Heavy is the Head that Wears the Solemn Crown

One - Take Careful Consideration In Deciding When Violence Is The Answer

Tommy

      

A blonde haired boy stood at the edge of the water. His bare feet were slowly sinking into the muddy sand in the shallows. The sun was beginning to rise behind him, peeking above the trees that created a natural barricade between the encampment and the rest of the lands. He had been standing there since he had woken up that morning, waiting for something to do since the people were still asleep. The blonde was dressed for the day, his boots laid where the beach's sands met the tall grass. He wore a black tunic with gray buttons over a white shirt with black pants rolled up to his knees. On his curls was a black hat with a cap that casted shadows over his stoic face. A white triangle was sown onto his sleeve with a red line running down from the base to the apex.

        Tommy Innit was his given name. It was unclear where he was originally from. He had wandered into the village when he was a toddler with an intense fear of explosions and no memories of his previous life. The village had taken pity on the mere infant. He was raised by the village chief as the man's second born child. Tommy remembered happier times in his youth when he would play with his older, adopted sister and his best friend. He often wished he could go back to that time. When he had turned nine, his adopted father had died in a raid by another village who had their resources taken by the Oceania Empire. His sister, who wasn't much older than him, had been forced to take responsibility for the village and him. In an attempt to help her, Tommy and his best friend joined the ranks of the town's militia. With their strength, his sister transformed what was once a ragtag group into a small force that was able to conquer the neighboring villages. The vanquished were indoctrinated into the victor to form the Business Bay, a string of villages under the leadership of Tommy's sister that blanketed the largest bay in all the lands. They were strong enough to hold their own against Oceania and other kingdoms that wanted to steal Business Bay's resources. As the village accumulated power, Tommy grew alongside it. Tommy and his best friend became generals. In each village that was conquered, a representative was placed in charge to make sure everything was held up to the standard that Tommy's sister wanted. They had the job of squashing any rebellion, administering resources, collecting taxes, and other similar duties. Tommy and his best friend each had their own village, along with two other boys, forming a council of advisors that was called when his sister didn't feel right about making a decision by herself. Now was currently one of those times when the council was called together.

        "Tommy?" A voice asked. The blonde turned around to see his adopted sister standing at the end of the path. She looked uncomfortable in her own military get-up, her long brown hair pulled into a ponytail and thick gloves covering her pale hands. She tugged off her boots to stand in the water by Tommy. She was shorter than him by a few inches, but she had a self assurance about her that made it clear which of them was older. Even the way they treated each other implied an age gap. Even though they were adopted siblings a few years apart, his sister had been the only mother he had ever known. In his youth, she had been a caring soul who held him during his nightmares and would play games with him. After their father's death, she had taken a more proactive role. She was his first tutor, had made his clothes, and administered the appropriate punishments for whenever he needed to be taught a lesson about how he should treat people. She never lost her kind soul, but she had been forced to double as the stern one that guided him down the path of goodness instead of letting him find the path of evil. "What are you doing out here? Do you not worry that you will fall ill?"

        "I fucking dare sickness to come after a big man like me," Tommy snorted. It was astounding that Tommy had never in his lifetime taken sickness. He had never sneezed from allergies, felt fatigue from a virus, or caught a contagious plague that the rest of the villages would fall victim to. It seemed like a miracle to most people, but his sister and best friend knew the truth. He had been blessed with the touch of life in the same way his sister had been cursed with the touch of death. Healing and empowerment came from his fingertips like freshwater from a well. Anything that fell into his sister's hands would become corrupted with disease or disintegrate into gray dust. Much like Tommy's origins, neither of the siblings nor their friend were aware where the power came from. All they could agree on was that the power was unlocked from Tommy coming into that village.