The Fields of Fire

Chapter 5: Arthus Adana

Arthus threw his backpack over his shoulder. It didn't weigh much because he packed light, he had just two changes of clothes, a water bottle, a switch-knife, every Lita of cash he'd ever saved, some thread and a needle, a notebook, and a pencil. He crept as silently as he could across his room. Grasping for the doorknob in the dark of night he managed to get his door open, moving it as slowly as possible so that it wouldn't creak.

His footsteps were light as he crossed the wooden floor. It was 2:00 AM, so he knew that his mother wouldn't be awake, but she was a notoriously light sleeper which worried him a lot. Eventually, he reached the stairs. A daunting task lied before him, getting down all fifteen steps without making a sound. He stepped carefully when he descended the stairs, testing each board with his foot. The boards that were too creaky he skipped and the boards that were silent he put his full weight on. Eventually, he reached the bottom of the stairs. He turned to head into the kitchen and, still moving as quietly as he could, he sneaked his way across the wooden floor. After finally reaching the kitchen, he swung open the door to the pantry and turned on the light.

Without making a sound he started dumping food into his backpack. He took anything he thought he could eat without preparing it, bread, honey, canned beans and, without a second thought, all the cookies (jar included). Once he felt like he had enough food for the journey ahead, he flicked off the light and backed out of the space. He turned away from the pantry and faced down the front door.

Arthus felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He was actually doing it, leaving the farm. He was scared, for sure, but excited too. As he stepped across the ground his mind was going a million miles an hour. He thought about the Red City of Zytriad, and seeing the ocean for the first time, and visiting the Alzca war memorial, but most of all, his mind was stuck on the academy; he couldn't wait to meet other kids who were special, other kids like him.

The door was only a few feet away from him when he heard the voice, "Arty?"

He stiffened, Just run he thought run and never look back. But he couldn't move, his feet were frozen to the floor. He turned to face his mother on the stairs and, summoned all the courage in his heart, "I'm going, and you can't stop me."

His Mom stepped down the stairs. She appeared to be holding something in her hands, but Arthus couldn't quite tell what it was in the darkness. When she finally reached the first floor Arty could see that she was frowning. The moonlight illuminated the face of a woman much older than Arty had remembered. She still looked like his mom, but she seemed tired and lost. She smiled, a weak broken smile, and she said, "I know."

Arthus was shocked, "You know?"

"I tried to make Tau stay and I only pushed her further away. I won't make the same mistake with you," she laughed, "You and Tau, you're just like your father. You're stubborn, Stubborn and Brave."

Seeing his mother's face made him feel guilty. He planned on leaving without even saying goodbye, "I swear I'll write to you every day, I'll tell you all about Zytriad and the Academy, and I think they pay us to attend so I'll send you money too, and, when this is all over, I'll come back home."

"You'll come back home," Her face returned to a frown and Arty could see the tears welling up in her eyes, "I've heard that promise too many times."

She started crying, and Arthus felt the overwhelming weight of guilt fall upon his shoulders, "Mom please..." Tears welled up in Arty's eyes, "I swear to god, I'll come home." He pushed his mom off of him and lifted his pinky finger into the air, "I Pinky promise."

His mom laughed as their pinkies interlocked. Her tone changed as she switched her attention to the book she held in her hand. She lifted the book up in front of his face. In the moonlight Arty could see a white cover with a blue flame prominently displayed beneath the title, Of Magic and Man, A History and Analysis . She handed Arthus the book, "I can't tell you how many times I had to yell at your father because he was reading this thing during Dinner. God, he must have read it front to back a thousand times," She tapped her finger on the cover, "He also wrote in it a lot. So I figure, even if I can't be there for you, maybe he can."