"KEEGAN!!!! Get up my boy there's work to be done" Keegan's father Aongus calls out. Keegan groans Horsley. "Ok...OK IM UP!" Keegan calls back quickly stumbling out of his bed of straw walking slowly to the wash Bowl on a table and splashing it on his face to wake him up. Shuffling towards a dresser he slowly pulls the drawer open pulling on some pants and a shirt.
When Keegan walks out pulling his hair back into a loose ponytail his father and brother Breandan already sitting at the table eating the food that his mother Aine cooked that morning. His mother had fixed a nice pile of hash potatoes with some venison stewed Keegan's plate was already at the table with his food getting cold. " I swear child it's amazing how you will get anything done when you become a man if you keep sleeping in like this don't expect me to warm up your food if you want it hot be up when I'm cooking" his mother said scolding him for sleeping in.
" oh lay off the boy dear he was young he will learn" his father said in his defense.
" yeah Mom it wasn't that long ago I was sleeping in" his brother added
" I'll lay off of him when he learns" his mother says quickly grabbing his father's plate and taking it to the wash tub.
His father was only defending them because he knew that Keegan was out late at night Keegan like to go to the trees and practice his swordsmanship though he had no idea if he was actually any good Keegan felt like he had a good grasp on the basics or at least that he knew something he had to do if he had any chance of his dream.
What was that dream well the same dream as many boys his age he supposed to be a beast Slayer, Warriors that kept our village in many other Villages safe they hunted down Beast that hide in the woods in the Hills that preyed on humans and made war with them for sport Keegan was to become one of these Warriors.
" I need you to do me a favor son Aiken is in need of some help at the forge his son went off to enlist to become a beast Slayer and needs help at the forge." He's Father says seriously
" What?! I have no idea how to work a forge dad I'm going to end up losing an eye" Keegan argues
" No you won't he knows better than to put in danger you will be fine just follow his directions and you'll come back in one piece it can't be that hard I've helped him before" his father argues back with a tone that ends the matter.
" okay when do I go" Keegan says solemnly
"Today as soon as you finish eating" his father says getting ready to go outside and check on the fields " your brother will be going with you he needs to pick up some things for the farm make sure you check the horses hooves before you leave with the cart"
" at least we don't have to walk there "
Breandan says smiling. " so I will be already home by the time you get done you'll probably have to walk back"
" that's just great that man's probably going to work me to the Bone" Keegan with a groan.
" look it's not going to be that bad remember I helped in my spare time last year when I turned 13 it's not that bad come on who else is he going to ask him and dad are old friends since childhood they even came here together when they traveled" Breandan says
" but why did they travel him and Dad aren't the only ones that came here but they never talk about their time before they moved here I mean you were just a baby right and I haven't even been born yet so what were they leaving" Keegan says inquisitively eyeing he's brother
" now don't start that again you know it always gets on Mom's nerves when you start asking questions like that what matters is we're safe here at least that's what they say" he says with hushed Whispers eyeing Keegan.
"But come on aren't you just a little bit curious I mean what was it War, Beast what was it all we know is that it's far away that's it, don't you want to know where we came from" Keegan says Whispering back to his brother
" No I'm not and you shouldn't be either there's no point in worrying about that stuff now hurry up and finish your food I'll go hitch the horse and get some better clothes on" Keegan's brother Whispers back
Keegan does as his brother says and scarfs his food down going to his room and slipping on some boots and changing his shirt for a thicker cotton shirt that would better protect them from the flames and Sparks from a forge also slipping on his belt and Dagger. Keegan's father gave him the dagger almost 2 years ago when Keegan decided he was going to wander off by his self . His father said if you thought he was old enough to play alone and then he need to be able to protect himself. Keegan's never really had to use the dagger though the Beast Slayers do a pretty good job of keeping this area clear.
Once Keegan is properly dressed and ready to leave he tries to head towards the door saying goodbye to his parents but being promptly stopped by his mother.
" here take these with you so you have something to eat before you get home" she hands him a small sack with some bread and cheese.
" thanks Mom I'll try and hurry back but I don't know how long he'll need me" Keegan says kissing his mother on the cheek and heading out the door to meet his brother.
" There you are you going to make me wait all day." Breandan it says as he climbs into the cart
" I'm coming quit being so impatient" Keegan says jumping on to the cart.
" it would help if you didn't move so damn fast."
" of course I'm fast I won't have any time to relax if I don't move fast" he says giving a light slap of the reins making clicking noises.
The first 20 minutes or so is kept in relative silence till Keegan finally shakes the rest of the sleep off and speaks up. " so what are you picking up for the farm."
" got to get a few tools from Aiken he has making for us and that small General goods store should have our seed in we need dad wants to take a crack at growing some gourds." Breandan says clearly lost in thought.
" something on your mind brother?"
" I heard a lot of strange noises last night think I should tell the Beast slayers maybe they could check out the woods near the house?" Breandan says a weariness to his tone.
" you mean like a Acuti or maybe lupus magna got near the farm?" Keegan asked a little too enthusiastically.
Breandan just shakes his head. " how in the hell would I know I've never heard one before I mean sure we've seen them in town from the Beast Slayers bringing in their Corpses but neither one of us have seen one alive or else we'd probably be dead"
" not me I could probably take down a
lupus magna by myself maybe one of them by myself." Keegan says assertively
Breandan shakes his head violently slapping Keegan upside the head.
" you ever see one you run not that you'd probably be able to outrun it but try you're the only brother I got and I'm not going to lose you to an oversized wolf."
" come on I'm not that weak" Keegan continues.
" I know you're not but still you have nothing to prove don't go looking for trouble"
Keegan opens his mouth to protest further but decides otherwise.
" besides it would break Mom and Dad's hurt if something happened to either one of us the best we can do is at least stay alive for them right."
" yeah I guess and help Dad pay off some of his debts" Keegan says solemnly.
" hey come on the farm isn't doing that good okay" Breandan says defensively
" when is the farm ever doing good last year we couldn't pay back what we owed for the seed and it's probably going to be the same time with this batch of seed" Keegan says snapping
The grass was Green in the land seemed fertile but Keegan's father couldn't seem to get anything to grow decently we were able to grow some for ourselves to eat and a little bit to trade but nowhere near the yield we should for the seed planted. There are other farms in the area and they do just fine but Keegan's father seem to have picked the worst plot to attempt to grow anything.
" that's why dad's trying to change it up this year hopefully gourds will grow better" Breandan replies trying to sound confident in the matter
Just at the head of the road begins to bend down into a hill where we can see these small village the small villages starting to turn into a small town in the last 4 or 5 years it's gotten rather popular with Traders and such still nothing to the proper cities guarded with stone but it's a nice place full of trees and green grass plenty of game and a few good streams for fishing. The land seems fertile except of course where Keegan lives and everybody seems pretty happy most of the time.
Sometimes this place seems like paradise