It was a few weeks before I was able to complete one hundred of each of my exercises. It wasn't so much a time issue, as it was an issue of physicality. I was only 6 years old afterall, and the stick I was wielding as a sword was only around one pound, but it was more than enough to make me ache and cause my muscles to scream at me. It was just under a month.
Every day, after my body had taken all of the abuse it could, I’d visit the stream to bathe. In part because I needed to clean myself and also in part because I wished to see (or hear) Brook again. In order to get there I purposefully passed by Brioches den. Some days she would join me by the river and instead of bathing the first half hour would devolve into splashing the wry fox as she laughed at me from shore.
Today, there was not enough luck to be joined by my furry friend so I carried on to the stream alone. I wasted no time stripping out of my trousers, my tunic already doffed as I didn’t wear one while training. I worked up far too much sweat for that. I sighed contentedly as the tepid water surprised him. It usually wasn't so warm for at least another couple of months, in mid summer. Given that it was mid spring, the water should still be rather cold, well cold for a fairly tropical climate.
It never quite got cold enough for snow in Arborton, we were far to the south of the continent, though not quite the furthest south with the country of Arwin to the south.
I smiled, knowing that the warmth could mean only one thing, Brook was here.
“Are you there, Miss Brook?” I already knew the answer, there was no other way the water would be this temperature unless someone with a very large bladder emptied it upstream, or there was an ungodly large fire nearby, and I didn’t smell any smoke.
I still wasn't quite sure what she was, but, after doing some pondering during my meager downtimes, I pieced a bit of it together. My mother had started to read stories to me, while teaching me to write and read, and I knew there was a wide variety of friendly water spirits out there, my bet was that Brook was one.
“I'm here young Lios, so don't you dare turn.” Her voice was soothing. It sounded like the river itself. “Have you kept up with your training?”
“I have! I actually completed my exercises today! My body is so sore, but it feels sooo good.” I flexed a little, the ripple of my muscles shifting the baby fat that still covered much of my body, though it was shed more and more each day.
“How wonderful, young man! Still adamant on growing without the dastardly system I take it?” There was a hint of a smirk in her voice.
“Something like that! The way I see it, this is the only time my body belongs only to me. I’m sure the system will benefit me but there is merit to starting strong habits before relying on aids.” I relaxed in the water, stretching a little to soothe my inflamed muscles.
“Ooh, you speak wisely for your age.” Her hands started to give me a slow massage on my back, gently kneading away the aches.
“Is that so? My parents say the same. I doubt that it's wisdom though, it's more likely that I was dropped as a child and ever since haven't been quite right,” I laughed, mocking myself. I felt her laugh behind me.
“Well, at the very least I am certain that you are no ordinary child, Mr. Lios.”
“Haha thank you Miss Brook. Truthfully though, I’m nothing special. Just a kid with some lofty, half formed goals.” I ducked my head under the water to wet my shoulder length hair, it was nearly time for it to get cut. Or perhaps I could put it up in a ponytail.
“What sort of lofty goals are you chasing then, if I may ask?” She didn't push, and she began to untangle and brush my hair. Where she had gotten a brush from I wasn't sure.
“Typical kid stuff. Become an adventurer, see the world, collect a museum's worth of treasures. That sort of thing.” I relaxed, groaning as she pampered me a bit. “And what of you Miss Brook? Any goals? Aspirations?”
“Oh me? No, nothing so specific. I am content so long as I can live peacefully. Maybe help out some lost souls here and there.” There was a small tinge of sorrow in her voice. I didn't ask about it, something told me I wasn't prepared for the conversation that would follow.
“I see. I think that's plenty to be honest. Helping people, living a good solid life, is admirable.” I reassured her, not sure what I, as a 6 year old, could really say.
“Aside from training, what have you done? Make any new friends?” She changed the subject politely, saving us both from some awkward silence.
“Hmm. My mother has been teaching me an awful lot. I learned to read and write so now I spend a lot more time reading than anything else. The library really only has historical accounts and some tales of heroes from all over. I learned my mother once belonged to a noble family, but she and father wouldn't tell me which one. I don't know why she was disowned, but I'm sure they'll tell me someday.”
“You know, a young man like you may not think friends are very important, but you should at least make some effort to interact with others your own age,” She admonished as I avoided that portion of the question.
“Alas, Miss Brook, that is far easier said than done. I don't fit well with other kids my age. I’m sure you've noticed as well, despite this being only our second meeting.” Her hands left my hair.
“Tis likely true, but perhaps that will only make the friends you do make that much more important. Apologies young Lios, for I must go. Please wait a moment before turning around.” After that the only sounds I heard were that of the trees dancing with the wind, birds singing to each other, and buzzing of dragonflies as they fluttered all around me.
The sound of water breaking, of movement in the creek, was absent.
By the time I returned home, the sun was barely beginning to tilt over the top of the treeline. The air was warmer, if only just, than when I'd started my training. I was not looking forward to the coming months, when I’d be practicing under the beating sun.
I stepped over the threshold into my home, the smell of garlic and meat and some fruit bulldozing my senses. Garlic was a fairly common spice here as well, but wasn't always affordable. I looked at the spread on the table, confused. There was more than our usual meal scattered across the table. There was a whole fish, roasted and topped with a citrusy sauce, like a chimichurri. There were mashed potatoes, likely the source of the garlic smell, and a boat of gravy made with the juices of what looked like a half log of tenderloin that rested on the table on a platter. There were a few different vegetables - we normally only had one or two but I saw five in total - all plated separately. There was steamed broccoli, green beans, corn on the cob, squash, and brussel sprouts. Past the table, on the counter in the kitchen, I saw a cake and a platter with fruits.
“Whats going on? Not that I'm complaining but what's the occasion?” I said taking my usual seat next to my father. Our table only sat four and it looked positively cramped with all of the food. I smelled some alcohol on my fathers breath, and my mother was all smiles.
“Go on, Zeek! Tell him, tell our son.” She practically squealed as she encouraged him. I’d forgotten my mother could get like this when she was excited. She couldn't hold a secret, I remembered for her and my fathers anniversary she had struggled to hold in the plans for dinner and had wound up spilling them about a week in advance.
“Lios! Great news! I’ve received a promotion!” My father announced before taking a sip of what looked like a dark ale from his drinking cup. It was similar to a viking drinking horn, save that the bottom was inserted into a fitted wooden block that would allow it to stand on its own on the table. For transportation purposes, the block and the horn both had a clasp that when used would either lock or unlock the two from each other, and the horn had a strap that could be attached though it was currently not being used. I only ever saw my father using this when drinking mead or ale, even though all of the other cups in the house worked fine for it. I suppose I could understand a little bit, having always made a point to use nice whiskey glasses when enjoying a fine bourbon or scotch in my past. Thinking about it made me stare off into space for a split second, reminiscing and wishing for some whiskey and a cigar, what was once a weekly tradition for myself and my brother.
“That's excellent, father!” I smiled, holding up my glass of orange juice to toast with him.
He grinned, tapping the side of my cup with his horn. “Aye! You're looking at the new vice-captain of the guards of Arborton!”
“Did it come with a pay raise?” I asked idly, as my mother poked her fork into a brussel sprout and plopped it into her mouth.
“It did!” My father exclaimed before taking a forkful of the fish and shoveling it down his gullet.
“I have an announcement too! A bit less exciting but I finished the base workout you assigned to me. All of it!” I looked at my parents triumphantly.
“Lios, it's been barely a month, you needn’t lie,” my father said through a mouthful of potatoes.
“I’m serious, I did a hundred of everything in two hours!”
“Reeeaally? In that case I will teach you some footwork techniques tomorrow. And we can start workin on the basics of spearmanship since you wanted to know more than the sword.” He smiled this time, seeing I was sincere. “I’m sorry for not believing you but for some of the men in my crew, they took over two months to get to that point.”
“Hmm. but consider that they don't usually get as much time in the day to train. That's all I have spent my time on.”
We talked for a while, slowly but surely making our way through the shmorgusborge in front of us. The fish was seasoned only with salt, pepper, and lemon but was delicious, its skin flaky and crispy but the meat itself was soft, melting in my mouth. The tenderloin was seared before being cooked over the fire in a cast iron pan, again seasoned with salt and pepper and garlic. I ate to my heart's content. There was no need for leftovers as we had no cold storage, I wasn't sure if refrigeration was yet uninvented or if we just couldn't afford the enchantments. I was startled a little bit, realizing that my knowledge of food safety hadn't been stolen by the god. Most likely that wasn't a detriment or a large enough contribution to humanity that it didn't matter like some of the other memories did.
I went to sleep, my belly full. Ready to learn even more in the morning. Life wasn't so bad here, even if I did wish for more spices and refrigeration. And air conditioning.
There was much to miss in this magical world.
But, already there would be much to miss if I went back.
My next month took a familiar shape- training with my dad just before dawn, working out and training by myself between sunrise and lunch, playing with Brioche a bit, and learning from my mother whatever she deemed appropriate, or whatever I requested. This normally entailed things like reading a history text she got from the library, learning to cook something in particular, manners fit for a noble, and tailoring practice. She still ran her own business from our house so she wasn't quite hands on aside from giving me pointers here and there.
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My body held a consistent ache, the proof of all of my hard work. I lived for my baths in the creek. I kept my days the same, truly enjoying the practice and training. One day, however, made me reconsider some things as I overheard my parents one night.
“I just worry about him Ezekial.” I could hear my mothers muffled voice through the door. “All he does is train and learn. He doesn't play with anyone his own age and doesn't take the time to have fun. To be a kid.”
Part of me wanted to push open the door and say that the training, the reading, the learning was my idea of fun. Or to confess about my previous life now, but I felt that was unwise. Instead I stayed still, waiting for my father to respond. I could imagine him tugging at his hairless chin as he pondered his reply.
“I am too... worried I mean.” My fathers voice finally wafted through the air, surprising me. “But also... I want to see how far the kids’ willing to go. Ya know?” He let out a soft laugh. “He’s so different from the other kids, so driven by... something.”
“I know what you mean. It just makes me wonder what has got him trying so hard. I mean, what could a six year old possibly be trying so hard for? Especially when he’ll have the system to help him in a few years?” My mother then let out a soft laugh, expelling some of her worries. “Have you talked to him about it?”
“Once. I asked him a couple weeks ago why he was putting himself through all this. Ya know what he said?” I felt my father pause for dramatic effect. “He wanted to achieve his own growth, something that would be entirely his to own instead of aided by the system. He said he wanted to grow on his own for a bit before he couldn't anymore. I found it quite humorous, such a young child trying to act like a sage.”
“That does not alleviate my concerns. But, how is he doing with his training? He absorbs everything I teach him like a sponge. I find myself returning to the library every day, I thought it’d take him over a week to study each book but noooo. Kid just had to be a bookworm.” She laughed again, showing she hadn’t actually been complaining.
“Yeah? He’s picking up fighting pretty quick too. Even faster than some of the guys on my team did even with their systems already being present. By the time he’s ten he won't have anything else to learn from us!”
I stopped myself from listening as they kept chattering. I resolved to spend half of my self study practicing in the clearing with Brioche, maybe if it seemed I was spending more time being a regular kid they wouldn't worry so much.
Around three months later, I asked my father to teach me a bit more about different weapons. I knew I wasn't quite proficient with the sword, however I also knew that there was a skill for overall weapon mastery, as well as specific sub categories of weapons such as simple, martial, blunt, heavy, etcetera. Truthfully, I had my eyes and heart set on [Martial Weapon Mastery], or if that wasn't available to me due to a lack of diversification, [Bladed Weapon Mastery].
We stood in a circle made of various weapons, a self imposed ring that was around twenty feet in diameter. Not really a lot of room for sparring but a great space for practicing footwork and martial skills. My father tossed me the spear, having just shown me the basic techniques like he had with the sword.
“I have to head into work now, but you can do 100 of each of those exercises then resume your sword training. Don’t want you to slack off too much.” He ruffled my hair, before heading to the house to don his uniform.
I spent the next several hours training with the spear before heading to Brioche’s clearing to practice with the sword. The fox yipped at my feet, creating obstacles for me. It was as though she was helping me to prepare for unexpected circumstances, or maybe she was just growing more and more impatient for attention. This was pretty typical behavior, but it seemed the more I trained with her, the more actively she danced around me.
I chuckled as I felt her nip at my feet and legs, opting to train barefoot most of the time gave her significantly more opportunities to attack. She had been doing this ever since I started training here a few months ago. The clearing once had high grass, reaching nearly my mid calf. After spending so long training here, however, the grass was trampled and any twigs or debris had been moved to the edges.
After around three hours of dancing around the smallish clearing I sat down, my back against a log, and let the sly fox cuddle into me. I pet her as she yelled, and laughed, as foxes do. She and I rolled around in the dirt for a while until I noticed the sun's position in the sky. Summer was nearly upon us, and the sun beat down on us more viscously, making me glad for the tree cover in the clearing. Typically, I stopped my training right as the sun was no longer visible through the trees.
I stood up, trying to placate the foxes whining. “Brioche, I have to take a bath now,” I said in a calm voice. She whimpered as though she understood and tucked her tail between her legs. The animals in this world seemed a bit smarter than in my previous one, but I had grown used to her seemingly understanding my simpler words without too much training.
I’d brought my toiletries with me, as I was wont to do. I trudged through the forest towards the brook, noting that Brioche still followed me, albeit sneakily, though the forest. I smiled.
It took less than ten minutes for me to arrive at the brook, and when I did I set my things down on the usual rock and quickly stepped into the warming stream. Thankfully it was no longer as chilly as the winter tended to keep it, but it being in the shade didnt let it get too warm either. As I bathed I looked over my body. It was still the body of someone between the ages of six and seven, but I could see my muscles were becoming more clearly defined beneath my ever fading baby fat. I was no longer pudgy or plump. In my past life I had been perpetually pale, or red, but after nearly half a year of training in the sun I was becoming quite tanned.
Sadly, Brook didn't show herself, it had been quite a long time since I had seen her and I always enjoyed our chats, brief as they were. I sighed as, after nearly an hour, I climbed out of the creek and dried and dressed. I took a leisurely stroll back to the house, arriving in time for lunch. After lunch I was preparing to learn from my mother. She had said the day before that she had bought a few books about the flora and fauna of Jorial, the country that we lived in. I was positively buzzing with excitement at the prospect.
I stepped into the kitchen after scraping the dirt from my boots, I put them on before heading home but still wasn't wearing a shirt. I set my things down next to my bed, throwing my clothes into a relatively large basket I used for my dirty clothes. My mother still insisted on doing my laundry down by the river with the other women of the village but I was growing close to making her let me do it. I wasn't a huge fan of some of the inequality I was beginning to become aware of.
In a lot of the historical documents and even stories we read, women were not placed very highly in society and often had some amount of rights lessened. For instance, they couldn't own property, start their own business, or open bank accounts on their own without a husband present. There were certain “Traditional” roles that women were meant to take on including cooking, cleaning, and doing the laundry. It reminded me of America in the 1800s.
I frowned to myself as I thought about it, but the smell of the food my mother was making drew my attention into the kitchen. I rapidly appeared by her side, salivating as my tummy grumbled. “Whatcha makin?” I asked nonchalantly as I saw she was clearly toasting a sandwich in the cast iron over the wood stove.
“Lunch. Don’t be so impatient. Wait at the table, afterwards you and I are going for a walk through the woods. And yes you will put on a shirt.”
My mother had seemed a bit happier now that it seemed like I was at least not spending the entire morning working out, even if I was. I smiled and looked casually to the counter where the scraps of the goat meat she had sliced for the sandwiches was piled up. “Okay! Why don't we bring father a fresh sandwich? I know it's a little out of the way but I'm sure he’d love to have us visit even for a minute.” I smiled at her sweetly. It was a little bit disgusting how in love the two were. She rarely had time to visit him at work or bring him lunches. If we already had some time to spare to wander the woods, I could wingman a little bit for the old married couple.
“Ooh that's a great idea Lios!” My mothers stern attitude shifted to something more excited. She flitted over to me, sandwich on a plate that she set before me. “I already ate so I’ll just make another one for him. And yes we can also stop by Bri and feed her some of the scraps here. I’ve got little use for them otherwise.”
I smiled and dug into the hot sandwich, it was delicious. The meat was only seasoned with the same usual spices, we couldn't afford too much variance even with fathers raise, but even still garlic, salt, and pepper were all one really needed. After I finished eating, somehow before mother had finished the sandwich for dad. I set out a piece of brown paper to wrap the sandwich in, and gathered a small pouch of various fruits. After, while mother was carefully wrapping the steaming goat and cheese sandwich, I looked over some of the veggies we had from the last garden harvest. It looked like some of the garlic and onion would be going bad soon. I chewed my cheek not noticing my mother watching me as I considered whether she’d let me make onion and garlic powder.
“Whatcha thinking over there kiddo? Contemplating your existence? Staving off an irrational decision to chomp right into a raw onion?” She giggled slightly and I turned to her, still thinking.
“Nothing like that but... we can't use all these onions and garlic before it goes bad, probably. Tomorrow can I try something with them?” I looked at her hopefully, she still didn't often let me cook. She was adamant that boys should worry about boy things and not cooking. This time she slowly nodded.
“You are relentless when you want something, Lios. Sure, but make sure you dont ruin my pans.” She sighed and hefted the package of food as I wrapped the scrap meat into a small bundle with brown paper.
I followed her out of the house, and she quickly started towards the barracks. While my father could realistically be anywhere in town, that would be the best starting point. They were on the other side of the town, but Arborton was not large enough to make that a concern. With a population of just over 5000, a decent amount for a town but not enough for a city, the town took only around 20 minutes to traverse from one side to the other at a decent walking speed. We made it in around fifteen minutes and opened the door, to see my father and three others playing cards lazily in the middle of the barracks.
When the door opened the four of them turned towards it and a smile quickly lit up my fathers face before he hid it. He stood up and walked towards us.
“Zeek! You didn't tell us Elaine and Lios were visiting today! I’d have cleaned up better,” the man across from my father, Gerald, said. I remembered him vaguely, I hadn't visited dad at work since I started training and hadn’t paid much attention to him before. He was Regulus’s father, the boy who was picked up by Lord Barriston.
“I didn’t know myself! If you'll excuse me, boys, I think I'd better see what brought them here. Feel free to carry on without me!” my father said jovially and invited us in, standing to kiss his wife. “Thank goodness you showed up right then, I was about to lose some chips to those cardsharks.”
My mother rolled her eyes but a small smile played at the corners of her lips. “I’m sure you were, you always do. We don't have long to stay but we thought to bring you lunch in the event you haven't eaten yet.” My mother, even with us, tended to speak a bit formally. She didn’t try to, but old habits tended to die hard.
My father sat back at the table, almost slapping the packed sandwich and fruit down. The other three men struggled not to eye the food or look jealous. He grinned at the others, and took a large bite of the slightly less warm grilled goat meat and cheese sandwich. He let out a braggadocious moan as the sandwich made its way down his gullet, a glare forming on the other men's faces. My mother laughed and kissed him before she pulled me towards the door.
“See you later, sweetheart. Bye Gentlemen.” My mother said as we made our exit. I had half expected her to try to elongate our visit, to chat with father and his coworkers, but it turned out she was more excited to teach me a thing or two. “Now then, Lios, let us go into the woods. I’m going to teach you how to forage and which plants are edible or poisonous in that forest.”
“Yes Mother, sounds amazing.” I wasn't being facetious either, it truly sounded amazing. And useful.
We walked through town, back towards our house and then past it into the Deepbloom Forest. As we walked we quickly reached Brioche’s den, and saw her there. I grinned as she came up to us, sniffing my moms legs before excitedly sprinting around us. Unfortunately we weren't there to play but I still was able to hand feed her a bit of scraps.
The fox followed us a bit as my mother began to show me a bit of the various flora, referencing a book with all kinds of different plants. She showed me which berries to look out for and which types of plants were poisonous. She showed me how to harvest the meat of an acorn, and what it could be used for. She had me harvest some wild medicinal herbs, and on my own, after being taught about them, I harvested a fair amount of herbs that she knew but didn't go out of her way to find or procure- things like basil, and thyme, and rosemary. She gave me a strange look as I placed them in our herb basket.
“I wanna try to cook with them, I think it’d be yummy.” I replied upon seeing the confused look.
“Well... It should be fine at least.” My mother purses her lips.
“Trust me Ma! If you let me cook dinner tomorrow you won't regret it! I mean, an adventurer should be able to cook for himself right?”
“Fine, fine you win ,you can cook for us once. Gods, what would a bloody six year old even know about cooking?” My mother gave an exasperated sigh, looking up towards the heavens, before walking up to a tree and inspecting the leaves. After she gets a good investigatory look, she flipped the book open to the appropriate pages and examined them until she found the right tree.
“Look here Lios, it says this one is a Licton Oak, a less common oak tree whose sap can be used to easily start fires... Maybe you don't need to know that? Oh! But also the roots are used in some minor stamina potion recipes!” She showed me the book, and I confirmed the similarities.
Our time went like this until only a few hours before sunset, the bright light of the day turning more orange by the time we got back home. My mind was a bit overstuffed after most of the afternoon was spent looking at plants, but I didn't mind. After dinner, we looked over a bit more of the book, familiarizing ourselves even more with our local flora, before eventually heading to bed.