“I want to see naked girls!”

The sky was cloudy, not to hot not too cold in the kingdom of Runk, birds were flying in the blue sky doing aerial acrobats as if boasting their freedom.

 Runk was the third biggest kingdom in Terrad, famous for their product, architectures, and equipment’s, it is so famous that they were called the masonry of Terrad.

Many people are at the town plaza. In the middle of the plaza was a large fountain. There were markets, stands, and merchants on the corner of the plaza; selling swords, fruits, armors, and other items.

The plaza should be buzzling and loud at this time of day but it was quit now, all eyes and heads were transfixed on the father and son on the edge of the fountain.

The son was wearing tattered clothes while the father was wearing a standard Runk army armor.

All guys were gently nodding their heads in agreement as if the kid has told the secret of the life, while all the girls are turning their head side to side as if another pervert has been born.

‘Listen son in order for you to see –‘

The father clears his throat.

 ‘-naked girls, you have to woo them first’

‘Aww is there another way?’ asked the son as snot bubbling from his nose.

The dad took out a cloth from his satchel and wipes the snot of his son.

‘There is no other way son; in life there are no shortcuts well there is one… It’s called gold, well forget about it. Let’s just say we are all going uphill in a road called life and it’s a very steep hill, some people are riding a dragon, others are riding a horse, while others are going barefoot.’

‘What about us dad, what are we riding?’

How about us dad huh, that question hit the father hard, it felt like a slap in the face. The dad put back the cloth, and took out a small canteen which was filled with what seem to be an alcoholic drink; he examined it and decided to take a swig.

He bowed his head slightly and sighed. Their battalion is going to move out tomorrow, to a place Helgard, far south of Runk. Their commander told them that it will be a dangerous mission and they might never comeback.

He took another drink, thinking it might help him have some courage to tell his son that this might be the last time they will see each other.

With hesitation he faced his son and looked him in the eye.

‘Let’s just say were riding on a drunken old donkey who is about to tip over’ said the father with a grin on his face.

The Son’s right eyebrows went up and a sign of perplexity shown on his face.

There are more and more people coming to the plaza. The merchant are now screaming louder to attract some costumers and carriages that happen to pass by.

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The son is now happily watching the jester in the distance juggling swords with ease. Then he suddenly smiled, as if he remembered something.

‘Hey dad, I have a question?’

‘Yes son?’

‘Are you and mom fighting?’

‘Why do you say that?’ As he puts the canteen in his mouth and drink another mouthful.

‘You’re not wrestling each other every night anymore’

The father immediately spat his drink and start coughing and gagging.

‘Wrestling?’ asked the dad while his throat is still burning from the drink.

‘I saw you and mom one night. You are on top of mom and she was on the bottom. I asked mom what it was and she said you were wrestling’

The dad just stared at his son with amazement of how curious, innocent and dangerous this kid can be. He scratched his head and looked at his son making the best poker face he can muster.

‘Dad is tired from work you know, fighting monsters and all that. That’s why uhmm… that’s why dad isn’t wrestling with mom anymore.’

They both went silent. They were drowned by the noise of the plaza.

‘Hey dad let’s go to the Arcanum! I want to learn about magic!’ The son stood up and grabbed his father his father’s hand.

‘Yeah let’s do that’ the father stood up took a last swig, closed the canteen and tied it on his side.

As the father and his son were walking out of the plaza, the scene becomes blurrier and blurrier, and the noise and sound became quiet. Then everything went dimmer until everything fade to black.

I dreamt of my father again. This time it was the last day I saw him. How long has it been, 10 years?

I hear a barely audible voice in the distance, getting louder and louder.

‘Wake up!’

‘Hey Rend wake up man!’

I slowly opened my eyes. I was leaning on the study table with saliva dripping from the side of my mouth.

All of a sudden someone slapped me on the back of my head.

‘Ow!’

‘I am already awake you dunce, why do you have to slap me on my head’

‘Just making sure’ He smirked.

It was Lok, my idiotic best friend.

He was wearing his father’s old armor. His hair is brown and short almost shaped like a bowl. He has small eyes and has a pointy nose. If this guy has a green skin he will probably look like a goblin.

Lok and I share the same curiosity when it comes to girls. We met when we were 9 years old on the top of a tree at the back of the woman’s bath house. On that moment I knew that this guy will be my brother in arms.

‘What bring you here in the Arcanum Lok? This is the first time I saw you here?’

‘You don’t remember?’

‘Remember what?’

‘Today is the entrance exam for the Runk Army Academy’

I immediately stood up, almost knocking out of the table all the books I read.

‘Oh yeah, I totally forgot!’

‘Quiet!’ a nasally voice echoed from the room

Shit that was the headmaster.

‘Sorry master Salazar’ while giving a slight bow to the direction of the voice.

I told Lok to wait for me outside, while I returned all the books I borrowed.

The light from the windows has illuminated the Arcanum, greatly giving much clear view of the inside.

The Arcanum is circular in shape with a giant stone pillar in the middle of the room; it almost looks like a giant upside down bowl.

It is filled with rows and rows of book cases, from the entrance to the back of the room. At the center of the room are study tables leaning on the giant stone pillar.

At the west side of the Arcanum are two huge doors protected by a powerful charm that only the headmaster can dispel.

It is said that beyond those doors are forbidden scrolls and tomes. If one unexperienced mage happen to read one of those scrolls, it will drive him to a point of madness.

I looked at the books in the table and marveled of how many I read.

This could take a while.

As I went outside, the sun started to rise higher in the distance. Like a seed turning into a sprout, slowly illuminating the streets and stone houses.

I slept in the Arcanum again. Mother’s probably going to kill me when I get home.

I saw Lok at the side of the entrance, fixing the leather belt on his worn down armor. He is clearly getting impatient.

‘What took you so long? The exam is almost starting!’

‘I know, I know’

We started walking

‘The Runk academy was on the south side of the Plaza right? Passing through the marbled bridge?’

I nodded and then we started walking faster now, until we broke into a sprint, to the direction of the town plaza.

I will definitely find you dad. I will join the army and find out what happened, and I will bring your sorry ass to mom dead or alive. So she can finally learn to smile again.