[center][h2][color=39b54a]Rankon[/color][/h2][/center]

Rankon grabbed the last handful of wheat to be harvested and swung his sickle down at the base of the crop. As he did, the other farmers standing beside him copied his actions in near unison, grunting from this final exertion of the day. The wheat cut easily, and Rankon handed it to the farmhand waiting behind him ready to sheathe it. Collective sighs of relief and tired mumbling rolled off the newly empty field as the farmers began to make their way back into their homes and more importantly, their dinners. Harvest was always a difficult time, little time could be wasted in collection or the yield would suffer either from animals or the environment. Rankon wiped the sweat from his brow with his rough hands as he glanced around the field, mind already planning the work to done clearing it. His muscles ached from the hard work, while the other farmers had taken shifts between harvesting and binding the wheat, Rankon had used his power to boost his stamina to work through the entire day. It was important that the other farmers saw that despite his more dangerous abilities, he was willing to work just as hard as they were, not lording himself above them. 

A small sound from his stomach brought him out of his reverie and reminded him that despite his power, he still needed to eat. The days exertions had a cost that demanded repayment. He turned from the field and began walking to his parent's home where he expected his mother would be lightly berating his father for his attempted 'helpfulness' in the kitchen. Nesben Tiller had many admirable traits, but cooking was not amongst their number and it had only gotten worst since he had injured his leg and could not help in the fields. Rankon smiled quietly to himself and patted his stomach in anticipation. 

And that is when he spotted the dark spots in the sky, growing larger on the horizon. The chill started at the base of his neck and ran down throughout the rest of his body, slowly freezing him in place. [color=39b54a][i]'Airships from the capitol. The village!'[/i][/color] Images of Grazah burned in his mind, that last empty eyed look as he turned his head to look back at his family for the final time. Rankon shook his head, banishing those thoughts to the back of his mind and slammed his foot down three times against the earth. With each slam, minor tremors rattled the walls and homes of Calvern. Every villager knew what that meant- hide your children.

Rankon could feel the villagers in their homes moving quickly upon the earthern floors of their homes, moving in practiced panic. The drills had been for this exact purpose, if the King's men came by road their presence was usually routine, but the presence of the airships could only mean a 'Search' was underway. What they were looking for no one in the Village could say for certain, but children were always taken. Those who resisted were killed. The only way to save these families were to conceal them.

Rankon called out silently to the steady strength and power beneath his feet, feeling its power coursing into him as though he were a tree rooted deep below the ground. He waved his hand at each of the village homes calling for the hidden entrances in each of their homes to open up to the hidden tunnels beneath Calvern. There the children could hide with the extra crops that Rankon's efforts over the years had yielded. The tunnels had no other entrances besides what Rankon had created and once the children were all hidden, he moved the stone of the earth back over the entranceways, obliterating all trace of their presence.

He stared up at the sky, the sun now descending to the heavens below lighting he works in orange flame. The dark blotches in the sky were even larger now heading in their general direction. It was possible they were not heading for Calvern, at least not yet. [color=39b54a][i]'No, they are coming now. Their time of harvest is now...'[/i][/color] Rankon's fingers clenched and unclenched unconsciously on the sickle he still held, as he watched the scythe descending towards his small world.