Arc 1 (Conception): (1) Just another day

(Edited by @Cheetachaser, @DocB, and @Kola)

 

I was standing in the throne room,

My armor was broken, with blood all over. At my feet was a body without its head, which was still leaking blood, painting the ground crimson. But I was not alone looking at the man sitting on the throne. There were many other people with me, with more bodies piling at their feet and in a similar state. 

The man in focus said, 'Kola! I know things have gone beyond simple forgiveness. But still, give me a chance. A chance to redeem me!' 

But I still moved slowly step by step towards him. Things have really gone beyond redemption, and the things to follow could not be stopped, not at the cost of leaving this man unpunished. Not from a few words of a wish of one man, not this man, neither mine nor anyone else. I know that each man present here wanted to kill this man on the throne. So, as their leader, the best ending to this event will be if I do it, as all the people who believed in me and still did while facing deaths due to this mad man.

With each step, tears will finally start to fall down from my eyes, not for this man but for people I loved and cared for. When they lived, I failed all. So, I will not fail again, when they wait for justice in their graves, in the air I breathe, in ashes which I step on, in the water I drink as tears they cried for my help in front of their death. They never let go of their belief in me, not for a single second. 

Today, the Only one getting redemption will be me, who failed everyone in life until now. 

---- 

 

Day-0,

All the time I could remember, my whole world was dark, and all I could see, feel, hear, touch, taste, and smell was darkness. All I could feel was that there was time passing, slowly, slowly, seeping, and taking away something precious from me. I wanted to stop, I wanted to shout, I wanted to cry, I wanted to be angry... it was as if all my emotions I ever see and know were attacking me.

Suddenly, I could hear some voices around me, and for some reason, I could understand what these voices were saying. I tried to reply back, but after failing in that, I even shouted at 'voices.' But I could not get any reply. It was as if I was not there for them. So, I concentrated on the 'voices' to understand what was happening,

"How is my son?" (1st man)

"He will wake up soon, for now, he just needs rest." (2nd man)

"Thank you for healing my son." (1st woman and 1st man)

"Now, give us the fee. So, that we can leave." (2nd woman)

"Here." (1st man)

"Very well, if something happens, let me know." (2nd man)

The two leave the room, closing the door behind them.

-----

While listening to these voices, I did not realize that I now had the power to open my eye for some unknown reason. And all of a sudden, I could feel a body and a very aching head. So, I did what naturally came to me; that is, I slowly opened my eyes and what I see is a woman and man with unkempt grey hair sitting beside my bed. Why was I on the ground? I do not know, and this man and woman wearing simple clothes and looked haggard as if they have not taken a nap or moved from this place for a few days. 

Upon seeing that, I had opened my eyes, the woman did not say anything. Instead, she immediately hugged me and started to cry. Her emotions were so much flared up that she did not realize I felt uncomfortable and was not aware of what was happening. Meanwhile, the man also did not say anything and was only looking at me with his eyes full of hope. 

First, I wanted to stop her and ask what was happening and why was I here? But could not muster the power to prevent her, seeing how much this might mean to her. I waited for her to calm herself, and then she said while still crying, "You finally opened your eyes my dear child. How are you feeling? See Pata he is awake. I told you that my child will never leave me alone." (1st woman)

But when I tried to say something, let alone the reply, barely any sound came out of my mouth. Even that small sound needed all of my energy in this body. Which enhanced all pain and hunger in this body. While the women looked sad after this reaction of some noise without any meaning, the man expected something similar and asks the woman to leave me for rest, as suggested by a previous 'voices.' "Rena, let Kola rest. He does not have any energy to speak or move. After all, he has not eaten anything past three days. Let's go and prepare something to eat for him." (1st man)

The woman left the room, after realizing my hunger and weakness from Pata?'s. "ahh! How can I forget? Rest my child. I will bring your favorite rice curry soup for you." (1st woman or Rena or mother? or aunt?) and soon man also followed her.

They might have left me for rest, but my mind was now churning with all the new information I have from their simple conversations. What was the man calling the woman? Rena. What was my name? Kola? What was the man called? Pata. What was my relation to them? Their child? Are they my parents or relatives or someone who knows me? Why was I in bed for three days? Am I sick or had some accident? 

I was now in a new world of suspense woven by my mind, where each word uttered by these two created everything, but I have no idea whether it was true or false. So, to relax from all the headaches resulting from all this mind game, I tried to see what was in this room? I moved my head with some effort to see this room in detail. This room was made of yellow clay walls and other things like woods. I was lying on a bed. One side wall has few simple clothes hanging from a hinge, similar to what that man was wearing and I was also wearing a similar cloth.

Soon, I focused on my body to see how was I doing that apart from my body's pain, everything looked fine, with no visible wound on my body. But most painful was my head, and this heaviness was increasing with all the activity I was doing.

----

After some time, the door was opened again by Rena, who came in with a bowl filled with freshly cooked rice-curry soup, she promised. She first helps me in a comfortable position. Then she feeds me with spoon-by-spoon like a baby, after cooling the rice-curry soup with her blow. From all the care with emotion from her, I was sure that this woman can never harm me. To her, my relation was if not mother-son, then was very close. This also increases this uneasiness in me from the fact why I could not remember such an important person in life.

Then after I completed my food, she helps me to a sleeping position and tucks me with a sheet in bed. She left the room with a light kiss on my forehead and a good night wish. 

----

That night, I dreamed of a boy who lives in a village, and his father was a farmer, while his mother was a housewife. His parents looked a lot like Rena and Pata, but much younger. In this dream, I saw how the Boy, growing up and one day while going to a city with his father, was attacked by some bandits. When the boy tried to protect his father from the bandits. He was hit on the back of his head by one of the bandits, and the dream went dark. How did they survive? I do not know. Even the details of the dream were not clear.

I wake up soon sweating and unsure whether those were memories or a reality my mind was created to make me feel comfortable in this new place. I kept thinking for long about this new problem. Was my dream artificial creation of my mind or were my memories? My fear was also extenuated as I realized I have no way to check it. I could not reach any conclusion for long, so decided to sleep again and was soon embraced by the Queen of the dreamy night, in my sleep.

----

Day-1

In the morning, I woke up with the noise of the door opening, when Rena comes in with a towel and a bucket of water to clean me. She washed me with a wet towel even when I resisted her, but her reply made me speechless. She said, "Why are you becoming shy from your mother? I have been taking care of you since the day you were born. Only when you become strong and can take care of both of us and are married to a beautiful wife, then only be you a big man." and laughed after looking at my tomato-red face. 

To tell the truth, after this cleaning, I was feeling much better. By now, I could sit and walk in a small length of my room without help. Fearing I might fall down, Rena prohibited me from moving without help, when she came with breakfast. To not let me feel left out, she also joined me for breakfast. When I asked about Pata, like a stranger, she first scolded me for talking about my father like a stranger and told Pata has already left for the fields and bring some meat to celebrate my recovery at dinner.

Rena would come to my room from time to time and tell me stories about the village. So, I know many new things about here. like we live in a small village named Merata. We are a simple common farmer family, and I am their only child. My parents were are hard-working and loving parents. 

Also, it was not like I was a prisoner in my room. Rena allowed me to move out of my room and I show how this whole house was made of clay. There were many rooms. When I started to ask about all things like it was my first, Rena realized that her child was not the same as before and she first cried. Then collected herself and told me all things I asked slowly. 

----

Rena POV

Since then Rena was observing Kola all the time and started to recall how she was initially so happy after seeing her child out of danger and looking at her again. She cried in happiness. This child was her everything. What could she do? She was not gifted by Gods with any other child to show her love. Therefore, since the day Kola was born, all world for her was around her child. Her happiness, sorrow all started and ended with her child. So, she showered all of her love on him unconditionally and would do everything for her child.  

But when the news of him being in an accident, she was totally devastated. Her World crumbled that day like a sandcastle under the sea waves. When she showed his condition, she ran to Haku while Pata followed her holding Kola in his arms for help. She was so lost that she could not even utter a single coherent word to let others know what has happened exactly. She could only cry, remembering her unconscious child covered in blood. 

Soon all important people in the village were at Haku's place as they were living very close. They also asked what all this was about and could only understand when Pata reached there with bloodied and unconscious Kola. Since then she would not even eat or drink water properly and would ask others for help to cure her child.

Maybe even Gods were also saddened to see her so destroyed from her motherly love for her child that the Boy who was so close to death that even Haku, Healer, and others knowledgable people were sure that Kola will die sooner or later and even ask Pata-Rena to be mentally prepared for the worst to come.

So, when the miracle happened only Rena and Pata were there to witness to it. Due to her persistent urges for applying healing on daily basis on her child for the third day, Haku came, even when he knew that healing will not bring this boy back. He was doing this just because he was paid the money for service of using the 'heal' spell on Kola and like a routine, he said in a well-practiced way that, 'He will wake up soon, for now, he just needs rest' and left with the money. Who could have known that today Kola will actually open his eyes? Maybe Rena.

----

But in the afternoon, she was full of happiness and prayed in the church to Gods for returning her son. By the next day, she could see clues and was sure by evening that her child, Kola was no longer the same as what he was before. She did not know what to do and told Pata what was thinking. He also could help but come to the same conclusion, so they asked their friends in a round way what to do in such situations as they fear telling everyone might do them harm rather than help. By late night they have two ways to handle these situations, one was to tell Kola basic things and ways of life again and another was to have him talk to Tuner, a retired adventurer with lots of experience.

End Rena POV
----

In the evening, Pata came home after a daylong work looking tired. He brought rabbits for dinner, as Rena told earlier. But soon left with a bucket and a change of cloth, and Rena took the rabbits to the kitchen. Then only it came to me that there was no water source at home. When I followed Rena to the Kitchen, she told him many things but was soon busy with cooking. So, I was left alone and moved outside. It was night, and I was gifted with a breathtaking spectacle of the clear night sky filled with stars and two moons. It was marvelous and scare to look again into the dark but bright stars and moons were telling me that I am not going in that hell again. But for some reason, I had this feeling that two moons were wrong, and only one should be right. If you ask why? I do not know?

----

By the time Pata returned, Rena called us for dinner. As expected dinner was a rabbit-meat curry with rice. After eating so many times the food cooked by Rena, I was sure that she was a master cook. During dinner, no one talked, and after dinner, Pata said that if I am feeling good then I can join him for work, tomorrow morning.

"This is not fair, Pata. I did not even spend more than one day with my child and you are now planning to take him to work."(Rena)

"It is okay, mother. I will come home early." (me)

"See, even your child does not want to leave you for long and does not want to spend some time with me. Tell me who is heartless." (Pata)

He then laughed to lighten the mood, and We all laughed together.

----

Soon, I was in my bed and could not help but think maybe this is how life should be a simple and happy family. With this happy thought, I had a very satisfying sleep.

----

Day-2

Today, I was excited about going out of the home and woke up very early in the morning. I saw that Rena was bringing home two water buckets and I joined Pata for a bath as well in the village. Outside, I saw our cows and bulls in our cowshed. I saw how the drainage system of the village work. It was basically an open canal system moving wastewater outside the village. I soon show that all bathhouses and well were in the center of the village where all the important people have their homes like the village chief, church, adventure office, and so on.  This is the first time I saw builds made from bricks and stones, in this village. 

At the well-bathhouse, I meet many villagers who asked about my health. Soon even the village chief, Manoj, and Adventure guild staff, Tuner, and Healer, Haku came to ask about my health. After that small talk, we cleaned ourselves and left for home.