Chapter 1: The Nightmare

A Chapter by kyeeeeer

The first chapter that tells how Rune lived as a farmer in the town of Alkea where he met Serena.

"Rune! Time for your lunch!", Serena shouted with a bright smile on her face as he looked at the young boy who was working on the fields under the sun.

"Don’t shout my name! I am not yet sure if that was my real name though.", Rune answered uncomfortably as he walked towards the young girl with light brown hair. As he sat down on the bench to rest, he put down his hoe and watering can beside the large oak tree. The sun was shining brightly that afternoon and the summer heat was roasting their skins. Thanks to the shade of the tree that gave them a nice spot to rest.

"Rune was way better than ‘Farmer-504’, though. Let’s just stick to that name, okay?", Serena suggested and she sat beside him and gave Rune his lunch for the day.

"Oh, and how did you figure out that it was your name?", Serena asked.

"I had a dream last night.", he replied solemnly. "In that dream, someone was calling me 'Rune'." he added as he combed backwards his blue hair with his fingers, revealing his sweaty forehead.

"It’s weird. Oh, by the way, how are your watermelons? Are they ready for the summer festival?", she added while looking at Rune’s fields.

"I think they are. I just followed all your instructions.", Rune answered as he wiped his forehead and later on took a bite at his lunch.

"Good! The royals would be glad if they tasted those watermelons, especially Princess Lufia.", she added and looked at Rune.

"Why? Is it her favorite?", Rune asked nervously while chewing.

"Yes. She will pay you thrice or even higher than its normal price if she was satisfied with your watermelons. If that happens, you can renovate your house immediately to the same house I have right now. Or even better than mine!", Serena explained.

"Wow. I didn’t know that. You hadn't even mentioned it earlier. So, that’s why you are very excited about planting those watermelons, huh?", Rune said with a smirk on his face and took a sip at his water container.

"Yes. It was also surprising that they gave you that task. I am still wondering why?", Serena said as her face turned to her fields.

"But enough of talking. We should get back to our work to finish earlier since we are going to shop later, okay?", Serena added and stood again to go on her fields.

"Again?!", Rune answered, but Serena just waved her hand and laughed.

It has been almost 5 months since Rune arrived in the town of Alkea. He was also working for almost 4 months with the help of Serena. Rune quickly learned a lot from her since then.

Every farmer in the town of Alkea was given a small piece of land that is enough for growing crops and a small house for their shelter. Right now, there are 30 farmers, including Rune, that are working in the town. They are given different sets of farming chores based on their experiences. These sets have different types of crops to be planted. In Rune’s situation, he was given a set of crops that was not suitable for beginners, so Serena always helped him if he had questions.

After Rune finished his farm chores for the day, he took a bath and prepared himself for Serena’s errand in the town later at night. While wearing his clothes, he noticed the scar on the left side of his chest. As he touched it, the door suddenly opened.

"Rune! Are you---", Serena shouted and got shocked at her own doings. She immediately went outside and closed the door.

"Hey!", Rune exclaimed as he turned his head to the door and later on wore his clothes quickly.

"I am sorry!", Serena shouted and laughed hard.

"Why are you laughing?", Rune asked as he finished wearing his clothes.

"You are an idiot! I told you to lock your doors at night!", Serena answered.

"So, it is my fault that you suddenly barged into my house?", Rune asked her in confusion.

"No. Let’s just forget it. We should go now. The stores will be closed soon. Get outside now!", Serena exclaimed.

As Rune stepped outside, he was grabbed by Serena in his hand and the two of them ran towards the town. The first store that they visited was the general store, where they bought new seeds for the fall season.

"Hey, what seeds am I going to buy again?", Rune asked Serena nervously.

"Look at your list, idiot.", Serena answered without turning her head to Rune as she was browsing at the shelves.

"That’s my problem. I forgot my list.", Rune said while scratching his head. Serena then turned her head at him and pinched his cheeks.

"What did I tell you?!", Serena asked furiously.

"To always bring my list?", Rune answered while his eyes were closed.

"And why did you forget it again?!", she asked again.

"Because---", as Rune would say something, Serena interrupted him.

"Nevermind it! I am used to your reasoning." Serena said and then giggled.

"What was your farm set again? Set C, am I right?", Serena added.

"Yes. Set C.", Rune answered.

Serena then turned her head to the shelves and picked some random bags of seeds and gave them to Rune. Rune was confused as he held the 2 bags of seeds. He read its labels.

"Carrot, and Spinach. Hey, Serena, are these mine?", Rune asked.

"No, that’s mine. Here are yours, Yam, and Green Pepper.", Serena switched the bags of seeds that Rune was holding.

"I am still wondering why they gave you the Set C since you are just a beginner.", Serena added while going to the counter.

"Good evening, Miss Serena.", said the young man behind the counter.

"Good evening, too, Kayl.", Serena answered with a sweet voice. She looked at Rune and ordered him to follow her.

Kayl, the general store owner, inspects all of the bags of seeds she bought. They are all good and ready for planting within the fall season. Serena paid for the items using her gold coins.

There are three ways of paying for items and goods inside the town of Alkea. The first one and the most common in every store is the over-the-counter transactions, where you will just pay for the items, goods, or products you buy with gold coins. The second one is the delivery transaction. If you are lazy or just don’t have the energy to go to the town, you can just call in every store for what items, goods, or products you want, but at higher prices, since you will also pay for the delivery service. The last one is the trading system. If you don’t have enough gold for the item you want and you have an item that you don’t need in your hand, you can try to negotiate and trade it over-the-counter. The only items that farmers must not trade are their crops and livestock products since they must ship them to the right place.

"It’s your turn, Rune.", Serena said.

"I have another problem.", he answered and scratched his head again.

"Okay. This will be the last time that I will do this, okay?", Serena whispered to him. Rune just nodded his head as an answer. Serena switched the items she held to Rune’s items and paid it at the counter.

After they stepped outside the general store, Serena punched Rune’s right shoulder as a sign that she was pissed off. Her face is very upset and it seems like she would like to punch him again.

"Sorry, okay? I just forgot to bring everything since you grabbed me immediately.", Rune said, but Serena turned her face away from him. It was a minute of silence. The only thing that the two heard was the sound of cicadas during the night. The moon was also in its full phase.

"Honestly, I even forgot to put my shoes on.", Rune added that broke the silence.

Serena turned her head down to look at Rune’s feet, and she was surprised that Rune was telling the truth. She felt sorry for him, but still, she laughed hard.

"Why didn’t I notice that earlier?", she asked herself while laughing.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened tonight. I am really sorry.", she added.

"Forgiven. Just don’t get excited again, okay?" Rune asked.

"Yes. I am sorry, again.", she answered as she stopped from laughing and smiled at Rune.

"And I think you should just wait here while I am going to the blacksmith to get my sickle.", Serena added.

"No. I will go with you.", Rune refused.

"But--- Ah!", Serena was interrupted when some drunkards from the bar at her back pushed her away and stumbled upon Rune.

"Hey! Watch where you are going!", Rune exclaimed while helping Serena to stand up.

"Are you okay?", he asked Serena.

"Yes, I am.", she answered.

"Hey young man! Don’t shout at’as! Yer the one who’s blocking ar’ way!", one of the drunkards exclaimed and suddenly grabbed and punched Rune on his stomach.

"Hey!", Serena exclaimed as she was trying to help Rune but she was blocked by the other drunkards. She can’t do anything but watch Rune being punched by the drunkards.

"Hey! What’s going on in here?!", a familiar voice was heard by Serena and she was sure that it was a royal knight that patrols every night in Alkea town.

"Alexis! Help!", she shouted. Alexis rushed to Serena’s side while the drunkards fled and left Rune in a bad condition. Serena and Alexis helped him to stand but Rune was unconscious.

"Let’s take him to the clinic right away.", Alexis suggested and helped Rune to reach the clinic. After Rune was resting and still unconscious, Alexis immediately left them as he was on his duty. Serena thanked him for his help.

Rune woke up in the clinic bed. He can’t speak but he can move his body without feeling a little pain. He noticed Serena, who was sleeping at that time, in the corner of the room. He tried to call her name but no words were coming out of his mouth. He got up and walked towards Serena to try to wake her up, but as he walked, his surroundings changed. One snap of his eye, he was transported to a familiar world, but he can’t remember anything about it. He saw a young lady and a young man. They were crying. As he blinked, another familiar scene was witnessed by his eyes. It looks like a forest. He can’t remember anything about it, but he was surprised as he saw a young man who looked like a wolf. That time, Rune was frightened and stunned. The wolf-like young man looked and ran towards him. Rune tried to run and scream for help, but he couldn’t. As the wolf-like young man approached, he simply closed his eyes. Later on, he heard something. Someone was calling his name, "Rune". It was a man’s voice. He opened his eyes and he saw an old man with golden hair. Its ears were pointed, which he noticed. After that, the voice changed from a man’s voice to a woman’s voice.

"Rune! Wake up!" Rune suddenly woke up and looked at his surroundings. He couldn’t see his surroundings as his vision was blurred. Then he touched his face. Tears are falling down from his eyes.

"Rune? Are you okay? Looks like you’re having a nightmare.", Serena asked worriedly. Rune didn’t answer but was still crying. Serena just patted his back. She can wait for Rune’s answer, but she can’t stand the young man’s condition as he cries with grief and confusion. Also confused, Serena comforted him and let him cry on her shoulders.

After Rune calmed and stopped from crying, he looked at Serena and told her that he was longing for something he couldn’t explain.

"What was your nightmare all about?", Serena asked.

"I saw familiar faces but I can’t recall any details about them. It seems like my heart can remember it but my head can't.", Rune answered as he touched his banded forehead.

"Don’t force yourself to remember all of those things you saw in your nightmare. For now, you should get more rest and get well. Your bruises and wounds are swelling.", Serena said and let Rune lay back again on the bed.

"Everything will be fine. Just get well soon before the summer festival. Princess Lufia is waiting for the watermelons, so we must be there to present them to her. Don’t let our hard work become useless, okay?", Serena added as she walked towards the wooden window to open it and inhaled the fresh air that came inside the room. The sun was shining brightly at that time, but the wind was very humid as a sign that fall is near.

"And don’t worry, Alexis said that those drunkards were under investigation. They will pay for what they did to a farmer.", Serena said while looking outside the hospital’s windows.

"And you should thank Alexis personally when you get well. He is the one who took you here.", she added and turned her head to Rune’s bed and saw that the young man was peacefully sleeping in the comfort of the hospital bed.

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© 2021 kyeeeeer

Author's Note

This is a work of fiction.
(Don't hesitate to give this work a review. I will take all of your comments.)

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First thing is that this is all one big block of text and I keep forgetting where I'm reading

I am noticing some grammar errors

I also just realized that you didn't ask for reviews I'm so sorry :(

Please ignore these comments then omg

What are they doing that he wiped sweat off his forehead?? I'm kind of just imagining them both out in the fields right now or something

I'm surprised that they're even letting him participate in the summer festival as well since he didn't even know his own name not long ago and people were calling him a spy; I would think that would be like a huge conspiracy kind of thing in this town

I'm genuinely really liking the dynamic that Rune and Serena have I didn't realize I'd like it that much and also I like that the one guy's name is Kayl like kale because he owns the seed shop

I like that Alexis and Serena are on a first-name basis even if she patrols there often anyway

and that's all from me my apologies but I really hope you keep uploading new chapters because I would love to read more of this, the plot is intriguing and you really don't have to take anything I said into consideration it was just a few things buttttt have a nice day/night :)