Scömìche One-Shots

Goldwood (Part 2)

[Sorry for the delay, here it is]

Scott

I walked along the road, listening to the crunch of gravel beneath my bare and calloused feet. I kicked a rock aside and sighed, sitting down on a big rock on the side of the road. I stared at my dirty legs as I walked. I was tall yet lanky & clumsy. I had blond hair and blue eyes. And I had an irregularity that made me an outcast. If I were normal, I could be in a shelter for young boys until I was able to work and marry a woman. 

My mother had died while giving birth to me, and I had been taken in by the midwife who had been there to oversee my birth. At the age of 7, it was discovered that I was not normal like the other boys of Goldwood. 

I had a tendency for blacking out at random moments, out of nowhere, and then upon awakening my breathing would become difficult. It took hours for me to be back in a normal state. 

Alas, I was seen as abnormal. People would give me strange looks, and the men of the village demanded that I immediately be burned at stake. There was talk of how I was possessed bi witches and demons. Others blamed the Men of Goldwood for 'contaminating the world with their black magic.' I had been a child then, so the women who were my caretakers looked over me and kept me safe. After a year, people began to become hopeless about my case. A woman who specialized in herbs and medicines had tried every possible method she knew of, and after months of frustration she'd given up and said that there was no possible way to cure me. I had then been thrown out on the streets and advised to get away from Goldwood. One of the boys in the village, Avriel, had ran up to me when the crowd of people who were degrading me had disbanded and handed me a pack of clothes and food. Before I could say anything, he had run away, leaving me sitting on the dirty ground. 

I'd gone and lived in the woods fro the next 7 years. During my time out in the wilderness, I had encountered wild animals and strange insects. I had taught myself to make fires and hunt for game. 

Along the way, at the age of 11, I had met a family who lived in the very depths of the forest. They took me in for about a year or so, until they decided that they didn't want my weird behavior affecting their children, who were only a year old. I left their home and went back to where I'd made a small home for myself. It was far enough from Goldwood that huntsmen wouldn't find me, but it was close enough that I could make it back to Goldwood within a fortnight if I needed to. 

Now, I was walking around with nothing to do. I was 14 and had absolutely no idea where my life would lead to. It was something that was constantly invading my thoughts and making me sit for hours on end. Just thinking about the future. Hoping that by some miracle, someone would come and save me. Just as I was about to kick another rock, I heard the trotting of a horse. I looked up and saw none other than Edward James, the leader of the Men of Goldwood. The Men of Goldwood were a secluded bunch who always kept to themselves and rarely came into the village. I had heard tales of them saving Goldwood on multiple occasions from other beings that had come to threaten our village. They hunted down beasts that threatened the lives of our village's inhabitants, yet no one had ever witnessed such events except elders. What made the Men of Goldwood so special was the fact that they had magic in their blood, magic that coursed through their veins and made them better than everyone in Goldwood. Strictly, men were born with these magical abilities, since they could only be passed from father to son, or so the tales said. My mother had been an exception. She had hidden her abilities, and from a young age I was repeatedly told that she got what she deserved for not giving herself up and then foolishly using magic when she was not supposed to. I would never know. 

Edward jumped off his horse and stood in front of me. He had clothes that made my reasonably nice clothes look like they belonged at the bottom of a river. He stood regally, and kept his head held high. He had a cloak on, and his blue eyes shone brightly in the glittering sun. I stared at him in awe, because few people could say that they had personally seen Edward James in person. 

"What is your name, boy?" He asked. I gulped heavily before answering. 

"Scott, sir. Scott Hoying, son of Lucille," I answered. He raised his eyebrows. 

"What of your father? Have you not got one?" He asked. I shook my head. 

"No, sir. I never knew of him, and no one ever told me about him," I said. He nodded. 

"What is your age?" He asked. 

"14 years old, sir," I replied. He nodded. 

"Very well. Do you know how to mount a horse?" He asked me. I shook my head. "I will show you. Once I mount, just do as I say and we will be on our way." I was wary, but I knew better than to disobey Edward. I did as he told me, and we were on our way moments later.

-

Mitch

I remembered being brought into Edward's home. Originally, there had been 17 of us, all 14 years of age and scared yet excited. After being cleaned up, we were brought to the largest room in the gigantic house and told to wait for Edward to arrive. 

He'd entered, and all of us had stood up, like we were instructed to. 

Our training was about to begin. 

[Comment if you want part 3, because it isn't over yet!]