Aravel

Chapter 1

"I will be off then, grandfather."

"Alright, you take care of yourself now. Don't come back anytime soon."

"What will you be doing while I'm gone?"

"Who knows? The other kids here would probably need my help."

"I see. Then, see you soon."

The young boy set off from the church that he lived in for the past 17 years. With the wind behind his back, he bid his grandfather a final wave until the arch of the hills prevented him from seeing the tip of his head. He trudged along the path surrounded by grassy plains, a place he was all too familiar with after growing up here his whole life.

It didn't take long for him to reach the town below. The church he lived in was built on top of a hill, which surprisingly did not make it any more awkward for the journey. As the entire area around the town were nothing but hills and steep slopes, the locals have gotten used to the everlasting terrain that showed no signs of changing unless major development was needed or natural disasters happening. Then again, natural disasters in this area were pretty rare too. In the last 500 years or so, nothing but peace has descended upon the area. Right now, the young boy called Kaze had left the comforts of home and setting off for his next part of his life's journey.

If one had to describe Kaze from an outsider view, there was nothing special appearance alone. His neatly trimmed brownish-black hair was somewhat dishevelled when walking against the wind, but it quickly settled down when the gust changed directions. His clothing was nothing out of the ordinary when compared to the town area. Everyone here had equal distribution of wealth, aside from certain lords that lived alongside commoners. Travellers would be surprised if they heard the church could afford normal clothing for every orphan who lived there, proving that there was sufficient care towards the poor.

Gripping a somewhat big backpack which contained all of his lifetime belongings, Kaze was now heading to the main city of the nation Czech. Where Kaze and the town was located due north of Czech, a hilly zone that had lesser economic activity compared to the busier side of Czech.

Czech is one of the nations whose population consisted mainly of humans. Should one ask of its origins, anyone with simple knowledge on the history of the establishment of Czech would tell you it had been a powerhouse from thousands of years ago. One reason for it was the quantity of manpower and resources available. Where there were enough wood and minerals to sustain life, population quickly boom and today was the result of the development.

Despite growing up in the church as an orphan, Kaze was taught enough to be able to continue studying at a higher-level education, hence why he was headed to the capital of Czech. Czech's capital, Tritania, was named after the King who first established it to be the main city of its nation. If one wanted to change their lives and get away from the quietness of the countryside, the first place in mind would be Tritania. The city alone boasted a huge population of a little over half a million, causing one to wonder what the total population would be if they were to take into account of every other city and town within Czech jurisdiction.

Kaze swung his sword around him to practice while heading down the path. The sword was given to him by his grandfather, something of a parting gift. While it wasn't in the best shape or had the best craftsmanship on it, Kaze still cherished it dearly. Other than it being a keepsake of his grandfather, it was also used by him to train on a daily basis. Some kids at the orphanage preferred the way of magic while some worked on technical skill, but Kaze had his grandfather kept him occupied with sword training for the past few years. Sword skills required intense physical training and mental fortitude, which deterred most from entering the field. Then again, it wasn't like Kaze had a choice. It was true that his determination kept him going from all the sadistic training his grandfather bestowed upon him, but other factors like being weaker using magic and being lazy in studying deterred Kaze from being a businessman or a mage.