In the small town of Wardleaf, two people toiled amidst a field of golden flowers, their vibrant hues dancing under the brilliant rays of the sun.
One was a middle-aged man with short hair, wiping sweat from his brow as he glanced upwards at the blazing sun. Beside him stood a youthful figure, barely seventeen, whose clean features and handsome appearance belied the tattered state of his clothing.
"If it wasn't for his tattered and old clothes, he could easily be mistaken for a noble," his delicate face held a frown as he complained to the man next to him.
"Master Neo, I'm so tired. Can we take a break? We have been working since the first rays of the sun," he said with pleading eyes, turning to the man.
"Stop being lazy, Amarok; otherwise, don't even count on eating tonight," the old man glared. This lazy lad was always exaggerating everything to flee from work. He sometimes asked himself if he was really from those "people."
"It's the hottest period of the year. Master, have mercy. I'm burning, master, please," he gripped the man's shirt with his eyes almost turning wet.
Neo shook his head; he simply couldn't say no when he made this face, and the boy knew it. After a reluctant sigh, he said, "Okay, go. You have two minutes. I don't want to come looking for you; otherwise, you know what will happen?"
"Of course, master. I promise I will be back soon," he said with a sly smile. It worked every time. "Master, you're such a good person," he said as he immediately threw his work material as he walked out of the flower farm.
"Scram before I change my mind," Neo glared. He knew it was definitely easy for him; he knew Amarok probably wanted to go and hang out like the other normal children of the village, but unfortunately for him, he was nothing ordinary. Neo feared what would happen when "it" would be activated. He shook his head; as long as Amarok didn't commit the irreparable, he should be fine for the next few years.
Amarok was in a pretty good mood as he leisurely walked towards the exit of the flower farm, a flower in his mouth as he hummed while moving. He still couldn't understand why his master wanted to work on farms when there were so many interesting things to do.
They lived in a world where magic was predominant, not any type of magic but Rune magic. It permitted a selected few to wield immense power using special symbols called runes. Not everyone had that ability; thus, anyone who was very valued and would instantly have an advantage over others by birth; they were called Rune sorcerers.
Thinking it is unfair? Not really; Amarok knew that other people who may not be as gifted with Rune magic could still use a little to enhance their abilities. The interesting part was that those people usually used what we called Rune weapons; these were weapons engraved with powerful Runes that granted its user massive power. They were called Rune warriors; he knew his master was from this type.
One could reach high levels of authority and position if one could harness the power of the runes. One could even go from peasant to noble with a high enough mastery of Rune magic. That was what he longed for: traveling the world, discovering new places, becoming famous like the people in his memories. Thinking of it, he could not help but smile; he was unsure of who the people in his dream were, but he felt extremely close to them.
Each time he had that dream, he felt intense pain and regret, but also at the same time warmth filled his heart like water flowing in a river.
While daydreaming about traveling the world and reaching the peak just like the people in his dream, he halted; his vision immediately caught a figure standing in the golden flower farm: long white hair cascading down like a waterfall, a petite but alluring figure dressed in an equally white gown, probably sixteen.
Her bright eyes locked into his for a fraction of a second; he was speechless, unable to say a word or take a step forward. She wore a beautiful round cap with a flower to the side. Her skin was so clear that it looked like she was not from this world.
For Amarok, who lived in a small village, he had never seen such beauty, which was why he was so shocked. "Do I have something on my face?" she asked with a mesmerizing smile.
Amarok gulped and shook his head. "Amarok, nice to meet you..." He stepped forward, extending his arm, but his movement was so fast that he tripped and crashed to the ground. The girl's laughter intensified as she held her mouth.
"I didn't really fall. I was looking for something," he said as he pounced up, dusting off his dress. "Yeah. Have you found it?" she asked. Amarok smiled awkwardly.
"You're not from Wardleaf, right? I couldn't have possibly missed you," he asked, noticing her attire—a bracelet and a pendulum, luxuries rare in Wardleaf. "Nope, I came with my family from Alden today for the competition," she said, mentioning her reason for visiting. Amarok understood; Alden was to the north of Wardleaf, where his master Neo often sold their golden flowers.
"Are you a noble from Alden?" Amarok inquired, his curiosity piqued. He had never seen a real noble before. "What are you doing here? Do you work under this sun?" she asked, eyeing his attire.
"Yeah, I am very hardworking. I work all seasons here to sell golden flowers. It's the best from all over Elysium. You wouldn't find anything better anywhere," Amarok boasted proudly.
But the girl just chuckled, pointing behind him. "Very hardworking indeed," Neo's voice interrupted. He held a long stick and wore a strange smile. Amarok's face fell; he knew he was in trouble.
"I wasn't doing anything wrong, master. I was just explaining to..." "Lyra," she interjected. "Yes, Lyra, how beautiful our golden flowers are and how no one could grow them as beautifully as you, master," Amarok stammered nervously. Neo wouldn't really punish him, would he? His pride would be shattered.
"I'm sorry, miss, if this rascal has been bothering you," Neo apologized. He recognized her as a noble and wanted to maintain decorum.
"No, it's fine; he's quite funny. I never expected to find someone this unusual here in the golden garden," Lyra said, amused by Amarok's innocence.
Amarok squinted at her comment; was he strange? "Please excuse us, miss; we still have work to do," Neo said, pulling Amarok away without explanation. Amarok was puzzled; why was his master acting like this? "Goodbye, Lyra; see you at the golden seasons exam," he shouted as he was dragged away. She waved goodbye, pondering the peculiarity of the people in the golden garden.