Chapter 3:- Chapter 1 (Part 2)
Walking into the town after the long day’s work, the men were met with the applause and celebration of the town‘s multitude of citizens. For such an event as today, the first breaking of ground, was a monumental and joyous occasion assuring the town’s continued prosperity to come. An event celebrated greatly by all those who lived there.

Seth felt embarrassed seeing his friends, family and neighbors all waving him on as he entered the large town with the other men. He wasn’t use to the attention, and he wasn’t quite sure he enjoyed it. He had never been one to crave for the praise of others. As he continued to walk in line with the others on the roughly old paved street, the crowd enthusiastically waved them on from either side, some even cheering.

His mother, who was standing to the right on the sidelines up ahead of him, had a smiling face beaming with a pride only a mother could shine. His father, standing beside her, stood stern, but equally proud of his young son. Seth straightened up a bit more upon seeing his father, quickly remembering the expectations that had been placed on him.

“Hey,” a voice hissed behind him.

Seth peered behind to see the boy with blonde hair smiling.

“Hey Zack, what’s up?” he asked, still walking.

“After this parade, meet us at the usual location before the festival tonight, okay?” the boy winked.

“Alright, I’ll see if I can get away at some time,” Seth winked back.

The sun’s heat had dissipated, now being in the middle of the afternoon. Not a cloud could be seen in the sky that day.

As he walked by his parents, he could overhear something a fellow townsman had spoken to his father.

“You must be so proud, he’s following in your footsteps,” the man said.

“We're very proud, yes,” his father replied, smiling at his son as he passed.

He straightened up again more and smiled back somewhat timidly.

As he walked further ahead out of the view of his father and mother, Seth let out a sigh. It had been a long day.

Looking up ahead, he could see they were almost near the end of their procession. They were heading towards a round symmetrical plaza up ahead. When they reached it, there would be a final ending ceremony. Seth knew this because he had watched it twelve times before in his life, of-course this time, he would be the one taking part in it.

After a bit more of walking, which seemed to take too long a time, they finally reached a round dirt layered area. In the center laid a wreath on a tall pedestal around half the size of a man which was holding an old stalk of wheat from the last harvest. All the men slowly approached the display, kneeling on their knees one by one.

The oldest of the men had the honor of reciting the prayer and as he began, he outstretched his arms into the sky.

“O gracious Lord, Lord of our land, place your bountiful blessings upon your humble servants,” he began.

As the man continued to mumble the practiced lines, Seth peered around him, noticing that the crowd from earlier had moved the best they could into the round area to watch the ceremony unfold. Among the onlookers was a small boy of around six looking on in earnest curiosity, struggling to gain a good view. Seth smiled, remembering back to a time very similar to what the boy was now experiencing.

“O Lord, bless the hard labors we have made today,” the older man continued, then standing.

Walking over to the wreath holding the stalk of wheat, he waited. Soon, a younger man ran to his side, holding a flaming torch. Taking the given torch, the old man lit the wreath and stalk on fire.

“As we thank you Lord for your past blessings, we humbly anticipate the forthcoming ones,” the man said, ending the annual prayer.

Seth waited patiently for his moment to take leave, the sun slowly drifting lower in the sky above.