Chapter Text
Percy looked out across the dying field that surrounded him. It was the middle of the summer and he could feel the hot sun through his clothes. He pushed his hat off his head and wiped the sweat off his brow, letting out a harsh breath.
It had been a particularly hot summer thus far. The hottest in his lifetime of 20 years, the hottest his parents could remember, too. The sun would wake them up each morning and they would toil all day in the field, watching as the sun dried out their land even more. Watching helplessly as the sun killed their plants, their livelihood. They used as much water as they could spare, but with the warmer months came drought. The creeks dried up. The river would soon follow. They saved the water they needed for drinking, and used the rest for their animals. The plants suffered, being last on the food (water) chain. He righted his hat and bent down to pick up his bucket and shears.
Percy trudged back to the house, walking down the aisle between the tomatoes and lettuce. His bucket was light. The tomatoes were not growing, with the lack of water. The lettuce was quite literally melting. The leaves on almost every plant were brown and sludgy. Unusable. Inedible. Dead.
He reached the small porch and plopped down on the stairs, sighing. Percy closed his eyes and leaned back into the wooden steps, exhaustion flowing through him. He let his mind drift over ideas, possible solutions to their problems.
He tried to think of something else, but the only idea that seemed possible to succeed was the one idea his parents blatantly shot down. A slight anger rushed through him at the memory from two days past.
Percy sat up with new vigor, fueled by anger and hope. He took off his working boots, leaving them on the steps. He grabbed his bucket from the ground and brought it inside the house with him, stepping into the kitchen and heading towards the table.
Percy carefully handled the contents inside the bucket, two tomatoes and a small head of lettuce. He placed them on a towel that was sitting out before moving the bucket to sit by the outside door. Molly and Arthur walked into the kitchen, quietly talking about something. When they spotted Percy, they quieted entirely. Percy furrowed his eyebrows.
“This is all.” Percy motioned to the small pile of vegetables on the table. He continued with, “The land is drying up. The plants are half-dead. Soon, the animals will follow. Then, it’ll be us. Do you want that to happen?”
Arthur frowned. “Of course not.”
“We are all trying our best, love,” Molly added on, sharing a look with her husband.
“It’s not enough. We will die. Either by thirst or starvation. We need help,” Percy rushed on before his parents could interrupt, “and with Bill married in France, and Charlie away training dragons for the king, it is my responsibility as the oldest son here to make sure we continue to thrive, for the future generations.”
“We are not yet dead,” Molly scoffed. “You are a child-”
“I am 20, Mother, and you two are old. Father cannot even work in the field anymore!” Percy shouted, anger flowing through his veins. He added in a calmer tone, “I will fix this.”
Molly took a step forward, her eyes flashing with anger. “I forbid you from going to that man.”
“I will save this farm, save us. He can help keep us alive-”
“He would sooner kill us than help!” Molly shouted.
“You don't know that, he has to help us, we are under his protection!”
“We are under his law.”
“That is the same thing, Mother,” Percy turned to the door, unwilling to see his mother’s anger, so much like his own.
“Percy, listen to your mother,” Arthur finally spoke.
Percy turned to look at his father, looking at the signs of age covering him. His hair was grey and his hands were calloused, sunspots dotted his arms and face. His mother was the same. They were old, now. Percy needed to do what they were too proud to. He would save his family, at any cost. Letting down his pride to ask for help was easy against the alternative.
“He will save us.” Percy insisted, grabbing his walking boots and slamming the door on his way out.