“Once upon a time…”
“Sis, you always begin with once upon a time, can’t you do something different for a change?”
“Again… Once upon a time, existed a palace that soared high in the skies, arches shining and gates golden, driven by a stair of clouds. Inside this palace lived individuals with strange powers that only appeared on our wildest thoughts. These people were called avanerii, or the ones who defy…”
“…”
“…”
“… So?”
“Well… That’s it. The book was really old and the pages pretty messed up, i felt they would crumble just from a little swaying”.
I keep brushing the floor with a piece of wet fabric while talking to my little brother. I’m the only woman whom my mother gave birth to, and the oldest from all children, so they don’t plan on marrying me anytime soon. I like that part quite a bit, but i’ve gotta take care of all three of them and it sucks.
“Ehh… That sounded like a good story…”
“Yeah... It actually did.”
He looks down from his chair and asks:
“What do you think those people were able to do?”
I stop brushing for a moment and stare blankly into the honey pot.
“Having the house clean itself would be a useful power”
“Sis!”
“What?”
“That is not a power they would have at all!”
“Sigh… The avanerii were people…”
I tickle my imagination for a bit before saying.
“People who, with a single word, called out fire, ice and thunder raining from the skies”
“Ohh!”
“People who, with one whisper, raised the dead as an army and breathed strength into the living”
“Cool!”
“People who, with a mystifying glare, could hinder one’s perception of reality and hide themselves in the shadows!”
My brother laughed heartily at my strange ideas, flying at me with his arms wide open, ready for a hug.
I receive his hug and spin his midget body in the air, sending him into a spiral while humming a cheerful song.
“Story time is over, kid, i gotta work”
“Okay, do you want some help, sis?”
“Nah, you can go out and play with the other boys”
“But…”
“Just do it!”
“O-Okay!”
He rushes to the front door and sprints outside.
It’s not his fault that i’m stuck doing this, and i don’t want no brother of mine cursed to this boring lifestyle. All the more so when he’s just a brat.
I finish the housework as fast as I can before dropping flat on the floor. How much time has passed by now? Out of the window the sun shines with a pale bluish glow, so it must be dark soon.
“Agatha, aren’t you coming to the city gates?”
“Wait, is it that time already?”
“Why yes, honey, the knights of Sir William are here for the Spring Festival, and I think Ericson may be here, at last!”
“My brother, huh… I wouldn’t be so sure of it”
“Shush, are you coming or not?”
“Of course, I’m in for it”
“Good. Lock the house before going, we’ll meet there”
Every year, Sir William starts a recruitment campaign for the Red Guard, an order of knights serving the crown. My brother went with them two years ago and hasn’t showed since then.
I shut the windows, lock the doors and, after checking everything is closed, turn the key and take it away.
“Huh… The sky is orange, how come?”
Walking around the rice fields, i notice how the wind blew in strong gusts and bands of crows soared low, looking for something… Waiting for something, maybe? I don’t know, they don’t usually appear around these parts.
Whatever, no time to worry about it.
Our village is made of houses and farms scattered through a circular area. A city gate is just a bundle of three large rocks that serve the purpose of a referral point. There are nine of them, in total, but when someone says city gates without specifying, he’s talking about the one at the north.
Nights here aren’t much interesting, the Spring Festival being one of the few occasions where I have time to enjoy myself, and the newcomers will make it more exciting for sure.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
While wondering myself with images of the food, the decoration, the music, the dancing and the seasonal games, I stumble upon the view of a man.
That man is sitting alongside a strange cross covered in raw cloth full of stitches and aged colors, he lays immobile with his hands one on top of another. There isn’t much I can make of him, as his face is bent low as if sleeping and he wears a beautiful black cloak adorned with golden and purple symbols I’ve never seen before.
I would just ignore him, but I don't remember seeing him around these parts. A stranger is an extremely rare sight in this village, and he’s near our house, so I have to at least ask him what’s his business here – can’t be cautious enough these days.
“Hey, you!”, I whisper.
“Psst, you there!”
“Wake up!” I shout, seeing my failed attempts of catching his attention.
The man lifts his head very slowly. He seems to be in a daze, like a marionette being pulled by mechanical strings.
His appearance shocks me to such a degree that no words come out of my mouth.
His skin is of a glowing black color touched by ashes, with twin tattoos of triangular spirals on his cheeks and even darker short hair.
The most appalling, however, are his deep purple eyes with specs of sea blue and a strong wine, making three cones tressed like a leaf, or a locket.
“Hello”
I try saying a meek hi, but all i let out is an array of sounds that don’t connect with each other to build the word.
“I’m a wanderer”
“…”
“You’re not the talking type, huh?”
“I-I…”
“It’s okay, I understand your surprise”
“Is-Is that so…” I must have looked really nervous, but I couldn’t help it. Considering his unusual appearance, this reaction must be normal for him. I should take it more lightly.
“What’re you looking for?”
“As I said, I’m a wanderer. I just drift between places while looking for someone to take care of this”
“By this, do you mean the cross?”
“Haha, this is a sword. But that’s fine, they often mistake it for a cross”
“… Sorry but, I don’t really think it is a sword. It’s way too big and doesn’t seem to have an edge. It also looks quite rusty.”
“It is a sword. Would you like to take a look?”
I’m starting to think this guy is trying to scam me.
“Sure, why not?”
He gets up and plucks the cross out of the ground. I’m surprised he managed to hold it with one hand and wave it off as nothing.
“I’m pretty sure it is a cross”
“Like I said, it is a sword, haha… Try holding it and you’ll see”
“Nah, I don't have the strenght to”
“For this sword, strength you won’t need to use”
“Ha! You’re a funny guy... Okay, I’ll try it”
Might as well give it a shot. He tries handing me the cross right away, but I wave him a no as it would fall immediately upon my feet.
“Put it down, are you crazy or what?”
He smirks at my words. I think he’s just looking for some fun. We both are.
“Watch me heave this thing in one go!”
“I have no doubts about it!”
“Pft, you know I’m just kidding!”
I hold the cross’s top side with both of my hands, prepare myself for the great muscular pains I’ll have to endure and, in a single motion, eyes closed, put all of my strength into that pull.
Seconds pass by and I feel no muscular pain, no overbearing weight, no feeling on the cross.
“Haha, I said you could do it!”
I open my eyelids and, to my surprise, the cross, no, the sword, lays upright on my two hands with the weight of a feather pen.
“That… That doesn’t make sense…”
I feel it, looking for a soft spot, but it's undoubtedly metal.
“Ok, you beat me to it. What is the trick?” I ask, hoping for an explanation.
The man is gone, vanished like thin air.
I scratch my head wondering what to do with the sword, but then I remember about the Spring Festival.
I quickly return home and hide it in my room. I’ll think about what to do latter, a lot of time has been lost talking to that shady man.