "We already purchased a set of armor for you to wear, but it's missing the torso armor, however. They just don't make them small enough for you."
"Thank you so much, mother!"
They finished their lunch and Jackson rushed home as fast as he could. The armor was sitting on the porch and Connor was sitting next to it with a rag and polish in hand. The look on his face was that of pure glee and enthusiasm. As much as he denied it, Connor was a glutton for combat going as far as to personally polish every surface of his sons armor.