8 A New Friend

Myra wandered through her neighborhood with a burlap bag slung across her shoulder while her brother was away at work, hoping to find something interesting to do. It was always the same routine with them. Kin went away to train the kingdom's soldiers, and Myra walked around avoiding the inevitable time for her to head to the Saint's temple. Though she greatly respected the Saints of Mysta, she loathed the idea of attending lectures at the Central Temple in Hanali. Children her age were expected to attend to learn about the outside world, but Myra would rather see it for herself than learn about it from books.

She walked through the familiar streets of Hanali into the market square and greeted the street vendors as she usually did. As she passed a stall, her mouth watered at the delicious scent of barbequed skewered meat and bought a few to eat on her way into the forest. Although the forest was within the wall, it was still a dangerous place with wild animals and poisonous plants, but Myra was almost too accustomed to the topography.

She pulled out a journal and some compressed charcoal from her bag and trekked the terrain until she reached the clearing she always went to whenever she wanted to be alone. There, despite the small amount of fog, light always found a way to shine through. In the middle of the clearing was a broken statue of the goddess Dhari. Myra liked to sit under the statue and take note of the flora that surrounded her. She had on her a book on medicinal plants that she always read and researched. Her goal was to open a clinic in Hanali that welcomed all whether they had money or not.

The rich and nobility had a monopoly on the best medicine and doctors, leaving the poor commoners high and dry. Myra didn't think it fair for money to determine who gets treated and whom couldn't. In the end, they were all human and humanity as a whole should help each other survive. Myra always thought that the Fiara was sent to remind society to come together and support one another, but the monsters only deepened the chasm between the aristocracy and the humble.

Myra was stuck in between. She was part of the nobility, but her house had fallen the moment her parents passed away. Her brother was away on the battlefield, and the other nobles took advantage of that. Myra couldn't do much since she was so young. Little by little, they chiseled away at what fortune the Luptador family had until there was nothing left. Kin returned to an empty home devoid of everything. He made the decision to sell their family home and moved to the Hanali District. They weren't of high status, barely qualified as a viscount family, but the Luptador's were known for producing excellent warriors. Kin moved up through the ranks and was given a lesser general position, short of the command the Crown Prince held.

Many of the distant relatives that had taken the Luptador's land forcefully, tried to appeal to Kin by offering to give back what they had taken, but Kin declined the lavish lifestyles they offered. He stayed in Hanali and Myra agreed with his decision. She didn't need a large mansion filled with empty rooms and no warmth. It was only the two of them, and that was enough. The relatives persisted though with an offer of marriage.

Myra shivered at the thought of Kin getting married to any of those materialistic women. She's seen the lot of them and took to none. They feigned innocence in front of her brother, but behind his back called him all sorts of things and spread all sorts of rumors. Myra was glad that those women were selfish enough to retract their offers when they realized that Kin wasn't going to move from their small commoner's dwelling.

There was a small rustling in the bushes that gave Myra pause as she scoured through her notes. She waited for the sound to come again, but there was nothing, so she continued to read through her journal, marking a few things in the medicinal book and then writing in her journal. There was a plant that always grew at the base of Dhari's statue. During the day it would absorb the sun's rays and when the night came, it would glow under the moon. Evening Primrose held medicinal purposes and the oils were usually extracted to treat skin conditions. It was a flower symbolic to the goddess Dhari.

Myra heard the rustle again and stopped studying the flowers. She slowly put away her books and took out the small sword she swiped from the top shelf Kin had placed it. It was a peculiar sword, thin but extremely sharp. It wasn't long enough for an adult to use in battle, nor was it short enough to be called a dagger, but it was the right size for Myra.

She made her way to the bushes hesitantly and drew the sword from its sheath. Kin had taught Myra a few things about the sword, but she wasn't a soldier and so her knowledge barely contained the basic forms.

"Nonsense," she muttered to herself. "I am a Luptador and that means I am a warrior. There is nothing to fear this close to the city." Steeling her resolve, Myra moved closer to the rustling. When she was but a breath away, the rustling stopped. There was an air of anticipation. Silence. Something rushed out of the bushes and Myra screamed while closing her eyes and swinging the sword down in one strike. She heard a small squeal and looked down only to see a small white four-legged animal.

"Oh no!" Myra said distraught. She had struck a baby fox in fear for her own life. "Kin always said to keep my eyes open! Look what I've done!" Panicking, Myra looked around her and saw the primrose. She hurried to the statue to grab a few petals and a piece of the statue rubble. She went back to the fox who was unconscious and began grinding the petals down into mush. She applied the paste onto the fox's wound and ripped her dress for a piece of cloth to wrap around its stomach. She then lifted the fox and cradled it into her arms as she raced out of the forest to the Central Temple.

She passed the street stalls and the bustling of the central market to curious onlookers. She raced up the steps to the front entrance of the temple and hastily greeted the priestesses before rushing to the Head Priest's office. She slammed the door open, startling the small man inside who was surprised to see Myra distressed and covered in blood.

"Myra!" the Head Priest rushed over to her and began inspecting her for any wounds. "What happened? Are you hurt?" Myra shook her head and lifted her arms, tears falling down her face.

"It was an accident," she sobbed. "Please save it, Elder Mundari."

Elder Mundari took a look at the bundle in her arms and saw the white fox, a rarity on its own and the symbol of the Saintess Jans. For one to appear in front of Myra could be a sign for something to come. Whether positive or negative remained to be seen. For now, Mundari took the fox and gestured for Myra to follow.

He walked down a short hallway into another room that was held for solitary prayer. Placing the fox down on the kneeling pad, Mundari opened a compartment behind the statue of St. Jans and pulled out an aid kit. He unwrapped the makeshift bandage around the fox to inspect the wound. The cut wasn't deep, the bleeding only made it seem worse.

"I see you used primrose," Mundari said absently to Myra as he worked to clean the wound. The fox whimpered slightly before falling silent again.

"It was the only thing I could think of to use," Myra said as she sniffled and wiped away her tears.

"Were you in the forest again?" Mundari looked up to see Myra look away in shame.

"Yes…" she answered, "But only to study the plants. I didn't go there to hunt or anything." Hunting in the forest without a license was grounds for imprisonment. There was barely any game in the forest as it was and going beyond the wall to hunt was only for the brave and foolish. Mainly those from the Hunters' Guild who took on a commission would ever venture out there for meat. "He startled me, and I just reacted. I didn't mean to hurt him."

"It is rare to come across St. Jans' familiar seeing as how they disappeared when she passed away hundreds of years ago," he said as he reapplied an ointment and wrapped the wound with a fresh bandage. "Even more rare than a Keeper manifesting themselves, and you managed to wound it."

"I didn't mean to, Elder! I just…" Myra sputtered out. "I'm sorry, little fox." Mundari patted Myra's shoulder and wiped away her tears.

"I did not mean to scold you, dear Myra," he said. "I only meant that, for a white fox to reveal itself to you means that there is something special about you Myra." Myra looked up at the Head Priest.

"What do you mean?"

"We've known you were special the moment you were born," he answered. "But I cannot tell you much right now. It isn't time, yet." He went to lift the fox and placed it gently into her arms. "Go and bring this little one home. Nurse him back to health and be good to him. He will be a faithful companion to you when the time comes." Mundari hands Myra a container of ointment and shoos her away.

Confused, Myra walks out of the temple and goes back home. She goes into her room and placed the fox on her bed, staring at it apologetically. He began to whimper again and seemed restless until Myra began soothing him by petting his head. He slowly opened his eyes and Myra stopped, surprised by how blue his eyes were, almost sapphire. He licked her hand and snuggled in deeper into the bed. Myra resumed petting him.

"It seems we'll be together until you get better," she said to the fox as she continued to pet him. "What should I call you in the meantime?" Myra looked at his white fur and crystalline blue eyes. "How does Lapis sound?" The only response was a deep breath and a small whimper. "I like it too, Lapis." She stared at the fox until she too fell asleep.