Saar

Chapter 1

The snow crystal collected on the corners of the window melted to my warm breath. The wagon made its way through the cold Saarland. "Winter drapes the lady Saar in its colours, monochromatic yet so vibrant" The driver mumbled whilst steering the car down the tree hugged the road. "Yes, haven't seen this winter for a long time now" I exclaimed as the deep white ice blinded me. "Don't adore the Saar this much oh, young Arzt! It's infamous to capture people's soul inside it" the driver's menacing tone was futile in my already captured senses. "How far is it?" I inquired. "Not much just a meile or two," the driver said. Saar's winter was not the only season, I remember, after all, I had spent many summers and winter in these lands. "So you are his son?" With a subdued voice, the driver asked. The question rattled me more than it should have. "Yes, I am" I declared the notion to a rather empty wagon. Yes, a notion, being his son now only remains an idea. After all, I have been a ghost for a prolonged five leap annus. "I read your fitful face, and I understand" the driver offered me his sympathy. The rest of the journey remained a deaf stroll through the woods. Yet again I succumbed to the hellish retrospect of my life. All these years in the Great Kingdom, I practised my supernatural art. A boon that I learned after suffering from immense mending and forging. I left Lady Saar, my homeland to be a doctor. My sole purpose being the saviour for my people, the wizard who defeats the death, no less than God himself. I sound rather Biblical to be a doctor. Yet, believe me, saving a life is an experience beyond the planes known to humans.

Leaving the asphalt path the driver pulled onto the unmetalled road in the grove. The drive on through that grove brought back all the memories. Cycling down to the grapevines I spent my summers in the Saar. Ticking through the afternoons the vines witnessed me grow. I have grown into the man I am today with the lady Saar. The mighty force of time has been all good and faithful to me. However, with Saar it has been pretty rough, it has left its marks. "Sire, we have arrived" the driver looked at me.

Under the marooned sky. Above the dandling poppies stood the house of my childhood. The start and endpoint of each childhood story of mine. The "Haus von Koch" or as they say it in England, "The House of Koch". My ancestors were cooks to the royal family. Hence, the family name Koch. My grandfather was the one who broke every family tradition and became a Merchant. Selling everything under the sun in the Saar markt. Since my grandfather and father have accumulated wealth that had been forever unknown to their predecessors. I was the next in line to this enormous fortune that the Koch boasts. However, I had different plans with life.

The chauffeur struggled with my baggage. "Quite some load you are carrying," he grinned. Unaware of the massive load that I carried inside me. I finally saw him walking towards me. My lips went dry and face pale. "So you have finally arrived, Sire" Exclaimed Heinrich. Heinrich is the estate keeper. The one who I had nightmares about till date. I had a tough time around him, we rarely got along because of being my careless self. On the other hand, my father adored his part of the reason being they were childhood friends. Grandfather brought Heinrich with him after he returned from a business trip. Heinrich was barely a teenager then. My father and Heinrich grew up together. It was hard to tell where Heinrich belonged to. However, this thick brown skin and abundance of hair said he was from the western part of the world, somewhere where the weather is sweltering. However, at heart, he was stone cold Deutsche gentlemen.

I couldn't think of anything better than "Nice to see you, Heinrich!" And before I would have even finished my greetings he hugged me. Something was very odd about this display of affection. Although it was just a second long It wrenched my soul. Moreover, it accused me of a million sins that I don't remember committing. "Master, I am sorry if I crossed any lines here" he looked towards me. I just nodded in disagreement. Facing Heinrich after the tragedy was labour for my heart and torture to my spirit. His lips were sealed but his gaze asked a million questions. All having the same answer "I am sorry". I tried hard holding on to my tears. "Take a shower, your room is ready" Heinrich insisted. Again I just nodded.