Aysgarth Village

- 8 YEARS LATER-

"I swear to my old dying soul, I saw it with my two eyes!" exclaimed an elderly woman, shaking the other girl's shoulders.

She appears to be in her 60s. Her dark blue dress has become soiled as a result of the mud in which she is currently standing.

"Grandma, please. Let's just go home, this is embarrassing." the girl said trying to pull her grandmother inside their house.

The old woman shook her head hysterically. "They're here! They're back-no... I don't think they even left or vanished!" the grandmother exclaimed again, her tone indicating fear.

She keeps on roaming her eyes everywhere as if someone would get her any moment.

"Pity, I heard she had lost her sanity when her daughter died." a woman said beside me

"God bless her." another woman said.

I turn my head to look at them, two elderly women I think they're in their 40s.

I know them, they are one of those elderly women who spread lies about other people's lives here in our village.

I suddenly thought of what the old lady said, "What was she talking about? They're back? What does she mean?" I murmured in the breeze

"Sequoia,"

I turned around to see who was whispering from behind me, but no one was there. I'm certain it was a man's voice, but there are no men behind me, only women. Some of the men are on the other side of the street, away from me.

"I saw the wizards, Anna!" the grandmother's scream made me bring my attention back to her.

Wizards? Tsk, that made-up old story again? Who would believe such a story? Only young kids would believe such fantasies.

I sighed and shake my head before turning away from the commotion and reverting back to my task here. I can't believe it; how could I have wasted my time watching the two?

After a few moments, I arrived at Mrs. Bell's fruit cart.

"Good morning, Mrs. Bell!" I cheerfully greeted her while she was fixing her fruits.

She looked up and a smile suddenly formed on her old face as soon as she saw me walking up to her.

"My, my. Good morning to you too, Nyra. Are you buying your father another set of fruits?" she asked as we hugged.

I shook my head to her, "Not the set this time, Mrs. Bell." I said and smiled at her and then I checked her fruits.

I took a close look at them and picked up three apples and two pears, and I handed it to her. "This will do," I said

"That's only 10 coins for you, my dear Nyra," she said, I took out my wallet from my basket and counted my coins.

"Thank you, Mrs. Bell; I hope to see you around!" I said as I took the plastic where the fruits are, placed it in my basket, and left the cart.

I'm currently in our old small village's public market. There are a variety of people in the market, including vendors, customers, workers, and homeless people scattered throughout the area.

Many men are drinking early in the morning, some are laughing, and some are almost about to start a fight with their so called friends.

This is Aysgarth Village, a chaotic small village.

My mother asked me to purchase fruits and ingredients for a meal we'll cook later for lunch since she can't go with me with the reason that she has something else to do.

While my father on the other hand is cleaning the chicken he caught on his way home after his work last night.

I smiled slowly as I remembered how my parents and I met. I owe my parents a lot, so I'll go to any length to repay the kindness they showed me almost nine years ago.

It was a late dark night when they happened to notice me sleeping in a huge tree outside their house. I have no recollection of who I am or where I came from. My parents have a lot of empathy, knowing I have been abandoned with nowhere to go; they adopted me and treated me as if I were their own daughter.

I have no words to express how extremely thankful I am to them. Even though I was not fortunate enough to attend school because of how poor we are, at least we did get to eat three times a day. And that's already enough for me.

Glendale Montfort, my best friend, exclaimed not far from me, "Nyra! Oh dear, I've been looking for you."

Her long blonde hair, that had escaped from her hair tie, was blowing in the wind as she ran.

She was beaming ear-to-ear while waving at me.

"Don't run!" I said, but it was too late because she had already ran towards me while holding her long school uniform skirt so she wouldn't trip.

"Good God, young lady, you could've hurt yourself!" I said as she approached me.

Glendale laughed at me, "God, you sound like my mother, Nyra." her beautiful black eyes almost close as she continue to laugh.

As we began walking, I rolled my eyes at her, "I see you skipped school again, aye?" I asked, my gaze drawn to her clean uniform.

"Well, yeah. You know how I hated our school, we women are prohibited from almost everything. You can't laugh loudly, or smile widely. We can't even participate in any sports, it should be only the boys. Ugh, it's always the boys!" she sighed, annoyed with how her school operates.

I honestly envy Glendale since she got into a university, despite the fact that she always complains about how bad her school system was. Even though my parents taught me how to read and write when I was a child, I could not simply stop thinking about how much fun it would be to be in a school.

Despite the stark difference in our families' financial situations, Glendale's family had always treated mine with kindness and generosity. Their wealth did not create a barrier between us; instead, it became a means for them to extend a helping hand during times of need.

Glendale's parents recognized the hard work and dedication my father put into providing for our family, and out of genuine care, they offered him a job at their prosperous shop in the city. They understood that having a stable income would alleviate some of the financial burdens we faced. However, my father, being a man rooted in the simplicity of our village, declined the offer. The distance and the detachment from the life he had known all his life weighed heavily on his decision.

Nonetheless, Glendale's family continued to lend support whenever possible. Whether it was through financial assistance, offering a helping hand in times of crisis, or simply being there to listen and provide emotional comfort, they proved that true friendship transcends material wealth.

Our friendship with Glendale wasn't founded on the premise of money or status. Instead, it blossomed from shared experiences, shared laughter, and the recognition of each other's strengths and weaknesses. We saw beyond the surface differences and connected on a deeper level, forming a bond that withstood the test of time.

I put my arms around her shoulder, "Your mother will surely know about this, about you skipping school again. She will for sure give you a long lecture again. " I said while roaming my eyes around the market.

"You know that I'm already used to her lectures by now. What I'm afraid of is the legend's story of our country, the wizards," she said lowering her voice as she gets closer to me.

With a frown, I return my gaze to her.

As I glanced at Glendale, her eyes brimming with excitement and curiosity. "That's rubbish, Glendale. Are you really believing those old stories? You do realize that they're made to scare children who are disobedient to their parents, right?" I questioned.

"There's nothing wrong with believing that they are real; also, don't you find them extremely interesting if they are true; they said that they are just like us, but with magic," she said, her eyes and tone filled with amazement as she swung her hands dramatically in front of me.

"If they are actually true, they are dangerous; nothing is interesting about evil creatures who can harm you in just a snap of their fingers if they desire. They can appear anywhere and act like regular citizens" I said, shaking my head at her in disbelief.

Glendale sighed and did not argue with me; instead, she helped me in purchasing goods on my list of what I should purchase in this market before we returned to my house.

"Hey! It's your birthday tomorrow!" Glendale suddenly said as we enter my home.

As my birthday approached, a sense of excitement and anticipation filled the air. Tomorrow would mark not only another year of my life but also the anniversary of the day my parents discovered me, a lost soul in need of love and belonging. It was a day that held immense significance for all of us, even though the exact details of my origin remained a mystery.

We chose to celebrate my birthday on the day my parents found me, for it symbolized the beginning of our journey together as a family. It was a day that united us in love and compassion, transcending the boundaries of blood and biology. Despite the lack of concrete information about my age, we embraced the unknown and cherished the bond we had formed.

"Mother and Father, I'm back from the market!" I exclaimed as I placed my basket on our wooden table.

"Nyra, you're here. Oh, Glendale, you're here? Don't you have school to attend?" my mother questioned as she walked towards us from the kitchen.

Glendale scratched her neck and smiled at my mother, "I skipped school, Mrs. Levine," she said, pouting her lips.

"Young lady, your mother will be upset if she finds out you skipped school again," my mother said as she handed us a cup of water.

"I know, Mrs. Levine, but school is just not for me; I-I simply don't seem to enjoy it regardless of how hard I try to fit in." her voice broke as she looked down.

My mother walked toward her a rubbed her shoulder, "Oh dear, don't be sad; I'm sure you'll find a place that will bring you contentment," My mother consoled her, and I smiled at the sight of them.

I approached them and patted my best friend on the back, saying, "Mother is right, Glendale, so don't be sad, instead, join us for lunch before you leave."

She chuckled before she speaks, "Who said I'm going to leave this house with an empty stomach?" she said that making us laugh.

"Hey, hey! What's so funny? I want to join in the fun too," my father exclaimed from behind us, holding the chicken he had cleaned.