One Star

A boy with messy black hair inhales the salty scent of the ocean. Sitting on a wide wooden dock, he smiles at the scenery before him and stretches his limbs out like he’s trying to give the sea a hug. Seagulls soar over the many fishing boats dotting the endless waters. The dancing waves crash, and the laughter of fishermen reeling in their catches fills the air around the boy like music. Warmth from the sun’s rays beams upon him, making his grin brighter.

“Just another pleasant day in Basintroll,” says the boy.

Fishermen also line the pier, piling boxes full of fish from the boats onto carts, then onto carriages, and finally into the kingdom. Here the boy does what everyone is doing but uses a fishing net instead of a rod.

He places the net around his arm and shoulder and then hurls it out over the water. Then he pulls it back with a string, but it drags him instead. Gritting his teeth and tightening his muscles, he tugs. His shoes start to slip on the wet wood, inching him closer to the edge of the dock. He groans loudly, twists the rope around his hand, and yanks as hard as he can.

“Oi, Eden, that’s quite the haul you got there!” a fisherman calls out to him.

Eden looks up to see an old man dressed in tan overalls, a yellow vest over a white button-down shirt, and a bucket hat with a fishing hook sticking out of it. The man has light brown skin, a gray beard that reached his chest, and a round belly.

“Can I get a hand already, Sanders?” Eden grunts.

Sanders laughs as he grabs hold of the rope and yanks it, along with Eden, with ease. A massive fish as big as a wooden barrel breaks the surface of the water. It thrashes around in its entanglement, flopping around helplessly on the dock, trying to get back into the water. Eden jumps on it to hold it down and grins.

“This will make me rich!”

“You wish!” Sanders grabs a nearby sack and throws it over the fish.

“Thanks, Uncle.” Eden continues to smile as he ties the sack closed and throws his catch on a cart.

A fisherman passes by and widens his eyes at the size of the fish. “That’s quite the catch, Eden. Mind sharing some coin with the rest of us?” He laughs.

“Nope, but I’ll buy everyone a drink!”

Grinning widely, Eden rushes with his cart past all the fishermen, who raise their fists into the air at his promise, and into the marketplace. He dashes through crowds of ordinary folk and nobles to get to the town square.

The area is bustling with people. Merchants in wooden stands sell nothing but fish of all kinds and sizes, from as big as long oars to as small as pocketknives. The colors of the fish’s scales glisten like stained glass under the bright sun. Even here the smell of the sea is inescapable; it envelops the kingdom. There’s also a round black building in the middle of the market where many fishermen come to trade their catches for coin.

Eden stops in front of the black building and pushes the cart toward an old trader behind a desk. “Look at this massive catch I’ve got for ya today!”

The trader puffs on his cigar and narrows his eyes before blowing out the smoke. He reaches into his desk and then drops a few gold coins onto the counter.

Eden blinks rapidly at the small amount on the table and then at his fish. “Hey! I just caught you a big one. Surely you would pay me more than this.”

The trader raises a brow and points at the fish with his cigar. “Your fish is just bigger than all the ones you normally catch.”

“There’s no way my fish is only worth this much!”

A vein on the trader’s head pulses; he squints at Eden and puffs out another cloud of smoke. “Then why don’t you go learn marketing instead of going on about your dream of becoming a wannabe Legion?” He waves his hands at a couple of armored guards; they grab Eden by the arms and drag him out of the trade center.

“Hey, let me go!” Eden tries to squirm, but their grip is as steadfast as a lock.

The guards hurl him out onto the street and toss the coins at him. Eden hits the cobblestone ground with a loud thud and a yelp. He rubs his backside as he groans. Then he throws his fist into the air and shouts, “Just watch me. I’ll be a Legion!”

After picking up the coins and rising to his feet, Eden notices everyone in the fish market watching him. He lowers his head and walks out.

Instead of going back to the harbor, Eden goes home. He passes through a bright neighborhood of white brick houses with a variety of colorful flowers on the windowsills. These buildings are large enough to fit families of five or more, and each has its own lawn where people are having outdoor picnics and parties. Eden stares blankly at the residences as he walks by, taking in the smoky scents of the barbecues and sounds of songs being sung.

He sighs heavily. Almost home to the Trench, he thinks. The clean cobblestones beneath his every step reach an end, and a beaten path of dirt leading downward begins, winding below the dazzling district. Colors dwindle and become dull as he treads down. Eden looks at the changing gallery of houses as he passes; they become smaller and more pressed up against each other, resembling a sandwich turned on its side. Each of these homes is made of sheets of metal; the doors, roofs, and walls are the same, nailed to wooden studs. Most of the fishermen call this neighborhood home; it’s close to the pier where they work. The delicious smell of barbecue from above is replaced with the scents of iron and fish, making Eden scrunch up his nose until he’s used to it again.

Another sigh leaves Eden when he finally arrives in front of a small, slanted green-colored house with broken windows. It sits in the corner of the crowded buildings. The wooden stairs creak as Eden approaches the front door. He takes out a key and sticks it in the keyhole. The door clicks open.

The musty scent of wet wood greets him. Everything in the house is compact, just like all the other houses in the Trench. The dining table welcomes him home every time he walks in. Beyond that is a sink, a stove, and a small fridge, and next to them are a bed and a nightstand. Without needing to turn his head from the center of the house, he can see the bedroom that once belonged to his parents.

Eden plops onto the bed and lets out a yet another heavy sigh. He stares blankly at the rotted ceiling for a while. Then he turns over to close his eyes, but a particular book on the nightstand catches his eye. He sits up and picks it up.

The Legend of the True Hero.

With a small smile, Eden stares at the cover and runs his fingers over the letters. His favorite book. Mom used to read this to me all the time, he muses. He flips through the pages.

In the book, the goddess Dwelleen chooses a young man to become the True Hero and grants him an almighty sword with incredible powers to defeat the dark monsters called Menaces.

A small flame reignites within Eden as he reabsorbs the words and illustrations. In his mind, he recreates the pictures and envisions the scenes in front of him. The True Hero stands before Eden, raises his sword—which glows with dazzling white light—toward the sky and slashes at a mob of Menaces, turning them into dust. The ember within Eden burns brighter as he joins his hero on an adventure. He watches the True Hero save kingdoms, fight giants, and defeat evil villains. The fire inside of Eden flares, causing his heart to race. A foggy weapon materializes in his hands. Eden grins and grips the handle tightly. Then he raises it like the True Hero. An inferno erupts. A silent shout rips from his throat. Eden swings and blows away a swarm of Menaces with the force of an explosion.

A sudden knock at the door snaps Eden back to reality, and the flame within him extinguishes like a candle blown out by a single breath.

“Oi, Eden! How’d it go?” Sanders calls out.

Eden doesn’t reply. He simply sits on the bed, flipping through the book.

“I’m coming in.” Sanders opens the door and enters.

Eden looks up at Sanders and puts on a smile. “They didn’t give me much, so it looks like I won’t be buying anyone drinks today.” He chuckles.

“It’s OK, son. This is just how the life of a poor fisherman is.” Sanders approaches Eden and pats his head.

Eden nods, unable to say anything more.

Sanders raises his eyebrow when he notices a picture on the nightstand. He picks it up. “Hey, I remember this photo! It was the first fish you caught with your parents!” He laughs. “You used to be such a little ball of energy.”

“Yeah … ” Eden’s chest aches as he replies. He glances at the photo; a small round version of himself holds a line with a fish, while his dad stands behind him and his mom’s faded face hovers next to him. Flashes of his mother and father flit through his mind. They’d had such bright times together at the pier, fishing and swimming. He remembered their boat trips out at sea, reflecting each other’s smile. The warm home-cooked meals at the table. Nightly stories before bed. Then his mom disappeared one day, followed by his dad’s passing from sickness. “I miss them.”

Sanders quietly sighs to himself. Then he straightens and pats Eden on the shoulder. “Eden, I want you to believe that there will always be good things to come.”

Slowly lifting his head, Eden meets Sander’s gaze.

“If you ever feel like you’re in a dark tunnel and you can’t see the light at the end of it, it will be dark and you may even feel hopeless or scared, but if you just open your eyes, they will adjust to the dark and you’ll be able to see your way out of that cave.”

Eden’s eyes light up, and he bursts out laughing. “You sure have your ways with words, Uncle.” He jumps out of bed and stretches his arms out. “Just wait until I get my summons. I’ll become the greatest Legion in history.”

“That’s more like it! Now let’s go and see who can catch more fish!”

“Bring it on, old man!”

Eden and Sanders both dash out the door without even locking it.

The sun shines at the highest point in the sky. Eden and Sanders are back at the pier, hurling their fishing nets into the water and laughing together at their catches. Meanwhile, a ceremony unfolds at the kingdom’s church.

A loud round of applause and music plays in the chapel. Trumpets blow, drums beat, and flutes whistle as if it were a festival. Men are dressed in their finest tunics and jackets, while the women wear beautiful dresses and jewelry. They are all sitting on rows of benches lining the brown-and-yellow star-patterned rug in the center aisle. Pillars as big as trees reach toward the wooden sky, and white chandeliers hang from above. Sunlight shining through the stained glass windows that depict rainbows, stars, and the winged goddess Dwelleen casts rays of colorful light between the columns.

A priest in long white robes stands on a podium above everyone else and raises both hands to quell the music. Silence fills the room as everyone lays their eyes on him.

“Welcome all to the Church of Dwelleen,” says the priest.

Everyone cheers loudly and applauds.

The priest waves his hands again, and the cheering dies down. He clears his throat and raises his voice.

“As you all know, for one to receive their summoning, one must offer three sacred stones.” The priest holds out three clear blue rocks with a bit of red in the center like fire encased in ice. He makes them levitate, and they slowly circle above his hands. “These stones have the power to open the void and bestow upon one with Dwelleen’s gift a weapon called an Armament.”

The stones steadily descend back into the priest’s palms. He places them inside his white robe and continues, “These Armaments are given at random, ranking from rarity stars with one star being the most common and five stars being the rarest.”

“But us nobles have higher rates than any other,” says a man in the crowd.

“That’s right,” a woman says. “It’s fairly impossible for nobles to not summon a Five Star Armament.” She laughs.

“Each Armament has magic that increases our Legions’ durability, strength, and speed,” the priest continues, “along with an elemental attribute.” He raises both arms, and balls of light fly into the air and then swarm to form a display as big as the stained glass windows. The display morphs to depict the many different attributes. “Fire, water, wind, earth, plant, metal, ice, astral, and shadow.” Then the lights disappear. “The more stars an Armament has, the stronger its magic.” Then the priest raises his hand again. “Now, let the summoning begin!”

Applause and music sounds from every corner of the church and blares through the glass windows to the surrounding kingdom.

Eden’s ears perk up at the distant sound of trumpets. He stops his work nailing lids onto wooden crates. He stares in the direction of the church and sighs.

“Are they doing a summoning today?” Sanders asks as he throws one of the fish they caught into a crate.

“They are.”

Sanders turns to Eden, his eyebrows squished together. “Didn’t you give three of those blue rocks to the priest already?

“I did, but that was months ago.”

“I remember giving you one for your fifteenth birthday.”

“Yup. I also bought one off a traveling merchant with all my savings.” Eden laughs.

“Yes, I remember that too …” Sanders says as he shakes his head. “And the last one, you said a random person gave it to you?”

“I got the third stone from a hooded man.” Eden grabs his lip and ponders. “I don’t know why he gave it to me, but all I remember is that we talked about the True Hero.”

Sanders tilts his head and nods. “How generous of him. So you gave your stones to the priest, and what did he tell you?”

Eden scratches his head and looks up to the sky. “Well, he used some sort of magic to infuse the stones into me and said to wait.”

“I guess we’ll keep waiting.” Sanders shrugs. “Until then, let’s get the job done so we can go eat some grilled fish at the bar with the others.”

Nodding, Eden continues to hammer crates together.

The music dies down as the priest once more silences the crowd. His brethren carry a crystal ball and place it in front of him. He peers into it, and the orb glows with white light. Suddenly, letters appear within the crystal and form a name.

“Isaac Gourab, please step forward in preparation for your summoning,” the priest announces.

A young man with short wavy blond hair, a muscular build, and a bright yellow suit steps forward to the center of the church.

The crowd of people cheers his name and applauds.

As the priest begins the summoning, his crystal orb glows with vibrant colors. The priest rapidly blinks as if he’s hallucinating, but the sphere keeps shining. The crystal ball dazzles and forms another name.

The priest awkwardly looks at his brethren next to him, and they raise their eyebrows back. He turns back to the crowd that is singing with joy. The priest clears his throat loudly, interrupting the celebration.

“Er, there will be another who will be receiving their summons today.”

The crowd stops cheering and stares, baffled, at the priest. They throw questions at him.

“Father, what do you mean another one?”

“Shouldn’t there only be one summoning at a time?”

“Who else is receiving their summons?”

He tries to calm them, but the chattering doesn’t stop. The priest sighs and shakes his head. He waves his hands at the other clerics. “Go find the one called Eden Alistar and tell him he will be receiving his summoning today as well.”

“But, Father, the ceremony has always been one summoning. Why is there another?” one of the clerics asks.

The priest narrows his eyes at the cleric. “I don’t know, but the goddess Dwelleen has shown me this name. Now go find this person.”

“Yes, Father.” The cleric waves his hands at a few guards, and they hastily leave the church to find Eden Alistar.

Done building crates, Eden hurls his fishing net into the water and pulls it back out with ease. But there’s nothing except kelp. His shoulders slump, and he groans.

Sanders, however, has somehow already filled five crates, and the other fishermen keep pulling out fish like there’s an abundance.

Eden stares at Sanders’s movement and posture. The fishing net is slung over his shoulder; he hunches down, almost crouching, and with both arms up. Eden watches as he throws the net into the water and pulls it out full of fish. Eden’s eyebrows arch. Then he quickly places the fishing net on his shoulders and lifts his arms just like Sanders. Then he hurls it at the exact moment as Sanders. Both of their fishing nets splash into the water. They both pull their nets out at the same time. Still nothing in Eden’s. He groans and tries again. Eden’s and Sanders’s movements fall into sync as if they’re dancing together.

A fisherman walks past and notices Eden’s empty crates. He bursts out with laughter. Then, one by one, more fishermen gather around and laugh, including Sanders.

“I couldn’t catch any because all of you already caught them all!” Eden laughs.

The sound of galloping shoes alerts Eden and grabs the pier’s attention, halting their laughter. Guards in silver armor and a cleric in white robes stop above the docks.

“Eden Alistar. Where is the one called Eden Alistar?” says the cleric.

Eden jolts at the sound of his name. His heart pounds. What could they want from him?

“Eden Alistar, you are hereby summoned to the Church of Dwelleen for your summoning. Please step forward!”

Eden’s mouth drops to the floor and so does his fishing net. With sparkling eyes, he slowly turns to Sanders and the other fishermen. He takes a deep breath. “It’s happening!”

Everyone roars with joy. They all give Eden hugs and pats him on the back. “Our boy is now a Legion!”

Sanders caresses Eden’s head and grins. “Your dream is coming true, son!”

“Yes, it is Sanders!” says Eden as he raises his fist into the air.

“Enough. We must go at once,” says the cleric.

Eden rapidly nods and dashes up the stairs to the guards. They immediately depart for the church. Eden hops behind the cleric and waves his arm at Sanders and the fishermen as they throw their fists into the air and chant his name.

As they walk, Eden grabs his chin, tilts his head, and wonders, Can’t only one person receive their summons at a time? He shrugs it off and smiles widely. He can’t believe he’s receiving his summoning today. He is now one step closer to his dream. Nothing can stop him now.

They arrive at the church. Eden follows the cleric, grinning widely. Everyone stares at him as he enters. Hushed insults fly through the crowd about what he is wearing and the fact that he’s poor. Eden could not care less, for he is receiving his summons today and that’s all that matters.

The cleric instructs Eden to stand next to Isaac and asks him to wait until he is called. Then he returns to his spot at the priest’s side on the podium.

Eden looks at Isaac and offers him a handshake, still grinning. “Hi, I’m Eden Alistar. You must be the other one getting a summoning too, right?”

The blond noble doesn’t move or even give him a glance; his expression is pinched and unmoving. Nodding, and without saying another word to the boy, Eden pulls his hand back and scratches his head instead.

“It is time to commence the summoning ceremony!”

Clapping resumes at the priest’s booming announcement.

Eden bounces on his toes and imagines what kind of Armament he will pull. Will it be a majestic sword, a heavy axe, a graceful lance? Thoughts of the possibilities make Eden grin even wider.

“Isaac Gourab! Step forward to the center of the summoning circle!”

In the center of the church is a vast circle with blue round shapes that point toward the midpoint like seeds in an orange. At the core is a white star.

Eden stares at Isaac as the boy walks to the middle of the circle in silence. The church is silent except for the clopping of Isaac’s fancy shoes. The priest and his subordinates begin chanting words that are unknown to Eden, and the walls vibrate around him. Light shines beneath Isaac and envelops the summoning circle. Balls of light appear around the outline of the ring and rapidly rotate around the boy. Another summoning circle appears in front of Isaac; it shines as brightly as the one on the floor.

“Now, Isaac Gourab, reach into the summoning circle and retrieve your Armament from beyond the unknown!”

Isaac reaches into the second summoning circle; his arms disappear into it, kicking up intense pressure and winds that resonate throughout the church’s structure. He roars as a bright ray of rainbow-colored light emerges from both summoning circles and lights up the whole building. Suddenly, the magic rings explode, blinding everyone in the church.

Those in the crowd scream and cover their eyes, but Eden will not look away. He watches every second of the event, seeing the silhouette of Isaac Gourab reaching into the void.

The light slowly subsides.

In Isaac’s hand is a sword. But the weapon is no ordinary one; the hilt looks like it’s made of wood with a white flower and buds sitting on the guard. The blade is pure, straight, wide with one sharp edge, and engraved with five rainbow stars.

“As nobles, we are destined to pull a Five Star Armament,” an old man boasts.

Isaac smirks at his Armament and then swings it a few times and raises it like he’s a hero. Everyone claps and cheers for the young noble’s Armament as he bows in thanks.

Eden’s gaze locks onto the sword. It’s his first time laying eyes on an Armament. The odd shape of the hilt, the straight blade, and the flowers look like it was planted by a god. His mind explodes, imagining his Armament, wielding a godlike weapon, changing the minds of the nobles, saving people, and finally becoming a Legion.

“There is still one more candidate receiving their summoning today,” says the priest.

The nobles turn their faces and pinched expressions toward Eden.

A few try to leave, but Isaac stops them. “Let us not be rude to this candidate. Let’s watch his summoning respectfully,” he says mockingly.

Everyone snickers and agrees to stay.

Eden rolls his eyes and ignores them.

“Now, Eden Alistar, make your way to the center of the summoning circle,” says the priest.

Eden walks to the center of the church. His hands become sweaty, and his breathing quickens as he slowly steps to middle of the circle. The faint whispers behind his back creep into his ears, making him nauseous. To shut out the noise around him, Eden reflects on his lost mother and father, his fishing pier friends, and Sanders. This is the moment he has been waiting for. His dream to be a Legion is just a couple of steps away. There is no way people insulting him will stop him from this opportunity!

Just as before, the summoning circles appear below and in front of him.

“Now, Eden Alistar, reach into the summoning circle and retrieve your Armament from beyond the unknown!”

Eden stares at his trembling hands as he slowly reaches into the summoning circle; his arms disappear through it. Light and magical pressure erupts from it. Balls of white light form and rotate around him just like during Isaac’s summoning.

Eden cries out. A shock rushes through him, reaching every part of his body. His arms feel as if they are being torn apart. For a moment, Eden feels an object, but he accidentally pushes it away with his fingers. He presses farther into the void. The pain increases as he continues to reach. Eden’s arms become intensely numb, as if they have been ripped off. His legs start to shake uncontrollably, almost making him fall to his knees, but he holds his ground and presses on. Then his hands nudge something. It feels like handles. He grabs them and then pulls with all his might.

His scream turns into a roar as he slowly extracts the Armament from the void. “I will become a Legion!”

Light explodes in the church and then slowly fades. Eden gently opens his eyes, and his mouth falls slack. A sword and a shield are firmly within his grasp. The sword has a wide steel blade, a hilt covered in leather, and a guard that is an extended metal bar. The shield is round and also made of steel, and it has a scabbard at the top of it. Eden’s eyes flicker as he stares at the weapons. The grip of the Armaments is comfortable, and the weight feels suitable for him. Eden smiles all the way up to his ears. I’m a Legion now! I’m a Legion now!

“Look, he’s a One Star!” Someone yells.

Eden hastily looks at his Armaments. His eyes widen. An eight-pointed gray star is engraved on the shield’s face.

All the nobles burst into laughter.

Eden looks at everyone and then back at his shield. The derisive laughter and the phrase “One Star” echo in his mind. He hangs his head and grits his teeth. Lifting his head back up, he points his sword at everyone.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m a One Star or not. Just watch. I’m going to be a Legion!”

The laughter grows, and a couple nobles fall to the ground, holding their stomachs.

“How the hell can you be a Legion with a butcher knife and a plate as Armaments?”

“You gonna start hunting some bears now or something?”

“Go back to fishing, you One Star!”

“One Stars don’t need to be Legions!”

The insults keep piling up, and everybody continues to laugh.

Heat flushes through Eden’s body as he opens his mouth to counter, but someone cuts him off.

“No wonder your mother left you!”

Eden freezes, his eyes bulge, his breathing grows shallow. The crowd becomes inaudible. He can hear nothing but the pounding of his own heart. No! This is not why Mom left! Eden grinds his teeth and swings his sword into the ground with a roar. The ear-piercing clang silences the church. Expressions of amusement are replaced by pale faces and glares.

“I’ll show you … I’ll show all of you! I’ll be the greatest One Star Legion in the world. No, I will become the True Hero!” He glares at the crowd as if he intends to attack them.

Eden crosses through the crowd of nobles. He makes eye contact with no one and leaves. The hairs on his neck stand on end; he can feel the cold eyes of every noble on him.

I don’t know why Mom did not come home that day. Not even Dad knew why. All I know is that she’s gone! Eden goes back into his memory, searching through all the times he’d been with her. The image of his mother is hazy; the only features he can remember are her short black hair and warm smile. Not once did she ever show any hatred toward him. Right?