Chapter 4: Growing, Like, Weeds.

The moment Ash’s eyes opened to a silent, warm house, he knew he’d screwed up. A brilliant midday sun flooded his room, turning the fabric over his bed into a wall of light. Aches ran through his muscles, forcing a groan of protest as he pushed the curtain aside.

It was his reward for keeping up with his sisters, one no amount of bravado or false smiles could hide. Worse, no one woke him, so everyone noticed he couldn’t keep up. He forced himself to his feet and groggily dragged a wrap around his waist. Through his haze, he relied on muscle memory to tie it, but his stupid fingers spent three times too long fighting him.

When Ash stumbled downstairs, his father looked up from the dining table, pausing from carefully moving eggs between a wicker basket and a shipping crate. “Morning.” Dad’s tone was pleasant enough, but the reluctant air betrayed the incoming lecture.

“Morning.” Ash’s stomach grumbled as he cut through the scent of the peppered omelette his family had for breakfast. “Guess I’ve spent enough time laying about; I’ll go give the girls a hand-”

“Ashling.” Dad’s tone was as close as it ever came to threatening.

With a resigned sigh, Ash turned, sliding into a seat across the table. “I’m fine. I just overslept is all.”

Dad didn’t look at him, choosing instead to return to sorting eggs. “I hear you were up half the night hauling water. Your mother gave your sisters a hard time for making you do all that work yourself, but they said you insisted.”

“Because I can handle it,” Ash said quickly. “I would’ve been fine if those dogs hadn’t shown up.”

The sides of Dad’s mouth twitched upwards.

Of course. Even after twenty years, the sly bastard still cut right through Ash’s bullshit. “They didn’t tell you anything, did they?”

“Your mother didn’t yell at them either.” Dad pushed the eggs aside, fixing Ash with a warm stare. “My boy, there’s a fine line between wanting independence and being a stubborn idiot. Right now, you’re only hurting yourself, but someday you’ll have kids of your own, and they’ll need you to work smart, not hard.”

“I know.”

Dad sighed, rolling his eyes. “Besides, that day you realize it’s easier for your daughter to pick you up than the other way around, your ego just shatters. Best break the habit now.”

Ash’s lips thinned into a line; that hadn’t occurred to him. The thought of spending years raising a daughter who looked up at him like the world rested on his back, only to realize at twelve she could lift more and run longer, made him sick. The only thing worse was knowing how wide that divide got as she aged. He could pray for boys, but at this point, he’d literally be talking to himself.

“Anyway.” Dad broke the awkward silence, setting the remaining handful into the crate. “You’re taking a break today. No complaining. Tend to your beasts, clear those last weeds, and that’s it. Get some rest, read, hang out with some of the other boys. Whatever you want, so long as you’re relaxing.”

Exactly what he needed - his sisters coming home from a long day of working the fields to find him curled up in bed with a steamy cup of tea and a book. Unfortunately, this was his parents’ house, and no complaining meant no complaining. “Weeds? We cleared the whole field yesterday.”

“Not the fields,” Dad said, lifting the crate. “Up on the north side of the property, with the cliff. The things are so tall you can’t see the boulders. The last thing we need is some kid running through our property and straight into those rocks. I’d have built a fence ages ago if importing wood wasn’t so damn expensive… can you get the door?”

As soon as the door opened, Dad descended the steps and loaded the cart. There was something more as he left, but Ash had long since stopped listening. Instead, Ash bolted down the walkway, rounded the field, and hurried up the incline. There they were — weeds. His father was right. Not remarkable on their own, except twelve hours ago it’d been bare. Now they stood as high as his chest, easily shrouding the boulder in a thicket of broad red and green leaves.

“No way.” Ash brightened, pacing as he examined the area, ears perked. This had to be him, to be the effect of Dawn, which made a sort of sense, now that he thought about it. They prayed to Deianira for good harvests, so it was bound to be one of her gifts.

He ran, aches forgotten as he took to the field, hunting for Sorchia like a giddy child. When he approached his big sister, she offered an odd smile. “Hey Ash… you seem happy, feeling any better?”

He barely contained himself as he grabbed her wrist, eagerly pulling her towards the cliff. “Come on, I need to show you something!”

“What?” For a moment she wavered, looking for others before finally giving in. Soon she chased him across the field, giggling as he led her to the cliff, spurring him forward with infectious energy. “The cliff’s not going anywhere Ash, why’re we running?”

He saved his breath until finally releasing her when he reached the weeds. “I have something huge to tell you, but I knew no one would believe me without proof.”

“Is it about the weeds?”

“Yes.” He hesitated. “Well, no, kind of.” Tact wasn’t exactly going to help breach a subject like this, so Ash opted for the direct approach. “Deianira gave me magic powers!” He lifted his hands, flexing his fingers as though holding the magic.

Sorchia stared, letting the sound of wind and waves wash over them while she waited for the rest of the joke. When it became clear that nothing more was coming, she crossed her arms, face souring. “That mainland rabbit sold you drugs, didn’t he?”

“What? No I...” He squirmed under her narrowed gaze, ears flattening despite his innocence. “Okay, admittedly, I can see how I sound like I’ve lost my mind. But look! I grew this!”

“The weeds?” she asked flatly, gesturing to them

“Not just weeds. This is amaranth, pigweed. It dies during winter and regrows in spring. There’s no way this stuff could possibly be this tall so early in the season.” Ash’s fingers ruffled the leaves as they passed through.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Her stare continued in spite of being shown a literal miracle.

“These things are about to start flowering!” he insisted, picking a broad leaf from the stalk. “That’s two months of growth in a day!” He bit the leaf in half, only now realizing he’d skipped breakfast.

“Okay,” she said, crossing her arms. “Let’s say I play along. Deianira herself appeared and gave you magic powers, just like in your books. You wouldn’t be opposed to showing off a bit for your big sister, right?” Her hand swung out, palm towards the sky as her brow twitched up in a challenging smirk he hadn’t seen since they were kids.

Ash hesitated, looking down at his stomach while trying to draw forth his magic, fingers tensed into a claw, but no green glow came. “Well... it’s not that I don’t want to...”

“Mmmhmm,” Sorchia said. The ribbing was playful rather than malicious, the kind of teasing Ash got before he grew up and realized he’d never match her again.

As his eyes rose to meet hers, he caught sight of something. His stomach wasn’t glowing, but hers was, an even green dampened by the sunlight. Ash’s eyes narrowed, head tilting to the side as pieces clicked into place. Last night, he’d assumed his divine gift was energy he grew, like a garden, but if everyone had that glow that couldn’t be right. Perhaps the energy naturally occurred in all animals - and his gift was merely the ability to detect and harvest it.

“I’ll try.” Ash reached out, placing a hand on his sister’s stomach, causing her to yelp in surprise. The symbol formed again, ripping energy from her in long green strands even as she backed away. Once he finished, he looked back, moving the vibrant symbol between his hands as he contained the pressurized force. “Okay, which plant?”

* * *

The three siblings sat on their beds, looking between themselves. In the centre, he’d placed a wooden bucket filled with amaranth, swelling with multicoloured leaves.

“Okay,” Mieure said, giving Ash a concerned look. “Did that rabbit from the mainland sell you-”

“Lenn doesn’t sell me drugs!” Ash insisted.

Sorchia leaned against the wall behind her bed, legs crossed as she stared in disbelief. “I know how it sounds, but I promise, those plants were seeds yesterday. He really has… magic powers.” She tore her eyes from the plant for a moment to throw him a sympathetic look. “Wow, there’s really no way to say that without sounding crazy.”

“Since when do you go along with Ash’s jokes?” Mieure grinned. “Ok, let’s see... oh! It’s warmer up north, did you buy the plant from the Othelan Republic? Or set up one of those glass house things from down in the Dusk Empire?”

“I watched it happen,” Sorchia insisted, staring at the plant. “Every fifteen minutes it drank all the water and sprouted a new leaf. It’s magic, Mieure, no joke.”

“There’s no rush. I’ll just do it again, then she’ll see.” Luckily, since yesterday, Ash gained further insight into the glow only visible to him. His light, whatever it was, returned while he slept, and Sorchia’s came around midday. When he sought the power now, all three lit up, which meant the resource was renewable to some degree.

Mieure turned from Sorchia to Ash, her amused expression turning thoughtful. Either the ease with which he’d offered proof was enough, or perhaps there was no harm in playing along. “Okay? So let’s say Ash does have magic, then what?”

“We have to tell Dad,” Sorchia blurted, as though that were the only possible answer. “He’s smart. He’ll know what to do.”

Ash’s mind bucked against the suggestion. Nothing against his father, or his family, or Eriskay for that matter, but this was his gift. The goddess gave it to him so he could fulfil his purpose and make the world a better place, not become a tool in Eriskay’s farming industry. If Deianira gave the power to any other island boy they’d gladly take that deal, but Deianira didn’t choose them, did she? Despite all her talk about how she expected nothing from him, she chose the village misfit, right after he’d snuck off to read a book about one of her past lives.

“Absolutely not!” Mieure said, aghast. “If Dad finds out, Ash’ll never leave the island!”

All attention snapped to Mieure, who gripped the edge of her bed with fists. “And?” Sorchia asked. “Why would Ash leave?”

“Have you met him?” Mieure’s eyes fell on Ash, causing him to cringe, folding his ears in discomfort. “He can’t stay here forever. Dad left the mainland to become a farmer’s husband. That’s his dream, not Ash’s.”

“Ash has a life here,” Sorchia said, edging forward and glaring at her sister. “With a family. How’re we supposed to protect him if he runs off-”

“How much clearer can he make it that he doesn’t want our protection!” Mieure raised her shoulders, setting her jaw as she returned Sorchia’s hostile gaze. Mieure was five years her sister’s junior, and aside from the usual tussles young girls got into, she’d always been a sweet soul. Seeing her puffed up like she was readying to throw fists with Sorchia of all people pushed Ash back from the tension. “Two days ago he left a hiding spot and volunteered to walk into a pack of armed dogs!”

Sorchia stood, fists clenched as she stared down at Mieure. “Are you trying to get him killed? Ash got Dad’s smarts, but he don’t got Dad’s common sense. Those mainland cities’ll eat him alive!”

Mieure stood, breathing heavily as she shuffled in place without ever breaking eye contact. “He belongs here? He’s twenty and he never leaves the property. When he does, it’s to visit a mainland rabbit ten years older than him, where he spends every coin he gets on foreign books!”

Where was all this coming from? Until Deianira called on him, Ash never planned on leaving. Honestly, even if he did, he wasn’t sure how he’d go about it. According to Dad’s maps, the world was unfathomably massive compared to their little island, and each segmented section was filled with species, customs, and laws he was unfamiliar with. He’d have to learn each as he went, and he’d be doing it alone.

Ash was on his feet before he realized it, hurrying to separate his sisters. “Please, please don’t fight. Can we just talk?”

They watched him, Sorchia with a stern glare, and Mieure with an embarrassed pout, but both finally sat. The room fell silent as Ash returned to his bed, staring at the ground and fidgeting with his fingers.

After a long pause, Mieure was the first to speak. “Ash… If Deianira really showed up and gave you magic, wouldn’t that be the world’s biggest kick in the ass to decide what you’re doing with your life? What exactly do you want to do?”

Of course, Ash knew what he needed to do sounded insane. As Ash looked between his sisters he felt that weight on him, the one that pushed him to throw on a brave face and insist everything was fine. That a life assisting a woman’s farm in Sorchia’s shadow was all he wanted. Really. If Mieure hadn’t said anything maybe he would’ve shut his stupid mouth instead of saying the single dumbest thing he could. “I… I need to travel to Sibir and become a knight.”

Sorchia snorted, derision Ash both expected and deserved. “You see what I mean about not having common sense? Ash, your magic is unbelievable, it’s a miracle, even, but this isn’t like your books. You’re no fighter.”

Even Mieure didn’t seem ready to back him this time, though instead of scoffing, she stayed quiet with a raised eyebrow.

“I can do it,” he said, unsure if he was talking to Sorchia or himself. “Or, at least, I have to try.”

Sorchia unfolded her arms, eyes softening as she explained to her little brother why he couldn’t become a knight, just like when he was a kid. “Ash, you’re a boy. No matter how many plants you grow, it’s not going to make you stronger.”

“It won’t,” he agreed. “But money will.”

Their attention triangulated onto him.

“If I hop on the next boat to the mainland and head for Sibir, I’ll die.” He leaned forward, gazing into the plant-filled bucket conspiratorially. “But, what’s the rush? Lenn works for the Azure Syndicate; he can get me seeds from every country they trade with. Then we can sell through him, anonymously. I could stay for a few years, rack up money for armour, weapons, and guards to get me to the Dusk Empire. I can hire someone to train me, but if I’m still not good enough...” He shrugged, flashing them a smile. “Well, we’ll still be rich.”

Sorchia exchanged a glance with Mieure, face morphing into a thoughtful gaze. “So wait, we secretly grow a lot of weed?”

“It’ll work on more than weeds,” Ash said, smiling at how readily they were coming around. “We can do textiles, grains, herbs. Basically, anything that grows, so long as we’re careful with where we plant.”

Mieure grinned at Sorchia before looking back to Ash. “Okay, I’m in... but I still need to see that it’s real, and we should make sure it’ll work on textiles. I actually have a few hemp seeds we can try...”

Ash grinned, gathering his light while Mieure dug behind her bed. Trusting his sisters with this was the right move, and with their help, the first step to his knighthood began.