Chapter 2: A New Dawn in Goldenwell
As Alex surveyed the fragrant kitchen, he was greeted by a youthful-looking blonde woman with piercing blue eyes. Behind her stood a middle-aged man, his robust build reminiscent of a bear, with black hair and eyes.
"Hello, you must be Alex!" The woman said it warmly. "My name is Eliss; I'm Nimmia's mother, and this is my husband, Syf."
"Hello there, young man," the man added, his voice resonant. "I hope you've settled in comfortably."
"Nimmia, we'll take it from here," Eliss called out.
"Alright, Mom. Let me know if you need anything," a voice responded from another room.
"Yes, thank you so much for the hospitality!" Alex replied. "So, what will I be doing?"
"You'll be assisting us in the kitchen, primarily with the dishes. Are you familiar with washing dishes?" Eliss inquired.
"Absolutely," Alex confirmed. "I've lived alone for a while, so I'm well-versed in dishwashing."
"That's wonderful! I'm still preparing the meals, so Syf will show you where to wash the dishes."
"Let's go, young man," Syf said, leading the way.
"Thank you, sir. You can call me Alex," he responded.
"Alright, Alex," Syf continued. "Nimmia mentioned your caravan was attacked. Are you alright?"
"It's all good now. Just glad to be alive," Alex replied.
After a few moments, Syf showed Alex to a large sink at the end of the kitchen, piled with dirty dishes.
"This is your station for washing the dishes. You can start whenever you're ready, and just let me or my wife know when you're done."
"Understood, I'll get to work right away," Alex said, rolling up his sleeves.
As he began washing the dishes, he couldn't help but wonder when the village head would return.
Alex diligently washed the dishes for about an hour. Upon finishing, he approached Eliss.
"I've finished washing all the dishes in the sink," he reported.
"Thank you," Eliss said, handing him more dishes. "These should be the last of them."
"No problem, I'll get to it," Alex assured her, taking the dishes to the sink.
It was already starting to get dark outside as he worked.
After about fifteen minutes, Alex had finally finished washing all the dishes for the day.
"Are you all done with the dishes?" Eliss asked, approaching from behind him.
"Yes, I'm done with all the dishes," Alex replied.
"Great! Tomorrow, Nimmia will come to fetch you around the same time to wash the dishes again," Eliss informed him.
"Alright, I'll head to my room for the night, but before that, I have a question. Do you know when the village head will return?" Alex inquired.
"Oh, yes, Nimmia told me you want to access the library in the village. You'll need my father's permission for that. He's away on business but should return in the next two or three days," Eliss explained.
"I see. Thank you," Alex said, nodding.
"It's all good. If you work well here, I'll help you talk with my father about letting you enter the library," Eliss offered.
"That's amazing! I'm very grateful for that!" Alex expressed his appreciation. "Okay, have a good night, ma'am!"
"Good night, Alex!" Eliss responded, her thoughts turning to the young man's interest in the library. 'What an interesting young man! I wonder why he wants to read in the library. Doesn't he have a library where he came from?' she pondered.
"Alex is done washing the dishes." Syf asked, coming from behind.
"Yes, he's done with all the dishes for today. He headed to his room for the night," Eliss confirmed.
"That's great. Now we have more time for ourselves," Syf remarked.
"Yeah, that's good. But you know how Nimmia told us that Alex wants to use the library in our village? I wonder what he needs it for." Eliss mused.
"Oh, yeah. Maybe there are books that exist in our library and not in his," Syf speculated.
"Yeah, okay, let's finish here and close down for the night," Eliss suggested.
As Eliss and Syf closed down for the night, Alex in his room began pondering about his future. 'This is my first night in this new world. I wonder what kind of adventures and new things I can learn about,' he thought.
Alex, brimming with anticipation for his new day in this world, fell asleep with a sense of peace.
The following morning, he awoke feeling rejuvenated. "Man, that was a great sleep," he mused, surprised by how well he'd rested in such unfamiliar surroundings.
Rising from his bed, Alex made his way to the bathroom to freshen up. A few minutes later, he emerged from his room and descended the stairs to the first floor.
Upon his arrival, he was greeted by Nimmia with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Alex! How was your sleep?" she asked.
"Good morning, Nimmia! It was surprisingly good, especially considering everything that's happened to me so far," he replied.
"I'm glad you slept well. Would you like something to eat or drink?" she offered.
"Coffee, if you have it, would be wonderful," Alex requested.
"Certainly, it will be ready in a minute," Nimmia assured him with a nod.
While waiting for his coffee, Alex took a seat at a nearby table, his thoughts already turning to the day ahead.
Approaching him from behind, a man of imposing stature with black hair and piercing black eyes introduced himself: "Alex, right? Hello, I'm Beor. We don't often see new faces in Goldenwell. Where have you come from?"
"Hello, Beor. I've come from the east, traveling with a caravan," Alex responded, extending a hand.
"Oh, I see. And what brings you to our village?" Beor inquired, and his curiosity piqued.
"I'm here to access the village library, but since the village head is away, I'm working at the inn for a place to stay in the meantime," Alex explained.
"I see. Well, I hope your stay is pleasant," Beor said, offering a nod before taking his leave.
Moments later, Nimmia returned, bearing a steaming cup of coffee. "Here's your coffee, Alex. Enjoy it," she said, placing the cup in front of him.
"Thank you, Nimmia!" Alex exclaimed, inhaling the rich aroma.
"So, what are your plans for today, Alex?" she asked, leaning against the table.
"I thought I'd explore the village a bit," Alex shared.
"You should visit the old Goldenwell. It's dried up now, but it's still quite a sight," Nimmia suggested with a hint of pride for her village's history.
"Sounds intriguing. I'll make sure to see it after I finish my coffee," Alex agreed, already feeling more connected to this place.
"Great! Just remember, you're still needed here for work, so don't wander too far," she reminded him with a playful wink.
"Understood. Thank you, Nimmia," Alex said, taking a sip of his coffee and feeling the warmth of the community seep into him.
After finishing his coffee, Alex rose from his seat and made his way toward the exit.
"Nimmia, I'm heading out, but I won't be long, so don't worry," he called out.
"Alright, Alex, have a good day," she responded with a wave.
"Good day, Nimmia," he replied, stepping out into the bright morning.
Leaving the inn, Alex set his course for the heart of the village, where the Goldenwell was said to reside. As he strolled, he marveled at the village's vibrant appearance. Just as Nimmia had mentioned, the Goldenwell seemed to have blessed the place with an abundance of life and lush greenery.
During his walk, he was greeted warmly by a few villagers, their surprise evident at the sight of a visitor. Alex returned their greetings with equal enthusiasm.
In just a few minutes, he arrived at the village center, where the Goldenwell stood. As he surveyed his surroundings, he noticed children tossing coins into the well. Intrigued, he approached them.
"Hello, why are you throwing coins into the well?" Alex inquired.
"Who are you?" one of the children asked in return.
"I'm Alex. I'm a traveler passing through and decided to explore your village," he explained.
"Ah, a traveler!" The other children chimed in, their curiosity piqued.
"We throw coins into the well to receive a blessing, so that when we grow up, we might inherit the powers of the Goldenwell, just like our ancestors," one child shared.
"Oh, that's fascinating. May I try as well?" Alex asked.
"Sure, here," one of the kids said, handing him a coin.
Alex tossed the coin into the well but felt nothing out of the ordinary. "Maybe only the descendants of the village possess such power," he thought to himself.
Unbeknownst to him, a slender golden stream of energy rose from the well and seeped into his chest.
"I didn't feel anything," Alex mentioned.
"Only when you unlock the essence within can you awaken your powers. Isn't that basic knowledge?" The children were questioned and puzzled.
"Haha, I grew up in a secluded place, far from the world, so I'm not familiar with such concepts," Alex admitted, laughing it off.
"That's strange," the children murmured.
"So, I need to unlock the essence within to grow stronger. I can't just go around asking people how to do that. Visiting the library is probably my best bet, as always," Alex thought to himself.
"Thanks for the coin, kids. I have to head back to the inn now. See you around," he said, waving goodbye.
"Bye-bye!" the children called out.
Alex retraced his steps back to the inn, pondering the encounter. "What interesting kids! But I really do need to get into that library, or I'll look quite out of place asking about basic knowledge in this world," he mused.