Chapter 3- The End and the new beginning

The village before us was a simple village, simple people lived in this village harbouring simple dreams while going through their day simply. The hunters hunt from dawn until dusk. The farmers farm and the drunkards drink. There are no crimes simply because the residents have family histories spanning for generations and so they all have enough to survive. The village is located at a desolate area far from the big and prosperous cities. In fact, the villagers would have no idea about the kingdom were it not for the occasional low-tier merchants trying their luck or the kingdoms tax collectors.

The village's north side was surrounded by a great green forest and a river that is essential for the village's survival, while the south side of the village leads into the kingdom and thus the great cities that seem so far removed from the mind of the common people in this village. As for the east and west? Well, the only thing thing found there were vast distances of plains filled with stone.

The houses in the village were for the most part of similar size and made of stone, except for some which were made out of wood such as some stalls in the marketplace which was located in the centre of the village. Just like the rest of the village the marketplace was relatively small and simple having some farmers that sold their products, a blacksmith and a tailor. The village's roads reflected the status of the village, meaning that they were just simple and primitive mud-roads and just existed there with no greater reason.

A youth was walking to a house as which was as simple as everything else in this village with a frustrated expression. The youth was wearing a simple grey woolen jacket and pants together with sandals made of straw. His frustration could not hide his tiredness which made his back hunched and forced him to drag his spade. This is so exhausting! was the only thing in his mind as he made his way into the house.

The inside of the house was a big room that was separated into four areas. The first area that he directly came into was the place where all the animals were kept. They had chickens, pigs and their most prized possession an ox that effectivized their farming. Looking at the ox the youth's eyes were filled with appreciation. To think that an ox is all that is so needed for a simple family to raise their social standing a notch. After the area where the animals were located you could find the storage area were all the food and other crops were to be stored for winter, together with all kinds of other farming tools. The other areas were a resting place for three and a simple area with a fire which was meant to be a kitchen.

The youth almost immediately upon entering the house smelled something that made him immediately forget his suffering and sheer exhaustion from working at the farm, he smelled something so great that it made him sprint into the kitchen while shouting all the way in excitement:" Is it meat?!?!". Inside the kitchen was an old looking woman who was stirring a pot with extreme focus she answered the youth: " Yes, your father was barely able to get this by trading some stuff. You know we can't kill our own animals due to us having need of their products which means that meat is rare and we can only procure some by exchanging other products." the woman said in a tired but simple voice as if she was only stating a normal fact repeatedly, the youth went to the table and sat next to her. However, the youth did not listen to her as his focus was drawn to the pot while barely containing his drool.

The peace, however, did not last for long as a middle-aged man stepped into the house with irritation "Para, how dare you! GO quickly and do something productive you worthless piece of shit. Why can't you be more like your brother, he got accepted into a prestigious sect and has a life of glory in front of him while all you do is laze around in my house while complaining and mooching of me and your mother." the middle aged man vented all his frustration on Para without think how much it hurt Para. The man who alway treated Para bad was his step father as his real father died a long time ago and therefore did not hold a lot of affection for Para. However, Para never complained because he knew how much affection his mother held for this man.

Just some more time and I'll be leaving. I`ve saved money ever since I arrived into this world so that i could use the money as capital for my breakthrough. But what about the way to the cities, should I ask the merchants for help or should I just try my luck travelling without any guidance? Para was a rational youth which meant that he found some truth in his step father's words. Most of his peers were married and had children as well as a house and income but Para refused to spend his money on an occupation, that he found to be a waste of time, and he unluckily had no talent for the mystical Life energy like his step brother. Therefore, he could only silently bear the pain while patiently waiting for the day he would finally have enough capitali for him to start his plans.

Para could only forcefully leave while his mother kept silent with mixed emotions flashing through her eyes. In this day and age a widow supporting a child was one of the worst situations and was hard on both the child and the mother, she luckily was able to quickly find a new partner and so support her child. However, the woman also knew that she could say nothing to change the situation and therefore kept the pain hidden inside while saying nothing.

Para went to his bed and pulled out a small box from underneath. Para took it out in a fluid motion while holding it with extreme care because it held his most precious things. The box sat on the bed and was covered with scratches and scars caused by time and extended use. It's worn out appearance brought waves of melancholy and determination. Unlocking the box brought light to the four things inside; a pouch, a necklace, a comb and a small piece of impure glass.

The necklace was a simple woven string with a blue colored stone attached to it. This necklace is the only memory he had left from his father who left him all those years ago so he treasured it like crazy, this necklace represented his past. The comb was simple, made out of wood and belonged to his mother but he was given this comb when she received a new one for her anniversary with his stepfather, so took it so that he could keep it as memory when he left, this was his present. The pouch was made out of a rare and precious leather which meant that it was both hardy and would not tear easily due to the material being of such great quality, inside the pouch you could see around 200 copper coins all of whom reflected the light coming in the room, this pouch represented his hope. The final item, was the glass he got it from a mercenary who came and spoke about this product which had gone to waste apparently, the mercenary spoke of how the nobles treasured perfect glass more than gold, this bit of glass was his future.