-Break-

Two days later

In the river, I see, right next to Aurelius. We race to see who can reach Lillian and Claudia the faster.

We swim with all our hearts as we race down the river, but in the end, I lose to Aurelius.

He jumps out of the river next to Lillian and screams, “THIS IS THE POWER OF LOVE.”

“Yes, yes, you big dumb idiot.”

Reaching out my hand, I say, “So what if you won I will simply win next time.”

Suddenly all three of them stare at me, and then Claudia says, “That won’t be happening.”

Knocking my arm away, Aurelius says, “You haven’t forgotten.”

Lillian says, “The way you abandoned all of us.”

“I didn’t.”

“You coward.”

“You traitor.”

“You fool.”

“Die.”

“Die.”

“Die.”

From the ground I jump up and almost throw up.

-Break-

Location: Campsite

Stepping to the front of the line with Charles not far behind me, I stretched out my hands, and the beastkin in front of me gave me winter clothes, and moments later Charles was given these clothes by the same beastkin.

Rubbing my face against the clothes, I say, “Oh how I have missed comfy clothing.”

“I see.”

“Hey Charles if you have something to say don’t just sum it up and I see.”

“Ok.”

“Don’t miss the point of what I just said. Explain your I see.”

“I see. Well, I just thought it makes sense for you to want new clothes because your current clothes have been ripped to shreds by your never-ending failure in regards to the giant flowers, so I understood, I see.”

His words unknowingly struck me like a bolt of lightning. “Well you’re wrong the reason I want new clothes is because I missed soft things, like women.”

Charles asks, “What’s a woman?”

Frozen for s second, I realize what he just asked, then laughing I say, “Don’t worry I will show you one day.”

“Ok.”

-Break-

Four days later

Location: Centre plain

Digging up the land around one of the tree stumps, I say, “This really is hell.”

We have ceased our planting of seeds, for the season but now in replacement of that, we have to remove all of the stumps and leftover wood in the land.

And for two boys such as us, “That’s fucking hard! I have to dig up this frozen land and then start hacking away at the stumps until I can pull them out. The only benefit is because we still have to use axes, I can continue to threaten those men to leave us the hell alone.”

Charles ask, “Who are you taking to?”

“MYSELF!”

“I see.”

“EXPLAIN!”

“You talking to yourself is in line with the rest of your strange behaviour.”

“WELL THEN MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.” Feeling a cold breeze I say, “THESE WINTER CLOTHES DO NOTHING!”

“Ok.” After saying this Charles pulls out one of the tree stumps all by himself.

Looking at him in shock, I through my spade on the ground and say, “CHARLES I AM DONE, COME DO THE REST OF THIS WORK FOR ME.”

“I see,” Charles says as he walks over to me. Stopping in front of me Charles punches me in the gut sending me flying back.

“What was that for!”

“You told me if you ever ask me to do your work for you, I should hit you at full power three times until your sense returns.”

Holding my gut as Charles walks forward, I say, “My sense has returned so you can stop.” If Charles hits me another two times with the current state my body is in, I will die. Without a doubt!

“I can't do that you made me promise to only stop after three hits no matter what present you say.”

FUCK YOU PAST ME! “Please Charles I will die, you want me to live right, so don’t hi-.”

He hits me so hard; that I feel my soul pop out of my body.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

-Break-

Six days later

In a small area surrounded by the other members of my clan, me and Vul stand there with sticks in hand, preparing to begin our sparing match.

The moment Claudia makes a gesture for the battle to begin, I charge at Vul with a stick in hand, but he steps out of the way and then knocks me on the head with his stick.

“One death.”

“Again.”

A very similar process repeats itself, and he says, “Two deaths.”

“AGAIN!”

Over and over again, we repeat this process with the only difference being Vul changing his count of deaths.

Taking my stick I through it into the ground and yell, “I AM DONE!”

Aurelius from a distance says, “You need to change up your approach, and not do the same thing every time.”

“Yeah, whatever, Aurelius it’s your turn.”

As I leave the area, and Aurelius walks in, he grabs me by my arm and says, “You were always like this, giving up at the slightest issue.”

“Aurelius let go.”

“If you had just trained more we wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

Suddenly I see blood fill the area around all of us.

“THIS WAS CAUSED BY YOU.”

I jump up and spit up just like most nights.

-Break-

The next day

Location: A few meters away from the River Lúide

With passion in his eyes, and with a fervour that even the healthy struggle to have in this cold winter, Nero digs his spade into the dirt and starts to dig while saying, “NEVER GIVE UP.”

In a stark contrast beside him, Charles mutters a completely passionless, “Never give up,” copying Nero.

But even though the passion in Nero is heights below Charles, the amount of work they are getting done is not correlated to this at all. Nero has dug up a small amount if compared to the heap of dirt that Charles has.

Seeing Charles work, Nero screams, “THIS IS SO UNFAIR!” But as he screams one of the beastkin starts to yell at him in their language.

This causes Nero, to pick up his spade, and scream, “NEVER GIVE UP,” While working with all his strength and might.

Seeing this Charles starts to become slightly more energised, and in a tone that carries a little bit of passion he says, “Never give up.”

-Break-

Eight days later

Location: Campsite

As I devour my pathetic potato while freezing, Charles points his finger up towards me and says, “Good job!”

“DON’T MOCK M-, Ehh that one was slightly better, I think you actually managed to shift your face muscles upwards. But you could still do better.”

Grabbing my face, I say, “You need to push them up like this.”

“I see,” Charles says, as he pushes them all downwards.

“NOT WHAT I MEAN. I don’t know if this is some sort of prank or if this really is just against your nature.”

-Break-

2 weeks later

As blood gushes from my leg in the middle of the forest I cry, but no one is anywhere near me, so I scream, “Mommy, daddy, HELP ME!”

The darkness of the forest scares me to my core, so I shiver there as I await the wolf that bit me to come and find me.

Hearing rustling, I start to scream, “NOOOOO!”

But from the forest, Aurelius and Lillian appear, with Aurelius holding the head of the wolf in his arms.

Upon seeing me Aurelius runs over and says, “We finally found you Nero. Wait, Nero is bleeding Lillian hurry up!”

Lillian walking over to me says, “I know, I am coming.”

As Lillian bandages me up, she says, “You really made us break our backs.”

I didn’t know these two that well at all back then when I was seven, so I said, “Why are you guys hear.”

Rubbing my head, Aurelius responds, “Because whenever you’re in trouble your big siblings will take care of you.”

Putting me on his back, Aurelius said, “NOW LET’S GO!”

As I am carried away, I hear a voice say, “But you weren’t able to save them.”

In front of me, I start to see blood leak from both Aurelius and Lillian, and then I hear, “They have always been here for us but we couldn’t do the same for them, they scram and cried yet we just LEFT THEM!”

I jump up from my bed and vomit all over the floor.

-Break-

Four days later

Location: Centre plain

With all the strength I can muster from my body, I pull out the tree stump from the ground.

“FINALLY. After digging up the land to its roots, hacking away at said roots with an axe, blocking the roots from grounding back, and then slowly pulling the stump from the tree out of the hole in the ground, I have now taken out my second tree stump.”

Laying on the ground in victory, I turn around and see Charles with 42 tree stumps pulled out. Moments later we lock eyes, then I turn my head around.

“Don’t say it,” I whisper.

But then I hear Charles say, “Good job.”

Turning around, I shout, “IT WASN’T A GOOD JOB DON’T MOCK ME.”

-Break-

Six days later

Location: Campsite

As Charles collects his food, I see him stick his thumb up towards Baine cíche, and say, “Good job.”

Grabbing him I say, “Didn’t I tell you to specifically stop doing that.”

-Break-

Seven days later

Location: River Lúide

Standing in the water of River Lúide, Nero has both of his fists against his hips and is staring at the sun, with a smile on his face.

Confused by this action, Charles goes up beside Nero and does the same.

To all the onlookers of this sight, they felt raptured. A boy much younger and smaller than them. A boy who lacks fat throughout all of his body is standing there basking in the sun with a smile on his face, he looks as if he has discovered the through of the world.

Seeing this sight one of the other slaves says, “The messiah?” While looking with awe.

Soon a group of men copy Charles and Nero's actions, hoping to reach his same height.

But in truth the only thought going through Nero's head was; MY BACK FUCKING HURT’S.

A beastkin walking towards them all starts to scream in a language Nero can’t understand.

-Break-

Three days later

Location: Campsite

Shaping my face, into a smile, I say, “Charles like this.”

Shaping his face into a frown, he says, “Like this?”

“No, no, like this?”

-Break-

Two days later

Location: Centre plain

Cutting the roots out of the three I say, “NEVER GIVE UP. NOT NOW NOT EVER.”

One day later

Location: Íogair grassland

Seeing the flower swing towards me I dodge and pluck out its last seed causing it to wither instantly.

Falling to the ground I say, “I am done, though I missed a few so I should do better next time.”

Charles walking up to me says, “You’ve done it.”

“Done what.”

“Your quota, you’ve finally hit it.”

In disbelief, I say, “You're kidding.”

“No, I am not.” Sticking his thumb up and giving me a light smile, Charles says, “Good job.”

Hearing this and seeing Charles's successful encouragement shocks me so much I pass out.

-Break-

I can see all my friends, my family, being attacked. The beastkin are scary, so much so that I feel I have to run, but I can’t not now, so I take a step forward.

Suddenly I hear, “Do you think doing anything now will change anything? You have already failed, it is too let for us to change their fates now.”

“I know that, but still even if it is too late I would rather go forward than run back. So if you want to stay there complaining do that till you die.”

Running forward towards the beastkin, I am killed within seconds.

Jumping up from my bed, my chest feels tight my breathing is uncontrollable, and terror causes my bones to shake. But I don’t feel sick, I don’t feel like throwing up.

-Break-

Location: The western edge of the plantation

Φ Standing by his carriage, Bricriu says, “Liam are you ready.”

“Of course, but I must ask why have you decided to take me.”

“Because you're simply so useful towards me Liam, I am sure you will help us in our conquest of the islands in Molstoria.”’

“I will try my best.”

Looking on towards the plantation, Bricriu says, “Goodbye for now, but next we meet I am sure lots of fun will be had.”

And so as Bricriu left the plantation the year came to an end, but the next would be just as important for the two boys.