The Marketplace trilogy
Chapter 1:
The farmer
It is always the tyrants, the kings and the emperors that get remembered.
This is the story of a common man.
This is my ancient tale, the tale of a farmer.
My name is Joss. I am a farm boy. I was born right here, on this very farm, over there in the barn. I was born next to our cow Bessie.
Our old cow, Miss Bella was having a baby at the same time as my mother. Sadly, both Miss Bella and my mum died after I was born.
My father was always very distant. I think he never got over my mums death. He did a lot of work on the farm, he seemed to like the animals more than me. He used all his time either working, or asleep. Never in my life did I have a proper conversation with him.
At least I had Bessie. I always felt a very special connection to Bessie, I think she felt it as well. I spent a lot of my time around Bessie. I always used to fantasize going to a magical marketplace with Bessie, filled with magical carpets, odd smells, mysterious figures, shifty looking people, and most importantly, hope.
As the years went on, we had fewer and fewer cattle. My father sold most of them to a man called ‘the butcher’. I didn’t like him.
But father never dared to sell Bessie to the butcher. He told me it was dangerous to get rid of the magical connection between Bessie and I. For a long time, I didn’t understand what he meant.
A few years later, father had sold large parts of the land. The king had raised the taxes again; something about an argument with the king of the world upstairs, or was it the world down below? I never really cared about the various kings. They all seemed selfish to me. If it weren’t for those kings my dad and I wouldn’t be so poor, and we wouldn’t have to send the animals to the slaughterhouse. I was 12; I had no clue what a slaughterhouse was. I had some vague ideas though, and I didn’t like it at all.
For a few years, the taxes stayed about the same. We seemed to be doing well. I still wished to ask my father what he had meant a few years ago, when he said Bessie and I had a magical connection that should not be broken.
Then the taxes got raised again. Our king had gotten into another argument. It seems the other two kings teamed up against our king. My father had to sell almost all of our land.
It was my fifteenth birthday today, but we didn’t have enough money to celebrate. In fact, we didn’t have enough money for much of anything. The taxes kept being raised, and my father could not pay them anymore.
A lot of men came. Just before they arrived, my father told me to hide in the barn with Bessie. I peeked through a loose plank in the wall. One of the men, probably the leader, got of a white horse. He shouted something to my father, but I could not hear what he had said. Then he grabbed a whip and told my father to turn around. When my father failed to do so, two other men grabbed him by his arms.
The leader kept hitting my father on his back with the whip. My dad was in so much pain, and here I was hiding in the barn, watching as he suffered. He screamed and screamed. The screaming never seemed to end. With each scream, I felt a part of me die. The man got close to my father’s ear, and then he shouted very loudly in it. The sound of his voice wasn’t loud enough for me to hear what he said. My dad did not answer the man. He then spit on the man’s shoe. I thought it was foolish of him, and I was right. The man whipped my father in his face. I could only see the back of my father’s head, but I could tell his face got hurt very badly. I also noticed that his clothes were ruined, and his black was full of marks and blood. He looked like he could die soon. He probably would.
I didn’t know what to do. I looked at Bessie. It was as if she could tell what was troubling me. She slowly walked up to me. I petted her for a little while. I waited until the men were gone. They dragged my father with them. I was unsure if he was still alive, but I never saw him again. I assumed the worst. I kept telling myself there was nothing I could have done for my father, but I could not hold the tears back any longer.
I stayed in the barn with Bessie for the night. I didn’t know what to do. For a long time I could not sleep. Eventually I fell asleep when I simply could not take it anymore. My whole world was falling apart. How did I know the men wouldn’t come back to get me and Bessie, to finish the job? I had to leave.
The next day I left. Naturally, I took Bessie with me. But I didn’t know where I would go. The farm was my home. The only home I ever had. I was born there.
I felt something in the right pocket of my pants. It was a piece of paper. A message from someone. But who?
It was not my father’s handwriting.
The note said:
I am sorry for your loss. Your father was a great man. It is time for you to unlock your true potential. See you at the marketplace, Joss.
an ally.
The note intrigued me. The marketplace. It made me think of the fantasies I had when I was little.
I quickly grabbed some fresh clothes. I put the note in the right pocket of my pants. I was thinking, how do I find the marketplace?
My right pocket felt like it was burning. I pulled out the note. The burning stopped. But I noticed the text on the note was different. It now said:
Follow your heart. You will find the way.
an ally.
I had no clue how it worked. I put the note back in my right pocket. I waited for a few minutes in case it started to burn again. Nothing happened. I told Bessie we were going to the marketplace. She seemed oddly happy.
We walked and walked. The walking never seemed to end. I walked into random directions, but somehow it felt right. I was following my heart, together with Bessie. We would find the market. I just knew it. I felt it.
Somehow, we didn’t sleep. We could walk for hours, without ever feeling sleepy or hungry.
Our farm was not very far away from the village. Every road came across the village at some point. But somehow we walked for days, and never did we reach the village.
After a few days and nights of walking we were in a forest. The forest felt different from the farm. I felt a strange sort of energy. It filled my mind, my spirit with new thoughts. I could tell Bessie felt it too. These weren’t regular trees and plants, I thought. I felt the energy filling my body. It felt good. I felt powerful.
Out of nowhere, Bessie and I were attacked. About twenty green men jumped out of the bushes and trees. My father told me once not to judge based on appearances, but I knew they were trouble. They had green skin, enormous teeth and claws, and dark yellow eyes.
I felt the energy leaving my body. I started to panic. The trolls jumped on me. Then Bessie let out a loud ‘MOOOO!’ The trolls were all violently whirled up into the air, and then Bessie let out another ‘MOOOO!’ The trolls got smashed face first into the ground. Their teeth fell out. Most trolls passed out, a few crawled away. Bessie showed no mercy. She let out another ‘MOOOO!’ The remaining trolls were whirled up into the air. They didn’t come down again. I had no clue where Bessie had thrown them of to. I didn’t care. They deserved it.
Despite the attack, Bessie and I felt safe in the forest. The energy felt good, almost magical. We stayed in the forest for a while.
I figured if the trolls came back Bessie could deal with them easily. I practised with the energy for a few days and nights. It felt amazing, like an extension of my body. I couldn’t tell where my body ended and the energy began. It was strange. Soon, I could also move things, like Bessie. I also accidentally made some plants disappear once.
Bessie and I invented a game. We bend the bushes round, like a ball. Together we levitated the ball high up in the air. Then we lifted ourselves off the ground. Whoever managed to get to the leaf ball the first won. Bessie and I both pulled each other down, while we tried to go up ourselves. We played for hours, neither of us could ever beat each other.
After a few days, we decided it was time to go on, the marketplace was waiting for us. We came across a couple of trolls making a campfire. Together we dealt with them. We seemed so strong together. Abnormally strong. The energy felt good.
We got out of the forest. I felt the note burning in my right pocket. I looked. The message was changed again. It said:
You’ve gotten out of the forest. Very good. You are a lot quicker than I had anticipated. Not very far to go now. I look forward to meeting you in person.
Signed, an ally.
I was feeling curious and anxious at the same time.
Bessie and I kept going. We followed a river. Somehow, I knew the river would lead me to the marketplace.
A man in a hood stood in front of me.
Actually, I wasn’t sure it was a man at all. I could not see his face under the hood. He had an old person’s voice.
He said: ‘Welcome, Joss. It is time to enter the marketplace and unlock your true potential. Are you ready?
I said, in a nervous voice: ‘No.’ The old man seemingly ignored my answer.
Then he said: ‘You probably have a lot of questions, they will be answered in due time. Tell me, did you and Bessie feel the energy in the forest?’
I said, still nervous: ‘Yes, what was it? It felt so strange.’
The man smiled at me, at least I thought he did. I think he tried to make me feel a bit more at ease, but it only made me more nervous.
He said: ‘It was your true potential, my friend. You are destined for greatness.’
I said: ‘I am just a simple farm boy with a cow.’ I pointed at Bessie.
‘You are so much more than that. There is no such thing as an average, common person. We all have nearly endless potential, you just need to find it, and unlock it. In your case, your hidden potential is in the marketplace. ‘
Bessie, the mysterious ally and I, went to the marketplace. It suddenly appeared in front of us, like it had always been there.
It was very crowded. I felt overwhelmed. It was just like how I imagined it.
There were people flying on magical carpets. There were lots of odd smells. I also felt a lot of energy, like in the forest. There were all sorts of mysterious figures, in some alleys there were shifty looking people, I decided to stay away from them. The smells were a little too odd there for my taste.
The hooded figure led me and Bessie into a bookshop. It was completely silent there. I could tell it was done using the energy, whatever it was. I couldn’t hear any of the noises outside when I was still in the doorstep with the door open. The smells were also gone, replaced with the smell of books. I didn’t mind the smell; it certainly beats the smells of animal poop on the farm.
When I thought that, I had to hold back the tears again. I never knew my father very well, but he didn’t deserve what happened to him. The king and his men should pay for this.
‘I agree.’ Said the hooded figure.
‘With what?’ I asked politely. I was getting a bit scared now.
‘Your father did not deserve what he got. That is why you need to unlock your hidden potential right now. Tell me, you have always felt a connection with Bessie, haven’t you?’
‘Yes, why?’ I asked.
‘You two were both born near each other. People get their magical energy from their parents. Because you two were born next to each other, you two both shared the energy you received somehow. This rarely happens. The official term for it is Twin Soul. When you two work together you can be twice as strong.’’ ‘I don’t understand.’ ‘You will, in due time. You feel the energy more in some places than others, yes? When you unlock your hidden potential, you will always be in touch with your magical energy, you will always feel it wherever you go. See without your eyes. Feel the energy in this room.’
‘I feel nothing.’ Then I started to feel it. The magical energy was flowing through the room.
‘I can feel it now. But what am I supposed to do?’
‘In due time, my friend. The others are not ready.’
‘The others?’ I asked.
‘You will not stand alone, you will find unexpected allies on your path. Together you will save all three worlds. Your story is only just beginning.’
‘Wait, all three worlds?’ I asked
The hooded figure was already gone. He suddenly disappeared. The bookshop was also gone, I was alone with Bessie, in the middle of the marketplace. Time to start a brand new life.
Chapter 1:
The farmer
It is always the tyrants, the kings and the emperors that get remembered.
This is the story of a common man.
This is my ancient tale, the tale of a farmer.
My name is Joss. I am a farm boy. I was born right here, on this very farm, over there in the barn. I was born next to our cow Bessie.
Our old cow, Miss Bella was having a baby at the same time as my mother. Sadly, both Miss Bella and my mum died after I was born.
My father was always very distant. I think he never got over my mums death. He did a lot of work on the farm, he seemed to like the animals more than me. He used all his time either working, or asleep. Never in my life did I have a proper conversation with him.
At least I had Bessie. I always felt a very special connection to Bessie, I think she felt it as well. I spent a lot of my time around Bessie. I always used to fantasize going to a magical marketplace with Bessie, filled with magical carpets, odd smells, mysterious figures, shifty looking people, and most importantly, hope.
As the years went on, we had fewer and fewer cattle. My father sold most of them to a man called ‘the butcher’. I didn’t like him.
But father never dared to sell Bessie to the butcher. He told me it was dangerous to get rid of the magical connection between Bessie and I. For a long time, I didn’t understand what he meant.
A few years later, father had sold large parts of the land. The king had raised the taxes again; something about an argument with the king of the world upstairs, or was it the world down below? I never really cared about the various kings. They all seemed selfish to me. If it weren’t for those kings my dad and I wouldn’t be so poor, and we wouldn’t have to send the animals to the slaughterhouse. I was 12; I had no clue what a slaughterhouse was. I had some vague ideas though, and I didn’t like it at all.
For a few years, the taxes stayed about the same. We seemed to be doing well. I still wished to ask my father what he had meant a few years ago, when he said Bessie and I had a magical connection that should not be broken.
Then the taxes got raised again. Our king had gotten into another argument. It seems the other two kings teamed up against our king. My father had to sell almost all of our land.
It was my fifteenth birthday today, but we didn’t have enough money to celebrate. In fact, we didn’t have enough money for much of anything. The taxes kept being raised, and my father could not pay them anymore.
A lot of men came. Just before they arrived, my father told me to hide in the barn with Bessie. I peeked through a loose plank in the wall. One of the men, probably the leader, got of a white horse. He shouted something to my father, but I could not hear what he had said. Then he grabbed a whip and told my father to turn around. When my father failed to do so, two other men grabbed him by his arms.
The leader kept hitting my father on his back with the whip. My dad was in so much pain, and here I was hiding in the barn, watching as he suffered. He screamed and screamed. The screaming never seemed to end. With each scream, I felt a part of me die. The man got close to my father’s ear, and then he shouted very loudly in it. The sound of his voice wasn’t loud enough for me to hear what he said. My dad did not answer the man. He then spit on the man’s shoe. I thought it was foolish of him, and I was right. The man whipped my father in his face. I could only see the back of my father’s head, but I could tell his face got hurt very badly. I also noticed that his clothes were ruined, and his black was full of marks and blood. He looked like he could die soon. He probably would.
I didn’t know what to do. I looked at Bessie. It was as if she could tell what was troubling me. She slowly walked up to me. I petted her for a little while. I waited until the men were gone. They dragged my father with them. I was unsure if he was still alive, but I never saw him again. I assumed the worst. I kept telling myself there was nothing I could have done for my father, but I could not hold the tears back any longer.
I stayed in the barn with Bessie for the night. I didn’t know what to do. For a long time I could not sleep. Eventually I fell asleep when I simply could not take it anymore. My whole world was falling apart. How did I know the men wouldn’t come back to get me and Bessie, to finish the job? I had to leave.
The next day I left. Naturally, I took Bessie with me. But I didn’t know where I would go. The farm was my home. The only home I ever had. I was born there.
I felt something in the right pocket of my pants. It was a piece of paper. A message from someone. But who?
It was not my father’s handwriting.
The note said:
I am sorry for your loss. Your father was a great man. It is time for you to unlock your true potential. See you at the marketplace, Joss.
an ally.
The note intrigued me. The marketplace. It made me think of the fantasies I had when I was little.
I quickly grabbed some fresh clothes. I put the note in the right pocket of my pants. I was thinking, how do I find the marketplace?
My right pocket felt like it was burning. I pulled out the note. The burning stopped. But I noticed the text on the note was different. It now said:
Follow your heart. You will find the way.
an ally.
I had no clue how it worked. I put the note back in my right pocket. I waited for a few minutes in case it started to burn again. Nothing happened. I told Bessie we were going to the marketplace. She seemed oddly happy.
We walked and walked. The walking never seemed to end. I walked into random directions, but somehow it felt right. I was following my heart, together with Bessie. We would find the market. I just knew it. I felt it.
Somehow, we didn’t sleep. We could walk for hours, without ever feeling sleepy or hungry.
Our farm was not very far away from the village. Every road came across the village at some point. But somehow we walked for days, and never did we reach the village.
After a few days and nights of walking we were in a forest. The forest felt different from the farm. I felt a strange sort of energy. It filled my mind, my spirit with new thoughts. I could tell Bessie felt it too. These weren’t regular trees and plants, I thought. I felt the energy filling my body. It felt good. I felt powerful.
Out of nowhere, Bessie and I were attacked. About twenty green men jumped out of the bushes and trees. My father told me once not to judge based on appearances, but I knew they were trouble. They had green skin, enormous teeth and claws, and dark yellow eyes.
I felt the energy leaving my body. I started to panic. The trolls jumped on me. Then Bessie let out a loud ‘MOOOO!’ The trolls were all violently whirled up into the air, and then Bessie let out another ‘MOOOO!’ The trolls got smashed face first into the ground. Their teeth fell out. Most trolls passed out, a few crawled away. Bessie showed no mercy. She let out another ‘MOOOO!’ The remaining trolls were whirled up into the air. They didn’t come down again. I had no clue where Bessie had thrown them of to. I didn’t care. They deserved it.
Despite the attack, Bessie and I felt safe in the forest. The energy felt good, almost magical. We stayed in the forest for a while.
I figured if the trolls came back Bessie could deal with them easily. I practised with the energy for a few days and nights. It felt amazing, like an extension of my body. I couldn’t tell where my body ended and the energy began. It was strange. Soon, I could also move things, like Bessie. I also accidentally made some plants disappear once.
Bessie and I invented a game. We bend the bushes round, like a ball. Together we levitated the ball high up in the air. Then we lifted ourselves off the ground. Whoever managed to get to the leaf ball the first won. Bessie and I both pulled each other down, while we tried to go up ourselves. We played for hours, neither of us could ever beat each other.
After a few days, we decided it was time to go on, the marketplace was waiting for us. We came across a couple of trolls making a campfire. Together we dealt with them. We seemed so strong together. Abnormally strong. The energy felt good.
We got out of the forest. I felt the note burning in my right pocket. I looked. The message was changed again. It said:
You’ve gotten out of the forest. Very good. You are a lot quicker than I had anticipated. Not very far to go now. I look forward to meeting you in person.
Signed, an ally.
I was feeling curious and anxious at the same time.
Bessie and I kept going. We followed a river. Somehow, I knew the river would lead me to the marketplace.
A man in a hood stood in front of me.
Actually, I wasn’t sure it was a man at all. I could not see his face under the hood. He had an old person’s voice.
He said: ‘Welcome, Joss. It is time to enter the marketplace and unlock your true potential. Are you ready?
I said, in a nervous voice: ‘No.’ The old man seemingly ignored my answer.
Then he said: ‘You probably have a lot of questions, they will be answered in due time. Tell me, did you and Bessie feel the energy in the forest?’
I said, still nervous: ‘Yes, what was it? It felt so strange.’
The man smiled at me, at least I thought he did. I think he tried to make me feel a bit more at ease, but it only made me more nervous.
He said: ‘It was your true potential, my friend. You are destined for greatness.’
I said: ‘I am just a simple farm boy with a cow.’ I pointed at Bessie.
‘You are so much more than that. There is no such thing as an average, common person. We all have nearly endless potential, you just need to find it, and unlock it. In your case, your hidden potential is in the marketplace. ‘
Bessie, the mysterious ally and I, went to the marketplace. It suddenly appeared in front of us, like it had always been there.
It was very crowded. I felt overwhelmed. It was just like how I imagined it.
There were people flying on magical carpets. There were lots of odd smells. I also felt a lot of energy, like in the forest. There were all sorts of mysterious figures, in some alleys there were shifty looking people, I decided to stay away from them. The smells were a little too odd there for my taste.
The hooded figure led me and Bessie into a bookshop. It was completely silent there. I could tell it was done using the energy, whatever it was. I couldn’t hear any of the noises outside when I was still in the doorstep with the door open. The smells were also gone, replaced with the smell of books. I didn’t mind the smell; it certainly beats the smells of animal poop on the farm.
When I thought that, I had to hold back the tears again. I never knew my father very well, but he didn’t deserve what happened to him. The king and his men should pay for this.
‘I agree.’ Said the hooded figure.
‘With what?’ I asked politely. I was getting a bit scared now.
‘Your father did not deserve what he got. That is why you need to unlock your hidden potential right now. Tell me, you have always felt a connection with Bessie, haven’t you?’
‘Yes, why?’ I asked.
‘You two were both born near each other. People get their magical energy from their parents. Because you two were born next to each other, you two both shared the energy you received somehow. This rarely happens. The official term for it is Twin Soul. When you two work together you can be twice as strong.’’ ‘I don’t understand.’ ‘You will, in due time. You feel the energy more in some places than others, yes? When you unlock your hidden potential, you will always be in touch with your magical energy, you will always feel it wherever you go. See without your eyes. Feel the energy in this room.’
‘I feel nothing.’ Then I started to feel it. The magical energy was flowing through the room.
‘I can feel it now. But what am I supposed to do?’
‘In due time, my friend. The others are not ready.’
‘The others?’ I asked.
‘You will not stand alone, you will find unexpected allies on your path. Together you will save all three worlds. Your story is only just beginning.’
‘Wait, all three worlds?’ I asked
The hooded figure was already gone. He suddenly disappeared. The bookshop was also gone, I was alone with Bessie, in the middle of the marketplace. Time to start a brand new life.