Burning Embers Part I: Origins [Arc 1-5]

Arc 1: Beginnings (Prologue)

This is bad, he thought, looking at the calendar. It was the 2nd of August, and it was already afternoon when he woke up. Was it even worth getting up now? At this point, Nat may well have just gone to the guild and registered to become an adventurer. Sean had made an elaborate plan to discourage him from that path, fearing Nat's naivety would be the death of him. His friend was already heading down that road. It's pointless. Thinking that, he got back into bed...

...when the door to his room was suddenly slammed open. "Sean! Wake up, now!"

It was his mother, screaming at the top of her lungs, seemingly mad that he had slept in again. Sighing, Sean put his pillow over his head, showing no intent at all of leaving the bed. After all, why would he want to leave his small, warm and cosy room?

He was slowly dozing off again, but not for long. A large splash of water on his face rudely banished him from his sleep. "Get dressed! You are expected at your friend Nat's house."

Nodding several times, Sean's shivering, drenched and huddled-up self was able to convince his mother to leave the room so he could get ready.

Blast, he thought, I forgot we were meeting up for his birthday. Do I really have to? He's probably gone already. What a hassle. 

He stepped out of bed groggily while his mother stomped out of the room, dried his face with some cloth and slipped into his favourite blue tunic, together with some brown pants. Maybe I should get a haircut. His dark brown hair was shoulder-length, and quite a mess right now. He shrugged the thought off. Wetting his hair, he combed it back before putting in a hair-comb to hold it in place.

Downstairs, his mother had already prepared a simple meal for him, consisting of plain bread, water and an apple. Their house was small, with only three bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. Sean grabbed the apple, took a bite and decided to skip the rest. 

"But what about the rest?"

He took a quick sip of the water. "Mm, not hungry", he said, toying with the bread, attempting to stall for time.

"Not hungry? Even after you woke up so late?" Even trash would get a better look from his mother than him.

Ah, she realised my intentions....

———

Running across the marketplace of Liburn, he wasn't paying enough attention, accidentally knocking a bucket filled with water out of a lady's hands. "Oh! I'm so sorry, miss!"

The lady stared at Sean with an angry glare, but then laughed. "If it isn't Sean, the shut-in NEET. It's a good day today, so I'll forgive you. Now quickly, continue running before I change my mind!"

"Hey, who're you calling a shut-in NEET?! I-I mean, very well miss!" 

He picked up the pace and, as luck would have it, managed to arrive at Nat's house without any further incident. Their houses were not that far apart; Liburn was a rather small city after all. Despite the size of it, the city was four-walled; a rare commodity. That in itself told one about the importance of the place, as this was what they called a 'frontier town', located in an area where it would serve as a front-line in case of war. 

Thank the Goddess we've already had eleven years of peacetime.

On the bench in front of the house, sat Nat, patiently waiting under the shade of the orchard tree. Upon seeing Sean, he jumped up with excitement. "There you are! I was afraid you forgot and weren't coming." In his hand, he held a letter.

"What is that in your hand, Nat?" Nat held up the letter so Sean could read it.

"Oh, this? It's my letter of entry to the Adventurer's Guild. I'm going to be an adventurer!" he said enthusiastically, a childlike charm over his face.