“Wake up, Jax” said mom. You are going to be late for morning practice again, and remember to come back in after practice. Your birthday lunch will be ready by then.
Remembering it was my birthday, I quickly got out of bed, well fell out of bed. My legs were wrapped up in the blanket, again……I am out of bed though. I was feeling happy, just so giddy with excitement knowing it’s my birthday, awesome…today I’ll be 5 years old. I will get cake, all my favorite foods, I already told mom I wanted fried potatoes with a lightly salted tomato paste dip. If I was lucky dad would gift me that new small sword I saw the blacksmith bring to our house two days ago.
I quickly ran downstairs, and give mom a fast hug. Considering mom is so small, just a little over 1 meter, and such a petite figure. She couldn’t protest to me hugging her without having my bath. I laugh and run outside, seeing dad chopping firewood near the barn. Standing at almost 2 meters, and with such a rugged, heavy frame. A small shiny cross scar running under his eye to chin, you can just tell that the scar must have split his lips. I always wondered how my father with his scraggy (dirty) brown hair managed to get mom to fall in love with him.
Dad wasn’t exactly the best looker, and mom with her pretty face, long (golden) blonde hair, and slim waist is gorgeous. “Yo, jax” said dad, “quickly bath, else you will be late for sword practice. I am not going to wait too long, and if you’re late, you will have to run an extra lap around the house.” “Ok dad I replied” as I ran to the river
.
As I waded into the river, I saw my reflection. I had short black hair, a slightly feminine, petite face. Mom always called it my baby girl face. Don’t get me wrong, as I have been training regularly with my dad, have gotten a nicely toned and accentuated body. I even have a decent amount of muscles from sword training, after all I’ve been training ever since I could walk (literally). With my height being just a little short of 1meter I thought I looked pretty good. Just the blood on my face always freaked me out. Yes, weirdly enough ever since I could remember, whenever I saw my reflection, my face was covered in bright red blood.
When I was 3 years old, I told mom and dad that I see myself with a red face. Doesn’t matter if its water, a metal object or anything else, my reflection always looks to have blood on its face. Dad was convinced that I must be blessed by the war god, which was why I saw 'blood' on myself …it literally is why I have been training with the sword ever since I could walk. I quickly scrubbed up and got out of the water, just making it in time for dad to finish chopping the wood.
We quickly ate the loaf of bread dad brought out from the barn with cream, and started our daily practice. Cause I was so young, despite having talent for the sword (extremely talented as dad puts it), I hadn’t been taught any techniques by dad yet. Today was the same as most other days, an hour of running around the house, followed by lifting small rocks in the river. Another run, swinging weighted, wooden sticks, and then finally an hour of swimming before going into the house for lunch (Come-on birthday cake).
It was amazing, we had chicken with potatoes and my favorite, spicy tomato paste. Yes there was cake. After lunch dad told me to get changed into good clothes, “why” I asked dad “don’t we usually rest and then go into the field, I was planning on riding old Betsy (horse) today”, “nah Jax, you and I are going to the village today. It’s your birthday, heck it’s you 5th birthday boy, in a few months you will be joining the village martial school. So get dressed, let’s go see the sights and sounds, you can buy some candied fruit bits.”
I didn’t hear what more dad was saying, I quickly rushed to my room, changed into my long black pants and threw on a grey top shirt. As I run down I see dad with the small sword, it’s in a brown scabbard attached to a black belt, “SURPRISE” screamed mom and dad, as I slowly removed my hands from my ears, “I was wondering when I would get the sword” I said. Dad looked at mom, “Dear, why did you ruin my surprise, you spoil him too much you know” “me’ said mom, “you’re the one who can never keep a secret, I knew I should have given the scabbard and belt separately as my surprise birthday gift’.
“Um, guys’ I said, mom turned to me ‘honey, you didn’t know about the scabbard and belt right? Only the sword?” “well yeah”, ‘see, you’re the one who spoiled my surprise’ glared mom at dad. “No’ said dad “noooooooo, it’s just the war god’s blessings coming into effect is all, come-on son tell your mom that your becoming a psychic.” “Ok mum, I’m becoming a psychic”. Mom and dad just froze, they both turned to look at me.
“Can’t be, really?’ asked dad, ‘since when?” asked mom. “hmmm, well let’s see there was this seven foot tall guy, he came here two days ago, it was the middle of the day, and he screamed that the small sword was ready. I was out riding Betsy, at the time, still heard him though, we all know this psychic apparition of mine as the blacksmith, I believe”. Dad and mom looked at each other and gave one of those sheepish smiles, (aggravating) couples always have.
Dad kissed mom goodbye, and grabbed my hand, “well honey, were off’ probably be back as it starts to get dark.” We went outside and started walking in the direction of the village, it wasn’t too far away, just 2 kilometers or 15-20 minutes distance. “Bye mom” I waved good bye.
I had a great time at the village, we went to the small shops: brought this new sweet, they call it a sweet coco slab. A few kids were running around playing with each other, they looked to be 3-4 years old. One was a girl with black hair with freckles on her face, the boy looked to be her brother with the same jet black hair and (familiar?) freckles. After all this excitement dad took me to the inn. It was a normal inn, as dad took me inside, he told me to take a seat near the back while he gets us some food.
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While I was waiting for dad there were few old man sitting at the table next to me, “isn’t it sad’ one said to the other ‘yes it’s horrible, I heard that the entire village was razed to the ground, no survivors” replied the other person. “It’s a good thing we have that couple living just a few minutes outside our village, if not for them we would have to worry about slavers ourselves…..’ ‘Yes I head they guy is a high rank warrior…” As they were still discussing, dad came back to the table with two steaming cups and a bowl.
“Here you go son, a bowl of cold-cream (sweet desert), it a good thing they had a magician come by recently, otherwise it’s very difficult to get cold foods out in the villages’ and he said happy birthday to me once more before I had my first spoonful of cream. It was white and cold, and so sweet with a slight coco taste, I could feel my tongue just slobbering in my mouth, my eyes go round, “this issssss toooooo gooooood” I say with the second spoon in my mouth. I look across and see dad holding his stomach, face scrunched up like his stomach aches. “What’s wrong dad I quickly ask?’ “Nothing, nothing, my tongue burnt…. it’s not because I’m trying not to laugh……ugghhhh is definitely not cause I’m holding my laughter in.”
I just looked at dad with an exasperated expression and got back to eating my cold-cream. After our meal, we were heading back home, dad kept trying not to laugh at me every time he looked at me, I had puffed my cheeks because he was just making me angry, and ‘I mean what’s with his stupid reaction to my eating cold-cream’.
It was a getting dark as we got home, and from a little distance we can see that none of the lights are lit and it’s completely pitch black inside at our home. Wonder why mom hasn’t lit any lamps, as I’m wondering this dad says to me “Jax’ you can walk a bit slow, I’ll just quickly run home and surprise your mom ok” “urghh” I make that sound as dad starts running, I know he is going to go do some kiss-kissy stuff with mom.
As I get near the house, I notice that a few people are coming down the road from the direction of the village, in the distance behind them there is an orange glow and I can see some swirls of smoke. Hmmm, I didn’t know there was a festivals in the village I think to myself, as I enter the house.
After taking off my shoes near the inside of the doorway, I walk a few steps into the sitting room. I feel something sticky on my feet, as I look down I can faintly see some liquid on the floor. Thinking one of the lamps maybe broken, I quickly run into the kitchen and light the hand lamp there. “Mom” I yelled, “where are you, dad are you there?” Great I though, I seems they went upstairs to their room. I have noticed a few times that when they start kissing they go upstairs and don’t hear me for at least half an hour or so.
I enter into the sitting room thinking of going upstairs to my room, but first I should clean up the liquid that was on the floor. As I approach the entrance again, I notice that the liquid is red, almost like tomato paste, but really very red. I touch it and taste it, kind of a salty taste, I look to the side of the sitting room where this liquid seems to be coming from and that’s when I see her.
Its mom, her eyes are open but it’s like she can’t see me,..why, there seems to be dried tears on her face,..why, her lips are split,..why, as I look lower, I notice that her chest isn’t moving, Why, and I see it, Why is there a knife in her stomach…
My mother she is dead, this small though entered my mind and all I felt was too much, there was mind numbing pain as I screamed and just one question seemed to become my very existence…….
WHY
…….I see myself holding a women in my arms as I cry, tears falling on her face, there is a men on the floor with a knife in his chest, he makes my heart ache, there is another young man sitting at a table looking at me with soulless eyes…
….and I scream, I scream so hard, it feels like my heart is being crushed, the pain is so much, my mind hurts, I still scream as blood comes out of my mouth….there are just so many images in my mind, a life I never had, memories I’ve never lived…..and all that I felt was the pain……even as my vision darkened from this pain the question still did not stop, why, why, why……
…..And I blacked out.
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I am sorry if there are slow updates, I will be releasing at least one chapter every week and try for more chapters as I have free time. (1 chapter/week guaranteed) Also sorry if any grammar mistakes, will try to proof them further as I keep writing. Please review, rate and enjoy the series. I will be Posting chapter 1 within 48 hours.