The Unforeseen Risk

The magic worked, so did the creativity of one young naivety. Plainly succeed flourishing the gathering crowd of this village with so much wishes; mostly those who were present before the sunset all around the cultivated farm, for already diminished their irritation... simply ebbing away the frustration was, after something infuriating had happened prior the subtle quake they felt from beneath their feet and followed by hundreds of thrusting glowing tendrils, rapidly emerging from the same soil on where they stood and quickly turning this open field into seemingly magical forest-like scenery covering the whole field.

"I... I can't believe it. It works. But... I think I'm overdoing it."

A silent whisper which could only be heard by its small orator, standing amid the tall glowing tendril-like creatures made her even smaller and notably inferior; hence she tilted her slender neck up to see how far these luminous creatures had gone into the sky upon inspecting the surrounding with very small to no a single gap to waltz their way out from this dense glowing forest without the need to squeeze their way out.

Not that they panicked and worried at this seemingly concerned situation, or they should have if it was not for their own benefit and was not for the little lady's interest summoning such a forest under the orange sky covered by its many tall of luminous tendril-like trunks. This grateful crowd knew well these luminous magical creatures after all, for it was their second encounter; to see and to observe them grew in a higher number since the last time it had rescued them from many life-threatening events... although still giving them quite a shock for its sudden appearance, albeit the anticipation they had beforehand, still its excessive appearance was expected even warmly welcomed as each one of them - from the young and old, peasants or farmers alike - starting to look up just like the little lady had.

"Ahaha! Your suggestion worked, Maya! Luring these shining worms to come up and to wipe out those tunnelers."

The middle aged man whose voice was crying out the loudest amongst the others astonished who were still unable to let out a single word upon everything magical that had just happened before their own eyes. Despite had seen almost similar things prior, the magical effect of such creatures leaving quite a strong impact in such a simple mind of Kasala residents.

"Y-yes, Uncle Esthas... I-I am too, surprised with the result, Uncle Esthas."

Maya, the little lady provided him with quite an ambiguous response, as she was too still in a state of astonishment just like the rest. Even though it was her idea in the first place; as the dubiety still resided inside yet she started to feel the consolation after waiting for almost a quarter of an hour... thinking that her suggested idea wouldn't work. In the end however, she began to breathe a sigh of relief... noticing that everything went in accordance to her naive thoughts, albeit a little too much in the implementation.

"There are more of them apparently." counting the exact number that impossibly to tell how many these glowing tendrils were, one of the young peasant eventually stared with his pair of black eyes at the sky where he noticed since the beginning that there were too, something that was snared by the glowing ends of theirs... something many, yet hardly reach the number of these glowing tendrils, "And so are they... those damned tunnelers. Not only did they increase in number, but their size as well. If we were to get rid of them manually, undeniably it'd take a few days, even weeks perhaps."

The pest it was he referred to. Dozens of simply a rodent animal which grew in abnormal way that its size reached a point of resembling to a giant beast. Thick obsidian black fur; covering almost the whole of its crimson cold skin, exposing only some of its giant sole tarnished by four huge claws in each of its four legs, and that pair of blind eyes with long snout in between. No matter on where one looked at it; it was indeed merely a gopher, only its sheer size that made it an issue and number of colonies it was brought upon this field... seemingly a whole colony that these glowing tendrils managed to snare and to bring them out from their underground lair.

And judging by their closed eyes; blood seeping through the still-warm skin that eventually stained the black fur into red because of the strong pressure those glowing snares enforced upon them to such an extent that the force was capable of causing their abdomen to rapidly empty itself along with its digestive contents... becoming one with the leaking blood the chyme was, through mouths and snouts. They had found their demise undoubtedly, which transpired a slightly terrifying scene; depending on one's perspective and how one interprets such excitement, for one finally capable of witnessing the death of infuriating pests, albeit the grotesque one.

"I know it's supposed to be a happy moment. All the pests have been dealt with, as we no longer need to worry about it... but," it was that one woman who almost reached her dusk age, standing besides the gawking little lady and gazing up like the others. She, however, the one who couldn't bear the restlessness... simply because being disturbed by the gruesome death of those nuisance pests, and after what she had gone through for today, she appeared sick of the crimson hue of blood. Therefore she whispered, making sure only her husband who was capable of listening to her concern amid the gaiety, "Don't you think it's a bit too much, Esthas?"

"What do you mean, Aloe?" her husband quickly responded, noticing the disturbed face of his wife by this overwhelming event; such a magical occurrence, "The colony has almost tripled since the last cycle of seasons, so it's natural for us to use such a method; though I admit it's a bit... bloody than our conventional way but we couldn't grow any food if we used that way. The pest has been dealt with, that's the most important thing for now."

"Well, you're right, Esthas. I was just... overthinking it,"

Smiled the middle aged woman in the end, upon listening to such comforting words of her husband as no more the restlessness was and starting to look on the bright side like everyone else because the beaming broad grin they still preserved. Recalled what each of them had gone through, pampering oneself every now and then was not necessarily a bad thing to do after the struggle; for they were - including herself and her husband - already so tired that this kind of aid, albeit an unusual one, for they deserved such an aid. The risk and reward were in balance within her consideration after all, as the risky alternative was quite rewarding in the end... revealing a creative way to lend a hand from a little lady who was always eager to. And still standing with a gawking look she was... beside her.

"We can finally resume our activity now that the pests have gone." deliberately raised his voice so that everyone around the vicinity was capable of listening his declaration over this little victory for all of the village residents... proudly complimenting that middle aged man was, a compliment for the little lady standing silence beside him who bravely took initiative which neither he nor the adults alike had ever thought of, "It wouldn't have been happened without her help - her initiative through which a solution we never thought of. Thank you, Maya, now that we have no worry about food for the rest of winter since no more pests to ravage our field."

"Really, I expect no less from you girl."

"We just a bunch of peasant. Know nothing about this... araca- uh... art thing. Know only about plowing the field."

"Thank you, Maya..."

"We really are grateful to have you."

Coming from every angle on which the others young peasant stood, still circling this large hole. Despite their movement was slightly limited by the existence of this glowing forest-like environment, their voices were not, as it traversed through the air conveying their appreciation for the little lady whose a faint blush on her little cheek slowly started to become apparent - indicating the appealing nature of hers which only allured more people to stare at and to protect her... her born nature as an adorable creature.

"Pl-please, it was all unnecessary. I was just doing my duty; obligation to lend a hand for the good of the village, si-since I... couldn't just sit and see when there was something I could help. I-it just so happened that I know a little about the nature of magic once I read a couple of books explaining about it. Be-because compared to what you've always done for the village; cultivating and plowing the land, a-and growing food for us every cycle of seasons... my help is nothing. S-see, even after this, you'll still work hard for the village... unaffected by the climate a-and... everyday."

With all of the humble that the smile brought, timidly smiling to lessen her shyness despite a little... the little lady once again felt overwhelmed by this kind of positive reaction becoming a center of attention of many people she cared about; therefore she too seemed to feel more content glimpsing those smiles back on their sweaty face full of dust.

"Ahahaha! What with that expression, Maya!" the middle aged man standing next to her, suddenly stroked her head and ruffled her brownish long straight hair. A simple enough action yet proven to be quite startling for the likes of her, therefore her brown stare abruptly stared up after so much it stared down... looking at that middle aged man as he continued his exclamation, "But still, the fact you've helped us, as we with pleasure showed our gratitude for you hehe. At least try to be a little bit more confident with yourself, alright. You have something that we don't haha."

Grinning and chortling that middle aged was, simply cared less with his nearly old age yet seemingly still possessed some youthful energy within his wrinkled face showing the fervor upon the little lady's favor; telling the little lady something - something that only her young mind possessed - besides his own fervor - it was that childlike curiosity and young naivety which would lead away the puny demeanor of hers. Although this kind of unfavorable quirk wouldn't instantly fade away but through a long, sometimes boring and tedious process famous for its locution... memoirs, simply called it life experience.

And at this exact moment was her chance to utilize the advantage over the knowledge in which she knew very well, as it was her forte and it was too her first time doing so; therefore should've foreseen the unforeseen risk of this naive plan of hers. Despite had demonstrated a successful outcome, the mess it created, the little lady must find a way to clean up all of this. If not, she felt she only left more trouble with the red corpses of those giant tunnelers for the others to clean.

"Exactly like what Esthas just said, your suggestion really has brought us convenience. No need for us to worry about the tunnelers ravaging the field again." smiled warmly one of the young peasants, squeezing his way through this dense forest-like glowing tendrils to approach the little lady only a few steps from where he stood; then asking something that would bewilder her, "Now that the pest already all been dealt with, I guess it's time for you to tell us what to do next with these... shining worms."

Another discordance in gaiety which instead emerged, seemingly a muddled feeling the little lady felt till something she hoped never came into a consideration upon one inquiry for her regarding what was needed to pursue after the resolution had been established. Hence no words yet to arise, as the brown stare of hers abruptly turned away from meeting that young peasant's and slowly looked down while the stammering words typical of her too, slowly spoken through seemingly a culpable way because she didn't realize it until now,

"I... I--"

She never foresee the unforeseen risk that her action may bring to the table, therefore she must bear the consequences; telling the reality for everybody present at this moment that she had no such a reliable answer... or fortunately, she didn't have to, for a sound of clapping hand suddenly was heard. So loud in fact, that it managed to solve the subtle trace of problem seemingly still persisted. One clapping sound that immediately resolved the little lady's inner conflict entirely; making it unnecessary for her to continue the explanation she thought undesirable, thus seemingly becoming her rescuer this sound was.

Whoever made that sound, neither she nor the rest of young peasants had a desire to look for its source yet, because something that occurred later right after the clapping sound was heard - less than one second delay - these glowing tendril-like creatures that made up this forest-like surroundings, were no more, for they swiftly made their way back to the underground leaving no a single trace on the surface nor any hole they caused - even the corpses of those giant beasts as well, being pulled down to the underground and no a single drop of blood from it left. The large hole too, was no more, and it seemed that it was the result of the same creatures. They flatten back the field and loosen the soil back, making it easier for the tomorrow's seeds to be sowed.

The view finally became clear once more for every eyes of Kasala residents to relish the vast green-turned-orange plain, as the current pest problem had been perfectly resolved. No more those glowing tendrils blocking the way of this orange light when the moonrise only a matter of an hour and the soothing breeze that this moment brought once again striking the dusty skin of these young peasants - breathing a sigh of relief.

And so, when the atmosphere had come to calm nuance... the little lady had one thing left to do; looking around; looking for the source of that clapping sound which had helped her through the difficult situation.

She need not to guess whose clapping sound it was, however... because she already knew long before she caught a glimpse of standing figure on the edge of the field, not too far from where she was,