text: Hi! I've had this idea since I was a teenager, but just starting writing it 16 years later. This is just chapter one, but if anyone enjoys it I'm happy to post more chapters! Thanks for any feedback! **The new world** *Chapter 1* “Well it sure doesn’t sound like a *good* idea, but, uhm... it is an idea...” Fenrir softly mumbled to the strictly guarded ears of his associate. Penrow walked hurriedly to nowhere, expertly stepping over the mess of rope and hay strewn about the wooden floorboards as he passed by the same cows dozens of times. “what’s your idea for getting out of this war then?! We can’t actually go to war. Not with all these people who’ve been training their whole life... we’ll be dead in no time” Penrow spat out to anyone who would listen, who happened to be a cow named Apples this time. “Well not much is changed then is it”, Fenrir gestured towards Apples who looked even more disinterested in the conversation than Fenrir was. The two continued with the same conversation they had every day since the announcement was made: “all abled body men must serve in the oncoming troubles to protect the realm and defeat our enemies!”. As usual, Penrow’s true feelings on the matter were transparent to anyone who had known him for a time, which Fenrir had since they were boys. He knew Penrow was only making a fuss because of his hurt pride, which is enough to make most men as grumpy as a cat who gets a drop of water on his forehead. Penrow’s stature, or lack thereof, limited his opportunities to be trained in his true passion for swordplay. At least this is what Penrow had convinced himself was his true passion. Fenrir often wondered as he did now, how someone who ‘just’ likes swords could know so much about livestock. Fenrir momentarily admired Penrow despite his current state of throwing a tantrum. This was more pleasant than giving any substantial thought to the real issue: this war he’ll soon be fighting in. Despite his lack of escape plans and ability to appear completely tranquil, Fenrir was scared. “No wonder your so calm...”, Penrow’s voice re-entered Fenrir’s attention, “if I could shoot like you I’d be doing a lot more than cleaning up after Apples”. Fenrir had learned to use a bow since the time he could stand, but mainly kept to tending to his animals. He enjoyed the busy life of a farmer, working throughout the day to fight of the darkness that persistently creeps into his awareness. Shooting arrows at targets wasn’t distracting enough, hardly anything was anymore. Sure he feared dying as he thought you should, he was only 23, but he mostly feared the darkness that comes with war. “What would you do? Shoot apples off Apple’s head with a bow,” Fenrir said as he rolled his eyes trying to hide his fear. “No! I’d be in charge of this place by now” Penrow talked back not getting the joke. The two made their way silently across a field of thick and tangled vegetation that led toward their houses. The land of Purascenia was so vast that every single person in town could have 30 cows each living on an acre of land, not that’s how it was. There were vast river networks that crossed through the center of town. There were plenty of fishing tournaments in Autumn, and Dolin had won every year since he was twelve, not that there was much competition he often thought to himself. “Screw these farmboys and shit, we don’t need ‘em in our army!” Dolin said watching Penrow and Fenrir pass by with his military acquittances. “What you wanna be on the front and die right away? I heard from Jerland that he’s planning on using the farmers as fodder for the Enthians.”, Anub said matter-a-factly. “What does *that* *clown* know anyway? We shouldn’t have to deal with such pathetic “men” Dolin spit, trying to hide his crush on that farm girl. “Eh, your just all lots of talk there”, Dere said not caring much for Dolin’s opinion on anything. The three sat in their sweat in the sun, seemingly getting broiled within their armor. Finding anything to think about or talk about to pass the time was a blessing. Fenrir and Penrow were now out of view. Dolin thought back on Fenrir and Penrow in the fishing competition when they were boys. “Why’d those two losers always hang out”, Dolin thought to himself. Dere thought of the coming war. Anub thought of the morality of war. “If that clown is right, those two wimps are gonna be the first ones to die..” Dolin said with contempt. “Only a few days left until we march” Penrow grunted towards Fenrir without a response. Penrow was used to these moods when Fenrir couldn’t get out of his head, but they seemed more frequent lately. “See you at sunrise tomorrow, g’night”, Fenrir nodded in response. Penrow almost immediately flopped into his bed, regretting waking up before sunrise to get in some war-time body conditioning before heading into a day of strenuous labor. Penrow thought to himself in the darkness, “Maybe I’ll be promoted during the war, maybe tomorrow will be my last day ever taking care of those glassy-eyed animals, including Fenrir”. Penrow respected Fenrir, but as the people in town put it “share a pint with Fenrir and both glasses end up half-empty”. This was a harsh thought even for Penrow, Fenrir was fine, but war was so full of opportunity for the “boy born without a brain”, as the rest of the townsfolk put it. “What an idiot, I can’t believe even he is excited for war!” Fenrir’s mother stated while sewing fresh clothing to last Fenrir the war. “He’s not the only one, why else would we start a fight with the Enthian’s except to take their land”. “PSHH, who cares for the Enthian’s land, we are simply defending ourselves against these murderers!”, Gletina said stopping her stitching to look Fenrir in the eye. “How could she think anything else”, Fenrir thought to himself as he took a bite out of an apple. He continued his own private diatribe as he chewed, “They are murderers, but so are we, surely pa killed his fair share before his death...” though he wouldn’t dare talk about such things. “Well... make sure Janith and the rest of the girls meet us on time in the barn tomorrow, they keep throwing off the whole schedule” he finally replied out loud. “I’ll see to it that they do, have a peaceful night son”, “g’night”. His footsteps sounded like a lumbering dragon emerging from 100 years of sleep to anyone listening below the floorboards as made his way to his bedroom. “Maybe I’ll actually be able to sleep tonight,” he thought as he tried to make himself comfortable in bed. He liked looking at the stars through his window. Fenrir’s mind followed a meandering train of thought “there’s something so comforting about the stars but what is it... is it the stories immortalized in the skies? ... no... maybe how they seem to have a pulse if you look carefully enough, maybe they are alive?... no, but it is known they are very predictable where they are... perhaps it is because they are so bright... and yet they are overpowered in the day” KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!! startled Fenrir out of his thoughts and nearly out of his skin. “ah!!, what is it?”. “It’s Janith!”, “uhm, yes, ok?”, “can I come in?”, “well...”, Janith burst through the door. “I’m not sure a maiden should be in the room of a man who’s not your brother or pa” Fenrir said uncharacteristically flustered. “luckily in a few days I’ll be a ranch hand!” Janith said at first with a huge beaming smile than fell into a frown as soon as she remembered why this change in career was happening. “Yeah...” Fenrir said as he wondered to himself how Janith and the other neighborhood girls would do as ranchers, though Janith wasn’t a girl any longer he told himself. “Well... uhm... you make sure to go get enough sleep so you’re ready for tomorrow morning. Make sure you’re on time!”. Janith looked annoyed, turned away, closed the door while saying “OK then... goodnight Fenir”, “goodnight Janith”. “Now what was I thinking about...” Fenrir asked himself out loud as his eyes took longer than usual to fixate back on to the stars in the night sky. The sooner he found the stars, the sooner he could think of their mysteries instead of reality.