One early summer morning, Johnas found himself in his fathers study looking for reports of when his father was a knight, thinking it might help him in finding what he wants to be when he graduates this coming autumn.
In his rummaging he knocks over a half full mug, that he had left on his fathers desk the night before while he was searching, in a failed attempt to catch the mug he only ended up causing it to splash every where. "Damnit." Johnas mumbled silently to himself so as to not gain his mothers attention, Johnas quickly got to cleaning up the mess he made as best he could, but quite a few papers had gotten soaked with the liquid. So for the ones he couldn't pick up, cause they were too wet, he instead tossed more paper on top of them in hopes it would hide the fact those papers were now ruined.
and in his sad attempt to hide his mess he found a paper with his name on it, and a date. Johnas already understood it was his proof of birth, though when looking through he found another name, born on the same day as him, "Krisia". he knew he had a sister who died at birth but his mother never informed him, she had a name, or that they were twins.
"Johnas!" his mother called for him, quickly he put the papers away and exited the now messier study. he headed down the hall to the kitchen where his mother had called him from.
"Johnas, could you go out and get some flour from the market, i ran out the other night." his mother spoke to him without so much as even checking over her shoulder if he was there. "Yes mother. do you need anything else while i'm out, or are you going to make me have to go back out later when you remember." Johnas responded sarcastically to his mothers request. "Keep that attitude up and i'll show you why they called me the "Mother of Death", when i was younger." his mother was stern but playful in her response. "Yeah right mother and i'm the "Spirit of Fate". anyway i wont be back until near dark i have some classmates i'm meeting up with today." his mother stopped washing the dishes from the previous nights dinner to respond to Johnas but he was already leaving before she turned around. "You know so little of this world, Johnas." She whispered to herself as she turned back to continue washing dishes.
Johnas headed out the front door of his home, and got a few steps towards the dirt road in front before he stopped to look back at his childhood home. "Soon i'll be leaving you old friend." Johnas spoke to the house as if it could respond, but he didn't wait for one.
quickly he headed down the dirt road in front of his house, it led him downhill towards the small village of Heffet, it took him only around ten minutes to reach the edge of town from his home. and behind a building he saw two young men about his age, one tall and lanky with little muscle on his frame, short black hair left messy, and a skittery look on his face. the other about the height of Johnas but more muscular with medium length dark red hair slicked back, and a more cunning look on his face.
the one around Johnas's height noticed him quickly and with unkept excitement waved Johnas over. "John come here, quickly!" Johnas walked up to them at leisurely pace. "what's going on Guinea?" Johnas spoke to the one around his height, and nodded to the taller one, who responded with a gentle wave. "I need a few silver coins." Johnas was caught off gaurd by Guineas bluntness. "Woah slow down there Guinea, you can't just ask me for money, without so much as giving me a reason to give it to you." "What do you mean reason, we're bestfriends John what other reason do you need?" "You know Guinea, if it weren't for the fact i've known you most of our lives, i would think you're a bully with how much money your always asking of me." Guinea made a forced look of offence. "Me? a Bully?! I would never call you something so degrading John, i'm offended you'd think so little of me." Guinea put his face in his hands so as to look as if he were sad, but made the occasional glance to see if Johnas was falling for it.
Johnas sighed "Ugh." and turned to the Taller of them. "Elfy why does Guinea need silver coins?" "He wants to buy a gift for Nelly." Johnas looked over at Guinea with a look of approval. "You should have just said so Guinea i wouldn't have busted your chops so much." Guinea pulling his hands away from his face looking a bit disheartened due to his little scheme not working, though, he quickly recovered his former gall. "You know John, i shouldn't have to tell you everything, as friends you should just trust that i have a good reason." "So now we're just friends, I'm hurt Guinea, i thought we were "Bestfriends"?" John mimicked Guineas previous tactic of hiding his face in his hands. "Hey that's my move!" Guinea yelled. "Shh you'll wake the whole village at this rate." Johnas was snickering with each word, barely able to keep himself from breaking into laughter. "Alright Guinea, let's head over to the market and wait till the vendors open, then you can pick a gift for Nelly and i'll pay for it, does that sound fair?" Guinea nodded as they all started heading into town.
An hour later in the markets Johnas, Guinea, and Elfy, were all standing in front of a jewelry vendor. "Guinea i don't think i can afford any of this." Johnas whispered. "Maybe we should just steal something and run." Guinea whispered back. "That might not be a bad idea." Elfy smacked both of them in the head, and gestured to the vendor, who clearly heard every word of what they just said. "If you can't afford any in the case, than i have some cheaper items i can grab that you might be able to afford." she said. "Yes, that would be very helpful." Johnas said stiffly, nudging Guineas shoulder. "Yes, i agree as well." Guinea responded awkwardly.
the Vendor reached under the jewelry case to a cabinet below, and pulled out a box of loose rings, necklaces, and bracelets. "All of these should be within 20 silver or less." Johnas relaxed after hearing the price, although still expensive he could still reasonably afford anything Guinea would choose. Guinea nodded to the Vendor and carefully rummaged through the small box. "What exactly are you looking for?" the Vendor asked Guinea in a polite tone. "A r...Ring?" Guinea said. "Alright do you know what size your looking for?" Guinea quickly looked up in shock. "I didn't know there were sizes for rings." Johnas and Elfy snickered silently behind Guinea, trying not to laugh, as Guineas face started to turn red. "Well if you don't know what size ring you need, then might i suggest something like a necklace, you don't need to know the size for one." Guinea looked back to the Vendor and nodded wildly. "Yes a necklace would be perfect." Not long after the Vendor, and Guinea, found a necklace made of string with an Ocean blue, rose pendant made of low quality silver. "How much?" Johnas asked. "5 Silver." Johnas paid in full, and started to walk away from the vendor. "I'll catch you guys later i've got to buy some flour for my Mother before the party tonight." They waved him off as they headed into to town and johnas continued further into the market.
Later in the evening Johnas was headed up a hill covered in trees on the north side of the village, as he verged the top a could see faint fire light, and hear the sound of singing, laughter, and cheers, shortly he saw a large group of teens dancing near a large bonfire in a clearing, he made his way through the initial crowd looking for his friends, when he got stopped by someone. "Hey Johnny boy how are you?!" Johnas looked up at the teen who was around 6 and half feet tall with broad shoulders and husky build. "I'm fine Sal, I'm just looking for Guinea and Elfy have you seen..." " Shh, I don't actually care Johnny, where's my payment." Sal placed his finger on Johnas's mouth as he hushed him, Johnas pushed Sal's hand away from him to respond. "I don't have any silver on me i..." Sal slapped Johnas with enough force to throw him off balance, Johnas quickly caught his balance and held his hand to his cheek. "Enough excuses John, either you fork up whatever you have right now, or i get to kick your ass." people were now circling the 2 of them to see what the commotion was. "Sal i give you my word i'm not lying i just don't have anything on me right now." Johnas tried to calm the situation but Sal didn't care. "Well i guess if you really have nothing on you, i guess i have to kick your ass."
Sal swung widely at Johnas, Johnas made an attempt to dodge but wasn't nimble enough to pull it off, as Sal's fist struck Johnas he could feel the impact ripple across his face as he was thrown to the ground with the force of the punch, Johnas tried to get up quickly but was dazed from how heavy the hit was, Sal kicked Johnas square in the ribs, knocking all the wind out of his lungs, Johnas tried to make himself as small a target he could, curling up into a fetal position still trying to catch his lost breath, Sal proceeded to repeatedly stomp on Johnas, until finishing with a kick to his head, knocking Johnas out.
"Your time is near, prepare for they are coming."
Johnas awoke in a cold sweat searching the area he was laying in, he was still on top of the hill just outside of town but no one else was there.
it was still dark and very cold, Johnas's head hurt from the kick to his head earlier, he started to shiver. "I need to get home before Mom starts worrying where i'm at." He got up from the dirt, and started heading towards town, he could barely remember, but he was certain someone spoke to him in his dream. "Prepare for they are coming." He couldn't stop thinking on what that meant, "Prepare for what? And who's coming?" These questions pestered Johnas, he decided to put it out of his mind. "It's just a dream, it doesn't mean anything." Is what he thought to himself.
30 minutes later he arrived at the front door of his house. "Please be asleep." Johnas thought to himself, as he slowly opened the front door. "Did you lose your way looking for flour?" Johnas could hear his mother before he could see her, as he completed opening the door she stood there in the hall, arms crossed, with furrowed brows. "Mom..." Before Johnas could get another word out his mother walked up to him, and pulled him into a hug. "I thought something happened to you." She said softly. "I'm sorry Mom, i didn't mean to scare you." She leaned back to get a look at him in the dim light of the candle lit hall. "Were you in a fight?!" She yelled, Johnas jolted, from his Mothers sudden loudness. "Not really, unless you count me getting my ass handed to me a fight." She looked upset to see her son's face so bruised. "Who did it?" "Mom, don't." "Who Did it?" the way she said it the second time implied she wasn't asking. "Sal." Johnas mumbled, she looked sternly up and down at the state Johnas was in. "I'm going to start training you." "Mom..." "No! i'm your mother and as long as you live here, you're going to do as i say. every day after school you and i are going to train, i never want to see you lose without a fighting chance again, do you understand me." Johnas nodded. "Alright now head to bed and rest up we start tomorrow." Johnas moved quickly not wanting to upset his mother any more than she already was.
As Johnas lay in bed staring at the ceiling, he thought to himself. "My Mom is going to train me. that's a bit embarrassing, guess i wont tell anyone so i don't get bullied for it." As he drifted to sleep, he thought of his dream from earlier, and one word stuck out to him. "Prepare." "I guess i can do that, even if it means nothing."
"Johnas, Run!" "Mom, Noooo!"
Johnas woke up drenched in sweat, he wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt, jumped out of bed and ran out of his room. "Mom?" "..." "Mom?!" he ran to the kitchen, and didn't find her there, he continued upstairs, ran to the door at the end of the hall, and knocked on his mothers door rapidly. "Mom!" For a moment he heard nothing, and fear began to creep in, what felt like minutes passed, finally his mother opened the door clearly woken by his frantic knocking, and yelling. "Johnas your getting to old to be waking me up this early." Johnas sighed in relief. "I'm sorry Mom, it's just..." He hesitated. "It's just what, Johnas?" "Nothing i'm just glad you're okay." As he walked away, his mother looked at him confused. "He must've had his head hit really hard." She said as she closed the door.
Johnas walked back to his room and sat down on his bed. "That... dream. it felt real, i don't know why but it felt like... no. it was just a bad dream no need to think about it anymore."
An hour passes and Johnas is sitting in the kitchen, waiting for his mother to finish cooking breakfast. "I'm sorry i woke you so early." "Hm, it's fine i assume you had a bad dream from getting your head hit." "Yeah, i think you might be right about that." She fills 2 plates and walks over to the table, she serves Johnas first, then sets her plate on the opposite end and seats herself. "So do you know where your going after graduation?" His mother asked while grabbing a fork, Johnas looked startled. "Uh, what do you mean?" "I know you plan on leaving after graduation Johnas, i'm your mother i'm supposed to know." Johnas sighs. "Ugh yeah, i am. i haven't thought about it yet." She looked at him with a concerned face. "You haven't thought about it yet? Johnas this is a big deal, you're graduating in just a couple months, you can't be procrastinating these things." "I know Mom, i just... it's alot, leaving the only place i've ever known." He looked somberly down at his food as he played with it. "Johnas... ugh you have to understand there are things in this world you don't know yet. and that's okay, but to go out without even a rough idea of what your going to do, or where your going to go, it's extremely dangerous." "Bu... I understand." Johnas felt defeated, he knew his mother was right. but at the same time he couldn't help the feeling that he needed to leave.
Johnas left the house waving to his mother who stood in the doorway waving back at him. "Don't forget we're training after your done with school." "Alright. Later Mom." Johnas walked, and thought about the conversation he had with his mother over breakfast. "Maybe i shouldn't leave right after graduation, maybe i should wait until a travelling merchant arrives, and ask him if i can be his trainee, i'd get lot's of experience with a travelling merchant and get a bit of coin on the side as well. alright that settles it, i'm gonna become a travelling merchant in training." with a new sense of determination, Johnas quickened his pace feeling more ready than ever for graduation.
Johnas was barely staying awake during class due to his nightmares from the previous night, it didn't take long for him to fall unconscious. "Johnas!" *Clap* Johnas was startled awake by the sudden noise, he looked around quickly looking for it's source, landing on his teacher at the front of the class staring directly at him. "Johnas, i understand common history might bore you, but your mumbling is very distracting." Johnas was too tired to muster anything other than a nod, to gesture his understanding. "So no talking, did i offend you in some way?" Johnas forced himself awake to give a proper answer. "Uh, no. I'm sorry, it wasn't my intent to be so loud, it wont happen again." Johnas barely spoke over a whisper. "Excuse me, Johnas you're going to have to speak up, i can barely hear you." Johnas frustrated. "I said, I'm sorry! is that loud enough for you!" Johnas's teacher stared blankly at him for a moment. "you are to speak with me after class." then continued to teach class as though nothing had happened, Johnas was upset but conscious enough to know, it's better he kept quiet so as to not get into any more trouble.
After class Johnas stayed in his seat waiting for the rest of class to leave, as one by one each student left, with Sal at the back sliding his finger along his throat and gesturing towards Johnas, before exiting the room. "Johnas i would like for you to explain your behavior earlier in class?" Johnas fought every urge to respond sarcastically. "I didn't sleep last night and it's getting to me, it wasn't my intent to be rude." His teacher stared sharply at him. "Is that it?" His teacher asked. "Yeah, that's it." "So you mean to tell me, your poor decision to stay up all night, is what caused that outburst this morning?!" Johnas was poorly attempting to hide his visible anger. "I didn't "decide" to stay up all night, i had nightmares every time i tried to sleep, i'm sorry if that answer isn't satisfying enough for you but that's the truth." Johnas spoke impudently. His teacher not saying a word wrote on a piece of paper folded it, and held it in Johnas's direction. "You are to head home and bring this note to your Mother." Johnas stood up from his seat, walked toward his teacher, lazily grabbed the note, and left the Class.
As Johnas walked out the school house he was stopped by Sal. "Johnny! hey, how are you? gave me quite the scare last night, i thought you were dead hahaha." Sal placed his hand on Johnas's chest to keep him from walking away. "Leave me alone Sal, you already beat my ass last night what's doing it again gonna do for you, other than actually kill me." Sal was clearly upset but before he could speak. "Sal!" There teacher called from the front entrance of the school house, Sal removed his hand from Johnas's chest allowing him to walk away. "Let's talk later Johnny, i really want to catch up with you." Sal said with audible disdain, Johnas ignored him and headed straight home.
Upon arriving home Johnas walked in through the front door, to the savory aroma of a beef roast, he headed straight for the kitchen, where his mother was working some dough to make bread. "I'm home." His mother glanced over at him with a smile on her face. "How was school?" she asked sweetly. "Not great, i got in trouble with my teacher." His mother paused for a moment before continuing to work the dough. "And why is that?" She asked losing the sweet tone in her voice. "I..." "No excuses Johnas." She said, before he could even speak. "I fell asleep during class." She looked over at Johnas with a bit of confusion. "Thats it?" "Yeah." Johnas said, quite confident in his answer. "Well what did the teacher tell you?" Johnas thought for a moment then remembered the note his teacher gave him. "Here he told me to give this to you." He gave it to her without second thought, she grabbed a rag she had folded in her waist band, and wiped her hands, then grabbed the note from Johnas, she read it quickly and quietly, after she finished reading, she looked up at Johnas, then she turned back to continue making dinner. "Mom?" Johnas was confused, he thought. "What did that note say?" His mother without looking at him. "Johnas, go change into something you don't mind getting dirty." Johnas gave her a confused look, she glanced with a look that said "don't make ask again." So Johnas walked to his room, and changed into a cheap tunic, with loose fitting pants, and tied a rope to keep them up, he put his only pair of boots back on and headed back to the kitchen.
"Why did i have to change?" He asked still confused. "Where going to train, did you forget already?" She said with a sinister kindness, which sent a shiver down Johnas's spine.
After about thirty mintutes of waiting Johnas's mother finished cooking, and placed everything in the oven. "Are we not going to eat." Johnas asked. "You can... if you want to throw it up later." She said with a smile on her face, Johnas had to keep himself from shuddering at the thought. "I'm going to go get changed, and then we'll start training." She left the kitchen headed for the stairs, no more than a few minutes passed, and she returned, dressed in a fitted black tunic, and proper pants that fitted her well, with her hair tied back to keep out of her face. "Alright let's go." She said as she walked towards the front door, Johnas followed close behind, as they went out she closed and locked the door behind them, she continued to the road, in front of there house that forked in 2 directions, one towards town, and the other into the neighboring forest, that there house bordered on, she looked at Johnas and said. "Keep up." As she sprinted into the woods, Johnas caught off guard lagged for a moment before heading after her in a full sprint.
It didn't take long for Johnas to notice, his Mother was slowly increasing the gap between the 2 of them, but no matter how hard he ran he couldn't catch up, after no more than a couple minutes of non stop running, Johnas tripped over himself, wheezing, trying to catch his breath. he could hear his mothers foot steps getting further away, he tried to call out to her but he was too out of breath, all that came out was a *gasp*.
After a minute of lying on the ground catching his breath, he could hear footsteps coming. "Johnas why are you laying down." The voice was obviously his mothers but he could tell she wasn't happy, so he got up as quick as he could. "I'm sorry, i didn't expect you to be so fast, i tried to catch up to you but couldn't." He looked up at her, with his hands on his knees, just trying to keep his balance. "No excuses Johnas you should have kept going." "I tripped, and couldn't breath, i was going to get up once got my breath back." Johnas said defensively, his Mother took a deep breath. "Ugh, alright well. i guess we'll just have to do the rest of your training right here." She said with disappointment in her voice. "Alright Johnas i want you to do as many push ups as you can." Johnas looked at her for a moment, but quickly got into form, she counted each push up out loud. "1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11...12...13..." Johnas dropped on his face unable to push himself up anymore. "How was that?" He asked, unable to look up at her. "Terrible." Johnas was shocked "Terrible? it couldn't have been that bad right?" He thought to himself. "Get up, and watch." Forcing himself up Johnas barely got to his feet, and looked over at his mother who was already in perfect form. "Count how many i do out loud, and pay attention to my form." Johnas Nodded although he didn't expect much. "1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13..." This went for nearly 20 minutes. "979. 980. 982. 983." She finally stopped and pushed herself to a standing position. "Sorry i got a little carried away." Johnas was in complete shock. "how could his Mother be this much stronger than him?" He thought.
They trained for another couple of hours doing various other exercises, in which his Mother was vastly better than him at. As they walked home Johnas felt disappointed. "Not only am i getting trained by my own Mom, but she's also way stronger than me, i will die before i admit this to anyone." Johnas thought to himself, his Mother looked over at him and seeing he was feeling down on himself. "It's okay Johnas everybody starts somewhere." She said trying to cheer him up. "Oh yeah and where did you start Mom?" She hesitated for a moment before answering. "I actually couldn't even do 10 pushups when i was your age, hahaha." She said in a sweet voice, this invigorated him, the thought he at least had a chance of catching up and even surpassing her someday, made him walk more confidently, although still wobbly.
That same night as Johnas lay in bed. "Although still embarrassing at least i know i can eventually surpass her." Johnas thought to himself, and smiled, as he drifted to sleep he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, but he ignored it, and it didn't take him to long to fall asleep.
"Your time is near, prepare for they are coming."