Chapter 15: Reunion with Adwin
Nia and Yatia arrived back at Natura Cordis, the village nestled in the heart of the forest. For Yatia, it was the first time she had ever set foot in the village. Until now, she had only heard Nia's stories about it during their survival trip. Now, she was able to take a stroll through it for real.
As they walked through the village, Yatia couldn't help but admire the charming wooden houses and the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees. "Hey, wanna show me your house Nia?" Yatia asked with a grin.
Nia's expression shifted, and she hesitated for a moment before responding in a nervous tone, "Ehhhh... let's not do that!" She quickened her pace, and Yatia could sense that Nia didn't want to reveal something.
"If you say so," Yatia shrugged, and the two of them continued on their trip, passing by the local shops and chatting with some of the villagers.
As they rounded a corner, a deeper voice called out to them, "Hey, hey! If it isn't our two new mages!" It was Adwin, one of Nia's closest friends and mentor from the village.
"Adwin!" Yatia exclaimed, running over to him and giving him a hug. Adwin embraced her tightly, and the three of them began to catch up on all that had happened since their survival trip together.
Nia's laughter filled the air as she walked over to Adwin and Yatia, her eyes shining with amusement. Adwin, on the other hand, appeared worried as he let go of Yatia and crossed his arms, letting out a deep sigh as he gazed at Nia. "Another injury? I suppose the alerts were true then," he said with a serious tone.
Nia shrugged casually. "Just a scratch," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "I've had worse."
Adwin shook his head in frustration. "You need to learn to stay out of trouble, Nia. We don't want to lose you yet," he gently reprimanded her.
Nia grinned playfully. "What can I say? Trouble always seems to find me," she teased, winking at Yatia.
Adwin chuckled despite himself. "Either way, it's a relief that you made it out safely. Did you encounter any problems over there?" he asked, his expression becoming serious once again.
Nia's grin faded slightly as she remembered the incident with the guard. "Just a guard mistaking us for prisoners and trying to put us back in the iron cage," she explained. "But we managed to escape."
Yatia spoke up, hoping to clarify the guard's peculiar behavior. "Yes, those academy amulets seemed to make him back off," she said, looking at Adwin expectantly.
"Ah, that makes sense. It shows that you're planning to study the arcaneum arts," Adwin remarked.
"Those guards only have weapons and armor that are enhanced with arcaneum to protect themselves, and they only have a small amount of arcaneum power to wield it. It's natural for them to be afraid of two potential magic users."
Nia let out a small sigh and looked down, feeling embarrassed.
Adwin looked at Nia with concern and asked, "Is everything okay, Nia?"
Nia hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "Oh, it's nothing. Shall we start packing up?"
Adwin replied, "Ah yeah of course," and assured them that the carriage would arrive the following day at the first ray of moonlight, giving them plenty of time to rest and prepare for their departure.
"Thank you, Adwin. We really appreciate it," Yatia said gratefully as Adwin handed over the keys to their rented inn in Hectra Town. Nia nodded in agreement, feeling grateful for Adwin's help in securing them a comfortable place to stay.
"It's no problem at all. I want to make sure you two have a smooth journey," Adwin said with a smile. "The inn is a bit closer to the place where the carriage will depart, so it should make things easier for you."
Nia and Yatia nodded, happy to have a convenient place to stay. They said their goodbyes to Adwin, with Nia expressing her warm regards, "Take care, Adwin! We'll see you soon," and Yatia thanking Adwin once again for everything. As they made their way out of the town.