Somewhere in the continent of Helios, a secluded hut with golden fields of wheat and unripe corn stretched through hectares of lands. Cows, chickens, sheep, and dogs were laying dear in the pasture. In the middle of the fields, a lone man with a straw hat, a plain white long-sleeved shirt, and bluish-gray trousers, carefully examined the status of the crops.
He walked slowly - almost limping - and made considerable progress in his assessment.
Uttering under his breath slowly, he grabbed a piece of corn from one of his plants and pulled it near his round-shaped glasses. His eyes, black and almost succumbing to cataracts, gazed carefully at the piece of corn, "Hmm, not quite there yet,".
He retracted his arm from the crop and continued on his work. After a few hours, he made his way back to the secluded hut and sat on his varnished wooden rocking chair. Grabbing a piece of newspaper on the side, he began to read carefully with his eyes inches away from it.
The man took notice of a couple of headlines, it wrote:
[Verdigian borders, closed!]
[Prince Apollos on Verdigian Border closing.]
[Helios to give land titles to farmers.]
[Head of 'Notorious Sea Cult', Captured.]
[Princess Auruea...]
Piquing his interest, the man focused on the article [Helios to give land titles to farmers.], and read it thoroughly.
[Helios to give land titles to farmers.]
[The Department of Helios Agriculture (DHA) will distribute land titles to farmers in need as per King Apollos De Helios' affirmation. A total of 2,506 farmers are said to receive these on the second day after the Summer Solstice.
"After an agreement with the board, we will give land titles to farmers from all around the continent" President of DHA, Verdana Louise, stated in a formal public announcement..
She further stated that..]
After reading the entirety of the article in 6 minutes, the old man closed the newspaper and admired the beautiful landscape of his farm. His thin white hair softly oscillated due to the warm summer breeze.
He let out a long breath and carefully caressed the edges of the support of his rocking chair. He relaxed his muscles and utilized a little bit of his leg strength to keep his chair moving with his brown-leather boots smudged with dirt and mud.
Then, the old man slowly closed his eyes and began to doze off. With a soft breath, his head leaned backwards while his chair kept moving back and forth. A soft breeze washed through him and he was basked in a radiant ray of light.
*
As the radiance of the sun had set, the serendipity of night soon arrived. Sitting in a rocking chair, the old man slowly parted his eyelids, realizing that he had overslept. He muttered in a slow manner, "My, my, it seems that my body has succumbed to its age.."
The man adjusted his round-glasses and carefully stood up. He grabbed the straw hat that he had set on the table, and made his way towards the secluded hut's antique door.
He grabbed the handle and twisted it in a slow manner.
After entering, the man locked his door with slow progression and began to pace towards his kitchen.
Grabbing vegetables, and crops that he had grown from his very farm, the old man held a dull knife in his right hand. Forming a knuckle on his left, he began to slice his produce. Then, from a shelf made for preserving and curing meat, he reached for a moderate-sized loin.
After 15 minutes or so, the man finished cooking up a seared steak with various herbs, corn on the side, and mashed potatoes. In Helios, this would be considered to be a meal only served for royalty.
The man set down a plate with his bountiful meal on a long-wooden table with 8 seats, sitting down on the far edge which overlooked the entirety of the furniture. Then, he grabbed a metal knife and fork, piercing the meat and carefully slicing the lion in pieces.
The man parted his lips and felt the savory juices envelop his mouth. However, he had long been used to this taste so the man did not have an expression.
In the secluded hut, found in the middle of nowhere, the man finished his meal in solitude. A single candle radiated in the middle of the long table, casting a shadow behind the man as he stood up and began to clean his mess. The shadow depicts a lonely figure in the darkness.
*
The man prepared to slumber, turning off every lamp and putting down candles except for one next to his bed, atop a bedside table. In his hands, he held a thick, 800 paged book, reading through the middle with a considerable pace. If he wanted to, he could read the book in a single sitting - taking no longer than an hour. But alas, he deemed to cherish the piece of literature, enjoying every letter and word of it.
His round glasses gleamed 5he reflection of the candlelight, causing the glint of his eyes to be filled with a warm orange hue.
The man flipped a page and determined that it was time for slumber. He put down the candle and placed the 800-paged book near it. He folded his glasses and placed it atol the book. Then, he straightened his body and due to the heat of the summer, the man tucked inside a thin blanket. Still, the breeze of Helios could procure a chill or a much rather cold feeling.
In a few seconds, the man's breath shifted, his face became more innocent, and his eyelids slowly closed.
*
In the middle of the night, a ruby light flashed inside the secluded hut, illuminating the whole farm. The man jolted awake but took his time to get out of bed due to his comfort. He slowly brought his upper body straight and dragged his legs towards the floor.
Walking towards the antique door, the man took a leisure time of 34 seconds, yawning while adjusting his round glasses at the same time.
As he twisted the handle in a clockwise manner, he was greeted by a cold breeze of the night. Shuddering, the man squinted his eyes and stared at an unfamiliar sight just outside the antique door.
Sprawled on the ground, a boy not older than 15 who had dark-blue hair and onyx scales on his skin, was unconscious. Puzzled and contused, the man's lips formed a downward arc as if he found the sight interesting.
"My, my, whatever has happened this time." He raised his head towards the distance, his eyes zoomed and examined particles of green wind flowing along in a particular direction. He gazed towards the green wind and followed its extravagance.
Then, he found a figure of blonde-hair and drenched in seawater like a fish.
The man adjusted his glasses and his grin grew wider, "I see."
Suddenly, he raised his right arm and particles of transparent colors were pulled from within him. Almost immediately, the man vanished, along with the dark-blue haired boy, and blonde-haired figure.
The man rematerialized on a scape inked with a color of ethereal white, appearing as if his clothes had switched into a more regal style. Wearing a hermit's cloak, his head was covered with a veil of white and his physique was hidden beneath it. His round glasses emanated a radiant pearlish hue and a grin was painted on his face.
Once more, he raised his right arm and snapped his fingers. Simultaneously, six figures appeared in front of him, set in a pattern that seemed to surround him. In order, he saw a blonde-haired woman, aged 40 or above. Then, he saw a fiery-red haired man with a bulky stature. Next to him, was an indifferent man with long white hair. To his right, a brown-skinned man with black hair whose face looked above average. Then, a bit further to the left of the white-hooded man, an auburn-haired girl with delicate skin, laid unconscious. Lastly, the dark-blue haired boy, no more than 15, appeared in front. As if he, too, was surrounded by the 5 figures.
The man observed this sight further, contemplating about the Leviathan that attacked them. Closing his right eye, his vision shifted into a Metaphysical plane. He saw their Souls slumbering above their physical bodies. The man raised his fingers, and one by one, he merged the Souls one with their bodies, starting with the auburn-haired girl and ending with the blonde-haired woman.
However, the radiance in the man's glasses dimmed as he stared at the dark-blue haired boy. His grin widened, to the point where it was ear to ear. Then, he uttered under his breath, "Interesting.."
He left the Metaphysical plane and opened his right eye. Back to the physical world, he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. Soon, a throne of silver appeared, adorned with intricate details of curvature and silver gems of highest quality.
Positioned at the back of the silver throne, five gems glowed vibrantly. In the middle, a ruby's light died out, its hue dimming almost instantly.
Sensing this, the man caressed the gem and casually pulled it.
He held the gem in his hand and examined it quite carefully. Then, it cracked within 2 seconds and the gem turned to red dust. It flowed down his fingers and disappeared within the whitescape.
The man carefully walked in front of the throne and sat down slowly, he crossed his legs and rested his cheeks on his left arm. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the figures in front of him hurriedly opened their eyes.
All except for one..
The blonde-haired woman, looking around, found the figure of the white-hooded man with gleaming glasses. Then, she casually addressed him with a royal gesture - her body tensely straight, placing her hand on her chest and bowing slightly.
The white-hooded man smiled softly and gestured to her to save the pleasantries for later. Then, in a warm tone, he spoke, "I see that you are safe, Skadi, my girl."
The blonde-haired woman nodded.
"Thanks to you, The Historian.."
The man's brows raised and he gently addressed her gratitude, "Welcome home, dear child."