"Time is like a sculptor, constructing the future with remnants from the past."
Chapter 1: Amulet
As evening came, the sun hovered low on the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the hills and dense forests of the village of Eldenwood. The air was filled with the scent of flowers and the distant sound of laughter from the marketplace. Fifteen-year-old Isagi raced through the cobblestone streets, as his heart pounded with excitement.
"Isagi, slow down!" His younger sister, Kiko, called after him, her small legs struggling to keep up.
"Come on, Kiko! The festival starts soon, and I want to get the best spot for the fireworks!" Isagi grinned, as his dark hair waved in the breeze.
The annual Harvest Festival was the highlight of the year for the villagers. Stalls lined the square, filled with freshly baked bread, sweet pastries, and colorful ornaments. Musicians played lively tunes, and children danced around the festive pole*.
Isagi and Kiko ran through the crowd, their eyes wide open with wonder. Isagi's mother, Hana, waved at them from her stall, where she sold her famous herbal remedies. His father, Taro, could be seen in the distance. He was busy setting up the stage for the evening's performance.
"Don't wander off too far, you two!" Hana called. Isagi nodded, but his attention was captured by a tall mysterious figure standing at the edge of the square. The figure was cloaked* with black, and its face remained hidden by a hood. Isagi felt a strange chill run down his spine. He ignored it and turned to Kiko, who was tugging his sleeve.
"Look, Isagi! There's a stall with cute glass animals!" she exclaimed.
They rushed over, admiring the delicate figurines. Isagi picked up a tiny glass dragon, its wings shining in the light. He glanced back towards the mysterious figure out of curiousity, but it was gone.
As the sun set, the villagers gathered in the square for the evening's festivities. Isagi and Kiko found a good spot near the stage to enjoy the performance, with jam-filled bread in their hands. Taro's deep voice echoed across the square as he introduced the performers, and soon the air was filled with music and laughter.
But as the night grew darker, Isagi couldn't contain the strange feeling that something was off. He scanned the crowd, searching for the cloaked figure. Just as the fireworks began to light up the sky, he saw it again, standing at the edge of the square ominously, observing the crowd.
"Isagi, are you okay? You look worried," Kiko asked. Her eyes were reflecting the bright colors of the fireworks.
"Yeah," Isagi replied, forcing a smile. "I'm fine."
The night was filled with laughter and celebration, but Isagi was focused on something else. The cloaked figure... who could it be? What was their intention? Was it just a trick of the eye*? That couldn't be it.. since he had seen it twice. Isagi tried to shake it off his mind, but a feeling of unease lingered inside him.
As the fireworks ended, villagers began to disperse*. Isagi's family too gathered their belongings and headed home.
Their cottage was nestled inside the forest, among old oak trees and covered in ivy . The path through the forest was quiet, and the only sound was the crunch of leaves under their feet and owls hooting.
"Isagi," Taro said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, "Your sister said that you seemed troubled tonight. Is something bothering you?"
Isagi hesitated, then shook his head. "No, I'm just tired, I guess."
"Did you enjoy the festival?"
"Yes!" Isagi grinned, "I had a great time! You don't have to worry."
"I'm glad to hear that," Taro said with a reassured smile.
As they approached their cottage, its roof made of thatch* sloping downwards gently could be seen.A row of dried herbs belonging to Hana hung from the eave*, filling the air with a soothing herbal fragrance. Isagi felt relieved to be back home after quite an eventful day.
And that's when something caught his eyes.
It was a flickering light in the woods. He paused, gazing into the darkness. It was a small, moving flame, like a candle. Fireflies, perhaps? No... it was a person carrying a torch - he thought. Following his eyes, Hana also spotted the light. "Who would be out here at this hour?" she wondered aloud, her brow furrowing* with confusion.
"Stay here," Taro instructed, moving towards the light. Isagi watched his father disappear into the trees, with his heart pounding. Is it dangerous for his father to be out there? "Please be okay, father..." Isagi prayed in his mind.
Moments later, Taro returned, with a puzzled expression on his face. "There's no one there. Just this." He held up a small, silver amulet*. It was designed with unfamiliar and strange symbols.
"Where did it come from?" Hana asked, taking the amulet from him.
"I don't know," Taro admitted. "But it feels like…"
"Feels like what, father?" Kiko asked curiously.
"I don't know, love... I think it might be something old."
Isagi took the amulet, its surface cold and smooth in his hand. Despite its weird appearance, under the moonlight, he found it to be strangely beautiful. As he examined it, he felt an odd sensation sweep over him, as if a faint memory was struggling to emerge.
"That's enough for tonight," Hana said, gently guiding Isagi and Kiko towards the cottage. "We'll figure it out tomorrow. Let's sleep now, it's late."
Inside the cottage, the warmth of the fireplace blazed away the chill of the night. Isagi laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. All the events that took place that day stormed through his mind. The cloaked figure in the square... the strange light... and the amulet with its weird symbols.
Eventually, he did fall asleep. With sleep came dreams, like epilogue* at the end of a story. In the quiet of the night, the village of Eldenwood slept peacefully, unaware of the shadows lurking at its corners.
Isagi woke early the next morning, with the first rays of sunlight beaming through the small windows of his room. He stretched, feeling the creak of the wooden floor beneath his feet. He yawned as he put on his tunic* and trousers. Before going down, he thought of something, then picked up the amulet from last night - which he kept on the bedside table - and put it in his pocket.
Downstairs, the aroma of freshly baked bread greeted him as he entered the kitchen. Hana stood near the fireplace, humming softly as she set out a plate of bread and jar of honey. Taro was already seated, dressed in his surcoat* as he sipped throgh his usual morning tea. Kiko was still excited about the festival. She spread butter on her bread while talking about the mummers* from the evening's performance. Isagi greeted them with a smile, and got seated on a wooden chair.
Outside, the village was already stirring to life. Isagi could hear the distant sounds of livestock and the faint clatter of carts– heading towards the marketplace–he guessed. Isagi went to study at the church from the monk thrice a week. However, that day was off. So, after a quick breakfast of warm bread and honey, he gathered his tools—a sturdy knife and a small pouch—and set off towards the fields to tend to the family's vegetable patch.
Isagi's family was among the wealthiest in the village of Eldenwood. Their wealth came not only from Hana's herbal remedies and the vegetables from their patch but also from Taro's chainmail armor business. Nonetheless, they were never arrogant, which earned them the villagers' respect.
"Oi, kid! How you doing?" a deep voice called out to Isagi as he approached the field. It was Edmund, one of the farm workers. "It's rare to see you come to the fields."
"Hey, Edmund." Isagi replied, as he set down his pouch. "I don't have anything to do right now, so might as well check on the vegetables."
"Don't worry," Edmund said, wiping the sweat from his forehead, "I've been taking excellent care of them."
Isagi looked over some tomatoes and chillies. "I can see that," he smiled. "What can I help you with?"
"Well, it's no use arguing with you... why don't you go weed those brinjal plants over there?"
"On it!"
Isagi picked up his pouch and walked over to the brinjal plants, careful not to trample anything. He took out his knife to start working. As he leaned to pull the weeds, the amulet in his pocket poked his skin. He took it out and hung it on a stick before returning to work. The ground was a bit muddy from recent watering, which splattered on his clothes. Moreover, the sun was blazing above, making it hard to work. But despite everything, Isagi enjoyed working. Somehow, it brought him peace of mind.
He hummed a tune as he checked on the brinjals and the leaves of the plants for any damages, not thinking anything of the amulet.
But, if he had glanced back at it , he would have seen the amulet glowing strangely in the bright sunlight...
... with its symbols slowly fading away.
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Festive pole - Decorated poles used for celebration purposes.
Cloaked - Covered
Trick of the eye - Optical illusion; seeing something that's actually not there
Disperse - Leave, disassemble
Thatch - Roofing materials made of dried straw, grasses and other plant materials
Eave - The edge of the roof
Furrowing - Going downward
Amulet - Jewelry piece. Believed to have supernatural powers (It doesn't in real life, ok? I hope writing about it isn't sinful.)
Epilogue - Additional information on events taking place after main story (I don't know if I used it in the right context, forgive me.)
Tunic - A simple loose fitting clothing (I thought of it because I play minecraft. You can search it up to see some pictures.)
Surcoat - Coat worn over tunic. Makes you look fancy. (You can also search to see some pictures of it.)
Mummers - Performers, usually doing comedy skits.