A Summons from Mother

The doors to the hall burst open and man-like beasts poured in. Behind them came there leader, a dark mage. He strode in and stopped just inside the entrance, blocking the doorway, while the beasts encircled the room.

The prince had been watching his little sister's fencing lessons when it happened. As the beasts entered, she dropped her sword and dashed to him. She hid herself in the folds of his cloak, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. Her instructor, a member of the palace guard, positioned himself between the siblings and the mage.

The dark mage glanced at him and sneered. With a flick of his wrist, he flung the guardsman aside. The garden and landed in the heat but one of the beast, proceeded to tear him apart. It happened so fast that the guard didn't even scream. The prince could feel his sister bury her face deeper into his leg as the room echoed with the sound of breaking bones and tearing flesh.

The mage turned his gaze to the pair, and looked the prince in the eye. The prince stiffened as an evil smile spread across the mage's lips. The mage spoke,  "Sorry to barge in like this, boy; but your mother wants to see you."

The Night Before Duty

Captain Harrison looked down at his young son. He would miss him so much. He hated that he had to leave, but duty was duty.

He could hear his men laughing and talking with their families and friends. They would be leaving for Eiridin tomorrow. Since they were escorting King James, there was no way of know how long they'd be gone. So tonight, the families and friends of the Guard were having a feast.

The King had ordered his kitchen staff to cook their best and had lent the men one of his banquet halls for the occasion. Entertainers had been hired and were outdoing themselves.

Even thought there was much merriment, the was still a lingering sense of apprehension. Eiridin was the capital city of country they had been at war with not too long ago. The war was over, but relations were not friendly. The king was going as a display of "good will". There were also rumors that he was going to speak with King Ivan about a marriage between their two heirs. Captain Harrison had no idea if they were true, it was not his place to inquire about such things. His job was to protect the king, nothing more. He only offered advice when the king asked for it; and though that happened often, the king had not brought up that particular subject.

The feast ended at midnight. He wanted his men well rested and prepared for tomorrow. As he slipped his free arm around his wife's waist, he silently prayed. Thanking God for his family and for the ability to provide for them. He also prayed that God would bring him, his king, and his men home safe.

Snow and Ash

"Look, Mommy! Snow!"the little girl squealed as she stared out the window. Her mother, in the kitchen, made no reply.

"Mommy? Mommy, come look!" she continued. "There's snow!" Still no answer. She left the window and went into the kitchen. Her mother was chopping potatoes. Her father sat at the table reading, papers and pens scattered across the table.

"Mommy, can I go play in the snow?" she asked, tugging on her mother's dress.

"No." her mother replied without stopping or looking.

"But Mommy, it-"

"Amy!" her mother said with force, stopping her work. "You cannot go outside. Don't ask again."

"Why?" she asked, trying not to cry. Her mother never raised her voice like that. "It's just snow."

At her statement, her mother looked over to her father. They looked at each other in silence for a moment. Her father gave a small nod and closed his book. Her mother went back to her chopping.

"Amy, come here." her father said. His voice was gentle. Amy walked over to him. He picked her up and placed her on his lap.

Amy sniffled and said, "Why is Mommy so upset? I just wanted to play in the snow."

Her dad looked at her with a sad, tired expression. "I know, sweetie; but that isn't snow. It's ash."

Insta-Learn

"You can learn anything! Insta-Learn lets you download new knowledge and skills directly into your brain. No more grueling training sessions, no more boring lectures! Learn what you want when you want!"
     I gave a small grunt after the commercial ended. When I was younger, I had wanted to use Insta-Learn to learn as much as I could. Now, not so much.
     Ever since I was little, my dad had taken me to what little "wild" remained and had taught me how to survive on my own, without technology and amenities. He had also taught me basic medical techniques, and how to read, write, do math, cook, sew, and fight. He taught me all of these, and a few more, without ever letting me use Insta-Learn.
     At first, I thought it was kinda cool to learn things the "old-fashioned" way; but as I grew older I started to resent it. I didn't want to be dragged out to the middle of nowhere to spend my days and nights with no technology, hot water, or bed. I didn't want to learn skills that I would probably never use; but my dad never relented. He never really explained why he made me learn things this way, he only ever said "Character trumps talent."
     I didn't stop resenting the lessons until it was too late to thank him for them. A few years ago, I hand the unfortunate experience of having to use, not only one of the skills, but all of them in order to survive. I also learned the short-comings of Insta-Learn. It was hard to access the stored skills in the "wild", and while the brain may know how to do something, the body does not necessarily understand how to perform it. Therefore, my hard work and hard won skills made me smarter and faster than the "Insta-Learners."
     As my dad always said, "Character trumps talent." Talent will only take you so far, but hard work will take you farther. Thanks, dad.