A seemingly simple house stood at one end of Vanyawn village. But if you looked closely, the window facing the rest of the village was sealed with planks. In the bottom left corner was a tiny hole and a small sparkling eye was looking outside through it.
Arnacia sighed in her mind as she spectated the village through the eyes of this younger self. Many thoughts emerged in her mind as she looked at the scenery with no human in sight. There was a sense of serenity in the view, and it gave off a feeling that the scene was alive, not desolate.
Winds continued to dance with the greens as a song of birds and cicadas played. Soon a little green-haired girl came into view and little Arnacia immediately went out to greet her.
"Hello, my name is Arnacia," she said. "What's your name?"
"I am not telling you." Naomi looked at Arnacia once and tried to get past her.
"No, that's dangerous. Don't go." Arnacia spoke with concern, but Naomi didn't stop.
Thus, she acted and hugged the girl haired girl from behind. It took all her might to stop Naomi. The little girls struggled as they pulled each other in a different direction. As a result, they tripped.
"Let me go," Naomi said.
"Tell me your name," Arnacia persisted.
"Naomi."
"We are friends now," Arnacia smiled in a silly manner and let go of Naomi.
But the green-haired girl fainted as soon as she got up. Arnacia panicked and shook Naomi, but no response. She remembered the same scene from yesterday and looked towards the village. But the old man was nowhere in sight.
Tears formed in her eyes, and she cried while hugging Naomi. After a while, rushing footsteps were heard and Shilo approached to pick up his granddaughter. And again, he left without saying a word.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed. Arnacia was waiting by her window again. It felt like her friend would not come over again. She looked at the narrow path going into the village. Several warnings from her parents filled her mind.
But the next day she was standing in the dirt way leading inside the village. She traversed it for a bit, then fear shrouded her body. Never go near the village, she thought she heard her father say. Her body froze and walked in reverse. For the next few days, she wanted to go inside the village to search for Naomi, but could only move a little farther away each time.
Many days passed, little Naomi was locked up inside her room. Her face was buried inside the pillow and her two little hands tightly sealed her ears. Last night, she heard her mother's painful scream. Her body had shivered uncontrollably for a long while.
And today, just like any other day, she tried to escape her house. Luckily, her grandfather was not sitting outside her room. She quickly made her way through the hallway and began her journey.
***
In fact, many people in the past had the same destination. The journey to the source of the Evermore river was also funded by many previous Kings. But the story was reduced to merely a legend after the 400 year long war.
This is the story that originates from the peaceful years. When the Lorein Kingdom was undisputed number one on the continent and had complete dominance over its territories.
King Christopher lance van Deque is well known for his kindness. He was one of the kings who took only one wife. The couple was deeply in love with each other, but fate wasn't so kind. It was after 23 years of marriage Queen Camille finally bore a child. Happiness was over the horizon for everyone under the kingdom as taxes for the next 10 years were lifted. A grand banquet was held in the capital, which lasted for 7 days and 7 nights.
But again, heaven turned its back on the loving couple. Queen Camille fell into a grave illness. On top of it, the prince was yet to be born. This made King Christopher increasingly restless. Even Dalton, the number one doctor of Lorein Kingdom, was helpless against the mysterious disease.
Thus, King Christopher expended a lot of resources to bring over the best doctors from neighboring kingdoms. Even hidden doctors from within the kingdom were invited. Dalton put great effort into picking the doctors, who he thought were better than himself.
Madam Shelby Starknight stepped inside the personal bedroom of the Queen. She was renowned to be the best doctor on the entire continent. Her burrows frowned when she saw a simple-looking fisherman was present alongside the King, Dalton, and a few maids.
"This is mister Breezy Crankbait," Dalton read Madam Shelby's attitude and immediately introduced the fisherman. "He has a vast knowledge of herbs and is here to treat our Queen."
"What is the meaning of this!" Madam Shelby immediately showed displeasure because the fisherman moved to examine the queen. It was her, the undisputed number 1 doctor of the entire continent. In her presence, how can a no name fisherman act first?
"Madam, please take the first turn," Dalton immediately salvaged the situation. It was not wise to offend Madam Shelby when the fisherman belonged to their own kingdom.
Madam Shelby smiled lightly and stood beside the Queen's bed. First, she visually scanned the frail lady. Then examined pulse, nails, hair and finally blood.
Queen Camille's face looked like it was made of mud. Various cracks had appeared all over and it seemed like her skin would fly away like dust. A deep frown sat on her face and her closed eyes were squinted as if she was in deep pain.
"It is exactly like Doctor Dalton described," she said. "According to the symptoms, I have long refined a medicinal pill." Her eyes scanned the room. The King seemed to burn with excitement. The maids were visibly rejoicing, but the fisherman had a plain face.
"Oh you fisherman," she didn't like the look on his face. "I heard the number of people you have treated in your lifetime can be counted in two hands. You have lived all your life alone beside an empty riverbank. Whereas I? I have been surrounded by humans. I have seen countless diseases. I have cured more people than leaves on a tree. I have made this pill, the pill that will cure your queen."
Madam Shelby confidently put forward the pill. It was a small rainbow colored sphere. She crushed it into dust and carefully poured it all inside the Queen's mouth along with water.
"It's a miracle!" King Christoper exclaimed! The Queen's face was calm, her frown had lessened, and eyes seemed peaceful.
But it wasn't long before the effects of the medicine lessened. The face looked like it was in pain again and the frown was as deep if not deeper than before.
"Impossible!" Madam Shelby couldn't believe her eyes.
"Oh you human doctor," it was the fisherman who called out. "I might be a fisherman but the cure I bring is greater than what your human ways could ever achieve. What I have is the power of nature. After all, it is nature that harms, and it is nature that cures."
He did not bother to examine the Queen. Instead, he walked towards the corner of the room. A metal bucket covered with a worn out cloth was kept there. He removed the cover and put his hands inside the cold water. A lump of grass could be seen in his hands. On close examination, one could notice that each blade of grass was thick and shaped like a thin fish.
He broke the fish shaped grass into two over the queen's face. A black colored liquid flowed out and readily seeped inside the broken skin. Again, the frown on the queen's face lessened. Additionally, the skin regained all color and cracks healed.
Madam Shelby was at a loss for words. Such a crude way to cure! Utterly disgusting, she thought. Many thoughts roared inside her head. At last she opened her mouth to ask about the herb, but suddenly cracks appeared over the queen's face again.
The effect of medicine was again reduced to zero. The Queen's face was ashen again as cracks reappeared. Tension rose inside the room.
"Respected King, Madam, Mister Crankbait," Dalton said. "I was not confident in my abilities, but seeing your profound ways an inspiration touched my mind. It is Evermore clear that Madam's pill making ways have a generation of history. We can cure the Queen if we combine them with the herbs Mister Crankbait possesses. The heavenly herbs that directly come from the source of the Evermore river, the All Blue of herbs."*
***
"The all blue of herbs," little Naomi muttered to herself as she looked at the distant mountains. She massaged her stiff face and wiped her tears. Her stomach hurt, but she didn't mind. Her arms felt weak, but she couldn't bother. Her vision was blurry, but she didn't stop.