Chapter Three: The Village

Packing up everything into my backpack, I threw myself into the air trying to get a view of a city or maybe even a town, but I didn't see a thing for miles. I run through the forest using little magic, so I will be rested in case of a fight. Yesterday, I got out of hand and wasted a lot of magical energy out of rage. I don't want to have to feel that in my next fight.

 After many vigorous hours traveling through the forest I see a clearing and in the clearing I spot a small town, more of a village really. Between me and the village there seemed to be some children playing, I didn't want to disturb them, so I went around in the forest and realized it was maybe just two hours until nightfall. Knowing I could fit in if any guards found me, I decided to go and try to find a hotel or motel of some sort, which would most likely not be out here since it seems like no one even has any cars in this town. I walked into the town cautiously from the nearest road, which was more of a dirt path, I have never seen a dirt road to a town before. I go up to a somewhat young and very beautiful woman walking along the road in the town and ask if there is a motel of any sorts here that I could stay at for the night and that I had been lost. She seemed terrified by an outsider and asked me if I was "One of them", which confused me because I was dressed like a normal citizen. I just explained to her that I had been out camping trying to escape from the real world for a while and got lost. Hesitantly she agreed to help me and said while there was no motel in town that I could stay at her house for the night. She exclaimed that it wasn't very much and that I would have to sleep on the couch, but it was the best she could offer me. I humbly accepted and offered her some money, but she refused, saying that money is useless around here, and they get everything from trading the old fashion way. I was amused by this concept and almost wanted to stay in this town for a while just to see how life here would be, considering I hadn't seen any guards and it was a minuscule town. I just assumed the government didn't even know it existed. 

After arriving at this woman's house, I realized how poor she was, and I realized she had no husband or kids. This didn't bother me while I feel it was odd that she would let a stranger into her house with no other man around. But I mean hey I am just a kid I'm only seventeen so maybe I looked young enough that she trusted me. I went to sleep around an hour after arriving at her house. Due to the comfortable cushion of the couch, I was able to sleep like a beauty. Before I had gone to bed me and her talked about where I should go to get back to the nearest city which she didn't remember the name of and that I should be careful being out alone that if I were to get caught by guards they might kill me just because they can. Being me I obviously told her to not worry and that I would be fine. The next morning I awoke to a hot meal, a casserole sitting in front of me, but the kind lady was gone. 

I had forgotten to ask her what her name was, so I walked around town looking for her, hoping to find some more answers about where I was going to end up and what my conditions would be. After hopelessly searching for about thirty minutes, I asked someone else in town where she had gone, and they told me she was out collecting food, and she is usually back before noon. I decided to wait for her, so I could potentially show my gratitude for what she had done. Maybe I can even stay awhile and help her and learn how the way of life is out here away from the city but still in a community. I went back to her house and waited for her to return.

After a few hours she returned to the house where I was patiently waiting on the couch and when she walked in I stood and greeted her,

"Welcome back, how was gathering food?"

She stood there shocked, she had half expected for him to be gone when she got home and when he wasn't, she was almost pleased to know he stayed and waited for her. 

"It was okay I didn't get very much today, but that's okay, It's off season so not much is to be expected, I'm glad you're still here did you eat any of the casserole I left out?"

She asked, hoping that he had tried the food, she got up extra early so she could make it and impress him. She had found him very attractive and hoped that he might decide to settle here if she was able to please him. She thought he could make a good husband because he was polite and attractive, so they would make wonderful kids.

"Yes I did, the casserole was wonderful. I haven't had a nice home cooked meal like that in a while."

Mahō says, looking at the woman again, realizing that she was beautiful, and he had never really had a conversation with anyone other than his gramps before now. After a long and awkward silence the women says,

"Oh, thank you. I'm glad you liked it. What is your name, by the way? I don't think we really exchanged names last night."

Mahō almost blushed in embarrassment, knowing he wanted to ask the same question but felt a little weird asking.

"I'm Mahō, I apologize for not asking last night. I must have been tired and spaced my manners, ma'am, but what is your name?"

"Oh please don't call me ma'am I can't be much older than you Mahō, my name is Sarah."

She blushed realizing that he was showing so much respect, she suspected that he thought she was much older than him when she was only 23. After a few hours of talking with each other they got on the same page and Sarah was 4 years older than Mahō. They also discussed Mahō staying with her for a while and helping out and learning how they do things in the village, which she was more than okay with, hoping that he would decide to stay permanently. After a week of living together, Mahō was starting to feel a little bit better about his gramps and actually started to like Sarah more than he thought he would. He picked up on some flirting on her part but didn't know what to do about it or if he was just overthinking it because he had never talked to a real girl before. 

10 days living together

"Hey Mahō do you not think I'm pretty?"

Sarah asks, blushing and looking down at the ground. Mahō, stunned by this question, gets flustered and starts to panic.

"NO, I THINK YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL SARAH!"

Sarah gets startled by Mahō yelling that to her and say,

"If you really think that, then why have you avoided all of my advances on you in the past weeks or so, I've tried to get your attention, but you seem like you don't like me."

Mahō still stunned blurts out,

"I've never really done anything with a girl before, and I didn't want to come off creepy, I figured you were letting me live with you out of the kindness of your heart and I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I don't know what girls like or if you even like me at all, I apologize."

After a long talk, Mahō told Sarah that he didn't plan on staying for more than a month and that he had too much he had to do, and he couldn't stay. Sarah, visibly upset, just accepted his answer and didn't talk to him for the rest of the day. Mahō was very confused by this but went on trying to be helpful. 

After a few more weeks of being in the village Mahō decides it's time to leave, He is kind of sad because he started to like Sarah and some of the other villagers were really nice, but he knew he had a bigger mission, he can't get comfortable somewhere like this when there is still so much bad in the world. He says his goodbye to the villagers and when he's about to leave the village he turns to look at Sarah, and she leans in and kisses him for the first time. 

"Sarah, why did yo…"

She pulls him back in and kisses him again, then says,

"You don't need to say anything Mahō, I know, just please don't forget me, and try to come back here one day if you can."

Now crying, she pulls away and starts walking back to her house. 

"I'll never forget you, Sarah, thank you for everything you've done for me."

Mahō stands in the middle of that little dirt road leading into town, shocked. Seeing Sarah cry because he was leaving really threw him off. It had only been a month he was staying there, but he felt that they had gotten really close. Let alone the fact Mahō had just kissed a girl for the first time, and it was saying goodbye, maybe goodbye forever. Mahō Didn't know how to feel about this, and all he knew was that one day he would try and come back and try to make her happy. But for now he has to leave, and he has to try and save everyone.