Chapter 1 " The Bench "

Brothers Not Enemies

Chapter 1: The Bench

I was sitting on my usual bench beside the river, my scarf trembling softly as the wind passed through it. The sound of flowing water blended with the distant noise of the market, creating a calm rhythm that made everything feel safe. 

My apples rested beside me, their skins bruised and imperfect. They had already begun to lose their value, but throwing them away felt wrong. As long as someone could still use them, they still had purpose.

A man approached and picked one up, examining it carefully before asking how much it cost. I told him it was free. He looked surprised, but I explained that the apples had already gone bad. 

He nodded and said he would feed them to his livestock. He took several and left, his footsteps fading into the ordinary life of the market. I sat quietly, watching people pass by, listening to the river that never stopped moving forward.

Soon, the sound of hooves and wooden wheels began to grow in the distance. People turned their heads as a line of horses and carts marched into view, their banners swaying in the wind. I didn’t recognize them, but a man passing nearby noticed my confusion and explained that they were from the Frika Kingdom. 

He said they had come to make peace and were heading toward the minister’s mansion, and that the carts likely carried supplies and gifts. He spoke with hope, saying that maybe Rebelain and Frika would finally improve their relationship after this meeting.

The wind returned, but this time, it felt different. The silence and wind was aggressive. It pushed harder against my scarf and against the fragile calm of the moment. The man bought an apple before leaving. I sat down again, letting the quiet return.

A goat wandered toward me and stopped beside the bench. Its calm presence felt strangely comforting. I handed it an apple, and it ate without hesitation. 

After finishing, it left its waste behind and walked away, as if that was its way of thanking me. I laughed quietly and cleaned the ground with a stick before sitting down again.

My eyes drifted toward a nearby tree. Its leaves moved with the wind, their motion slow and hypnotic. It felt like the tree was forcing me to look at it, as if it knew something I didn’t.

Then I heard a small voice. A little girl stood beside me, her hands nervous and her voice fragile. She asked if she could borrow an apple, explaining that her grandmother was sick and promising that she would pay me back when she grew up. 

Her innocence made my chest tighten. I handed her five apples and told her not to forget to come back in a few years. Her face lit up with happiness as she promised she would return. She ran off, holding the apples close to her chest.

When I sat down again, the silence and wind was aggressive.

Then a horn tore through everything.

The market froze. Confusion spread across every face. Moments later, horses rushed into view, carrying the same banners. But this time, the horsemen held severed heads in their hands. Blood dripped from their fingers as one of them threw a head into the center of the market. It rolled across the dirt before stopping.

It wasn’t a meeting. It was the start of war.

Screams filled the air. People ran in every direction. I hid beneath my table, my body frozen in fear. Fire rose behind me, consuming the minister’s mansion. I turned my head and saw the same tree I had been staring at before. It was burning now, its leaves turning to ash.

Soon, the guards of the capital arrived. For a moment, I believed they had come to protect us. Instead, they began capturing civilians. Men were dragged away as protests filled the air. When someone demanded to know why, the guards answered coldly that the kingdom needed soldiers. This was not a negotiation. No rich could hide. No poor could run.

Hands grabbed me and forced me forward. I was thrown into a cart like cargo. The wooden walls closed around us, and the wheels began to move.

After a long time, the carts stopped. Hope rose inside my chest as I wondered if they had changed their minds. An old man beside us spoke those exact words to the guards, his voice filled with fragile hope. Everyone listened, waiting for mercy.

The guard said nothing. The wind was still, but the silence was heavy. Then the sound of a sword cut through the air. The old man’s head fell.

My heart kicked violently inside my chest. The guard declared that the weak must step forward and die, and that he would slaughter the cowards himself. No one moved. Every eye avoided him. Soon, they handed us bowls of rice and set up camp as night fell.

I could feel the body heat of the man beside me. I could smell sweat, fear, and something heavier.

Sadness.

A man said his wife was pregnant and that his child would likely be born that very night. Another said his mother was sick and might not live much longer.

The smell of sadness was worse than any sweat.

My body wouldn’t stop shaking.

That night, my eyes burned with exhaustion, but something inside me refused to let them close. Then I saw it. Someone tried to escape. He had barely stepped out before his head separated from his body.

The troop captain had never been asleep.

A hand rested on my shoulder. I turned and saw Erick Rikson.

My closest friend.

He told me there was no going back now, and that we should focus on what comes next. Erick had always helped me. When I had no money, he gave me some. When I had no food, he shared his. He made me feel like I had to grow stronger, so we could stand as equals.

He told me not to worry.

He said he would always be there to support me.

Eventually, the sun rose again. In the distance, the flag of Rebalian stood proudly above the training ground. Mud and blood covered the earth as guards dragged away lifeless bodies.

We were ordered out of the carts. We stood in line as swords were handed out. When Erick and I stepped forward, the captain stopped us.

" No swords for you two " He declared, and gathered the attention of everyone with a shout. 

" This two man will fight to death with bare hands and everyone will watch " 

We both froze, Erick's eyes widened. I smiled, i told Him to kill me, this is the only way i could repay him for everything. But then the captain added 

"If this man dies then I'll send my man to your village and will tell them to take your wives and kill your childrens "

He said to the people who were captured, my mind left me, then Erick exhaled and smiled, his arms open wide.

 " kill me Leef, that's my wish, it will repay everything "

My heart fell into Abyss after hearing that.

To be continue....