“Bored?”
William turned around, looking at the voice that just addressed him. He had been daydreaming, standing at his balcony, staring out into the vastness of the city below him. He quirked an eyebrow at his sister, Willis.
“I’m sorry, did I forget to put the sign up on my door again? Why are you here?”
She smiled and walked over to him, brandishing a piece of paper and waving it in front of his face. “See? This is why.” she chirped, happily, which all the more annoyed William. He looked at the paper and slowly read it aloud. “Wanted. Adventurers. Treasure. Experience of a lifetime. Blah blah blah. Danger. Excitement. Great. Thanks Willis.” he muttered and shoved the paper away.
“Oh come now, brother! You’re not doing yourself any favours by simply sitting on your hands and wondering at the possibility of a new and exciting adventure! You should be out there! Put all that training to good use! Besides, is this not the perfect sort of beginning to this sort of, adventure?” chimed the girl, her voice aflutter with exuberance. “You read too many books, Willis.” grumbled William. “Yes, I know, but it’s exciting is it not? Aren’t you even a little bit interested?” she asked, expectantly.
“…shouldn’t you be, I don’t know…knitting?” William muttered as he flopped onto the bed.
“How dare you! I’ll have you know, that there’s much more to me than meets the eye, dear brother! I can handle my own, thank you very much and I don’t have to take this sort of lip from you!” Willis angrily took a pillow and whacked William over the head with it.
“Fine. Prove it.”
Willis’ blood boiled in rage.
“I will!”
This was of course, the beginning to our tale. Not so much what anybody or any body in the cosmos expected, I might add, but a beginning nonetheless. And while our two lively fellows who began this tale might be very well versed in their world, I am aware, verily, that you are probably, and truly, baffled. So, allow me to elaborate.
We find ourselves in a world called Estra. Somewhere far away from the current time and space of your planet of discontent is this place, lost in the far end of the galaxy. This place was meant to be a shining example. A beacon of hope for the cosmos that, though still in a time where they never knew that light could come in the form off a one hundred and ten volt lightbulb and not just the sun or moon, they would be a model planet with a model society. Planted here by what the people of Estra considered a magical otherworldly ethereal force were human beings. Yes. The same bipedal, carbon-based, oxygen breathing, omnivorous and boring lifeforms that you would find on another planet that, for the purposes of your immersion into this elaborate tale, shall not be named.
Oh alright, they are from Earth. Happy?
Yes. Humans somehow came to Estra many, many years ago, populating the place with their kind and spreading out all over Estra in the same fashion they have applied in their other spherical planetoid counterpart. The particular city our dear William was looking over was one of their largest capitals, aptly yet rather unimaginatively named Kingseat by their forefathers. The city was the place most humans would readily admit was the most prosperous and idillic place to live. White walls with clay tiled roofs, smooth and well kept cobblestone streets. You could even find their equivalent of a Sunday Roast on their equivalent of a Sunday. And as with all the idllic cities of the world over, Kingseat was the most peaceful and charming city you could possibly find in Estra.
Except for this particular moment.
“I am going on an adventure!” proclaimed Willis in a loud voice, which she would soon come to regret.
“Oh no you’re not!” yelled her father as he barged into William’s room. “Really, I have to put up a sign.” muttered the poor boy.
“But father, I so want to go! William’s not going to bother, and surely someone in this household can!” pleaded Willis. The old man sighed, his greyed beard bristling at the thought of his daughter adventuring.
“Willis, we’ve been through this. We are but simple merchant folk. All our lives, we’ve struggled to make a name for this family. Me, your mother, William…mostly me, but I’ve told you that we simply cannot go galavanting off on some wild adventure for fame and fortune! Consider your status in life, dear girl, you’re a brilliant young woman that should probably be married by now. No! Not even! You should be properly married by now! And here you are trying to goad your brother into going on a wild adventure and, failing that, you want to attempt it yourself?” he barked, rather gruff and expositorily, his tubby form positively shaking with fatherly fury that honestly would only ever worry a kitten.
“Father, isn’t it about time somebody in this city tried to be something else? Something that isn’t such a boring cut that flows with the grain? Something more?”
The old man sighed. “No, Willis. I’m not having this. Go to your room and never speak of this again.”
Willis frowned and slumped on William’s chair as their father left his room. William smiled at his sister empathetically. Standing up, he walked over to his wardrobe and took out his trusted sword. A sort of certification and gift from his training with a few of the local fighters to prove he could handle a blade. He tossed it to her and she grabbed it effortlessly.
“Remember, pointy end that way.” he chuckled as he pointed away from him. “You can have this as a loan. Just please, promise me you’ll stop thinking about this whole adventuring business, will you?”
“Of course, brother.” replied Willis.
So naturally, that night, Willis packed her bag and her brother’s sword and, with a defiant huff, went on her adventure.
And right she should, or heavens above, who else could we have looked to? Surely not the baker’s son. He’s a right bore.