Have you ever layed in bed for hours—even after waking up super early in the morning, pondering in endless fantasy of good old muscular heroes, epic battles, flashy magic showdowns and your ambiguous little place in the universe? This boy surely has.
Meet Sevas, a soon-to-be 15 year old young upstart with a little too much air on his head. He's been awake since that short movie-like weird dream ended and has been indulging in a ceaseless thought process ever since. What would it be like being a great hero fighting cruel evil? What would it feel like wielding powerful magic, shooting fire and making ice out of thin air? "Bam, Bam" he murmured, and "whoosh, fireball!". "Oh no i burned a house. I am sorry little villager, being a hero really is..tough work, ahem. Here is my magic pouch of everflowing gold, I am such a generous hero after all, hehe".
..
All good things must come to an end as they say and so, suddenly, a ferocious maybe-female voice interrupted the boy's fantasies.
"SEVAS!!", two powerful knocks were heard on the door and Sevas snapped back into the real world immedietly, getting out of bed in millitary speed.
As he stood in wait, the door barged open with a kick, the woman entered foot first into the room. A mid height, mid aged woman with brown hair approached with rythmic steps. Even though she wore clothes fit for house work, she still eminated an aura such as of an army general, in Sevas's eyes at least.
-"Guess who's awfully late for work today", said the woman.
-"Oh come on Mira, I was just getting ready.."
-"Referance to superior by name?" She questioned with an oddly strict tone. "And excuses too apparently."
-"(sigh)"
-"You know very well not abiding by the rules of this house comes with consequences, right?"
-"..right.."
-"And you do know very well the consequences of your actions here today, right..?" Mira questioned with a slight grin on her face.
-"..yeap.."
-Mira thumped her leg to the ground and exclaimed "Speak clearly soldier"
-"ahem, YES MA'AM!"
-"Tell me, how many times has the rooster crowed today?" Mira asked as she moved from right to left of the now incredibly upright standing Sevas.
-"I dont know, like 15 times..?" He answered dazed by the question.
-(intense glare)
-"uumm, at least fifteen times, ma'am!"
-"Great number, FOR A CHICKEN, but not for a soldier. Add four then quadriple and give me those pushups!"
-"right.. yes ma'am". Sevas fell on the floor and started the workout as ordered. Mira stood crossarmed and waiting.
After a short while, Sevas finished: "..75..and 76". Sevas stood back up, with a wide smile of pride on his face. Meeting Mira's gaze once again, he saw her smiling, clearly forcingly..
-"Way to go soldier boy"
-"So.. consequences done, time for breakfast.. right?" Sevas asked in hopeful inner desperation, as if he didn't know what was coming..
-"Done?", Mira let out a sort chuckle, "Yes your first chore for the day is indeed done".
-"First out of?"
-"Well fifteen, of course. And next up.. how about another tour of our lovely little village!?"
-"Ach not again". Sevas sighed at the implication he had to do a jogging trip around the village, this morning too.
-"Whining doesn't fit to soldiers dear. How about only three laps this time?"
-"Three??"
-"Plus one for talking back to your best aunty, so four."
-"You are the only aunt I know.."
-"Now five"
-(Sigh)
-"Stop wasting time and go ahead" Mira pointed at the door
-"But i didn't even change.."
-Mira pushed Sevas towards the door in a hurriedly manner. "Let me see those legs at work. Move it soldier boy, move it"
After letting out a final sigh Sevas started running, from the door of his room to the outer one, he exited the house and turned left subconsciously, down a dirt path that led around the village. Mira followed him walking until out the door and watched as he vanished behind the other houses.
As Sevas kept going with his presumably enforced morning routine, he passed through all the familiar sightings of his home-village, Esthervill. Half perched atop a hill and half sprawling into the plain below, the village was framed by vast fields and a sturdy palisade wall. At the top of the hill stood an old stone watchtower built on, "days of a different time", in Mira's words.
Admiring the tower's height, Sevas let his gaze linger a little longer than he should have—until a sharp bark startled him back to reality.
He stopped abruptly. A dog stood in his path, wagging its tail in a way that seemed more mischievous than friendly. Closer still, a chicken pecked at the dirt, oblivious to its proximity to Sevas's feet.
Relief surged through him as he carefully stepped back. Was it the fact that the chicken was unharmed? Or the thought of the villagers' reactions if it wasn't? Then again, perhaps it was an irrational fear—a nagging notion that if he harmed the chicken, some unspoken universal law would bring a flock of furious poultry descending upon him in retribution.
The moment of interspecies tension ended as the dog barked again and bolted after the chicken, which squawked and fled for its life. A group of giggling children emerged from behind a cart, chasing after the chaotic pair.
One of the kids waved at Sevas, and he managed a half-smile, still a bit dazed. Shaking his head, he resumed his jog.
Esthervill always felt too lively to Sevas, even on quiet mornings like this. Mira had told him once that it was one of the safest villages in the continent. No war had touched the region in decades, and dangerous creatures were rarely sighted nearby.
Kind of a pity, he thought to himself, not knowing what he was wishing for.
"Good morning, Sevas!"
The booming voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The blacksmith stood by his forge, hammer in hand, his arms thick as tree trunks. He wore a slight smile as he waved.
"Morning, sir!" Sevas called back, quickening his pace.
Further down the road, the tavern keeper reclined in a wooden chair, lounging at the morning sun. He tipped his hat. "Mornin', laddie!"
It was customary in Esthervill to greet everyone, stranger or friend. But lately, Sevas felt their smiles lingered just a little too long. Part of him thought they were buttering him up, or treating him kindly out of pity. Another part felt guilty for even thinking that. After all, why wouldn't they be kind to the village's only orphan?
He shook the thought away and focused instead on the rhythm of his feet against the ground, letting the steady beat quiet his unease.