Prolouge

It’s a peaceful day like any other. The birds are chirping, squirrels are climbing trees, and bees are getting awfully close to those flowers. Is it normal for a kid my age to be this bored? No seriously, look at those guys over there!

“Hey pass the ball over here, I’m open!”

“No way, I’m gonna get the goal”

“Hey let me play too! You guys are no fun!”

It’s Philip, Tom and Tom’s sister Hannah. Those three are inseparable, it must be nice having someone to talk to. I feel like no one understands me these days. Like everyone’s trying to cram ideas into my head of what normal should look like. No one cares about the normal I want, or even the life I want.

I decide to walk through town to get my mind off things, only to see the others playing or helping out their parents. That’s when a familiar voice calls out to me, it was the old butcher Pete.

“Hey [       ], how’re things going at home! I know things must be tough with your dad away and your mom handling the baby.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I’ll let mom know you asked about her.”

“Alright Sonny take care! Let me know when your dad gets back in town, I’ll set you guys up with some premium Venison.”

I’m not in the mood so I kept things short with him. I know you didn’t mean any harm Pete, but why did you mention my dad? He’s never around, he hasn’t even seen sis yet and she’s three months old. I’m starting to hate my name even, since it’s the name he gave me. As I walk through the streets I spot my friend Alex playing kick the can in the side streets.

“Oh Alex! How’s it going!”

“Huh..? Oh [      ] what’s up!”

I feel better when I talk with Alex, even when he says my name. I feel like I don’t need to be someone I’m not when I’m with him. I guess I’ll ask if I can join him.

“Hey can I play too!”

“Sure, you’ll probably be awesome at this game. It’s the one your dad taught me!”

What? You’re kidding me, I can’t even have this. That guy really started talking to my friends.

“He’s so cool, that’s why I’ve decided something.”

“...Oh, what is it?”

“I’m gonna be a super cool knight when I grow up, just like your dad!”

And there it is, of course you want to be just like my old man. Let’s forget how he’s never home, let’s forget that he always misses my birthdays, let’s forget that he never listens about how my day’s been, and most importantly let’s ignore how he cares about his job more than us. I try to hide my feelings before I start throwing them up, but then Alex says something that floors me.

“Hey you wanna be one too right, a knight I mean!”

I look vacantly at Alex before telling him I have some business at home, as I walk by the townsfolk are all praising my brave dad saying it would be an honor for me to fill his shoes someday. They act like it’s so cool to be a knight and that I should be one, but I don’t want to. That bastard can barely call himself my dad and yet I should be like that. I don’t even know my own father!

I find myself holed up in my room again, after a few hours I head down for dinner like usual. As I go downstairs I find myself greeted by a pleasant surprise.

“Oh hey [      ], how’s it going?”

“UNCLE KENNETH!”

Uncle Kenneth was here today, he’s a knight like dad but he comes around way more. He’s not really my uncle, but he’s a close family friend so we call him that. I ran up and pounced on him like I usually do.

“Ye-owch! Hey kiddo, you tryin’ to kill me!”

“Uncle, you and I both know it would take a cannonball to kill you.”

“You really think that highly of me, I don’t know whether to be pleased or scared.”

We both start laughing, it’s times like these that make me wish Kenneth was my dad. After messing around with him a bit more we went to help mom finish setting the dinner table. Wirth my baby sister to deal with her hands are full.

“Thanks for helping to set the table, you know things have been a bit hectic with baby Bella here. She starts to get fussy whenever her mom isn’t around.”

“It’s alright Sarah, since the man of the house isn’t here someone has to help you out.”

There’s Kenneth again trying to sweet talk my mom as usual, not that I mind. That said...

“The man of the house isn’t home, what about me!”

“Oh! I forgot about sir [     ] over here.”

“That’s right, mommy didn’t forget her little man.”

“What! Mom cut that out, I’m 10 years old now!”

This is my best way at trying to emulate a family while my real dad isn’t here. We spend the time talking to each other like this, if only times could be like this forever. After a while my mom brings out tonight’s dinner, it’s my favorite meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Me and everyone say grace and I pick up my fork to dig in. However right before I start to chow down, my mother calls my attention.

“By the way [       ] have you thought about what you want to be when you grow up? If you try hard enough you could be a knight like your father.”

I found myself dropping my fork before trying to give my mom a curt reply.

“Oh? I haven’t given it much thought.”

“I see, well [      ] why don’t you start working on training to be a knight like your father. It seems like a nice way to show filial piety to take his place one day as the knight in the family.”

Please mom, not you too! The last thing I want is to become a knight like that guy. I love you mom, but watching you try to push me to be like that guy is disgusting. I think I’ve lost my appetite.

“Wait a minute Sarah, isn't it a little too early to start asking [       ] what he wants to do in the future.”

“That may be true Kenneth, but the world won’t wait for long. Especially in our situation.”

“That’s true, and I do pity the situation he put you in. However [     ] and Bella aren’t tools they're just children.”

“You are right about that, maybe now isn’t the time to talk about this.”

At least Kenneth seems to understand me, but I can’t help but notice mom’s sad eyes glancing over at me. I guess I can understand how she feels, I read some of the letters between her and my father after all. It was one I saw her crying one night and I saw her hide the box, curiosity got the better of me. Ever since I read what was on those letters, I couldn’t help but hate my father and the knighthood he wanted to push on me. As if my life was set in stone the moment I was born. I took a moment to breath a sigh of relief when Kenneth started speaking again.

“[       ] you don’t need to be a knight if you want to”

“Well about that actually-”

“However, if you do want to, you can be a great knight. Like your mother said, you have your dad’s spark.”

Right before I could respond, Kenneth refueled the previous discussion. I could see mom smile and a little hope return to her eyes. Of course you’d want to see her happy Kenneth. No you don’t really know how I feel so I can’t really blame you.

After that Kenneth mentioned what being a knight entailed. My mother watched me to gauge my reaction while I listened, or at least while I pretended to listen. How many times will I feel mocked like this, how much longer will it take before they realize I’m not interested, and that I don’t wanna be like my waste of a dad.

I want to tell them exactly how I feel, but I’m scared. I don’t want to see mom sad, and I don’t want to spit on Kenneth’s efforts. While I think about this Kenneth mentions that I could always choose a different jobs to be of help to knights like being a merchant, doctor, tutor, or even a diplomat. My mom looks relieved by the structure of this talk, but I don’t like it at all. After 20 minutes of rambling and the food getting cold, Kenneth looks at me and ask the question on everyone’s minds.

“So, after hearing all that, what do you wanna do in the future [      ]”

Kenneth is staring me right in the eyes, my mother is waiting on a response too, and even baby Bella stopped whimpering for a minute. As if she wanted to her what I had to say. I really don’t want to let everyone down, but if I don’t tell them how I feel now I might never be able to. I don’t want to be a knight, I don’t want to be a doctor, I don’t even know what a diplomat is, and I don’t wanna be like my father! I just want to be free, now I just need to tell them that

“Actually everyone I-”

Just then we all heard screams coming from outside followed by an explosion. Everyone went silent, as the screams became more intense and urgent. Bella, startled by everything, began to cry. My mother rushed over to pacify her.

“It’s ok sweetie, mommy’s here.”

“Everyone find a place to hide, I’m gonna check things outside.”

Kenneth immediately ran to the door and picked up his sword. He began heading outside, but just as he left my mother began to protest.

“Wait Kenneth! Please don’t leave us! Don’t go out there!”

I don’t know why but my mother, still holding my sister, ran for the door and went outside too. What kinda son would I be if I just left my mother alone out there, so I went too. As I opened the door I could hear Kenneth arguing with mom.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING SARAH! TAKE THE KIDS AND GO!”

“But what about you Kenneth?”

“I’ll catch up but you need to-”

Before he could finish there was another explosion, we all looked at the source of where it came from. There were people running, some injured, and some were dead. Sadly Pete was one of them, I just talked to him this morning and now he’s gone. Then I heard someone, someone laughing.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA! Alright men, take everything! Plunder this town and leave nothing behind! Make sure to find some women and children, we’ll need some good hostages!”

“Of Course Boss!”

“As long as we can have some fun with some of them, I just got some new darts to use.”

I finally understood what was going on, there were men crudely dressed carrying short swords and explosive barrels. Some were breaking into houses, while others were taking people hostage and killing those who resisted. The man they called boss was a plump man wearing a red coat with three gold bracelets on both his wrist. This situation, it’s a bandit attack!

“Sarah, take the kids and run to the outpost south of here. Tell them I sent you, please Sarah! It’s not safe here!”

“Kenneth, I don’t think I can move. Why has this happened to our fair town?”

Kenneth is sweating profusely, there’s no way he can take all those guys by himself. Mom is too scared to move, and even Bella is quiet. Yet despite all that, I feel weird for some reason. Homes have been destroyed, people are hurt, and some of my neighbors are even dead. Despite that, right now I feel like all my life's problems have come to an end. When I see those bandits, I don’t see savages that came to destroy everything I hold dear. I just see a group of people enjoying life's freedoms without a care in the world. I think I understand it now, those bandits over there aren’t the bad guys. Their the heroes, Their My Heroes! Here to save me from my fate of being like my dad. Now I finally understand what I must do, I declare this to myself as I walk towards them. Kenneth sees me and try to stop me.

“[      ] WHAT ARE YOU DOING! Don’t you see those people being killed over there!”

“-like them”

I could finally give a response, although Kenneth looked puzzled by it. So I’ll say it again for him.

“I wanna be just like them.”

Today marks the day that I finally know what to do with my life. I’m gonna be free and live as the world’s greatest low-life!