“Mother! Father!” The little boy shouted, while a terrible fire devours the small wooden house on front of him. Men and women scream around him, all the while, others covered in soot were passing on buckets of water, tossing the water onto the crackling flames, and everything in the boy’s surroundings now began to become foggy and hazed. Looking down at his hands, they were dirty, but still used them to wipe the tears away from his eyes, but still, he couldn’t hold them back, staring toward the fire again.
Everything in a sudden flash, went black, and Argus, who couldn’t have been more over the age of twelve, awoke in a cold sweat on his soft mattress, and soaked bedsheets and pillow. Argus darted upward, breathing heavily after seeing the sights in his dreams. A rustle came from behind Argus’ bedroom wall, and with haste, Argus’ Uncle, Stefanos, had come into the room with a lit lantern in hand, and the other hand on the door knob.
“Argus, what’s wrong, I heard yelling?!” He asked the young lad in his bed, half hyperventilating and half crying. Argus’ Aunty, Melody quickly came over, behind Uncle Stefanos. “Oh, my poor child.” Aunt Melody said with a warm, calm voice, before almost shoving Stefanos out of the way, and coming to sit on the boy’s bed, now embracing him, while Argus cried many tears. “Everything is good my sweet, it was a mere nightmare.” Argus let go of his Aunty, wiping his tears away, and sniffling. “I’m sorry Aunty Melody.”
“Whatever for?” She asked, still carrying a voice of warmth.
“I’m sorry for waking you.” He said with a stuffy nose.
“Oh, my dear. Do not apologize for a nightmare,” Aunt Melody started, “These things happen, and there is nothing you can do about them. Although it does not mean that we can’t think of happy things, hm?” Argus looked up at his Aunty, while Uncle Stefanos was still standing in the door way. “I guess.” He told her, now sounding a little tired.
“There you go my darling. Just keep thinking of happy thoughts.” She told him before leaning over, giving Argus a kiss on the head, and standing up, walking out of the room, and back to her own. “Goodnight Argus.” Uncle Stefanos said softly, blowing out the flame of the lantern’s candle, and closing the door, following his wife to the room behind. Argus, feeling well again, drew his blanket upon him, and closed his baggy eyes, falling asleep almost immediately, returning to his dreams, only this time, good thoughts were on his side, and dreamt of happy things the rest of the night.
The next morning, Argus woke to the red sky shining from his window, and into his room, and on his blanket. Rubbing his eyes, Argus uncovered himself, and stood up to the open the window, inhaling the fresh, cold air from the field below and in front of him. He looked a head of him, not noticing all of the golden, ripe wheat glistening on his bright, ivory skin, to a grassy, green hill, and a birch tree hanging over most of the hill. Argus quickly walked away from the window, and put on his white shirt, and maroon overalls, and black chocolate-coloured boots. Once Argus was dressed, he hastily walked to his bedside table, only to find nothing atop it. Argus went looking around the room, looking for something he was sure he’d put on the table.
He walked towards his cabinet, rummaging through his things. “Where on earth could I have put it?” He asked himself, still looking through his cupboard, then his drawers. “Surely, it must be around here somewhere?” Asking himself again. Then, he got an idea. “I wonder if I’d placed it on the kitchen table?” Wondering, and thinking back to the night before. He opened his door quietly, as to not disturb his Aunt and Uncle, who were still fast asleep at that early hour. Closing the door, he quietly walked down the hallway to the stairs, and stomped down them, accidently making a large amount of noise.
He paused for a minute, looking back up the stairs. After a while, he continued down the stairs, still making small creeks, saying to himself, “Easy now, Argus. Best not wake Aunty and Uncle.” They certainly wouldn’t appreciate being woken up at this time. Finally, he’d made it to the ground floor, giving a sigh of relief. Immediately, he walked over to the kitchen, and instantly spotted it, a brown leather book, with the words, ‘Travels with the Nevolarks’ written on the cover, and on the bottom read, ‘Lillian Eliades’, otherwise known as Argus’ favourite author.
Lillian Eliades was from another neighbouring country, North of Rethomar, originally from the lands of Hurindir. “Ah, Lillian Eliades,” he started, “What would I ever do without your tales of afar?” Argus, now with his dear book, walked over to the side of the kitchen, where a side door to the farm house was. He went over to the door, and entered into the still frozen feelings of the outside, quickly shivering the cold from his shoulders away.
Once outside, he came to the barn where the donkeys Penelope, and Sweetie were still resting. He began to call their names gently, as to wake them up easily. “Penelope. Sweetie. Come on girls, it’s time to wake up.” Penelope quickly opened her eyes, and stood up on her four legs, but Sweetie wouldn’t budge. She must’ve been dreaming about a lovely apple orchard or something of that type, as she just did not want to move. “That’s okay Sweetie, I’ll take Penelope to the hill today, you sleep.” Argus opened up the wooden fence to let Penelope out, and she began to trot around, feeling the lovely morning breeze in here hair.
Argus grabbed a saddle from the cellar, of the barn, before returning to find that Penelope was nowhere to be found. “Penelope?” He cried out. “Penelope, where are you? Penelope!”
A sudden snorting sound came from behind him in the barn. He turned and looked behind him, to find Penelope by the water trough, where Penelope was slurping vigorously, obviously being very thirsty. Argus heart returned to its normal beating pattern. “Oh, thank the Gods.” He said smiling before slightly rolling his eyes, and putting on the saddle. “It’s a bit chilly this morning aye girl?”
Penelope gave no reply, to much of Argus’ disappointment, almost as if he expected a donkey to speak to him. He thought that perhaps he was reading one too many of his fantasy stories. He immediately shoved that thought to the side, climbed on Penelope, and whipped the reigns, making her trot along a long path in the field to get to the little hill. He couldn’t stop thinking about the next chapter. His Aunt Melody and Uncle Stefanos had gotten the book for his birthday, and it was a personal treasure of his. On the Nephus farm, they didn’t have a lot of money to spare, and usually, it would take a while to bring together enough money for Argus to get his present, even taking so long as five months.
That year on his birthday however was special, as Uncle Stefanos had come third in a vegetable contest, and had won some money, and on the 15th of March, 6,950, he’d gotten his book, the one thing that he had desperately yearned for since the beginning of February. Now, the date was the 28th of March, and harvest season was here. And he couldn’t wait until it was over. Of course, the harvest season was a season to make money from all of the hard work, but there was one little thing bothering him, the hard work part.
He’d sometimes fake sick to get out of gathering the wheat, because of how sore his back and feet would get, and it was just boring. Of course, his Aunty would always see right through his little act, and would be ushered to the fields, picking the wheat, hour after hour. The best parts about harvest were that at least the cool air made it better, and he wouldn’t get too hot and sweaty, and also, they would get the money they needed for purchasing tools and equipment.
Although, now that Argus was thinking about it, he wished that something fantastic would come to surprise him and his Uncle and Aunty. Something like a bunch of gold and silver, or a lovely big house, living the life of kings and queens. As Argus and Penelope kept down the path, he noticed the sunrise ahead of him. His eyes in that instant turned from his original button brown, to a bright hazel, almost as if the sun were in fact in his eyes. “At last!” Argus smiled with excitement, he and Penelope had finally come to the birch tree. Argus quickly took Penelope to the tree, tying her reigns around it, so she doesn’t go wondering off again. Now that she was bound to the tree, and he had his book in hand, he sat down on the soft grass, nearly avoiding a yellow flower he hadn’t noticed.
Now placed on the ground, he opened his book to page 263 at the beginning of Chapter 17, now halfway through the book, things were getting very interesting for the main character, Evangeline Hasapi. Evangeline Hasapi, great explorer of the wild lands of Alirad, and she has now discovered an ancient tribe of nevolark, long to be extinct and forgotten, Diserten Nevolarks, and Argus is hoping that she is about to uncover something great! “Okay, here we go, Chapter 17: the Diserten of Orin-Gul
Chapter 17: The Diserten of Orin-Gul
Evangeline, now in the midst of the Diserten peoples, was amazed by the architecture, it was like she had never seen before. There were domes for almost every ceiling in the magnificent sandstone hall, and in the middle, was the throne of the great chief, Zoridan, his ears bent, and his face wrinkled, almost as if he’d been expecting her, to which he indeed was. “What brings you here, to the great kingdom of Orin-Gul… trespasser?” The chief spoke with a grumbled, and croaking tone, his frown now showing, as Evangeline approached. To the chief’s surprise, she began speaking in their language.
“Or Binden, sor nir den, kun erinsen diran.” In the English language, this would translate to, “I am Evangeline Hasapi, explorer of the wilds of Alirad. I am humbled to be in your presence.” She said before bowing to the chief. “I am surprised you know of our language. How is it you came by it?” He asked. “Books, maps, ancient artifacts. Many resources assisted me in my learning of your ancient language, uncovering hidden text to help guide me into these lands to which settle.” She explained.
“Well, you should not have come here. Dark forces intend to break apart this kingdom, piece by piece! And you coming here could mean the exposure and downfall of what our ancestors built from the ground up!” He told Evangeline, in a more concerned, and bitter tone. “Guards! I want this foolish little girl taken from my sight immediately.” He ordered to his armed guards who were now practically dragging her away. “What if she was followed my chief?”
One of the soldiers asked, remaining behind for the answer of the question. “I want an around the clock watch for any intruders. No one is to enter, or exit the city. Is that understood?” The chief’s eyes staring at the soldier for a reply. “Understood sir.” He replied.
Argus kept reading, his thoughts of what would happen next, intensifying. He was now fully emersed into his own little world, and all the while, the sun became fully visible from the horizon. Almost two hours of reading went by, until Argus heard a faint, but familiar voice coming from the direction of the farm. “Argus!” The voice shouted. “Argus!” The voice cried out again. It was his Uncle. Argus stood up, to see Uncle Stefanos looking towards him and the hill. Argus raised his arm so Uncle Stefanos could see it. “Come on over and have breakfast!”
He called to him before walking back inside the house. Argus quickly closed his book and rode back on Penelope to the stables, where he left the donkey, and ran in the direction of the side door. Entering quite loudly into the house, he could smell the lovely scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast Aunt Melody was cooking up. “There you are Argus. I was beginning to worry dear.” His Aunt explained. “Sorry, I just thought I’d do a bit of reading before we got started on the harvest.”
He explained, craving the taste of the eggs the most. “I’m glad you’re enjoying your book Argus. I suppose it’s not every day that we can afford a lot now, is it?” Uncle Stefanos smirking, smoking a pipe. “You’d best stop smoking that thing in doors Stefanos, you might clog the poor boy’s airways!” Aunt Melody told Stefanos in a bit of an annoyed pitch, looking at him with raised eyebrows and a crooked mouth. “Oh, it’s just one.” He started, before Melody looked back at him, her eyes now appearing to give off an angry look. Uncle Stefanos got uncomfortable. “Maybe I’ll stop.” He suggested, almost as if he thought the idea had been made by himself.
“And you’d best do it, otherwise I’ll break it in half!” Aunt Melody came over to Argus, and put some eggs and bacon on his plate, before buttering up some toast as he began to stuff the eggs in his mouth. “Careful Argus, you might choke.” Uncle Stefanos said. “Sorry.” Argus replied, now going slower with his food. Aunt Melody quickly did the same with Uncle Stefanos’ plate, presenting him with the delicious breakfast. “Thank you, my love.”
“That’s alright.” Aunt Melody said before she and Uncle Stefanos shared a kiss.
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