In a bustling market on the outskirts of Versa, the sun shone bright, casting a deep orange glow. The air was thick with the smell of grains and dust as the noise of the crowd filled the atmosphere. Among the people, an eighteen-year-old boy moved purposefully toward a particular shop. His clothes were worn and dull, his brown hair unkempt, and his face carried a faint smile.
"Do you have any bread?" the boy asked one of the vendors.
"Sure, we have wheat bread," the seller replied.
"Okay, four wheat bread, please," the boy said.
The vendor went inside to fetch the bread as the noise around them continued to grow.
"Here you go, the wheat bread," the seller said, handing the packet to the boy.
Suddenly, a dog leaped out of nowhere, snatched the packet, and darted off. The boy and the seller stood frozen for a second.
"My bread!" the boy yelled, quickly turning to chase the dog. The dog, however, was twice as fast.
"Give it back!" he shouted, sprinting after the animal.
They ran far from the market, and the noise gradually faded into the distance. As the dog slowed down, the boy picked up his pace, finally diving and snatching the packet from the dog's mouth.
"Got it!" he shouted triumphantly, though he couldn't keep his balance and ended up falling, rolling on the ground until he came to a stop. As he looked around, he realized no one was nearby.
He crawled over to a tree, leaned against it, opened the packet, and took in the smell of the bread. His stomach growled with hunger, and he took a bite. Tearing off another piece, he tossed it to the dog.
"Good work, Duke," he said. The dog moved closer, sniffed the bread, and started eating it.
"Take it, Duke. It's been a day since you last ate, right?" the boy said, throwing another piece to the dog.
"Next time, aim for a pie," he laughed, patting the dog.
---
Halba Caves, Versa-Halba Border
Inside the darkness of the cave, the flickering orange glow of fire lanterns illuminated the rugged walls. The smell of burning wood filled the air.
"We must gather as many men as possible," a powerful voice echoed through the cave.
"Yes, we must increase our strength and seek revenge against the king!" he declared.
A group of people stood there, eyes blazing with determination. "Yes, we should!" they echoed in agreement.
"Even if the sky falls, the seas rise, or the land crumbles, the fire in our hearts will not fade. Not until we hold the king's head in our hands! Not until our families are avenged!" the man shouted, standing on a massive stone.
"As long as we move forward, victory will be ours!" His words stirred the hearts of those around him, fueling their resolve.
"And for that, we need more people," he continued as another figure stepped forward. "As Thane said, we need more allies."
Pointing to the back of the crowd, he introduced a new face. "This is Grey... our new comrade. He once lived west of the Old Castle, but the king wiped out his family and his village."
"We share the same pain," he said, inviting Grey to come forward and share his story. The lantern light reflected in Grey's yellow-tinged eyes as he approached, his gaze fixed downward.
"I was born in Reach, a small village west of the Old Castle. My father was a weaver, and I had two younger brothers. We were happy... until three months ago," he began.
"One day, as I returned from town after selling some clothes, I saw my village engulfed in flames. I ran toward my home, but on the way, I saw hundreds dead or burned. What pained me more than the dead were those I knew, barely alive, crawling for help. Blood and fire everywhere."
He took a breath, his voice breaking. "I found my father in front of our house, charred. Inside, I found two more bodies. I couldn't recognize their faces, but I knew... it was my mother and younger brother. I felt dead inside."
He looked up at the crowd, his eyes filled with pain. "Then, I found the strength to search for my youngest brother. I combed through the whole village, but I couldn't identify a single person. Everyone was burned, like pests."
Weeping, he continued, "No, he's not dead. I'm sure he's alive somewhere, maybe he ran away."
"But what angers me the most is that the king's brother was there, digging with the army. They believed Evania was hidden beneath my village."
---
Back in the Market on the Outskirts of Versa
"Do you have pie?" the boy asked the same vendor.
"Yes, we have... Hey, you're that boy from yesterday, right? The one with the dog..." the vendor began.
"Yeah... yes. That dog... it was too fast, I couldn't catch it," the boy interjected with a sheepish smile.
The vendor went inside with a smirk and came back with a pie. Meanwhile, Duke, the dog, was lurking nearby, eyeing the pie for another snatch attempt.
As the dog jumped, the vendor quickly kicked him away. The boy, seizing the moment, snatched the pie and ran.
"Thief! Thief!" the vendor shouted.
The crowd reacted, many joining the chase. The boy was quickly caught in the dense crowd, and they beat him to the ground.
"I know him," someone in the crowd called out. "He's done this before; that dog is his!"
"Let's leave him; I got the pie back," the vendor said.
"No, we should teach him a lesson so he won't dare to do this again," someone in the crowd shouted.
Finally, they decided to tie him to a tree as punishment.
---
Two Days Later, a Moonlit Night
The boy was exhausted, barely able to open his eyes. He saw a shadow approaching and called out hoarsely, "Water... water..."
The figure moved closer, and fear gripped the boy as he realized it was a man. But the man simply took a knife from his pocket and cut the ropes binding the boy, who collapsed to the ground.
"Give me... some... water..." the boy whispered.
The man's voice was faint, but he spoke. "I... don't... have any... water."
"What... is... your name?" the man asked.
"Arth..." the boy managed to say, his words barely audible. In his desperation, he spotted a bottle nearby and reached for it, gulping down the water inside.