Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

"What are you dreaming about, Arial?" His mother's voice broke him from his thoughts.

He looked to her and the tray she was holding out to him, upon which sat a beautifully roasted ox, and smiled.

He took the tray and placed it on the large table out in the field before retreating to the kitchen.

The celebrations lifted his spirit and lightened his heart. Life….and love he thought and he unconsciously once again smiles.

It is these little things that brings him happiness

All the villagers he loved had gathered; there was Uncle Rodrik, who always came to the rescue when Arial had been caught misbehaving; Aunt Vilisa, who brought him food and bread and even sometimes her special secret recipes; George, the cheerful tavern keeper who loved to make jokes and often offered Arial wise words and life lessons, though mostly he persuaded him to drink his brewed wine, which was known across the village to be gut-wrenching and stunk to high heaven.

They had all helped to shape Arial into the man he had become, before the tragedies began and the man he is now

He looked at the other side of the house and he spotted someone.

He waved toward them and the man waved at him back.

His Uncle Daniel played in the field with his children, Kyle and Lisa.

They were neighbor and Arial called Daniel his uncle.

Although they had grown close these past years, Arial hadn't known them well before; in his past life they had both died young during one particularly devastating winter.

Arial was certain that wouldn't happen again, not now that the village was rich with food and warmth.

Kyle and Lisa gleefully ran into the kitchen, keen to help load the table with dishes as they laughed.

"Ouch!" Lisa gasped as her small hand brushed the side of a hot plate. Arial notice the little kid is about to cry

"Be careful," Arial said, grabbing her hand quickly.

Concentrating hard, he used the power of his internal energy to ease the burn, and within seconds the wound had vanished.

Arial internal energy has grown lager this past seven years. It had become handy to use it even in this kind of situations

There are still some scars in her hands but it is obvious now that internal energy works like healing magic.

"Are you all right dear?" Arial's mother asked, examining Lisa's hand.

"You look fine. Take these plates out, but be careful now."

Arial house has big fireplaces where meat, even large oxen, could be roasted on spits. Of course these are separate buildings, to minimize the threat of fire.

The pantries were hung with birds and beasts, including swans, blackbirds, ducks, pigeons, rabbits, mutton, venison, and wild boar among others

Many of these animals were caught on hunts.

His fathers of course don't have the ability to hunt so he just buys it from the hunter that resides in the village.

'The luxury of having plentiful of gold' Arial mused

After Kyle and Lisa had run back outside giggling, Arial's father entered the kitchen. He wore a ring which held an inscription:

"Amor Vincit Omnia".

It means Love conquers all, in the Ancient Tongue.

His mother wore the same ring; it had been his father's gift to her for her name day the previous year.

His father himself nearly ruined the surprise because of his excitement to present the gift to Arial mother

Arial remembered how she had dissolved into tears of joy at the sight of it, hugged his father and smiled the most radiant smile he had ever seen.

His father had become a popular man, from Brulau to Cuvar and even Ghili

Through all of the villages the peasants had to build their houses with mud, sticks and straw, which damaged easily in bad weather.

Many houses needed to be repaired frequently, but the peasants were kept busy throughout the year, and so the proper repairs could only be carried out in the winter months.

By providing them with the materials they needed to save their homes, Arial's father was loved and famous for his kindness.

Arial at first was resisting it. But his father reprimanded him

"What is the good of this money," he had told Arial, "if we can't use it to help other people?"

He was naïve, but generous, and it was these virtues that made him so endearing to the people of the villages.

He was unaware, however, of Arial's plan – to use the money to safeguard the realm, or maybe buy the title of Baron, a minor lord in the scheme of things but a lord nonetheless.

He had always been repulsed by the lifestyle of the high lords, but he couldn't ignore the importance of having power.

Of course he can avoid the dirty game by not participating. But that is only running away.

And he is done running away.

To be honest, it's not because the game is dirty that he didn't want to participate. It was because it is scary.

If the game is dirty then he should clean it up. He is avoiding it because he fears that he too would be just as filthy.

Arial looked out onto the field; the feast had swollen to epic proportions.

It was not just to celebrate their new land, however.

Village Chief Rudolf had recently retired, and the village had come to the unanimous decision that Arial's father would be elected the new Chief.

The decision was applauded.

Aries did not want to accept it at first.

But with the encouragement of his loving wife the man had humbly accepted. Arial knows his mother is always the only one that could get through to him.

Arial believed in him wholly.

His father wasn't an especially smart man, but he had a good heart, and his noble-blooded mother would be able to show him the way when he is lost.

Because of that Aries used his gold to hired someone.

They had hired a stonemason to build a watermill by the village river, and used it to run their very own mill.

His father charged a fee for use of the mill, much cheaper than Josh Miller's services had been, which initially had left him without a job, and Arial's father had employed him to work on the farms, an offer to which he readily agreed.

The townsfolk took their seats at the grand table, and his father stood to pray. Everyone had their hands open

"When you rise, give thanks to light. Give thanks for life, for strength, for food and for joy. Here we give thanks for our harvest and bountiful food. May our path be illuminated by the grace of your Light."

"So be it," the villagers muttered in unison, ending the prayer.

The feast commenced.

The talented musicians of the group played their musical instruments merrily, whilst the young folk danced, coy maidens blushing delicately as young men extended to them their hands.

The warm air was filled with laughter and talk of the harvest, stories of youth and adventure. The oxen roast was devoured within minutes.

It was a joyous day.

Everything was in a mood of joy and everyone seems to be laughing. Arial look at all this from his seat and he laughed too.

He enjoyed the music, he wonders whether that one young lumberjack manages to woo the butcher daughter and he years to hear a great story as he eats meat and drink water.

If not that his body is a child, he would grabbed the ale and chug it out with these people. He chuckles when he thinks of that.

The festivities were pierced suddenly by a figure bolting towards the banquet. Hans the priest, who had been staying nearby, fell upon them with a stricken look on his face.

"Bandits!" he panted, clutching the table.

Immediately the atmosphere froze, the entire place quietened and the dances and the music all stopped.

Arial eyes narrowed.

This was new development to Arial, and he was panicked – bandits had not attacked his village last time, and he had no idea what to do.

Then he gulped. Because he remembered something

Change one thing, change everything.

He remembered the quote he had read in Levitia's journal on the theory of Time-Space magic.

Is this it? The effect of his meddling?

Before, the bandits never attacked because the village was not rich, but now Danoba was one of the most prosperous villages in the Dukedom.

A group was hastily assembled to intercept the bandits and the merriment of the celebration was quickly forgotten.

This is my fault, thought Arial in despair, my most harrowing fault.

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Second part of the chapter. Enjoy and leave some comments and reviews