I considered myself an ordinary man.
Most days, that was enough.
But the world is far from ordinary. It is chaotic, unpredictable, weird- and above all, unfit for me.
That's why I chose to be here, working as a nightwatch in a small town. Simple and uneventful, just how I would prefer things.
Tonight was no exception.
tap tap
"Who's there?!"
The guard jolted upright, bringing the rusty tip of his weapon to my neck, stopping just short of it.
"Easy there. It's my shift now"
With my hands up in the air, the slumbering guard gradually came to his senses.
Judging by how quickly he reacted, it's clear that the guard had just drifted off a moment ago.
'Glad to see your quick hibernation didn't dull your reflexes.'
...
Of course, I didn't say that out loud. Instead, I politely asked him to hand over the weapon in his grip.
The jolted guard spoke in a groggy mumble.
"My apologies for the way I reacted; I didn't mean to cause you trouble. I should get some proper rest now that my shift is over."
He said, handing me the spear, while simultaneously brushing past me.
"Have a nice day ahead... and sorry again"
I nodded as the guard walked off and soon disappeared completely around the corner of the street.
"So much for an apology; it isn't the first time he has been slacking off", my voice drifted through the empty street before fading into the night.
"Time for work... I guess"
Since the town wasn't big, only a small amount of light was present to brighten the darkness. The lantern street lights at the crossroads, some smaller lanterns here and there, and occasionally, the full moon such as now.
Walking along the stone path, the moonlight made the surroundings visible enough that I didn't need to carry a lantern of my own.
In the brief moment after my shift started, nothing had changed. It had always been that way for as long as I remember. Although I got to admit, being a guard isn't really a rewarding career.
Both financially and mentally.
That's why only the bad apples take on this job.
'Not saying I'm one, of course'.
On this silent night bath in the moonlight, the sky really does look lovely.
Before I even knew it, I had already reached the aged wooden gates at the end of the stone path.
Another fellow guard was standing beside it.
Catching sight of me, he gave a hand signal to the guards above.
Just as I got to them, the gate slowly ground open, its loud creaking drowning out all other sounds.
To be direct, this aged gate is also the only real thing that keeps the town safe at night.
Stepping my foot outside, the gate behind me slowly closed, and with it came a small reminder from the guard inside.
"Be careful"
The last words spoken to me, as the gate closed shut. Shortly after, the sound of insects began to creep in.
Resting the spearhead on my shoulder, I spoke out in ridicule amuse.
"As if I need such a remark"
But oh well, I shouldn't be criticising people's concern for me. With weapon in hand, I began walking along the stone wall.
My fingers slowly dragged upon the rough surface of it.
Everything seems in place so far. The familiar silence of the night, the moving shade of the forest and the howling of cold wind.
My only complaint was how boring it could get. Nothing really sparks the interest living here, but that might as well be the side effect of my own wanting.
'New life, another normal me.'
Speaking of interest, my earlier statement wasn't entirely true. There are countless mysteries in this world, and a lot of it had nothing to do with me.
Except for one particular thing.
At some point, following the cold stone wall, I reached a clearing from the foresty area into a vast grassfield rolling downward into a deep valley before surging upward again toward the distant mountain.
At the very same moment, I was hit by a strong, gushing wind.
That's a pretty normal occurrence.
What caught my attention, though, was how warm the air is.
"That's not right"
I said looking at the far distance.
This small oddity had stirred my dull senses, and I haven't had such feeling for a long while.
'interesting'