Simple Living and Opinions

There were four countries, Cru, Jup, Bil and Gol and with all these countries it was normal for each person to dedicate their lives upon one craft.

Because of the way crafts were obtained, the intelligence of the world slowed down before they realized how to continue that specific craft and so…The people upon the planet of Kerrid did not scientifically grow fast at all.

For many decades now, the people’s knowledge has not advanced from horses, in the way of travel, nor that of using a quill to write. The time had slowed down like people did not think of coming up with new ideas, since that craft also seemed very rare.

All four countries did not get along, they all had their own ways to live, some rich, some secretive and some popular.

Nonetheless, Kerrid and its four countries, on this small planet, seemed to have fallen into a way of life that looked comfortable on the outside but on the inside, it was a different matter…

It was a time that four countries were enjoying their days to what seemed to be leisure free. People did what they have done for generations and didn’t question life as they didn’t seem to have the capacity to think to begin with. A simple life is indeed something that shouldn’t need to be questioned but...

Altan found out that there were two types of simple. One type was that of a King stating something as ‘simple living’ and just doing what he states, like it is final, just and right. Falling into a routine, like that of your mother and father, like that of your grandparents, seemed to be safe…It was known of, it was…The way of life…It really was as ‘simple’ as that!

The other type of ‘simple’, in Altan’s opinion, is enjoying something easily obtained.

You grow to like something that could be inside your house or yard, something that you don’t have to travel for or even something within the person beside you. Being grateful for even being alive was as simple as Altan had gotten, which had helped him through the hard times in his life…

One simple living is being told that everything is fine and not thinking about much, while the other simple living is more desirable in Altan’s opinion, simply because it can make you happy.

…And this seemed to be what sparked Altan’s questions in the first place…

Of course, Altan thought, just like him, people should have their own opinions but even opinions didn’t seem to be something people had here either. They were all…Being knocked about and accepting the bump on the head afterwards, like it was normal…

In this world, it seemed that people were willing to give up on choices like they never knew that they had them to begin with...

Well that was the first thought that Altan had but when he grew up to be a man, he found that it wasn’t the case. It was that the people really didn’t think, it was something that had to be learnt, not like him…Who seemed to have been born with it…

It was like the people didn’t know how to be happy, they just lived. They were like puppets!

After Altan saw that people didn’t think, Altan began to even wonder if that too was a craft…And then if it was a craft, to think, then…Why was he thinking? Why did he have an opinion?

Why wasn’t he a so-called puppet like the rest?

It didn’t make sense upon why he felt like he was awake, when everyone else wasn’t!

More questions arose when he learnt about what crafts were and how they were used…And a big question was…What did ‘thinking’ had to do with hands!?

A craft is something that is done by hands, and it took a while for Altan to realize a habit that he does, and that was putting a hand to his head whenever he was bored, fidgeting or exasperated. It was at these times that Altan would lose himself to thoughts and opinions running through him.

Seeing others use their hands with objects instead, Altan truly was a bit envious. He can’t just hold his hand to his head all the time…How lame…

Why couldn’t he be like everyone else? Is there another way he could connect himself to his head then?

But as time went on, from when he was a boy, he only grew to see how different he was to everyone else…

Upon gaining more and more information, he found that there was a couple that were indeed like him, awake…And they called themselves the Kings of the countries…

It so happened that the people that thought and had opinions had grown into power. Well, to the others that hear the stories or get told what is happening in the capitals, they don’t seem to do anything but nod but, to Altan, who thought into the actions of these ‘Kings’, he was certain that they were different…That they had to be like him!

Since he didn’t have another craft at this age, when he was twelve, Altan decided that he didn’t like the Kings of the countries and wanted to learn another craft instead…

Even at the age of twelve, Altan could see what the Kings were doing and since he himself was just a normal commoner, he could understand how the Kings were treating their subjects.

This was the point of no return, as it would seem. Altan seemed to have chosen the path that led him to the present day from when he was twelve…To waking up out of seclusion.

Was it the childish innocence that sent him down this different path, or perhaps it was something else? Could it all have been just because Altan could feel for all other commoners? Was it a selfish want to upgrade himself in another way and be different? Destiny?

The Kings of the countries saw the potential in what craft they had and seized it to their advantage but…Didn’t Altan see what he could possess? He was different yet, that was all he saw and so…His childish mind thought he was sick, and that strange way of thinking sent him into wanting to learn something else…But everyone knows, you can’t just ‘learn’ another craft.

Of course, later on, the reasons for taking this path does change, or, I suppose you could say, other reasons get added on to it…But it was by no means easy…A good word that Altan describes learning another craft is, ‘unnatural’. It goes against what you feel, what you think and even react…

His father had been a Wood Crafter, so that was the first thing that Altan had tried to learn, but for a whole year no kind of woodwork he did could be used for anything. It was obvious that he seemed to have absolutely no talent in the Wood Craft whatsoever!

His father was a bit livid, seeing his son like this, especially when thinking if his son didn’t have the Wood Craft, then that might mean he had a woman’s craft, which was his mother’s Art Craft.

Altan’s father could only believe what he saw, not thinking much more into it and so…Altan was cast out…

It wasn’t hard to see for the old man that they could save money if they just got rid of the boy that didn’t give them anything in return. It was hardly a choice, it was just an emotional display of nonacceptance.

Altan knew, at this time, that emotions still played a part…He just hadn’t known until then that even though people may not think, they still acted through their emotions. Especially when his mother, who didn’t chase after him, shed a tear and had looked at him in sadness.

His mother hadn’t even known why she had shed a tear or why she was sad…She didn’t think to say a word against her husband, who wasn’t only the boss in the family but also a man.

No, seeing this really did bring ideas to light in Altan’s mind and he remembers this moment for years to come.

He, of course, never saw his father again after this day, hearing that he indeed found another woman and even had another family but his mother…She had disappeared.

…At this time, Altan was only thirteen years old…

All alone, without a craft, Altan could only depend on himself. Searching for scraps and going as far as learning to fight for these scraps, Altan grew to know the bottom of life…Where he had nothing…This was how he learnt his second craft though, through blood and pain…It was the ‘Craft of Fighting’.

(What is your opinion on simple living?)