A rooster crowed somewhere far off in the Alkmanis orchard. A cold breeze slipped through the high window of Daniil's room, but the air inside remained humid—the window was the room's only entrance.
Daniil, a teenager with a high metabolism, had sweated through the night. He tossed and turned, irritated by the lingering heat, until he finally removed his himation, revealing a bare, well-built abdomen. Despite his youth, he could already be called a man.
Ugh.
The mutter slipped from his lips in sleep. The bed lay beneath the window, denying him any relief from the breeze. Damp sheets clung to him. Frustrated, he finally woke with a deep sigh.
"Sigh… I'm so tired… Can't even sleep properly…"
He sat up, legs dangling off the side of his plain, handmade kline. Everyday discomfort didn't sit well with him, and the breeze had died anyway.
"Right… just when I want to enjoy it, it disappears too, huh?"
Slipping on a worn-out pair of sandals, he changed into a simple chiton, letting the robe dry outside. He straightened the bed, leaving only the mattress and pillows. Stepping into the main room, he found his family gathered. His father leaned against a pillow, conversing with his mother by the stove, while his younger sisters ate breakfast: bread and ptisanē. They barely noticed him.
"Daniil! Son! I got back last night. How have you been?"
Andreas Alkmanis, forty-three, lean and weathered, looked malnourished from hard work. Years of sacrifice had lifted the family from poverty, earning him a rare noble match: Meri Nektarios, a daughter of the Nektarios family.
"Dear, wash your face. I've made breakfast," Meri said with a gentle smile.
The heat from the stove made Daniil frown. Without a word, he stepped outside to the backyard, near the fig orchard. He dipped a bucket in the well, hauled up water, and splashed it across his face, drying himself with a cloth.
"Phew… why can't it be this cool all the time?"
Returning home, he spotted his father leaving the house with a sickle in hand.
"Come to the orchard after you eat. We need to weed some roots," Andreas said, smiling and patting Daniil's shoulder before walking off.
Daniil muttered under his breath, drained before the day had even begun. He ate quickly and returned to the orchard, now carrying a sickle himself. He paused at the doorstep, observing the sunrise and gathering clouds.
Agapi, his youngest sister, snuck up and hugged his knees. Startled at first, he then smiled softly, lifting her onto his hip. Alexia, the middle child, appeared with an oil lamp, followed by their mother leaning against the doorframe.
"Brother, mother said to take this with you," Alexia said, raising the lamp.
Daniil frowned. "Huh? Why would I need a lamp now?"
"Your father's working both the fig and grape orchards. It'll take a while. You won't be done until nightfall," Meri replied.
Reluctantly, he set Agapi down, taking only the sickle.
"I won't need the lamp. I'll finish early," he said, waving to his sisters and mother before disappearing behind the stone house.
He made his way between the rows of fig trees until he reached his father at the far corner of the orchard, squatting as he weeded.
"Took you long enough. I'm almost done!" Andreas joked.
"Oh yeah? Sure, sure. I'll be done before you," Daniil replied with a playful grin.
He worked steadily, slicing weeds at the base of each tree. Hours passed. The sun climbed high, heat pressing down. Andreas had gone to refine the irrigation tunnel fed by a nearby mountain stream. Daniil, only five trees in, began doubting himself.
Maybe I should have taken the lamp. At this rate, we won't finish for days.
He paused, staring blankly at the orchard. Andreas noticed and laughed.
"Don't worry. The weeds won't eat you," he said.
Daniil shook off the daze, laughing along. The shared humor eased the strain before they returned to work.
Suddenly, the sound of large wooden wheels and galloping horses echoed across the orchard.
"Waa-haa!" shouted the coachman, cracking the reins. A rising dust cloud heralded the arrival of a carriage. Andreas raised his hand, gesturing for Daniil to continue working.
The carriage halted beside the orchard. A tall girl stepped out, followed by others in pitch-black attire, moving in solemn unison. Villagers nearby retreated, then cautiously returned to watch.
Andreas stepped forward, polite yet wary. "Hello. That's my house. May I ask your business here?"
The leader, calm and composed, pointed to the open field. "We want to occupy this land. We have something very important to share with everyone."