Chapter Text
Tommy crouched down to dust off his trousers, his sore back aching in protest. It was a hot day today, but the quickly setting sun became a reminder of the oncoming winter. Despite being the northernmost town, Summer never lasted long here. When it was summer, the days were long and hot. As winter approached, the temperature chilled quickly, turning into the frozen tundra that it usually was.
Everyone was rushing to get things done because of the fleeting warm weather. Jobs were easy to find in this quick time of year. But, the workload was intense. He spent long hours tending crops and rushing around doing various outdoor chores. It was tiring on Tommy's young, malnourished body, but he needed the money.
"This alright, Mr. Sam?" He hollered, stepping back from the large pile of hay that he collected. His skin was littered with scrapes and, if you looked closely enough, scars that stretched across his arms and the back of his neck.
Mr. Sam peeked out of the barn, observing the large pile, and flashed Tommy a wide grin.
"Looks good, kid."
Tommy's eyes narrowed, and he hollered back,
"Not a kid!" Sam only grinned and rolled his eyes. He looked up at the setting sun, a frown sank into his tanned skin.
"You should be gettin' home soon. Sun's settin'." Tommy looked up at the sun with a frown. He handed his tools to Mr. Sam, heaving a small bag onto his shoulders.
"See ya next Wednesday!"
"Be here by the crack of dawn next week!" Tommy nodded in acknowledgment, walking down the dirt path towards the village.
It was small, but it was one of the many tiny villages that were a part of the Antarctic Empire. The northern location of the village, compared to the rest of the empire, allowed short and hot summers paired with Antarctic Empire typical long winters. The size and population of the villages increased as you went down south until you reached the capital. Down south, the weather was mind-numbingly cold and days were short. The townsfolk that lived there never got to see summer unless they moved up north. Despite the horrid living conditions, it was the biggest town, closer to a city than a town.
Tommy had never been to the capital, lacking money and motivation to see if the rumors were true. He didn't care too much about it anyways. It was just a larger village. He was fine in this small village. The people were relatively friendly, and the town was lively.
The night chill was beginning to settle in the town. The lively center was dead silent. Tommy scampered past the looming houses into the outer ring of the town. His house was tucked into the far corner of the street.
It was falling apart, and there was definitely some fixing needed. But, it was all Tommy could afford with the money he scraped together. Houses were expensive, and he only realized it when he had to pay for food and the cost of living. There wasn't enough time in the summer for Tommy to pay for a nice house and the bare essentials, so he got what he could.
The house was okay. Tommy did what he could to keep it together. The inside consisted of two rooms; a bathroom and a living space. The living space was large enough for Tommy to fit an old mattress and a desk that he had found thrown onto the streets. He tried to keep the house as tidy as he could. It was relatively easy with what little that he had.
That night, he tucked himself into bed. He burrowed himself into the pile of blankets, squirming until he found an okay spot on his hard mattress. It wasn't hard to fall asleep in the summer, the work taking a toll on him. He fell asleep quickly that night. It was better than in the winter months where he laid there, staring at the crumbling ceiling. He usually was cold and lonely, his hybrid brain crying out for company.
The screeches of crows woke him up that morning. They were a common bird in the empire. No one knew why they were so common, but there were whispers that the emperor commanded a flock of crows that reported to him.
Tommy sat up, groggily massaging his dry eyes. The sun peeked over the horizon. He got up and threw on some work clothes before heading out into the town center.
"Tommy! I need help with this shipment." Tommy walked towards Jack, who was carrying large boxes in his arms. Tommy and Jack had a mutual, friendly dislike for each other. Even though he was cooperating now didn't mean he wasn't going to mess with him later. But for now, work needed to get done.
"Which ones?" Jack pointed to the fresh produce, neatly packaged in the corner of the back room. Tommy lifted them with ease, settling them on the wagon in the back, opening the flaps. He was met with a multitude of fresh vegetables and other crops. "Ripe already?"
"Yeah, found a new fertilizer for 'em. Takes a lot less time for them to get ripe. It's real life-changing, especially in the Empire. Could get loads of primes from this." Jack nodded, and Tommy's face lit up. Most of the Empire relied on towns like theirs to deliver fresh produce down south. The journey down there was harsh and expensive. But, the rich people in the capital were willing to pay for it. The new fertilizer could mean more crops to sell to them.
"Ain't there gonna be a problem with delivering them? It’s a pretty tiring journey." Tommy asked, resealing the boxes. Jack frowned, massaging the back of his neck.
"Yeah. Hopefully some people desperate enough will do it, but I can't just trust anyone..." Jack's sentence fell off. Tommy slid the rest of the product into the back.
"Who's delivering this one?" Tommy asked, pushing the back closed.
"Conner's supposed to, but I haven't heard from him in a while." Jack sighed, closing up the back. "Hopefully, he shows up soon."
"Oh, you haven't heard?" Niki appeared, her head sticking out the door. There's a smear of flour on her cheek from working at the bakery. She most likely popped in to check on Jack. "Conner fractured his leg. He can't even get out of bed, poor thing."
Jack's face fell. He began to pace around.
"Well. My job's done, gotta get going." Tommy spoke, breaking the silence. Jack's face lit up in epiphany.
"Wait!" Tommy turned around, his eyebrows raised. "Could you deliver this to the capital?"
"The capital? Hell no. That's way too far." Tommy countered.
"Please! I need someone to get these there. You don't have anything until next week, and the pay's big." Jack begged. Tommy stopped in surprise for two reasons. Jack never begs. He was a prideful man who would not stoop low enough to beg, to Tommy especially. And, the money.
"How much are we talking about?" Tommy crossed his arms.
"10,000 primes." Tommy's eyes widened. That could last him through the winter. Not even a winter, probably the next four years.
"Fine, when am I leaving." Jack smiled in victory.
"Now."