3 Away From Home [Part 1]

THAT DAY IT WAS calm and peaceful. That day, life was joyful. A day that made Junas wish it could last forever. It was the day when he would set out in the world. The day his adventure into the darkness would start.

He could feel it. It was the start of a legend, his legend. The legend of "The Blue-Eyed Crimson Demon."

**

Twelve years after Junas' birth: -

Much time had elapsed. Junas was now twelve years old. At least, that was what it looked like on the outside. Or did it? For a child of twelve years, Junas was far more mature than his coequals. And intelligent, too.

Even as a toddler, he was not one to cry much. Only doing so when necessary; to inform his mother that he had soiled his pants or that it was time to feed him. And he had already started to speak more than thirty-forty words after being born one year later.

As time passed and Junas grew to be a teenager, it seemed as if he had become more mature than he previously was.

At ten years, he had become able to write complex sentences. While on the other hand, others his age could only barely write their names correctly.

Another thing was that he loved literature. Reading books and listening to stories at Granny Nina's house was his favourite pastime now.

Whether they were in writings of God or books of famous authors, it did not matter to him.

Not having internet and television had made him find a new source of entertainment. Now even that source was on the verge of being cut off. He had already read all the books Granny Nina had to offer.

And he was not the type to re-read something he had already once read. He just could not. It did not give him the sense of excitement and thrill that it had for the first time.

Seeing Junas' interest in books, his parents had decided to buy him a book from when the time for travelling merchants to visit the village would come. And knowing that books for children would not quench his curiosity, they had saved a sum of money to buy a book more suited to his tastes.

Junas, too, knew of this. He knew how much his parents-who he had come to accept as such-sacrificed for him every day.

He was grateful to them for giving him birth, shelter, protection and much-needed love in this lonely world.

The time had come for the merchants to visit. It was the start of autumn.

At the beginning of every season-spring, summer, autumn, and winter-the merchants would come to barter things. And with them, they would bring many tales and legends of faraway lands.

These merchants were the only people responsible for currency circulation in the borderlands. But in the eyes of the residents, they were still untrustworthy.

Although the tales and legends they brought were intriguing, that was just what they were, tales. The villagers did not want to get much too involved with them.

Much to the villagers' dismay, it seemed it was not the case for Junas. Every evening the little man would visit the merchants and hear stories from them.

Coming to this world, it had become his dream to explore and adventure. And the stories and the legends he heard were what gave food to this thought of his.

Nastka and Isidora had already noticed this desire of his, it seemed.

**

"But he is just a child", said Isidora in a worried tone, "that too only twelve years old."

"Do you think it hinders him?" replied Nastka, "He is different. Much different from others. If he gets a good enough education, he might become a scholar. A top one at that."

"Still...he'll be all alone there," said Isidora in a much more worried tone, "What of his clothes, food..."

"Don't worry. I've arranged everything. Junas won't have to worry about anything. Besides, it is not as if we won't see him. We can ride a train to the capital", replied Nastka.

With tears in her eyes, Isidora said to Nastka, "You can't do this to me. To him, my child. Do you think..."

Seeing his wife crying, Nastka felt an ache in his heart. He could not bear to see his beautiful wife weep so miserably. It was not as if he did not feel sad about sending Junas away.

He was in much grief and sadness. How could a father send his child so far away? How could he separate a mother and her child?

Although he did say that he had prepared for everything, he was still worried. How could he not be? How could a father not worry about his child?

Junas, whom his parents had thought to be asleep, had heard the whole conversation between them. For him, hearing it was as shocking as it was exciting.

He wanted to explore this new world and not just be a frog in a well. Not a caterpillar-he wanted to be a butterfly. He desired to fly and fly higher than any other and to have the world below him.

He knew, just like in those novels he had read, there had to be an underlying reason for him to have been born in this world.

For now, it was time to sleep, he thought. It was late in the night, after all.

That night Junas, in his dreams, rode a black dragon and flew higher and higher, leaving the mortal world behind. With a sword in his hand and the starry sky as his canvas, he drew to his heart's content.

He fought with formidable enemies; Knights of Darkness, Demon Kings and GODs; he fought them all. Finally, he reached for the hand of the woman he loved and kissed her. After that, it was, 'They lived happily ever after.'