Somewhere in the middle of a forest, a girl sits quietly alone at the edge of a boulder, swinging her legs. She has short hair with small rosy buns braided across the middle of her head and covered by a cute maid ear band. Her ears are covered by a thick chitinous cap from where two short altered horns project out at the back.
As the light of moonlight slowly drips in the forest her greyish blonde hair reflects upon the light like a polished wooden idol.
she slowly lifts her head at the sky and stretches her left hand upon the rays of the moonlight and out of nowhere a butterfly comes flying to her side and sits upon her fingers.
With an urge of interest, she slowly brings her left hand near to her face and quietly observes the butterfly walking over her fingers but the butterfly's body slowly starts to shimmer and disintegrate itself into many small yellow orbs before fading away in the moonlight.
Suddenly a loud terrifying shriek from a distant location echo in the forest, destroying the serenity of the environment. Hearing the sound of more shrieks joining in and knowing the location is not so far away from her, she hung her hand down and let out a sigh.
She jumps downs from the boulder and lands on the ground filled with corpses of fire demons and wyverns, these are the Karen'army sent to siege the elven village but it seems they were routed here before reaching their destination.
she walks beside the corpses as if she doesn't feel any remorse for them and she slowly ventures into the deep forest before disappearing into the darkness.
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Meanwhile, in Gardania, all the houses and the pastures burn in a blaze from the impact of the devastating invocation spell, Tapestry of the Crimson sky released by Cynnedrin The streets lie in shambles, and the peaceful village of Gardania lies in ruin.
Just a few miles away from the village, the civilians take refuge in a small hill nearby Gardania, the mages of the guild comradeship encircle the villagers of Gardania keeping an eye out for the wild beasts that lurk in the woods.
Yahiko who was sitting beside his mother Mira starts to throw tantrums out of feeling relentless. "Mom, when can we go back to our home, I don't like this place at all. It is scary".
Mira turns to her son with a smile and pats him gently over his head.
"We are going to a better and bigger place than our village, Yahiko. Look everyone is here with us too. Don't worry I am here, your mother will protect you from any danger but no matter what happens just stay close to me, is that ok Yahiko?"
Yahiko stares into his mother's eyes and shook his head.
Yahiko looks around, carefully looking at the faces of the people beside him, and then asks his mom
"But Mom, I don't see grandpa where is he?".
"Your grandpa has already left before us. right now, he must be enjoying our new house" Mira replies to his son jokingly. "Eh, that is not fair".
"That is not fair right? leaving us behind without saying anything" with a smile Mira answered, few tears ran down her eyes as she says that.
The truth is she is not sure if Yahiko's grandpa is alive or not, he set out early to watch the guild event and hasn't seen her since then.
She desperately asked the people who were running back when Cynnedrin crashed the arena but none of them tried to interact with her as they were fleeing for their lives. Prioritizing her son's safety and before it is too late, she picked up her son and ran along with others in hurry abandoning everything behind, food, clothes, etc.
Yahiko slowly pulls her mother's shawl and says "Mom, I'm feeling thirsty, also I am feeling hungry too. I forgot to eat today while I was playing outside".
"Just hold till tomorrow, Yahiko. We will be able to eat lots of delicious foods tomorrow morning. Here come and sleep here, let me continue the story of Ivy's Village that I left yesterday" Mira opens her lap and tries to convince her son to sleep, without showing any sign of desperation because knowing very well she has nothing with her to feed her son.
"No, I'm hungry, I want to eat something!" Yahiko starts to throw tantrum.
Knowing very well her son won't settle down from his tantrum, Mira gets up and decides to look for people she knows to ask for some food.
"Okay stay here, Yahiko. I will go and get some food. But don't you ever move out from this place until I come back. Can you promise me that?". Yahiko stops throwing tantrums and then nods.
"Pinky promise?" Mira pulls out her pinky finger towards Yahiko.
He shook her mother's pinky finger with his and says "pinky promise". "Haha, stay here, ok? I will return fast". Mira quickly wraps her tethered shawl and went out to nearby people she knows to ask for food for her son. As she walks toward the center, she spots Hena an elderly woman sitting beside her husband in sorrow.
"Um, Hena-san, I couldn't pack anything this evening and left everything behind. food, clothes, and even my husband's memento. Could you spare us some food, my Yahiko is really hungry right now, I will pay you back as soon as possible in near future." Mira asked softly.
The old man beside Hena clicked his tongue and got annoyed after hearing it.
"Future? We don't know if we will survive to live tomorrow, that monster has destroyed everything. Go away we don't have any food to spare. Do you know how hard it was to pack some food while no one was helping us? Go ask somewhere else."
"Dear! Will you please stop?" Hena quickly interrupts.
"Sorry, Mira-chan, it pains to say this but right now, we don't have any food to spare. We aren't sure what is going to happen in near future. If we are going to be saved or not. We are going to preserve as much food as we can.". Hena speaks out.
"It doesn't matter if is a slice of bread or an apple just, please. Spare some food for my Yahiko." Mira closes her hand and pleads Hena to the only person she could count on.
"Even... if you say like that. I-I don't know if we can-".
"No means No! We don't have any food. Go away and leave us alone! Hena's husband rages out toward Mira.
"Oh, I see" Mira mutters in a sad tone. "Klem -san, do you have some food, I will give back by any means possible."
Mira quickly turns towards a skinny guy beside Hena who was listening to the whole conversation. As he feels the gaze upon him, he quickly turns away from Mira.
"Sorry, Mira. I... I too don't have any food with me to spare." Kelm speaks out in a nervous voice.
"I understand, I will go to the front and ask if people are willing to share some food" but before Mira departs away, she quickly turns side away towards Hena and then speaks out "Flin-san, my farther in law during his time did so much for your family. If he sees what you have become, he will truly regret it. I will leave then, I hope you two stay safe and sound, Goodbye."
Flinn didn't respond anything back he quickly turns his eyes away from Mira.
Mira slowly walks inside the crowd and observes that people are turning their eyes away from her.
She suddenly stops walking and starts to shout "Can anyone give us food. Please someone, I beg of you. Someone spares us just even just a small of food".
Even then everyone keeps silent no one tries to look at her nor try to help her. then a voice came in behind her.
"Oi, have you gone crazy? Are you planning to lure the attention of the forest monsters towards us?" the voice was from none other than one of the members of Chronicles.
"No! My son, Yahiko needs food right now. Please you have to understand that poor kid hasn't eaten today."
The mage hearing the reason Mira somehow aggravates him "Food?? Have you lost your senses? Everyone here is still cow in fear if that dragon will come here anytime. If that happens, we will become food for him. If your son is hungry just feed some leaves which are lying on the ground."
Hearing that Mira quickly intervenes "My son is a human, not a wild animal. If people over here lack the heart to understand the pain of each other during such a perilous time, then I will search for some foods in the nearby area."
"No, I won't allow that. This place is famous for hunting spots of Shadow lurkers, they will easily track you down and hunt you. But that is not what I'm concerned about, if that happens your corpse will pinpoint our hideout location;
Don't drag everyone because of your selfish action, you dumb woman. If you want do you want me to transform your son into a pig then? Hahaha," the mage mocks Mira with a cruel joke.
Hearing such non-empathetic words from the mage breaks the last strand of patience she was holding "Selfish?... Just because you have power doesn't mean you have to look down on others who are weak. And my son. Yahiko is worth 100 times your pathetic existence."
Hearing Mira provoke, the mage activates a magic circle on his hand and glares with a savage vibe. "What did you just say? bitch" from the magic circle a white ball comes out and hits Mira in her stomach, blasting her away.