The first rays of the morning sun painted the sky in hues of pink and gold, casting a gentle glow upon the village of Talia.

The village, nestled amidst lush greenery, stirred with the awakening of a new day.

Wisps of smoke curled from chimneys, signaling the quiet industry of its inhabitants. The air carried the sweet scent of dew-kissed flowers and the promise of a fresh start.

In the heart of the village, the marketplace slowly came to life. Traders set up their stalls, arranging colorful wares and enticing displays.

The clinking of coins and the chatter of eager customers filled the air, creating a vibrant symphony of commerce.

Farmers led their livestock through the cobblestone streets, their animals bleating and baying, lending a rustic charm to the scene.

Children, their eyes bright with anticipation, burst forth from their homes, their laughter echoing through the village.

They raced along the winding paths, their bare feet kicking up dust, as they embarked on their daily adventures.

The village elders, seated on wooden benches, exchanged gentle smiles, their weary eyes reflecting a lifetime of memories.

At the center of Talia, the village square stood as a gathering place for its residents. A towering ancient tree, its branches stretching skyward, provided shade and a sense of tranquility.

Under its protective canopy, villagers sought respite from the day's tasks, sharing stories and laughter, and seeking solace in the familiar faces that surrounded them.

As the sun continued its ascent, casting a warm embrace over the village, a new chapter of life unfolded in Talia.

The possibilities of the day stretched out like an unwritten tale, waiting to be explored.

From the smallest moments of connection to the grandest dreams, the village hummed with the energy of hope and the promise of a brighter future. But all of that seemed to miss Norman.

The dawning of the new day that brought smiles to most of the villagers and vibrant energy to the young ones, blessed Norman with oversleeping. And it was exactly the day he was supposed to pick up his newly made weapon from the blacksmith.

"Ugh!! Why did it have to be today!? Why did I have to catch the best sleep today?" Norman murmured, leaving in hurry, leaving the doors wide open.

"Eat breakfast before you leave, son," his mother called from the inside, reminding him to not forget breakfast.

"I am late mom, i will be back, just put it aside for me"

"But everyone is already here, your father and even little Narlyl is up" his mother, now at the door, beckoned Norman that he will be the only one missing breakfast if he doesn't join them now.

"Even the little one!?" Norman halted now. He could tell why his mother said everyone was up for breakfast and even mentioned Narlyl, his younger brother.

'If he's up, then..don't tell me?' Norman turned around in quick fluid motion, and there he saw his 2 years old brother waving goodbye to him who just appeared near his mother at the door.

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His younger brother, who would have been asleep in the early morning, was up, which was really strange.

"Aww, Naryly, are you waving your brother goodbyes? Look Norman, he's waving at you."

"No, that's not what he is doing," Norman murmured.

"What did you say, son?" his mother inquired. And when her attention wasn't anymore on the child, his mouth started breaking into a creepy smile, his eyes squinting, not unlike a sinister smile.

'Ugh! That freak is up to something again.'

Norman turned around to look the way towards the blacksmith, then turned to look again at the sinister smile from his younger brother. He knew he was up to something, probably take his share of food when he leaves, maybe even more.

Even Though he couldn't let that happen, what waited for him at the blacksmith would probably be more if he was late more than he is already.

'I can't let him have my food, but things will be bad for me if i don't grab my weapon from Gideon before it is too late'

'You win this time, but let's see who smiles at lunch,' Norman murmured, breaking on a mischievous smile of his own, locking eyes with Narlyl, before he shouted for his mother to hear,

"I gotta run mom, i will be back for food"

"Alright, come back soon, son."

The creepy smile slowly vanished from little Narlyl's face and worry gripped his forehead. It was evident to him that his older brother wasn't falling for it, although he won and would be the one to feast on the spoils, which is Norrman's breakfast.

But he still didn't feel like a winner, and that last smile of that brother of his was the one that bothered him the most.

Even then Narlyl's face was plastered with a big creepy smile that stretched to the end of mouth, unknowing to himself, until his mother broke it to him.

"Son! What is making you smile so cheerily from ear to ear?"

"Let's go and eat with your older sister and father, Lyl. It is just the four of us today".

Norman, on his full sprint towards Gideon's Blacksmith had a lot on his mind, but only one stood out the most from the rest..

"But now that I think about it ... .hm! I would say that was the best sleep i've had in a while"

The panter and the continued "war" with his younger brother was a sort of becoming normal to him now. Though they were in treaty, it was commencing again.

But the sleep, especially that deep and refreshing sleep, was uncommon for him.

Since he either had to wake up because of his training with his mentor or from Narlyl's morning attacks. But since he was free from both, he finally had one good sleep for once.

But now that was about to cost him.

Knock* Knock* Knock*

Norman arrived at Gideon's blacksmith, and knocked on the door, but the one who greeted him opening the door was someone he didn't expect to see there.

"HA! Ryn!? What are you doing here?"

"I came here for Ahjussi." Ryn observed Norman for a moment who was out of breath before asking,

"And you? What are you here for?"

"Hm! Ah, I am here to pick up a weapon I ordered before."

Norman was momentarily surprised to hear Ryn call someone like that, not because he didn't show respect to elders, but because he rarely formed close relationships with anyone except for exchanging pleasantries. He barely even has friends his age. Most of the people he spent time with were mostly close knit of elders. So seeing him in Gideon's place and the way he called him, apparently Gideon was part of Ryn's "friends" now.

"Who is it, Ryn?" Gideon called from inside.

Ryn looked back before looking at Norman, and Norman looked far inside, then locked gaze with Ryn and they both stood there for a minute.

"Sigh! Come in. and close the door behind you," Ryn sighed and led the way inside.

"Thanks Ryn," Norman hurriedly followed him after thanking him.

"Who did you bring in?" Gideon in his workshop clothes, seated on a table near the right door, sipping elegantly from a decorated glass, and there was a kettle and two more glasses on the table and one of them had some sort of liquid that had flowers floating on top of it inside it.

"It's Norman," Ryn answered, sitting on the table and picking up his glass.

"Morning mister Gideon."

"Why did you let him in? You were supposed to kick him out like the rest of them?"

Gideon ignored Norman and asked Ryn why he let him in when he was supposed to return them.

"He is not here to order, though."

"Even if he was not, you should've sent him back."

"Even if he was here to pick up an order he made previously?"

"It doesn't matter, its past the time i allowed them to come and collect it, if he was that lazy, he should've been in the field like the rest of them we sent back, then maybe later in the afternoon or something i would've let them pick up by today"

Gideon and Ryn were having what seemed to be a heated argument by the exchange they were having and totally ignored Norman.

But that wasn't it.

'This is strange!, what are they doing now?'

What was supposed to be a heated argument between the two, was more like an elegant bargain between two noble businessmen.

The way they were sipping their tea, the elegance in their motion when picking up the cup and the positioning of their bodies when seated.

'Now that i look at it, it is indeed strange'.

Now that Norman observed in more detail, it was not unlike two noble lords having a tea time.

The unique fragrant tea, the cups, the cookies on the table,the table itself and the seats, everything was out of place and unique. Except for the two noble lords themselves and their attire.

One was a young boy, and the other was an old man, maybe in his early fifties or something, wearing blacksmith work attire.