As the days went past the first light snowfalls came. Aaron didn’t have much work beside chopping firewood. Jessica visited often, talking and bringing some dried fruit. mother told stories as they sat by the fire then William entered in a fur coat and sturdy snow boots. closing the door behind him
“Everything is ready,” William said, taking a seat by the fire
“in winter?”
“Yes, feather south it will be an easier journey we need to the sooner the better” “I don’t know I just don’t know” William looked at him with such judgment. I don’t like that look.
“what if we leave in spring”
“we can make it in the winter” mother didn’t say anything in all this. She sat on the floor staring at the fireplace with a blank expression. Why does she not speak up?
“How can the two of us make it? There are monsters that make goblins seem nice”
“yes but I know what I’m doing and your father expected you to claim the power to restore the pantheon”
“All right I’ll pack my stuff we’ll set out tomorrow morning” Aaron sighed
“Good everything is settled then” William said as he left and stepped into the cold
“Do you think I made the wrong choice?”
“No, I think you made the right choice,” mother said, “I want you here but this.” picking the map off the table “this changes everything”
“do you think I’m ready to be a god” mother fell silent immediately and looked gave Aaron weird
“I’m going to Jessica's,” Aaron said, leaving her alone. The cold wind hit like a slap even with his coat and his new tonic underneath. I have no idea how the two of us can make it but it’s true that William is wise and used to be a priest for my father, the king of the gods that takes something else. I need not to worry so much. We need the gods back, we just need to.
reaching Jessica’s house. It was a big house but she had many siblings so she didn’t have a ton of room to herself. The snow wasn't deep, maybe an inch. the trees starting to lose their leaves, her orchard already pen picked clean leaving it barring.
Aaron knocked on the door Jessica answered the door in her light green wool dress and a smile
“Aaron come in what are you doing out here it’s cold out” inside it was simple but large furniture didn't have any designs or patterns the walls where bare except for a single painting of a field in summer on the fireplace which made the room warmer but it was a large room so it was still chilly. her family where huddled around the fireplace four brothers and two sisters which looked like just smaller versions of Jessica brown hair brown eyes slim and lean “upstairs will have some privacy” Jessica said leading me upstairs to her room which was large but had a big bed for her two sisters she took a seat on a stool he took the bed.
“Jessica I’m leaving and I don’t Know when I will come back” she looked shocked and asked,
“why? where are you going?”
“I can’t say exactly just far away” she can’t know about this or I’ll never leave
“But why?”
“I can’t tell you” shrugging “because I need to at least I hope I do. I wouldn't unless the need was great” at least I can feel my ears again thinking of something else.
“So how long is long?”
“I don’t know”
“it must be important”
“You have no Idea”
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“ It's about the chest and the key isn't you opened” Jessica said, rising up and kissed me on the lips face burning “come back to me soon” before leaving me alone having a huge grin all the way home.
Tomorrow morning finally came. William came before dawn with three moas, two to ride and one for supplies. packing my two new tonics, my breeches, spare shirt and William took care of the rest. Aaron looked out the window at the sun barely rising over the top. William dismounted and stood waiting for Aaron. in stout brown boots stout sky blue pants and a dark green fur lined cloak holding his spear and a sword on his hip.
Walking over to him and looking at his home for the last time in a long time. mother gave me a hug
“come back to me in glory and restore are gods” she wiped away tears as did he “I will next time you see me I will be a god” then she there her arms around William
“bring my son home”
“I promise” we saddled up taking Daisy again stroking her break and head and they rode off. mother waved as Aaron left all he’s ever known behind.
On and on they rode until they stopped for breakfast near Little Ivywood.
“Is now a bad time to learn how to levitate?”
“no” William led him away from the steads to practice. “Now to levitate is simple. reach out with your skylight not as a ray but to lift yourself up”
“how?”
“throw inside of yourself instead of out” preparing to throw skylight then trying to throw inward a jet of skylight then feeling hot and cold at the same time skylight is hot and cold! It feels weird.
“Not bad” he just now realized he was a foot of the ground
“I can’t move” Aaron tried walking to no avail releasing the skylight and dropping to the ground
“Not bad for a first try” William said “we'll try some more on our journey but for now let’s be on our way” they continued their journey when Aaron realized this is the farthest away from home he’s ever been.
Are moas ate the ground on the hilly plains where trees are few and far between. “I need a sword”
“why?” “to protect myself”
“you don’t have time to learn, it takes at least two years to be good”
“Then I’ll just use nothing?” “No, you will use skylight a better weapon than any sword and you will learn the spear” Aaron groaned
“a spear? That’s a poor man’s weapon, aren't knight’s supposed to be rich?”
“yes and very effective not to mention easy to learn” something occurred to Aaron
“Do you have permission to leave? I thoughts knights need to be ready for the call to arms at all times” he stared ahead saying nothing for a while before he spoke
“no and I don’t need to. I just need to answer the call to arms but by the time I’m needed I’ll be long gone” with that they rode in silence for a while before stopping for lunch of dried beef, bread and cheese. Sitting against a boulder they ate in silence. where their moas grazed through the snow to get to the short grass underneath. no settlement in sight, just snow lightly covered hills and a tree or two.
“this isn’t so bad” besides the food being bland Aaron thought to himself.
“I hope not it’s only the first day”“How much have you traveled?”
“all across Saxohdale when I was young then came up to Ormskirk. I can't believe it was only four and a half years ago, feels like a lifetime ago” William said so casually. rubbing my gloved hands together for warmth
“that far?”
“the kingdom is smaller than you think” with that they counted their journey until night came. They passed a village a few hours ago but they set up camp in the middle of nowhere with a tent for the both of us. but we didn't go to bed right away they sat around a small fire because there wasn't much firewood around watching the night it was so quit not a sound in the night not a bird or anything
“how much do you know about the gods”
“Besides about my father not much” Aaron admitted
“You need to learn if you are to become one” they huddled closer to get warm before he spoke again “the gods built this world from nothing and everything on it including us so it’s important we need new gods”
“yes I know that but do you know exactly how they died?”
“They were betrayed by your own father's creation, the archons. godlike beings who ruled the skies on there chariots there were nine of them but they grow arrogant and saw themselves above the gods they wanted to rule all of Malshar but they were not as powerful as a minor god yet one of them killed Cadere and ascended to godhood so he could not be killed. the gods killed the rest in vengeance but one and The other could not be killed once he ascended to godhood”
“But how did they kill the goddess of fall?”
“I don’t know. no one knows”
“Then won’t the archons just kill me if I become a god?” “No, the two we have not heard any reports of them in fifteen years. They should have came down to rule the continent so weather bound or dead there gone'' with that he went to bed but Aaron sat there staring as the flames danced. No one knows how they died if my father made the archons then the gods made mistakes then do we need them? The power keeps the world in order so why do we need them at all? I’ll ask him in the morning I suppose.
I’m really far away from home. He wondered when he came back he went to the tent taking off his boots then lad next to William who was already asleep it took awhile to fall asleep but it finally came.