Lost In The Callallis Maze

chapter 2

The sounds of rain felt deafening as I woke up. I found myself in the cabin where Uncle Achil lives, with rags covering the window flapping crazily. Veller, who was nearby, noticed me waking up.

"Hey, you're finally awake," Veller said as he handed me a bowl of mushroom soup, which I disliked.

"Ughh, what happened? My head feels fuzzy," I said, still not fully awake.

"You discovered a mystic flower and uh absorbed it," Veller said, as he sat down nearby and devoured a bowl of soup.

It was baffling that a mystic flower was ever near our village. Even more so that no one had discovered it until now. We were rather deep in the forest, but many people go that far to chop down trees and collect herbs.

"You're finally awake, Maymi. So, do you feel anything different in your body?" Uncle Achil asked, looking very curious and holding back his excitement.

"I don't feel... anything at the moment, considering that. I think it gave me some ability, though I don't know what kind," I said.

"Okay, but do you have to ask that the very moment she wakes up, Mister A'hil?" Veller snapped, his voice edged with frustration.

"...Maymi, your brother is very feisty, huh?" Uncle Achil said, rather amused.

"I'm sorry, this morning a group of knights appeared in the village, which made us a bit sensitive," I said, hiding my grin at Veller's protective words.

"Ah, yeah, I heard. But still, I was affected by both your attitudes. However, you aren't acting as excited as I thought you would. I mean, it IS a mystic flower we are talking about, no matter how minor its effects are," Uncle Achil said.

"I mean, mystic flowers are no strangers to anyone in this continent, plus we don't know what abilities I got from it," I said.

"I do understand, but still, it's fascinating to have seen a mystic flower firsthand. The blissful yellow that glittered and its mesmerizing petal so dark that it could be mistaken for Astrain Empire's princess's valued earrings. Ah, now I can die peacefully..." Uncle Achil said with a disgusting smile on his face.

"Uncle... Have you finally gone mad? The talks about these flowers actually posing a threat of addiction must be true, watching your behavior," I said, a bit weirded out, while Veller grabbed another serving of soup.

"Your generation will never understand the value of these flowers, no matter how many wars are waged," Uncle Achil said with a disappointed look.

"Well... we're not sociopaths..." I said.

Out of nowhere, the pounding of hooves on the path stood out amidst the heavy rain. Soon after, someone knocked on the door.

".. I'll go check who's there"

Uncle Achil said, hiding a knife beneath his tunic and went to the door.

I resumed eating the bland mushroom soup that Veller had made even Uncle Achil didn't eat. My hunger faded away just looking at it.

"Maymi, eat quickly and take a bath. Mister A'hil prepared hot water for us both; it'll get cold," Veller said as he came out of the bath chamber.

"..okay, wait. If he had firewood, then why did we even go into the forest? HE COULD'VE LET US BORROW," I shouted, dumbfounded.

"Wow... so you want to leech off old men? He was also running out; it would've lasted only two more days with the quantity," Veller said, giving me a side-eye.

"What do you mean leech off... you monkey brother," I mumbled as he went to change in another room.

As I put another spoon of this unsavory and weirdly sour soup, I managed to completely eat it. I put the bowl on the table and got up.