His name was Kurt, Kurt Halex. Born to a family of artisans, he was the first of his blood to aim for a life beyond owning a store front. His ambitions were grand, yet in the eyes of his elders was a step down.

In the age of machines, craftsmen were everything to Cog City, but Kurt had grown exhausted with the labors of intricate tools. The dreamer of a boy, like many of his year, was naïve to the true hardships of their parent’s generation. Still, he admired it. Listening to tales of his family building their business, Kurt always fixated on the war and combat it took. He praised the bravery and heroism of the past. Compared to the monotonous life behind a counter, the past was a grand scale of wonder and adventure.

Stories of men slaying dragons to become heroes, or better yet, kings, were alluring paths. In thought, those stories became pamphlets to the boy. He could see no other way to avoid life as a craftsman than to reenact the impossible tales he read as a child. But Cog City hadn’t seen a beast worthy of a hero in some time. How could Kurt follow the steps to become a king if the most important elements were missing?

A kingdom in parrel.

A monster to slay.

A woman to marry.

By all accounts, he was better off in the steps set before him. As a craftsman, life could have been simple. However, a challenge might have been the only thing capable of satisfying a youth’s racing heart.

“You’re a craftsman?”

“Yes. No. My father is. Brothers too, but I’ve practiced with a sword,” Kurt spoke, stuttering to pick his words carefully.

“Practiced how?” Ellenore questioned, though her attention wavered.

Having been expelled from district two, the anxious girl found herself back at her stack of applicants. It annoyed her to admit she had miscalculated the situation at the fountain. More importantly, she cursed herself for endangering her maid. Though the lady couldn’t remain in poor spirits forever. After all, Rachel had agreed to keep the incident a secret as long as Ell agreed to be “sensible.”

A favor was made.

Yes, Ellenore’s guilt quickly subsided when she was “advised” to summon knights and have them pageant through the manor for her maid to inspect. It was all that she could think to do to apologize, since Rachel had made the request with vigor. But after a dozen men had come and gone, the lady was certain her debts were paid with patience.

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“I’ve competed in 3 tourneys,” Kurt added.

“Have you won any titles?” Ellenore asked with a yawn.

The boy was hesitant to answer. Covered in sweat, he watched as Ell and her maid leisurely enjoyed tea and biscuits at the dining table. To him, the women were impossible creatures to read. No matter what they said, their words could have been monotone and had the same effect on a boy so unused to judgment.

Dressed in light leather armor, the design and craft of Kurt's garb were stunning. Though leather was a subsect of craft, the boy had noteworthy skill displayed on his nervous body. In truth, he had fabricated his look to appear far more expensive than it actually was, but even that was something that took talent. Sadly, no matter how well dressed he was, Kurt’s confidence dwindled by the second.

“No,” he finally answered, and with his word, all the air deflated from his chest.

Out of all the applicants who had sought to become Ellenore’s personal guard, the lady had spent the longest speaking with Kurt. Perhaps it was merely a coincidence that he happened to be the last person to step before the table. Perhaps the lady was tired. Thanks to Kurt’s application, Ellenore knew exactly how under qualified the boy was before he had answered a single question. Had he stuck out in some way?

“It says here that you’re willing to protect me from all manner of dark Elm, be it large or small.”

“Yes! I will slay any beast.”

“But you’ve never slain a monster, never slain a man, have you?”

“No, but I...” Kurt said, though his voice was silent, eyes hurting to turn away with embarrassed anxiety.

“This is an expedition, not a hunt. Our goal is knowledge, not to kill elms in the uncharted lands,” Ellenore explained.

Her maid had wandered away from the table to chase after men who had already auditioned but failed to catch the lady’s eye. Had Kurt been a more impressive or imposing person, Rachel might have found him admirable and taken the opportunity to appreciate his manly figure. But had she remained in the room, gawking over the boy, as she had the others, Ellenore may not have had clarity of mind.

But she saw Kurt. His ambitions were not the same as hers, but the boy longed to be something unique from his family, like Ellenore from her father. Such a thin thread was enough. In the end, the lady was unwilling to endure another day of pageantry either way.

Still, Kurt could not have known where Ellenore’s thoughts were. Naturally, when he answered, “I understand,” it was with defeat.

“Good, we leave in a week,” Ell said and stood up from her seat.

“Alright,” Kurt said, watching the lady grab her coat, preparing to leave the room.

It took the boy a moment to catch up.

“Wait, are you saying?!”

“Are you hired? Yes,“ Ell reiterated and came around the copper table to extend her hand to the well-dressed craftsman.

Kurt was stunned, but quickly used his hand to comb his black hair back before taking the lady’s hand in a shake, saying, “Thank you. Thank you, Ms., you won’t regret this.”