The ages of the shadows

Chapter one: Aboragine Town

NOTE: The pictures used in this book are not mine so credits to those that own these amazing pictures.

 "Hey Vane, what's your guess on the weather? Bet it gonna be rainy today don't you think?" Asked Royce, Vane's only brother.

 Since the day of their mother's accident that causes her death, Vane had been mostly depressed and not talking to anyone. Royce has always tried his best to cheer his little brother up, it wasn't because Royce has no emotions about the accident, it was because to him, he cannot bear the feeling of losing anyone dear to him. Because of that, Royce wants to see his brother's smile and move on to his future.

 "Maybe." He paused for a moment, "Rainy or not, I will be going to mother's grave today, you coming with me?" 

 "Sure," Royce replied, then they both look out the window, waiting for the sunrise to come.

 It was early in the morning, 5:00 A.M to be exact. Their father, Jerry was already out to work. He was never able to join his sons to the graveyard, it was mainly because he worked from the crack of dawn till the moon had risen high. Even when Jerry works hard every day, his earning wasn't even enough to feed the family properly. Since his wife died, he was kicked out of the blacksmith shop and had to work in the market selling fruits to the nobles in the city.

 The nobles in this era would be described as dreadful. Taxes were so high that only a few of the farmers in the Aboragine town could afford to pay it in time. Even worse, their work was not rewarded as it should be, the fruits they sell are worth 30 Zura but the nobles take it for only 12 Zura. 

 Sure, the farmers' life is hard, but not even destitution can turn the smiles on their faces upside down. Helping others when in need is always their priority.

 Soon, the dawn came, Royce and Vane walked side by side to the grave. The kids always come to their mother every once in a while to replace the flowers on her grave and talk to her as if she would still be there, standing in front of them. They walked slowly through the busy street of Aboragine, passing by many familiar faces on the way.

 "Morning, Vane, Royce, wanna join us for a walk around town?" Yelled Carter, one of Vane's dear friend.

 Along with Carter, there was also a tall boy around Royce's age name Ares. They smiled and waved towards the brothers.

 "Yeah, maybe later, we are going to the graveyard," Royce replied and waved back.

 "We coming with ya then," Ares said, joining them, he looked down for a bit, then it fell silent.

 "Miss Rosa was a very kind person, I miss her. She would always stop by and give us some flowers on her way to the city market." Carter said, he smiled, but he wasn't happy, it was a sad smile he always put on whenever he thought about something that would never happen again.

 "She is dead, but the best we can do is remember about her," Vane replied, holding back his tears.

 It had been 3 months since his mother's death, but Vane did not forget a bit of detail about her. The death of their mother is unknown even to them, all the nobles said was that she died in a workplace accident and her body was kept in the city, not allowing to bring back to Vane's town. This is why Vane hates the nobles more than anyone else, he always feels guilty not being able to build his mother a grave inside the town. 

 "But it doesn't make any sense!" Vane screamed out, "Why isn't mother's body allowed to be brought back home?"

"The nobles had said that her death was caused due to a type of poison that was sold by the Fasilia kingdom to increase the growth rate of trees and flowers. Our mother accidentally took a sip of it thinking it was water." Royce replied quietly.

"I don't understand, what does that have to do with not being able to take her back?" Carter asked, confusing, "Every death one deserved a proper funeral."

"The relationship between Aboraga and Fasilia kingdom wasn't good lately, causing them to put doubts on each other. Some even said that she was assassinated by the Fasilia in other to cause a pandemic. After all, the poison was actually a potion created by wizards." Royce replied, breathing in deeply the air of Fall.

"I still don't understand," Vane said.

"Well, something similar happened in the past. The Fasilia sold out a potion that increases your appetite and was used on sick people in other for them to eat well again. And upon contact with the human body, these portions regenerate a virus that spread at a rapid rate. The economy suffered greatly at that time. After that trade and sell were minimized between the two." Royce explained.

"So, you mean that the potion Ms.Rosa use was mix with poison that will cause a pandemic? Then how come nothing happened yet? I mean, Miss Rosa had been selling fruits and flowers her whole life." Ares asked.

"Yes, that is the point. But, at first, the potion that she used wasn't meant to harm humans. But the poison she drinks killed her. The goods that Fasilia sold were transferred here by wagons every 1 month or 2. The day she died was exactly the day that the wagon arrived. Usually, goods are brought to farmers through the market. Which then, she received the potion, and drank it on the same day it arrives. If not, she would had used it on the farm and spread the decease." Royce replied.

"Then why don't they just go ahead go poison the city themselves, why did they need to use Ms.Rosa to do it," Carter asked.

"Yeah, why? It would be so much easier to just poison the nobles and spread the pandemic themselves." Vane asked, agreeing with Carter.

"Is it because the Fasilia doesn't want to take the responsibility for poisoning the Aboraga kingdom?" Ares asked.

Royce replied with a silent nod, then, the four continued toward the graveyard. They approached Rosa's cenotaph and say their prayers. The morning passed by peacefully as the kids clean the clouds of dust and out-growth grasses on the grave.

"I got to go back home, my mom gonna get so mad if I don't get going now," Carter said, smiling for a moment and start taking a different path to his house.

"Me too, see you later," Ares said, leaving Vane and Royce.

"So lucky and wasn't raining this morning, or else we are going home wet now." Royce chuckled.

"Brother, are you gonna join the army next month?" Vane asked, looking at his brother.

Royce would be turning 16 next month, which then he would have to choose between educations or helping the nation against wars. But it was different this time, when the relationships between the two kingdoms get intense, war is most likely going to happen. Therefore, Royce's only choice would be serving Aboraga's army.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, I am going to be a great soldier, Vane," Royce replied gently to his brother.

"Wars are too brutal, brother. Most soldiers end up on the graveyard, I don't want to lose you." Vane said, tears flow out from his eyes.

"I won't die, Vane, and I will bring victory for us, I will avenge our mother and kill the one who is responsible for our mother's death," Royce said, he was serious.

"A war like this isn't worth fighting for. After all, the ones who died are innocent civilians, not the stupid kings who sit on their thrones, enjoying life and spilling the blood of people below them. Even if we win and we take over the other kingdom, wouldn't it just mean taking away the normal peaceful life of the citizens?" Vane said angrily.

Royce looked surprised for a moment as he scanned around, making sure nobody heard them. Then, he turned to Vane, "You had grown a lot Vane. I'm proud of you. Even so, I can't do anything to stop wars from happening, I don't have any powers or status, which is why, for us, it is better to hurt others rather than letting them hurt us. We got to fight for our survival, Vane."

"When I get older, I will train myself to be a powerful wizard, then I will exterminate and replace the entire anarchy bloodlines!" Vane shouted, he looks angry, but Royce could easily tell that Vane was serious about what he just said.

Royce looked up at the beautiful sky and smiled, "I will live to see that day coming."