Chapter 1

Today is the day, he thought as he stretched standing after a night of fitful sleep. The sky on the other side of the window shown a cloudless. He dressed purposely this morning; time was something he didn't have today nor any other day for that matter. Afterward taking a few moments to bask in the warm rays of the sun as they came through his open window he entered his kitchen of the last 17 years. Looking around, he took note of all the finer things that left his notice until now. The cabinet door that hung slightly crooked. Why hadn't he taken the time to fix that? The pot rack that should have been hanging from the high ceiling was now half hazardly leaning against the far wall. It wouldn't have taken him an hour to put that up, why was he just thinking of it now? Maybe because this would be the last time he was here, he thought.

Breakfast had been laid out upon his table, bacon, eggs, biscuits and other things he was sure he had no appetite for. Sitting down he began to eat half heartedly, this would be his last meal at home and he knew it. Half an hour passed and he hadn't eaten much but enough to satisfy him for what had to be done. Back in his room he passed the time left to him reflecting on his life and how little he had left to him. He felt a pain of guilt for not spending it with his mother but he just couldn't face that and continue. And he had to continue, because the fate of the entire village depended on it. He sat in his chair at his desk; everything was in its place as it had been for the last five years. When his name had been chosen his mother had screamed and cried out in pain and loss she had felt at that very moment.

It wasn't fair she yelled clutching her clothes to her body. She had to be carried away by three villagers who brought her to their shared home. His father would have been chosen being the man of the house but he was killed before he was even born. He'd always heard he was killed by raiders, or thieves or monsters. Whoever told the story had a different enemy each time. Either they had no idea what they were talking about or they did and didn't want him to know. All in all he took the situation in stride; he didn't have much here anyway. No friends or family other than his mother. No one would really miss him but the loss he felt was for his mother rather than himself. She already had her husband taken from her and now her only son as well. Six months had passed since he'd been chosen and he had to admit he prepared as best he could for the circumstances ahead of him.

Every day he practiced the sword. The one the village master used an exact copy of the sword but it weighed thrice as much as the one that lying on his desk now. Helps build strength and muscle endurance he always said. Well he wasn't to sure if that was true nor did he really believe that it mattered. He picked up his sword and strapped it across his back with the new harness the local shopkeeper'd given him. Once it was firmly secure he picked up the small shield the smith had made, it wasn't anything ornamental but it would serve its purpose well enough he supposed. Straping the shield onto his left arm and drawing his sword with his right he took a few practice swings just to adjust hisself to these new weapons.