After passing through multiple cities, I finally catch the Whitestone Express — a train service exclusive to sorcerers — that heads to the central station of Whitestone Province with 38 stops in between from its first stop at Ejax where I'm starting from.
My stop is just on the outskirts of The Whitestone Empire — a kingdom of witches and wizards; the Mecca for sorcery; It's the place where the rules of sorcery and the laws of sorcerers are penned down, that every witch and wizard, no matter how far they maybe from the kingdom, will abide at all cost.
My village, Thorika, is at the brim of Whitestone. It's the 31st stop.
As I walk through the coaches to find a seat, I'm suddenly aware that I'm amidst a sea of sorcerers, and it feels strange after passing the past couple of days in the company of a werewolf in human establishments where I didn't come across a single witch or wizard.
Since when my life became this extreme?
In the second last coach, I find an empty seat, and carefully slide in the egg basket under it. The security check for the Whitestone Express is tough, but not unbeatable for the advanced sorcerers. The reason it's not foolproof is because the operators don't care about smuggling in the stations other than the ones that fall inside the Whitestone Province, where the security on the exits are infallible.
After an hour, I reach my stop. As soon as I step out onto the open station, I smile. I'm home. Right outside the entrance/exit, there are rows of horse carriages. I take the fifth one at left.
Another twenty minutes and I'm at the all too familiar Carnas street. We stop at house #26. Hearing my arrival, my mom rushes out.
I jump down from the carriage and let her smother me in a long overdue hug. "You're home. Come on, dinner is ready and hot. Let's go."
I quickly pay the coachman and grab my backpack and the basket and follow my mother into our home.
My mother, Basia, is a lean, tall and beautiful woman who carries herself exactly how she looks. She's a herbalist, and has her own shop in the main market, that's run by her one and only employee, the cranky old man, Silas.
Most of the spell ingredients my mother sell are from our backyard garden, more like a farm, and the rest she sources from different places across the Whitestone Province.
Growing up seeing her work meticulously with the ingredients is what made me want to pursue advanced sorcery. There's something about going through the trials and errors of experimenting something new.
After a warm meal I lean back feeling full.
"How the exams go?" mom asks, heating up a kettle of water for the tea.
"Good. But I'm not sure about the last one. Professor Cronan was tough."
My mother laughs. "Well, I'm sure you did great, like you always do."
"How's Silas?"
"Grumpy as ever," she says, making me laugh. "Molly asked about you yesterday. Told her you'll be home today."
"She's here?" I ask. Molly's family lives across the street. We used to play together when we were kids. She now works as a junior healer at the main hospital in the province.
"Her cousin's marriage was two days ago. She came to attend that, and will be leaving tomorrow. Why don't you go say hello?"
I shake my head. I'm not that close to Molly that I'll drag my tired ass across the street with a full stomach to make a short conversation. Grabbing my bags, I head upstairs.
As much as I would like to admire my cozy room with nostalgia, I drop on the bed and fall asleep instantly.
FOUR DAYS GO by in the blink of an eye. Helping mom out keeps me busy, although not crazy busy like school does. Sometimes, I'm in the backyard, sometimes at the shop. And in between, I catch up with our neighbors and the kids I went to school with.
Now I'm at the shop, restocking some of the supplies. I hear someone come in, probably a customer. In a few seconds, I hear Silas shouting, and go see what's happening.
"We don't serve your kind. This shop is exclusive for sorcerers only," Silas says to the middle-aged man in front of him.
"Please, my daughter needs this. She's sick. She can't take it anymore. I looked everywhere. This is the only shop that has it."
Silas shakes his head. "Can't help. Try the one at Jeremy Square. We can't sell you. Our license will get cancelled."
Even though Silas is half the size of the other man, Silas grabs him and takes him outside.
I look at the crumply pink slip on the counter the man left behind. It says Urbisnil 30ml.
It's not a common medicine that's available everywhere.
After Silas comes back, he gestures me to get back to work. I do as he says.
After five minutes, Silas goes to the back, the preparation room. I quickly take three 20ml doses of Urbisnil from the shelf and pocket them. I'll later change the stock count in the system, but for now I've to catch up to that guy.
I peek into the preparation room and tell Silas I'm done with the work and going home for lunch, and leave.
I run to the third street where the local market is. That's where he probably is, and given how large he is, I won't miss him in the crowd.
His brown jacket is visible from halfway across the street.
I hurry to him. "Sir! Brown Jacket Sir!" I say.
He turns around quickly.
Panting, I stop before him. "Sir, can you step over there for a second?" I say, gesturing towards the ally we're nearby. I don't want to give him the medicine out in the open.
After I hand him the packet, his worried face immediately looks grateful. "Thank you so much!"
"It's okay. But please don't tell anyone where you got this from."
"Of course not. I'll never forget your help," he says and hands me the cash for the doses. "My daughter will finally feel better. She has been suffering all week. I tried everywhere in my packland and the others too, but none of them carried this medicine. This was my last resort. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't helped."
"It's okay, sir. Take care of her," I say and give him a quick nod and leave, before anyone notices me talking to a werewolf.
Even though Thorika is at the edge of Whitestone territory and visitors of other races are allowed, it always gets the attention of this small village's residents, and not in a good way.
This man wouldn't have come here if he wasn't desperate.
And to be honest, I wouldn't have risked helping him if I hadn't met Hayden.
For better or worse, Hayden is changing me.
