1 01 : Prologue
Ariadne Doe would be lying if she said that she had it tough. In a world full of bloodshed and injustice, the brunette young woman who's an orphan since childhood age, was blessed to have somewhere to sleep safely, eat modestly to satisfy her famished stomach, and to have a work so she can live instead of working to just survive.
The small village of Downstuck, with population roughly of five-hundred people, everyone could guess that the place was going through a bankrupt.
The reason behind the village's poverty was none other that it's own Land Lord, Baron Collins. He was a low-rank Noble full of greed, but the reason why was lost to the residents of the small town.
Ariadne on the other hand, was smarter than she looked. Hearing rumours running around, and contacting one of her friends who was a maid for the noble, she gathered one thing. The Baron was desperate to save his only daughter, Lady Dianna, who has fallen bedridden a couple of months ago. It was a severe cancer situation, and the Lady's father did everything in his will to buy only the best of medicine.
Therefore, eight months of continually increasing taxes resulted in unfortunate impoverishment and insufferable hardship, for the commoners such as herself, that's it.
She knew why he'd done what he had done, but her sympathy was quickly vanquished by the overwhelming feeling of resentment towards the man.
As the town's Herbologist, she did everything she could to make their lives a little better, but even that wasn't enough. She was seeing children and women alike dying from famine, men committing suicide in Solis Bridge, and people illegally fleeing from the land in seek of a better chance for survival ; for a better future.
Ariadne volunteered willingly to lend a hand, but she knew she had to take care of herself too... otherwise, who would take care of them? Contrary to popular belief where people believed she was a cold and nonchalant scholar, she really did love her people with all her heart. What kind of healer would she have been if she didn't?
"Miss Ariadne!"
The childish voice snapped her put of her thoughts, and her long but curly hair became a obstacle for her vision when she turned swiftly around. Her brown eyes overflowed with relief at the sight of the blond-haired boy and his cheeky grin.
"Oh, George! Thank goodness," She approached him quickly, drawing him in to a warm hug, to which he reciprocated immediately by wrapping his (still) short arms around her torso. "Did you fulfilled the task I assigned you?"
"Of course! Who do ya' think I am?" From his messenger bag, one that looked even bigger on his small and thin body, he pulled out three mid-sized vials, the liquids inside the glass bottle glimmering a minty green.
She smiled proudly at him, ruffling his hair and laughing when he squeaked in protest. "The best errand boy in town?"
"Damn right!" He exclaimed with pride in his blue eyes.
She chuckled, taking the vials from him gently before she walked back to her lab. The room the two entered was filled with various of plants ; the knowledge of herbs and their causes and their uses all written down in scrolls and pinned to the wooden wall. The big window on the right, sitting above her messy work desk provided the perfect amount of sunlight to lit up the room. The furniture was made from oak wood, texture hard and coloured light brown, while the cushions were clad in cheap but comfortable maroon cloth. A big bookshelf that took an entire wall was across from them, crowded with Herbology, Anthology and Biology books ; as well as Magic and Ancient Runes.
"Do you still work on poisons?" George asked as he immediately ran to the bookshelf, seeking the familiar purple book.
"First of all, it isn't poison, it's an ingredient for antidotes."
"That can be deadly." He pointed out.
"... Indeed. "
"So, it is a poison."
The young woman glared down at him, rolling her eyes in mock-annoyance. "Who would've thought you'd be such a bratty juvenile."
The kid only giggled at her grumpy face, both knowing it was all for fun and games.
