Flying with Fairies

Prologue

All she had ever known for the past three years was cold, quiet, and hunger. Stealing small rations from bakeries and taking off to the next town was what her life consisted of, other than of course taking time to eat what she's taken and sleeping wherever she can. The conditions seem rough for one who's used to privilege, but she accustomed to and bored of it. The same thing, wherever she went; visit a bakery, ask for food, take without paying, move on to another town, repeat. She remembers one time specifically when she thought she'd have to give up, let herself starve in the forest that was so unknown. When you're lost it is never a time when you can think positively, and as was the case for her.

That was until she met - or more, saw - Aries. She had never been a pious one, but this woman could've been mistaken for a goddess, with her soft curly rose hair and fuzzy wool dress. This woman provided light that guided her out of the woods she thought she'd spend the rest of her life in. Aries stood at the edge of the underbrush with a gentle smile adorning her features. She was radiant.

She disappeared however, once Nicole reached the edge of the forest. She wasn't angry, she was just relieved to be out and close to another town. Her perspective had changed at this point. When she arrived at this next town, she scanned for a nice looking shop. Any at all would be acceptable, she was going to get a job. Not by any means a permanent one, she was a child after all, but one that could earn her jewel to buy a couple meals. This town was dingy and dull, more so than any that she had ever been to. Bare feet scraped the rocky street as she inspected each passing building. Arriving in front of a small stone structure, she pushed open the door and walked in.

"Hello?" she asked simply in a small voice. A burly man appeared from a room towards the back and smiled genuinely at the dirtied girl.

His deep voice echoed in the small edifice, "Hi there! What is such a small girl like you doing here by yourself? Are you lost?" After hearing him speak she took in her surroundings, noticing shelves of footwear covering the walls and stacks of leather scattered here and there. It was odd to her that he would ask a question like that. She could've been here for her parents for all he knew.

"I wanted to know if I could help you out with something to earn jewel. I'm hungry." Straight to the point was the only way she knew how to speak. The large man chuckled a bit but agreed to let her lend her hands.

Nicole had been working with her friend for a couple weeks now, earning lots of jewel by helping organize and put together displays. The man had kept telling her to save her money and take a train to a bigger city filled with guilds, but she always refused the offer, knowing well guilds were for wizards. Saying she disliked magic would be an understatement, no, she loathed it. Magic was what took her brother away from her, and she could not stand the thought of using it herself. Now, she was focused on earning jewel to buy meals at each town she visited; and she was doing quite a good job at that.

Customers would come by often for shoes, each with different likes and foot sizes. She found it quite interesting and loved watching her cobbler friend make each pair special for their commissioner. It was like magic without the consequences.

One odd day, the two had been idling in the shop, looking out the window towards the train station when they noticed a radiant woman making her way down the beat up street. Nicole felt happiness wash through her body the moment she spotted the woman's fluffy pink hair. Suspense building in her small chest as she watched the woman take each careful step. She was dazed by the time she heard a chime of bells alerting about a customer. Nicole's goddess stood in the doorway, peach lips pursed gently while taking a glance around the room. The girl stood there motionless, taking in Aries's presence truly for the first time as she walked towards the man.