Chapter One: Arthur
Chop!
The three feet log was halved with an axe and later carried and thrown to the side, where other slashed logs laid. The man with the axe used his forearm to wipe the never-ending sweat of his face. It's been two weeks since he came into this world.
Basically, nothing was working the way they were supposed to.
For that brief moment, he stood akimbo, breathing steadily as he looked around. He wondered what had happened to him. Why was he standing here? How was he even alive? Worst of all, the world he was in was nothing like he remembered.
After complete two weeks of his stay in this world, his memories of his past life came in little by little. He remembered from his "world" he had cancer. A stage four cancer, meaning his cancer had already spread to different parts of his body. Although, he wasn't bothered by that as at then. In fact he was elated.
In his previous life, he had no relation, it was only him and his god. More like, him alone since his god failed him. As a boy who came from an impoverished household, his parents died when he was little. Leaving him with nothing and after all his years of struggling and hardship, he lost. He ignored his sickness for years until it was too late, it was time for him to go. He cursed god, why bring him to the world only to suffer?
Despite being reincarnated in a world like the medieval times, where people still used horses for travelling and the entire land was ruled under one noble government, at least now he had a second chance. Whenever he went by the river to fetch water he would stop and look at his new form in the waters.
This person was much younger than he was in his previous life, he could say in his early twenties. A boy with completely short gray hair, and olive skin. About 6'3" feet and a thick voice to the core.
Every day he would go into the forest to cut down trees and make short logs out of them. Then afterward he would split the tree logs and deliver a certain portion of these logs to the carpenter's workshop.
He had been doing this after his arrival for the past two weeks. If it were up to him, he would have given up long after what he discovered.
This same body he reincarnated in was sick and was slowly dying. Momentarily, he would cough out blood and feel nauseated. His heartbeat would rise as he would gasp for air in a short period of time. But after learning he had a younger sister, what more could he do? In his past life he had nobody to call his own, and this fact made life not worth living for even the more.
But now things were different, he couldn't tell her that he wasn't her brother. Since her brother was no more, he was guessing he disappeared, or probably his spirit left this body, which of course meant death. But who was he to explain that to her, it sounded like utter gibberish. It didn't even make sense to him talkless of another person.
He sighed at the thought of all this.
Nothing could be done besides living in his new life and in the hope of a better tomorrow.
Chop!
He took out another log.
..
The market was hectic and busy. Beside him was his best friend who worked all day and night with him – his horse. It carried all the log of wood and freed him from the stress.
They've been trekking for about twenty minutes. He wasn't very familiar with the village market so one slight stray and he wouldn't get back home on time. The carpenter's workshop wasn't far from the route he took. Just along the narrow street...
..
He slowly walked into the workshop and closed the door, the carpenter was occupied measuring some oversized clamps he made.
'Mr. Tom..?'
The old man readjusted his glasses, before speaking, 'Arthur, just in time.'
He assumed that was his name here. Not only did the old man call him Arthur, but his sister did too.
Arthur gave a warm smile in response.
'They've been some changes over time.' Tom spoke and came closer to Arthur. 'The noble subjects imposed new tariffs on social banding, now as a group leader, I have to pay twenty percent off my commission. That's more than what I give you, I have wife and children.' He said as he patted Arthur on the shoulder.
'Yeah, yeah I understand.' Arthur replied with a smile, though it didn't hide how disappointed he was.
'The items in here aren't gonna sell themselves.'
'Obviously, not.' Arthur responded.
Tom turned around and walked away as he spoke, 'But I do have a job for you.' He stopped and silently looked back to see Arthur's expression.
Arthur was silent for a while before blurting, 'I'd be happy to help.'
Tom continues, 'Holland and his executives will be needing a new safe box for the House of the Holies.' He carried a wooden box the length of his forearm to his worktable, 'You're like a son to me, I'm offering you fifty percent of what the house has to offer.'
'Don't you have a fixed price for the safe.'
'I wish I did Arthur, but they're the reason we haven't been consumed by evil yet.' Tom approached Arthur as he dropped the safe in his hands.
'What evil?' Out of curiosity Arthur asked.
'Somethings are better left unknown.' Tom continued solemnly, 'For your sake, don't ask too many questions.'
Arthur kept quiet. He wasn't sure how to properly reply to a statement like that.
'We do not negotiate with the House, but rest assured you can set your hopes high for them.' Tom chuckled. 'When you deliver that, we'll know how much you'll be paid.'
Arthur vigorously shook his head and unpleasantly kept coughing, before working out of the shop.
'Stay alive kid.' Tom muttered at the shadow of Arthur.
When Arthur came out, he stared at the numerous droplets of blood on his forearm. Knowing his fate he went towards his horse which was tied at the corner. The logs weren't as plentiful as they use to, so it was easier getting all of them at the back of Toms workshop.
Later that day Arthur prepared for his journey to the east coast of the land.
The kingdom was divided into four parts. Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western District. Basically these parts of the kingdom were called districts and were arranged hierarchically.
Northern District was the home to the High Lord and his watchers. The King who overruled the entire kingdom.
For the Southern District, the Sovereign Grand Price took after this part. He was the second in command to the King and the only royalty who could oppose the King.
As for the Eastern and Western District, this part was governed by the Sovereign Duke and the latter an Elector.
Arthur resided in the Western District, the House of Holies was just located at the Districts outskirts. For some reason the safe was required to be delivered before dusk. Making him leave before sunset.
'Look here mate, I don't have time for this. You do don't know me, I don't know you, why don't we just get along.' From afar one would think this man was going insane due to how he spoke to a horse.
Arthur knew for some reason the horse could sense the owner was gone and he was only but a stranger. Despite the fact that it helped him with the logs, it was only because he had the face of its previous owner.
'Please, I need this.' He begged.
Like the horse understood him, it neighed and quickly rise up to its two feet. Arthur unexpectedly fell back on his bottom as the horse went up.
'I'll take that as a yes.'
..
Slowly and gently, the two friends found their way along the thick forest. The moon was high above, illuminating as much light as it could over the tallest trees.
As for Arthur, he held a lamp over his head. It was better the moon produced no light at all than what it gave to the forest. In a short span of time, they came across an old and rusted gate.
The length of this gate went far into the distance to the extent they couldn't see it's beginning or end. The gate had various plants and grasses growing alongside its pillars.
As Arthur came closer, he noticed the old Gothic text used in writing 'House Of Holies' in a curved style at the top of the entrance. He descended from his horse and went to have a better view. After a few minutes of searching for a doorbell, or anything that could notify the insiders of his presence the left side to where he stood produced a low unbridled noise.
It opened automatically.
Arthur's attention was instantly drawn to the noise. He saw a diminutive size of the gate open up. An eerie figure walked out from this gate. Arthur could not deduce if it was a tree or something other than that. This figure was approximately nine feet tall. It wore a black cloak that concealed every part of its body. Slowly, its presence stood before Arthur. It extended one of its thirty inches long arm as it said unto Arthur, 'The Box.'
Arthur hastily rushed back to his horse, untied the box, and carefully gave it to the figure with both his hands while he dare not look into the darkness of the hood. The figure welcomed the box on its white palm. It needed not both hands to hold it and after silently surveying the box it flipped a gold coin over to Arthur with its second free hand before walking back into the gate unhurried.
Arthur kept starting at the gate with unimaginable fear. What manner of being or demon could that have been? A thing of nine feet, now he remembered why Mr. Tom told him not to ask questions, now he recalled he was in a serious shitty world.