The outskirts of Gierchen were a breathtaking sight to behold. The Tempsis River flowed gracefully through the vast greenery of the area. The villages were nestled within large forests, making them even more welcoming. In the open spaces between the trees, there were only dirt paths leading into the vast woods and the blue sky always appeared like an infinite ocean with the sun shining brightly upon the land below.
The people of Gierchen were happy, and their joy was contagious. One could see the elders sitting outside on wooden chairs, telling children stories and lessons from their lives. Joyful laughter of friends enjoying each other's company could be heard everywhere. Trust and love were natural, and everyone considered each other to be family.
In a small home lived a family of three. The mother was a fierce and proud woman who loved her family deeply. The father, a gentle but strong person, held the role of the village governor. And lastly, their son, a curious yet naive 14-year-old, was the treasure of his parents.
On a normal sunny Tuesday, the family was enjoying breakfast when the father was reading documents about a farmer who lost his delivery of grain due to beasts. He sighed deeply and shared his concern with his wife.
"Mr. Meier sure unfortunate. First, his cart broke down, and now this. What has he done to deserve this?" he said as he laid his head on his hand.
The mother asked if the farmer was alright, and the father replied that he had managed to escape unscathed. However, he was still very frustrated about losing another delivery, especially since he had some good deals in the city.
The boy was still debating whether to eat his salad or not when he heard his father mention the city. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, and his father noticed and smiled at him.
"Well, he should be glad that he is alive. Many aren't that lucky," the mother added.
"Yeah, you're right. Though he may see it differently, haha," the father concluded.
After finishing their conversation about Mr. Meier, the family happily talked about their plans for the day. Jacob, the boy, started to share his own plan as soon as his parents finished their conversation.
"Can I go outside, Mom?" he asked as he stood up. Although his mother was always scared of letting him go out on his own, she knew there was no need to worry.
"Sure, honey. Who are you going with?" she asked.
"Daniel. He said he would show me his new book about the Knight of Goesten," he answered.
The Knight of Goesten was a book about a hero of the Evyne Kingdom. He was what every future knight should strive to become: loyal, strong, and heroic. The pinnacle of strength in the kingdom. The book was well-known all around the Evyne Kingdom.
"Oh, the Knight of Goesten is a really good story, Jacob. You should definitely read it. When I was your age, I wanted to become a knight like him too," his father said enthusiastically flexing his muscles to demonstrate strength.
"Anyway, first sit down and finish your food. No, going out before that," she said, rolling her eyes at her husband for his behavior.
Jacob's disappointment was evident, but he sat down and started eating again. His father chuckled at him as he got up to leave, but his wife gave him a stern look because his plate also wasn't finished.
"Where do you think you're going? That plate won't finish by itself. As a grown man, you should know that by now, right?" She had a clear critical tone in her voice.
"I know, but-"
"No 'but'. Sit down." Her gaze became even sharper, making him realize that the situation could escalate even further if he persisted. So he sat back down, raising his hands in surrender.
"I apologize for going against your wishes," he said jokingly. She just rolled her eyes, not wanting to engage any further.
After both father and son finished their respective plates, they got ready to head outside. Jacob finished first, grabbed his backpack from his room, put on a coat, and was about to leave when his father called out to him. He went to his room to look for something before coming back. As Jacob approached, his father came back and pulled out a sheathed knife with a serious expression.
"You know what this is and why I'm giving it to you. With all the things happening lately, I want you to have it. But you'll only use it in emergencies. No, playing around with it or swinging it at anything," he said sternly, ensuring that Jacob understood the gravity of the gesture.
The boy appeared surprised but obviously respected the weapon he was about to receive. He understood that it was capable of taking lives and that carelessness would have dire consequences. His parents had been discussing this for a long time until the boy's father decided that Jacob was responsible enough to handle the weapon and gave it to him.
"Thank you so much, Father!" said the boy.
Jacob's father smiled proudly as Jacob slowly took the weapon and inspected it. Its iron blade was shimmering in the light, mesmerizing the boy at his newfound companion.
"Have fun and be back before nightfall," he replied as Jacob left, waving at his parents.
However, as he left, he noticed that his mother looked concerned.
'Was it because of the knife?'. He decided to ask her about it later and started running towards his friend Daniel's house.
Daniel was a quiet boy who enjoyed reading and studying. He was the best in terms of grades at their school, which made it difficult for him to make friends with his peers. Regardless, he still had his childhood friends.
That's why Jacob, who had aspirations of becoming a great man in the future, preferred to spend time with his friend Daniel. He didn't enjoy the company of his other peers. Thanks to his parents and their modest lifestyle, he learned to keep himself level-headed. During his classes, he didn't talk to the children of noblemen as he found them arrogant and delusional. This is also why his few friends in the village were so important to him. They were the only people he could genuinely respect.
As Jacob arrived at Daniel's house, he knocked on the door and called out his friend's name. To his surprise, Daniel's father answered the door instead. Normally he wouldn't be the one to great Jacob. His father was a pretty busy man. Because of that he always had an exhausted expression though he still managed to smile for visitors.
"Jacob, welcome. I guess you're here for Daniel. He is packing his things and will be here in a few seconds," he said in a shaky voice.
Daniel's father was a blacksmith and the only one near their village. He had a lot of requests from the villagers, and he took care of them all for compensation. However, he always took on more than he could handle. Daniel had mentioned that his father overworked himself because of his mother's death a few years back. Since then, his father has been working harder to ensure a good future for his son. This was also why Daniel was investing so much in his own education - he wanted to repay his father however he could.
Daniel came carrying his usual bag of supplies, which he always kept with him in case of emergencies. Jacob found this strange, as even when they stayed in the village where there was no need for such supplies, Daniel still brought it with him. But he never asked him about it, as he heeded a simple rule in life: "If it doesn't concern me, don't question it," unless it involved his family of course.
Upon Daniel's arrival, Jacob greeted him and then turned to the father, thanking him for his work. The old man was surprised by the sudden gesture but only replied with a small laugh, "No problem haha. Have fun you two."
As they left Daniel's house, Daniel pulled out his new book and started talking about it without even engaging in their usual conversation about recent events in the village.
"Goesten was such a great warrior you know. He managed to slay a whole army without even resting. Such a heroic and outstanding person with not a single flaw comes once every thousand years you know! He and the royal family he deeply respects and obeys should definitely be glorified! Oh, what would the commoners be without the so high and mighty nobles that bless our lands!" Jacob laughed at his friend's gestures but still decided to defend the book, as his father had recommended it to him too.
"Maybe you should give it another try, my father recommended it too."
Daniel disagreed, saying, "I spent two coins on this nonsense. I thought it would be at least enjoyable enough to last a couple of days. Sorry but me and your father have different tastes then"
"Maybe your taste has just worsened?"
"If this is a good book, I may as well eat grass. Just because I can eat it, doesn't mean it would taste good."
"Is grass even edible?" Jacob asked teasingly.
"How about you go find out?" Daniel returned with a laugh.