Day Twenty-Four: Lara

(Lara's POV)

A decade has already passed, but I could still remember everything.

I could remember them clearly.

Memories I would not want to forget, memories that made my life happy, memories that gave me strength, memories that gave me hope and memories that made me to who I am today.

"Lara dear~ it would be pass noon soon, wake up now. Your father is waiting"

A warm, soft and gentle voice.

The voice of the person I treasured the most, along with my father. My mother's voice woke me up that day.

A beautiful person, is how I often describe my mother. A beautiful oval-shaped face, small and slightly plump lips, beautiful high bridge nose, and an attractive cyan-colored-almond-shaped eyes, short honey-blonde hair, added with her vibrant personality that made everyone around her lively.

That is my mother. The person I admired the most.

"Mama, Good morning~!"

Was my reply. Ignorant to the things that would unfold in the future.

A child at the age of six.

"Yes, good morning"

"Are we going to eat with papa today?"

"Yes we are, so washed your face already and change your clothes, your father is waiting"

"Yey~"

A family of three, that's what we are.

My mother does not work as she was taking care of me, and my father is one of the village's guardsman.

We always eat with my father whenever he is on duty, which is practically almost everyday, the only time I was able to spend my time with him were during the times we eat together and the times he was at home at night. Despite his tired body he always play with me, always dote on me... always protect me... He is my hero, and I love him as much as I love my mother...

And that day we went to that person for the same reason as any other day. To eat together.

After washing my face, I changed my clothes, from the white sleepwear that I was using to a light blue dress made of silk, a dress gifted to me by my mother when I turned five and my most and only expensive dress.

I don't know how or where my mother was able to get the money for the dress, even as a child back then, I know how expensive clothes made of silk were. It cost more than 50 silvers and that's the cheapest I know, I don't know how my parents were able to afford to waste such money to me, but as a child, I yearned for things that I don't have, despite how I made it look that I don't want such things, my parents were able to see through it.

And from then, I wore the dress whenever important events are happening, such as today.

After I finished changing I went outside our house. Our house was a small two story building that has thatched roof, walls made of stone that has timbers for frames, and open hatched windows.

The same as the other houses in the village, and the only thing that differentiate our house to the others was the many potted plants surrounding our house. Plants and flowers that my mother are taking care of.

"Mama~!"

The young me called out to her as I ran towards her.

And as she heard my voice, she smiled, a very sweet smile, that I dearly want to see again...

"Lara be careful! You might get hurt if you run like that, mama would be sad if you were to get hurt you know~"

"Hehehe sorry~"

"Jeez, Don't do that again okay?"

"Uhm!"

"Alright let's go, hold mama's hand okay? It won't be good if you got lost again, okay?"

"Okaaay~!"

During my childhood, I frequently got lost and my parents would look for me. I could remember their anxious faces whenever that happen, and it hurts me whenever I remember those expressions on them, I always caused them trouble... and I want to apologized, specially this time. Every time I remember that they were looking for me this whole 10 years that I was gone...

It made me resent more the people that made everything turn this way!

My mother and I walked towards the eastern gate of the village, to where my father is currently stationed. Our house was at the northern side so it took use quite a time before we arrived. During those times, I indulged my self to looking around the village, different kinds of shop at the sides, foods, clothes, weapons and a lot more were being sold. And during this time I wouldn't be able to control myself and focus myself on looking around, getting myself left behind by my mother-

"Do you want those?"

-but that day, my mother held on to my small hands strongly, strong enough that I wouldn't be separated from her and that it wouldn't hurt me, it's as if she knew the events that would unfold...

"Nope! I want to eat what mama made!"

I denied. It was half-truth, I truly want to eat what my mother made that day, but I was also curious to the different kinds of foods sold at the village. And as if seeing through my thoughts she smiled and led me to the shop I was curiously looking earlier.

"Which one would you like here Lara?"

"Mama..."

"It's fine, it's your 6th birthday today so you can pick one that you like here, just remember not to eat to many as you would not be able to eat later okay?"

"Uhm!"

Yes, that day was my birthday, the 17th day of the 3rd month of the Ashuran calendar. And it's one of those important event that I wore my favorite dress.

"Hmm~ Ah! I want this one mama!"

I called out. What I was pointing out was the long yellow colored sticks that the vendor was cooking if I was right.

"Okay, Mister, how much for those?"

My mother called out to the vendor, the vendor was cooking those sticks and was not able to hear us earlier, so my mother called out, leading to the vendor to turn towards us.

"How much for those?"

"..."

"...Mister?"

"..."

The vendor didn't answer as he looked at us, I don't know what happened to him, but my mother was getting restless.

"...Mister?"

"...It's crazy how we always end up meeting..."

"Mister?"

"Ah?! sorry I was just talking to myself, so what do you beautiful ladies fancy in my stall?"

At that time, I was not aware why my mother's hold on my hand became stronger, but as a young girl, not aware of the different kinds of people in the world, I ignored her tightening hand, as it didn't hurt me either.

"...how much for those?"

"This? 1 copper coin for a small cup full of them, 2 copper coins for a medium sized and 3 copper coins for the large one, but because I might have scared you ladies, I'll give you discount... what about 1 copper coin for the large one?"

The vendor said as he shows three cups made of wood varying in sizes.

"would that not give you income?"

"Oh yeah... Then what about this! 2 copper coins for two large cups eh?"

"ISN'T THAT THE SAME?!"

""!!""

Surprised, I and the vendor eye's widened. That day was the first time I heard my mother shout out of anger.

"What's so funny?!"

My mother shouted again, not too loud this time as not to bother the other people. I was confused at what's happening back then, my angry mother, and the vendor slightly laughing, even now I don't know the what happened back then, it was clear that my mother didn't know the person as she confirmed it herself.

"Aah~ sorry Missus, It's just been so long since I see you like this... hahahahaa~"

"What are you talking about?! This is clearly the first time I met you!"

"Ah- that was right, I apologized"

"..."

"Do you not like that discount missus?"

"...no... I'll accept the discount, it's just unreal"

"I apologize again missus, it's just no one have bought anything at my stall until now, so I was desperate to sell some, and about the other thing earlier, please forget what I said"

"...I shall, then I'll take two large cups"

"Two large cups, coming right up!"

The vendor said as he moved his hands, the way his hands flow was like a smooth river, taking the yellow sticks using a wooden tong one after another and filling the cup with those sticks. And with just a few seconds we received our order.

"I call this snack 'modo gallico fricta' created from the fruit called Pollen, I also added three different kinds of condiments for the snack, I do hope you'll like it"

The vendor said as he pointed out to the three small dents on the cups, each has different colors, red, orange and green.

"It does look appetizing, thank you, here's the payment"

"Thank you~"

"Alright let's go Lara"

"Um!"

My mother gave me the other cup of the gallico fricta, as she held onto my other hand. My mother started walking but before we can go far, I am certain I heard the vendor spoke 'This is as far as I can interfere... It's all on you' before the shop and the vendor itself vanished from the place it once was, and nobody noticed anything, nobody noticed that the man and his stall disappeared from where it once was.

I was bewildered at that time, and even now I don't know what happened that time, the uses of magic was well known, but not all has the privileged to learn it, that was why some attended school for magic and swordsmanship, but due to what happened to me I wasn't able to.

Confused to what happened and Ignorant to the things that will arise, I followed my mother's lead, she was still holding unto my small hands that day, but that time, it was tighter, tight enough that it hurt me.

"Mama..."

I called out as I looked at my mother, my mother immediately understood what my call meant and slightly loosen her gripped. During those time I was unaware of the worry my mother has, but now I was aware, I became aware to be exact. I knew she knows something was up, and I also knew she didn't know what it was, a mother's intuition as they say. I became aware of those things the moment I experience becoming a slave... that everyone around me... should not be trusted.

My mother and I was able to arrive at the place my father was stationed at, a tall wooden gate, connected to long wooden fences. And I saw my father guarding at the side of the gate.

"Father~!"