Chapter 5: Finally Awake

A girl is running away from the approaching darkness.

She stumble but manage to get up and keep running.

But the darkness almost reach her.

Suddenly she fell into a pit where the darkness crawling all over her body.

And as her vision slowly covered by the darkness.

She suddenly awake in a bed.

Realized that it was all just a nightmare she sigh a relief, but then she notice the unfamiliar place and try to assess her situation.

while she look around the room the door suddenly open and surprise her, "ah... she is awake" a woman entered the room.

The girl meet a woman carrying a basket entered the room and the girl become cautious and tensed up.

The woman speak to her to calm her down "relax you have found unconscious by my son and his friends in the river three days ago, and we have been taking care of you ever since then, I'm here to wash your body, but since you are finally awake, you might want to be alone for a moment, I'll leave the water here if you want to wash yourself, in the mean time, I will prepare you something to eat, I'll get going then" after said that, the woman leave the basket full of steamy hot water and exit the room.

The girl still grasping her situation, but after what the woman said, she drop her guard and calmed down, she looks at the water inside the basket and sniff herself and think she might need a some bath, so she take her clothes off and start washing herself.

In the kitchen the woman, Noah's mother, is almost ready preparing the meal, she put some foods in a tray to bring it to the girl's room.

Moment later Noah return home with his father from the farm work

"dear we are home" said Noah's father as he enter the house.

"welcome back dear, wash yourself and wait in the table, the food is almost ready" said Noah's mother.

After Noah and his father wash the sweat away from the hard work in farm, they sit in the table and then Noah's mother came with the food "the food is ready, oh and Noah, could you bring this food for the girl in her room upstairs, she already awake not too long ago" said Noah's mother.

"oh she finally awake, she probably confused with the unfamiliar place all of sudden, Noah do what your mother said, but quickly leave the girl alone, she probably need some time alone by herself in unfamiliar place" said Noah's father.

Noah then take the tray with the foods and bring it upstairs to the girl's room, Noah knock the door and say "Hello are you awake? I'm bringing some food for you".

The girl who are still washing herself surprised by hearing a boy voice and knowing she still naked, she then panically replied "y-yes, wait a second" and she hurried to pick her clothes.

But then she stumble over the basket and fall with a loud sound hitting the floor.

Noah hear the loud sound and worry about the girl, he quickly enter the room to see what happen to the girl, but to his surprise, he see a sight of a naked girl lying on the floor.

Both the girl and Noah see each other and both of their face turn red from the embarrassment and quickly Noah tensed up his neck and move his head upward facing the ceiling and then he stuttering "I-I'm sorry I-I didn't see anything, h-here is the food I-I'll leave it here, so… enjoy" Noah put down the tray of food on the floor and then quickly go outside and close the door.

Noah trying to compose himself and calm down his heart that beating fast after what he just see, while the girl is curling up on the floor, cover her face and embarrassed of what she did by displaying her naked self to a man.

After a while she dressed up and picked up the tray with food and start eating the food, but then she remember the incident before and her face turn red from blushing again.

After calmed down, Noah return to the dining table and sit down on the chair, "so, is she fine?" asked Noah's father

"w-well yeah she is fine" Noah reply nervously

"Good, but for now let her have her time alone, later we might ask where she came from and how can she be found floating unconscious in the river" said Noah's father while he eat the food on his plate.

Noah silently nod and eat the food on the plate in front of him, he won't say anything about the little incident inside the room.

Later that day in the evening, the whole family coming to the girl's room.

Noah's father knock on the door "hello, are you feeling better already? Can we come inside?"

Although a little surprised she open the door and let the Xanders inside, they all sit down and Noah's father start the conversation "okay first, to clarify your situation, you are now in Tyr village in the valley of Tyr, 3 days ago my son found you unconscious on the river, and ever since then, you are under our care here" said Noah's father to the girl.

Then he start to introducing himself "my name is Tyr Xander, the acting head of Tyr village and the head of Xander barony"

"and this is my wife Sharon Xander, she is the one who taking care of you while you are unconscious for two days" Noah's mother smile and wave at the girl.

"and lastly this is my son, Noah Xander, you've meet him earlier when he bring some food to you" the girl and Noah see each other in the face, it reminds them of the little incident before and make the both of them blush.

Trying to forget the incident, the girl introduce herself "my name is Mira, I have no family name, I am an apprentice sorcerer of the Moirai magic tower"

The Xanders surprised about the girl's identity and origin, since Moirai magic tower is a hidden and secluded magic tower in the north region of Ataraxia, deep inside Selene and Mene mountain range where the exact location is unknown, it is far north west from the Tyr valley that took 3 weeks of travel by carriage, so the Xanders wondering about the girl long travel from there alone to the Tyr valley and found unconscious in the river.

But most of all.

She is an apprentice sorcerer.

In the west continent an individual that could use magic is called "mage", and as the mage growing to acquiring more knowledge, they learn more type of magic that raise them into certain level and have deeper understanding of the world's laws and principles to greatly reinforce and utilize magic with it, at this point they are called "wizard". And when the wizard finally grasp the world's laws and principles, they become so powerful that they could manipulate the world's laws and principles itself. And legend said that sorcerer could make gold out of nowhere, erase a mountain, split the sea, and turn night into day, although people would know those legend are exaggerated, but sorcerer is really powerful that some of those legends are true.

So for her to be under an apprenticeship from a sorcerer to become a sorcerer, she is at least a wizard while she still young, and that is almost unheard of since the youngest known wizard in history is at age 25 while Mira is still looking young like she is below 20.

The Xanders still in awe after Mira telling her identity and her origin, and finally Noah's father asking the important question "so you came from Moirai magic tower and an apprentice sorcerer, then you are a wizard at a young age, but why you could be found unconscious floating on a log in the river?"

Mira hearing that question look down and become silent for a moment.

For a while, Mira still thinking if she should tell the reason to the Xanders, and after deep thinking Mira finally answer.

"Actually by the order of my master I need to travel to the hub city of Almark, to later continue my journey to the east continent, but when I going through the mountains I got attacked by a beast and fell on a cliff, probably I fell to the river under the cliff and land on a log that the river stream carry to the river near the valley of Tyr where Noah found me there"

Noah father then say "it is unfortunate for you to be attacked by a beast, but at least you are fortunate enough to survive the fall and found by Noah,but are you going on a long journey to the east continent alone?"

Again Mira become silent and freeze for a moment

"I... Yes, I'm traveling alone" Mira speak unconvincingly

The xanders can see from Mira last answer that she have something she is hiding, and the Xanders understand Mira cautiousness, since to Mira, the Xanders are basically a stranger, so they won't pry into it any further.

"Okay then, I understand, since you are going on a long journey and having a little incident along the way, you maybe need to rest here in the village and prepare yourself to continue your journey" said Noah's father

"So in the mean time until you are ready enough to continue your journey, you can rely on Noah for a while in the village, since you are look like about the same age as my son, you can be casual with each other" Noah's father appointing Noah to look after Mira while she recovering.

Noah kinda surprise about what his father have said, but Noah know since his father is right about his age is around the same age as Mira, he able to get more closer to her and help her while she still in the village, so he agree in a silent.

"Thank you, I'll be in your care" Mira response.