“What happened next grandma?!” A young girl asked excitedly as she hopped up and down. Her hair fell to her shoulders, a solid lump of brown. There was so much dirt and grass in it that it resembled a bird’s nest.

“Josiah did what no one must ever do, under any circumstances. He broke nature’s one taboo and tore apart his own soul.” Beth, the old woman, shook her head slightly. It was a story that she had been telling since her father had passed, and one she hoped her daughter would continue to pass on. Villain had heard it many times in his life, though he never believed it.

“His soul?” The young girl scratched the back of her head.

“Yes, Ahna, his soul. The thing that lives riiight,” she paused and tapped Ahna’s chest, “there!” The girl screamed and laughed as Beth tickled her lightly.

“Tell her what happened next,” interrupted Villain. Beth scowled at him before continuing with her story.

“The seal that Josiah had placed on his heart was a trap. Upon breaking, his seal used all the magical energy in the world to create the Immortals. Thousands of all-powerful beings that never age or catch ill. Each with their own unique ability for him to exploit, had he survived. The only silver lining in this story is that his soul was destroyed in the process, leaving his body an empty, rotting husk.” Ahna was quiet as she rubbed her toes in the dirt.

“This world has been trash from the very beginning,” stated Villain as he turned away. “Curse your parents for bringing you into it, Ahna.”

“Not everyone thinks that way, V. Some of us see the world before as hope for the world to come.”

“Yeah, have hope V!” Ahna yelled after him. Villain pulled on his earmuffs and shrugged. His earmuffs were his most prized belonging, the only thing he had that was of any value. It was several years ago, when a decrepit chest washed up on the riverbank, that he had found them. They were buried under a thick layer of mud and plant matter. After cleaning them in the river he tried them on and found that they blocked all but the loudest sounds. For him, who preferred to be left alone, they were everything.

Villain walked down the path slowly, gazing at the setting sun in the distance, wondering how much of Beth’s story was true. Surely, he thought, after hundreds of years it must have been exaggerated at least a little. There was no way one man could be as powerful as they claimed, after-all.

By the time he reached the river the sky had long been dark. He would often lay on the riverbank and try to count the stars only to give up after several dozen. Tonight, was no exception. Villain located his usual spot on top of a large boulder that was partially underwater and allowed him to lay flat with just his feet submerged. The cold water was the perfect way to cool off during the hot summer nights.

“So boring.” Having counted the stars up to three hundred and five, Villain grew bored and gave up. Always the same thing, hiding from the sun during the day before spending the evening by the river. Occasionally he would catch a fish to eat, but that only happened roughly once a week. The rest of the time he would eat moss from the rocks. At first it would cause you to puke your guts out, but once you were used to it you could eat it regularly. It wasn’t the most delicious, or even filling, meal but it kept him from starving to death. His village was quite far from the capital and as such, quite poor. The Travelers rarely ventured this far out, so the opportunity for trade was little. This meant that any food they required would have to be caught, killed, or grown. Since the land was generally dried out that meant that their only source of food was the river and all that it contained. Villain was the only one brave enough to eat moss, so the rest of them focused on fishing. Thanks to the large lake that the river flowed from, fish were plentiful. The only problem for Villain, was that he just sucked at catching them.

Villain awoke, still flat against the boulder, covered in sweat. The sun was almost to the highest point in the sky by now and he had been baking underneath it all morning. Hot and smelly, he decided to bathe since he was already here. He stood and pulled his patchy shirt over his head before folding it and setting it gently on the boulder. Next, he shook off his pants, which were also patchy, and placed them on top of his shirt. Since his shoes were already off, he did not have to worry about them. He took a deep breath, held it, and leaped into the river. The boulder was so large that it created a small area where the water was relatively calm, which allowed him to bathe without worrying about being swept away. Even if the river had caught him though, he was a strong swimmer and would have been able to escape just fine. The river was only thirty feet across at its widest, and about ten where he was bathing.

“Ah!” Villain let out his breath as he resurfaced. The water felt amazing on his heated skin. He took another breath and plunged under the surface to look for his usual rock. It was just rough enough on one side to be used as a scrubber. Villain fished it up with his foot and snagged it in his hands. As soon as he resurfaced, he began to clean the dirt and sweat off by running the rock along his skin gently. Once finished, he returned the rock to the river bottom. One more deep breath, and he submerged his head so that he could wash his hair as well. They rarely bought soap, so this was the cleanest he could get. He returned to the surface and smiled, thankful that at the very least the river itself was free.

“I guess that means it’s time for breakfast.” Villain smirked, as his stomach let out a loud growl. He was impressed with the fact that he could still hear it, even under water. Turning to the riverbank, he reached out and ripped off a handful of the blue-green moss. After he had washed it in the river to remove the dirt, he shoved half of it into his mouth. It was bitter and slimy but as he chewed, he could feel his hunger slowly fading.

“I guess I should head back then.” He dressed himself and washed another handful of moss for the journey home. Picking a faster pace than the day before, Villain jogged up the pathway leading back to his village. It was built at the top of a very large hill which allowed it to be visible from the surrounding land quite easily. Jogging up the hill, and swimming, was how Villain maintained his body. He wasn’t the strongest or fastest of the kids his age, but he would not lose in a test of endurance. When his body began to sweat, he slowed his pace, but continued jogging the rest of the way up.

“Tch. He came back again.” An older woman scoffed as Villain entered the village. He ignored her, stared forward, and kept walking toward his home.

“Cockroaches won’t die easily honey.” Her husband commented, raising his voice slightly to ensure he was heard.

“I just wish he’d leave already. He creeps me out. It could happen any day now you know.”

“Him? No way, not going to happen. That’s why they dumped him here remember?”

“Still… It could happen.”

They were talking about him again. Everyone always talked about him, since his parents had abandoned him five years ago when he was twelve. They had named him Villain in hopes that he would gain some sort of power and free them from their poverty ridden lives. When he failed to do so, he became an extra mouth to feed and they ditched him. Having heard enough already, Villain pulled his earmuffs up and pressed them firmly over his ears.

“It’s not my fault you know…” he mumbled under his breath. Most of the villagers treated him the same way. His name and reason for being born scared them, so in turn he scared them as well. They just couldn’t feel safe with him around and if not for the village elder, they would have kicked him out. The village elder Yvard did not believe in what he called, superstitious nonsense. When a mob of villagers came to him in protest of his decision to allow Villain to stay he laughed in their faces.

“The boy, despite his name, is no villain to us. He has been abandoned by his own family, so we shall become his family.” He was the only one to openly speak up for him. Unfortunately, it did not turn out the way he had wanted. No matter how hard Villain tried to fit in or be helpful, everyone always treated him the same. They took advantage of him, bullied him, berated him or just completely ignored him. To the point that he could stand directly in front of them and scream in their faces only for them to look through him without reacting. As a child he just could not understand why they treated him so poorly. He couldn’t stand it. What had he done to them to deserve this? Every time he reached his breaking point he would run away. Surviving on his own, on the road, wasn’t easy however so he always returned. Time went on and Villain grew numb to their mistreatments, ignoring all but a few of the villagers. If there was ever anything that he needed that he could not get on his own, he would ask Yvard. Then there was Beth, the elder’s wife, and their granddaughter Ahna. Beth occasionally took his mother’s place in scolding him, but for the most part would allow him to do as he pleased.

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“I’m home.” Villain opened the door to the small shed that he lived in. The one room building was equally wide as it was long, being about the length of his body when lying flat on his back. In it he kept a small chest and his bedding which he rarely used. In the summer it was too hot to sleep in, so he slept at the river or used it as a pillow. During the winter it was too thin to rely on so he would have to build a fire and hope that he didn’t burn to death in his sleep. He often debated whether freezing to death was better than burning to death. In the end it didn’t matter to him as long as he was asleep when it happened.

Inside his chest he kept his only other set of clothes, his earmuffs when they weren’t around his neck, and some alcohol. In reality it was just a jar of fermented berries he had gotten from Jeck, but it did the trick. It was most useful on nights when he couldn’t sleep as one mouthful was enough to knock him out. If he wanted to drink for any other reason he would sip lightly for a few minutes. That was all he needed to get drunk for several hours. Jeck often made fun of him for being a lightweight but Villain knew the truth. Not even the adults wanted to drink the stuff Jeck made, it was that strong.

Once he had closed the door behind him Villain pulled his earmuffs down and sat with his back against his bedroll. There were no windows anywhere but the cracks and holes in the paneling let in plenty of light and fresh air. He would have been grateful for them if not for the large amount of dirt they also allowed in. In the corner above his chest there was a large spider web. Villain had thought about clearing it out the day he noticed it but decided to share his living space instead. The spider in return continued to trap any other insects that invaded his home.

“Three flies since yesterday huh?” Villain often found himself engaging it in conversation. He even named him Minion. Every villain needs a good henchman, right?

“That might be a new record. Good work Minion.” Of course, it was always a one-sided conversation. As he stared into the intricate web and watched Minion scutter back and forth he heard footsteps approaching. They grew closer and closer until they stopped in front of his door. Knock, knock, knock.

“Go away.” After overhearing that couple talking about him, Villain was in no mood to socialize.

“That’s rude. You should at least ask who it is first!” He grinned slightly at the sound of her voice. It was Lincera, the only girl his age in the village.

“Well then, who is it?”

“Lince-”

“Go away.” There was a moment of silence just long enough that Villain thought she had listened to him, before she kicked open his door. When it slammed against the wall the whole building shook and dust flooded the air.

“I’m coming in! What *ack* are you even doing *cough* in here?” She had sucked in some dust which caused a fit of coughing.

“I mean… I DO live here.”

“That’s not what I’m asking, Villain. Why are you always cooped up in here all by yourself?” Villain directed his index finger toward Minion sitting atop his web.

“I’m not by myself, I have Minion.”

“A spider doesn’t count.” Lincera rolled her eyes at him before plopping down by his side. Villain turned to face her and unintentionally swallowed. She was only a few inches away from him.

“Won’t you get yelled at for being here?” Her father was one of the villagers that wanted him gone. If her mother were still alive, she’d probably have felt the same way. Lincera shrugged.

“Have you talked to Jeck recently?”

“About two days ago maybe.” The last time he remembered seeing him was the night before last, when they were drinking by the watch tower.

“How did he seem then?” She shifted slightly and wrapped her arms around her knees. Villain thought about it for a moment but could not recall anything out the usual.

“Seemed like himself. Why, did something happen?”

“He plans on leaving the village soon.”

“I see.” Villain had no idea. He wondered if Jeck had purposely avoided telling him.

“That’s it?”

“Huh?”

“Is that really all you have to say about it?” She frowned, creating large wrinkles in her forehead.

“I don’t blame him for wanting to leave at all. This place, and everyone here, sucks.” Her frown deepened and she opened her mouth to refute him, but he waved his hand. “Except for a few of you.”

“Even so, this is our home. I could never imagine leaving it.”

“I don’t have a home, not one like you do anyway.” She again opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. After a moment of silence, she managed to force out a whispered question.

“Will you go too then?” Another moment of silence passed before Villain replied.

“If he asks, then yes.” Lincera stood and brushed the dirt off of her worn dress.

“You should talk to him then.”

“I suppose I will. It’s not like anyone here would miss me if I left anyway.”

“I will.” Closing the door behind her, Lincera left Villain alone in his shed.

Later that evening he found Jeck at their usual spot beneath the watchtower. He had already been drinking and was well on his way to being drunk when Villain showed up. The two of them exchanged a nod before Jeck offered him his jug.

“Thanks.” Villain grabbed it and swallowed some before nearly dropping it due to the intense burning sensation it left in his throat. Jeck broke out in a wide grin as he took his jug back.

“This is my best stuff. You might want to sit down.” Villain nodded and climbed onto one of the horizontal wooden beams.

“I spoke with Lincera.”

“She told you then did she?”

“Should she not have?”

“No, it’s fine. I was going to eventually.”

“She doesn’t seem happy about it.” Jeck shifted his weight from his left foot to his right and lowered his jug slightly.

“Yeah.”

The two of them sat without speaking for several minutes. Villain could feel the alcohol warming his body as it circulated. It was a comforting feeling being able to sit next to someone who didn’t hate him for something as trivial as a name. From the very first time they met, Jeck had treated him like any other person. At first Villain had suspected him of having ulterior motives but eventually gave up on the notion. After the warm feeling began to subside motioned for another sip and broke the silence.

“Where will you go?”

“Not sure. North maybe? Could check out the capital I suppose.”

“I guess you don’t really have many options. The borders are closed to everyone but the travelers and slavers.”

“Right. Besides, the rumor is that the territories outside our borders are much worse.”

“Is that so?” Jeck nodded and wiped his mouth after taking another drink himself.

“Still… Anywhere is better than here.” Jeck remained silent for a moment as Villain lowered himself off the beam.

“You want to join me then?”

“When would we leave?”

“Day after tomorrow I should think.” Villain pretended to consider his offer, even though he had decided to go before coming here. When an acceptable amount of time had passed, he nodded.

“Yes, I believe I will join you then.” Jeck grinned and downed another bit of alcohol.

“I figured you would.” Villain grinned as well and tapped Jeck with his fist. With that he walked off, heading back to his shed. It was an unusually cool evening for summer which meant he could actually get comfortable in his bedding for once. It wasn’t the softest material, but it was better than sleeping on the ground so any chance he got to actually use it he did.

The next morning, he was woken by a loud knocking. He tried to ignore it and rolled over, but the knock came again. Irritated, Villain stood and threw open his door intending to lay into whoever it was. His face flushed red however when he realized he was standing half naked in front of Lincera. Before she could say anything, he slammed the door closed and began digging through his bedding, looking for his shirt. Once he found it, he pulled it over his head and shoved his arms through their holes. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself and opened the door again.

“C-Can I come in?” Lincera’s face was red as she forced herself to keep eye contact. Villain nodded and moved back to his bedding where he sat cross legged.

“Two days in a row huh? Is your father really that busy?” She shook her head.

“He’s asleep still. He drank quite a bit last night. It should be a few more hours until he wakes up.”

“What brings you here then?”

“I wanted to see you one more time before you left.”

“When did you-”

“Jeck stopped by on his way home last night and told me.” She interrupted, noticing his confusion.

“Ah.”

Lincera had closed the door behind her but remained standing. She was fidgeting with something that Villain couldn’t quite see between her fingers. After the silence had grown uncomfortable, he spoke.

“Is there something else? You don’t seem like you just came here to talk.” Her face reddened again, and she nodded.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again, so I brought you something to remember me by.” She unfolded her hands and held it up for him to see. His eyes widened as the necklace hung from her fingers.

“I can’t take that!” He shouted, standing as he did. It was a silver necklace, with a long translucent crystal hanging in the center. Lincera had worn it only once before that he could remember, and that was on the day she buried her mother.

“It’s okay Villain. Please, take it.”

“Do you know how much that is worth?!” Villain continued in a serious manner however he lowered his voice this time. Metal objects were hard to come by, to say nothing of silver or gold. Even then, those were cheap compared to crystals.

“I do.” Her eyes were focused on his, and her expression determined.

“Why then?” They were friends, sure, but he never thought she cared about him this much. To him, she was one of very few people that he could trust and feel at ease around. Yet to her, what was he? There was nothing special about him, and nearly the entire village hated him, so why was she going so far for him?

“Because you are important to me.”

“That’s all?”

“Is that not enough?” Her brow furrowed slightly. No matter what he said, he knew she would not allow him to refuse her gift. Villain sighed and placed his palm beneath the necklace and nodded, allowing her to release it.

“Thank you, Lincera.” He closed his fist around it slowly. “I’ll keep it safe. I promise.”

She nodded.

“You better.”