Black and White

In the North, before the name of Faranza, twelve hundred years ago was the prosperous land of King Zarkhaïm. The farms around the castle were full of life, it was a land of many colors and rich culture.

A young man was working in the field. He was strong with tanned skin by the sun, and long black hair flying with his movement in the light breeze. He was used to hard manual work, wearing a comfortable linen shirt, his clothes were not rich but he had a large smile. He was simply happy when suddenly a voice called for him. Someone was coming to him rapidly. 

A woman of a certain age quickly joined the young man. She whispered something in his ear. In an expression of worry, he dropped his tool on the floor and ran into the house. It was a chimney with a kind of broken metal pot containing soup. On the floor was a bit of straw used for bedding. Inside their house was a very poor place, there were three people in total living there. The old lady, the young man with black hair, and another young man of the same age. This last one was lying on the straw. He was coughing. 

The young man came to the one on the floor and slapped his chest with vigor. The man's coughing stopped for a while, he felt better. This man was slightly different. His skin was translucent, his hair was white, and his eyes were red. His body in general was very fine and had no muscles. An obvious sickness and an extreme weakness were having a great impact on him. 

These young men were Miroïr and Jäwell, and the lady watching them with love, terribly affected by how powerless she was, was their mother. 

Unlike his brother, Jäwell was very handsome, his face and bulging muscles were perfect. He forced a smile on his face as he wanted to reassure everybody in the room. 

"Miro, I will bring you your medicine, okay? Wait for me. I run." 

He went outside while Miroïr appeared sad and worried. Their mother followed him on the path. 

"Jäwell, do you have a solution? Don't tell him things that you cannot guarantee. We cannot afford more pills. You know it." 

He patted her shoulder with tenderness, the boy was taller than her by at least two heads. 

"Don't worry, I will have a solution." 

Then, Jäwell threw a bag on his shoulder and ran in the direction of the city. He didn't waste time once he arrived on the main street, sweating and tired from his trip, he went straight to a shop and entered. It was an herbal shop, and the man welcomed him with an anxious face.

"You already come back? How is your brother?" 

Jäwell lowered his head.

"Bad, he stopped breathing four times just this morning. The plants have no effect anymore. Do you have an idea?" 

The man nodded, "I have, but you will not approve. I know you don't want to hear this but you are killing yourself for him. Your poor mother would not support losing you both, you must preserve yourself."

"Thanks, I will do my best. Tell me your idea, I can work more. I am fine, look at me. I am so strong. I can do everything!" Jäwell smiled. 

The man laughed while giving him a piece of paper. Jäwell took it, growling. 

"I can do everything except read. Tell me what it is." 

The herbalist threw a hand on his forehead, he seemed to forget the young man had no education. 

"It is a pamphlet for the army. You could join the militia, you would be in the local squadron. This way you would have access to the military doctor, they have a much better stock than me, they could give you what he needs and you would have more money but it means you could not care for him every day anymore."

Jäwell seemed to be thinking about it.

"I think I will pass. There is too much work at the farm, Mother would not manage alone. Can you imagine? I took everything I had with a little value. Just give me what you can for Miro and I will search for another job to pay you more next time." 

The man smiled at him with true affection but he had a sad look as he prepared a bag of plants for him.

"Jäwell. You know the plants will have fewer and fewer effects until..." 

The man stopped himself. Jäwell had a dark gaze. He couldn't face the truth and he had an incredible faith in his brother's strength. 

"Thank you. I will repay you as fast as I can."

Outside, there were plenty of beggars. Some of them were dying or already dead on the floor. The street was dirty and it was rainy when Jäwell ran back to their house full of hope and resolve. 

Once he joined his brother, he opened the bag to provide him with medicine and help him in an emergency but he saw the pamphlet had been slid inside. He tried to hide it but his brother saw it and asked him. Jäwell refused, this looked even more suspicious. 

"Why don't you want to show me? You don't even know how to read," Miroïr insisted.

Jäwell finally gave it to him, lowering his eyes as he already knew what his brother would say. Miroïr raised his chest and sat. He read the paper with great interest and his face lit up. 

"My brother, I don't plan to leave, don't worry. It's just Merik who placed it in your bag. I already told him I am not interested," Jäwell tried to justify. 

Miroïr was overjoyed at this moment, he could not let go of this opportunity and had to convince his brother.

"Jäwell! You have to accept this! Do you realize what it is? It is your pass to freedom!" 

Their mother entered the house right after, alerted by the loud talking, "What happened to you two?" 

Miroïr talked to her with a lot of excitement.

"King Zarkhaïm is coming back from the front, he is recruiting a militia to protect the city. The payment is good, Jäwell could go, he could live there, and he could have a bed, food, and money. Mother, help me to convince him." 

She seemed also suddenly very excited. 

"Jäwell, is it true? You must leave. I will find a solution, we will manage and, anyway, the militia is based in the castle. You will not be far. Look, it took you four hours to run twice, go and back. You could see your brother often." 

Jäwell was cornered. He had no other choice than to accept. The day after he went back to the shop and placed the paper on the table. Merik smiled at him with a victorious expression.

"They convinced you?" 

Jäwell grumbled, "You trapped me." 

The man's laughter resonated in the herbal shop loudly.

"Don't worry, everybody will be there for Miro and your mother. They will be safe. I promise you, I will deliver his medicine to him myself every day. You can pay me once per week only to gain time after you get your first salary. Is it ok, little one?" 

Jäwell frowned, he was taller than the man in front of him, he was not little anymore but what could he say in front of a man who saw him growing? The young man finally nodded in approval. Merik, could not be happier. He led the path outside the shop immediately and Jäwell followed him in the streets to the castle. The man went to the guard at the entrance and gave them a piece of paper with the sign of his shop on it. Just after another man joined them outside. This man had a beautiful costume in rich fabric. He was noble and elegant and Jäwell was intimidated by him while the man talked to Merik. 

"Is that the Royal Seal? Did the King ask you to recruit? We let everyone do the recruitment now."

He then turned to Jäwell with contempt, "Come with me for your instruction, we'll see if we can make something of you."

Jäwell embraced Merik to say goodbye and followed the man, the herbalist came back to his little shop with the smile of a man who did a good job. Merik was full of joy about what happened that day. Later in the evening, he went to the farm to deliver the medicine to Miroïr as promised. 

Miroïr stood up after seeing Merik coming inside, he was so excited that he couldn't wait for him to completely enter.

"Is it done? Is Jäwell in the militia? How was it?!" 

Merik laughed wholeheartedly, "You two, you are truly something. Yes, he joined. The main guard accepted my recommendation. I am sure he will be integrated very fast and he will be very happy there."

The mother was preparing a kind of potato soup during their discussion. This evening they ate all three together in joy. 

In the capital, Jäwell prepared himself for his first evening alone. It never happened to him to be separated from his brother this way. They had only one room on the farm and this was the first time Jäwell would sleep without his twin.

His thoughts were full of worries for his brothel, Miroïr was celebrating the freedom of his brother, but Jäwell couldn't stop thinking of him. Jäwell ended up walking most of the night in a corridor in front of the dormitory asking himself if he had made a good choice. 

Eventually, he sat down leaning his back to the wall, and fell over from exhaustion. He didn't notice the elegant man in a black coat walking to him in the corridor and silently laying a blanket over him without disturbing his sleep.