Ennui. III

Adria and Jordan were at home. Jordan was munching on a fluffy piece of baked bread. The flakes of the outside of the bread landed messily on his lips. There also seem to be a piece of flake shaped like a tree on the corner of his upper lip.

"Don't worry Jordie. Papa can still teach you swordsmanship as a skill. You'll still be able to perfectly protect the village." She raised the corner of his lips but just as quickly brought them down.

Jordan was completely focused on eating the baked bread from the temporary stall that her words hadn't registered in his head. She wasn't even sure if the fact that he failed had occurred to him either.

Just then, the door swung open, revealing a gruffy man. Black tar scattered across his face and a sword placed on his waist, the blade facing the ground. He walked with an abundance of confidence to the dinner table. A smug smile plastered across his face, he spoke.

"I think our future is in good hands! The four kids were-"

"Don't say it here!" her words escaping through her teeth.

She gestured towards Jordan still absentmindedly eating his bread. It was soon to finish.

"Say… Jordan! Are you interested in learning the way of the swords?"

This time, Jordan looked up. He gave a thoughtful look to the sky. To fight, or not to fight he wondered. Swordsmanship is a vital skill for protecting the village. In fact, most kids don't manage to get selected start learning it the very next day. That, or farmers.

"Give him time to think Josiah. He's still sad. Look at him."

Adria sheepishly smiled in her head. He had done the same thing Josiah did mere moments before he entered.

'But he didn't respond, so that's okay!' she reasoned with herself.

Again admonished, Josiah chose to remain silent. Three strikes and you're out! (baseball existed here)

One more time and he'd have to buy groceries tomorrow and he really didn't want to.

Tomorrow was the first day of the trials for the village's guards. Those who did not manage to awaken their magic five years ago have trained tirelessly each and every day for a sliver of opportunity at being the village's guards.

There was a certain prestige in being one of the guards. Pay was amongst the highest, but that was dwarfed in comparison to the respect you'd have. Discounts often happened, sometimes even for free if the old grandmas deem you handsome or pretty enough.

People will chase after you. After all, if there's prestige in being a guard, there's prestige in being related to the guard. That's how Adria and Josiah got together.

Adria hoped that Josiah will get his third strike.

Tomorrow was the arrival of a new soap. Rumored to smell like lavender and rosemary and thyme. Those scents were only available in the capital. But Madam Cartier had gotten hold of a priceless favor.

The wheel of the cart that belonged to the merchant was fixed by Madam Cartier's husband, and in gratitude the merchant promised to get her the 'finest soap in all of the land!'

But a cart is only so big. There will be limited stocks. And she will be the receiver of one.

And she didn't even know what those scents were!

She'd heard of lavender from stories told in her youth, but rosemary and thyme were unheard of. She heard it from the whisperings of the old ladies at the market yesterday.

Those uncouth ladies. Yapping yapping yapping through the midnight oil. However she was secretly grateful for them revealing the information.

"So, Josiah.' His ears perked up. Staring at her eyes, he knew immediately what she was up to. 'how was the students?"

"Isn't now not the right time? Jordie is here?"

"I'll put him to bed."

She returned from tucking in Jordie and kissing him a goodnight.

"Ok, tell me."

"The children was exceptionally talented. Especially this girl, Lorraine. She quickly got down the basics of mana circulation. They'll be sent to the academy at the end of the month."

"How about the other kids?"

"Oh you know, above averages at best. Still amazing how we got four this year. There weren't any the past few years at all!"

"How about Jordie? How'd he react?" he asked this time.

"No words uttered yet. Incredibly silent all this years. But I could tell he was a little disappointed. Nothing a little baked bread could not fix, though. The other kids were bawling, however. Especially Loretta's kid. Ugh, so annoying."

Josiah showed a face of concern.

"Do…' he stuttered, 'do you think there's something wrong with our kid?"

"How could you say that!" Adria was fuming with anger. There was nothing wrong with not speaking. There was nothing wrong with not having uttered a single word. And there was nothing wrong in not making a single friend throughout the five years of school.

"I-I-I'm just saying! I mean… he hasn't spoken at all. Not even to us! Even Evan's kids still talk to his parents. And he shows almost little to no emotion. I'm just worried, Adria. For our kid."

"Just because he doesn't follow the rest doesn't mean he's wrong, Josiah. So what if he's different? We won't be treating him any differently, right?"

"I guess you're right. I'm sorry Adria."

Adria got up from the seat. She beckoned him to their bedroom.

"No worries. Alright let's sleep."

Josiah was just behind Adria when he heard her mutter the words.

"Third strike, and you're out!"

The next day, the Carter family smelt like lavender and rosemary and thyme presumably.