Let me introduce myself. My name is Ailanthus, which means "Tree of Heaven." It's common in my home village for people to refer to themselves by the names of plants and trees.
My home village, like many other settlements, is isolated from the capital. Empires are too vast to influence their outskirts. This results in a considerable number of settlements getting isolated.
Our village refuses to abandon the empire's traditions. Despite this, we have created some traditions of our own. The most relevant of them is our Spring Festival. A festival that is celebrated at the beginning of spring.
Our village retains the name of the colony our ancestors were part of: Nutaarvik. And although we have no contact with the capital, we try not to isolate ourselves completely. We trade with other former colonies, with villages, and even with tribes. There are also years when caravans from the nearby cities come to trade with us.
Every villager has to contribute in some way. In my case, I'm a hunter. I mainly protect the forest garden from threats, like goblins and other monsters. I also act as an escort and a guard. But these services aren't very necessary; they're only needed during festivals, or in spring or summer.
I'm not good with bows, so I use a spear for hunting. I also gather herbs and fruits, as well as insects.
I use a glossary to differentiate between the different types of herbs and fruits.
As for insects, I only collect those I can recognize. Such as beetles, and then give them to the village entomologists.
In my free time, I mainly read and study maps. In our empire, literacy is less than 15%. So I'm quite lucky.
When hunting in the forest garden isn't allowed. I train with the guards or study anatomy with the physicians and alchemy with the alchemists.
And if I'm feeling lazy, I go to the tavern to gamble or catch up on the latest news.
The most amazing thing that happened to me as I grew up was when I was just ten years old.
Our priest found out I was planning to be a warden and decided to teach me how to read and write.
Learning to read and write was tricky, but worth it. I also convinced him to teach me some arithmetic. He charged me for teaching that, though.
I still haven't forgotten the reason that made me want to become a warden in the first place; I remember that day when I met that mysterious man.
***
One spring day, when I was a child. I was near the forest periphery when I saw a man walking while looking down. He smelled bad and seemed to be barely standing. I thought he hadn't noticed me, but when I was about to speak, he showed me the palm of his hand. I waited to see what he was going to do. It was the first time I'd ever seen a warden.
I recognized the badge that identifies him as one of them. The description of such a badge was mentioned in one of the stories I heard about them. And from what I'd been told, they were brutes that didn't care about dying. The warden stepped hard on something, and a crunching sound could be heard. After looking towards the sound's source, I saw a rather strange animal with its head crushed.
"What's that?"
"An iguana. Usually lives in forests near rivers, like many other animals. If you're near a water source, you have to look down; if you're in an open field, look forward; and if you're in a high place, look up. Otherwise, look back every once in a while."
He told me this confidently, but later on, I realized he was mainly saying it to himself.
"Why did you kill it?"
He finally looked me in the eye. His gaze was surprisingly weak and tired.
"Normally, it'll be best not to disturb the animals. Most are harmless or easily scared. However, I did something that angered them quite a bit, so I'm not taking any chances."
I wanted to ask him what he did to anger them, but again, he stopped me before I could speak.
"I burned part of a forest, so I received the forest's wrath."
The wrath of the forest; if you defy the forest, you'll receive it. Having it would mean that the forest spirits will mark you to destroy you, and anyone nearby as well.
Defying the forest is a crime. The only one punishable by death, since the death of the transgressor is the only thing that quickly calms the spirits. Most spirits don't care about justice, only vengeance.
I was instructed that if I ever encountered a wielder of the forest's wrath, I was not to speak to them; I was to inform our village mayor quickly, so he could decide what to do.
"You'd better go. The spirits don't distinguish between a child and an adult. They have no mercy; they might lightly mark you as well if you keep talking to me."
"Why did you burn the forest?"
"If you're going to talk, do it in one or two words. I burnt the forest because necromancy was practiced in one of the villages inside my jurisdiction. I tried to stop them from practicing this dark art, but they got angry. I had to flee through the forest. They were about to catch me, but I scattered some gasoline and cast a fireball. Their village must have been destroyed too, by the forest's wrath."
"Where, going?" I did as he told me and spoke using two words.
"I'm going to try to flee the empire; it's my only chance to get out of this alive."
"Need help?"
"From a child? No. You'd better go. I'm going to see if I can remain unnoticed in your village while I buy some supplies. Then, I'll leave. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about me, but I'll understand if you do."
The warden resumed his way to the village, but I decided to follow him a little.
After a while, the warden reluctantly stopped. I took the opportunity to ask him one last question.
"Why?"
The warden seemed to have been expecting that question. He sighed and slowly turned around. This time, his gaze no longer seemed tired, but rather held a somewhat strange vigor.
"At first, I was inspired by the stories I'd heard about the great wardens of history. About how once everyone supported them. And how the wardens weren't just humans, but various races were wardens as well."
I'd heard those stories too, but they were always twisted to ridicule those times, or the wardens themselves.
"I became a warden out of passion, but over time, I found a purpose. I wanted to improve the empire. I wanted to see the empire I belong to shine brighter than any other one."
"Why would you care about the empire? According to my parents, simply following the traditions and language of the empire is a great service."
"Don't talk so much. Being a warden has its benefits as well. If you were to become a warden, you'll see what those are."
The warden then pulled a battle axe from his belt. He came over to show it to me.
It was an impressive, lightweight axe with a silver engraving and an oak handle. It was also made of what, later on, I found out to be: magic steel.
"It's a Franciscan axe, especially good for throwing. In the old days, I used my savings to buy it before I left to enforce. It has some basic enchantments.
This axe is no longer useful to me, it'll give my identity. Do you want it? Sell it or whatever you want. The enchantments won't work on you, though; you don't own it. Just make sure to not show it around recklessly."
He offered me the axe.
If someone knew that I had an axe that belonged to a criminal. People could see me as an accomplice. I shouldn't accept it.
"No, I don't want it."
"I see..." he returned the axe to his belt. "Do you at least want my badge? I also don't need it."
At first, I was going to say no again. But I thought that a badge wouldn't pose a problem.
"Thanks." The warden threw his axe as far away as he could. His axe then landed in a tree that was passing the periphery of the forest. The clashing of the wood was a bit terrifying.
The warden gave me a knowing look.
I spent some time looking at the tree where the axe landed. By the time I realized what I was doing, I was pulling the axe embedded in the tree with all my strength.
After a while, I found myself with an axe in my right hand and a badge in my left hand.
That warden bought supplies as promised and then left, never to return. The only things that prove all of this even happened are those items. I buried them near that tree. Where his axe got embedded.
I didn't tell anyone about my encounter with him.
After a while, I decided to become a warden myself. To travel around the world and find out why, on 'Faye', anyone would want to become a warden despite it being so dangerous.