As I mentioned before, I don't like the idea of giving up easily when I want something. And on that day when the hooded girl pushed me, for some reason, my desire to get to know her didn't diminish. In fact, it increased. A lot. It was as if this desire was not just about meeting her and understanding more about the Zhaallk species, but as if there was something more, something I still couldn't quite explain.
The next day, I woke up very early, got up, dressed in good clothes, had my breakfast, and told my mother that I was going out.
- "Mom, I'm going to the village today. Is that okay?" I asked.
- "T-to the village? Why? Do you need something from there?" she questioned.
- "If you need anything, I can go myself, son. Don't worry, you can stay here," she completed before I had time to respond.
- "I appreciate it, mom, but I don't need anything. I'm just going to explore the area since I've never been there," I explained.
- "Just to explore? But that area can be dangerous, son. Especially with the increased demand from the kingdom for people to help in the war effort. If you really want to go, I'll come with you, just to be sure," she said in a worried tone.
The war that the kingdom of Cedrus was fighting with its neighbors had intensified at that time. Something that should have lasted only a few months had already dragged on for years. Many lives had been lost, and many more would be. Cedrus, our home, was struggling to maintain its position against the kingdoms of Falthur and Columbus, which attacked incessantly. But Cedrus' military resources were alarmingly dwindling. Although Falthur and Columbus had smaller forces, they possessed much more advanced technology.
To survive, Cedrus, governed by selfish and opportunistic nobles, began sending children to the war. This way, they managed to prolong the fighting long enough for these nobles to flee to other safer kingdoms and empires, like the powerful Valthorim, with its large coast on the Vhalirûn Ocean, or the kingdom of Thalorûn, which was closer and served as a refuge for lower-status nobility.
With that, my mother's concern was understandable. Even though the conflict was not close to our village — located in the heart of Cedrus, one of the largest kingdoms in the region — the constant arrival of refugees increased the risks. Unknown people now roamed our village, bringing uncertainties and dangers with them.
Finally, I gave in to her insistence.
- "Alright, mom, come with me. This way, you'll feel better, right?" I said in a playful tone.
- "Exactly..." she replied, smiling.
We got ready and headed to the village. Along the way, we saw makeshift tents scattered around, belonging to refugees seeking shelter. My mother's gaze reflected sadness, but also distrust. We made our way to the village center, which used to be quiet but was now bustling with people.
My mind, however, had one destination in mind: the local bakery. When my mother suggested a visit to the village bookstore, where she had bought my books, I politely refused.
- "Well, son, we've arrived in the village. See? Nothing extraordinary. It's quite simple. Is there any specific place you'd like to go?" she asked.
- "I'm not sure, mom..." I replied, hesitant to reveal my true interest in the bakery and raise suspicions.
- "Hmm... How about the bookstore? You love books, don't you?" she suggested enthusiastically.
- "I think this time, I want to do something different. I know! How about the bakery? I'm a little hungry and curious to see how they make the dough," I suggested, hoping she wouldn't notice my intention.
- "The bakery, huh? Hmm... Well, if you're hungry and curious, we can go," she replied, with a slightly suspicious tone.
- "Great..." I murmured, satisfied.
When we arrived, the bakery was less crowded than the rest of the village. Among familiar and unfamiliar faces, I saw the Zhaallk woman busy in the kitchen, skillfully shaping bread. My gaze, however, went straight to the back of the room, where I spotted Scilia. She was sitting, with her hood, focused on a book.
- "Mom, look, it's Scilia. I'm going to greet her, okay? Wait for me in line," I said, excited.
- "Son... Are you sure? Remember what happened last time?" she asked, worried.
- "Yes, mom, but I think Scilia is no longer afraid or hesitant to talk to me. Remember she even told me her name?" I argued.
- "Sigh... Alright, go ahead. But I'll keep an eye on you. Be careful and polite," she cautioned.
I approached Scilia calmly, so as not to scare her, and sat down in front of her.
Scrape...
- "Hello, Scilia. How are you?" I asked, excited and friendly.
Scilia gave a small jump and slowly lowered the book she was reading, looking at me.
- "D-Dravyn? W-what are you doing here? Why did you come like that, all of a sudden? You scared me!" she said, visibly irritated.
- "Haha... Sorry, that wasn't my intention. I saw you here and decided to come over to talk," I replied, awkwardly.
- "What are you reading?" I asked, quickly changing the subject.
- "Sigh... Well, this is a book my parents gave me when I was 3 years old. It tells the story of a dragon who, even though he never harmed anyone, was hunted and hated by all. In the end, when cornered, he is forced to fight back to survive, which only reinforces the hatred of those who pursued him. It didn't matter the reason, only that he was a dragon and, to them, he had to be killed," she recounted, with sadness in her voice.
- "You seem to know this book well. You've read it many times, haven't you?" I observed, noticing the worn state of the pages
- "Y-yes, I've read it many times, but it doesn't matter… Reading always reminds me that people are bad. No matter what happened before, they will always believe only what they think is right or what is best for them," she said calmly.
- "I agree. People often let themselves be swayed by meaningless things or baseless beliefs. However, a few still seek a minimum of sanity in others' words before taking any action," I replied.
- "I am an example of that kind of person. I would never act without understanding everything that is happening," I added.
- "Hmm… And what if it were a big dragon that everyone said was cruel?" she asked, without taking her eyes off the book.
- "A big and cruel dragon?" I repeated, laughing, imagining the scene.
- "If I met a dragon, even if everyone said it was cruel or dangerous, I would be fulfilling a great dream. I love those animals. They are incredible beings with almost infinite capabilities. Meeting a dragon would be an honor! I wouldn't hesitate, even if they called it evil or threatening. I believe in what my eyes see and what I feel. I hate jumping to conclusions or taking something someone else says as truth without verifying it for myself," I declared firmly as I stood up because my mother was already calling me.
- "In the end, if I could meet a dragon like the one in the book, I would protect it with my life if necessary, and I would help it find peace. Even if I had to face an entire army. That's who I am," I finished, running to my mother.
Scilia lowered the book and stared at me. She couldn't believe what I had said. After all, who would be crazy enough to protect a dragon against an entire army? What would someone gain by doing that? But she didn't know me yet, and that's why she was full of doubts.
I went back to my mother, who was talking to Miss Zhaallk. This time, she was a bit less rushed than when we arrived. When she saw me, Miss Zhaallk greeted me with a big smile. My mother had already talked to her and mentioned my interest in learning more about the work she did there. Miss Zhaallk, in turn, accepted my presence in the bakery while she prepared the doughs.
- "Hello, Dravyn. It's good to see you again," she said with a warm smile.
- "Miss Zhaallk… The pleasure is all mine!" I replied, bowing.
- "Your mother told me you're interested in the work I do here. Is that true?" she asked, excited.
- "Yes, ma'am," I replied politely.
- "Hmm… For me, that's fine. I can teach you everything you want to know about making doughs here, as long as your mother allows it," she said.
I looked at my mother with bright eyes, almost begging her to let me stay. For a moment, she hesitated but didn't resist for long and eventually relented. She allowed me to stay there and learn from Miss Zhaallk, on the condition that I wouldn't leave the bakery alone. She feared something bad might happen to me and promised to pick me up in the late afternoon before sunset.
- "Sigh… Alright, Dravyn. You can stay, but remember: I don't want you to leave the bakery or Miss Vyresska's side," she said.
- "Vyresska?" I asked, confused.
- "Wait… Is that your name?" I asked, now surprised.
- "Hahaha! Your reaction is the best I've ever seen," replied Miss Zhaallk, laughing.
In fact, Miss Vyresska's full name was Vyresska Thalynar. She was an impressive woman. The Zhaallk were a warrior species and very powerful. However, that didn't mean she was a warrior, but just that she belonged to a race with these characteristics. Vyresska had short blonde hair, green slit-shaped eyes similar to the Howlith or Serpentia species. Her athletic body and a long tail covered with scales also drew attention. Her teeth didn't go unnoticed, with four prominent canines and two sharp teeth farther back, used to inject a potent venom, which she had shown me at my birthday party the day before.
My mother left me in Miss Vyresska's care and went back home. I followed her to the kitchen, where I learned the basic preparations necessary before handling anything: washing hands, sanitizing ingredients like vegetables and fruits, and ensuring everything was clean. After that, we started making the doughs. We used Kaorrax eggs, flour, Hornock milk, sugar, a pinch of salt, natural yeast, among other ingredients, to prepare the first batch of the famous "Fruvorra Bread." It was a special bakery recipe, filled with Fruvorra, a creamy and sweet fruit with a slight citrus aroma. It was delicious even when eaten plain.
The afternoon was approaching, and we had already produced many loaves and cakes. It seemed like if I wanted, I could open my own bakery! With the reduced movement at that time, we had a moment to rest and chat.
- "So, Dravyn, what did you think of my work?" Miss Vyresska asked, curious.
- "Honestly, Miss Vyresska, I couldn't work in your place. It takes a lot of self-control not to eat the bread before selling it," I confessed, laughing, a bit embarrassed.
- "Hahaha! I understand what you mean. At the beginning, I also had difficulty with that," she replied, laughing at my innocent observation.
- "But… This job is still much better than many out there. War times are terrible. We should be grateful we aren't like many out there," she said thoughtfully.
Curious, I took advantage of the break to ask something that had intrigued me for a while:
- "Aunt Vyresska… Could you tell me what your relationship with Scilia is?" I asked, timidly.
- "Hm?... That was unexpected," she replied, surprised.
- "Well… Where do I start? Ah, yes!" she said, reflecting for a moment.
- "Scilia and I are not from here. We came from another place a few months ago, fleeing the wars that ravaged our country," she explained with a sad tone.
- "W-what? Where are you from?" I asked, surprised.
- "Our home country is called Zhyranthys. It is a kingdom inhabited only by hybrids. Or rather, it was… After the war, it was destroyed and consumed by another kingdom," she replied with visible sorrow.
- "Zhyranthys? But wasn't that country in the far east? A region without wars?" I asked, even more surprised.
- "Well, for a certain period, clearly, there weren't many wars. However, a few months ago, everything started to change when the old king of Kaerthalyon died and was succeeded by the crown prince. For some reason, he hated hybrid peoples and began to incite the population of his kingdom to exterminate the people of Zhyranthys. It didn't take long for the war to start, and even the countries we considered allies betrayed us. As a result, our country, being smaller and militarily weaker, ended up defeated. Those who were not killed were enslaved, and only a few managed to escape. Scilia and I were some of those people..." she replied, as her eyes began to fill with tears.
- "...At that time, I was close to Scilia's parents. Let's put it that way. When the war broke out, they asked me to take her with me and flee while they stayed behind, giving us time to escape. Scilia was only 4 years old at the time and suffered greatly from the sudden separation. There were countless nights when she woke up in tears, screaming for her parents in the middle of the night… I just… I just feel so much for never having been able to do anything in that situation," she said, as the tears finally escaped.
- "After that, Scilia was never the same. Before, she smiled, played... She was a cheerful girl. But after that day, she lost the will to do almost anything. She shut herself off, started wearing a hood, and rarely goes out to do anything. Only when I insist," Vyresska said, still crying.
- "For months, we wandered through various territories until we arrived here, in this village. It was here that we decided to settle, at least temporarily…" she concluded, while wiping the tears with her fingers.
I, despite being only 4 years old at the time, was already mature for my age. Therefore, I listened attentively to everything, and even without knowing exactly what to say, I couldn't do anything else but comfort her. I hated seeing someone I cared about so much feeling so sad.
- "I understand… You did the best you could, Miss Vyresska. Thanks to you, the most precious thing to Scilia's parents is alive and can dream of a future. So, never feel like you did little. What you did is something for which her parents, wherever they are, will always be grateful. They were able to leave in peace, knowing that their daughter would be under the care of someone as incredible as you," I replied, with a persevering tone and a smile on my face.
Vyresska listened to my words with a surprised and, at the same time, intrigued look. I, a child, had just comforted her, and as incredible as it seems, it appeared to relieve part of the weight she had been carrying for so long.
- "Hahaha, you're right, Dravyn!" she said, with a sincere smile, while ruffling my hair.
Then she got up and stretched. At that moment, my mother arrived at the bakery to pick me up. I ran to her, full of enthusiasm, telling her everything I had learned that day. Before leaving, however, I decided to try something. I ran back to Scilia, who was still sitting at the table since dawn.
- "Scilia, hello!" I said as I approached her.
- "W-what do you want, Dravyn?" she asked, a bit shy.
- "Scilia, I noticed you like books a lot, right? How about coming to my house to read some with me? We can talk about various stories and, who knows, you might like my collection. I have many books! I think you'll love it," I suggested, with an excited smile.
- "R-read some books? A-at your house?" she asked, hesitant.
- "That's right! You like books, don't you?" I insisted.
- "Y-yes, I do, b-but…" she started, but I interrupted her.
- "Alright, then it's settled! I'll see you tomorrow morning. I'm sure you'll like it a lot, I promise. See you later, Scilia!" I finished, smiling, before running back to my mother.
That night, I could barely sleep because of the anxiety. I had never felt anything like that before, for anyone or anything. Would she really come? Was I rude to invite her? Or would she like the books in my collection? Soon, I would find out the answers.