The Boy
It was a sunny day as usual in Bakersfield village. The wind blew gently, creating a serene and gentle feeling whenever it moved the leaves and grass. The gentle sun of spring nuzzled the body of the villagers like a warm hug from the caring mother earth. The sound of a running gristmill was loud, yet not nosy.
Merlin, a young boy who is short in stature, was carrying two bags of wheat that tower over him into wooden storage near the farmland. The muscles on his arms and legs were tightening, but he seemed to bear no mind as he was already used to it.
"Huff... Huff... Huff..." A voice gasping for air can be heard accompanying the sound of running steps.
"Hm?" Merlin stopped and wondered about the origin of the sound. He turned his head around and saw an energetic girl in a ponytail running toward him while wearing a simple summer dress.
"Merlin...!" The girl yelled from afar.
"What?"
"Do...gasp...you....gasp...know...that..."
"Take your breath first, then you can talk."
"Okay!"
The young girl, who appears to be the same age as Merlin, was slouching trying to regain her breathing composure. Her long braided blonde hair turned a bit messy after she ran. She stood straight and took a deep breath while raising both of her arms to the air.
"Bwuah...!" She exhaled the air inside her lungs leaving her mouth gaped wide open.
"You good now?"
"Yeah!" She replied with a big smile.
"What do you want Melissa?"
"...."
"What?"
"I forgot."
Melissa's dumbfounded face gave Merlin some urge to facepalm himself.
"If it's not that important, we can talk later. I still need to help my father with his farm work." Merlin then continued to walk.
"Wait!"
"What?!" Merlin halted his march towards the storage room.
"Do you want to play together?"
"No! I'm busy!" Merlins started to get annoyed by the existence of his childhood friend.
"Eeeh..." She tilted her head in disappointment.
"I also need to study and train my body after this."
"But you've been reading the same sorcery book over and over again right?"
"So what?!"
"But we haven't played for quite a while. Do you really wish to be the grand wizard so much that you sacrifice the time that you usually spend with your friends?" She wondered.
"As I said earlier, I'm....ouch!!!"
A flick of a finger interrupted the dialogue of a boy who was always enamoured by the legend of the highest-ranked wizards.
"Merlin!" A mature sound of motherly disappointment suddenly appears on Merlin's left side.
"Ugh..., What mother?!"
"You can let a girl down like that! That is not very gentleman-like!" The mother pouted her still-young looking face as she put both of her hands on her waist.
"I'm a farmer, not a noble mother!"
"But your girlfriend already wasted her energy to get here. Don't disappoint her will ya!"
"Wha-"
Both of the younglings of the village blushed. Mellissa covered her flustered face with her arms, while Merlin looked at his mother with his face coloured as red as his hair.
"Oh yeah! The bishop will also visit the village later this afternoon to appraise magic aptitude. A lot of the kids in the village will also gather in the village square since they have already reached the proper age to get appraised. Why don't both of you go there since I know that both of you are curious about what magic you'll be good at!"
The mother approach Merlin. She grabbed the sacks of wheat that the young boy held and carried them on her shoulder.
"Both of you can go now!" The mother said smugly.
Merlin and Melissa awkwardly exchanged glances. They shortly ran towards the village square where the appraisal ceremony would be conducted.
As they were running through the street of the village, they saw a tall skinny man, with a body and face that were mostly covered by a black robe with simple gold embroidery. They made eye contact for a couple of seconds. Even though it was quick, they could see only a small glance of his face.
Though only a glimpse, they could not forget such a different and alien look. His face was in a darker skin tone with face tattoos that were coloured in gold. They were elegant, symmetrical, clattered with foreign runes.
They were curious as to who he is. So, they approach the owner of the local material shop nearby and asked him.
"Old man! Who was the guy from earlier?" Melissa immediately approached the dwarfenfolk material store.
The store was decorated with hanging herbs that can be found in the surrounding wilderness, some processed meat, and food seasonings. A guy stepped out of his chair. With a short but rigid posture, he came out of his store to greet the curious young villagers.
Jotnarg was his name. The dwarfenfolk merchant has stayed in the village for as long as the first villager first settled into this land. His hair and beard were thick and has a whiteish hue to them due to his age. You can often see him wearing a brown leather apron and a beige-coloured shirt.
"He's a wizard. He often comes here to buy materials. You've never seen him befo'?" He asked in his raspy and low voice.
The two young villagers shook their heads as a sign of deny.
"He made medicines too. He sometimes sold them at that old grandma's apothecary. I remember a long time ago, there was a disease plagin' the village, that guy's medicine was very quick and effective at curin' the sick." The clerk continued his story.
"Woah!" The two were in awe.
"You need other things?" Jotnarg asked them.
"Give me free food please," Melissa begged jokingly. She winked in an attempt to act cutely.
Merlin shortly grabbed her hand and took her away to the village square.
"Come on! Let's move..., we're gonna be late if you keep playing around like this." Merlin hurried his companion.
"Okay!" She replied. While walking away, Melissa looked back at the store. "Goodbye old man!" She said while waving her hand.
"Uh." The clerk nodded and he returned to sit in his wooden chair.
They then continued their quest towards the village square.
Once they reached the square, they saw a lot of children gathering with their parents. Some were running around playing, while some were conversing together.
The chattering of the villager does make this village lively. As they were walking through the crowd, their eyes met with familiar faces.
"Olaf! Randal!" Merlin waved his hand vigorously.
They were a good friend of his. Olaf and Randal were the grandsons of Jotnarg the store owner from earlier. Olaf, the black-haired older sibling, was short but skinny. His face had no facial hair but was full of freckles. While Randal, the younger sibling, was taller and plumper. Strangers often mistook him for the older siblings instead.
"You're comin' to eh?" Olaf shared his remarks.
"Yup!" Melissa gave her thumbs up.
Randal took a glance at Merlin.
"What's with that face Merlin? Aren' you guys excited about what kin' of magic we can do?"
Merlin was nervous.
"He's just nervous!" Shouted his female companion.
"Melissa!" Merlin yelled as a reaction. His face reddened.
"Bwuahahaha!" Merlin's attitude made the siblings laugh.
"I get it. I get it. I'm also a bit nervous. I'm also praying that I can get abilities that can help me to continue my father's smithies. What about you guys?" Olaf shared his feelings with his brother and good friends.
"To be honest, I don't care!" Melissa shared her thoughts with such a carefree attitude. "What about you, Merlin?" She then asked her male companion.
"Well, for me..."
His dialogue was interrupted.
The sound of horses and a carriage suddenly intruded the ears of the villagers. The bishop and his guards have arrived.
His appearance was drenched in decadence. Skinny body, and wrinkled face. Towering with charisma, he stood on a wooden stage prepared by the finest woodworker in the village. two guards stood by his side and the rest stood near his well-crafted carriage.
"Listen well, children of God!" The bishop raised both of his hands.
The villagers were astonished by such gracious existence.
"All of you will die today at the hands of my guards! Think of this as the way of repentance for your sins towards the Gods!"
The whole village was then, shrouded with a heavy atmosphere, that was fear.