Since Liam observed the blue light at the age of nine, time has slipped by without him aware of it at all. That experience that seemed like a piece of a dream in the middle of the morning has become part of his everyday lifestyle.
The "system" that began with simple directions evolved into a new routine that gradually altered his physical structure, habits, and even his approach to regular daily activity. Each of the light warm-up motions he was shown in the past felt strange, rigid, and likely to make him embarrassed for others to see; over time, the training has already reached a basic level of modern knowledge. In five years of exercising his body did not instantly transform into a muscle-crazy, electric fist, but that is not to say that nothing has changed; now his breathing is longer, his stride is steadier, and his night's sleep is much more restful.
Protein deficiency was a hindrance to his physical development, and it was never really remedied; daily meals in the village rarely contained sufficient amounts of meat or other protein sources. Eggs only occasionally appear on the dinner table, while meat can only be obtained during major celebrations or when livestock must be slaughtered due to illness or unproductivity. Even if the results are not ideal, for Liam, who used to wear out from just lifting a bucket of water or hauling a few of woods, this progress is still a major accomplishment. He has even started to notice that his body is recovering sooner after a long day of work, his muscle stiffness used to last until the next day, and now it is gone in just a few hours; which for him is more than enough to make every day feel a little lighter.
Throughout the years, guests from the outside world would occasionally stop by their village. Autumn was always a time that left them exposed, because it was the end of the harvest in nearly all villages and storage barns were full. Appearance of the "tax demons" at this time of year would transform the relief of having just completed another harvest into anxiety; after all, there is no one would willingly relinquish the fruits of months of hard work to be traded for a piece of inked paper.
When the messenger arrived, the atmosphere of the village changed drastically; people became reserved, limiting conversations in front of guests, and children were banned from playing in the streets. Some families even hid part of their harvest in hidden sheds, or on the northern forest side; all done carefully, as the consequences of being discovered could be severe. In years when the record keepers don't show up the village breathes a sigh of relief; people talk more freely, children's laughter fills the air, and everyone feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off their shoulders (at least until the next fall arrives).
In between observing the changing dynamics of the village, Lawyer continued to sharpen his attention on things that he thought were important to understanding the world. Three names always caught his attention: Aelisca, Selisca, and Vinisca. Of the three, only one could be confirmed; Vinisca was the name of the kingdom they were in. The government system is a monarchy, although Lawyer has yet to find a clear picture of the power structure in it; whether the king has full control over all decisions, or the power is divided among the nobles with their respective territories.
Aelisca and Selisca are unsolved puzzles. From the scattered bits of information, they appear to be equal to or even higher than Vinisca; the similarity of the "sca" suffix in these three names is no coincidence. Lawyers suspected that there was a political or historical connection binding them, perhaps some sort of alliance, federation, or even part of a larger empire. However, it is all conjecture without concrete evidence. The main challenge is the limited sources of information; a small village like this is not a place that holds big answers, and people rarely talk about things beyond their daily lives.
Apart from the tax collectors, there is one other group that features prominently in the Lawyers' records: the priests. They came regularly, though they were just as infrequent as the tax messengers. Their presence is clear evidence that there is a structured religious organization outside the village, but the content of its teachings or doctrines remains unknown. The priests usually only stop by briefly, give a short sermon, bless a few families, and then continue on their way to the next village.
Both priests and tax officials face the same obstacles: long distances between villages, difficult travel terrain, and the need for large resources to make the journey. Navigation paths are relatively dangerous in spring and summer, generally caused by conflicts such as wars; winter is an open secret not to travel if it is not too important, even annual wars naturally stop. Horses and carts became the main means of transportation, but even that still required expense and maintenance; consequently, such excursions became rare events. Although their presence often brought burdens, for some people the arrival of guests from outside the village was a welcome distraction that broke up the monotonous routine. Of course, other than the tax recorder demon.
For Lawyer, all this information is neatly stored in his mind like pieces of a puzzle that will one day form the big picture. The minutiae of daily village life may not interest him much, but every clue relating to power, political structures, or religious networks is an important part of the world map he is building. He knew that the more pieces he collected, the clearer Liam's and his position in the whole picture would become. When the map was complete enough, he would know which direction their next move should take; either towards the center of power, or... Away from it for safety.