Chapter Text
Ajax took a deep breath, letting the chilly winds wake him up. His bright blue eyes sparkled in anticipation. This is the day; the day he’ll become an adventurer! A bag of bread in hand and a shortsword in another, he set off on his first journey ever. His family should’ve paid attention...
“Ajax, wake up. It’s time for breakfast.” His oldest sister called down. No answer. “Ajax…? Ajax! Come down! I made your favorite!” No answer again. Odd. Ajax was always so excited for breakfast, especially if his sister made it. Then again, he’s also a fairly deep sleeper. The wooden stairs lightly creaked as she made her way to her baby brother’s bedroom. Although they’re a fairly large family, their house isn’t large enough to accomodate. Such is the life of living in a small town fishing village. So, the children are no stranger to sharing rooms. “Okay, sleepyhead, time to wake up~!” She opened Ajax and Teucer’s shared bedroom door and gently woke up her brothers. Well...brother. All she saw was the babbling baby that was Teucer and Ajax’s empty bed. “Ajax…?” She looked around the bedroom, checking behind the curtains, under the bed, behind the door. “Ajax, dear, you’re not the type to be so mischievous...come out now. Breakfast is gonna get cold.” Each time she’s met with silence, she gets even more nervous. “Oh no...oh no no no no...oh, may the Tsaritsa protect my little brother…!” She exclaimed, pacing around the tiny room. “I knew Father should’ve taken Ajax with him on that fishing trip! I told him Ajax would get restless if he didn’t go! Ugh!” Teucer’s baby babbling brought her back down to reality. She picked him up from his crib and cradled him. “You’re right, Teucer...I need to use my head. I’ll head to the city and put in a commission for the Adventurer’s Guild. They’ll bring back Ajax safe and sound...I hope...I pray to the Tsaritsa that he will come home safe and sound…”
“Dad! Dad, please save me!” Ajax shouted for help as he sprinted through the snowy woods. Apparently bears and wolves find 14 year old boys to be a sufficient snack. Either that, or hunting practice. Actually, that’s a little bit worse. The combination of the cold air and the adrenaline made his lungs burn. His legs ached and he longed to be back in his warm home, swaddled in his fluffy blanket. But the growls of the wolves, the sound of crunching snow beneath sharpened claws; it reminded Ajax that he couldn’t stop. Not if he wanted to see another Snezhnayan sunrise, another fishing trip with his father, another home cooked meal from his sister. At some point, he thought he stopped hearing the animals’ paws against the snow. He briefly looked back, not noticing a hole in the earth. “Ah-!” The little boy fell through the earth, screaming for help.