The fist caught him across the jaw. His head snapped sideways, teeth cutting the inside of his cheek, blood flooding his mouth with copper warmth. Another blow landed before he could recover - knuckles driving into his ribs with force that compressed his lungs, drove air from his body in a sharp gasp. His father’s face loomed above him, features twisted with disgust that went deeper than anger could ever be.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzUcIapZNe
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“Worthless.” The word came flat. “The Moon Goddess’s mark. Of all the humiliations you could have brought on this house.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tZk1Xi4a2
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Cel tried to speak. Tried to explain, apologize, say anything that might stop this. But all he managed were choking and pathetic sounds that had no meaning.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4196kWfZY
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The beating continued. Methodical. Thorough. Fists raining down without pattern or pause, as if his father meant to erase him entirely. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33snXKPPPQ
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Cel gasped. Air rushed into his lungs too fast, making him cough, which made his ribs scream with renewed intensity. His hands pressed against the floor, trying to push himself upright.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53bhnHqxvn
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But the floor wasn’t stone anymore.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnlzPywhIe
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Straw crackled beneath his palms. Rough cloth instead of polished marble.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tpM5qJS6g
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Understanding crashed through.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPTS0GGHgU
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‘Not real. Not real…’121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iA1vu55Ro
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He opened his eyes.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkgdvBwciy
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Grey light greeted him. Not full morning yet - the pale, thin kind that crept through gaps in the walls before the sun properly rose. The sleeping room where Lior had grown up. The pallet beneath him. The single blanket that had fallen to the side during whatever thrashing he’d done while dreaming.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbaEx9ENIH
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His breath came too fast. Heart hammering against his ribs like it was trying to escape. Sweat slicked his skin despite the cool night air.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVj0shltiR7
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He forced himself to slow down. Breathe deeper. Count the inhales and exhales until his body remembered it wasn’t actually being beaten, wasn’t actually in danger, wasn’t actually anywhere near his father.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqoQJAJCHa
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It was just a memory, feeling the familiar weight of Cinderward’s armor still manifested around him - he’d kept it summoned through the night, unwilling to be caught vulnerable even here.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpstdYViePk
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Light leaked around the curtain separating his sleeping room from the main space. Movement sounds filtered through - quiet footsteps, the scrape of wood against wood, low voices speaking too softly for him to make out words.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbN6ynkW14
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Surprise flickered through him. He'd expected the nightmare to have jolted him awake in the dead of night, same as always. But apparently he'd slept through till morning this time. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQgNGhrSRn
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Cel moved to the curtain and pushed it aside carefully.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKShyn5gUZ
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Lior and his parents moved through practiced morning routines - his mother tending something over the fire, his father checking equipment near the door, Lior setting wooden bowls on the table with the particular care of someone trying not to make unnecessary noise.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0xs4vKNwe
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They looked up when the curtain moved. Three sets of eyes finding him simultaneously.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuc3sXLrUN8
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“Good morning,” Lior’s mother said, her voice carrying enthusiasm despite the early hour. “Did you sleep well?”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnM0vISnBD9
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The question was innocent. Casual. But Cel’s chest tightened anyway.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQVmzLKQiG
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Had they heard him? The nightmare might have made him thrash or cry out. Raven had mentioned once that he talked in his sleep.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMTlZaNEqa
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But their expressions held nothing except polite concern. No pity. No awkward awareness of having witnessed something private.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPG7KajG5H
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Relief settled over him with unexpected intensity.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNwuCGNzj5
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“I did,” Cel said, avoiding her eyes. “Thank you.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDFyYcYwEG
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Lior smiled, gesturing toward the table. “Mother made breakfast. It’s not much, but...”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHp1ueYxrCW
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“I’m sure it’s fine,” Cel said.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPlnFwgcna
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He crossed to the table, settling onto one of the stools. The others joined him - Lior beside him as always, his parents across from them. His mother distributed bowls, each containing what looked like grain cooked in water. Porridge, maybe. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrNDQzuAOo
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They ate mostly in quiet, spoons against wood, a murmured comment now and then about the day ahead. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYJH0SO6BK
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Lior’s father finished first. Set his bowl aside and stood, moving to gather equipment from near the door. His mother followed suit moments later, collecting empty bowls and stacking them for later washing.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxshuqPmhlh
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“We should head out,” Lior’s father said. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ejLudinKP
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They moved through final preparations with practiced efficiency. Cel and Lior collected their own items - nothing much, just themselves really, since whatever work awaited wouldn’t require the supplies they’d brought from the Academy.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKD6DaemsM
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Outside, morning light had begun asserting itself over the village. Other students emerged from the houses where they’d stayed, joining the families who’d hosted them in a gradual convergence toward the village center.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UPH77CFNU
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The crowd grew. Perhaps thirty students total, accompanied by an equal number of residents. Conversation remained muted - people still shaking off sleep, not quite ready for the day’s full energy.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2dbQhkkif
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Instructor Calder and Saren stood near the well, waiting with the patient stillness of people who’d already been awake for hours. Their postures carried the particular alertness that never quite faded even in safe locations.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LRgTTnqgF
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When everyone had gathered, Saren’s voice cut across the ambient noise.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AWbAkKKwO
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“Students selected for scouting duty - step forward.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRcIBe2qZg
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Heads turned. Bodies shifted as certain people pushed through the crowd toward the instructors.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmf3DuDLBSl
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Nobles.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5VO2O9UyC
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Only Nobles.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aZZGvhty2
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And Theron of course, who everyone assumed was the emperor’s child.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUUWclp91Y
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Cel watched them arrange themselves before the instructors. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BbmJ2dWbe
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The message was clear enough. Either the instructors were sparing nobles the dishonor of manual labor, or they were prioritizing the students who already had combat experience from family training.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMqIMuoJWe
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But it created an obvious divide. Nobles doing important work while commoners stayed behind to help with farming and whatever other tasks the village needed.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKIW7UROJn
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Saren dismissed the selected group with a gesture. They departed immediately, following Calder toward the village’s main gate.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9AJ6Pilg8
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Lior’s father stepped closer, his weathered face friendly despite the early hour. He looked at Cel directly.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqgCuGo1g9
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“Would you like to help me work the field today?”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XXpc4r6W7
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“Yes,” Cel said immediately. Because what else could he say? That he’d prefer to stand around uselessly while everyone else contributed?121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIedgKsm7Ai
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Lior’s father nodded, pleased. Then he turned toward his son.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3njFxP9MOK
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Lior’s mother had moved closer during the exchange. She touched Lior’s arm lightly, drawing his attention. “Would you like to come gather herbs with me? A merchant should arrive any day now. We could trade what we find for something nice to eat.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZarPpCwQS
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Lior’s face brightened. “Of course.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4ZTWjp6Bm
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His father’s expression shifted into something more serious. “Don’t go too far from the village. Stay within sight of the walls if you can.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZfuBHtZm7
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Both Lior and his mother nodded.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxzX9SlCx5
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Then they were moving. Separating into their assigned tasks. Lior glanced back once, catching Cel’s eye, offering a small wave before disappearing around a corner.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTm8DI5LXx
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Cel followed Lior’s father. Joined the loose group of other villagers and students who’d been assigned field work. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceLBvUPR7R
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Movement caught his attention. Hestia walked perhaps five steps away, her black robes and wine-red ribcage frame standing out starkly among the simple clothes everyone else wore.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlZ4N64aVj
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Cel adjusted his path, falling into step beside her.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXbSACxSLJ
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She glanced at him. Crimson eyes acknowledging his presence without surprise.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7WRjfjJgf
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“Why are you the only noble who didn’t go with the instructors?” The question emerged before Cel could consider whether asking was appropriate or not.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHkERJ8Ste
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Hestia’s pace didn’t falter. “The instructors wanted me to stay behind.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqGieqwS0w
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“Why?”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK7Xgtgv91
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“To take the lead if something happens.” Her tone carried the same clinical precision it always did. “They needed someone capable of organizing a defense if the village comes under attack while they’re gone.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRa1hJaIDk
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That made sense. Hestia had already demonstrated leadership capabilities far beyond her age. The instructors would be fools not to utilize that.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cJatoy2dI
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“Then why are you going to the field?” Cel asked.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIHhDHTsqx
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Hestia's expression didn't shift. “If I have to stay behind anyway, I might as well help with the work.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LelWlcqKz
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The group continued walking. Away from the village center, toward a gate Cel hadn’t noticed the previous day. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELjVLca4Kx
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The forest pressed close beyond it. Trees crowding each other, undergrowth thick between their trunks. The kind of density that made Cel wonder where exactly a field was supposed to exist in this environment.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUYCSeHzc7
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They walked for perhaps ten minutes. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4bqqZNOh3
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Then the trees opened.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5jTXXe69r
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Abruptly. Completely. One moment surrounded by dense growth, the next emerging into a space so large and clear it looked wrong.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JgZd5VOZE
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The field stretched ahead. Massive. Rich earth showed in neat rows, some already planted with crops that had begun sprouting, others lying fallow and ready for work.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzBrOBYiWK
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And surrounding it on all sides - the forest. Trees pressed close to the field’s edges like they were waiting for permission to reclaim the space. The contrast was striking. Almost surreal.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpJKuE3nsE
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“How did you make this?” Cel asked, turning toward Lior’s father.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQOHsDw8BH
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The man chuckled. Warm and genuine. “We didn’t. A Chosen from the Life Clan made it for us.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8pPQICNOY
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Divine power used for agriculture. Not combat. Not glory. Just practical application of abilities to help people who needed it.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwEcxk9q25
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Lior’s father reached into a pile of tools that had been left at the field’s edge and pulled out a hoe.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4aGmLRVZS
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He held it out toward Cel.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWl7xbu9p4
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“You know how to do this, right?”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12v2JG6wx6
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The question was rhetorical. Delivered with the assumption that of course Cel knew basic field work. Because what commoner didn’t?121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEvqEqxf3A
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Lior’s father moved away before Cel could formulate a response. Joined the other villagers who were already spreading across the field, selecting their sections to work.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7y9kx2iHBR
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Cel stood frozen. The hoe felt alien in his grip.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAC4E9PjAGV
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He had a problem. A significant one he hadn’t considered until this exact moment.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrozv1TkCjS
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As a noble, he’d never done manual labor. Never been expected to understand how farming worked beyond the abstract concept that crops grew in fields and servants harvested them. His childhood had been spent learning etiquette, studying clan politics, training with weapons he’d been terrible at wielding.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmMGZr8fOa
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Not learning how to work a field.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VeiayenXs
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His gaze swept across the space. Other students had already begun working. Their movements carried the practiced efficiency of people who’d been doing this since they were old enough to hold tools. Hoes rose and fell in steady rhythm, breaking earth and clearing space for planting with effortless competence.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaXFj1sRFB
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Cel turned.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM84YsMFCEq
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Hestia stood perhaps ten steps away, also holding a hoe. Also looking distinctly uncertain. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyAAmENPJl
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She looked almost comical. A Great Clan heir in full divine armor, holding a farming tool like she’d been handed a weapon she didn’t know how to use.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiRo5rsbUl
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“Do you know how to do this?” Cel asked.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3txaAXYtv
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Hestia’s crimson eyes met his. Something defensive flickered through them. “Of course I know.”121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGj1unLfsfn
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Then she turned and walked away.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJ6pdJMPRS
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Cel watched her go. 121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVrb3uPhs4
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Apparently House Mortveil taught their heirs practical skills. Or at least taught Hestia. Maybe it was connected to that family tradition she’d mentioned while cooking - some Mortveil philosophy about understanding all aspects of life, even the mundane ones.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysAco8tgVl
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Cel looked at his own hoe. At the field stretching before him. At the other workers moving through their sections with steady progress.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrejazUSOU5
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‘Screw this.’121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3F7QG4h47c
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He lifted the hoe.121Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFB7dP7jzo
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