To one traveler to another

As he rode in the horse-drawn wagon, he sat near the rear while looking up into the twilight sky. He observed a number of birds flying through, spreading their wings over the wagon. He leaned his chin and rested it on his arm, and sighed deeply. Wondering if someday he too could be like those birds —to live free without any burden to behold. It sounds absurd at best, he thought.

He looked at the horizon, the sun slowly went down, casting its light over the yellowing grass of the prairie. The gust of wind brought a trail of memories to him, reminiscing him the last time he saw the sunset, it was when he went to the Rite of Ascension, almost a year and a half ago. Looking back at it, he remembered how happy he was to see the town for the first time. He smirked a bit, remembering how naïve he was.

The wagon passed through his old mansion, or whatever it was left. A place that he used to call home, now nothing more than a random abandoned house on the hill. It was already covered and overrun by the vines. Only memory left to reminisce about the good old days, when his life was much simpler. He averted his gaze once more to the horizon, looking at the same sunset when he started his so called 'venturing to the outside world' but now it was just nothing left but a bittersweet feeling. He closed his eyes the same time as the sun set, wished for something he knew it was impossible to reach. As he opened his eyes, the sun already dipped and it's now all but dark.

In front of him, Oskari sat with a book in one hand and a tiny lantern in the other. The lantern's flickering fire cast its shadow onto the white canvas of the covered top. Sometimes, Leonard wondered if that light was sufficient enough to illuminate the words written in the book. It felt more like a burden to read in the dark, he thought.

Hours passed, for a moment, he averted his gaze to the other passengers —from the elderly to the children, exhaustion was evident on their faces. Their weary expressions begged for rest, but the rattling and crackling from the wagon inevitably kept them awake. Honestly, he couldn't blame them. He too wanted to rest, but he needed to remain wary throughout the night. Learning from his past experience, the night wasn’t always so kind to him.

"What a waste," a man's voice emerged from his right side as the man leaned his body forward, looking at the laid open field in the back. Leonard was distracted by the man's voice and turned his gaze to him. "It used to be a beautiful prairie here." the man exclaimed. A young man in his early twenties. At the first glance, his face was rather stoic, yet his eyes spoke volumes. Leonard noticed the headgear that the man used. A chaperon, he thought. Only married Eruvan men would wear a chaperon —A vibrant and colorful headgear, carefully crafted by their wife, stood as a testament to their married life.

"What's happened here?" Leonard was intrigued by what the man said.

"A foolish war," he continued. Leonard knew very little about the war, a life in a monastic way secluded him from knowing about the outside world, not much different that what he was before when he was in the mansion, like a bird in a cage.

The man looked at him, a bit of surprise was seen from his face. He took a good look at him, wondering about something. "Should I call you Padre? it seems odd calling a child, Padre."

"Padre?"

"You are a priest right?"

"Oh…” said Leonard, the Eruvan probably noticed the badge that the Sanctuary gave to him. “I'm not a priest, I’m just a traveler,” Leonard said firmly. “But the badge was actually given to me by the Sanctuary."

"You should keep it," said the Eruvan, reassuring Leonard.

"Why?"

"Anyone who has the priest badge is well respected, even in foreign land," the man assured him about the badge. “Also, aren’t you too young to travel alone?”

“I’m not alone, the capybara in front of me is my companion, also he’s the priest.”

The man scrutinized Oskari but Oskari didn’t pay much attention to him. A change of expression seen from his stoic face.

“You said P-priest?” he said in disbelief. “A-and U-uh… you both are still children,” he added while fixing his chaperon.

Leonard nodded without second thought. The man covered his face with both of his hands. “Kids nowadays are just built differently, eh?” he chuckled a bit upon learning the situation.

“What’s your destination? certainly not the Principality of Buren right? it's currently a warzone.”

“No, no, no,” said Leonard. “I am just looking for a person while my companion here is doing his service from village to village.”

“Ah…” he mumbled. “Wait… You said you were looking for a person right? Do you have any pictures of it? I might recognize it.”

Leonard pulled out a picture from his bag and lent it to the man. The picture itself was a bit rugged in the edge and not in a good condition. Back when he was in the temple, he went to the library and searched for the Rite of Ascension picture album and snatched a couple of pictures.

The man took the picture from Leonard’s hand and inspected it for a moment. “Eruvan girl” he remarked while smirking a bit. “I’m sure, I saw her face once or twice but I don’t know if she is the right person that you are looking for.”

“She’s more or less the same age as me and she’s an adventurer,” Leonard added but he was still not sure if she’s even an adventurer. His current description was limited and only based on the letter she left.

“Hmm… that might be true, what’s her name?” he asked.

“Sheera, and I have another person that I look for too but I don't have any photo of her, and her name is Anne.”

“Hmm…” the man was still thinking about the picture. “Are you sure this is the person you are looking for?”

“Why?”

“I thought she looked similar to the princess of the Kingdom of Ardenia. Also like you said she’s an adventurer and more or less the same age as yours. It matches your description.”

“A princess?” remarked Leonard, surprised by his answer.

“I have no doubt in it.”

Leonard turned his body and thought to himself for a moment. Looking back at his memory, now it all makes perfect sense. That was why she was second in line during the Rite of Ascension. That was why she was so at ease with him, unlike any other participant. She once said she had a tutor, only the noble and royal family had a tutor for their children. She’s a princess, just like he is a prince.

The man lent his hand to Leonard. "Name is Kaenari, Kaen for short."

At first, Leonard was kinda skeptical about him but he accepted his hand nevertheless. "Leon," he said. "Just Leon-" reassuring him before he was cut off by the sudden stop from the wagon as the horse started to whinny followed by the foot stomping against the dirt ground.

“Alright folks, we should set up a tent here for tonight,” shouted the coachman as he went around to the back and opened the rear door. A glimmering hope was seen through the passenger's face as they finally were able to rest. The coachman looked at their surroundings. "This a good spot for staying tonight," he said while pulling out his smoke pipe from his pocket. The place they stayed for tonight was relatively safe according to the coachman though it's close to the remnant of the battlefield, at least it's not near any woods, Leonard thought.

One by one passengers took their turn to get off from the wagon. Leonard got off first as he was the closest one to the door followed by Oskari. He noticed Kaen as the Eruvan rose from his seat, he heard a rattling noise, almost like sound iron clenching with each other. He widened his eyes as soon he noticed, behind his long dark yellow coat. As he stepped closer to the door, Kaen slowly revealed his left leg, it was a prosthetic leg.

“You looked shocked kid,” said Kaen as he got off from the wagon. “Something happened?”

“N-nothing.” Leonard quickly averted his gaze from him.

***

The night was cold. Leonard sat alone by the bonfire, watching the fire crackling out to the ground as its smoke swirled up in the air toward the night sky. He looked above. "The sky wasn't very clear tonight," he mumbled to himself. He heard steps from his behind. It was Kaen, still awake while holding something in his two hands.

Kaen sat down and joined Leonard watching the bonfire. "Can't sleep well?"

"No, I just don’t like the idea of sleeping without someone on guard," Leonard added while inspecting his catalyst. "It's sort of a habit of mine."

Kaen reached out his right hand to Leonard. "Then let me join you,” offering him a drink.

“What’s this?” Leonard held the warm metal cup. He gently shook it as the liquid inside of it swirls. It wasn't very clear what color the drink was, but it was quite dark.

“Try it, be careful it's hot.”

A bit suspicious about the drink, he started to sniff it. As he inhaled it, it had a rather familiar scent to it. Leonard took a sip of the drink. His eyes widened as the warm liquid touched with his lips. It was the taste he had almost forgotten. It was a hot chocolate drink. Anne used to serve him the drink before.

“Hmm.. this is delicious,” he remarked, “T-tanhnk Uue.” he mumbled while the chocolate still filled in his mouth. For once, his eyes glittered with joy. He chuckled.

“Hey hey finish up your drink first before start talking,” Kaen chuckled a bit. He stood up for a second and grabbed another plank of wood to throw in the fire. Leonard noticed the catalyst on his hips, a silver catalyst. Leonard was a bit surprised when he saw it while still sipping his drink, his catalyst was a bit different than the normal one. It was diamond-shaped rather than the usual spherical and it had the royal army insignia carved on top of it.

"You are in the army?" Leonard asked, surprised.

"Aye!" He said, a bit surprised while throwing a plank of wood into the fire.

"Sorry if this is a bit rude to ask," Leonard asked, a bit hesitant. "But what are you doing here?"

Kaen sipped his drink. "I'm going home," Leonard was a bit surprised by his answer. Kaen showed him his prosthetic leg that has been hidden under his long coat.

Kaen sighed.

“I’ve been discharged from the royal army because of my injury,” he took another sip. “I’ll be honest with you, I might be selfish, but I’m glad I got this injury.”

“What do you mean?” Leonard was confused by what he meant.

“I have a wife, Leon, a beautiful wife that I haven't met for almost two years, and a three years old daughter that will soon be four,” he added.

“This is not a life that I want to choose, I would rather die as a humble farmer surrounded by my own family than be called a hero for the nation, die in a foreign land surrounded by countless nameless soldiers, call me a coward or something, I don’t really care. It's a shame that we were all destined to die and I don't want that destiny.”

The thing what he said was the complete opposite of what Leonard always thought about chivalry and heroism. Since he was child, he always listened to Anne's story about the brave soldier, the noble knight crusading against the horde of evil. How they saved the nation and triumphed over their enemies. Now that he thought about it, it's a one way to look at it. Every person has their own story and Kaen was one example of it.

"Gyahh... why I talked about heavy stuff with a child," he stood up while relaxed his arm to the air. "Sorry kid, I was a bit carried away haha."

"T-that's okay." Leonard replied. "When I was younger my mai- m-mother used to tell me about the story of the brave hero of the past, and I always admired the story she tells. I thought to myself becoming a hero was the greatest thing you could achieve. But, after hearing your story makes me realize how much I still have to learn about the world."

“Hey!” he knelt to Leonard and put his hand on Leonard’s shoulder. “Listen to me, your view about chivalry and heroism isn’t wrong. Every child has the right to dream. But you always have to remember, when you are older, you have to consider your decision.”

“As you grow older, you will realize that, being a hero doesn't always need to sacrifice their life for greater goods. Sometimes, being a farmer in a small village is enough. Surrounded by your family, watching your children grow older. A simple thing like that could make you pretty much a hero to your child. If I die in battle then that child will lose one of their heroes. I just don’t want that to happen to my child,” he relaxed his body once again and lay on the ground. Leonard looked at him and thought to himself, wondering if he will become like him.

Kaen reached out his hand to the night sky. “Live your life what you want to be, Leon. Make a small or big difference, it doesn’t matter. Make a story that is worth sharing,” he smirked a bit. "Eheh looks like I got carried again. Look, the point is I'm still in my twenties and still have much to learn just like you," he rose up and patted his coat from the dusty dirt.

Out of nowhere he flicked Leonard's head.

"Ouch..." Leonard quickly rubbed his forehead to ease the pain. “What was that for?” he muttered a bit annoyed.

"You go to sleep! I’ll guard tonight," the gust of wind swirled up in the air giving shivers to both of them. “It’s getting colder, you better get to sleep,” Kaen insisted.

“But..”

“No but! I really meant it.”

Leonard realized that was not worthy to argue, he too wanted to sleep after all. He said goodnight to him only to be replied by a smile from him but the smile soon faded away as he slowly turned his body and faced the bonfire. Leonard walked away from the bonfire to his tent.

He found Oskari still awake, engrossed in his reading which Leonard muttered, “You haven’t slept yet Oskari?”

“You know me, I sleep late.”

“Right…” he laid on the sleeping bed and turned his body against the wall.

“You heard all of it right? Oskari.” he asked Oskari once more before going to sleep. But he got no reply from him.

“Goodnight, Oskari.”