Chapter 1

The hot sun shone viciously in the skies above.

Sweat trickled down my back and my shirt clung tightly to my body. Only the woven straw hat on my head provided some precious comfort.

A sigh escaped my lips as I lowered my head once more.

With practiced motions I drew my hoe above my head and brought it down forcefully. The action was as natural as breathing.

Ever since I could stand on my own two feet my life had been devoted to soil and seed.

Most of the boys in the village would inherit their skills from their fathers and I was no exception. It brought him pride to see me following in his footsteps.

There were other occupations too, the village had several talented seamstresses and a reliable doctor. Several years ago he had meticulously nursed me back to health after a wolf narrowly tore me in two.

Whether they feared my scars or bad luck the other youths of the village largely left me alone.

I didn't mind.

The technology of this world was extremely limited. It was impossible to deny that I missed scrolling on my phone.

But rebirth had made me resilient and humans were creatures born to adapt. Coming so close to death at the fangs of that wolf had only strengthened my determination to live well in this world.

My life was simple and slow. I rose early each morning, I enjoyed the cold water drawn fresh from the well on a hot day and I ate with my family in the evenings.

Unconsciously I tightened my grip on the hoe. Its familiar shape instilled me with a firm yet subtle confidence.

A breeze swept across the fields of tall grass and rustled my clothes. I smiled at the ordinary pleasure.

'This peaceful life. I like it.'

I raised the hoe once more; sunlight glinted on its metal tip and in this way the hours flowed by.

"The ground was dry today."

I immediately recognized the voice. It was my father.

He was unassuming, lean and with a gentle face. Perhaps not particularly striking but certainly good looking. I shared his slightly too-long brown hair and hazel eyes.

Often mother and her friends would comment how lucky my future bride would be.

"The rain is late." I replied.

I received an affirmative grunt in response.

"There are my two boys!"

I smiled as a petite brown-haired woman launched herself towards me and my father with a beaming smile on her face.

"Look at you two!" She said, her voice filled with pride.

Father grunted and settled into his chair with a whittling knife. He wasn't much of a talker but mother's chirpy voice and infectious laugh meant silence never lasted long.

"I'm going to the forests ma."

Resting her hands on her hips she replied, "Fine. But even if you're not going to talk to the other kids you're still going to be back in time for dinner."

"Of course ma!"

My thoughts turned to other things as I left the house behind.

The path to the forest was mainly used by hunters or gatherers. The other villagers held little interest in the twisting, turning tracks that lead into the territories of wild beasts.

The outskirts of the forest were safe and well-mapped out by herb-gatherers over the years. Venturing deeper was to invite the claws and fangs of beasts. I had made this mistake in the past. The scars on my chest were punishment for it.

Tangles of thick green vines brushed against me. Poisonous insects were rare but posed a serious threat. The stories of villagers collapsing suddenly, not even knowing how they died, echoed in my mind.

Vigilance was integral to survival.

'Nearly there.'

The distinct sound of rushing water grew louder. Jagged rocks formed a natural barrier to the source of the sound.

Finding a reasonable excuse to borrow a pickaxe had been challenging. Fortunately the decision had turned out to be extremely worthwhile.

I reached into my satchel and pulled out a pair of patched gloves. They were my own handiwork. They certainly weren't pretty but the stitches were strong and I had used several scraps of leather to make them as durable as possible.

Air rushed into my lungs with a deep breath.

'Now!'

I hurled myself forwards, grabbing a sharp rocky edge with my right hand while my feet found purchase in a slim crack. The climb had begun.

It had taken me months to carve the handholds I needed to scale the rock wall. Even then it was still hugely dangerous. If I fell the best case scenario was breaking a leg. Worst case; death.

Sometimes I wondered whether privacy was worth the risk.

An uncontrollable grin took over my face, "Its damned good fun though!"

I shifted my weight to my left hand. My muscles tensed and bulged as I relied solely on one arm to pull me higher and reach the next handhold.

First with my fingertips, then my fingers and finally my palm I grasped the rocky ledge.

Satisfaction filled my heart. After stretching and dusting myself of I contently took in the scene in front of me.

Crystal clear water pooled a few feet below me. Lush vegetation grew on all sides of the magnificent waterfall and the fierce sounds of crashing water trickled into my ears.

"Home sweet home."

This place was my sanctuary. Here I explored my various hobbies, some of which would arouse too much attention for a simple farmer's son.

Mystery surrounded my new beginning in this world. I knew I had died on earth but my memories were incomplete. I retained knowledge of general things like history and science, but I was unable to remember my original name or any details of my family. That was if I had one.

I had accepted all of this years ago. There was no point dwelling in the past, especially when the present held so much opportunity.

Sighing I reached into a decayed tree stump and pulled out a few objects.

Silvery light shone in my palm as a dagger flickered between my fingers. I had chanced upon them when I was merely 5 or 6. At the time they were practically useless to me, but I knew that they would be almost impossible to obtain otherwise.

Fortunately the arrogant merchant did not think some barbaric villagers would be capable of stealing from him. By the time he realized it was already too late.

Imagining his furious face made me chuckle.

'They're in better hands now.'

My rebirth had caused some unique changes to my mind and body. A kind of sixth sense constantly alerted me to any potential dangers and even with my eyes closed I could "see" the area around me.

This extraordinary perception meant...

"Bullseye."

A dagger's hilt was impaled in the trunk of a fruit tree. Seemingly it had hit nothing but bark.

But on closer glance one might notice something unusual. The dagger's tip was stained ever so slightly red.

At the base of the tree a one-winged fly buzzed desperately.

'Much better hands.'