Valentine
05-07-06, 06:14 AM
(Solo)
Butterfield, a quiet ordinary town. It is the cliché rural town. All the children are too young to work; those that are old enough ship themselves off to bigger towns like Radasanth to become something. Then when they have failed, they return to the welcoming arms of their parents and work the mines. Not ore, not gold, not silver... they mine not for wealth, but for war. They search for the minerals needed for gunpowder, then consolidate them and make the explosive before selling them to Alerar. Still, the denizens of Butterfield are convinced that they are innocent, they have no other choice. They do this because the Thayne placed them here, they have no other alternative. They need to make money. The continuing strife around Althanas means that the demand only grows larger and larger and so the citizens of Butterfield mine more and more so they can sell more and more. They start to start to buy agriculture - vegetables and animals. They plant where there was nothing before; they find land to create farms. But to support these acts, they must buy tools. And for these tools, they need money. So where do they get the money? They need more money so they turn to their ever present mines. Mining and mining, never wary that their precious mines will one day run out. Butterfield starts to attract more people to come and soon, it will be on its way to becoming a full fledged cosmopolitan city.
At least that was what you had been told. Propaganda told to you through every possible source. The citizens of Butterfield believe their own garbage. They have no mayor, no leader... all their stories and hopes for the future were created amongst themselves and from there, they spread like wildfire. You're home after another failed application in the big world of Althanas, to Istien University. They say you don't have to be an elf to get in, they say you don't have to be magical; they say you don't have to be able to sing... and yet, you failed. You don't believe those damned elves, they're not to be trusted. People from outside Butterfield shouldn't be trusted. Everyone trusts each other, everyone protects each other.
You live at home with your two parents. Your father works the mines; your mother takes care of the house and tries to scrounge up enough money so you can start your own farm. It's not like you don't have enough food, the food amongst Butterfield is shared equally. There's no need to take more than you need, everyone knows each other. Everyone's father's father is a cousin to your mother's sister. That's it... Butterfield is one big family.
So one night after dinner, you don't have a care in world as you decide to go for an evening stroll. This is Butterfield, after all. Nothing ever happens in Butterfield except farming and mining. In a way, you like it. After all, you're Alex Radovan, you're not Devon Starslayer. Maybe the Thayne don't mean for you to be famous, maybe you should just live your life. After all, it's not like fame is that important, right? Butterfield's cozy and everything you could ever want is here.
You bypass the last of the houses in the small town and make for the village; about five hundred meters north from the town exit. It's always been a place of solace for you, from when you were a little boy. You search on end, looking for that one tree that you used to go to every time and you still go to every time. There it is, five meters to your right. You recognize it by the engraving you made it in all those years ago. A circle with a dot in the center. Relieved, you lean against it and yawn. Slowly sliding down the tree, you gradually change into a sitting position.
You look into the sky. Through the canopy you can see a few stars twinkling in the distance. You allow yourself a small smile and begin to close your eyes.
As your eyelids close slowly, the twinkling in the distance becomes more obvious to you. You always loved it, maybe you should take another look.
No, you’re tired. Go to sleep.
Butterfield, a quiet ordinary town. It is the cliché rural town. All the children are too young to work; those that are old enough ship themselves off to bigger towns like Radasanth to become something. Then when they have failed, they return to the welcoming arms of their parents and work the mines. Not ore, not gold, not silver... they mine not for wealth, but for war. They search for the minerals needed for gunpowder, then consolidate them and make the explosive before selling them to Alerar. Still, the denizens of Butterfield are convinced that they are innocent, they have no other choice. They do this because the Thayne placed them here, they have no other alternative. They need to make money. The continuing strife around Althanas means that the demand only grows larger and larger and so the citizens of Butterfield mine more and more so they can sell more and more. They start to start to buy agriculture - vegetables and animals. They plant where there was nothing before; they find land to create farms. But to support these acts, they must buy tools. And for these tools, they need money. So where do they get the money? They need more money so they turn to their ever present mines. Mining and mining, never wary that their precious mines will one day run out. Butterfield starts to attract more people to come and soon, it will be on its way to becoming a full fledged cosmopolitan city.
At least that was what you had been told. Propaganda told to you through every possible source. The citizens of Butterfield believe their own garbage. They have no mayor, no leader... all their stories and hopes for the future were created amongst themselves and from there, they spread like wildfire. You're home after another failed application in the big world of Althanas, to Istien University. They say you don't have to be an elf to get in, they say you don't have to be magical; they say you don't have to be able to sing... and yet, you failed. You don't believe those damned elves, they're not to be trusted. People from outside Butterfield shouldn't be trusted. Everyone trusts each other, everyone protects each other.
You live at home with your two parents. Your father works the mines; your mother takes care of the house and tries to scrounge up enough money so you can start your own farm. It's not like you don't have enough food, the food amongst Butterfield is shared equally. There's no need to take more than you need, everyone knows each other. Everyone's father's father is a cousin to your mother's sister. That's it... Butterfield is one big family.
So one night after dinner, you don't have a care in world as you decide to go for an evening stroll. This is Butterfield, after all. Nothing ever happens in Butterfield except farming and mining. In a way, you like it. After all, you're Alex Radovan, you're not Devon Starslayer. Maybe the Thayne don't mean for you to be famous, maybe you should just live your life. After all, it's not like fame is that important, right? Butterfield's cozy and everything you could ever want is here.
You bypass the last of the houses in the small town and make for the village; about five hundred meters north from the town exit. It's always been a place of solace for you, from when you were a little boy. You search on end, looking for that one tree that you used to go to every time and you still go to every time. There it is, five meters to your right. You recognize it by the engraving you made it in all those years ago. A circle with a dot in the center. Relieved, you lean against it and yawn. Slowly sliding down the tree, you gradually change into a sitting position.
You look into the sky. Through the canopy you can see a few stars twinkling in the distance. You allow yourself a small smile and begin to close your eyes.
As your eyelids close slowly, the twinkling in the distance becomes more obvious to you. You always loved it, maybe you should take another look.
No, you’re tired. Go to sleep.