Ildas

Ildas woke up lazily on his bamboo bed, looking up at the leafed roof of his room, a room he shares with his cousin and best friend Amin and stirred around on his bed, not wanting to stand up or start his day which comprises of going to the Goh River and help his fisherman uncle to haul fish from the river to the market which will then be sold by his uncle's wife, Ildas is a twenty years old street urchin in the kingdom of Esop, he lost his father during the palace coup that took place years ago when the then prince Remus took over the palace from his brother in a coup that resulted in the death of the former king and queen, his father was a bodyguard named Dag to the former king and he lost his mother to the epidemic that swept through the kingdom when he was five. To everybody, Ildas is considered a useless individual and this is because he spends his morning hauling fishes while he spends the rest of his day sauntering around the street of Bovas; the capital city of Esop with his friend Amin, what people fail to understand is that Ildas has a dream, his dream is to become a warrior of Esop, but two things are stopping him from achieving that dream, the first is that, before one can become an elite soldier of Esop, one must go to their school from the age of fifteen and learn the art of fighting, tactics and the intricacies of what it entails to be a warrior, but Ildas an orphan and being raised by a fisherman uncle couldn't even afford to enroll in the normal school in Bovas when he was young because of their financial incapacity, the second reason is a personal one, he decided that he can never serve under the king that caused the death of his father, but nobody really knows the truth of that, whether he means it or he says it simply because he couldn't afford the education.

But Ildas knowing he couldn't enroll in the school of defense to get the proper training, instead enlisted the help of a man in his early fifties named Rumi in the city who everyone believes is a drunk to help train him to become a better fighter, Ildas met by chance and found out from the bar in the city where he normally drinks every evening that this man was once one of the elite soldiers that served under the late king and recently released from prison after he single handedly fought three touts who were disrespectful and trying to take advantage of the fact that he was drunk at the time, Ildas found out that this man was once one of the most trusted senior personal guard of the late king and was imprisoned by the incumbent king because he refused to swear allegiance to him, now he lives what is left of his life in his little cabin in the mountain drinking and doing nothing else, and Ildas being the faithful student makes sure he brings him jar of wine whenever he comes for training.

"Ildas!!!" came a shout from outside and Ildas knows from the voice that it's none other than his cousin's, he finally stood up from his bed and heads out of the room to starts his day which involves heading to the river with his cousin and his uncle to fish and later haul it to the market for his aunt to sell, then find out if he can find one or two jobs that will bring in fast money for him. "Ildas come outside, we are getting late already." Shouted his little cousin Amin who is just eighteen years old, the funny thing is that there is no hint of physical resemblance between both of them, Ildas is tall, with blue eyes and golden hairs that reach his shoulder, athletic, a body that makes girls in Bovas swoon over him, whereas Amin is a short boy, brown eyes and brown long hairs, one can't really say he is fat, but he is bothering on the edge, although he may not have the body of a god but he is fit enough to carry his weight and brave enough to face anyone who tries to cheat him. Ildas steps out into a cool autumn morning with soft breezes blowing across his face; he stretches his body and looks at his cousin with the kind of eyes that say you disturbed my dream.

"Now why are you shouting so early in the morning? Couldn't you have woken me up when you got up this morning?" said Ildas angrily.

"I should wake you up and risk you kick me?" said Amin with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Is uncle gone already?"

"Yes, he says we shouldn't be late though."

"Have you gotten the baskets?" asked Ildas putting on his shirt.

"Yes, it's over there." He said pointing to the baskets not too far from where he is standing.

"Ok, let's go." He said moving out of the compound and heading towards the road leading towards the river while Amin packs the baskets and follows behind him.

As Ildas and Amin both heads towards the river to meet his uncle, he feels that his mind is clouded because at the age of twenty, he still finds it difficult to make up his mind on what to do with his life, he feels he has no purpose and until that cloud in his mind is cleared he will still find it difficult to move forward in life and he does not have any idea on how to clear that cloud and get his mind focused on a dream and achieve it, he feels that his life is just like a circle that starts from a position and comes back to that same position at the end of the day with no purpose or accomplishment. That feeling of emptiness worries him, and he has no idea how to satiate it.

"Ildas, are we going for training today after we are done with father?" asks Amin but didn't get an answer from Ildas, he called his name again, but Ildas was too far into his own mind that he didn't hear Amin talking to him, so Amin decides to tap him on his shoulder.

"Ildas!!!" shouted Amin tapping Ildas on his shoulder jerking him out of his reverie.

"Yes, what are you saying?" asks Ildas, angry at having been disturbed when he was thinking.

"I have been talking to you since, but you've not been replying." Amin said looking disappointed.

"Am sorry I guess I got carried away, what did you ask?"

"Are you ok? What are you thinking about?" Amin asked looking concerned.

"Don't worry, it's nothing." Ildas said dismissively.

"Ok, I was just asking if we are going for training today."

"Sure, we are going, let's be done with work first and we will get wine before going to meet the master."

"Ok then, I can't wait till the day I become a proper fighter so that nobody dares bullies in the whole kingdom." Amin said puffing his chest and Ildas couldn't help but look at his younger cousin who sometimes behaves like a kid and he laughs.

"Ok warrior let's go before uncle spanks your butt for being late." Ildas said laughing before jogging off towards the river before Amin could pick up his pace.