Aaron awoke with a grown. The room he was in was small with only a desk, a chair and a small bed. his mother was sitting in the only chair looking as tired as he felt. He tried to get up but mother rushed out of her chair and laid him back down.
“rest you've lost a lot of blood what were you thinking!”
“Well that I could take them on and take our chickens back”
“and you almost died and'' and she is freaking really freaking out I was the one shot at! “next time that won't happen again”
“next time! There won’t be a next time now that you're injured, who's going to harvest now, how are we going to pay our taxes?” mother said folding her arms beneath her breasts anger on her face
“like it or not I tried to stop evil men and women from stealing from us just like father would have done” mother always flinched at the mention of father
“Your father almost never intervenes in mortal affairs like that” “but I’m not a god” Aaron challenged mother and stormed out of the room in response cloning the door. leaving him alone, which was a sure sign he's right but he did admit he was in over his head I just needed training seeing nothing else to do. He went back to sleep.
Aaron awoke to the sounds of a festival outside. the mask festival I forgot! He got out of bed on shaky legs and almost fell down but he managed to walk down the stairs to the main room where a plate of bread for him. his stomach rumbled he hadn't eaten anything since how long was I out? After wolfing it down he was still hungry but it would do for now mother didn't seem to be around, probably somewhere at the festival
He made his way across the street weaving through people with colorful masks of birds, lizards, boars, even a minotaur. people celebrating in the streets. some drinking ale others dancing while musicians played music. he walked on main street slowly maybe he should have stayed in bed he almost stumbled into a woman with a bird mask and a plain green dress
“Sorry” instead of moving away she walked right in his path
“I heard what happened to you” he knew that voice
“Jessica?” Aaron said Jessica was a pretty girl he knew since childhood who grew up on an orchard.
“Shouldn't you be in bed?” Jessica asked,
“I’m fine, I just need a place to sit, that's all. How long was I out?”
“Oh ok, four days. have fun you always did seem to heal fast” he couldn't tell her expression but she didn't sound too disappointed. He finally made his way to the hungry boar by using the walls of houses to support himself. his favorite tavern in town and the only one he stumbled in and collapsed at the nearest table available. Four days I wonder what mother is doing right now?
it was almost full with people eating or drinking. He grabbed a surviving maid's arm “an ale on my tab please” Aaron said weakly “right away” she replied then finished serving drinks at another table. She came back shortly with his mug of ale on his left side and left it without a word. He was about to reach for it with his left hand but remembered his sling and used his right hand.
awkwardly. Being miserable, his stuff was stolen. mother was pissed at him and he was in pain. Hopefully I could get drunk with one mug. He knew what went wrong too. There were too many of them, if there were only two. He sat there sulking when a man sat down at the other side of the table. in a rich red coat with brass buttons, a beard streaked with gray and a nose that looked like it was broken several times. a knight most likely with his sword at his waist
“Hey, were you the one who took on six bandits last night?” He was caught off guard by the question: how does he know I’m not the only one who’s injured in town.
“yes” Aaron said slowly “how do you know it was me”
“the town watch picked up two men and a woman fleeing. their trials are in the morning” mother must have gone to the town watch when I was sleeping
“what of it?” Aaron asked
“they had burned marks on them so you are a godling of fire perhaps but no I’ve seen those burn marks before son of Caelum” he said mother will not be pleased he found out. he put his hand out and skylight came out of his palm then extinguished the blue flamelike skylight “Aaron” shaking his hand
“William” his face brightened up in astonishment.
“Why are you here?”
“Caelum is notorious for not having godling children you are the first and very special he must have know you are the one to restore the pantheon”
“you were one of his priests weren't you”
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
“yes” William said then tried to get the attention of one of the serving girls “I’ll buy this man some ale” pointing to him
“how am I supposed to restore the pantheon anyway” Aaron said “I don’t know but you’ll think of something, did your father leave you with anything?”
“No,” Aaron replied. The serving girl left him a new mug and took the old one. taking a swig of ale “so you think I can bring back the gods?” Aaron asked “no I believe you can replace the gods or else you wouldn't be born”
surprised by the statement “thanks but I have to go back to my farm goodbye” walking outside into the chilly air thinking of William, he seems like a nice man. me replacing the gods?. It makes no sense.
The festival was still going on. He looked at the highest point the manor house on the mott William came out as well. They walked in silence for a moment the first son of Caelum ever why did mother never tell me these things
“where to now?” William asked “um... finding my mother and then what we can do to help her” he nodded as if he was some sort of wise plan. “So Sir William you live here or?” “I live in a big house near this town to the north” Well I always wanted to be a lord and this is a good first step. They went about searching for her in the main sphere but soon gave up due to everyone wearing masks. “I don’t think I’ll find her tonight I’m going home, go where you want” and left William before he could reply.
Walking through the crowd and found the donkey mother can walk. It's not too far and I’m too tired to walk home. Climbing onto its back with some difficulty then riding home to the farm he rode alone to his home reaching it and putting the donkey in the shed place some feed in a bucket then found his bed and laid on my back when my head hit my pillow. Sleep took him.
He awoke to shouting “wake up!” mother screamed, eyes ablaze with anger. “what!....hu” “you know what you did last night I had to walk home all by myself”
“sorry”
“sorry! sorry doesn't cut it” mother said as she began to pace “I raised you better than this”
“Why didn't you tell me!” Aaron interrupted “tell you what” mother replied “that I was the first child of Caelum “ she softened just a bit
“because I didn't want you to feel lonely. now if you excuse me I have work to do while you lay there and rest” mother said as she left him alone to stew in his thoughts. so I won’t feel alone, ya right feel alone. I'm not a halfbreed after laying in bed for a while mother came storming in slamming the door with a loud slam.
“you told someone” mother said, tone like ice “no! he fingered it out” spending his hand out in a desperate attempt to sooth her. “When did you not care for all I do for you why do you clash with me so” mother said with tears welling in her eyes and she left again with her hands covering her face. getting out of bed his shoulder and arm felt on fire
he went outside and found William mounted on a moa the bird was nine feet tall and stood on two powerful legs, dark brown feathers a beak perfect for grazing
“Morning Aaron” William said as he dismounted.
“What are you doing here?” he seemed surprised by the question as if a knight visiting a serf was normal
“To see if you need anything” William said
“Can you help with the farm work?” Mother said
“Sure thing” William replied and walked towards his mother who did not look pleased with him being there. Well at least she has help now where’s breakfast? He was going to have to cook it himself. It appears he went to the store room to get a sack of flour. “Hey William, can I borrow your moa to get to the baker faster?” Aaron asked setting the sack down they both looked at me
“Yes” mother looked at William like he was crazy or something, picking up the sack of flower placing his good shoulder and swinging himself unto the moa careful not to spill the flower and was riding away
the moa didn't seem to like him though because he was having a hard time riding him?, her? Smoothly he forgot to ask.
There were plenty of woods around the town perfect for hiding monsters; he couldn't imagine a village or town or even city not having a wooden wall all around it. There was a blockade at the north gate. It seemed carts and carriages pulled by donkeys or moa one farmer was even riding a forest elephant. People were wanting not so bad but it still took a while to enter town.
He heard a blacksmith hammering away at tools or weapons, merchants with their carts to sell goods. He took a shortcut to the baker thankful it wasn't too busy, only Jessica was waiting for some farmer. dismounting carefully Jessica looked surprised at the moa holding the flower and stood near her
“how did you get a moa?” Jessica asked. She was in a simple wool green dress with brown eyes and waist long brown hair with a small nose.
“I’m just borrowing it”
“from a knight?” Jessica said mocking rising her eyebrows
“Yes,” Aaron replied with a smile. He noticed no one was waiting at the baker “your turn” . They hurried in to get her flour baked inside the bakery. It was quite a bit bigger than my house and was hot from the brick ovens cooking loaves of bread almost nonstop. The baker Robert a tall balding man and his wife a stout woman with long blonde hair. their aprons covered in flour
“What can we do for you?” Robert said in a gruff voice
“bake bread” Aaron said flatly we were in a bakery after all. placing my flower on the counter Robert took booth sacks
“So how did you talk a knight into leading you his moa?” Jessica asked
“easy I just asked him and William said yes” her eyes bulged
“William!? thee William?”
“Why did you hear of him?” she gaped at him “he’s only the most famous knight possibly in the whole kingdom and a devout priest of Caelum and used to be the right hand to a high priest“ a high priest! It clicked He had his powers at one point he can teach me if I’m missing anything I can do. he had his powers striped when my father died “that makes sense” Aaron muttered Jessica slowly nodded arms folded leaning against the counter maybe I should tell her about my father but he remembered how heartbroken mother was when William fingered out with his help he admitted
“How are you holding up your mother gave me the details about the three bandits that must have been scary” he didn't catch all that he was watching Robert needing the dough “yes six against one was scary I thought I might die”
“six! don’t exaggerate” Jessica scolded
“I’m not” she had a confused look on her face trying to process it. He wanted so badly to tell her how he survived and that he is a godling. but instead
“How's the orchard?” she squinted at him as if in deep thought “good it’s going to be a good harvest tomorrow” they stood there chatting for awhile about what lord Philip is doing and other stuff. Finally the bread was done for lunch. He saddled up and went home.
He sat alone after lunch. his shoulder felt like it was on fire. I’m going to have to have my bandages changed.
He felt horrible, mother working hard in the field with William and he was too weak to help. He needed to rest but something about that tree near his house caught his eye. One it was dead as if burned but the burns were not by fire he couldn't remember it alive. that tree always sparked his curiosity then he realized the bandits he burned them but not with fire he walked to the side of the house grabbed a small piece of wood brought it out the the chopping stomp and threw skylight at it as it was burning it revealed to be the same burned but he didn't do it stopping his skylight his father must have sent me something. The tree might be a clue.