1 The Peaceful Village

"Now now, gather around and sit children"

An old man that already had white hair said, as he spoke to the young boys and girls, that kept on running around in his yard.

"EVERYONE! PAY ATTENTION!"

A girl with a blonde ponytail yelled, as she grabbed one of the children's ear, who was trying to climb a tree. Looking through all the children, she was probably the oldest, as she had a look of a sister, and judging from her height, she was already thirteen.

""Sorry, Big sis""

Hearing her ground shaking yell, that could split someone's eardrums, the children obediently sat down in front of the old man, as they caress their ears.

"Thank you, Elena"

The old man said, despite his poor hearing, was also holding his ears.

"Now, is everyone here?"

He questioned the children, that now looked like a bunch of angelic souls, who haven't done no wrong.

"Old man Gren, Jin is still missing"

"ha"

A chubby kid with a brown hair yelled to him.

The old man sighed, although he already knew that kid would now be in the forest causing another trouble that his parents would soon find out, and give him another hour long sermon. He knew the kid was smart, so smart that he wouldn't even bother coming and hearing his stories, despite being a six years old, and already knew how to perceive a lie.

'But my stories isn't a lie though, and it's not just a bunch of made up stories'

"What the hell are you sighing for, old man?"

"It's as if you've already lost hope in me?"

A childish voice was heard, as a small figure soon popped out in the nearby forest.

The village of Splinter only consists of a hundred population, sorrounded with trees, with only the road on the south of the village, that connects to the nearby thriving town of Irle, that is still almost a few hundred kilometers, which will take a few weeks on foot, although the village is known for their trade in durable woods, the lack of horses for transport has been dwindling down, after a harsh winter happened, resulting in making the formerly prosperous village poor.

"I just saw a herd of horses at the northeast of the village nearby the waterfalls"

"What? then you sho-"

"I've already reported the matter to the chief, that's why I took long"

Seeing the 9 years old kid casually talking in a carefree tone, made the old man more pissed, even more so knowing that the north side of the village was probably the most dangerous, as there were reports of a pack of wolves, that assaulted a couple, who were rejected by their parents and soon escaped to elope, but soon met their end.

"Well if you're worried about the incident"

"Don't worry old man it's just a bunch of enlarged dogs, who doesn't know how to climb a tree"

Seeing the kid talking so proud of himself, made the old man skeptical.

"But don't wolves usually stay a day or two, when their prey climbs up a tree?"

"Then just throw something at them, in my case, I brought a bunch of coins, then threw them one by one at the faces of the wolves, who soon whimpered and ran away, after hitting one of them in the eye"

"Alright! anyways never go outside without permission again, although you probably wouldn't even listen"

Seeing that the argument is going to the favor of the child, the old man ended the conversation immediately.

"So what made up stories will you tell us now again?"

"Is it the long sharped nails and teeth werewolves?"

"Or the "bringing back the dead" necromancers"

"No, maybe it's the fleash eating cannibals"

"Is there literally nothing you know other than some second rate horror monster?"

Jin taunted, afterall, the fantasy stories, old man Gren told them so far, were nothing but a bunch of monsters.

If your gonna tell a fantasy story to children, then why not tell stories made for children.

"That's because, I don't like made up stories, like that one story who had a sleeping girl who woked up by a kiss from some bumpkin!"

The old man who already had enough, stood up and with a vein in his head, yelled at the child.

"Psshh, so your telling me your stories are not fabricated?"

"THAT'S RIG-?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO!"

Once more, the ear piercing yell, was once heard.

"Old man Gren, please don't shame yourself in front of the children"

"What?! so this was your intention Ji-"

"Shut up!"

The old man weakly fell into his chairs, as he now knew, that he was played by a kid.

""Hahaha!""

Jin and the other kid, could no longer hold it in, and soon now burst out laughing, seeing an old adult being played and reprimanded by children.

"And who told you could laugh, Huh?!"

Elena coldly looked at Jin with her red eyes, even redder than before.

"Bu-but Big sis Elena I've helped the village with the crisis right?"

"Do I look like I care?"

Jin looked at his ear that was suddenly held by Elena, and soon.

"Wait! Big sis do-Aaargh!!!"

Sometimes, there are people out there that just can't be handled by words.