Nearly 3 years passed.

Drei continued training with the sword. Even he knew that he had gotten at least a little better, as his father had begun taking him more seriously. He still couldn’t land a blow, though.

Over the last three years Drei had been thinking more, questioning more.

Before, he looked up to his father; but now, he wondered if Neil was really as great a man as he originally thought. Neil was forcing him to take the path of a knight; he forced him to speak like a noble; and most of all, he didn’t bat an eye when that knight died three years ago at the training grounds.

Drei still sometimes thought of that scene. Even three years later, he remembered it more vividly than any other memory. For the last three years, Neil has taken him to the training grounds several times. Every once in a while, a knight would die. Each time, everyone would act like nothing happened. It was inconceivable to Drei.

Each time Drei witnessed someone die, he felt sick to his stomach. He was still able to keep food in his stomach, though.

Drei sat in his room drawing as those thoughts ran through his head.

Suddenly, his father burst through the door.

He really needs to start knocking. How can you be so stern about language use, but burst into people’s rooms without knocking?

“It is time to train, go fetch your wooden sword,” Neil said sternly. He had an intimidating air about him.

“Understood.” Drei was unaffected. He was used to it, as Neil always had that air about him despite being a nice guy for the most part.

They went to their usual training spot and began to train. As usual, Drei couldn’t land a single blow. He no longer felt frustrated, though. His passion for the sword was never really there in the first place, and sooner or later he learned that there was no need to become frustrated anymore.

It was late winter, yet they didn’t need to wear thick clothing. The climate was very hot down in the South. It didn’t help that they were in the most southern part of the country, or the continent for that matter.

Drei had two reasons as to why he was still obeying his father when it came to swordplay: 1) Swordplay was a useful skill in normal life, as one could defend themself. 2) His parents would kick him out if he refused, so he decided to obey until the day came where his parents told him to become a knight. In a way, Drei was deceiving his parents. He didn’t feel guilty, though.

The day that he turned 15 (and also the day that he could, and would be forced, to become a knight) was in one week. Drei wasn’t sure whether he should feel excited or dreadful for that day to come. He did feel nervous, however.

It was pitch-black when the training session ended. Though it was relatively warm year ‘round, the days were still much shorter in the winter than any other season.

Drei and Neil were heading back home after their daily training session.

Drei’s endurance had grown through the years, so he didn’t feel too fatigued, but he was still sweating. He was also a bit beat up and bruised.

They opened the door to their house and entered. Sessa, Drei’s mother, came to welcome them back.

This wasn’t unusual; she always came to greet them when they arrived back. However, what was not normal was the look on her face; it was a somber one.

“Is something the matter,” Neil asked.

“It seems that your brother has been sent.”

“I see.” Neil said that nonchalantly. He didn’t have a sad look on his face.

Drei thought that he seemed to be simply accepting it as just a random piece of information that wouldn’t come in handy.

“Good riddance,” Neil said after a few more seconds. Again, he said this matter-a-factly. There was no emotion in his voice.

“I know you disliked him, but he was still your brother. You don’t even feel a little bit sad?” Sessa’s expression was a mix of sadness and surprise (change later).

“No. He wasn’t no brother of mine.” Neil’s voice began to raise in anger.

Drei’s eyebrows raised in surprise. It was rare for his father to talk like that.

“How could you say that?” A little anger now mixed with Sessa’s expression.

“We are done with this conversation,” Neil’s voice was firm. “Let’s eat dinner.” Neil then walked into the dining room.

Sessa didn’t say anything back, and followed him.

Right behind her was Drei.

Drei hadn’t said anything during the exchange. He thought that his uncle was a disgrace, but didn’t wish death upon him. Drei didn’t wish death upon anybody.

Drei’s uncle was a bit messed up in the head. Drei had met his uncle only a couple times. He acted like a small child. Whenever you spoke to him, you felt like you were talking to a 10-year-old. That’s why Drei didn’t like him. According to Neil, he had always been immature at his age. Even as a grown man, Drei’s uncle would still throw temper tantrums befitting of a 6-year-old.

“They will send his body tomorrow,” Sessa said a little bit after they began eating dinner.

Whenever someone died, their body would always be sent to the family members of that person, and they decide what to do with the person’s body.

“I said we are done with this conversation. That disgrace of a person will not be talked about in this house.” Neil was yelling at this point.

Sessa fell silent and didn’t say anything more.

Alec, meanwhile, was simply eating, ignoring the exchange. His eerie demeanor and expression have not changed over the last three years. In fact, the only thing that has really changed about him is his height.

He was still eating on the ground like a wild animal. That was another thing that didn’t change.

Neil finished his supper up quicker than usual. He was clearly still agitated about the earlier exchange.

“Alec, what do you think about our uncle's death?” Drei said after he heard the door to his parents’ room shut.

Drei had been talking to Alec a little more over the last three years. Drei was nice to him, but he still kept a reasonable distance from him. Drei had never gotten used to Alec’s demeanor; it still creeped him out.

Alec looked up at him. “I don’t care. I’ve never met him. The only people I’ve met are our immediate family.” His eyes moved around carefully, as if looking for something. About halfway through his response, Alec’s eyes met Drei’s.

Even now, Alec’s gaze sent a chill up Drei’s spine. He just couldn’t get used to his eerie gaze. He was able to stop himself from outwardly reacting, though.

“Count yourself lucky that you have never met him. He has… problems. Let’s put it that way.” Drei picked up his quarter-full cup of water and began drinking it.

Alec’s expression remained unchanging, as it always did. “What was his name again?”

Drei finished his cup of water before answering. “Dritte,” he said.

“Dritte? That sounds kind of similar to Drei.”

“That’s because it is. Drei is derived from the name dritte. I almost feel ashamed being named after that imbecile.

I feel like I think this everytime I talk to him but he really is mature for his age.

Indeed, Drei got that feeling almost every time he talked to Alec. It never felt like he was speaking to someone younger than him, let alone an 8-year-old.

“Are you happy he’s d–”

“Bleh.”

Before Alec could finish his sentence, Karine, their sister, vomited all over the table.

Karine had really grown over the last three years. She had light blonde hair, just like her mother, that was short and thick.

“WEH.” She then began crying

Sessa, who had been sitting in silence the whole time, tried comforting her.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” she said, picking her up. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Water. Water,” Karine cried out helplessly.

“We’ll get you some water. But first, we have to get you cleaned up,” Sessa said.

She looked back at Alec and Drei. “Alec, clean up the vomit.” Then, she went down to the privy.

Alec’s mouth curled into a frown. He got up anyway, seemingly thinking that he ‘ought to do it.

Drei decided to help him.

Alec scraped the puke into a bucket with a scraper, (A/N: I don’t know, okay?) while Drei soaked a towel in water and wiped it up. Alec then dumped the bucket outside.

“Thanks,” Alec said.

…

The next day.

Drei was laying in his bed in deep thought.

Usually, he’d be in the middle of training with his father at this time, but his uncle’s corpse was to be delivered today. After that, they’d do whatever they wanted with his body. Drei assumed they’d bury it. Burying is what people usually did to a beloved one’s body.

One would only cremate a family member's body if they truly were a terrible person. For example, if the person was a murderer. Cremating one’s body was a sign that it is best if their memory is forgotten.

Someone who is cremated after death is one to be loathed by all. It is said that if the body of someone is cremated, they will go to a place deeper than hell. A place that has no name.

Surely Father won’t…No. Dritte may have been a disgrace but he wasn’t that much of a disgrace.

Soon enough, a knock came at their door.

Drei didn’t move. He knew who was there and what their business was.

Drei heard faint voices coming from across the house. He couldn’t hear the words being said, though.

Drei got up and exited his room when he heard the chatter cease and the door close again.

He saw his father carrying a wrapped up corpse and his mother following closely behind. Alec and Karine were nowhere to be seen.

They're probably still asleep.

The expression on Neil’s face was stiff, while Sessa’s expression was downcast with a tinge of sadness; very similar to the night prior.

Drei followed his parents, who went out to the back. Neil was carrying Dritte’s body, while Sessa was carrying a shovel.

Drei was glad that the corpse was wrapped up. He didn’t think he’d be able to handle it if it wasn’t.

His mind drifted back to the day he saw that knight die right in front of him. He quickly shoved the memory down. The sickness in his stomach from the memory still lingered for a few minutes more, though.

They walked until they were about 30 feet from the house, before Neil set Dritte’s body down on the ground.

It was still the early hours of the morning, so you could still see one of the moons, but the sun lit up the clear, purple sky brightly.

The weather was just right; it wasn’t too cold and it wasn’t too hot. There was a nice, small breeze to go along with it.

It was perhaps the nicest day of the year.

A small, relaxed smile played on Drei’s lips.

I hope the coming days are just like this.

“No! Don’t!.”

A sudden scream drove Drei out of his thoughts

Drei recognized the voice as his mother’s. Drei wasn’t at all surprised to hear his mother’s distressed voice. He figured that Neil would do something with Dritte’s body, like be too rough with it, or something.

He was perplexed as to why his mother had to scream so loud. That was until he saw the events that were playing out before him.

His father held a piece of flint and iron and was hitting them together. Sessa was trying to hold Neil back and stop him from doing it.

Drei froze, his mouth agape, eyes wide.

He really does intend to cremate Dritte.

Neil threw Sessa off of him. Sessa landed on the ground some distance away.

“GAH.” Sessa cried out in pain when she hit the ground.

“He did this to himself. This is what he deserves.” Neil’s voice was full of malice and anger. His expression was the same way.

“No! Dritte doesn’t deserve this. Drei, stop him!” In stark contrast, Sessa’s voice and expression were one’s of despair and sadness. She had tears streaming down her face. She called out to Drei, hoping that he would take her side and stop Neil.

Drei just stood there, frozen. He thought that he should probably do something. His entire body and mind were screaming at him to stop his father, but he didn’t move.

Just then, Neil was able to get the fire started and Dritte’s body began to burn. The flames spread, and soon there was no stopping the fire. Dritte’s body would soon be cremated.

Sessa stood up, tears flooding her eyes even more than before. “How, how could you do something like that?” Her voice grew louder as she said that sentence. By the time she said the last word, she was screaming.

“He was a disgrace. This is what he deserves. He was incapable of following the family tradition. Alec will meet the same fate as well; I hope I’ll be alive to see him dead as well.” Neil’s voice and expression were still filled with the malice from earlier.

“You may be right about them both being a disgrace, but neither deserve this.”

Neil said nothing more and began walking back. Not back toward the house, though, no. He walked toward Drei, who was still frozen, both physically and mentally.

One moment Drei was standing there, the next he was on the ground with a pain that stung his cheek.

Neil bitch slapped him.

“I’m disappointed in you,” Neil said in a stern voice. “You simply froze up. You didn’t even have it in you to oppose one of us. You’ll never make it as a knight like this.” He then walked back toward the house.

Drei laid there for a while, hearing nothing but his mother’s sobbing.

Eventually the sobbing stopped. His mother came over to him, said a few words, then walked back to the house.

Drei’s brain didn’t register what she said. He figured she’d probably said something similar to his father.

Time passed.

The scene replayed in his head over and over again. He recalled the time 3 years ago when that knight died right in front of him. Both scenes replayed in his head over and over again.

The feeling he had felt in both instances was the exact same: he froze up in horror and fear and reluctance.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed when he finally got up. It must’ve been quite a while because the sun was in an entirely different position.

He walked in the house and found his mother sitting on the table with her head down and hands on her head.

He figured Alec was probably in his room, Karine sleeping, and Neil at the training grounds.

He didn’t say anything to his mother; he simply went to room. He laid on his bed and looked up at the ceiling, just staring vacantly.

He grit his teeth, tears falling down his eyes.

I really am weak.

…

Time passed in a blur and, eventually, it was the night before his 15th birthday. In other words, it was the night before Drei was to disappoint his family and leave for good. His plan was to sneak out that night and leave his family a note. He had originally planned to tell them face to face that he wouldn’t be a knight and then leave, but he realized that there was really no reason to do that and there could be unforeseen consequences. He also feared facing them.

The mood in the house was not a good one in the time between Dritte’s cremation and Drei’s birthday. Neil and Sessa wouldn’t talk to each other nor him. Well, that’s not entirely true. Neil spoke to him during their continued training sessions, but he wouldn’t really talk to him.

Despite all this, he still wasn’t exactly eager to go. He knew that life would be much more difficult from here onward.

He was just now packing his things, about to escape out his window. He had already written the note and stolen food and money from his family the day before.

This is their fault for trying to force me to become a knight.

He didn’t exactly want to steal from his family, but he figured he had no choice. He tried to justify his actions in order to make him feel less guilty.

He had just finished packing when there was a quiet knock at his door.

Why now of all times!? Thank god it isn’t Father; he would’ve just barged in. It must be Mother.

He opened the door, walked into the hall, and shut the door behind him.

He looked at who was there, and to his surprise it was Alec.

“A-Alec? What are you doing here?” Drei whispered. He was so taken aback that he stumbled over his words, but he still kept his cool enough to be quiet.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” Alec said.

Drei’s eyes widened. “H-how–?”

“Shhhhh. You wouldn’t want to wake our parents up. I know how badly you didn’t want to become a knight, and being how our father is about this, you have no other choice. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about this.”

Despite Alec’s words, Drei was still worried. “Why did you come here then?”

“I want to know where you’re going. Again, Alec won’t tell anyone.

“Why then?”

“Someone should know who you are.”

Drei stayed silent for a few seconds. They stared at each other for a few seconds.

Eventually, Drei exhaled. “Alright, I plan to head North toward the Zhien kingdom. I’ll probably settle in the capitol.

“I see.” Alec said nothing else and walked away.

His mind is far more mature than his body.

Drei went back into his room. He wanted to get out of there quickly in case Alec was lying.

Thankfully he had just finished packing when Alec knocked, so he could leave immediately.

He grabbed his backpack full of all of the things he was going to bring, opened the window, steeled himself, and stepped out.

It was late at night, but the moons gave him enough light to see okay.

He walked over to the stable where his horse was at. He woke up his horse, Ginger, and saddled him up. He brought the horse outside and hopped on.

He looked up at the house he had been living at for his entire life. There was a lump in his throat. The reality set in that he would no longer have food provided for him or parents to take care of him. He was now thrusting himself into the harsh world. He began reminiscing about the memories he made here.

He shook his head, stopping himself.

My life will be better than what it would be if I stayed and became a knight.

He whipped his horse and began his journey.

Part of him still wanted to go back, but he knew this was what he wanted to do. He knew he needed to forget his family and his home, and move on.

He drove all the thoughts away of him going back, steeled himself again, and continued riding off to the West toward the Rhaetalia Kingdom.

I’m sorry I lied to you Alec, but I for one don’t ever want to see you again.