1
The fresh, earthy scent of petrichor invites itself into the room through the thin space between the pane of glass and the frame of the window. The scent brings a sense of nostalgia that one might not be able to place in their memory, no matter how much they scour through the shadows of their mind.
Wide eyes look out the dirty glass with a far away look. The light of the hidden sun manages to bring a sense of life into the maroony irises, twinkling away like stars in a sea of roses. The young man, barely able to call himself an adult, lets out a breath. The rain is such a beautiful thing, something that washes away all that is vile and scorns the earth. Swallow’s gaze is steady. His focus is so strong, in fact, he doesn’t realize what’s about to happen to him.
Swallow suddenly jolts forward, feeling the impact of a smaller body hitting his from behind. Thin arms wrap around his neck and body, tightly encasing him in a hug. The sound of youthful laughter directs him to the answer of who is embracing him.
“Magpie! What are you doing?” Swallow laughs, trying to pull the younger teen off of him.
“You were so zoned out, I had to do something to get your attention,” Magpie says with a wide grin, “If I didn’t you probably would be staring out that window for hours!”
“And what’s so wrong with that, huh?”
“Well,” Magpie says, dragging out his words in a sly tone, “You’d be missing out on a sale of fresh sweets from Miss Cherry!”
Despite his adulthood, Swallow was still young, not yet even to his twenties. The childlike excitement of cheap sugar buzzes through him - from the tip of his horns to the edges of his toes. A wide grin crosses his lip.
“Go grab my wallet, I’ll meet you outside!” Swallow says, trying his best to untangle himself from his comfortable position.
Magpie rushes out of his friend’s room, scurrying to find said friend’s money.
Finally finding a way to his feet, Swallow quickly makes his way out of his borrowed room, down the hall and out the door, the fresh rain dripping onto his skin. The feeling of the cool water is refreshing, however this reminds him to go and grab his shoes, feeling the mud between his toes sending a signal to his mind. Swallow, after putting on his boots, finds Magpie under a tree, not so patiently waiting for his friend. Once reunited, both boys set off towards the bakery.
“You know,” Swallow starts, “You didn’t really have to tackle me.”
“Yeah… But it was funny,” Magpie responds with a toothy grin.
“You’re right,” Swallow snorts.
“Of course I am!” Magpie says, chest puffed in pride.
Swallow can only chuckle at the younger boy. A content smile gracing his lips.
The sweet and fruity scent of fresh baked pastries bleeds out into the street, only mildly getting dampened due to the smell of petrichor. Swallow takes a deep breath to smell the baked goods, only to contently sigh. Magpie practically drools at the scent.
Motivated, both boys quicken their paces to make it to the shop, rushing to step inside and get out of the hardening rain.
A plump woman with curled, graying hair turns to meet them. Her reddish lips upturn into a smile, teeth poking from behind her cracked lips.
“Boys! You’re finally here! I was wondering when you two would show up,” Cherrybee laughs, “I almost thought you wouldn’t come in time to get any!”
Magpie dramatically casts his hand over his face, wrist resting on his eye.
“Perish the thought,” he says, imitating one of the many older ladies in the hamlet, “I’d think my heart would simply stop if that were to happen, oh!”
Cherrybee can’t help but let out a hearty laugh, that sound is warm and motherly.
“Goodness, if that were the case, I guess I would simply have to make some more for ya.”
Magpie’s eye opens.
“You mean, fresh fresh buns?”
Cherrybee’s eyes crease as she nods.
“So fresh, you might just burn your mouth on the jam.”
Magpie’s eyes grow wide at the thought of fresh-out-of-the-oven pastries before leaning towards Swallow.
“Hey,” he loudly whispers, “maybe we should come back later!”
Swallow rolls his eyes before planting his hand on the other’s head, messing up his midnight hair.
“Don’t be greedy.”
Magpie visibly sags, head rolling forward and shoulders slumping. He lets out a dramatic sigh causing the others to simply laugh at his childish nature.
“Anyway,” Swallow says, rubbing the boy’s head, “We’ll take two jam buns, please.”
“Of course.” Cherrybee smiles. “That’ll be two copper.”
“Only two?”
Cherrybee hums while nodding her head.
“You two are always such fun and such a big help all the time. Keep this between us,” Cherrybee lowers her voice, “But you two are probably some of my favourite people in this crazy place.”
Swallow laughs.
“Thanks then! We appreciate being liked by the best baker there is.”
“Aw, stop, you’ll make me red!” Cherrybee smiles, holding a hand to her face.
Swallow places down four copper coins, hiding them in stacks of two. Cherrybee scoops them into her palm, not realizing the trick before heading over to the counter and picking up two strawberry jam buns. She hands the sweets over to the two boys who each graciously thank her. They say their goodbyes before digging into the soft dough. It is almost lighter than air with a tartness of homemade jam. Swallow knows he would do almost anything for one of these treats.
Swallow savours his first bite, but looks to see that Magpie is already half way done with his. Another chuckle rises out of the older boy’s chest as he continues to eat his sweet.
As Swallow eats, the tip of his pointed ear twitches at a small sound. The sound is accompanied by the rumbling of the ground beneath them. Swallow’s brows furrow together, the rumbling growing stronger. Eventually, the sound is loud enough to be understood. It’s the sound of cavalry. The stomping of hooves is so loud, it drags out other people from their homes and shops to see what is going on.
Several knights in shining iron armour finally arrive before the small group of people - more gathering by the moment. The leader of the group turns to the people, opening a scroll of paper, clears his throat, and begins to speak.
“People of the Kingdom of Saaytooth, it is here by order by King Benjamin Kirk Saaytooth III, that any able-bodied young men are to be summoned to the palace at once! A matter of great importance that affects all three realms is at hand. Are there any here who are able to lend their assistance to, not just our kingdom, but our world?!”
Murmurs and whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire. The rain that once felt like a relief, bringing nutrients to the soil now brings heaviness, the air feeling somber.
His heart is pounding loudly in his chest. Before he knows it, he’s raising his hand high in the air.
“I’ll go,” Swallow’s voice is barely heard.
“A Hellsman?” the head knight says.
Although he cannot see his face, Swallow knows he is being looked at with disgust. A child with the blood of a demon living amongst a hamlet of farming humans. The eyes of the knight are not the only one who looks at him with scorn.
“I’m going too!” a voice says next to him, drawing Swallow out of his trance.
Swallow snaps his gaze to the blue-haired boy next to him.
“Magpie! No- You-”
“If you’re going, I’m going.”
“Magpie, you can’t just decide that! You’re barely sixteen!”
Magpie looks up into the taller boy’s eyes. There is a fire and determination Swallow has never once seen from this boy in all his years of knowing him.
“Swallow, if you’re going, I am too,” he states.
Swallow can feel his heart beating in his chest. He can’t decide what Magpie does, only his family can. Swallow searches the crowd to find Magpie’s older sister.
“Raven! You gotta talk some sense into him!”
Raven turns to her brother, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Mom and dad won’t like this.”
“I don’t care,” the boy says in defiance.
“Are you absolutely sure this is what you want to do?”
“Yes.”
Raven sighs, dropping her head down and shaking it.
“Fine… I’ll explain to our parents.”
“But, Raven-” Swallow tries to interrupt.
“It’s alright, Swallow… If this is his decision to start acting like an adult…” Raven sighs, “-Just take care of my brother, got it?!”
Swallow also sighs but nods his head.
“Alright, I concede.” Swallow lifts his hand in the air in surrender.
“Alright,” the Knight says, “Any others?”
“I’ll go!” a familiar voice says.
A tall boy with a leanly muscular build walks up, his hand highly raised. His sapphire eyes look at Swallow with a tone of mockery, a sneering smile on his face. Three other teens around the same age as the tall boy follow after him. A gang of bullies who act higher and mightier than Swallow.
“That’s another four, any others?”
A couple other teens and young men decide to join. The hamlet isn’t very small, only consisting of about a hundred and fifty people, most of the men being much older, too old to be recruited into the knights.
“Alright, fourteen men from the hamlet of Dawnwood. A carriage will come to retrieve you in a week’s time. Please prepare all your belongings by then. Good day.”
And like that, the knights were off to the next living settlement. Swallow can feel his heart beating in his chest, a heavy and ominous feeling seeping into his blood.
