To the farm

Leaving dreams of hunters, money, adventure and home behind, Zander proceeded with his daily routine and left to the farm where he worked almost every day. It was located outside of Galern, only a short walk away from the gate.

At the farm, he was greeted by the lovely sight of Tara, the eighteen-year-old daughter of his employers, tending to the cows behind a fence, her long dark brown hair flying with the light wind. She was a very sweet girl, one of the few people that never treated him differently because of where he was born. Zander was very grateful for that, and all that sweetness inevitably led him to develop some feelings for her. However, aside from a few curious kisses when they were a bit older than kids, nothing more ever happened between the two of them.

“Good morning, Tara,” he greeted with a smile.

The girl turned around and returned the smile, warm brown eyes fixing on him. “Oh, hi, Zander,” she replied. “Good to see you here so soon, we’re going to have a lot of work today.”

The farm would start the harvesting of their crops that day, which meant much more work than on regular days. Tara even mentioned to him a few days ago that her father sent a letter to his brother who lived on a village in Kinwald, asking for help from him and his son. Judging by the unfamiliar cart he saw next to the house, Zander surmised the two men had shown up.

“I can imagine,” he chuckled. “Is everything ready?”

“Father and uncle are sorting out everything we’ll need,” Tara answered. “They’re in the shed, c’mon, let’s join them.”

Zander nodded just before the door to the house opened and out stepped a young man, two years older than he and Tara. His brown hair was cut very short, and his dark brown eyes had a smug look to them that briefly faltered when he caught sight of Zander and Tara. Zander had met him several years ago when he and his parents came to visit Tara’s side of the family, and all he could remember is that it hadn’t been pleasant.

“Finally, Shaul!” Tara said, exasperated. “Our fathers are about to begin, we were just leaving to join them in the shed.”

Shaul grinned at her in response. “Our mothers just wanted me to have a healthy meal before I left,” he told her before turning to Zander with distaste. “Well, if it isn’t the demon worshiper? I thought the village had already banned the likes of you.”

“Shaul!” Tara exclaimed, shocked.

“It’s fine, Tara, I’m used to it,” Zander assured the girl and then turned to the other man. “We are not demon worshipers, never were.”

Shaul raised a challenging eyebrow. “The Temple says you were.”

Zander shrugged. “Well, not my fault if you want to believe everything they tell you without researching it yourself.”

“You unbeliever scum! Repeat that if you’re a real man!” Shaul snarled, trying to advance towards the black-haired boy, only to be held by Tara, who was stronger than she looked due to having helped her father in the farm for the better part of her short life. “Let me go, Tara! I’m going to make that shit eat the blasphemies he sprouts from that stinking hole he calls a mouth!”

“Enough, Shaul!” she told him firmly. “Let’s get to work!”

Zander held Shaul’s angry gaze for a few moments before turning around and beginning to walk towards the shed on the other side of the property. The Duskathian knew he shouldn’t antagonize people like Shaul, he could make life even more difficult for him, but the blue-eyed boy was becoming fed up with the way some people treated Duskathians such as him. They thought that just because they accepted the survivors in their lands, they could try to shove their beliefs down the Duskathians’ throats. Some of them accepted the religion, but just like that, there were the ones who resented the continental kingdoms for that as well.

Looking up at the light blue sky, Zander wondered if his life would be more than all that someday.