12 years later…
"Best quality wood…. You won't get this dry wood anywhere. Come and get best dry wood for only 2 copper coins" Arthur shouted loudly to get people's attention in the market. He is standing here since morning and thanks to his remarkable sales skill for his age he was almost sold out.
"You are a hard working young man aren't you?" a customer stopped to buy the last two pieces of dry wood he had. " Can you give me both these pieces of dry wood. Here is your 4 copper pieces"
"Thank you. Mrs lara, I am just helping out my mother" arthur took 4 copper pieces and handed both pieces of dry wood.
"What a responsible young man" old lady lara left with a kind remark. Arthur was well know in the village. He was a nice kid and never picked unnecessary fights. Instead he was bullied a lot by neighbouring shopkeepers when he started out.
"You are getting famous among older women Eh.."
A voice came from behind. It was neither loud or low but just enough so arthur could hear.
"Shut up. What do you want. Ned" Arthur knew who it was without even turning back. Ned was the only one to leave a comment like this.
"Haha nothing, I am just here to pick you up since it looks like it's going to rain soon and it's almost night time too." Ned replied. His hands folded behind his head.
"Pick me up? Do you have any ride yourself?" Arthur sighed and smiled at same time.
"Hmm, that's a good question. Well how about I just be your companion and you be mine. It's boring to walk all the way up alone" Ned replied.
Arthur didn't say anything and just packed his things and started walking.
"Come on dumbass, what are you waiting for?" Arthur turn around to call Ned who was still goofing around
"Comingggg"
Both were half way through to home when Ned exclaimed. "oh right, I almost forgot to give you this." Ned reached for his back.
"Huh? What is it?" Arthur curiously looked over his shoulder.
"Here, I had to Butter old man ham quite a bit for this" said Ned taking out a book.
"What's this… what! The tale of end times. You actually got this" Arthur jumped out of surprise. He wanted this book for a long time. "How did you even get this"
"Hehe, Ask no question hear no lies" Ned said folding his hands behind his back.
Arthur knew better than to ask him again.
As the scene quieted down Arthur noticed that they already reached home.
"Ma"
"Aunty"
Both spoke together as they opened the door to their humble home. The house was old and shabby by this time. It was completely made from wood with a small brick pavement outside running over a small pond in front of hut.
"Ohh, you both are back already" Cecile came out of a room with a rope and basket in her hand.
"Hmm? Mom are you going somewhere?" Arthur asked curiously as normally at this hour Cecile used to cook food but today she was holding the rope they use to collect wood and basket they use to collect fruits in.
"I was just going to collect some firewood. Today when I went to kitchen to cook something I noticed we are out of firewood." Cecile spoke in a bit embarrassed tone.
"Motherrrrrrr" Arthur was really hungry. His stomach grumbled as he heard the unfortunate news.
"Hehe, it's alright aunt Cecile. Let me go get it for you real quick. The faster we bring back wood the faster we get to eat" said Ned.
"Sigh.. no no you two stay here and prepare for food. I will go get dry wood. It's my work anyway so I should have checked up on stock" Arthur spoke up with a visible irritated expression but still he acknowledged his mistake.
"Well that works too." Ned immediately agrees without even putting a fight.
"Look at him. He knew from start that I would offer to go instead. He just wanted to look cool again. Hump attention seeker" Arthur thought grinding his teeth.
Ned took quite a pleasure in Arthur's anger. This was obviously not the first time Ned played Arthur over afterall.
"Are you sure Art. It's getting dark outside" Cecile was worried just like every other mother. Woods are not really a safe place in dark.
"It's fine, it's fine. I will come back quickly but make something delicious like always. I am really hungry" Arthur took the rope and left hurriedly. It's true that hunger is a truly powerful motivator.
"Hump, that cheeky bastard. He always looks cool in front of other. How can he thinks so far ahead. I should learn a thing or two" Arthur mumbled to himself on his way through woods to dry branches of trees.
After a while Arthur collected enough dry firewood for atleast today's dinner. He was about to head back when something piqued his attention.
"Huh, what's that" his gaze drifted to a distant rock on which something appeared to be glowing. The the glow was extremely bright and pure white in colour. It was like seeing a small sun in the afternoon. As he focused more closely, the glow seemed to fade away. Arthur's heart was racing. Cold sweat broke from his forehead just from seeing it. His hands felt slippery and wet because of all the sweat. Finally something came to Arthur's vision. It was a bird. It had head of an owl and body of a small phoenix. Its legs were like those of a raven.
"Is…is that a zane!!" Arthur exclaimed as zane was a legendary creature that have only ever appeared in folklores or legends. It represents the point of no return. It's said that first was created the world second was zane. Third was dragons and then every other vein. God created zane as a symbol that every action of theirs have consequences. No matter good or evil but whether you threw a rock or a flower in a pond both will create ripples. Both will cause an action after which their is no return as ripples never judge they just set off to a new beginning.
As Arthur took a small glimpse of the zane. The light started shining more rapidly and with a blinding light zane disappeared like it was all a dream like a dense fog just cleared out.
"Wh… what was that?" Arthur stood their motionless for sometime his mind completely empty staring into dark empty sky.
Grumble~~~
Grumbling of stomach out of hunger broke Arthur's deep trance.
"I should head back now" Arthur mumbled to himself, embarrassed.
It was already night time and it was difficult to navigate through the deep woods but with much difficulties he finally reached home.
"I am so hungryyy" arthur opens the door with dry lips and tired eyes. He had been working whole day and was already out of energy when he got home but this unexpected adventure just took the lights out of him.
"So what did you make" Arthur continued talking hearing no response from inside.
"Mom?, Ned? Where did both of them go?" Arthur mumbled to himself hearing no response from inside.
He checks inside every room and with each empty room Arthur's body felt heavy and heavy. He runs outside and checked around the house. He even checked the well but their was no trace of either one of them. His breathing got heavy like his lungs couldn't take in air.
"Where did two of them go? MOM?, NED?" with each passing minute Arthur's shouts just became louder and louder.
"Maybe they went to the Village for some ingredients. Yes that's it, they must have went to Village to get something" Arthur thought to himself but deep down somewhere He knew that was not the case. Somewhere he knew that something was wrong but he denied that feeling. He denied that thing right to exist. He threw the thought out of his mind as quickly as it came.
Arthur ran towards the village which was at hillside. His legs grew heavier with each step as if trying to stop him from entering the village.
Thudded… thudded…
Despite the heaviness Arthur moved his legs with difficulty and he finally stood before the village's entrance. He slowly moved towards the town square gasping for air.
Sounds of people talking and gasping could be heard from a distance. Few stood at entrances of their wooden houses while majority of people stood at centre of town square in a circle.
The chatter abruptly stopped as people saw Arthur coming from a distance. Few opened a way Arthur to entre into circle.
A warm current of air greeted Arthur in this rainy weather. It was like the hot dry wind that blows in summer.
Arthur's eyes widened and sweat started dripping from everywhere. His throat went dry as he sharply gasped for air.
"Ned?" Arthur uttered softly as he saw the naked body of his brother tied to a pole, engulfed with flames. His hairs were all burnt down, the flames burned his flesh and even so no words left his mouth. The smoke from the flames filled his lungs, leaving him with little to no sound.
Arthur's vision started to blur. Everything seemed like a hazy dream. His head started throbbing like it was hit into wall multiple times. Even keeping balance on his two legs became a challenge.
"Look who it is"
"What must they have done to get this burn sentence"
"I always knew their was something shady about them. Why live at mountain top instead of village"
"Yes it was quite apparent."
The once silent crowd started talking once again. There were many opinions and claims of them being suspicious from the start.
No body in this world care for no one. Yesterday their was a topic to talk. Today you are the topic of talk. Tomorrow they will find someone else. People always prefer to walk with herd. If you are liked by many then you ARE a good man. If disaster fell upon you then it was divine judgement because you always WAS an evil person.
The muffled voices reached Arthur's ears but he couldn't understand any of it. His eyes had already lost focus and his breathing became even sharper.
Arthur somehow moved forward balancing himself towards the flame but was stopped by the city guard. His only job was to stop people from interfering with execution.
"Stop, take one more step forward and you will meet the same end" the guard warned with his spear pointing towards the sky and his helmet hiding his mocking eyes.
Arthur took another step forward anyway. He had already lost his sense of self. Words fell on his ears but none entered inside.
Seeing arthur taking another step forward. The soldier smirked lightly and slapped arthur tightly on face. Arthur who was already standing with difficulty flew and fell on ground behind the crowd.
"Filthy animal, you dare disobey the orders and interfere with royal execution. Guards tie him up and burn him too for the crime of interfering with royal execution" the guard shouts heartily. His voice only held disgust and contempt.
"Burn? Fire?" Arthur's heart raced as he heard these two words. Suddenly his body felt really light. His mind went empty as only one voice overtook everything "Run". Only run remained and everything else faded in Arthur's mind.
Arthur got up on his feet and started running towards the woods. He felt like he was flying for the first time in his life.
The soldiers chased after him and entered the woods. They were chasing after him with smile as if hunting a wild boar.
"It's been a long time. Since we went out hunting" a guard said heartily.
"Indeed, indeed" both guards deliberately ran slower as if they knew that there was a dead end.
"This chase was fun but it's time to end it now" one soldier exclaimed and with the wave of hand a strong air current formed almost like the shape and size of a thick needle.
Woosh..
And with incredible speed the air needle flew away and pierced Arthur's shoulder sending him flying with his face first in the ground. The soldier deliberately targeted Arthur's shoulder for a slow and painful experience.
In front of Arthur was a cliff and behind him were soldiers approaching. The dark clouds that had been hovering since evening finally started raining.
Time stopped moving for Arthur. He was angry. He was furious at this meaningless end but no words came out of his mouth. It was as if someone stole his voice. He couldn't scream. He couldn't speak. He couldn't see. He couldn't breathe.
Arthur was suffocating very slowly and helplessly.
It was like a very thin layer of smoke covered his face not allowing him to see or breathe. No matter how much he try to pull or dissipate the smoke it never budges because his hands just pass through it and so he helplessly scratches his face out of suffocation but to no avail. A helpless restlessness.
He was slowly falling into a dark bottomless pit. When with his last strength he reached out for the pendant on his neck and held it tightly.
Old memories (10 years ago)
"Mother, what is this?" Little Arthur asks innocently looking at an old muddy pendant in his mother's hand.
"Hehe, this is a magic charm. One day it will protect you when you will need it the most" Cecile replied while tying the pendant comfortably around Arthur's neck.
"But when I grow up I will become big and strong. Do I really need it?" Arthur asks cutely, flexing the muscles in his arms.
"I have a hunch that you will need it." Arthur's mother chuckled softly as she heard her son and continued
"you know that mother's hunch is never wrong. Right?"
"Yes!!" Seeing his mother happy Arthur too laughed with her.
Present
"huh, what's that" as both soldiers were nearing Arthur. One of them saw something like a shadow moving
"What…wait" ack..
Thump… Thump
Arthur heard two screams immediately followed by sound of something falling.
"Wh… what's tha…" before arthur could think any further He was completely over taken by darkness and fell unconscious.
Rustle Rustle..
Bush separated and a dark figure emerged from the dark. His clothes all dark and face covered with a loose cloth. Only his green emerald eyes shone in the dark. He slowly moved up to Arthur with light steps like he was barely touching the ground. The man gently knelt down and checked up on Arthur.
Sigh.. "only minor injuries" the man heaved a sigh of relief on seeing only minor injuries on Arthur's shoulder.
He gently lifted Arthur in his arms and turned around to face the cliff.
"I wonder… I wonder" heavy words echoed through the empty forest. With these words The man takes a step forward down the cliff and disappears in quite of night. Leaving behind echo of words