Chapter Text
A boy sat in the heavy rain, he was outside while it stormed. Drops of water crashing on him, and having nothing to protect him from the elements. The boy clung onto his arms to feel some sort of warmth, he shook like a leaf each time the wind would breeze though making him cold. He shut his eyes and thought to himself, to try to make it through the storm. The boy continued to feel the rain pierce onto his skin till it stopped, confused. The boy could still hear the heavy rain but now heard it hitting on something else. He opened his eyes and saw a hand, he looked up and saw he was being protected from the rain by a tall man with his umbrella.
“You alright there kid?” The tall man asked, the boy was semi silent. You could hear him trying to say a word, the man offered his hand to the boy; hesitatingly the boy took the hand of the man and used it to help him stand up. They stared at one another without a word, still holding the other’s hand. Soon the boy spoke
“My mom is on the floor and isn't waking up.”
The man’s eye grew and it became silent, his face became serious.
“Where is your mom?” The man asked
“In our cabin, please hurry.”
There once was a boy who lived with his mother in their wooden cabin in the woods near a town. Ever since the boy’s father left his mother, now having to make some kind of earnings to provide for her son alone. His mother works hard and works two jobs, it’s enough; but her boy wanted to help as much as he can. The boy went to look for ways to make some money, due to him being only at the age of 7 he couldn’t just get a job. But it wouldn’t stop him from trying, he would go around the town asking the residents if they would pay him to help with anything. That's how the boy would go earn some extra money for him and his mother, and that was his routine. Go around town looking for anyone who would offer him to help around to earn some money in exchange.
It was a nice sunny day, as the sunshine rise it cast its lights through the windows of the cabin. The boy laid on his bed bundled up in the bed sheets, sleeping peacefully and woke when his mother called him to come eat. He got out of bed and went to the kitchen and saw his mother placing down their plates of food on the table. They sit down and begin to eat.
“I won’t be back till later, so don’t wait up.” His mother announced
“Okay mom.” The boy replied, they continued to eat and are finished and the boy’s mother placed the dirty plates in the sink. She gathers a few things before she leaves to work, the boy stood next to the front door waiting for his mother. She walks to the floor, looks at her son and gives a small peck on his cheek.
“Love you honey, I’ll be back soon.” She said as she left to work, the boy looked out the door and watched his mother walk to work, she then turned around
“And be careful Jesse!” She yelled, then headed back walking to work, Jesse smiled and waved goodbye to her
“Bye mom!” He exclaimed, he shut the door and got ready for the day. Jesse brushed his teeth then combed his hair for a bit, he put on his shoes and ran to the door and went out. He headed to town and went to where the market place was, that’s where he would most likely find someone who would pay him for helping around. It was crowded as usual and loud too, Jesse looked around to find anyone to help. He walked along as he looked, Jesse wasn’t paying that close attention and he accidentally bumped into someone.
“ Crap ,” Jesse muttered, he saw the person he bumped into had dropped some of their things
“I'm so sorry! Here let me help.”
He helped pick up the items off the gravel floor and gave them back to the person. Jesse began to observe the person, they were a man; a tall man in fact. The man had long slick black hair and a beard to match with it, he wore an olive green coat and pants. He also wore a belt with a lapis lazuli gem on it. After helping the man with picking up his things Jesse apologize again
“I’m very sorry I bumped into you, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking.” Jesse addressed
“You should pay more attention to your surroundings.” The man huffed in annoyance, Jesse put his head down. He felt bad for bumping into the man, it was an accident. The tall man soon left and Jesse went back to find someone who would like his help for a small price. Jesse found a person who needed help, they needed help selling cakes at their shops and would pay Jesse with how many cakes he helped sell.
“Thanks for the help.” The person said, they handed Jesse 5 iron bars and 3 gold bars as payment for helping them. Jesse smiled and thanked them
“Also, here’s a slice of cake as well.”
The person gave Jesse a slice of cake, Jesse gladly took it and thanked the person again and walked home while eating the slice of cake. He made it home and went into his room and fell onto his bed, who knew selling cakes would make him so tired. Jesse didn’t bother to fix his position and his tiredness took hold of him and led him to the land of dreams.
He played with the animals living there or trying to, they would always run away each time he would go near them. Still, it doesn’t stop him from getting at least one to play with him.
“Come here chicken.” Jesse gooed at the chicken in front of him, Jesse was trying to get it to come to him. But the chicken simply stares at him for a short moment before walking away. Jesse sighed out of disappointment and sat down then quickly switched to laying on the grass floor below him. Jesse stared at the trees swaying and the clouds in the sky moving along, his stomach began to rumble, he sat up and went in search of food. Jesse walked through the forest and spotted an apple tree filled with apples, he walked over to it and found a small branch that was being weighed down by an apple attached to it. Jesse plucked the apple and took a bite out of it.
*CRASH*
Jesse opened his eyes and sat up in fear of the loud crash he heard, he looked around his room for what could’ve made the crash. Nothing in his room told him what caused that crash, Jesse looked out the window and saw that the sky looked gloomy and it was raining. Another loud crash happened which got Jesse startled, it was a thunderstorm; Jesse sighed and went out of his room to check the clock in the hallway. He looked at the clock and saw it said the time was 5:30 pm, after that he went to the kitchen and looked around for a small snack he could eat. As he was rummaging the kitchen he listened to the rain hitting the window and the roof of his house. Along with it were the thunder in the clouds, Jesse took out an apple and cleaned it before he took a bite out of it. Jesse walked to the window near the kitchen and watched as the rain hit the glass and the trees swayed back and forth.
Jesse soon finished with his apple and threw away the core of it. He went back to the hallway and checked the time, 6:03 this time. It still was raining so Jesse was stuck inside the house, he went into his room and got some paper and a few crayons and began to draw to pass the time. Jesse finished his drawing and felt proud of it, he drew him and his mother holding hands on a nice sunny day. Jesse looked outside and saw it still was raining and thundering, it was also starting to get dark out. Jesse went to check the time now, 7:48. His mother should’ve been back by now, Jesse decided to head to her bedroom. He walked through the hallway and entered his mother’s room, he went to her bed and climbed on there and sat there. He waited for his mother to come into the room, his eyes became heavy and droopy. His sleepiness was taking over him, soon he fell asleep once again.
Another crash woke Jesse from his slumber, he looked around to the now pitch black room. Jesse went off his mothers bed and tried to guide himself to the door, he managed to find it and opened it. Likely the hallway had its lights on so Jesse wouldn’t have any trouble looking at the clock. The clock read midnight, this took Jesse aback. His mother should’ve been back by now, out of the corner of his eye he saw that the kitchen light was on. Jesse walked to the kitchen and looked around.
“Mom? Are you here?” He asked softly
no response
Jesse as he entered the kitchen saw on the floor was his mother, he felt his heart dropped to his stomach. He stood there shocked with his eyes widened, soon he snapped out of it and rushed over to his mother who laid on the wooden floor. He began to shake her.
“Mom! Are you okay?! Please get up!” Jesse exclaimed with worry in his voice, she wasn’t waking. Jesse stopped shaking her and stood up quickly.
“I-I’ll go and get help! Just st-stay there!”
Jesse ran out of the house and into the night, it still was thundering so that helped Jesse navigate where to go. He ran into the forest that led towards the town, he had to find some help for his mother before it was too late. The trees blocked what little light was out which didn’t help, soon Jesse’s adrenaline was beginning to wear off. As he continued to run he tripped and landed in some mud. Jesse picked himself off of the mud and hissed in pain, his knee stung and felt it was on fire. He now was covered in bits of mud, but it didn’t matter, Jesse stood up and continued to make his way to the town. Luckily Jesse had made it out of the forest, but when he went out there wasn’t a town nor any building made. Jesse understood that he went the wrong way, Jesse started to feel hopeless and now fell tired. He sat in the heavy rain, drops of water crashing on him, and he had left without having nothing to protect him from the elements.
He clung onto his arms to feel some sort of warmth, he shook like a leaf each time the wind would breeze though making him cold. He shut his eyes and thought to himself, to try to make it through the storm. He continued to feel the rain pierce onto his skin till it stopped; confused, Jesse could still hear the heavy rain but now heard it hitting on something else. He opened his eyes and saw a hand, he looked up and at that very moment lightning gave off some light and he saw that the tall man from today was protecting him from the rain with his umbrella.
“You alright there kid?” The tall man asked, Jesse tried to say something but the words in his mouth were tapped in there. The tall man offered his hand to him, Jesse hesitatingly took the man’s hand and used it to help himself stand up. They stared at one another without a word being spoken, they still holding the other’s hand. Soon Jesse spoke
“My mom is on the floor and isn't waking up.” Jesse let out, the man’s eye grew and it became silent, the man’s face became serious.
“Where is your mom?” The man asked hastily
“In our cabin, please hurry.” Jesse pleaded, soon Jesse led the man to the cabin. The door was wide open, Jesse didn’t bother to shut it in the flight of panic. They entered and made their way to the kitchen, Jesse’s mother still laid on the floor. The man rushed over to Jesse’s mother and shook her with one hand as he held his umbrella in his other.
“Ma’am are you okay?” The man asked, there was no response. The man checked her wrist to see if there was a pulse, Jesse stood there in fear for his mother’s safety.
“Mom.” Jesse exclaimed, no response. The man stood up and looked to Jesse
“She’s still alive, but she needs medical attention.” The man stated “I’ll be right back, I’m going to find some more help.” The man went out the door and the darkness took him, Jesse started at the door where the man left. He soon went to his mother and sat next to her, he looked at her with watery eyes. Waiting for the man to return with help felt like hours, years, even decades; just as the man said, he returned with some help. Two people came into the cabin and picked up Jesse’s mother and carried her outside. Jesse stood up and went to go after them but the man stopped him by grabbing him from his wrist.
Confused, Jesse looked up at the man and was about to open his mouth but the man spoke before him.
“I’m sorry but you can’t join your mother just yet.” The man proclaimed “You must stay here, do you have anyone that can look after you till your mother’s better?” He asked, Jesse shook his head no.
“I only have my mom.” Jesse said, one of the two people who carried Jesse’s mother out of the house came in.
“Does the kid have any relatives he can stay with?” The person asked, the man shocked his head and informed the person that Jesse had no one to stay with.
“That isn’t good, I’m sure that the hospital wouldn’t allow him to stay the night.” The person stated, they looked at Jesse.
“Hey, bud. Since there isn’t anyone that can watch over you, how do you say staying at an orphanage till your Mommy get’s better?” They asked, but Jesse didn’t respond; he just had his head down trying to process all the information.
“I wanna be with my mom.” Jesse exclaimed firmly
“I-I’m sorry kid but, you can’t. You have to stay with someone till your Mom gets better.”
Jesse didn’t want to leave his mother's side when he just found her laying on the floor unconscious. Jesse was about to say something when the man interrupted.
“Is it possible that I can look after the boy?” The man asked
“Uhh, I don’t know. The kid has to stay with someone that’s close with his family.” The person stated “But then again, he seems like he doesn't want to be placed in an orphanage.”
“It’s up to him though.”
The person looked at Jesse and gave him a smile.
“Do you wanna go with the man till your Mom gets better?” The person asked, they awaited for a response. Jesse looked to the man and back at the person.
“Does that mean I get to be with my mom?” Jesse asked
“Umm, yeah. But you have to wait till tomorrow since it’s very late.” The person said, Jesse looked to the floor and back at the person.
“Okay, I’ll go with the man.” Jesse exclaimed, with that the man took Jesse into his home.
They entered the man’s home, it was warm inside and it helped with warming Jesse up. He observed the man’s house, there were mostly bookshelves that were all filled in with books and even some potions.
“Come along, you’re covered in mud and dripping water on the floor.” The man said, Jesse looked at the man who motioned him to follow him. Jesse followed the man, as they walked the man noticed that Jesse was slightly limping as he led him to the bathroom in his home, he looked at Jesse’s leg and saw on Jesse’s knee there was a gash. They then entered the bathroom
“Do you know how to clean yourself?” The man asked, Jesse nodded his head
“Okay, I’m sure I have something for you that you can wear.” The man told him. Jesse stayed in the man’s bathroom waiting for him to return, he looked around a bit. There was a sink, bathtub, and toilet. All the basic’s necessities in a bathroom, the man soon returned with a shirt, pants, and towel.
“Sorry, but these are the only things I could find that may fit you.” He handed Jesse the clothing
“If you need anything I’ll be in the kitchen, right down the hall.”
The man left and shut the door. Jesse placed the clothes given to him aside and along with his bag, and began to set up his bath. Once the water had filled the tub Jesse as he undressed he saw on his knee the gash and blood was escaping out of there. Jesse pushed it aside and placed his dirty clothes off to the side and went in the water. He washed the mud off of his skin and washed his hair, he finished and dried himself with the towel, he saw that the towel now had his blood on it.
He panicked and went over to the sink and tried to get rid of the blood there, it left a pink-ish stain on there and Jesse hoped the man wouldn’t notice. He then put on the clothes he was given, they were big and baggy on him but they’ll just do for now, he opened the bathtub drain and watched the now dirty water go down the drain. He picked up his wet and muddy clothes and his bag while trying not to get dirty again, and went down the hall to the kitchen. Jesse saw the man sitting down at a table and 2 steaming mugs on there as well.
The man spotted him
“Hello there.” The man greeted
“Where do I put my clothes?” Jesse asked quietly
“Give them to me. I’ll put them to wash.”
Jesse gave the man his clothes and watched him leave the kitchen with them and returned without them. He sat back down at the table and motioned Jesse to do the same, Jesse went over to the table and sat in one of the chairs. The man gave him one of the mugs, it was filled with hot tea. Jesse thanked him and blew it before taking a sip of it.
“Thank you for letting me stay.” Jesse thanked
“I would’ve felt somewhat bad leaving a child in an orphanage, then again somewhat.” The man said as he took a sip of his tea
“What’s your name sir?” Jesse asked
“I go by Ivor. And you?” The man responded
“Jesse.” Jesse answered him, and they both finished their tea.
“May I ask you a question?” Ivor asked
“Uh, okay.” Jesse answered
“When you went in search of help, did you hurt yourself?” He asked
“Uh, I- I did. But it’s feeling better.” Jesse clarified, but that was a lie. His knee still aches in pain, Ivor had already seen the gash in Jesse’s knee so he knew that Jesse was lying. Jesse started to feel uneasy when things became silent again, Ivor stood up and walked to a room leaving Jesse at the table. He came back with a potion and a cloth, and walked over to Jesse and kneeled down.
“Can you roll up your pants” Ivor asked
Jesse hesitatingly waited a few seconds before rolling up his pants revealing the gash in his knee, the blood had stopped coming out which was a good thing. Ivor opened the cork to the potion and bundled up the cloth and poured the liquid on there and began to lightly dab on Jesse’s wound. In the distance they heard thunder, Jesse looked out the window and saw rain crashing down and hitting the windows of the home, and the leaves swaying as the wind blew them. Lightning had given off a flash of light, Ivor finished with Jesse’s wound and went and got rolled up bandages and wrapped Jesse’s wound with it.
“The potion will help the wound heal.” Ivor told him
“I don’t have any extra beds with me,” He addressed this to Jesse “But I’m willing to give you my bed for the night.” He offered
“No, no, no. It’s fine.” Jesse insisted “I’ll just sleep somewhere else.”
“It’s fine, really. I hardly even use it.” Ivor assured him, Jesse thanked him when it became late Ivor helped Jesse to his bedroom. Jesse placed his belongings next to the bed and went on bed and laid down, Ivor had said goodnight to him and left the room. Jesse looked around in the room, there were potions, a chest, rows of shelves filled with books, and a desk that had some items on it, also in the room was a window. Jesse looked out the window and listened to the rain hitting the glass and the thunder, he slowly fell asleep.
A noise woke Jesse up, but not fully. Jesse still felt drowsy and wanted to fall back asleep but he heard Ivor and someone talking. The walls were thick enough that it was being muffled but you could still make out the words they were saying. Jesse listened closely as to what they were saying.
“We’ll come back in the morning to pick up the kid.”
“What am I even going to say to the boy? Hey sorry but your mom isn’t alive anymore so now you’re an orphan.”
“You could at least say it nicer.”
“I- you get what I mean.”
“Just tell the kid in the morning, he seems like an understanding kid so I think you’ll be alright.”
Jesse stopped listening there, they were walking about him. The reality soon sunk in and Jesse felt empty inside and slowly tears welled up in his eyes. His mother was gone, he clung onto the bed sheets tightly and he slowly cried himself back to sleep.
Jesse woke up with the sun hitting his face, he sat up and saw in the window the sun rising. Last night hit him like a stack of bricks, he hoped what he heard last night was just a bad dream. He went off the bed and walked to where the kitchen was, he saw that Ivor was also up and was drinking something in his mug.
“Good morning.” Jesse greeted, Ivor looked at him
“Good morning to you as well.” Ivor said, he took another sip of his mug that held whatever he was drinking. He placed his mug down and turned towards Jesse.
“How’s your knee?” Ivor asked
“It’s doing better than yesterday.” Jesse answered
“Your clothes are washed now if you want to change into them. They’re right down the hall on the right side.”
Jesse nodded his head and went to the hall that Ivor had said they would be in, a door was open and Jesse searched around there and saw his clothes in a basket. He shut the door and took off the clothes and put on his own, he went out of the room and went back to the kitchen.
“Are you hungry?” Ivor asked him, Jesse nodded his head and Ivor gave him a plate of bacon ‘n eggs, Jesse thanked him and ate everything off of the plate. Ivor took the empty plate and placed it in the sink, they didn’t say anything to one another. The silence grew and made things seem a bit awkward, Ivor wanting to stop the awkward silences he spoke.
“So, did you sleep well—“
“I heard you talking with someone last night.” Jesse addressed this to Ivor
“W- how much did you hear?” Ivor asked concerned
“So it wasn’t a dream,” Jesse felt his eyes beginning to well up again “My mom.. she’s—“ before he could finish he began to sob, he wished that this was a dream. A very, very, bad dream he was having; he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked and saw the man trying to comfort him, without hesitation he clung onto Ivor and continued to sob.
Out of pity Ivor made a decision that would change his life forever, he would become Jesse’s legal guardian for now on. As the person from last night returned to collect Jesse, Ivor told them he would take care of the boy for now on. Once Jesse heard the news it took time for him to adjust to his new home, but over time he grew to like it there. But one thing he didn’t expect was that he would now be learning how to make potions, weld a sword, and even to help Ivor with some suspicious tasks. Like tricking a few people in trading, but Jesse was just a young boy so he thought this was normal.