"Salvador!" A rough voice brought him back to his increasingly dull reality.

He was at his home, a small plot of land that included his house and the forge which his father worked in most of the time. It sat upon a small hill and had a winding road that led down to the marketing district. His mother was a successful merchant and had a garden which Salvador loved dearly. She spent most of her time in the Sapinsville Market but spent whatever time she could with Salvador. With both his father and his mother's money, Salvador's family was one of the wealthiest in the town. Unlike the other wealthy families, Salvador's family gave every coin they could to charity.

"Papi?" he replied.

His father had a scraggly brown beard that was weeks overdue for a shave. The tangled mop of dark brown hair atop his head closely resembled Salvador, and so did his rich brown skin, but that was about where the similarities ended. While Salvador's father was big and strong, his arms packed with rock-hard muscle, as they well should be, considering his father was a blacksmith, Salvador was a tall and lanky, full of wiry strength spent from days in the forge.

"Get me a colada down in the tavern. Nice and cold!" 

"Yes, Papi, right away."

"Right away indeed."

"Oh, and take a few coins and donate it to the Surgeon Bia. The townsfolk haven't been donating as much and she's struggling a bit." He extended a burly hand a dropped some mercantii.

"Yes, Papi!"

As Salvador hustled to the tavern, he greeted his friends and neighbors, humming a happy tune down the long winding pathway down to the tavern. A beautiful day it was. Wouldn't it be great if every day was like this? The spring sun shining down on the faces of everyone outside, the birds chirping merry tunes, the sound of people greeting one another. The river-breeze gently kissed and caressed his skin. What could be better?

Salvador pondered this fact, but... he longed for a change. Was that selfish? He didn't know, he just knew in his heart, pulsing and growing with every passing day. With the desire grows his will. His will to accomplish what he desires to do.

The town consisted of over four-thousand people, one of the larger towns in Sersalvon. Large as it seemed, Salvador knew every twist and turn, every nook and cranny in the town. It was home to him and had always been.

The reigning lord was Lord José Rivera of House Rivera. His men-at-arms constantly patrolled the streets of Sapinsville. Their surcoats depicting the river-blue and green lily sigil of House Rivera easy to spot in a crowd. They were a constant presence in the Sapinsville Market, where goods that came ferrying up and down the Corriende River.

The Corriende River. The body of water which Sapinsville was nestled against. Its rushing waters a constant sound in the background of Sapinsville. Its cool river-breeze tamed all save for the most blistering days. The river was so large that multiple villages and towns used it as a way to tax ships coming up and down the river. Even Rivièrra, the seat of House Rivera, sat upon the Correinde's banks.

If Salvador wished, he could go to the port and see the dozens of ships that passed through the Sapinsville Port. He could see the goods they carried, the men aboard, and if he was lucky he could see the sigils of House Rivera and other noble houses as their caravels passed through.

Salvador's house stood upon a small hill with a plot of land surrounding it. It was two stories and stood tall and proud. A large house for a family of his size, but it was comfortable. It was home.

As he reached the tavern and opened the door, the scent of alcohol hit him square in the face. He saw Lily, the barmaid, working her pay.

"Ah, dear Lily!" he exclaimed. "It is wonderful to see you!"

"I can say likewise, Salvador," she said with a smile on her face. "What would it be today?" she asked. Salvador sauntered over to the counter and rested his arm on it.

"My father wants a cold colada," he answered. "Being the leading blacksmith of the town is wearing on him it seems, but it always does." he joked happily. As he said it though, Lily's face turned serious.

"Aye, Salvador, but did you know about the knight in town?" That caught Salvador attention. His head jerked toward Lily before the words were even past her lips.

"Knight, you say?" his voice hopeful.

"Aye, a knight. A freelancer to be exact, but a knight nonetheless." Freelancers did not belong to a knightly order but one did not get a chance to meet a knight every day, freelancer or not.

"I knew you would be excited so I was about to leave as soon as my sister took the shift to tell you," she said. Salvador grabbed her hand and gripped it gently.

"Thank you, Lily, thank you so much! Where is he now?"

"Last I heard, he had just checked into the Fachonlugar," she replied with a twinkle in her kind eyes. As soon as she finished Salvador gave her a hug. "My father's drink can wait," he said excitedly as he began to walk out of the tavern.

"No it cannot Salvador and you know it can't!" Lily grabbed his arm and brought him back. "Now you'll wait just right here as I get your father's colada."

Salvador wrenched his arm from Lily's grip. "Lily," he said in a pleading voice, "you know I've always wanted to see a knight. All the old men of Sapinsville talk about knights and how great and mighty they are. I want to see one for myself."

Salvador could see Lily wavering. He pressed the advantage. "Do this for me, Lily. For me."

He could see Lily's resolve shatter. "Fine," she harrumphed. "Have it your way. But when your father comes down asking for where you are, don't be surprised when I throw you under the wagon."

Salvador grinned. "I wouldn't expect anything less." Without wasting another second, he rushed out the tavern to the Fachonlugar.

When he arrived at the inn, he immediately searched around for a man in shining armor. The scent of food and alcohol seemed related to the scent at the tavern. He was disappointed when he did not find one. Salvador did not want to give up so easily; he rushed to the innkeeper, the words he intended to say spilling out of his mouth in an unintelligible mush.

"Slow down there, eijo," the innkeeper said, raising his hands in a gesture for "Slow down."

Salvador took a deep breath and said, "I want to see the wayfaring knight that came in today."

The innkeeper was a bald man with a gray beard and had a subtly round body. He scratched the top of his head and said, "Ah yes, the ol' knight. The fella' did come in today. He's in his room right now. Don't know if he would like to be disturbed by a young fella' like you, eijo. I tell you, I was surprised a knight would stop in our lil' ol' village of Sapinsville."

"Yes, yes," Salvador waved his hand dismissively, knowing he was being rude but not particularly caring. "I think I 'll see him anyway."

The innkeeper's face turned stern. "I am here to protect the privacy of those who reside in this inn, eijo. I can't let you make a ruckus and disturb the knight."

Salvador knew the innkeeper wouldn't budge. "Fine," he sighed, walking to the door. When he saw the innkeeper's attention turn away from him, he slipped into the shadows of the front room and snuck his way to the stairs. Thankfully, the old man did not have the greatest of eyesight and did not see him as he tiptoed upstairs.

Salvador could hardly keep the small smile from breaking across his face. He felt his heart flutter with excitement. He was about to meet a knight! A knight!

His excitement was short-lived as he reached the top of the stairs.

Which room was the knight's?

Salvador scratched the back of his head. So much for thinking ahead.

He stood there for a moment. And another. And another. Trying to come up with a way to find out which room was the knight's.

Just when he was about to go ahead and knock on every single door, one of the doors swung open and revealed a towering figure clad in a surcoat depicting a red hawk on a white field. His hair was the dark-brown that was common among Sersalvonian folk. 

Salvador felt the knight's gaze slide over him, dismissing him as if he were nothing more than a piece of discarded garbage. The knight made way to walk down the stairs, but before he could, Salvador took in a gulp of air and gathered his courage.

He stepped in the knight's path and said, "Excuse me, Sir Knight, my name is Salvador Castellano, son of Sebastián, the blacksmith of Sapinsville."

"Good day, Salvador Castellano, son of Sebastián," the knight replied, a small smile appearing on his face. "I am Sir Gerard Elwyn, son of Jeremy, and a freelancer knight."

"So that means you aren't pledged to a lord or house, right?" Salvador asked.

"Correct, young man. How old are you?"

"Ten," Salvador announced proudly. 

Gerard tilted his head at him.

Salvador felt his face warm with embarrassment. "My build may not show it, but I am strong enough to work the forge," he clarified.

Gerard Elwyn shook his head. "Forgive me, son of Sebastián," Gerard pardoned. "It was wrong of me to assume that."

"It sure was," Salvador snorted, crossing his arms. "Would've thought they trained you better in the art of chivalry."

Sir Gerard chuckled. "Chivalry? Art? That's a new one."

"Or is it because I'm not a lady?"

Gerard roared with laughter. "That's also a new one!"

Salvador felt his heart flush with pride. A large smile broke across his face.

When Gerard finally ceased laughing, his face took a more serious look and he asked, "What is it you wish of me, son of Sebastián?"

Salvador thought for a moment before answering, "How long will you be staying?"

"I'll be leaving in a week's time, early in the morning. I need to stock up on supplies and gain an audience with Lord Rivera of Sapinsville."

A week's time! Salvador thought giddily. This could be his time to get to know the knight! To learn of his adventures all throughout the Kingdom of Sersalvon. . . and possibly beyond!

"Amazing!" Salvador exclaimed. "Surely you'll be open sometime?"

Gerard smiled. "To tell you of my adventures far and wide?" When he saw Salvador's face flush with embarrassment, he smiled wider and said, "Absolutely."

Salvador beamed and thanked Gerard before rushing out of the room in a hurry to order his father's colada before he noticed how long it was taking him.

Salvador's father was mildly annoyed at his late colada.

"I was about to go down to the tavern to get it myself," he said in his gruff, blacksmith's voice.

Thank the Angel King he didn't, prayed Salvador.

"Now get to work in the forge," his father said. "The hilt for Lord Rivera's sword is finished. All you have to do is cast the blade, attach it, and we're good to go."

About a week or so ago, Salvador's father and mother got an offer from Lord Rivera of Sapinsville to make a blade for him. And so Salvador entered the forge and did not leave for the rest of the day. Buckets of sweat clung to his forehead as he worked in the forge. He cast the molten metal and shaped it into a longsword. Once the metal was cast and cooled into the blade, they then carefully attached it to the decorated hilt made by the finest artisans in Sapinsville.

When they finished, Salvador's father gripped the blade by the hilt. A beam of light reflected off of the pristine steel blade.

"It's amazing, Papi," breathed Salvador.

"Of course it is," his father said. "You and I made it."

Salvador looked into his father's deep eyes and saw the great, loving pride that shone brightly.

His father smiled and said, "Lord José Rivera will come down from his castle himself to personally receive the sword in a weeks time."

A week. The same time that Sir Elwyn was to be staying in Sapinsville.

When Salvador's mother arrived later that evening, he and his father showed her the sword. She smiled and said, "This calls for a celebration."

They went down to the Pollostra Deloco, or the "Crazy Chicken" in the Merchant Tongue, for dinner. As the name suggests, the restaurant served food that had an abundance in chicken. Smoked chicken, spiced chicken, salted chicken, chicken chicken. All of it served with rice and beans.

"You would think for a celebration we would go to a restaurant with more variety in their menu," Salvador quipped.

"Especially one of this manner," grumbled his father.

"What's wrong with eating the Sersalvon classics?" his mother asked.

"Sersalvon classics," his father huffed. "I'm tired of them."

But when the food arrived, they all dug in. No matter what had been said, they all loved classic Sersalvonian food. It was their home after all.

During the course of the meal, Salvador's mother abruptly said, "So I assume you saw the knight that came into town today?"

Salvador sat up, startled. "W-what?"

His mother cocked an eyebrow. "Don't play the fool with me, eijo."

Salvador sighed. "Yes, I did."

His father's eyes narrowed. "No wonder you took so long to get me my colada."

"I'm sorry," Salvador apologized. "I just. . . I couldn't turn down the chance."

"Of course you couldn't," his father murmured.

"It was a knight, Papi!" Salvador exclaimed. "A knight!"

"Shhh. Keep your voice down," his mother scolded him.

"B-b-but. A knight! A knight!"

"I heard you the first three times."

"Y-yeah. But. . . a knight," he said weakly.

"Shocking."

Salvador cracked a smile. It soon fell when he asked the next question: "Can I still see him?"

The ten painstaking seconds that were filled with silence after his question wrenched Salvador's heart. He braced himself for rejection.

He heard his mother sigh in defeat. "Fine."

Salvador silently cheered and pumped a fist into the air, bringing a smile on both his parents' faces.

"Thank you, Mami! Thank you, Papi!" he whisper-screamed and gave them both a hug.

"Of course, eijo," they both replied.