Beep!! Beep!!
Opening his eyes widely, Thawne was awakened by the sound of birds chirping. He rose from his sleep and sat in thought, calmly caressing his feet as though they never worked.
"Seems like I still can't forget those days."
His timid reaction wore off after a few minutes, and in haste, he strode towards the kitchen. After picking and breaking off a few crumbs of bread, Thawne shoved them swiftly into his mouth.
"Slow down Thawne! Don't rush with the food!", a firm voice echoed from the bedroom.
Thawne scoffed upon hearing those words and ran to the bath. Pouring down a few buckets of water, he scrubbed his body firmly to get himself clean.
"I need to hurry, Master Shen might be worried I haven't been in yet.", Thawne sighed.
In pace, he hurried towards the door with a basket of oranges. Thawne was clothed in medieval clothes, mainly a shirt with a brown trouser. Although it was shabby, that was all he had.
"Love you mum!!", Thawne's voice echoed through the room.
Thump!!
With a sharp glide, he shut the door and hurried through the streets. However his steps paused for a moment, and in pace, Thawne ran back.
Picking a bucket of water, he sprinkled a bit unto the garden with a tensed face. His mannerisms were shabby in action, and after a few throws, he gave up on the plants.
"Fend for yourselves. I have business to attend to!!", Daniel grinned as he ran.
The lad lived in a house in the countryside, and they had little to depend on. Although he seemed eerie and strange, Thawne was a child favored by the people and they adored him.
His parents were farmers, no less than peasants who earned a living with the little things they had. Although he wasn't blessed with riches like nobles, Thawne was quite satisfied with what he had.
"Old man Shen!!", his screams heightened.
Turning around, a man in his thirties grinned in annoyance and pointed angrily at Thawne. His attire was a lot stable and official, with the demeanor of a knight.
"Who said I'm old? I'm in my thirties, you brat!!", Shen yelled angrily.
"You look fifty though.", Thawne smirked.
You!!!
Giving up on the petty fights, Shen sat back in his chair and waved his hand. Thawne giggled after his pestering, as he pinned the basket of oranges at Shen.
"Here you go. I brought you some oranges, as I always do. Mmm, what are we having for training?", Thawne asked gleamingly.
The child heaved his body onto the table and stared at the ceiling. His dangling feet revealed a childish nature, yet that was an innate character he always had.
"I don't think I can take you through training today Thawne. I have to head to the base for a mission, but we will continue from where we left off when I'm back", Shen sighed.
"Ugh how long would that be?", Daniel squirmed.
"Long enough till you get your skill", Shen leaned.
Frowning in annoyance, Thawne dragged himself from the table and headed to the door. His head was bent in an awry mood, and in hesitation, he looked back slightly.
"Come back alive, master.", Daniel pleaded.
"Don't worry, I will come back with my limbs intact.", Shen smiled.
Thump!!
Shutting the door strongly, Thawne exited the house of the knight and set off on the streets. His head was bent in thought, and he continually kicked away the pebbles that lay across.
"Thawne, how are ya??"
"I hope you are eating enough these days?"
"Help me out with this, will you"
"I need your help Thawne!!"
"Ugh, these people. So useless without the great me", Thawne chuckled.
After helping out the others, Thawne gave his goodbyes and strutted back on the street. Yet he couldn't help but worry about his sensei, a man he adorned more than the rest.
Teaching him the basic sword skills, Shen built Thawne up into more than an average commoner. However, he was already far below it, as the blessings of the gods had still not been set upon him.
The child had a goal to be a knight and one of the greatest ones at that. It was said that the greatest Knight would wield the Eldritch flame, and Thawne desired that more than anything else.
"If only I were a bit stronger. If only I had my skills in time, I would have been in the Academy of Knights. However, I can't even protect my parents as it stands. At the age of ten, the blessings of the gods descend on each child of Eldrin."
"But I'm already thirteen. It's been three years since I crossed the threshold of ten, but I still haven't been blessed by the power of the gods. Although I seem pathetic, it can't be compared with my previous life."
"Nevertheless, it's still depressing. If I have to protect my mom and the others, I need to be a knight. But without a skill and the blessings of the gods, that's just a pipe dream."
Thawne grew sad as he continued strolling, and upon reaching his mental limits he kicked off a rock in fury. The lad grew depressed as the days went by, and the eyes of his peers always tore through his heart.
The town he lived in was the vicinity of Blackward, Blackia County. It was a less populated town but mostly consisted of farmlands. Also known as the den of commoners, the nobles saw it as a stock of food.
It was within the kingdom of Derchil, and the probability of seeing monsters around those plains was close to zero. This made it a perfect space for living, and Thawne dwelled within without a shred of fear.
Strutting in dismay, Thawne approached his home and barged through the door with a bright smile. However, the room felt silent and cold, as if the warmth of the house was stolen.
"I'm home!!"
Glancing around, Thawne intruded into the bedroom to greet his mother since it was almost nighttime. With a turn to the right, Thawne was struck in fear as his eyes met the scene.
His loving mother had turned into a corpse, and an entity fed on her flesh. The horrific sight froze Thawne in motion, and he held his mouth in order not to vomit.
"Dreadmourn?"