Chapter 1A Chapter by Bobby“Good morning Yori.”
The
slender boy walked through the door of the charming kitchen, raising his right
arm to block out the light from his hazel eyes. The morning sun shone through
the window overlooking their small family farm, revealing the tint of orange in
his shaggy, light brown hair. He wore an off-white tunic and baggy brown pants,
done up with a leather belt. Inquisitive eyes surveyed the view outside,
adjusting to the abrupt brightness. The window faced the quaint barn, sun
glinting off of the few spots on the hinges that were not rusted. A small field
sat nestled behind it. It stood in contrast to itself; the untouched light
brown soil on the left of the barn, the dark brown of freshly tilled soil on
the right.
His
mother glanced at him with a smile on her face as she prepared him a bowl of
food, her own hair of a similar tone held in a bun above her head. Shallow
wrinkles graced her kind features. Mrs. Yoshinaga’s simple blue dress was
slightly worn, and hung on her loosely. Aware of all of the work that needed to
get done today, the woman placed a bowl on the table promptly, sliding it in
front of a pulled-out chair, and urged the boy to eat. Yori took his mother’s
advice and swiftly ate his breakfast of porridge and bread. She rinsed a plate
she was holding in the sink in front of her as he wolfed down his food, and
dried her hands on her stained apron. After thanking his mother for the food, Yori
headed out in search of his father. The sweet spring air greeted him, making
him excited about the day ahead. It may just seem like chores to others, but to
Yori it was a life he thoroughly enjoyed every day. Like his
father always said, “Nothing beats hard work,
patience, and the accomplishments that come with them.” Yori had
learned in his sixteen years to embrace this ideal. The feeling of
accomplishment that came with a harvest was second to none.
Yori hopped
down the run-down wooden steps of the family home’s front porch. Using his left
hand, he steadied himself on the chipped wooden pillar that supported the porch
awning, and headed towards the barn. The building was painted deep red, but
many years had passed and most of the colour had chipped away from wear and
weather, leaving large patches of grey-tinted wood poking through the dull
colour. The faint smell of manure wafted up to his nostrils as he breathed in
the crisp air, taking a deep breath to welcome the day. Making his way over to
the large wooden door of the barn, he grasped the rusted handle and pushed it
aside. Flakes of red paint drifted to the ground as the door creaked open. Yori
walked over to a stall that was open to a small grass field behind the barn and
reached his hand down to pat the animal standing by the stall gate. A beige
sheep tilted its head upwards towards the boy, anticipating his arrival. “Good
morning, girl, I’ll come by later on and give you more oats, and maybe a treat
too.” This was
his routine every morning. The family could not afford much but they had some
sheep and chickens for clothing and eggs. His mother was quite skilled at
weaving yarn, and often would sell items in the town. Yori
found his father out in the field plowing, making slow, but thorough progress.
His brow was furrowed with effort, sweat already beading on his wrinkled
forehead. It
seems like every year the labour appears to wear him down faster. Yori was
solemn as he thought about his father, eager to relieve some of the burden.
His
father spoke without taking his eyes off of his tilling. The man wore the same
thing he wore every day; torn brown overalls and a beige long-sleeve shirt
underneath. A tattered brown hat was tucked into his belt.
“I know,
but she’s still my little baby girl. It may be selfish of me, but I want to
spend every second I can with her before she goes off to the big city life and
leaves us behind.” Yori’s
father looked grave for a moment, then quickly shook his head and continued
working. Yori eagerly attempted to cheer his father up. “It’s ok
dad, it won’t kill her to fall a little behind. And she won’t forget us just
because she’s been Blessed by the God of Fire. You, on the other hand, might
just keel over if you don’t let me help you with the plowing.” “You
might be on to something there.” The
sturdy man finally stopped and looked up at him, wiping moisture from his face
with a worn cloth dangling from his waste. His orange hair looked like fire, illuminated
by the sun behind him. He fumbled with the cloth, the stiffness in his joints
becoming apparent at handling the small item. “How
about you go grab Naoki? That boy’s the size of a bear, we’ll be done in no
time with his help.” “Yeah,
I’ll do that. I think he enjoys it anyways.” “Of
course he does, he gets to escape that nagging mother of his. Not a hair can be
out of place with that woman.”
Naoki’s
house was on the other side of town, albeit it was a small town. As Yori walked
the short distance it took to get to the abode, he took in the sights and
sounds around him as he made the short journey. The sun peaked over the wooden
rooftops, bathing them in warm light. Many of the roof slats on the houses in
the village were worn but still sturdy. Anyone could tell that care went into
building these houses years ago when the area was first inhabited by humans. His
eyes wandered to the ladies chatting at the small market, hearing one of them mention
his sister. The women noticed him and smiled, then continued their conversation,
more guarded than before. He
sighed and rolled his eyes. His little sister was getting quite a bit of
unwanted attention, mostly in the form of jealousy from the other villagers. Ignoring
the women now, Yori glanced at the faint glow coming from the floating crystal
in the middle of town square. The sky-blue stone hovered over a small garden,
protected by an unseen barrier. The stone was about the size of his head. It
glinted in the sunlight with whisps of magic glittering around where the sun
struck the stone. The blue glow from the crystal was dampened by the sun
beating on it. This was a monster core; the source of the barrier surrounding,
and protecting, the small village. Yori was well-aware that no village could
survive without one. It alone was credited with allowing humans to create
civilizations without being destroyed by monsters. As he
approached Naoki’s well kempt house, Yori quietly wondered whether they would
make the time up having an extra person for the day. He was certain that his
father had ulterior motives for sending him to visit his friend. Yori’s parents
were far too kind and often put too much on themselves for the sake of letting
their children relax. I’m
not a boy anymore though. I’ll have to make a life for myself eventually. If he
had received anything other than the Blessing of the Villager, he would already
have finished school and would be working on his own, a life his sister had to
look forward to. Knock,
Knock A woman
opened the door, towering over Yori. Her smile caused slight wrinkles around
her gentle brown eyes. Her black hair was neatly pulled back in a half
ponytail. The woman quickly smoothed a crease out of her white apron and simple
green dress. “Hello,
Yori. Looking for little Naoki, are you?”
The two
of them chuckled.
She
turned her head away from him briefly and shouted, her voice echoing up the
wooden stairs. A baluster was missing towards the bottom of the rail. “Naoki!
Yori’s here!” “Thanks
mom, I’m heading out, I’ll see you later. Hey Yori.” As Yori
and Mrs. Taguchi exchanged pleasantries Naoki walked out the door to join his
friend. Naoki’s frame towered over Yori similar to his mother, but to more of
an extreme. He was quite massive, his muscles protruding from beneath his
clothes like an adult warrior’s. His messy dark brown hair and beige shirt with
a hole contrasted his mother’s pristine appearance. The burley boy made Yori
look like a child in comparison despite being the same age. The young men waved
to Mrs. Taguchi and headed towards Yori’s family farm. “You
know, you should really learn to ask why I’m here before saying bye to your mom
one of these days.” “Pfft,
it’s spring. I’m sure your dad could use a hand on the farm. Especially with
your scrawny arms.” Naoki
teased his friend about his small stature as he squeezed Yori’s bicep for
emphasis. “Plus,
you know you don’t even need to ask me for help.” “You’re lucky you added that last part, I was about
to smack you upside the head with these scrawny arms.” Yori
raised his right fist and flexed, placing his left hand over his bicep. Naoki
smirked at this remark and pretended to be scared. Naoki raised his hands in
front of his faced to protect himself from the imaginary onslaught, his auburn
eyes glinting in amusement. Naoki’s
robust strength always astonished Yori. They had been best friends since they
were small children. When Naoki was younger he was sickly and little, often
relying on Yori to help him. The roles had reversed now though, causing Yori to
always feel like he was taking advantage of his friend, who followed him without
question. To others it was apparent how grateful Naoki was to his friend for
being there for him when they were younger. “Hey, we
should stop by the market and see if there are any baked goods for sale today!
Can’t work on an empty stomach, right?” Glancing
at his friend, Yori shrugged lightly and smirked. “Sure,
if you want. Although it’s not like my mom wouldn’t feed you. You just want to
be eating at all times, I think.” They
veered towards the few stalls set up on the other side of town square. Houses
and a couple of stores lined the square, all in desperate need of repairs. “Yori,
Naoki! Could I ask a favour of you!” Their
gibes were interrupted by a frail voice calling to them from one of these adjacent
houses. The boys turned to see one of the villagers, Mrs. Handa, standing in
the doorway of her house. She extended a wrinkled hand and waved at them. The
woman’s grey hair was pinned up in a white bonnet, a dark blue dress adorned
her hunched posture. She took an unsure step towards them, leaning heavily on
the wooden cane in her left hand. Naoki’s face lit up with delight at her
request. She always had some chores for them to do in exchange for sweets. She
was a lovely old lady that everyone in the village respected, but her husband had
fallen quite ill. The boys knew that she had a hard time taking care of him all
by herself and did anything for her. Nothing was too much of an inconvenience if
it was for Mrs. Handa.
Yori
inquired as they approached, jogging towards her to limit the amount she had to
walk. They stopped in front of the woman as they got close, entering the shade
of her longstanding house. “Did you
make any more raspberry pie, ma’am?”
“Yes, of
course we can. I know how important it is that he has his medicine.” “Oh,
thank you, you two are so kind to us. I will be sure to make you something to
take home with you when you bring back the medicine.” She
handed them a coin purse, and patted Yori on the head with her left hand, following
it up by patting Naoki on the upper arm. Everyone
in the village knew that Mr. Handa was not long for this world as it was. Yori was
aware that without the medicine he took daily he likely would not even make it
through the night. Not only was this a truth not easy to face, but the medicine
had cost the Handas their life savings, adding more stress to their delicate
situation. Noaki and Yori were wise enough to recognize this. Whenever they did
chores for her they always brought her some food that she would make into a
delicious treat and share with them. It was their way of tricking her into
accepting gifts from them without feeling like a burden. Once they were out of
earshot of Mrs. Handa, Naoki piped up.
This was
all too common a story in the village of Oseford. Being a small farming town
there were few jobs for people with skills and abilities, so when someone was
born with a blessing from a god it meant leaving the small town to learn at an
academy and getting a job utilizing their talents. This would soon be the case
for Yori’s own younger sister, but he tried his best not to think about it. The two
of them started heading towards the market to purchase the herbs for Mrs. Handa
when Yori suddenly stopped, a pensive look furrowing his young brow. He
proposed a new plan to save the woman some money.
He
looked up at his friend to gauge the response to his foolish thought.
“It’s not as if every inch of the world is
covered in monsters. We’ll just be cautious and keep our eyes peeled. If we
come across any danger, we’ll run back to the village. We shouldn’t have to go
far; I could see them from inside the barrier.”
“Ok, let’s
do this, but we have to be extremely careful.” “Haha, I
knew your heart was bigger than your head. Follow me.” The two
scurried to the outskirts of town, keeping behind the houses to remain unseen.
They jogged with caution, trying to be as quiet as possible. They knew if
anyone caught them, they would be in for an earful. Hoping to avoid a
confrontation with a fellow villager they looked around them often, checking
their surroundings to ensure they were alone. No one was around that they could see. Naoki
and Yori peered at the shimmering, transparent wall in front of them, a part of
the bubble that wrapped around the small village of Oseford. Naoki pointed to a
small patch of a tall, thin plant up against a tree not far from the barrier.
They would have to walk about thirty feet to get to the herb, but it was right
in their sight. There were no monsters in visible at the moment. It seemed as
if they would actually be able to reach the herb in relative safety! Yori
looked over at his friend and lowered himself, bending his knees slightly to
begin his sprint to the plant. “Ready?” They had
never stepped foot outside the barrier before. From here it looked like a
confusing maze of wilderness. From stories they knew danger could be lurking
behind every tree. The shade thrown by the canopy leaves made the ground dark
and eerie compared to the open air of the village. Despite
their immediate fear, the boys exchanged a quick, unsure nod, and dashed outside
the shield. There were scattered trees and bushes between them and the herb,
the lush overgrown grass slowing them down slightly. They were surprised by how
quiet and serene the forest appeared. Without the haze of the shield obscuring
their view, the green trees and bushes seemed buzzing with life and freedom. Yori
did not let his surroundings distract him and was the first to the herb. He
began to uproot some of the plants as quickly as his hands would let him, his
pulse pounding in his head from the adrenaline of being outside of the barrier
for the first time in his life. His fingers pulverized the ground, digging out
the roots of the plants from the loamy soil. If I
can repot them and get them to grow then it will make the Handa’s lives a lot
easier. Naoki stood
watch behind him, his eyes darting at every noise, raising his fists in
preparation for the worst.
A noise
from behind them startled the boys as they both looked towards the noise. Their
eyes widened. Staring unmoving at a green bush. A flowering ivy plant had grown
through the bush’s branches, leaving beautiful patches of pale pink. “Crap,
something’s here.” Naoki’s
speech came out as barely a whisper. …. A small
creature with long ears poked out of the long grass.
Yori’s
heart jumped into his throat at Naoki’s first whisper, but calmed upon the
second. Although the outside world was home to monsters there were also many
animals, like rabbits, that called it home. Yori continued digging up the herbs. As he
finished plucking the plants from the dirt his eyes wandered to the rabbit
sitting a few feet from them, seemingly unaware of the two of them looking at
it. “Ok,
I’ve got them. Let’s get out of here….” Yori
squinted, and then slowly stood from his kneeling position in anticipation. “Wait…. are
those horns?”
Before
Yori could even finish his word the jackalope sprung towards him, smashing into
his shoulder before he had time to turn towards the barrier. The force knocked
him off of his feet as he hit the ground hard below him. Yori attempted catch
himself with his hand but it buckled underneath him. His heart raced while he
scrambled backwards away from the creature. What
am I doing here? Why did I make such a stupid mistake leaving the town? I
should know better not to leave without an escort. I hope Naoki can escape!
He felt
powerless. This tiny creature, insignificant in the grand scheme of things was
going to mean his demise. He realized that he was vulnerable on the ground and
had no way to escape, aware that he could never outrun the jackalope. Closing
his eyes, Yori prepared himself for death.
The
death did not come though. Instead, he heard a loud yell in a familiar voice
and a thud. Arms wrapped under his armpits and he was lifted to his feet.
© 2022 Bobby |
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Added on March 23, 2022 Last Updated on March 23, 2022 Author |