Chapter 1 - The Silence

Deep down in medieval times, there was a son of a poor farmer. That farmer has a rather unique son named Eric, most likely known as the black haired farmer who barely talks to anyone. Some called them the Poor farmers, some called them the helpless two but those offensive namings and mockeries didn't seem to bother 15 year old Eric or his 42 year old father Woldemir.

That of course is because even tho Woldemir is poor, he is a very wise, humble gentleman with patience as his best friend. And the reason of his current financial issue is of course not his fault, in fact it could've been worse unless a stranger offered him enough help that even a brother by blood would think twice about. But a tragedy that happened very shortly after his son Eric was born, is to blame. Woldemir had to leave everything behind for his son.

Eric lost his mother at a very young age. He doesn't even remember how she looks like. Even worse, he doesn't know anything about her. He just knows her name, Isabel. A truly beautiful name indeed but it doesn't feel the empty hole in his heart. He can't get his mother back, but at least his pain would ease if he knew more about her. This confusion and lack of answers has forced him into a rather restrictive imaginary world of his own. He barely exchange any words with his father as a "silent treatment". But lucky for Eric, Woldemir was never abusive towards him in order to "mold him into a man". That is no way of life.

Woldemir is a good father, yes, but it doesn't add up when you consider how he refuses to talk to Eric about Isabel. Eric always wanted to know more about her, instead of just whispering her name on long nights filled with thoughts, losing sleep over it and tears breaking out often. But that's something you, me and his pillow knows.

Still he couldn't help but ask himself why his own father won't tell him more about his beloved mother. Is it some form of mental abuse? Eric took that theory into consideration. But when he recalled how Woldemir spent sleepless nights looking after a baby Black Horse who had a leg so injured that the bone was clear to see. As if something ripped the horse's flesh without breaking the bones, he knew his father isn't at all an abuser.

When Woldemir is asked about his wife however, he does nothing more than changing the topic. A lot of times he even pretends that he didn't hear that question and never aims to answer it. He always remains silent towards that topic and most, especially Eric. Don't have a clue connecting to his silence.

That silence is slowly drifting Eric and his father apart. Drifting away like an abandoned little boat floating across the ocean without an anchor. But in times like this, family needs to stick together. After all, Woldemir is all the family he knows. It is a cruel world out there in these dark medieval times, Eric just has to stay strong. So far it is his only option although that option is mentally and emotionally tiring. Summer is close to an end, and as always Woldemir and Eric have to worry about the food situation which will get them through the Winter.

Winter is cold and harsh on these lands, and growing plants on the small cruel terrain that they own is difficult to tackle even at summer, they literally started a farm in a forest. This farmhouse used to be a Cabin to begin with.

Attempting to grow anything at Winter especially is a foolish move and of course a waste of Gold Coins, gold that Woldemir and Eric barely earn.

Sometimes Eric wonders how his father could even afford this small Farm house, surrounded by this cruel small forest. Its small but it still would need a few hundred gold coins to afford if not a few thousand.

How they own this small property and why they are living in these conditions has always puzzled Eric's mind along with his primary predicament.

As mentioned before, Winter is next door and the food that should last throughout the winter is Woldemir's biggest concern right now. He can't risk starvation. Throughout the summer, Woldemir and Eric planted and harvested vegetables such as: Rice, Tomatoes, Beans and Cabbages. Plants that do not require any specific type of dirt quality or special care but also are worth a few gold coins.

The plan is for Woldemir and Eric to sell those plants and use that money to buy cheaper food, such as plain wheat grain or bread who costs considerably more than wheat Grain.

Cheaper food that will hopefully be enough to feed them through the blood freezing Winter. It might not be something that they prefer to do, but as their options are limited and because they don't want to kill animals, risking their own lives in the paws of blood thirsty Wolves, They don't have another choice.

However to sell what they planted and harvested through the punishing summer heat, they would need to travel towards a Kingdom. A kingdom known as Crutal Kingdom. A Kingdom with walls strong enough to help her people withstand a lot of bloody battles for hundreds of years and has earned the title of being the Capital Kingdom in the entire country of Occidentis Igne.

Woldemir and Eric couldn't afford to live in that Kingdom.

Which is why they live in a small house, located a couple of moons away from it.

But of course that doesn't mean that they can't use the opportunity to sell their goods there. Crutal kingdom is well known as a place of trade. As the morning sun shone brightly and gracefully over the surrounding mountains, breaking through the cracks in Eric's room leading to sunbeams usually waking him up in the Summer, he was approached by Woldemir who hesitated to wake him up from what seems to be a peaceful sleep, but had no choice.

"son, it is that time of the year again. I know that staying here with me in the farm throughout the summer has limited your adventures you like to take around these woods, but we need to secure the food situation for the winter. After that, you will have more time for yourself." Curiosity has always been a part of Eric's mindset. And in the forest there is a lot to explore due to the ruins which Snow Ignites left behind after the last Ice Age met an end.

Eric doesn't get along well with his father when they speak face to face. Well more like Woldemir tolerates Eric's behaviour because he knows he is in a hurting. All because of the silence Woldemir shows towards Eric's questions, but if he knew the truth he would be emotionally destroyed, but yet again facing an emotional barricade is what made Woldemir a gentleman.

Eric thinks that his father is cruel. He thinks that his father, isn't exactly father material. Which is why he is being silent towards him now. Eric is reasonable enough to help but he has chosen to not utter a single word towards his father until he tells him at least one thing more about Isabel.

"I deserve to know the truth, but if my so called father has chosen to stay silent towards my questions, I will be silent towards all of his questions and topics as well." He thought to himself countless times.

Eric stands up from his bed without saying a single word and makes his way towards the door in aims to wash his face with Water gathered from one of the many small creeks nearby, giving a rather unique beauty to the forest and making it look more life like.

Woldemir's heart is a bit shattered by this behaviour even though he doesn't show it, standing strong. But it is a price he was willing to pay for Eric's mental well being. He was willing to sacrifice his own feelings without thinking twice.

Woldemir and Eric took their time to load all the fruits and vegetables on their Wagon, a Wagon for Black Wind to pull through these dirt covered roads. You may be wondering who Black Wind is? Well, Black Wind is a beautiful Horse that they own, who you guessed it. Woldemir helped nurture back to health. Although the flesh regenerated in time, the wounds are likely to stick for a lifetime.

Blackwind is a six feet tall horse covered in beautiful black fur and with long majestic Pitch black hair going down from the surface area of his neck, stretching  2 feet long.

And of course we can not forget to mention the eye catching strong leg muscles on him comparable to the finest horses in Ignis. In fact, Compared to how rare Black Wind is in Ignis, he would be considered the finest horse. The Wagon that Black Wind will be pulling isn't exactly the best or the biggest but at least it works enough to carry those goods with a 1 time trip.

The Wagon is about eight feet long and four feet wide. It might sound like an average normal Wagon but the different thing about this one is that it isn't tall enough. It is a few inches over four feet tall and the top is completely cut off. Meaning it doesn't offer any protection from the environment at all and it can not fit a good amount of fruits and vegetables due to the lack of options when it comes to stacking goods upwards.

Even though Eric and Woldemir tried their best to fit in as many goods as they can, there just wasn't enough space left for Eric to sit comfortably on that Wagon. However all the sellable fruits and vegetables are in the Wagon but if Eric wishes to join his father, he would have to sit over the cabbages because even Woldemir can barely fit in where the horse orientor(driver) should be. As if having no protection from the environment wasn't enough to deal with. It gets even worse later on when night hits and the moon starts shining, bringing along cold winds which can be deadly if the weather was colder. Luckily it is September.

Luckily they have sleeping bags. But that will fight off only half of the cold weather when they camp. Enough for them not to become frozen corpses by the morning at least.

Black Wind has already enough burden over his shoulders. Literally! He is pulling a whole Wagon. And Eric just doesn't want to stress the big beauty furthermore by climbing on his back. Basically Eric will be sitting on the back part of the Wagon. Over the Cabbages more accurately. Because cabbages are less easy to squash if sat on.

They lock the farmhouse's door and without wasting any more time, they start their 50 mile journey to reach the magnificent Crutal Kingdom. As being concerned of what to eat while on the road didn't seem to be something to worry about considering them having crops on the Wagon. Something that got both of them tired though along that long road, was Boredom. Crutal Kingdom is two moons away if travelled by Wagon, the road is long and the summer end sun has no mercy at day. Result, Cabbages with sweat.

This boredom, slowly and slowly got Eric tired enough to fall asleep. He fell asleep on lumpy and uncomfortable cabbages. That's what boredom can do.

But what both of them didn't even expect on their first day of traveling is the fact that adrenaline rising danger is about to strike them when they least expected it. Because while they were traveling, ahead of them was a whole Black Wolf Pack blocking their path, approaching step by step as their group started to spread slowly.

If Woldemir tries to slow the horse down and turn around, the Pack would catch up to them in no time and get all over the Wagon and of course both of them would be in grave danger.

Woldemir didn't care about his safety, he can weaponize a rice bag if he pleased, but it is his son Eric, he is worried about. He promised his wife that he will protect Eric at any cost last time he saw her, right before she took her last breath and left this world.

And Woldemir is willing to put his life at risk to keep that promise.

Woldemir would do that, yes. But would it be a good idea to fight a pack of four foot tall Black Wolves with nothing but a small rusty iron dagger? NO!! of course it isn't. They both would end up being a special treat for the pack. So with no other options, Woldemir takes a deep breath and shouts from the top of his lungs

"Do not turn back. Run forward BlackWind, do not stop at nothing. Run as fast as you can. Our lives depend on you now boy"