5. Village Rumors.

ChaptThe Celestial Village was a unique and wonderful place to live. With its abundance of natural resources and its hard working inhabitants, it became a place of prosperity and growth. The people of the village were able to use their resources to create a better life for themselves and their families. It was a place of true paradise and also the object of jealousy from the village's neighbors, who had ignored them all the while.

The people of the Celestial Village were all diligent, their ruler provided them with education and resources most would not even consider. They were able to mine gold and raw minerals to create a thriving economy, their mountains bountiful. As a result, the number of wealthy nobles increased significantly over the years. At first, the nobles had remained down to earth, contributing just as much as they earned. But as generations passed, a sense of hierarchy was forming, though not one that anyone dared to mention just yet, all clinging to their fairy-tale-esque past to acknowledge its shameful future.

They had worked their way to freedom from Salem, another village known for its tyranny. After battling with them for a while, they were finally granted their freedom. With their hardworking nature, they were able to grow their village into a resourceful one that gradually became the envy of the other twenty-seven villages.

When the deal with the dragon came out, they were in disarray because they loved each other so much; they didn't know who to send off to perform the risky task of awakening the dragon. Even the higher ups refused to lend their servants for the task.

So when the villagers had heard that someone was willing to risk his life for the task, they all gathered to find out about them.

"I heard a man say he was going to take up the task earlier today." Fraco told his father. Their servant had just brought news from the castle that the king was taking a young man to the dragon's cave to awaken the dragon. "If it was indeed Marjun and his father who were with the King at the castle, then I believe it's the same man from this morning."

Guido stroked his chin in deep thought. "Fraco, you don't suppose that Marjun and that old rat, actually planned this to reinstate himself to the King's cabinet, do you?"

Fraco hummed a little, a mischievous glint in his eye. "It may very well be the case, for Marjun was provoked when I had mentioned the fact that his father was sent out from the King's cabinet."

"That old rat! I knew that his silence was akin to that of the graveyard! Calm before the storm!" Guido exclaimed. Fraco chuckled darkly. "Father, be calm. For even if Marjun tells his father and his father tells the King, if the young man does not wake the dragon, it's still a waste."

"That's true, my boy. But this man you speak of, is he a peasant or a noble?"

"I cannot say. He did dress like a noble, but he still managed to appear rough and rogue. I wonder what noble family he came out from." Fraco said.

Guido hiccuped. "Ahh." He breathed out.

"Well my boy, if he is as you have described, then he might belong to the beggar's community. If he is indeed a noble, then it cannot be far-fetched from that pig's household."

"Pig?" Fraco asked in confusion.

"Yes, Aaron." Guido explained. "That old man Aaron is a dirty pig!"

The servants heard their conversation and spread the news to other servants when they went to the market.

"Have you heard yet?"

"What?"

"I heard the King found someone to wake the dragon! A young handsome man, for the matter!"

"Oh, such a waste of youthful years!"

"Shh! Don't say such things. For if the King hears you, he shall be very mad and his anger will be kindled against you." One of the sellers cautioned. She hated having gossip in her stall. They always managed to trail it back to her. The servants lingered a bit, and then fled when she glared at them and threatened to charge them a higher price.

The servants went home and told their own master about it. "Sir, there has been news spreading in the market."

"How many times have I told you that the market's words are frail and untrue? Do not spread them like a jobless fool with no utter sense."

"Oh but sir it came straight from the castle!"

"Hm. What did you hear after all?"

"I heard that the King has found someone to wake the dragon!"

The reactions were one and the same. Who the hell would want to kill himself by going to wake the dragon?

Everyone wanted to know the person. Everyone wanted to see the person. And no matter how noble one was, they still wanted to know who this stupid savior was. Did they not realize that their excitement might be what the young man was after?

The nobles began to dress. The King had finally sent out his crier into the village to announce the event.

The crier was a special guard in the castle that was sent round the village, blowing a loud trumpet and shouting whatever message the King wanted to share round. Usually when people heard the sound of the trumpet, they would keep quiet so as to grab the words from the castle.

This time, the man had gone round to announce that the young man who had decided to risk his life for the villagers would be taken to meet the dragon that evening. Everyone was invited to come and watch.

Some people had taken it on a lighter note, but curiosity took a better part of them. They began to file out from their respective homes, one after the other. Some greeted each other, some kept to themselves. Everyone headed to the hillside where the dragon cave was located. They got there and met emptiness. There were no signs of the King or anyone else being there.

"Has the King played a trick on his subjects?" Someone yelled from among the villagers and the rest began to murmur among themselves. "Quiet! If we make any noise, that vengeful beast shall awake and have our heads for an early dinner."

The crowd fell silent again, only awkward shuffling and muted hisses echoing. The people waited. But not long after, they soon heard the sound of horses approaching. It was the King's carriage. He had just arrived and with him were Marjun and his father, a few guards, and a man whom the majority of the villagers knew. Everyone who knew him, and each knew him differently.

But why did he choose to risk his life for such a thing? Did he really not care about anything in life for him to want to die?