Section One
Jake took a huge bite of a juicy red apple and brushed his long blond hair out of his blue eyes. He savored the taste, swallowed and took another bite, picking a second apple off of a nearby tree. He stepped near the cliff and leaned over it, the beautiful blue stream flowing underneath him. The wind blew gently, moving through the leaves of the orchard and through Jake�s hair. The orchard was his father�s, and with the stream, the orchard flourished and Jake�s father became a wealthy man. Jake was just happy to have his own swimming hole.
Two apples in hand, Jake jumped into the stream holding his arms high so they�d be above the water to not wet the apples. He splashed into the water and rose quickly shaking his head to get his wet hair out of his eyes. His white shirt stuck to his strong, built chest and his newly wet green pants sagged down making it harder to tread. He took another bite of his apple and threw the core into the water. The stream�s current carried him downstream, while he ate his other apple and admired his father�s accomplished forest of fruit trees.
The stream brought him near his house where he walked barefoot onto shore. He took his shirt off and shook his legs to get some water off his pants. He wrung out his shirt and threw it onto the clothes wire connected to the side of the house and a nearby tree. �It�ll be dry by tonight,� Jake thought out loud, �for my date with Celeste!�
He strolled bare-footed, dripping with water to the front door where he swung it open and walked inside. The house was entirely made of wood, built by his father�s bare hands. He was currently out at the market selling his grown fruit. Jake�s mother was getting lunch ready and glared at Jake as he dripped water onto the rug.
�You!� She yelled, �Get out of the house! You�re soaked!�
�I forgot a towel!�
�Then I�ll get you one, wait outside.�
�Thanks Mom,� Jake said as he went back outside keeping the door wide open. He leant up against the wall of the house and waited for his mother to return while moving his back against the rough wood in satisfaction. After a while of waiting, Jake was worried. He poked his head into the house but didn�t see and sign of his mother.
�Mom?� Jake asked, the words echoing within the walls of the house. He took a step inside of the house and asked again, �Mom�?�
He took small steps deeper in the house and headed for the laundry room. A noise could be heard from inside of the room. Jake grabbed the knife his mother was using to prepare lunch off of the counter and headed slowly and silently towards the room. Another noise was made.
Arriving at the closed door, Jake�s hand trembled as it moved towards the wooden knob. Before he touched it, it swung open and Jake jumped back in surprise. His mother walked out with a towel and shrieked as she saw the knife. She dropped the towel, and clutched her chest in fear.
�Jake! You scared me half to death! Imagine, a son trying to kill his mother because she said not to get water all over the floor!�
�S-Sorry Mom! You just didn�t come for a while and I got worried.�
�The towel was buried underneath the other dry laundry. It took me a while to find it. Besides Jake, who would attack me? No one except your girlfriend Celeste knows where this house is, and it�s purely private property! Now scoot! You�re still wet! Take this towel and go dry yourself off outside. And give me that knife!�
�Yeah� sorry Mom� really, I�m sor��
�Out!�
Jake bolted out the door before she used the knife against him.
Section Two
The swordsman in grey chain mail rushed at the male civilian standing in his way, the chains draped over his body shaking loudly. The man had already robbed four banks that day; he wouldn�t let some punk kid stand in his way. He heaved his broadsword high into the air and brought it down sharply upon the young man. In defense, he held his gauntlet up and let the sword come into contact with it. The sword clanked off, throwing off the attackers balance. The attack left neither scratch nor dent in the gauntlet�s smooth, light blue surface.
�H-How?!� The robber inquired, shocked.
�Mythril my friend. As is this sword.� The civilian coolly and calmly replied. He unsheathed his sword and let the sun shinning in from the windows reflect off of its brilliant light blue color. The robber went wide-eyed and took a step back.
�Now, I could use this sword and wind up killing you, or worse, or I could take pity upon and let you run away.�
�P-Please! I surrender! L-Let me go! I am no match for that sword!�
�Very well, but you must leave all your armor here� and that thing you call a weapon. You have disgraced yourself and your equipment in surrendering. Leave it all.�
�Y-Yes sir!�
The swordsman ripped the chain mail off of his body, head, and arms and threw it at the boy�s feet. He sheathed his broadsword and threw it down as well. Without hesitation, he ran as fast as he could out of the door while untying sacks of money from his belt and throwing them onto the floor while he escaped, disappearing over the horizon. The money was from the previous four banks he robbed.
The young man sheathed his sword as the customers in the bank cheered for him. An older man came running from behind the counter to his side.
�Jon! Are you alright? How is your arm?�
�Father! You know too well that nothing can penetrate mythril. I�ve also trained hard enough to not let an untalented rogue like that harm an experienced swordsman like myself.�
�Jon, you are only sixteen years of age! How do you expect to keep believing that you�re invincible? What if he aimed at your neck and you weren�t fast enough to block it? You would have been killed!�
�But I am fine, Father! Stop treating me like I don�t know what I�m doing, I train every night under Grandfather�s guidance.�
�About that Jon. I don�t think I will continue to let Grandfather train you anymore. You schoolwork is slipping and ��
�Father, no! If it wasn�t for me, he would have stolen from the bank! Your business would have been ruined! He might even have killed you!�
�Go home now Jon, we will talk about this tonight.�
Jon didn�t reply. He moved his gloved hand through his jet black hair and stared coldly into his father�s green eyes, the same color as his own. He turned around sharply and left.
Picking up the broad sword, Jon�s father muttered, �Oh my son. When will you learn that fighting doesn�t solve everything?�
Section Three
Picking up his watering pale, Shay walked through rows upon rows of flowers to the well. He filled it to the brim with cold, clear water and tended to his garden humming a tune. Shay had always been in touch with nature, and he loved his garden. His parents had passed away years ago and he didn�t have any other family. He was forced to live by himself on the mountains of Siltz Peak outside of Cainte City. Shay provided by growing plants, and his flowers were his only company. He�d been avoiding Cainte City government officials who wanted to claim his mountain home because of unpaid taxes.
Shay bent over a row of flowers and gently poured the life-giving water onto the thirsty plants. They had grown large and would die with the upcoming winter, but the house would be taken before then anyways. He continued to move row to row in his beautiful garden, tending to the flowers. He was interrupted with a knock on his front door.
Placing his water pale down and wiping dirt and grass off of his green shirt and pants, he went inside through the backdoor. He traveled to the front door and opened it. An old lady in standard white government clothes was standing outside holding onto a folder filled with papers and documents.
�Hello there, umm,� she adjusted her glasses, opened her folder, and checked a file contained within and continued, �ah yes, Shay. Shay Ruiker.�
�Yes mam.�
�Please, call me Mrs. Thomas. Now, that�s a very nice green outfit you have on there, so I guess you�re fine with clothes and won�t need to go down to the city to get more, now will you?�
�No mam, I don�t intend to leave my house.�
�Please, Mrs. Thomas is fine.�
�Alright Mrs. Thomas, now I�d like to tend to my garden.�
�Well you see Shay, since you haven�t paid your taxes since� the incident, I�m afraid the house now belongs to the government, but we can�t get in unless you get out, and we really don�t want to get the police involved in this do we now Shay?�
�No mam, but I still don�t intend to leave this house.�
�That�s obviously a problem, but we will get in one way or another, so Shay, please don�t be difficult.�
�I�m going to my garden, my flowers need water.� Shay started to walk away.
�Shay!� The voice bellowed from outside the door, �I came here to tell you that police will be coming here tonight to force you out. You could get hurt, so I�m giving you the option to leave now! Please Shay, we�ll put you in a foster home with nice parents! You�ll be schooled! Shay!�
Once he returned to his garden he picked up the pale and continued.
�I have to get out of here tonight, but I�m not going to a foster home. A sixteen year old doesn�t go to foster homes� I�ll have to travel to Ranile Valley, and maybe I can get a job there� but until then I�m going to spend the rest of my time with you. Everyone one of you.�
Shay tended quietly to his garden.
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