After a long journey, Arthur and I finally returned home. As we neared the crops, we both noticed Elaine by the front door, hanging clothes to dry. Arthur called out to her while he knelt down for me to dismount. Elaine paused and squinted as she saw me limping, then placed the shirt she was holding back into the basket and walked over.

“Why’s Beric limping?” she asked, glancing at Arthur.

“We managed to refill the watering cans, but on the way back, he tripped over a rock or something,” Arthur explained. Sensing he was about to get scolded after seeing Elaine’s eyes go dark, he added, “But don’t get mad yet! It’s just a small cut, nothing serious. He probably just needs a bit of rest before he’s back to normal.”

“You weren’t watching him? Couldn’t you have caught him before he fell?” Elaine pressed.

“I was walking in front of him! How could I catch him if I couldn’t even see him?” Arthur replied, exasperated.

Bad move. He shouldn’t have said that.

“Yeah, it’s ggs for him.”

“You weren’t-” Elaine sighed, rubbing her temple. “Whatever, that’s not important,” she muttered. She knelt down to inspect my cut. “At least it’s not infected,” she said, looking up at me. “Is it hard to walk?”

I nodded, playing along.

Why are you acting like it hurts? Oh, no, don’t tell me you’re one of those attention seekers.

“That’s not why I’m doing it.”

Then what’s your plan?

“You’ll see soon enough.”

Elaine stood up. “Alright, Beric, I’ll carry you inside. Arthur, finish watering the crops.”

Arthur mumbled, “About that…”

“What now?” Elaine asked, turning sharply.

“There’s a hole in the smaller watering can.”

Elaine groaned. “How did that happen?”

“I think when Beric fell, the can hit a rock,” Arthur admitted.

“....I see. I’ll ask Dad to fix it,” she sighed, inspecting the hole. She made a sound of annoyance, but quickly softening, she turned to me with a small smile. “Don’t worry, Beric. We’re not blaming you. Everyone’s broken something before, and this should be an easy fix.” Turning back to Arthur, she asked, “Is the larger can still usable?”

“Yeah,” Arthur grumbled.

“Then start watering.”

“Why do I have to do it?” Arthur protested.

“Do you want to eat or not?” Elaine shot back.

Arthur muttered, “I do like eating…”

“Exactly. Now, get to it,” Elaine said, motioning for me to hop on her back.

But I had other plans. I knew Arthur’s real reason for avoiding water duty—he was terrified of bugs. Despite his tough exterior, one look at a creepy crawler would send him running. And, usually, he didn’t have to water the crops because of this. But today, time was running short, so he was forced to step up. That wasn’t going to work for me. I needed Arthur to finish building my slingshot, and I also had to personally talk to Dad before it was too late. So, I refused to get on Elaine’s back.

“What’s wrong, Beric?” Elaine asked, confused.

I pointed at Arthur.

“What about him?” she asked, glancing between us.

“Huh?” Arthur said, clueless as ever.

It was moments like these that I got annoyed with his…….slower mind. I mimicked firing a slingshot at him.

Finally, his eyes lit up, and a grin spread across his face. “Oh, that’s right! Elaine, I can’t do water duty.”

“And why not?”

“I promised Beric I’d make him a slingshot.”

“.........Why can’t you make it later?”

Arthur’s grin faded. “Uh... good point.”

I sighed. I always had to do the thinking for him.

I tugged on Elaine’s sleeve and gave her my best tearful look.

You little fucker-

“Shut up.”

Elaine softened. “Beric, we don’t have time for this.”

The sun was beginning to set, signaling the end of the afternoon, and the beginning of the evening.

“It is his birthday,” Arthur chimed in. “Let the birthday boy get what he wants.”

“That’s why I need you to water the crops,” Elaine said, clearly frustrated.

From what I could guess, it was most probable she had two major problems to worry over. For one, my injury. From how I led her to believe it was hard for me to walk, she would prioritize my safety, which meant carrying me back inside. For her, this would be her best bet. But, now that I showed how much I wanted a slingshot, there were new possible problems that were on the horizon. What if she kept trying to force me to go back inside? Well, I would probably have a temper tantrum, even if I was highly responsible for my age. My natural tendency to cause a commotion would still outweigh my rationality. If that happened, and I kept this anger up back inside, it would only make sense for Mom to question Elaine, which in turn would cause her to lose even more time. Then, there would be a small argument with Mom wondering why Elaine simply couldn’t let me stay outside, and Elaine would have to explain everything, especially how I tripped and got this cut. If they kept going, then Mom would worry about Arthur’s ability at watering the crops. She would question if Arthur would perhaps even be able to begin, and if his efforts would only slow us down. Of course, this would all be out of love and concern for Arthur, and not of a lack of belief in Arthur’s inherent abilities. Would carrying me back inside really save time, or would it simply lose time and cause more headaches?

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I don’t think she’s thinking that far ahead.

“Maybe not, but just to be sure…”

I stepped in front of Elaine and poked at the rat bite on my finger.

She noticed and her expression shifted. “Alright, here’s how it’s going to work,” she said, turning to Arthur. “You’ll make Beric’s slingshot and watch him closely. Then, take the broken watering can to Dad and ask him to fix it. You’ll also remind him about making that rat trap. Make sure Beric doesn’t hurt himself again. In the meantime, I’ll finish watering the crops and deal with the laundry. When you’re done, help with the rest of the chores. Clear?”

“Aye aye,” Arthur said with a grin.

Okay, are we really going to ignore what happened just 10 minutes ago? This kid Arthur let you walk behind him deep inside a forest. Why’s she just letting him keep watch over you?

“You know how the saying goes. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Desperate measures my ass. It’s just your birthday. Why are they so agitated about this? What’s making them rush so much?

“You tell me, System.”

This is different. Birthdays are celebrated differently here in every kingdom. The way they are celebrated depends on the area, culture, and race. For all I know, this could be your last ever birthday.

“Is that supposed to be foreshadowing something?”

Nah, I just pulled that out of my ass.

“You don’t even have-”

“Come on, Beric, let’s get moving,” Arthur said, running towards the trees by the house.

I followed close behind-

Stop lying.

“Huh?”

Your slow ass was not close behind.

“Can you relax? I’m trying to tell a story here.”

Tell the truth little bro.

........It took me a while, but I eventually reached Arthur. Arthur was hunched over as he was looking for fallen branches to use.

“Not that one……..That’s too long.”

Pause.

“Maybe this could work……..Perfect.” Arthur said as he snatched a Y-shaped branch.

I plopped down as I examined his process.

“Beric, the craft of building a slingshot is difficult.” Arthur said as he thrust the branch in front of me.

Here he goes. Instead of just hurrying up, he decides to make it extra dramatic and dragged on.

“Many have tried, and many have failed. Only the chosen few have triumphed and crafted this legendary weapon!” Arthur exclaimed as his hands rose up in the air.

He probably would have been bullied back on Earth.

You’re acting like you wouldn’t get bullied along with him.

“Hell no. I’d ignore his corny ass.”

“But, Beric, I will tell you a secret.” Arthur whispered as he leaned in close. Before continuing, he quickly looked around.

If this dumb ass doesn’t hurry up with his-

“I am the only one in the entire world who has perfected the process of building the slingshot.” Arthur declared with a proud grin.

Is he…..on the lower end of the spectrum?

“However, I know that may not be easy to believe, so I will show my skill through my craft, and not through just my words.” Arthur added before finally beginning.

It’s about damn time.

“First, you need a vine that’s about twice the length of the branch itself.” Arthur started as he pulled one out from the vine cluster we had brought here. “You also need two smaller ones, not by too much, to tie together with the longest vine.” He added as he brought out the two vines. He then began tying the longest one around the two arms of the branch, making sure to add knots to fully secure it. To finish it, he added the two smaller vines, to add more impact when the slingshot was fully ready.

He is pretty knowledgeable about this. Perhaps all that talk before wasn’t just his ego. Maybe he really is……The Chosen One.

“Mute yourself for me.”

My apologies.

“To make it easier on you, I’ll take this vine, and I’ll make a small bag for you to place your projectiles.” Arthur then wrapped an additional vine around the middle of the securing vine, forming a small pouch.

……..That was actually pretty smart of him.

I told you, he’s The Chosen-

“Shut up.”

Ok.

“And with that, the diabolical weapon of mass destruction is finished.” Arthur said as he proudly presented it towards me.

It definitely wasn’t visually as good as the ones back on Earth, but I was sure it would do the job. I thanked Arthur as I took it. It felt good in my hands, with its warm solid texture providing me with a reassuring presence. The vines were closely secured, giving the slingshot a “tight” feeling. I could almost feel the slingshot vibrating in my hands, urging me to test it out.

No, that’s just you being excited.

“Do you mind? I’m having a moment here.”

A moment with a slingshot? Yeah, you definitely got bullied.

Ignoring Sys’ words, I stooped down to grab a small pebble. A small rush of adrenaline coursed through me, as a huge part of my plan was finally accomplished…….at least, it would be, if this slingshot worked well. I placed the pebble within the pouch. I raised the slingshot as I pulled back on the central vine. I aimed high at a small bird minding its own business, pruning its feathers on a high branch. I took a deep breath……..and I shot it. I watched as the pebble zoomed by, almost disappearing from my sight. I also watched as it just barely grazed the top of the small bird. The bird panicked as it quickly flew away, leaving behind a small feather that slowly fell down…….until it landed right on my head.

“Woah, great shot there. You might even be better than me.” Arthur chuckled as he tousled my hair.

This is a…..pretty dangerous toy to give to a 1 year old.

It was perfect. This slingshot………would become very useful. I gripped the slingshot tightly as I let out a small smile. Everything was going perfect. Now, all I had to do was get the second to last piece of the puzzle: Dad’s rat trap.