The Normal Farmer

Chapter 1

It was a rainy Sunday night.

Ronald O'Sullivan was returning home from the market. It was raining more than when he left home in the morning, so when returning, he was walking near the buildings to get some shelter. Even the weather was against him.

Since he was born, he had terrible luck. His father left while his mother was pregnant. When giving birth to him, she died in a dark alley, away from the busy streets and completely alone. His cries attracted some street dogs that licked him clean. Two of the dogs hollowed, and that called the attention of a passing citizen. He didn't want to get involved in that strange situation, of a dead woman, five street dogs with two of them howling, and a crying newborn, so, he took the baby and left him wrapped in empty garbage bags in front of the nearest church. From there, the priest sent him to an orphanage where he stayed until he was 18 years old. A family eventually adopted all the other babies and children, but not him. His normal features and serious look never granted him any special attention from the visiting families.

Ronald spent some years working in several underpaid jobs, but over the past two years, he had a rented clean room, a job at a restaurant during the week and on a local market at the weekends, as a cashier. He even learned how to smile more, and that, together with his politeness, granted him the sympathy of the regular customers. Despite everything that happened to him, he didn't think of himself as unlucky or unhappy. He always thought he was fortunate because things could be a lot worse. He could not even be alive if it weren't for that stranger that placed him in front of the church.

He remembered that around the corner of the next building, there was an alley with a low fence that he could climb and save at least 15 minutes walk.

As soon as he made the curve to enter the alley, he fell into a hole. A bright light engulfed and blinded him.

---

When Ronald opened his eyes, he noticed that strangely, he was inside a cave with a high ceiling and torches on the walls. On the ground, there was a circle with some weird runes engraved on the rocky floor where Ronald was laying down, after that strange fall.

All around, it was even stranger. An old man with a big white beard and long hair, also white, was standing and looking at him. The old man was wearing a strange dark robe, and he had a staff with a rough stone on top. Around the circle, there were five men with robes, but they looked younger.

About two meters after, there were ten soldiers, with either swords or spears on their hands, with some leather brown clothes. Leaning against the nearest wall, there was a young boy of not more than 15 years old and dressed in clothes full of sparkles and frills, seated on a chair and with a servant near him, moving a big fan. That younger talked, with a nasal, irritating voice, and with a weird accent:

- "So, it worked! Quick, High Mage Hakal, measure him!"

The old man went to a chest near the young boy and brought a transparent round Sphere with three steel stands attached. He placed that weird Sphere on the ground outside the circle where Ronald was and spoke to him:

- "Come here, place one hand on top of this. We need to check your status and Mana."

Ronald didn't move, at least, for a couple of seconds, and then he noticed the soldiers raising their weapons while looking at him. So, he got up and went near the Sphere and placed his hand on top of it. The old man looked at him and pointed to the Sphere.

- "Say your name and age for the records. It will then measure you."

Ronald had no choice, so he did it.

- "I am Ronald O'Sullivan, 25 years old."

The Sphere shone and became white. In the interior appeared letters and numbers, supposedly, they were about him.