“You can't just leave,” Jerome said. He was always so serious, so obedient. So boring. “Think of what people will say about you. About father.”
“I don't care.” I did care a little, but Jerome didn't need to know that. I'd already made up my mind at this point, and his nagging was not going to change anything. I was fed up and had made my decision to leave, and that's exactly what I was going to do.
“You're unbelievable, you know that? Do you ever think about anyone other than yourself?”
“I try not to.” Again, not entirely true. I cared deeply for what certain people thought, or what happened to them. For the rest, not so much. Jerome was in a weird spot in between. We were brothers, after all, so I had to love him. But that didn't mean I had to like him, and I certainly did not. We were polar opposites, him so studious and serious, me more laid back and rebellious. In hindsight perhaps I should have listened to him more, but there's no way anyone could have convinced me of that at the time. I walked towards the door and pushed it open only a crack before Jerome stopped me.
“Please, don't do this. It's not right. I- I'm not prepared for the responsibilities. They're meant to be yours not, mine!”
“Well you'd better start preparing, then. Now get out of the way.”
I pushed the door more forcefully, ignoring Jerome as I stepped past him. I descended the long staircase that had become the bane of my existence, exiting into the even longer corridor. It was too late for anyone to be up, making my escape much easier and less noticeable.
After an eternity I exited into the courtyard, lit brilliantly by the torches lining its perimiter. They came in all colors, one of the benefits of the Academy's particular focus. In the center was the ever-rotating statue of the Sun, the pride and joy of the headmaster. I was excited to gaze on it for the last time when a thought occurred. A final delinquent act to perform before leaving for good.
With a flick of my wrist the Sun's glow dimmed and fizzled out as the statue became encased in a thick layer of ice. So entranced was I with my idea that I nearly forgot I was leaving, and spent a good half hour decorating my creation with symbols and spikes to represent the Sun's rays. Only when I began to hear footsteps did I remember my true goal, and quickly continued out of the courtyard into the streets below.
The streets were as usual. The major roadways were brightly lit, the same colorful torches lining their edges as they did the courtyard of the Academy. The alleyways, though, were as dark and dreary as those found in any other part of the world. I stuck to those, not keen on running into anyone during my nighttime stroll through town. Following a path I'd traversed many times before – albeit only in the light of day until then – I made my way to the home of Mauritia.
Mauritia was a good decade older than me, but that did not stop either of us pursuing one another. She'd attended the Academy as well in her youth, though that came as no surprise when I found out – she was certainly smart enough. It gave us something to talk about as we got to know one another, an icebreaker of sorts. Like me, she had been unimpressed by the Academy's leadership and, like me, she often acted out. Unlike me, however, she was regularly punished for such acts. Were it not for my father I'm sure it would have been the same for me.
As our relationship grew it only cemented my desire to leave the Academy, just as Mauritia did. Who needed their teachings? I, in my infinite adolescent wisdom, already knew all I needed to know. They were just trying to hold me back, keep my abilities contained. Rules and regulations did not matter to me. Those were the things Jerome cared about, and how could I be like him?
And so I made my way to Mauritia's home, two miles from the Academy, through side streets and alleyways. The few people I passed were more concerned with staying unseen themselves to care about me. Likely thieves or deviants, but it mattered little to me. They weren't harming me. I'd vandalized enough buildings to be in no position to judge them for their misdeeds.
When I finally reached my goal I knocked in the tune of Mauritia's favorite song, a pattern we'd use to identify one another at the door. She was always worried someone would be coming for her, so this best way to let her know there was no harm coming her way.
After a moment I knocked again, more loudly. It was late, she could have been asleep. I hadn't exactly told her I'd decided to leave the Academy this exact night, though she knew of my desire to.
A few more moments passed by before a final knock. This time she answered. I sighed a great sigh of relief, glad that she was safe. She opened the door in her loose sleeping gown, a sight I loved to see. She'd very clearly been asleep, as I'd thought, as she was rubbing her eyes and her hair was in her face.
“What are you doing?” she asked, before letting out a large yawn.
“I left.”
“I can see that, but why? It's the middle of the night.”
“No, I mean I left. For good. I came to stay with you.”
“Oh. Oh!” Her eyes were wider, the realization finally sinking in. She smiled and we embraced, then I made my way inside. “Well I'm going back to bed. We can talk more about this in the morning,” she said. She stretched and walked back towards her bed, which sat in the corner of the room that was her home. It was much more modest than any place I'd ever lived, and I could not have been happier to be there. I followed after, removing my boots and robes, and joined her in the bed.
I woke the next morning to a wonderful smell, the scent of freshly baked bread permeating the air. Another scent, that of cooking eggs, soon followed and I was quick to sit up. On the other side of the room, at her fire, Mauritia was making the wonderful breakfast. A simple peasant's breakfast, but for me there could have been nothing better in the world. No more butlers, no more meticulously prepared meals. I was finally free to live my own life, not the one my family had planned since my birth. And I got to live it with the most beautiful woman.
Noticing that I was awake, Mauritia turned and smiled. “You get enough sleep? You were out for awhile. I had time to go get this bread for the market and return before you were even awake.”
“Well I was up late,” I responded. It was stating the obvious, sure, but I could think of little better to say. I had just woken up, after all.
“That is true,” she said, turning back to the cooking eggs. The yolk of one had broken while she was turned and she was cursing herself for not paying attention, but I could not have cared one way or another how nice the eggs looked. I just wanted to eat them.
“What do you want to do today?” I asked, as I stood from the bed. My robes, which I'd dropped on the ground, had been moved to against the wall and folded. I picked them back up and put them on, before sitting in the bench to lace up my boots.
“I have to work. You should explore the town, or whatever it is you like. I'll be back later.”
“Can I watch you work? I have nothing to do all day, I might as well see what a day in your life is like.”
“You'll just get in my way. Besides, my boss would never allow it. He's not big on visits.”
“Well I guess I will just explore then. Maybe I will find some odd jobs to do while I'm out, something to pass the time and earn a little coin. I can't let you pay for everything.”
“That you can't,” she said with a grin as she turned to bring me my breakfast of eggs and bread. I'd had both many times before, in many different ways, but this was my favorite. The simplicity of it was a nice change of pace, and I saw it as a sign of things to come for my life as a whole. How naive I was back then.
Mauritia brought her plate along with her and sat next to me on the bench. Together we ate our meal and made small talk, both beaming with joy. When the meal was done she took the plates away and put on the rest of her clothes and, after a kiss goodbye, she made her way to her job.
I never knew what she did for work, but she talked about it all the time. She seemed to enjoy the job and the people she worked with, though she never had a kind thing to say about the boss. From all I'd gathered he was a large, brutish sort of man with a beard and hairy arms – hairy enough that they deserved being mentioned on multiple occasions. He smoke a lot and drank a lot and was often handsy with the women. I told her once that if I met him I'd have to teach him a lesson, but she told me that it would only do more harm than good. I'd hoped that first day to finally get to meet the man face to face, size him up, and give him a piece of my mind, but I wanted to respect her wishes to stay out of it. So, instead, I explored the city.
Cru'un is an exceptionally large city, and until my first day as a free man I'd experience virtually none of it. Until I was eight years old I'd only experienced my own home. Then my horizons broadened ever so slightly to include the Academy, which came to be my second home. I'd explored all of its extensive ground by the time I'd finished my second year there, and after that things became stale. I longed to see more of the city, but it was not allowed to those so young.
By fifteen I was finally allowed to venture out into the city, though not without an adult escort. This also meant we were limited in where we were allowed to go, as the adults were careful not to expose us to anything they deemed unfitting for children. But once I'd been given an inch I fully intended to take a mile. Whenever I could manage it I'd slip away on my own, going to places I'd been forbidden to go with an escort, seeing things I'm sure they didn't want me to see. And once I'd tasted that small amount of freedom I only wanted more. Now that I had it, I was at a loss for what to do. I could do anything, everything that I'd ever wanted to do. But what first?
Without a plan or goal in mind, I left the home after Mauritia and wandered down a street. When it ended or turned I'd take a new path. I did not care where I was going, I'd find my way back eventually. I just wanted to see things, anything, it would all be new to me.
After awhile I found myself in a small local marketplace, the intersection of three medium-sized roads a few blocks from the house. The smell of fresh bread wafted from one of the nearby shops, smelling just like what I'd woke up to. I knew this must have been where Mauritia did her shopping. I had no money to buy bread, though, so I continued on.
As I wandered I past all manner of people and places. Large estate with stone walls and ornate gardens, smaller row houses and even the occasional hovel. There were shops, stalls, vendors selling their wares from carts. Busy streets, empty streets, I saw it all. Eventually I came upon the docks.
I know now that there are many more impressive ports in the world than Cru'un's, from the seemingly-endless coastline of Talguta to the immaculate masonry of Ellisport. At the time, however, the sight of the docks was mind-blowing to me. So many ships, and so large. I never fully grasped how large a sailing vessel was in person until then. I'd only seen them from afar or in paintings, and the paintings never show what they look like in port with people moving past them like ants. The activity at the docks made the busier streets I'd passed seem lazy by comparison.
NaNoWriMo Day 1 - 2222 Words