"L…lucas…"The faint murmuring of a familiar voice slowly worms its way into his ear, trying to bring his wandering soul back to the mortal realm. but frankly, the idea of 5 more minutes in bed was far too inviting for lucas to pay it any mind.

"Just…5 more sec"

"Wake up now, or I swear under leion's gaze I will make you go clean the goat pen for a month."

That was enough for his young soul to Slam back into his mortal shell with a start,peeling his eyes open and sitting up as soon as the fear of having to clean that plane of corruption settled in.

    "Alright!I am coming sorry." Lucas scrambles to put his usual attire back on as fast as he could,noticing how high the sun has already risen outside.He ran out of the room only to cursed when he forgot his aprons.After a few moment of panick,he swiftly made his way back to the kitchen.

With practiced ease,lucas politely greet everyone inside the kitchen before moving in help with preparing the ingredients."Sorry I am late, couldn't sleep much last night."

"Oh…did you now? Our little Lucas is all grown up I see."A round chuckle abrupt inside the room as a man with graying hair and a thin mustache wriggle his eyebrow at lucas, much to his annoyance but he managed to keep his flush down to prevent himself from amusing the old man further.

"Alright stop teasing the kid and get back to chopping! We got the curt house dining in tonight, my wife is gonna have my head if we mess up."Percy, the man that teased him just now shouted, and with that everyone got back to their job seriously, the smell of spices and fresh meat quickly fills the air cramped inside the kitchen.

He could hear a faint grumble in his stomach but sighed as he washed another slab of lamb and started slicing it into thin layers with seasoned expertise surprising for a 16 years old boy such as him.

Since as long as he could start making coherent thoughts, he has been living here, learning to work for the tavern. And it was easy to guess what his background was when Percy kept avoiding his gaze while telling his younger self his parents were busy on a faraway job.

Shoving the thought to the back of his tired mind, Lucas focuses on his job with renewed focus. Making dishes after dishes and helping other cooks when he was called for it.He was a fast learner and it was one of the very few things that he can feel proud for despite his humble upbringing.

After a few hours of sweats and grunts in the heat of the kitchen, the Tavern crowd start to thin out and leave for their work as the morning sun trend downwards into noon, leaving the tavern worker alone for their much-needed breaks.

"Good work kid, stay sharp tonight and I might just keep you out of the goat pen for a week."Grinning, Percy walk up to him and gave lucas a firm pat on the back that nearly knock him off his feet.

"Thanks…I guess, I was considering to tell Leia that you have been threate－"Percy nearly slammed a hand onto his mouth, his face quickly pale as his jaw tense in apparent fear, much to Lucas's amusement.

"Okay! You know I was joking Damnit!No need to take it so far!"Grinning, Lucas slowly pries the old man's hand away, Leia is perhaps, by all means, the only person with more authority than the Tavern owner himself. He can vividly remember each and whenever the old goat got too comfortable and invoked his wife's wrath, it was quite the entertainment if he were, to be honest.

"I am sure that can be arranged." despite letting out a sigh, the tavern owner gave him his cut for this month's work, 5 shiny silver coin dropping into the child's hand, his eyes following them as he trace their movements with glee.

 "Thanks, pa! You are the best!"Giving Percy a quick hug, Lucas stumble out of the kitchen, ignoring the grumbling man behind him, and into the hallway, his eyes finding the room he was looking for at a moment's notice as he trend towards it with a bounce to his steps.

"Alina, can I come in?"Knocking, Lucas waited as the distinct sound of light footsteps grow closer and soon the door swing opens gently as the tavern owner's wife came into view, her expression softening, the heavy frown she had on her feature before his appearance slowly eased upward.

"Oh, Lucas, taking your break right? Have you had anything to eat yet?" frowning, Lucas noticed the faint trace of a tear at the edge of her eyes. The possible cause of this quickly came to mind as he peek into the room where a small frail girl half a decade younger than himself lie asleep on a bed.

"What happened? I was just about to check on her and see if she wants some new books."Giving the tall woman a comforting hug on the tip of his toe. Lucas waited until she regain her composure again as he stare in concern at Alina's form, her limbs seem to grow thinner as the days passed despite all the food her family provides.

"Thank you,my boy…It's best if we talk inside"Sighing, Leia gestured for him to follow her as they both venture into the small wooden room. Alina was still sleeping soundly by the time Leia pulled out a chair and set it next to her own for lucas.

"…I thought she was doing better than this just a few days ago?"Lucas asked, watching Leia squeeze the lukewarm water out of a towel and gently lay it on her daughter's forehead. Her Grimace slowly fade away,replaced by one of comfort and peace.

It was a painful sight, Alina, by all means, was as much family to him as Leia and Percy. Growing up and playing games together since they were but toddlers. Despite the worsening condition that grows along her, she had been strong and often try to comfort him and her family instead when they showed too much concern for her.

"If only I knew…"Shaking her head, Leia gently cups her daughter's face with a hand, the tremor in her movement all but visible despite her effort to hide it."The new healers that went by our town have even less clue than the ones in our own, I…I don't understand why the gods were so cruel to her."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Neither do I think they care", Lucas thoughts, grimacing at the memory of the gloating, insufferable church officials that went to collect their Giving without an inch of shame on their face,even from the few starving families in their modest town. If that was what their "servants" do for a living, Lucas have a hard time thinking they were any better.

"Maybe I can go look for other healers outside with pa again, the price our healer charges for a few vial was just_"A soft hand on his shoulder ceased his venting,Lucas sighed as he took a seat next to Leia.

The ones kind enough to come and diagnose her condition either don't have the relevant knowledge on the condition or are simply not kind enough to offer them at a lower rate than what their healers were already offering. Lucas nearly lashed out at one that suggested they give up on her treatment, the bastard.

"Don't worry about it sweetie, we will all do our best tonight and see if we can get enough from the noble for at least a few vials today. Now I must go check on your pa and see if he is lazing around again, can you help your sister for today?"Leia smiles and ruffle his hair when he nodded, moving out of the room.

"Luc…"Spinning back to the source of the faint voice, what greeted him was his pale-faced sister made even more miserable by the pained expression she is trying to hide.

"Hey, are you hungry? let me get you some food."Lucas smiles and get up on his feet and was ready to go back to the kitchen when a small hand wrapped around his wrist.

"Listen to me, please Luc."Frowning,lucas nodded as Alina released her weak grip on his wrist. He sat back down, failing to get away before she can say what he knew she want to say every time he came to visit her.

"You need to stop them, the other day I barely stopped her from selling her marriage ring, they are going overboard. I will be fine…"Lucas rubbed his face in frustration, she will not be fine at this rate.

The mistress of fate has given her one of the least known birth defects, her body and flesh consume themselves much more eagerly than anything else she eats, the only optional treatments other than the expensive rare brew of regeneration vial and ingredients they had been preserving her body with were the 'breath of Kronmis', a rejuvenation mixture as expensive and rare as its name implied.

The goddess of lifeforce and light's very own potent blessing given to a complex mixture of chemical said to heal any blight without a doubt and bring people back from their dying breath. Even if they were to sell every asset they own, Lucas doubts it would put much more than a dent in that price.

"I…Alina, please stop worrying about us, we will get through this no matter what."Putting his hand on his sister's frail hand and giving it a light squeeze, Lucas can only grin sheepishly as she sighed in defeat.

"Fine…I had a feeling not even you would listen, but at least stop them if they try to put their living at any more risk. I am not deaf and I knew how much stress my condition is putting on us more than you think."

His older sibling stares straight into his eyes, a flair of seriousness mixed with a pleading frown.He can only give his words so he can coax her into eating her much-needed meal properly and rest.

They talk for another hour or so after the topic passed. Despite all her hardship, Her humor and company still manage to make lucas grin and laugh.As time passed,lucas got back to work and prepare for the important evening. If there is nothing else he can do for her, at least he will try his best to do his job for his family.

As he closed the door of Alina's room on his way out to the kitchen, a piercing pain behind his eyes nearly made him yell in alarm before it passed. Grimacing at the foreign sensation, he looks around as the world around him slows to a crawl.For a few moment, the workers on their way towards the kitchen along him seem to barely move, and the sounds of their footsteps was barely audible.

He shakes his head vigorously, his heart drumming in alarm and fear. "What was that?" Lucas thought as he rubs his eyes and noticed the green tint at the edges of his vision quickly fading away as he noticed them.

"Lucas? Are you alright?"A fellow worker's voice drags him back to reality, he quickly gave the older lady a grin and shakes his head."Just got something in my eyes, don't worry Becky."He has no doubt that was not just something in his eyes, but at the moment he is too shaken to give it any more thought. He can only hope this isn't something worth worrying over.

___________ 

Half a league away from the modest tavern Lucas and his family reside in, two heavily decorated large wagon came to a stop in the middle of their path as a yell came from within one of them, the door was nearly dislodged as a burly man slammed it open.

Immediately an aura of brilliant emerald green seep out of his body as he looks around the small opening in the middle of the forest. The ground tremor and shatters as he trends forward and observes for threats.

"What the hell is wrong with you, kul!"The tall woman hissed as she swiftly jump out of the wagon after her rampaging associate, her dark green cloak fluttering behind as She landed.

"Be quiet for a moment jade, this is important."He clicks his tongue as he expands his senses beyond, trying to find the source of his alarm as soon as he could. The moment stretches on, the sound of his associates drawing her heavy war  bow was the only thing that breaks the silence.

"Of all the places?"kul's hard gazes widened slightly as his enhanced senses linger in the direction of their destination in the distance, in an inconspicuous tavern settled in the middle of a town.