"But he is only a boy!" Exclaimed an old man.
"I am aware of that," sighed the Elder for what seemed like the millionth time, "But that doesn't excuse the fact that his mother violated the ancient laws. She had a child with an outsider! And a human no less. We have allowed the boy to live with us because we are not so heartless to abandon an infant, but he is now at the age of ten. He must leave this place."
The old man clenched his fists, trying desperately to think of some way to protect the boy. But he could not think of such a reason. Defeated, he lowered his head.
"Even so, he is still my grandson. I will not allow him to live in the world below by himself."
"Then what do you suggest?"
The old man hesitated, but said, "I will go down with him. I will be his guardian."
The Elder's eyes widened, "You cannot be serious? You would willingly give up your life to protect him?"
"HE'S ALL I HAVE LEFT OF MY DAUGHTER!" The old man barked. Regaining his composure, he sighed, "He may look like his father, but he is still my daughter's son. Part of me will always regret separating the two, but I will make amends. To the both of them."
"Then you must realize that if you agree to this, then you will be going into a forced exile. You cannot return, tell the boy of his origins, or even be in your true form, for as you are, you would give away the secrets of this society."
The old man smiled, "I will be as quiet as a mouse."
The Elder let a small smile creep onto his lips, "You were always a fan of the dramatics. Very well. The boy will leave tonight. And when he awakes, he will have no memory of his life up to that point, except his name and yours."
"I'll need a new name, I think." The old man rubbed his beard in contemplation. "I believe… Munchie will do."
The Elder nodded, "Very well Munchie. I bid you farewell. And…. Good luck."
Munchie bowed, "Thank you Elder. And… farewell."
Trodain Castle was always quiet at night. The monsters that lived in the region were tough, but they never ventured near the castle. The closest that anyone would have to go the experience a monster would be the woods leading to the Farebury region, but that was a few miles from the Castle, so no one had to worry. But that didn't mean that the Castle's defenses were any weaker. Quite the opposite, the Captain of the Guard pushed his men because of this. The Captain of the Guard, Ivan, had learned that letting your guard down is the worst mistake that a warrior could make. Because it left one open, and could lead to undesirable circumstances. Every day, Ivan trained the guards with drills, exercise, and sparring, usually joining in with them. Because, at the core of Ivan, was a warrior. 20 years ago, Ivan was a wandering swordsman. He scoured the world, looking for opponents to fight. He had an insatiable bloodlust, which left him with scarce battles, as many were afraid of him. However, one day, he came upon an old man, walking alone in the middle of a plain. Ivan noticed that the old man was carrying a sword, and told the man to battle, or else Ivan would kill him where he stood. The old man simply laughed, and continued to walk on.
Ivan lunged at the man, but his sword was then stuck in the sheath of the old man's sword. The old man smiled, drew his sword, and slashed Ivan, giving him a scar across his right cheek. Removing his sheath, the old man used it to bash Ivan a couple of times, before throwing his sword on the ground. Ivan asked the old man why he didn't kill him, to which he shrugged and continued on. Confused and perplexed, Ivan picked up his sword and followed the old man. For an entire day, Ivan followed as the old man walked, until finally reaching a small hut at the base of a mountain. The old man invited Ivan in, and bandaged his wound. Ivan asked again why the man hadn't killed him. The old man simply told Ivan that if he were to kill Ivan, then how would he learn?
Ivan asked the man to explain, but he simply told Ivan to draw his sword. Ivan stood up and drew his sword. The old man studied his stance for a few minutes. He then told Ivan to switch hands. Ivan followed, holding his sword with his left hand. The old man smiled, and told Ivan that he was ambidextrous. Ivan didn't understand what the old man was talking about, so he held the sword to his throat. He thanked him for mending his wound, but he said that he still has to kill the old man for humiliating him. The old man chuckled once more, grabbing his sword with the sheath still on it, and slapped the sword from Ivan's grasp. He flicked the sheath off and poked Ivan's chest.
"I am telling you that you are perfect to inherit my fighting style. In fact, you are the only one who can truly master it. But you have to lose your bloodlust. That will lead you to an early grave. In order to be a better fighter, you have to focus on the battle, and let go of everything, and let your sword guide you. Now, if you stop being so impatient, I'll teach you."
Ivan stood motionless for awhile. But finally, he sat down on the floor, defeated. He agreed to become the old man's apprentice, and began a 5-year training period, where he learned the secrets of the old man. After those 5 years were up, the old man died, having passed on everything to Ivan. Ivan, once again having no purpose, wandered on his own until he came upon Trodain. The then Captain of the Guard noticed him and recruited him. Ivan quickly rose in the ranks, until he became Captain of the Guard.
Life was quite in Trodain, but little did they know that it would never be the same again.
There were many routines in the guards' schedule, but there was one position that every guard loathed; night-watch on the battlements. A guard with this position had to stand on top of the castle and wait for dawn, when he was relieved of his post. But, because of the altitude and time of day, that guard was subject to many weather conditions, usually wind and cold. This was the case for Thomas, who just happened to get this post for the third week in a row. He didn't know what he had done to piss off Ivan, but he hoped that he would be forgiven soon, because for the third day in a row it was raining. Not a hard rain that would obscure a person's view, but a rain that was cold and bitter. He wished he had some liquor to warm him up and take off some edge, but he had been banned from drinking on post since an incident a few months back involving him ending up half naked with his trousers and helmet on a cow. Needless to say, he was on probation, with no end in sight. He looked around the battlements, looking to see if he could see any of the other guards. When he couldn't make out any of them, he decided that he had earned a nice little nap. He tipped his helmet forwards and closed his eyes. After 20 minutes of "resting his eyes", his head dipped forward and his helmet slid off his head and fell down to the ground below. Roused by the action, he watched as his helmet hit the ground with a small metal *thud*. Mulling over whether or not it was worth the effort to fetch it, he noticed something on the ground. It was too dark to see clearly, but he thought he could see a large object. After staring at it, he thought he saw something move. He gripped his sword, but he started to make out some features. It was small, and it looked like it had hands and feet. It looked like a person. No, it was a boy. Concerned, he started to head down to it, telling the other guards he met that he was going to investigate something down in front of the castle.
When he opened the gates and made his way out to the body, he confirmed it was a boy. He checked his pulse. He sighed with relief, the boy was still breathing. He checked him for any sort of injuries, but he couldn't find anything, except for mud and dirt. He picked up the boy and rushed him inside. When he entered the guard barracks, the room was full of a bunch of guardsmen, relaxing, drinking, talking, and gambling. He wished he was one of them. One of the guards saw him.
"Hey Tom, you're supposed to be on duty! Ivan'll have your ass for this when he…"
He trailed off as he saw the unconscious boy in his hand. The room soon fell silent as they turned their attention to Tom.
"I found this boy unconscious outside the castle. Where's Ivan? I have to report to.."
"I'm right here, Tom." Ivan cut in as he came down the stairs that led to the upper level of the barracks. He walked up to the boy and checked for his pulse. "His pulse is strong, but if he was out in this rain, he might get sick. I'll bring him to the infirmary. Get some rest, Tom. You did well."
Tom smiled, then looked at the boy with concern, "He's going to make it, isn't he Captain?"
Ivan nodded, "I don't see why not. But, I'll give a full report when I find out. Dismissed."
Thomas saluted, and joined the others at one of the tables. Ivan went outside and jogged to the main entrance, and then to the infirmary. He opened the door, to find the Castle's doctor sitting at his desk reading a book. He glanced up from his book and noticed the boy in Ivan's arm. He jumped up and went to examine the boy.
"He's not dead, Doc. Just unconscious. Thomas found him outside in the rain. I want to make sure that he is alright."
The doctor nodded, and took the boy from Ivan and placed the boy on one of the tables. For a few minutes, he examined the boy, checking to see if there was any trauma. The doctor sighed, and rubbed his eyes.
"Well?" Ivan asked.
The doctor shrugged, "I haven't the slightest idea what's wrong with him. He seems fine. No bruises, cuts, or internal damage. He seems like a perfectly healthy boy."
"So, he just collapsed?"
"That's my best guess."
Suddenly, the boy began to stir. Ivan and the doctor gathered around him. The boy's eyes slowly opened, then squinted. He lifted his arms to cover his eyes, obviously blinded by the light. When his eyes adjusted, he propped himself up on his elbows, then sat up. He looked around.
"Where am I?"
It was Ivan that spoke first, "You are in Trodain Castle. One of the guards found you outside the Castle. Do you remember what you were doing there?"
The boy shook his head.
"Do you have any family nearby?"
Once again, the boy shook his head
"Do you remember anything, anything at all?"
The boy thought for a moment, "My name is Erdrick. And… well… That's about it."
Ivan shrugged, "Well, at least it's a start."
The doctor pulled Ivan aside, "I believe that this boy has amnesia. I've seen a few cases of this in my time, and the only cure is to simply wait it out."
"That's all fine and well, Doc. But what are we going to do about him? It's not as if we could return him to his family."
"Maybe King Trode could let him stay. He could become a servant, or possibly a ward."
Ivan scratched his chin, "I suppose that could work. It'll give the princess some company. He looks about the her age."
"Um… excuse me?" Erdrick hesitantly asked. The two older men turned to him, "What's going to happen to me? Am I going to be alright?"
Ivan smiled and walked over to him, "Of course, kid. You're going to be just fine. The doctor says that you have some memory loss, and the only way for you to get better is to wait. Now, do you remember anything else about yourself?"
Erdrick shook his head, "No, I can't remember anything."
Ivan shrugged, "Bah, no matter. I'm sure that you're memory will return." He turned to the doctor, "I'm going to report to the King about the situation. I'll be back soon." And with that, Ivan left the room.
The doctor walked back to his desk and started rummaging through sheets of papers and books. Erdrick sat on the cot and stared at the doctor. After a few minutes, the doctor felt the presence of eyes upon him, and he looked up.
"Yes Erdrick? Is there something you need?"
Erdrick shifted slightly on the bed, "Well, yes, I suppose. I was just wondering about the castle."
The doctor chuckled, "I'm sure you are. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know?"
"Who lives here?"
"Well, many a people. This is Trodain Castle. This is the seat of power for His Majesty, King Trode. There are servants to attend him, cooks to prepare the meals, gardeners to maintain the plant life around the castle, guards to protect him, and myself to make sure that everyone in this castle is well. That man who was just here with us is named Ivan. Ivan is the Captain of the Guard here at Trodain. The king also has one child. A daughter named Medea. She's around your age."
Erdrick nodded, taking in all of the information. The doctor went back to his papers and continued to search for something that he could not find. He eventually got up, gave a muttered farewell, and left Erdrick alone in infirmary. Erdrick lied down on the small cot. He stared at the ceiling, thinking, or rather, trying to remember. All that he could remember was his name. Ivan said that the memories would come back with time, and that Erdrick would just have to wait. Suddenly, a memory flashed in his head. His hand flew into his pocket as he shot up. It was empty. He checked his other pocket, but nothing was in it. The memory that had returned was that he had a pet mouse, named Munchie. How had he forgotten? Munchie had been with him his entire life, and that he treasured the mouse like a close friend. He jumped off the cot and looked around the room, but Munchie was nowhere in sight. He looked at the door, and saw a small crack in the bottom of the door. It was small enough for a mouse to fit into. He opened the door and looked out in the hallway for Munchie.
"Munchie!" Erdrick whispered, "Munchie, where are you?"
He was a little hesitant about exiting the room, but his friend was lost in a strange place, and needed Erdrick's help. But then again, Erdrick was just as lost as Munchie. He wandered the halls, the only sounds being the pitter-patter of rain and Erdrick's footsteps. After a few minutes of aimless wandering, he had gotten no closer to finding Munchie, and was hopelessly lost. He sighed, defeated, and sunk to the floor against the nearest wall. A cry emanated from the room across from him, and Erdrick sprung into action. He barged into the room and found a girl on her bed, with a mouse on the floor.
"Munchie!" exclaimed Erdrick, who ran over to said mouse and picked him up. "Why did you wander off like that?"
"That mouse is yours?" The girl asked, slowly stepping off the bed and onto the floor.
"Yeah, he's my pet mouse, Munchie. I've had him for forever. He's not a bad mouse. He's just friendly. Say hello Munchie."
Erdrick extended his hand to the girl and Munchie looked at the girl. He cocked his head at her. She hesitantly extended her hand to Erdrick's, and Munchie climbed into her hand, where he promptly curled up and fell asleep. The girl giggled and pet him with her index finger.
"He's a very cute mouse. I'm sorry if I startled him. He just surprised me."
Erdrick grinned, "Well, it's my fault for letting him lose. I just forgot about him."
The girl looked at Erdrick, studying him, "I've never seen you in the castle before."
Erdrick explained his situation to the girl. During Erdrick's recounting, they had sat down on the girl's bed, feet dangling off the edge.
"That's sad," said Medea, "I know I wouldn't like it if I had forgotten everything. Well, I wouldn't remember anything, so how could I miss it?"
Erdrick gave a hollow smile, "That's my problem."
"Oh, I'm sorry! That was incredibly rude of me. Please forgive me!"
She looked like she was on the verge of tears. Erdrick's eyes widened, "W-what? No, it's okay. It's just…hard to think about, really. Please, don't cry!"
The tears in the girl's eyes instantly vanished and was replaced with a smile, "Oh, thank you. You're a very nice person!"
Erdrick chuckled at the girl's mood swings. She was a very interesting person.
The girl blinked, "Oh, I haven't learned your name yet. How silly of me."
"My name's Erdrick. What's yours?"
"I am Medea."
"Oh, so you're the princess."
She nodded, "Yup! My daddy's the King of Trodain. And someday, I'll be the Queen!"
"What's it like, being a princess?"
Medea shrugged and fell back on her bed, "Well, I have a bunch of servants that wait on me hand and foot, always bringing me things and pampering me, but I don't really like it. I tell Daddy that I don't want to be waited on, but he tells me its 'proper for a princess to not strain herself'. But I just sneak off and do things on my own."
Erdrick shook his head, "I don't know. If I had all that attention, it'd be nice to just relax all the time."
"Oh, it's okay sometimes, like when they bring me food and stuff, but they never leave me alone. I sometimes threaten to fire them if they don't leave me alone, but it seems they don't even mind it."
Erdrick sighed longingly, "Living in a castle sounds nice."
Medea giggled, "Yeah, I guess so. Are you going to live here?"
"I don't know. Ivan said that he was going to talk to the King about making me a ward or something. I hope so. I have nowhere else to go."
"I hope so, too. You are the closest person to my age, and my friend. It's lonely in the castle all by myself."
Erdrick remained silent for a while, "You… I'm your friend?"
Medea looked at him, "Of course. Why, do you not think so? Do you hate me?"
Erdrick shook his head quickly, "No, of course not. It's just that… well, you're my first friend. Besides Munchie, but he's a mouse."
Medea smiled, "Good. Because you are my first friend too." She sat up and grabbed Erdrick's hand. She dragged him off the bed and over to her dresser. She rummaged around in the dresser, flinging all kinds of clothes onto the floor. Erdrick wondered what she was looking for, but his question was answered when she held up a red piece of cloth and handed it to Erdrick. Erdrick hesitantly took it, not quite understanding the significance of it.
"What am I supposed to do with this?"
"It's a bandana silly. You wear it around your head. Here, let me show you."
She turned him around and placed the cloth on his head, and folded it so it covered his hair. She made a knot and tied it. Inspecting her work, she nodded, pleased with what she had done. She grabbed a small hand mirror from her dresser and showed it to Erdrick, who looked at the new headwear. It covered most of his hair, but a few pieces poked out from the bottom. He adjusted it so that it felt natural, and he smiled.
"Wow, this is cool. Thanks Medea, I like it a lot."
Medea returned Erdrick's smile, "That's good, I knew you would. That bandana is a marking of our friendship."
Erdrick admired the new accessory and what it meant. It meant friendship, it meant that he wasn't alone. It meant the start of new memories to replace the ones that he had lost. He smiled at Medea, who returned it and grabbed his hand.
"Come on, Erdrick! We have to go see Daddy!" And she ran towards the door, dragging Erdrick in tow.
"What? Why?"
She turned and gave Erdrick a look, "So that he can let you stay here! Oh, but don't worry if he says no at first. I'm not gonna take 'no' for an answer."
Erdrick had to laugh at Medea's sheer enthusiasm. He knew nothing of princesses, but Medea seemed clever enough to know when and how to exploit her position as princess and daughter. They left her room and ran down the corridors towards the king's chambers. As they rounded a corner, Medea ran face first into Ivan's stomach. Medea, not expecting the sudden obstacle, fell to the floor, bringing Erdrick down with her. Ivan couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter as he watched the two of them scramble to their feet.
Medea, embarrassed, but also riled by Ivan's laughter, huffed, "Sir Ivan! It is impolite to laugh at a princess."
"That is true, Your Grace. Please accept my humblest apologies for my transgression." And to add to that, he bowed low to the floor.
Medea struggled to keep a dower appearance, but her visage started to crack with smiles and giggles, and the facade was broken, "Oh, it is fine, Sir Ivan. But, where are you headed?"
"I was actually looking for Erdrick. Your father tasked me to fetch him, and after finding the infirmary empty, I was coming to check to see if he managed to find you. And, it seems, I was correct."
Medea beamed, "Oh, what a coincidence, we were just going to see Daddy about letting Erdrick stay. We're friends now, and now Daddy has to let him stay."
Ivan chuckled, "Well, I can't argue with you there, Your Grace. Come, let us be off before the night is through."
The three set off, Ivan taking the lead, Medea still holding onto Erdrick's hand, as if Erdrick would be gone if she let go. Erdrick didn't mind, though at times she did grip his hand a little too tightly. They came upon a red door adorned with golden bolts and handles. Ivan grabbed a hold of one and gave three quick knocks. There was silence, but a soft voice told them to enter, and they proceeded to enter into the King's Chambers.
King Trode was a short man. Not short by most standards. He stood slightly beneath Erdrick's nose. His face was round and his mouth seemed to take up most of his lower face. His hair was a light brown, speckled with gray. He wore simple robes of lesser material. If Erdrick hadn't been told, he would not have assumed that this man standing before him was a king. King Trode watched Erdrick as they entered, and walked up to him and inspected him. Erdrick stood straight up and didn't move a muscle, wondering what King Trode could be looking for.
King Trode circled around Erdrick, muttering to himself as he continued his inspection. He came around to face Erdrick, and scratched his chin.
"So," he said, "this is him, correct?"
Ivan bowed his head slightly, "Yes, sire. One of the guards found him outside the castle during his rounds. He seems well enough, though he has no memories of his life. He only remembers his name."
"Uh, I actually remember something else." Erdrick cut in, "I, uh, have a pet mouse"
King Trode stepped back, aghast, "You...you have a vermin as a pet?"
"No, he's not a vermin, he's my friend! See, I'll show..." Erdrick reached into his pocket for Munchie, but the mouse was no longer there. He searched the other pocket, but it was empty. He looked around the room, looking for any indication as to where the mouse could possibly be, but as Erdrick turned back to King Trode, he saw Munchie. The mouse had, in fact, climbed up King Trode's clothes and was now resting on his head.
King Trode saw the three of them stare at him, or rather at his head, and reached up. He reached up and felt a soft body on top of his head, and his already pale skin seemed to get even paler. He let out a shriek and started to panic, jumping around and running in place.
"G-G-G-Get this...MONSTER off of my head! SIR IVAN, DO SOMETHING!"
Ivan, unsure of how to handle the situation, approached the king slowly, hands up to try and assess the situation. He hesitated for a brief instant, then reached out and plucked the mouse off of King Trode's head. He looked at the mouse, who looked at Ivan, almost as if to ask why he was woken up from his nap. Ivan smirked and handed the mouse back to Erdrick, who took him graciously and placed him back in his pocket, whispering something to the mouse.
King Trode calmed down, hand on his heart and struggling to catch his breath, "I want this...delinquent out of my sight! Banish him, exile him, I don't care! JUST-"
"DADDY!" A voice called out. All eyes turned to see Medea, forgotten in the excitement, "Daddy, Erdrick is my friend. You can't banish him!"
King Trode sputtered, not expecting Medea to come to the defense of the delinquent, "B-b-but, Medea, he was only here for a short while. How could you have made friends with this-this delinquent?"
Medea crossed her arms, "He is NOT a delinquent and Munchie is very nice!"
Now King Trode was baffled, "Munchie? Who is Munchie?"
"Uh, Munchie is my mouse." Erdrick added.
"And Erdrick is my friend. You can't make him leave. I forbid it."
King Trode sighed, "Medea, my dear, you cannot simply forbid me. I am the King, my word is law."
Medea glared at her father for a few seconds, but then she lowered her head. Everyone stared at her, wondering what happened to her, but suddenly, her eyes started to water, until tears started pouring out and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing.
"But...but...but..." She managed to choke out, "Erdrick's...the only friend I have. You can't send him away. He's my friend!"
King Trode didn't know what to do with his crying daughter. He tried to reason with her, but her sobs only got worse. He looked to Ivan, who merely shrugged. He turned back to Medea, who was now crying into her hands. He tried to think of something to say, but he blustered and blabbered until he let out a huge sigh.
"Alright, the boy can stay. He'll stay, Medea."
Almost instantly, Medea stopped crying and looked up at her father, "Oh, truly Daddy? Thank you so much!" She jumped up and hugged him. King Trode, however, was muttering to himself about 'vermin' and 'manipulation'. Medea turned to Erdrick and also hugged him. Shocked, Erdrick hugged her back, "Oh, this will be so much fun! I'll teach you everything about this castle. We can play together, and eat together, and I'll show you all the secret passages and we can talk all night and..."
"Easy there, Your Grace," Ivan cut in, "You'll be able to do all of those things in the morning. Now, it's very late and you two should get some sleep."
Both Erdrick and Medea seemed to both fall under a spell as both their eyes seemed to grow heavier. They both nodded, and Ivan ushered them towards the door. He looked at the King, who tiredly waved them off, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sat in the nearest chair.
"Give the boy one of the old servant's quarters. The one near Medea's room. We can deal with all of this in the morning."
Ivan made to leave, but King Trode motioned for Ivan to stay.
"Tell me Ivan, does this boy remind you of someone?"
Ivan glanced at Erdrick, who was waiting by the door, trying to remain awake. He tried to recognize the face, but to no avail.
"I don't think so, sire. Or, at least, I do not know who. Why, who does he remind you of?"
King Trode gazed at Erdrick for another moment, before shaking his head, "No, it's my imagination. Just my eyes playing tricks. It's very late. It's fine, Ivan. You have my leave." And with that, the King left the room.
Ivan bowed, then left the King's Chambers. He escorted Medea back to her room, who gave a soft goodnight to Ivan and hugged Erdrick before closing the door. They were both silent as Ivan led Erdrick to an empty room that was now to be Erdrick's. The room was small, with not much in it. There was a bed, a small bedside table, a cabinet, and a small window that looked out onto the coast. The sun was starting to rise, and a small sliver of light shot through the window.
"Here's your room, kid. You'll stay here. Get what little rest you can. We'll officially welcome you tomorrow."
Ivan made to leave, but Erdrick grabbed Ivan's arm, "Uh, Ivan?"
"Yeah, kid?
"Is it really okay for me to be here? I mean, it seemed like the King didn't really want me."
Ivan squatted and placed a hand on Erdrick's head, "That may be, but in the end, he accepted you. Medea wouldn't have had it any other way. Don't worry. You'll fit in. And who knows, maybe you'll remember where you're from and we'll take you there."
"But what if I never do? What if I never remember anything about my life?"
Ivan stood up and walked towards the door, "Well, then you'd better get used to the view, kid." And with that, Ivan left.
Erdrick looked out of the window, where the sun started to rise on the horizon. He watched as the sky turned orange and the sea illuminated beneath the sun's glow. Smiling, he untied the bandana Medea had given him and stared at it. He gripped it, and placed it on the small bedside table. He hopped into bed and let sleep take him. He had to get some rest. His life was about to begin.
A/N: Well... This isn't much of an update. This is virtually the same chapter that I posted back in June 2013. So, why is it different? Well... I'm going to answer some of the things in my profile, so check it there. But, this story is currently being rewritten. I hope to finish this story soon. I don't want this looming over my head. Simply, I want closure. When will I get this done? Whenever I have spare time between my current stories. Thanks for sticking with me for the past few years with this story. I hope that you'll enjoy what's to come.