The morning air was cool and the trees rustled in the breeze. Sunlight slipped over the hills and made its way to the castle. A rooster crowed in the distance and the town of Zulin began to stir.
In a small house just outside of town another rooster crowed in defiance of the rising sun. Henry jerked out of sleep and sat upright. Outside the window, the rooster sat in a tree across the stream, near the wall of the village. He yawned heavily and stretched his arms and legs. Then, suddenly, panic gripped him.
“I’m going to be late!” he yelped. Scrambling out of bed he rushed to his drawer and pulled out clean brown trousers and a simple white shirt. “Breakfast.” he thought aloud.
Henry threw two eggs in a pot and turned to his black stove. Thankfully the fireplace was still hot with coals and he quickly lit the fire with new timber and threw in a log for good measure. He rushed outside to the small stream and filled a bucket with water. After filling the pot he went to the mirror as he waited for the eggs to boil. He had just received a comb for his birthday last month and loved using it whenever he could. Not wanting to overdo the combing of his jet-black hair, he tossed it on his dresser. He looked at himself in the mirror and straightened his wrinkled shirt. The white went well with his dark skin and his trousers were a good color too. He was overly conscious that he may run into Sasha on his way to class and wanted to look presentable.
After ten minutes of rushing around and preparing, he stuffed all his notes and two large books into his satchel. Grabbing the pot with the eggs Henry quickly dumped out the water. He knelt down next to the stream and expertly peeled the shells off the boiled eggs. He then began his short walk into town.
Shoving down one egg as he walked, Henry enjoyed the morning breeze and gazed at the keep where the sun was beginning to warm the cold stone. People were still in their houses as Henry trotted by, making his way closer to the castle gates.
Zulin was a simple, peaceful town, one in which lord Kyburn governed well. King Xerath had appointed Zulin to him and as lord, it was his duty to see to the prosperity of the people he looked after. After the Kligirian war, Kyburn had settled here and the people were better off with him around.
“Henry!” a voice called from behind. “Just the boy I wanted to see. Come here, would you? I have a surprise for you.”
Mrs. Kebin was an old lady who looked after Henry. She had her own little house and Mrs. Kebin’s granddaughter stayed with her due to her parents dying at a young age. Her granddaughter just so happened to be the girl he was interested in. Sasha took good care of her grandmother, who was getting older and slower due to age. Henry was happy to help Mrs. Kebin whenever he could, and he loved having the company of Sasha, so when she called him over, he happily obliged.
“Hello Mrs. Kebin,” Henry called back to her. She slipped back into her house as he walked back towards her.
“Just one minute,” she called from inside, making a ruckus while doing so. Henry gave a light chuckle and hoped Sasha was up this early.
A moment later, Sasha emerged from the house and greeted Henry with a smile. She was very shy like Henry, but would always greet him nevertheless. She was thin and short and had beautiful red hair that flowed off her shoulders like fire. Henry was ensnared by her beauty, like always. He noticed she wore a pretty yet simple dark dress that stopped at her ankles. She was a very modest girl, which Henry appreciated but her figure distracted his eyes all the same.
Shifting his eyes down bashfully, he scuffed the ground with his thick boot as she stood on the porch in front of him. He had told himself he would face his fears and ask her out on a picnic this weekend but once he was confronted by her, his nerve slipped.
They both were seventeen, though Sasha was a bit older than he. Their young age didn’t remove them from the hardships of life, for they both had experienced great loss. Sasha lost her parents at the age of ten and Henry lost his at fourteen. Their bonds of friendship had grown strong through the years and they both relied on each other for moral and emotional support.
However, only last year, their relationship had grown awkward and stiff. Henry wasn’t stupid but he wasn’t sure if it was from their realization that they were attracted to each other or the fact that they had been spending less time together due to his increased studies.
Henry remembered his classes started soon and began shifting his weight back and forth with impatience. The last boiled egg popped into his mouth while he waited and heard a giggle from Sasha while doing so.
Looking up with a mouthful of egg, he grinned stupidly and laughed at himself with her.
He was going to be late if he didn’t hurry but he enjoyed simply being in her presence far too much and his sense of time faded to the back of his mind. Mrs. Kebin was an awfully nice woman but she was very slow. Though he could never be upset with her because she was widowed and quite old and was always looking for ways to make everyone’s life a little better in this rough world.
Sasha broke the silence, “How are you this morning, Henry? Would you like something more to eat other than that egg?”
Henry couldn’t help but blush and replied, “I do smell something wonderful from the house. What are you baking?”
“Blueberry muffins? Would you like one? I’ve been baking since I got up. They will be done soon.” she offered.
“Ah, you know I love your cooking but I am in a hurry to get to class, I’m afraid I can’t wait,” Henry said disappointingly.
“Of course, I understand,” Sasha said but her face betrayed her disappointment. “I am happy to see you again though,” Sasha brightened slightly.
“Me too,” he whispered, staring into her eyes.
She met his gaze for a moment but looked away as her cheeks began to turn red. “Oh! We have a surprise for you!” she spun, an excuse to flee his gaze.
Henry watched her turn and smiled at her bashfulness. Her joyful nature always made him smile, she always brightened his day, “You do?” Henry asked curiously.
At that moment, Mrs. Kebin finally emerged from the house with four giant books in her arms. Henry thought she would fall over with her frail body teetering under the weight. He quickly came to her aid and grabbed three of the books from her arms. Sasha snatching the fourth and steadied her grandmother.
“Oh, thank you, dear,” she said in a puff. “These are for you.” there was excitement in her shaky voice.
Sasha drew closer, also excited. She waited for Henry to look at them and by doing so stood right next to him, making his heart pound.
Henry looked down at them, distracted by Sasha standing so close to him. “Are these-?” Henry cut short, quickly setting them down on the porch railing to get a look at them. He flipped one book over to look at the title and stared in shock.
“Sasha kept telling me you wanted these books for your studying so I saved up some money and got them for you,” Mrs. Kebin said. “I know it’s a bit late for your birthday but Sasha offered to go get them yesterday and we wanted to surprise you on your way into Professor Gould’s class.” Her eyes lit up in joy as she saw Henry’s stunned face turn into a huge stupid grin.
Sasha clapped her hands in delight at Henry’s reaction and she jumped into him. Her hug sent butterflies into his stomach. “Do you like them?” she asked.
“Mrs. Kebin, Sasha. Yes! I love them!” Henry said joyfully. “I-I can’t thank you enough. T-This is huge. Each book costs a silver coin, how did you have the money to get them?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Sasha smirked gleefully.
Henry hugged Sasha back and lifted her off her feet slightly. He loved her hugs, they made him feel warm and accepted. “Thank you, Sasha,” Henry whispered in her ear.
“Oh don’t you worry about the money dear,” Mrs. Kebin said, waving her hand dismissively. “You’ve been helping around the house, making me that chicken coup and building this here porch. It’s been years and I haven’t been able to repay you till now. Besides all that, you have been a gentleman to me and Sasha. You’ve looked after me ever since my husband died.”
Tears crept into Henry’s eyes. He rushed up to her and embraced her in a hug. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Kebin.”
“Oh!” she shouted as he picked her up. “Don’t think nothing of it, you hear? Just promise me you’ll come by for dinner tonight. Sasha made you muffins. Soup will be ready for you too when you arrive. And you can leave those books here if you want. They are dreadfully heavy.”
“Thanks, but I want to show Professor Gould. I'll swing by just before dark,” he said, stepping back from her. He looked over at Sasha, wanting to hug her again but decided against it. “Thank you again, Sasha.”
“Splendid. Now run along, I know we’ve kept you too long.” Mrs. Kebin said, then went back inside, leaving the two of them alone again.
“Before I go,” Henry stumbled over his words, a rush of adrenaline shooting through his body, “I wanted to ask you something.”
“What is it?” she tilted her head, noticing his strange behavior.
His heart raced again. His palms started sweating and Sasha’s beautiful green eyes nearly made him forget his words before he could even think them.
The blood pounded in his head as he worked through the courage to ask her, “Would you like to nic-pic with me?” he slurred his words.
Realizing his mistake too late, Sasha placed her hands over her mouth trying to stifle a laugh. Unfortunately for him, she didn’t stop it in time.
He could feel his face turned bright red and his cheek grew hot. Averting his gaze, he looked at the ground, wanting to run away as she laughed. Leaning down he grabbed his birthday present off the wooden railing and began to turn to walk away in shame.
“Henry wait!” she giggled, reaching out a hand to snatch his sleeve. “Yes.”
“Yes?” he frowned.
“Yes, I would like to go on a picnic with you.” Sasha grinned. “You thought I’d say no?”
“Oh.” he raised an eyebrow at her, still sore from being laughed at. “Uh, well, how does Sunday afternoon sound?”
“That sounds wonderful,” she replied instantly. “We can talk more about it tonight. You’re going to be late, remember?”
“Okay,” he said dumbly, taken aback by her quick response.
She rushed forward and pecked him on the cheek, then immediately ran into the house without another word, leaving him flabbergasted.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“See you tonight!” Henry shouted lamely after her.
Stumbling away with the large books, he nearly tripped over himself. He hoped she wasn’t watching him as he struggled with the books. His face was still flushed in embarrassment until he walked out of sight. He had planned to ask her out a million times but still messed up his words. She always made him feel weak in the knees and her eyes distracted him constantly. “Why is it so hard to talk to girls,” he grumbled to himself.
As he walked he regretted his decision to haul the books to the castle. A moment later, his head spun as he realized Sasha had kissed him on the cheek. As he rushed toward the castle, an enormous grin overtook his face until he turned the corner to the gates of the castle.
Henry shifted three of the books under his left arm and held the fourth in his right. While walking he read the cover over again and wondered of the knowledge it held inside. He had been saving his own money for months because he wanted these books for his studies and was overjoyed at receiving such a gift.
One book was the ‘Findings of The Ancients’, it contained hundreds of years of notes and research, from dozens of scholars and historians throughout history, on the first humans of Isulia before they went extinct. His professor recommended this book to him last year and he had wanted it ever since. Professor Gould made a note to him that he didn’t like the author but admitted the book’s importance to history and significance to mankind’s origin. His next year in school would be on this book, so it was a good thing he got it early.
The Ancients were a lost civilization that was estimated to have gone extinct three to four thousand years ago. Bits and pieces of their past still remained across Isulia. Several ruins had been discovered hundreds of years ago and revealed many facts about them. They were far more advanced in technology than they were. They were believed to have been able to fly in the sky with machines and even leave the planet. In Henry's first year in higher education school, they visited one of ‘The Ancient’s’ ruins far to the south near the coast, next to Ipoth in the Fossland Mountains. A small village housed their entire stay as they explored the ruins during the day. All the students looked forward to trips such as those as it uncovered their own curiosity on whether or not The Ancients truly existed.
Upon seeing the Ancient’s ruins with his own eyes, Henry marveled at the structures and how advanced their technology must have been. The ruin he had been lucky enough to have visited had an enormous metal door made of Frostrium Steel. He looked back on those memories fondly as it fascinated him greatly. Glancing down at the other books, he flipped a second over and gazed at it.
‘History in the Stars’, it was full of astronomy, dates of meteors, eclipses, and much more. Henry was always fascinated with space and the millions of stars that lit the night skies. He often wondered what was out there, if there was life on other planets or if the universe was empty. Henry could lose himself for hours daydreaming of what the universe held in store.
Many paintings and drawings discovered in the Ancient’s ruins made them more comfortable with the idea of space travel but it still sent his mind reeling at the possibility. Their only basis of these ideas came from images and nothing more. Most, if any, believed it impossible but Henry couldn’t help but entertain the idea.
Most people with an education were required to study these very topics. Henry had been lucky, the common folk didn’t have the means to go through such a school that he was in.
The third book was on science. Filled to the brim with chemical formulas, alchemy, human biology, and the theory of genetics. Theory of microscopic cells that lived inside their bodies, both good and bad. Professor Gould said he must have this book if he was to learn anything truly important, though Henry thought he was exaggerating a bit to get his point across. It seemed quite ludicrous that millions of tiny organisms lived inside his body like parasites. The thought always sent a shiver down his spine.
Finally, the last book was recommended to him by an old man in the castle. The elderly man was quiet and secluded, hardly ever venturing out of the castle grounds. Henry didn’t even know his name but when he described the book to him he instantly became curious. He had bumped into the old man on his way home from class when the man started talking to him and praising Henry’s quick and talented mind and his eagerness to learn more. The library in town only had one copy so he felt rushed to try and get it before anyone else would.
‘Creatures of Old’ by Gus Opin. The old man in the castle described to him immortal beasts from the past that never died. Personal and second-hand sightings had been recorded, along with descriptions of them from the Ancient’s ruins. The Historians had deciphered the ancient text and came up with a name for these old creatures. “Vog”. Hundreds of years of notes and personal journals on these mysterious beings had been preserved. Descriptions of the beasts, behaviors, etcetera. Henry often thought of the Vog and how he had been made to believe they were mythical creatures roaming Isulia.
The kingdom of Xer had never encountered one. Not that Henry knew of. Though, the odd bits of information that sometimes made it out of Vulkira, made him believe that the Vog may not be a myth after all.
The Vog had been believed to live in the mountains in Vulkira. Though a sighting was rare, the drawings of these creatures in the books were too detailed for Henry to dismiss as legend. He wanted to see one for himself, to finally put the issue to rest. Perhaps if he ever got the chance to talk to a Vulkirian, Henry would find out, once and for all.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew Henry’s perfectly combed hair into a messy jumble, causing him to drop one of his books. He sighed then bent down and grabbed the book off the dry earth, then another book slid out from under his arm and dropped to the ground also.
“Ah, come on,” he mumbled, berating himself.
He laid all the books on the ground then stacked the two that had fallen on top. Straining slightly he heaved up the heavy books and started walking again, careful not to drop any. He had a good grip on them this time and held them tightly against his chest. He reached the gates of the old yet beautiful stone castle with time to spare.
Two guards stood at the front gates and looked him up and down. Zip and Kip glanced at the books he held to his chest and started laughing at him.
“I think he forgot some of his books at home don’t you think Kip?” said Zip. “Cause I don’t think he has enough with ‘em.” he laughed at his own joke.
“What y’r talkin bout Zip?” asked Kip. “He got too many already. If he gone and get more he wou’n be able to walk, do’n y’r think?”
Zip sighed heavily and placed the palm of his hand to his forehead, then slapped Kip on the shoulder. “I was trying to make a joke you dimwit. Of course he already has too many books. It’s called ‘SIR-CASIMY’” Zip tried to pronounce the word.
“No, it ain’t!” Kip countered. “It’s called ‘Sir-sasam’,'' he said confidently, lifting his chin to the air.
Henry smiled at the two of them as he approached. “I’m afraid you are both wrong, it’s pronounced ‘Sarcasm’ ” he corrected. “I see you two are as lively as ever. Could you get the gate for me?” he asked. “I’m in a bit of a rush and I’d much appreciate it.”
Kip moved to open the gate, “Sure will.” Kip said. He started turning red as he opened the heavy door while Zip watched his friend do all the work. “Though Zip over dur is bein mean tur me ag’in,” Kip complained.
Zip rolled his eyes at Henry and made a face at him. Unwilling to help Kip open the door, Zip looked at Henry and thanked him for correcting their pronunciation. These two weren’t the brightest people, but Henry always loved their banter.
Kip was a bit slow, but that was due to being kicked in the head by a horse when he was a child and Zip was his best friend so he looked after him. Kip wasn’t smart but he wasn’t stupid either, his head injury had caused his speech to slur and he couldn’t pick up on subtleties like sarcasm, which was fine because everyone loved Kip. Zip and Kip both felt inferior to the normal folk around town due to having no education as children, so Henry, on occasion would give them each a lesson on reading, writing, history, and some on science, though they hated the last one.
Zip and Kip were so grateful for his lessons but they couldn’t pay him, so Henry accepted their food in exchange. They usually saved him an apple and a piece of bread for lunch because Henry didn’t have time to go home to make food. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement and Henry enjoyed teaching them in his free time anyway. A ‘win-win’ Professor Gould had put the term.
The heavy wooden door slid open and Henry passed through in a hurry. “Thanks, guys, I’ll see you at lunchtime.”
Zip grumbled a “You’re welcome,” even though he hadn’t lifted a finger to help and Kip just waved at him with a smile.
Henry walked as fast as he could down the stone hallway then turned and made his way up the spiraling stairs. The heavy books made it quite a chore and by the time he reached the study room, he was sweating and out of breath. He turned his back up against the door and pushed it open making a creaking noise.
“Ah, Henry. I’m glad you are here. You were cutting it close. The students will be arriving shortly, please lay these papers on each desk. I’ve already arranged the chairs. We will have a test later this afternoon.” Professor Gould said. Then he glanced down at the books in his hands. “What are those?” he asked.
“Sorry Professor, Mrs. Kebin, and Sasha got these books for me so I made a stop at her place. They are quite heavy so I couldn’t walk as fast,” Henry explained apologetically. “I’ll get right to it,” he said while placing his books down.
“No harm done,” Professor Gould said kindly. “I know how Mrs. Kebin can be, she is a sweet old lady but, good lord, can she take her time with things.” Gould paused, watching Henry. “How are you and Sasha?” the professor asked as if knowing something he didn’t.
Henry walked over and grabbed the papers from the professor and started laying them down at each table. “I don’t know what you mean.” Henry dismissed his question, blushing.
“Did you ask her to go on a picnic with you or not?” Gould asked. “You’ve been talking about it for over a week. Did you choke again?”
A mixture of embarrassment and overwhelming excitement washed over him as he turned back to him. “She said yes.” he grinned stupidly.
“Ha!” Gould chuckled. “I told you so.”
“She…” he paused, debating on giving him further details. “She kissed me,” he said, touching his cheek.
“Oh.” the professor suppressed a knowing smile, making Henry blush even more. “When is it?”
“Sunday,” Henry announced. “For lunch.”
“Are you taking her to that spot with the tree?” Gould questioned.
“Yeah,” he said barely containing his enthusiasm. “I’ve got it all planned out. It’s her favorite spot.”
“Good. I’m sure you two will have a wonderful time.” Gould smiled. “How has Mrs. Kebin reacted to all this?”
“Well, you see…” Henry paused. “I didn’t ask her yet.”
“You better get on that right away.” he shook his finger at Henry. “Don’t disrespect her by not asking first.”
“I know, I know.” Henry lowered his head. “Mrs. Kebin has always been good to me but I am afraid she is getting slower than usual. She has Sasha of course, but I don’t know how much of a burden that is for her. I help them whenever I can and I'm more than happy to do so but… I’m just worried. And I don’t know how to ask her without adding to her troubles.”
Gould had been smirking from his teasing when his smile faded into a frown. Mrs. Kebin had been worrying many people around town with her frequent bouts of forgetfulness. The professor didn’t know her well but had met her on occasion and liked the old lady. Everyone did.
“Yes, well perhaps the village headman will know what to do with her. He has helped the elderly before. He is a good man.” Gould added sympathetically.
“Sasha would never agree and would never admit she was too much for her,” Henry said sadly. “And besides, Mrs. Kebin deserves better than that. I’ll make sure to take more time out of my day to look after her when Sasha can’t.”
Eager to change the subject, Gould asked, “What books did she get for you? I am curious. Is it what I recommended for you?”
Henry brightened up at the mention of his books. He quickly finished laying out the papers and rushed over to his new gifts. “Yes, and no. You see I got two of the ones you said and the others were my own personal choices.”
“Let me have a look then,” Gould said.
Placing the books in front of professor Gould Henry stepped back and named them off, eager to show them to his mentor.
“‘Findings of the First Humans’, ‘History in the Stars’, a book called ‘Biology, Alchemy, and Cells of the body’. That last one is honestly not a name for a book but more of a description of it,” Henry chuckled. “Oh and lastly, perhaps my most anticipated ‘Creatures of Old’, he smiled excitedly. “All written by Historians.”
Gould glanced up at him at the mention of the last title and sighed. “Henry, I know you love books but ‘Creatures of Old’ is just a myth told by mothers to keep their children in line. To scare their kids into obedience. It isn’t real, the Vog don’t exist.” he added.
The young boy’s smile slid off his face. “I know. It’s not real, but I like reading about mythical creatures. Perhaps it holds some truth? Legends always come from something. Right?” he grasped for approval.
Gould quickly realized Henry’s need for some acceptance of his choice in the book and he changed his tone. “Ah, well yes. I suppose there could be some truth to it. How about you tell me what you think after you finish it, huh?”
“Yes, of course, professor. I will definitely do that,” Henry replied, smiling again.
“Ah, I see you have ‘History of the Ancients’, we will be using this book next year. I’m glad you got it early.” Gould said to Henry.
“That’s what I was thinking,” Henry replied. “I knew we were going to go into more depth with the subject and it also got me thinking about the trip to the Fossland Mountains last year.”
“I am looking forward to visiting those ruins again myself,” Professor Gould winked at Henry with excitement. “The Ancients hold so much history and we are still yet to discover most of it. If only we could truly decipher their language.”
Chatter came from down the hallway and Henry scrambled back into the corner. He sat down at his own stool at the edge of the room and waited patiently for the students to enter.
“I’ll keep these for you till class is over Henry,” Gould whispered to him before the students entered the classroom.
Henry nodded his head as the door burst open and a dozen young men pilled in the room. They quickly took their seats and waited for professor Gould to begin. A few glanced back at Henry and laughed, making him feel uncomfortable, as always.