Arindall was bustling in the pleasant weather. No one wanted to remain inside. Children were playing in the streets while their parents chatted. Merchants were happily serving customers. This was an unusually busy day. Arturo wasn’t sure why it was so lively but he wouldn’t complain.
He passed by Jill Hopkins, who was running about in her shop, selling plants to the local healer and fruits to other customers. Her husband, Thomas, was talking casually to someone, not realizing the scornful look his wife was giving him.
Arturo turned to let someone pass him and glanced over at the blacksmith, Ulrich Dalanois, who nodded as a person was widening their arms, clearly describing the armor that they wanted crafted. Arturo had noticed how busy the blacksmith had been lately. There were three people behind the first person, waiting to talk to Ulrich. It was likely because it was the time of year when people left on their adventures.
Arturo watched someone he didn’t know take out their sword and swing it around. He wished it was time for him to leave on his adventure. He wanted to explore the world and see how things were outside of Arindall. His father didn’t talk much about his adventure and neither did his brothers, despite the prodding he had done.
Archard was leading the way through the crowd. He heard John and Marcus chatting about an old friend who was still out on his adventure. The more Arturo thought about it, it made sense why today was busy. This was the nicest day of the year, not a single cloud in the sky. One of those rare days where it was neither hot nor cold.
Before long, they arrived back home. Archard opened the door and the twins followed right behind him. Once Arturo stepped inside, he saw his sister, Jen, swinging her arms around with one knife in each hand. He suppressed a grin at the sight. She liked to practice when no one was around. Once she realized who was home, she hid them behind her back.
“What are you doing?” Archard asked her accusingly, with his arms crossed. He was amused when Jen’s face turned red as she stammered out a response.
“I-I was getting ready to…” Jen looked at Arturo as if he could help her. “Prepare food… yeah… That’s what I was doing.”
“Uh-huh,” Archard said and reached his hands to take the knives. “Knives aren’t toys. You should know this, young lady.”
“I’m not a young lady!” Jen began with a look of fury. “I’m fifteen years old now, and it’s proper for a woman to learn to defend herself!”
“Your mother would scold you more harshly than me,” Archard said and looked around. “Where is your mother?”
“She’s in the back,” Jen said.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Archard said and walked toward the back with John and Marcus, who were shaking their heads and laughing.
Arturo hung back. Jen wasn’t wrong; she wasn’t a kid anymore. Sometimes it was hard to believe how much she’d grown, especially in the last two years. Jen’s dark blonde hair flowed halfway down her back and her brown eyes sparkled with excitement.
Much like her brothers, Jen wanted to become a warrior and leave on an adventure. Unfortunately for her, that wasn’t going to happen. Women rarely left Arindall unless they got married. Arturo never understood why it mattered; he would have loved to have taken Jen with him if he was allowed to. She had the talent to become a warrior if their parents would allow her to train.
“It’s not fair!” Jen exclaimed after she was sure Archard and the twins were out of earshot. “Why are women not allowed to go out on an adventure?”
“Tradition over the years, I guess,” Arturo shrugged. There was nothing he could say to help her. “Not much you can do about it. Though I would say you were flailing around too much. You need to tighten up your stance. If you were in a real fight, your opponent could have tripped you before you could attack.”
“Then you train me!”
“You know I can’t.” Arturo remembered the last time he was caught training with his sister. His mother had been furious and his father made him do extra chores for weeks.
Jen sighed. “I know. It’s just… ugh! I have to go help Mother before she yells at me.” She stalked off, stomping a little.
Arturo couldn’t imagine his sister getting married and not running the household. She was as stubborn as they came. Arturo grabbed his sword handle and lifted it off the hooks on his back. The weapon was so large that there wasn’t a sheath for it like other swords. Instead, he had two small hooks on his armor below his neck on which the hilt of the sword hung, while at the bottom was a small sheath that covered the tip of the blade. It allowed him to move relatively easily without the sword flailing around his back.
Arturo walked to his room and set the weapon down by the door.
“Arturo! Dinner’s ready!” he heard his mother yell. He didn’t reply but closed his door and headed outside. He didn’t need to ask if they were eating outside; the weather was too nice to eat inside.
The scent of roast venison made his stomach rumble. He’d been so focused on training he hadn’t realized how hungry he was. He stepped outside as the food was served. “Smells delicious!” Arturo said and took a seat next to his sister, who was still sulking.
“It had better be. I had to track this deer for two days,” Archard said.
“Don’t worry, I made sure to cook it perfectly,” Arturo’s mother, Leann, said.
Leann was a beautiful woman, with dark blonde hair and brown eyes like Jen. She had some wrinkles and her hair was only down to her neck, but it was easy to see the resemblance between the two. She was kind but had no problem being stern when necessary.
“I’m so grateful for these moments,” Leann said. “Having the twins back and eating as a family has made these past few weeks very special.”
“I’ll toast to that!” John raised his glass of wine and took a drink.
Then the eating began, and it was quite a sight. With how much training Arturo and his brothers had done, they ate with gusto. The food was delicious; some of the best venison he’d ever had. He washed it down with a big gulp of wine, then continued his assault on the meat.
Archard, Leann, and Jen were slower, savoring each bite. Jen was shaking her head as she saw Marcus and John talk to one another with their mouths full of food.
Before long, Arturo, Archard, and John had finished their meals while the others were halfway done. “Ah, that was delicious! Thanks!” John said and Marcus echoed the sentiment.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Leann replied.
Arturo leaned forward. “So you two have been back for a couple of weeks now. Tell us how the fighting in Eshil Domain was!”
“Arturo!” Archard said sternly. “You’ve asked them many times and they don’t want to talk about it.”
“It’s okay,” John said with a wave of his hand. “I think it’s time Arturo and Jen heard about it.”
Leann gave Archard a perplexed look before shifting her attention back to John. “Why does Jen need to know?”
“We all know she wants to fight like us,” John said. Jen shot him a dirty look as Leann glanced over at her daughter. “Arturo is no different, and I remember feeling the same way before leaving.”
“Is this true, Jen?” Leann asked.
Jen put her head down on the table to hide her embarrassment. She’d had Leann convinced that she no longer wanted to fight.
“Jen, I’m talking to you,” Leann insisted.
“It’s fine, sweetheart. Let’s hear what John has to say,” Archard said.
Arturo waited eagerly. He was curious as to why John was trying to discourage him from leaving. Archard had done his adventure and didn’t talk about it. All he would say was that it had its moments, and wouldn’t go into any more detail.
“Yes, I think John is right,” Marcus nodded as he spoke. “Battles are nothing like the stories. It’s not a fun place to be.”
“A battlefield is hell itself,” John declared.
There was no missing the hesitation in their voices, and Arturo thought they weren’t going to continue. “What do you mean?”
“In the stories, you hear how the hero is this amazing fighter, killing his enemies with single strikes and saving the day. That isn’t how it works at all—at least, not for most people,” John said.
“Most soldiers are untrained: farmers, blacksmiths, or other common people. There’s so much screaming. Terror isn’t a good enough word to describe how awful it is. It’s rare for someone to die once they’ve been cut. Usually, they’ll be on the ground, crying out for help or their parents. That makes the blood look like nothing after you cut a man down and hear his screams for help when, a moment ago, he was bragging about how he was going to kill you.” Marcus spoke so softly that Arturo had to lean forward to hear.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“It’s true.” John was watching Arturo as he spoke, gauging his reaction. “Marcus and I are above-average fighters, but I never left a battle feeling good. If I could go the rest of my life without having to kill another man, I would.”
“You’re both right,” Archard said.
“Why didn’t you tell us before we left?” John asked.
Arturo wondered the same thing. He wasn’t sure how much he believed his brothers. Hearing all this didn’t dampen his spirits. Instead, he was more excited. Why wasn’t he dreading a battle after hearing this? Was this because he was curious or would he react like his brothers once he was in a battle?
“Neither of you would have listened,” Archard said. He took another swig of his wine before continuing. “My father told me how horrible war was, and I still left. I can’t say it was all bad or something I wouldn’t do again, because I fought for many years before coming back. The stories don’t talk about the ugliness of war.”
Leann was still gazing at Jen, who turned to look at Arturo. There was no way the others could convince Arturo to avoid fighting. It was all he wanted to do. He pursed his lips, thinking of what to say.
“Those are our thoughts on the matter,” Marcus said.
Arturo leaned back, holding in a sigh. He figured it was better not to push the twins any further. He had wanted to hear about the war, details about it, the fun parts, not how miserable everything was. “I don’t know what to say. If you hoped I wouldn’t leave, I’m still going to,” Arturo finally said.
The twins shook their heads, whereas Archard nodded. “I understand. Just know there’s no shame in changing your mind,” he said.
Clearing her throat, Leann saved Arturo from having to respond. “So have the rebels been taken out of Eshil Domain?”
John shook his head. “The rebels have been severely weakened and were making small raids last I heard. King Harold thinks he’ll have the rest of the rebels captured soon enough.”
Archard snorted. “That man is as arrogant as they come. King Harold may believe he can be rid of the rebels soon but I wouldn’t be surprised if he has more trouble with them.”
“You’ve met Harold?” Jen asked with awe. “What was he like?”
“I’ve met all the kings,” Archard said.
Arturo, Marcus, and John leaned forward. None of them had known their father had met a king, let alone all of them.
“Not much else to say. Harold was an arrogant man when I met him and I’ve heard he’s gotten worse,” Archard said. He looked troubled as he scratched his chin. “I find it odd how a rebel force began in Eshil Domain and Malvarian at the same time. I’ve heard rumors of rebellions growing in Vandalor as well. Something’s not right about that.”
There was no argument there. Wars weren’t uncommon. Usually, one nation or another had problems. King Harold of Vandalor was known to be quite harsh to his people. But rebellious forces brewing in three of the five major nations at the same time was unheard of.
“I find it disturbing,” Leann began. She shot Jen one last glance, debating on whether to continue. “It makes me wonder if we’ll see unrest in Azzellia.”
“Same,” Archard said. “We’ll deal with that if it happens. We are far enough away that we shouldn’t have any trouble, at least here.”
Unfortunately, Arturo thought. Arindall was right by the Unknown Waters, as far away from the other nations as possible. Nobody had ever sailed the Unknown Waters and returned. If an army ever made it this far down, that meant the war was already over.
“I think that’s enough war talk, don’t you agree?” Leann said. She didn’t wait for a response. “The spring festival is tomorrow and I want us all to go and have a good time.”
Oh, that’s right! Arturo couldn’t believe he had forgotten about the festival. That explained why there were so many people around earlier today. He’d always loved the festival; there were games, challenges, and food. There were two reasons for the festival: it was to celebrate spring, and it was the last event held before those who turned seventeen left on their adventures.
“Well, I think we all know what we’re doing tomorrow. Now, does anyone want pastries?” Leann said.
Arturo could barely contain his excitement. It was the festival today and he was finally old enough to sign up for the tournament in which knights and other warriors competed to test their skills. To participate, you had to be sixteen years old.
The tournament was a safe event. The weapons were made of wood, so there was little chance of serious injury. The first competitor to knock their opponent to the ground or out of the circle was declared the winner. Arindall was a small village, so there usually weren’t more than one hundred contestants. Travelers said that the bigger cities would have hundreds or even thousands of participants and used real weapons. Arturo planned to fight in one of those tournaments one day. For now, he would have to be satisfied with this one.
They arrived at the festival. Freshly baked bread, roasted meats, and sweat treats wafted through the air. There were games and competitions and even a couple of knights in shining armor, parading about on horseback. There were merchants and people everywhere, with more arriving every minute. There had to be at least a thousand people around them, making it difficult to move. Leann stopped and turned to the boys. “Jen and I will look around while you register for the tournament,” she said.
Archard kissed his wife. “Meet back here in a couple of hours.”
Leann gave him a sly grin and patted his arm. “We’ll be here.”
“Marcus, John, you signing up for the tournament?” Archard asked as he motioned them to follow. They had to squeeze through a lot of people. Luckily, they were all big, and most people moved aside for them; there weren’t many as tall or muscular as Archard and his sons.
“Yeah. Can’t let Arturo get a big head before he leaves,” John joked.
“Agreed,” Marcus said.
Arturo rolled his eyes and followed. Why were his brothers so worried about him? He had beaten them in sparring many times now. It was too noisy to respond, so he kept his mouth shut and continued walking.
Out of the corner of his eye, Arturo noticed one of his friends, Dorvan Minishota, talking to a pretty girl he didn’t recognize. She was laughing at something he said. Normally he would have said hello but decided against it. He had other things to do and opted just to wave. Dorvan noticed and shot him a wink before returning his attention back to the girl.
Arturo shook his head, looked forward and noticed he was falling behind his father. He picked up the pace to catch up.
The crowd thinned and barely anyone was by the registration desk, which was unusual. Arturo forced himself to remain calm as he didn’t want to show his father or brothers how excited he was to fight. They were worried about him enough as it was.
“Want to go first, Arturo?” Archard asked.
“You can sign up first,” Arturo responded.
Archard gave him a knowing glance before motioning for Marcus to go first. “You’re not fighting this year?” Arturo asked.
“Nah, I’m getting too old for it,” Archard said.
Too old? He won the last one! Arturo thought. Archard was fifty-two years old and a quarter of his hair was gray but was still strong as ever. Perhaps his father didn’t want to fight his sons? When he thought about it, Archard had won the last tournament without breaking a sweat.
“Sorry, Archard,” the old man at the table said. “No tournament this year.”
“What?” Arturo blurted out. He was finally of age to participate and the tournament was canceled? How unfair!
“What happened?” Archard asked.
“The wagon with the equipment was robbed by bandits. Found that out last night.”
“There weren’t any guards?” Marcus asked.
The old man shook his head and sighed. “I told the fool in charge of handling the gear to hire guards but he thought the expense was a waste of money. Fool of a boy if I’ve ever seen one. Now he has no money or gear.”
“Sorry to hear that. We’ll get out of your hair.” Archard turned heel and motioned for the boys to follow. “Sorry, Arturo. Looks like you’ll have to fight next year before you leave.”
“A real shame. I was looking forward to taking the crown this year,” John said.
Arturo didn’t respond. This fantastic day was now awful. He took a few deep breaths and tried to relax. There was nothing he could do about it.
“Sorry, son.” Archard patted Arturo’s shoulder. “I know how much you wanted to test your skills.”
“It’s all right,” Arturo said. “I’ll win the tournament next year.”
Archard removed his hand, then stopped and looked around. “Wait here a moment. I’m going to check on something.”
“We’ll be right here,” Marcus said as Archard disappeared. There were so many people walking around that it was easy to get lost in the crowd, even with how tall he was. Arturo scanned the crowd and shrugged as he couldn’t see anyone he knew.
The twins were talking to one. John was saying he loved Arindall and doubted he would ever leave again. Marcus was nodding with agreement, saying he wouldn’t leave except for short trips.
“What do you mean?” Arturo asked. He remembered when his brothers talked about adventuring until they were old and then getting married. How could a two-year trip change them so much? “You both wanted to travel the world! Not stay here.”
John flashed him a grin. “Well, if I’m being honest, the adventure wasn’t that exciting. The fighting was terrifying and there were lots of sleeping on the ground and dealing with rude people.”
“And the number of people trying to swindle us for the little money we had was frustrating. One couple tried to tell us they had beans that would make you invisible and some people actually bought them!” Marcus added.
“Don’t get me wrong, there were fun moments. This festival is nothing compared to the one in Carhan,” John was about to continue when Marcus cut in again.
“The festival for King Lerin was amazing! Thousands of people from so many different parts of Aidris. Beautiful women, and the food was amazing. The tournament was the best I’ve seen.”
John shot his brother an annoyed look before continuing. “Overall, I missed home and wanted to come back earlier.”
“Why didn’t you?” Arturo asked.
“A lord recruited us for the war effort in Eshil Domain, and that’s not something you can walk away from. Some poor saps tried to leave and were hanged,” Marcus said.
“Nasty business.” John shuddered. “We were forced to watch as a reminder of what happens if you try to desert.”
Arturo recalled his teachings on how to interact with lords and how some were very strict about protocol while others weren’t. Lord Maloi was a kind man and seemed to interact with commoners like normal people. He had met one other lord when he was little but couldn’t remember if he was nice or not.
Before Arturo could say anything, a strange man walked up to them. There was a scar on his face from his chin to his left ear. He had a sword attached to his hip and a shield on his back. Even without weapons, Arturo would bet this man knew how to fight.
“You lads look strong,” the man said in an unfamiliar accent.
Arturo couldn’t place where in the world the man was from. Then again, I haven’t seen much of the world. He would have to ask his brothers later.
“We’re not for hire,” John said coldly.
The man’s lips curled into a smile. “I wasn’t going to hire you for anything.”
“Then what do you want?” Marcus asked.
“I wanted to warn you of what’s to come.”
Warn us? Arturo was intrigued. What could this man know that he would tell three boys in a small village?
“I can’t say much for certain… reasons,” The man hesitated and rubbed his chest. Sweat started sliding down his face. A few seconds later, the sweat disappeared and the man lowered his arms. “Something is coming. Things you thought you knew will change and you had better be ready.”
“What’s coming?” Arturo said.
The stranger eyed him up and down. “I can’t say. Just know that the nations of this continent may not exist in—” he stopped speaking as sweat dripped profusely down his face and his right knee slammed into the ground. He was rubbing his chest again and looked to be in immense pain. “I can’t say anymore. Do what you will with this knowledge.”
As quickly as he’d arrived, the strange man walked off. Arturo wanted to follow, but the man disappeared into the crowd.
“That is one strange fellow,” John said.
“More like crazy. Looked like he was going to die right on us,” Marcus said.
Who was that and why did it look like he was forced to stop talking? Arturo didn’t agree with his brothers. Whoever that man was knew what he was talking about and was somehow being forced to hold back information. What was coming and how might the nations of Aidris cease to exist?