Chapter 8 – Changing Seasons
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Two months passed since Atlas had gotten lost.

As time passed, so did the pleasant weather of summer. The sun set sooner and the winds grew colder. The leaves began changing to the colorful reds and yellow, and the animals were growing anxious for cold weather. It was now the middle of September, and the world was preparing for the coming winter.

The markets were always in a scramble at this time of the year. Farmers would hurry to sell their harvests. In order to combat the coming cold, everyone would be in search for new coats and quilts. People would stuff their larders full of food. Most importantly, those with money were in a rush to prepare for the coming festivals.

In the middle of this hectic time, a young boy was still lax in his room.

The sun was beginning its ascent and so was the boy. He wiped the sleep from his eyes before performing his routine look out the window.

The moment he opened the wooden covers, a chilly wind blew into his face, sweeping his already messy bed-head into an even messier scramble. The cold air sent a shiver down the boy's spine and the little remnants of sleep were washed from his body.

Outside, the boy could see the golden rays of the rising sun caress the land.  Since it was still early, the sky was still mostly gray. The golden streaks from the sun, however, provided a beautiful contrast which fascinated the boy.

After taking in the scenery and a breath of fresh air, the boy covered the window with thick curtains. He then opened the grand closet across from his bed.

He took a sweeping look with his eyes before calling out.

"Stephen, I'm up!"

"We'll be entering, young master."

Soon after the declaration, a gaunt, aged man entered the room. He was followed by a short, pretty maid with a bob cut.

The two servants helped the young boy get dressed before sending him out. Once the boy was gone, the two began tidying the room.


The boy hurried down a spiraling staircase. Once he descended three floors, he began his shuffle through a hall.

It didn't take long for the child to reach a dining room where his parents awaited.

A woman in a frilly pink dress and a man in a suit were seated at the table enjoying their breakfast.

"Atlas, you seem to be getting better at waking early. On any other day, I'd say that..... but it's probably because you were excited for today, right?"

The clear voice of the mother resounded in the halls. Her joking smile was directed at the boy Atlas as he took a seat at the table.

A sheepish smile covered Atlas's face as he nodded toward his mother.

"I'm just as excited as he is, dear. The fall festival is coming up! Oh, I remember the festivals when I was a child! Those are some of my best memories!"

The boy's father reminisced in his past as the little Atlas scarfed down his food.

Seeing his son's liveliness, Atlas's father made a suggestion.

"Why don't you go out with some of the servants to do the shopping. Today's weather looks pretty good."

Ever since the eye opening day that Atlas got lost, he wanted to learn more and more about the lives of the commoners. He wanted to know more about the life he was "fortunate" to avoid.

Lord Everwish thought it was a good idea for his son to get familiar with the town's people and their lives, so he would occasionally let Atlas head into town. Of course, in order to avoid repeating the last dilemma, Atlas would be accompanied by multiple servants. These servants would always follow near the young master. They would act as guardians to make sure the young noble did not get lost or get into any trouble. They would also act as teachers should the little Atlas want to learn more about what he saw.

At first, Atlas's mother was opposed to the idea. She had nearly passed out when Atlas got lost. She didn't want her son getting in any more danger. Atlas's father was able to convince her, however, saying it would be better to learn now when he was in the safety of the servants rather than learning the hard way when an emergency should arrive.

Atlas's eyes beamed at his father's suggestion. It had been a week since his last trip to town, and he was eager to see more of the life of the commoners.

He didn't want to be the ignorant child that he was before. He wanted to be able to help people like Jimmy. He even wanted to help those thugs avoid their "bad" lives.

Atlas's father smiled at his son's enthusiasm.

Once they were finished with their breakfast, Atlas and his father made their way toward the castle's front gate.

By the time they arrived, Stephen had already gathered a group of three servants.

The servants all bowed as their masters approached. They stood side by side to greet Atlas and his father.

Little Atlas's gaze wandered around the three servants. He was already somewhat familiar with them.

The first from the left was his coachman. His name was Harrison. He looked older than Stephen and had a completely bald head. It seemed he made up for his lack of hair by growing out a long white beard that reached the middle of his chest. The man had white skin and had a slightly plump body. Atlas spent the least amount of time with Harrison, as the coachman would only pick up and drop off Atlas. Nonetheless, Atlas had a good view impression on this coachman.

The middle servant was a short middle-aged woman. Her name was Helen. She had long brown hair and a body that let everyone know she had a hearty breakfast every morning. Although she wasn't pleasing to look at, she wasn't displeasing either. She always had a cheerful smile which made her comfortable to talk to.

The last servant was tall and muscular. His muscles, however, were well hidden under his suit. This man was Atlas's personal guard whenever he went around the town. The man's name was Gregor. He had short black hair and he stood a whole head taller than the average man. Although Gregor was still only in his twenties,  he was one of the most capable guards in the estate. The young man was handsome, but his fierce stare and silent nature would drive people away. Gregor would always have Atlas nearby and in sight, but as he was the one to speak the least, Atlas had yet to get a solid impression from the man.

After greeting Atlas and his father, the servants waited for Atlas to board the buggy.

The group of four were soon ready to depart, and Atlas was already waving excitedly to his father.

The buggy was about to exit when a orange haired youth ran out from the castle. The youth had a sloppily put on suit and a messy bed head. As he ran, the youth was let out a shout.

"Wait! You forgot me! You can't leave me behind here!"

The youth was Jimmy.

Ever since Jimmy was taken back to the estate, he had been living and working there as a new servant. Although he didn't have as much freedom as he did on the streets, there was no way he would swap back to his old life. As a servant of the Everwishs, Jimmy would be fed three great meals everyday, receive fancy clothing, and above all get paid a large sum!

The only problems Jimmy had were the movement restricting clothes and the dullness of the everyday tasks. These problems were bearable for the youth, but when an opportunity to go around the town came up, he would beg his superiors to let him go.

The days Atlas went out were days he would go nearly crazy. No matter what, he would try to go out too.

Jimmy wasn't always able to join Atlas, but the days he did were like rains in the desert to his strict life as a servant.

Stephen sighed as he saw Jimmy rush out of the castle while Atlas's father let out an amused chuckle.

"Greetings Master Everwish! Greetings Mr. Stephen!"

When he reached the group, he immediately bowed to both Stephen and Atlas's father.

"Mr. Stephen, please allow me to head out with the young master! It's so boring dusting the library and the horses stink! Please let me go!"

Stephen self mockingly shook his head. Why did the Everwishs employ this child? There was nothing wrong with wanting to save this boy from the streets, but why employ such a troublesome character? In the end, Stephen too had a good view of Jimmy, and he wanted to see the boy grow into someone respectable.

"Alright, fine. I'm in a good mood, and making a scene in front of Master Everwish is unbecoming of me... Go ahead."

Jimmy grinned and thanked Stephen before climbing into the buggy.

"Come on little master! Let's go see how the town's doing!"

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