The morning sun rose over Stormound Village, painting the fields with a soft glow. Birds chirped, roosters crowed, and Kael Stormound was—naturally—oversleeping.
"KAEL!" Grandma's voice thundered from the kitchen window. "You said you'd leave at dawn!"
Kael shot upright, tangled in his blanket. "I—I was meditating! Totally not sleeping!"
Grandpa's voice followed, gruff as always. "Meditating on drool stains, perhaps."
Kael scrambled out of bed, packed his small bag with bread, dried meat, and an extra shirt, then grabbed the gloves, carefully wrapped in cloth. His heart raced. This wasn't another training day. This was the day.
---
At the Gate
The villagers had gathered, curious but supportive. Some thought Kael was crazy for leaving. Others whispered about how reckless he was. None of them knew about the gloves.
Kael adjusted the strap of his bag, then struck a heroic pose in front of the crowd. "Fear not, fellow villagers! Your soon-to-be world-famous monster slayer is on his way!"
An old farmer shouted, "Don't trip on the way out, boy!"
Kael immediately tripped on a rock. The crowd erupted in laughter. He stood, dusted himself off, and grinned. "Ha! That was a test! You all passed!"
---
The Goodbyes
Grandma hugged him tightly, her eyes watering. "You eat properly, you hear me? Not just bread and apples. And no sleeping in caves, they're full of bats and worse."
Kael muffled a laugh into her shoulder. "Relax, Grandma. I'll eat like a king. A monster-slaying king."
Grandpa stood nearby, arms crossed. He didn't smile, but his eyes softened. "Don't rely only on the gloves. Rely on your mind, your instincts. And never forget—you're a Stormound."
Kael saluted dramatically. "Yes, sir, Grandpa, sir!"
Then, more softly, he added, "I'll make you proud."
For a moment, silence hung between them. Then Grandpa nodded once. That was enough.
---
On the Road
Kael stepped beyond the wooden gates, the dirt road stretching endlessly ahead. His heart pounded with excitement, nerves, and a little bit of fear.
He turned back one last time, waving at his grandparents and the villagers. "Don't miss me too much! I'll send autographs when I'm famous!"
The crowd laughed, shaking their heads.
Grandpa muttered, "Idiot boy." But his lips twitched, almost into a smile.
Grandma waved until he was out of sight.
---
Alone at Last
Once the village was far behind, Kael stopped in the middle of the road. The fields were quiet, the air fresh. He pulled off the bandages covering the gloves. The metallic surface gleamed in the sun, the runes pulsing faintly with chaotic energy.
He clenched his fists. "Alright, Gloves of Chaos. Time to see what kind of trouble we can stir up."
The gloves hummed in response, almost eager.
Kael grinned, his goofy charm mixing with determination. "Let's go find some monsters."
And with that, Kael Stormound, the boy who couldn't sit still, began his journey into the vast, dangerous, and mysterious world of Eatheria.