"Do I have to learn all this stuff, Mom?"
Sitting at the round table with Nora, you complained. A breeze flowed in from the wide open window, sunlight casting a warm glow on the table and on the piles of books and scrolls surrounding you.
Nora paused her explanation about a certain plant and its unique formula and looked at you.
"Are you bored already, dear? We just started."
"I don't wanna learn this." You puffed your cheeks. "Everything's so complicated and the names are so hard to memorize!"
"But you have to. What's an alchemist without proper knowledge of medicine? How are you supposed to help people when they call for you?"
You grumbled at the frowning face of Nora. "Being a Healer is hard and boring! Why can't I become a seamstress like Nana? Or a florist! We have so many pretty flowers growing here and I know all of them! Or maybe something else. Just not that!"
Nora put down her quell and frowned. "Being an alchemist is different than being a Healer, dear. Yes, what I am teaching you primarily specializes in medicine and healing, so you can say it's similar to being a doctor or herbalist. And everything is difficult at first. I'm sure over time you'll come to enjoy it."
You shrank away from her stern expression, grumbling under your breath.
"But I don't wanna. It's boring,"
Nora patted your head with a smile. "We can change to a more interesting topic if you're finding the current one boring. There's a lot to learn in alchemy. I'm sure you'll find something of your interest."
Iseka who listening to the back and forth stopped her sewing and let out a loud sigh. "Leave the child alone, Nora. Give her some time. Maybe wait until she becomes a little more mature to understand complicated things."
Nora shook her head. "Wait? It'll be too late. I won't be around forever. I want to share my knowledge with her. Is it so wrong that I want my child to learn everything from me?"
You felt a tinge of tension envelop the room.
You internally sighed. "Not again."
"Why must you take everything I say so negatively? Do you see the child? She's still young. She should play and be mischievous, not cooped up in her tiny house, being forced to learn things she's not ready to."
Things were getting a little heated.
Was it that much of a big deal to become an alchemist? You found it boring.
"Of course I understand. I just thought it would be better to start teaching early. I didn't mean to put pressure on her." Nora defended herself.
"You're putting unnecessary strain on her, whether you acknowledge it or not."
Nora's face darkened, a crease forming between her brows.
Iseka pointed a finger at you and you cringed at being singled out all of a sudden.
"Child, go play outside. Don't go past the fence. Stay near. Go."
"Okay!"
You immediately raced to the door and were out before Nora could protest. You could hear them bickering behind you.
You took a deep breath. "Why do they always fight? I should've kept my mouth shut."
You were lamenting when you felt a soft touch on your leg and looked down.
"Ether!"
You crouched down and picked up him. "Where were you? I didn't see you around the entire day. Don't just disappear like that. I was worried."
Meow.
You sighed when he didn't answer. "Why are you like this, Ether?"
Ether tilted his head like he had no idea what were babbling about.
You stood up with Ether in your arms. "Whatever. At least you're back unharmed."
Feeling a bit strange, you traced back to the path where you found the ginormous glowing tree chasing after the horned butterfly.
Sneaking behind the tall trees, you peeked over and let out a disappointed sound.
"It really vanished into thin air..."
There was nothing there. Only scrawny tall trees and overgrown grass, unlike the dead trees you had seen.
The whole space surrounding the ginormous glowing tree was empty. It disappeared and left no trace behind.
"Seriously, how is it possible for something so enormous to disappear overnight and leave no trace behind?"
If it weren't for Ether, you would have choked up the whole thing as some strange dream.
"And what about the crystals?"
You flinched when Ether growled.
For some reason, Ether hated this place. The day after you came over to check, he got mad and teleported you to the edges of the forest where Nora caught you red-handed coming out of the Mist Forest and freaked out. Which then resulted in you being grounded and being forced to memorize a whole book in a short time.
You were careful not to piss him off.
"Alright, alright. I'm leaving." You quickly got out of there before Ether could get mad.
"Happy?"
Ether snorted and whipped his tail against your face.
"Ack!"
You gagged and avoided his tail. "Furry shit--"
You calmed yourself, knowing he liked to annoy you. You weren't going to fall for his tricks.
Humming a familiar song, you aimlessly wandered off, swinging Ether left and right to the best of the song.
Ether resisted the stupid dance and when you refused to let go, he dug his claws into your arms.
You yelped in pain and stumbled backward and Ether took the opportunity to free himself.
Feeling unstable, you bounced on your feet, swinging your arms around widely to avoid falling.
And somehow you end up crashing into someone and taking them down with you.
You lay there confused and distraught. It was only when you heard muffled groans, that you snapped out of trance.
Quickly regaining your senses, you sat up.
"Are you okay--?!"
Your jaw dropped and you shamelessly gawked at the fallen person who was a girl close to your age.
You knew you should help her since you were the one who bumped into her with enough force that both of you were thrown on your butts.
But all could you do was shamelessly stare at her.
Wavy platinum blonde hair tied up in a high ponytail and eyes the shade of the petals of a beautiful, freshly blossomed red rose.
The child looked cute like the waddling baby swans swimming behind their mother swan.
"Wow, such a pretty child." You blurted out and immediately felt embarrassed when she looked confused.
You saw Ether sitting behind her licking his paws and smugly smirking at you.
That stingy brat..!
Before you could give him an earful, Ether disappeared into thin air.
"That little shit--"
The girl gave you a look and you coughed.
"Are you hurt anywhere? I'm sorry. I bumped into you pretty hard."
The girl shook her head. "No. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" You carefully helped her up and dusted off her dress.
"Yes."
You stared at her, unsure of what to do. The girl seems curious. And you admit you were quite curious yourself. It was rare for people to wander off this part of the village. Especially a child.
Given her strange clothing choice, she seemed to be a traveler.
"Why are you wandering off all alone? Where are your parents?" You asked and looked around to see if someone was accompanying the girl.
"Who are you? I was told no one lives here." The girl asked instead, her red eyes shining brightly.
You blinked. Did the villagers really say no one lives here? Damn them.
"I live here."
"You live here?" The girl tilted her head.
"Yes."
"Oh."
The girl frowned.
You held back your laugh at her confused face.
"Are you lost?"
"No."
Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You wandered off here on purpose? Didn't the villagers tell you no one lives here and it's dangerous?"
"They did." The girl shrugged. "But the wind led me here."
"The what now?"
The girl giggled and lifted her face to the sky. "The wind. The beautiful wind brought me here."
You looked at her with an appeasing smile and nodded your head like a benevolent aunt. "Uh-huh. So the wind led you here. The wind, I see. So about your parents--"
"You don't believe me." The girl cut in. She stared at you when your smile became a little strained.
Suddenly, she grabbed your hand and dragged you with her.
"Hey! Wait--!"
She brought you to the edge of a cliff. You took one look at the fall and yanked the girl away.
You stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Girl, are you crazy?!"
The girl blinked at your stunned expression. "I'm not going to jump if that's what you're thinking."
Your eyes twitched in distress. "Well I'm sorry, I can't trust you when you're literally standing so close to the edge?!"
Who was this crazy kid?!
Why were her parents?!
Damn it.
"C'mon. Let's go and find your parents. You shouldn't go off on your own. This place is unfamiliar to you and quite frankly dangerous. Why were your parents thinking of letting a girl so young wander off all by herself?"
You could finally understand Nora. And why she was always frustrated with you.
The girl protested. "No! I'm not in danger. I want to stay and I want to help you hear the wind!"
"What wind?!" You yelled at the crazy girl. "You'll get carried away with one for sure if you keep on being so stubborn!"
The girl yanked her hand back with puffed cheeks. And you let go with some reluctance.
"Seriously, this kid.."
Seeing your defeated expression, the girl grinned.
"Stand beside me." She insisted and the fire in her eyes scared you.
You took a deep breath followed her crazy request and hoped she wouldn't do anything insane.
"Now close your eyes."
"Huh? Why? Are you going push me off?"
"No? Why would I do that?" She asked in confusion.
You felt like an idiot. "...Okay. Alright. I'm going to close my eyes. Please don't push me off."
"I won't!" The girl shouted eagerly.
Oh god.
"Eh..now what?"
"Can't you feel it?"
"Feel what?"
"The wind!" The girl's voice rose. "Feel the breeze. Hear it sing to you."
"I don't think that's going to help me understand..."
You exhaled slowly emptied your head and focused on the nature ahead.
And slowly like the soft trickling of water droplets, you heard it.
The gentle humming of the breeze.
Bit by bit, you were filled with a soothing serenity of nature.
"Can you feel it now?" The girl eagerly whispered.
It was a beautiful humming but a song? That was a bit far-fetched.
You didn't feel like throwing cold water on her excitement so you nodded.
"It's beautiful."
You could feel her beam even with your eyes closed.
You opened your close and as expected she was smiling brightly.
Blinded by her brilliant smile, your strained smile softened.
"Now that it's over. You listen to me very carefully. Promise me you'd never do something so reckless as going near a cliff or any dangerous place. C'mon, promise."
The girl was reluctant but when you glared at her, mimicking Nora and Iseka's death stare, she quickly agreed. "Okay. I promise."
You nodded at her obedience and smiled.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Diana!"
"It's a pretty name. Nice you meet you, Diana," You extended your hand.
She looked at it with a strange expression.
Oh crap. You had forgotten it wasn't your world. There was no such thing as a friendly handshake among ladies.
You pulled back and asked another question.
"Where are you from? Your clothes are so unique. I never seen anyone dressed in one similar to you."
A brief silence and Diana made a curious expression. "You speak so strange."
You flinched and started to sweat. "Strange? How?"
"You speak like my Nonna!"
"Nonna?"
"She's our group leader. She's the one who makes the rule and makes sure everyone follows it."
"No parents?"
Diana shook her head, her expression remained unchanged despite the grim content. "No."
You took a moment to see if she was upset but her brightly shining eyes made it clear she wasn't bothered by the topic at hand.
"Then let's go find this Nonna." You said.
"She told me to go play and explore to my heart's content!"
"She said that to a child?"
"You're a child too and younger than me and you're alone!"
You waved away her indignation. "Not the same."
The girl's cheeks puffed a little in a grumpy sort of way and you poked it with a smile.
"When are you planning to go back?"
"I don't know?"
This girl...
Ms. Nonna, what the heck were you thinking?
You asked as you thought about what to do with the adventurous girl. You couldn't leave her by herself. Given her tendency to follow the wind, only disaster waited ahead.
You heaved a sigh.
"How about I show to a beautiful place?" You asked. "There's a small creek down the path. You'll like it. Then after that, promise me you will return to your Nonna and the group."
Diana contemplated, looking to the side before nodding eagerly. "Okay!"
"Alright then. Follow me...Uh, why are you removing your sandals?"
"I want to walk barefoot!"
Your head throbbed faintly. Who knew taking care of an eager child was so difficult?
Well, you walked barefoot all the time so it shouldn't be a problem. You reached down and removed your sandals and picked it up.
Diana's face lit up at your actions.
"Let's go."
You took her past the cliff and deeper into the edge of the forest.
"So you came from Siodonna? That's a long way here."
"We were invited for the banquet of the Emperor." Diana elaborated. "I begged them to take me along since I wanted to see the world outside my homeland."
"The world outside your homeland, huh?" You felt a tinge of envy. You could hardly venture past your own home, let alone leave the village. It was hard to imagine Nora would let you leave for another country.
"The forest is breathing." Diana blurted out of a sudden. "So strange."
You glanced at her. You thought about the Mist Forest. "You mean it's alive?"
"Every forest is alive," Diana answered back with a mischievous smile.
"Technically, yes." You said with a mysterious smile. "Though you make it sound so creepy."
Diana pouted. "What's t-technical?"
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
You both walked a bit, jumping over overgrown roots and pushing away wild bushes. You plucked a few blueberries along the way and gave them to her and enjoyed it yourself too.
She told you more about her homeland and you listened to her with an eager smile.
"It's beautiful!" Diana gasped.
A narrow stream stretched out in a straight line, going past the tall tree lines and disappearing over the edge. The flowing water was crystal clear, reflecting its depth and the trees beautifully.
"It's breathtaking." You agreed with her.
You eagerly walked forward, wanting to get rid of the stickiness of the berries from your hands and mouth.
Only to trip on a stone and tumble down the slight slope and crash right into the water with a splash.
You groaned. Why couldn't you do one simple thing without making a fool of yourself?
Diana gasped in concern. "Are you alright?!"
In her worry, she took a hasty step forward and came tumbling down right beside you.
You laughed a little too hard at her drenched state.
Diana looked upset at first but she soon joined you in on the absurdity of the whole ordeal.
"You're too clumsy!"
"Look who's talking?!" You said and pointed a finger at her.
Diana giggled before swimming her way to you carefully.
"You should be more careful though. You could have got hu-- Kyaaa!" Before Diana could finish she felt a cold splash over her face.
"Take that!" You giggled still sitting in the water, completely soaked.
Diana wiped her face with her sleeve. She glared at you. "Why did you do that? I'm now soaked to--" only to be cut off by another water attack.
You innocently smiled at her. "You weren't soaked." You grinned. "But don't worry I'm here to help."
Diana's brows twitched and with a battle cry, she dived towards you.
"Take that!"
Splash!
"Wow, how rude! How can could you?!"
Splash!
"You started it!" Diana shouted and yelped when she was attacked with water again.
Splash!
"I was helping you wash the dirt away. And this is how you pay me?!"
"Liar!" Diana shouted while dodging another attack.
You struggled to breathe from the constant water attacks.
"Do you have no faith in me?! Here I was being so nice to you!" You giggled before choking when the water filled your mouth. "Ack!"
"Hahaha! Serves you right!"
Hours after playing on the creek, completely drenched from head to toe, you both arrived at the cabin.
"Why are you all soaked up, ladies?" Nora asked as she tapped her feet impatiently.
You and Diana exchanged looks. You had brought her with you because her small group of dancers were busy setting up tents.
You nudged her and she nudged you back.
Neither of you willing to answer her first.
You blinked when you saw Ether soundlessly sleeping curled up in the bed, occasionally his ears twitched.
"I want an answer now," Nora demanded and snapped you out of a trance.
"She started it, Miss!" Diana shouted.
You gasped at the ultimate betrayal. "What? We are supposed to be partners in crime, not sisters in snitching!"
Diana pouted. "But you did start it."
She was right.
But friends don't rat each other out!
Your brows twitched and you mumbled under your breath. "You traitor.."
Smack!
Iseka smacked you across the head and wordlessly left for the cupboard to bring towels and a change of clothes. Coughing, she searched for warm pairs of sweaters for idiots like you.
"Ack!" You covered your head with a yelp. "What did I do?" You asked, rubbing your sore head.
You shut up when Nora glared at you.
"Why would you play in the water? You know it's cold out there. And even the breeze is blowing so strong. Now you'll catch a cold." Nora reprimanded. "You dragged your friend into this too!"
"Mom, we'll be fine And it's not too cold. Right, Diana?" You turned to Diana who nodded in help.
"Yes, it's not too cold out there, Miss. I didn't even feel anything."
Satisfied with her answer, you turn to Nora with a smile. "See. We are completely fine. Look how healthy and fit we look. There's no way we'd get col---"
Sneeze.
Nora deadpanned, "Bless you,"
You sheepishly wiped your nose. "Well at least Diana is fin---"
Sneeze.
"....Never mind."
Nora deadpanned again, "Bless you too."