The Mechanical Era

Marco, for the first time ever, was excited to wake up on time. He quickly rinsed his teeth, wearing some new clothes, eats his breakfast, and runs straight outside to catch up with a wooden caravan, which sets off to the inner city in the morning.

There is usually a building, where a bunch of caravans is stationed. The people who generally live on the outskirts of the city usually pay to get to the city and back. The place also has a built-in stable for oxen; the engines of the caravans.

As he ran towards the caravan, he found a young woman waiting there. She was about his age and had black hair knotted in a ponytail with a blue handkerchief wrapped around her head. She had sky-blue eyes while wearing a reed flower green gown, and holding an empty wooden basket.

"Oh, Cassy! You are going to the city too?" Marco asked.

"Why yes. Of course. I need to go pick up some groceries. This is my first time doing so," Cassie replied.

"Anyone going with you?"

"Just my mother. She says that she will teach me how to 'properly negotiate' with the shoppers to get a better price, help pick out the best items, and such."

"Where is your mother now?" Marco asked.

"Hustling the salesman in that wooden building over there." she pointed at the building with her finger. It was about 5 caravans away from where they stood. It was mostly made of wood, with a hay rooftop.

"What about you? I don't assume you came all the way here because you want to join me, would you?" she teased while making a little smile. Marco's face nearly puffed red, but he managed to cool himself down.

"Actually, I am going to learn to read and write!" he replied. Silence. It took Cassie a bit to process what he had just said. Him? Going to learn to read and write? How?

"Come again?" she finally said.

"I am going to learn to read and write," he repeated. A wave of shock and confusion came across Cassie's face. His answer only brought her more questions.

"Wait what?"

"It's true."

"Wait a minute! How on earth did you manage to afford that? Where are you going exactly to learn? Who is teaching you? Does that mean you went to the city already?" she fired a barrage of questions that nearly drowned Marco. To get her to stop, he placed both his hands on her shoulders and said,

"Calm down! I will explain everything." Marco went on to explain the trip where he went to the city for the first time, where he got to see this new building, that there was a school there, and that he registered.

"I see... say, when are you coming back?" she asked.

"From what I can remember, the school lasts for about 4 hours. So I should be back home at about 2. Why did you ask?" Marco questioned Cassie back.

"No reason. No reason at all," she replied.

"Well then, I am going to go pay the guy. I will be back soon!" he said.

Marco went toward the building and paid the guy who was driving the caravan a few copper coins. A few more people came by before the caravan made a departure to the city. It took about an hour and a half to get to the city.

He managed to arrive at school on time. 30 minutes early in fact. However, the class seemed to be half full. All the front-row seats were taken, except for one. Feeling pressured, he decided to grab the opportunity and sat on the chair, claiming it as his own.

On the desk, there was a slate tablet with a wooden frame and a piece of white chalk next to it. Marco figured that it was how they were going to write and learn from. On the teacher's desk, there was a wooden cup with more white chalk, and two hourglasses filled with sand, with one being larger than the other. Behind the empty teacher's desk, was a large blackboard hung up on the wall.

As he waited for the teacher to come, from his right, someone called upon him with a little whisper. He turned around to see a boy, about a year older than him. He had short brown hair, gemstone-green eyes, an oval-shaped face, and a little mustache growing. He wore a silverweed yellow tunic, along with a brown help tunic and pointy calfskin shoes.

"Hey! What is your name?" he asked. Marco smiled and replied kindly.

"My name is Marco Dietrichson. It is nice to meet you." Marco replied.

"Nice to meet you, Marco. My name is Vice. Vice Grotti."

"That is a cool name," Marco complimented.

"Thank you. So... where did you come from?"

"Hmm..."

"I haven't seen you around these parts. Are you from outside the city? From the outskirts?" Vice asked, curious to know where Marco was born. It was usual for people to know each other through a third place, like a tavern, or a cafe.

"Actually yea. From the outskirts. Like... far out. I belong to a family of farmers."

"Really? You must have come a long way then. Did you walk here or...?"

"Well, not entirely. I came here via a caravan that sets off early in the morning. It drops me off and I walk from there instead. Still, it would be a little-long walk." Marco explained to Vice, who listened very carefully.

"Do you like it?" he asks.

"Like what?"

"Being there? Being a farmer?"

"Not really. Well, the scenery is nice but, I would rather be a merchant and sail across the world. It is kind of my dream." His reply gathered a smile from Vice, who felt he was in the same boat as well, just in a different way.

"Same here Except that I don't want to work in my father's shop. We have been there since my great-grandfather. That can go to my brother or sister. Do you have a brother or sister?" he questioned.

"I have one. He is about 9 years younger than me, but he seems to love what my father does."

"Wonder how long that will last," Vice replied. The two chuckled. Marco and Vice continued to talk throughout the day. Though it felt like a few seconds have passed by, the teacher arrived at the classroom via the wooden door.

The teacher was the same woman when Marco registered at the school. Today, however, she wore a minimalist white gown, carrying a leather handbag on her shoulder.

"Alright, class! Sit down!" she said. The kids, who were in the age range of 13 to 17, did not listen. Only after slamming the desks to get the attention of the students, and lighting her hand on fire, she managed to get them to their seats.

After picking up the white chalk in the cup, she wrote something on the top write of the board.

"Hello everyone! My name is Eden Roy. You can refer to me as Mrs. Roy. I will be your teacher for today."