Isadora's request seemed at first glance like an impossible feat, but I was determined to prove her wrong. My eyes were fixed on the illustration of the Moonlight Aster, observing its intricate details and committing them to memory. I knew finding it would not be easy, but I had never been one to shy away from a challenge.
We made our way back to the village, our cart filled to the brim with winter supplies. I walked silently as I thought about my task. The thought of venturing into the woods alone in search of a rare flower that only blooms under the moonlight was daunting. But I refused to let my fear get the best of me.
I was thinking about how to proceed from here. It will be difficult; there is no doubt about it. Luckily, thanks to our village priest and his endless array of religious rituals, I knew exactly when the spring equinox was, even though there was nothing like a calendar at home.
The hard part would be convincing my parents to let me go. I threw a glance at my father. He walked beside me with a gloomy face and heavy air around him. Yeah, no, there is no chance in hell I could convince my parents to let me go into the Forest in the middle of the night; no excuse in the world would work.
So I just have to do it and ask for forgiveness later. Not that I didn't do it before. Even though I will certainly be punished and probably forbidden to return to the Forest ever again, this is no time to hold back. This is the moment I have been waiting for ever since I decided to be an apprentice in the city. I need to go all out.
The most important task would be to find the herb. I need to locate it well in advance since I will have only one chance to get it right. I guess I could cheat and just buy it already dried up and pretend I harvested it.
Not that I would mind cheating, but given how rare it is, it would probably burn through all my savings, and I need the money to pay for my training and accommodations, so that is not going to work either.
'Shallow water... shallow water,' I pondered, and immediately the image of a lake under the waterfall at the edge of the Forest came to mind. 'No, it couldn't be that easy, could it?' I thought suspiciously.
As far as I recall, there was no herb like Moonlight Aster growing nearby, but of course, I could be mistaken and finally have some luck. I just have to search the lake when we return to the village.
Drying it will be the easiest part. With my mastery of magic and plenty of experience drying umbrifila over the years, that wouldn't pose any problems for me. The hard part will be doing it all without my parents noticing I'm gone. In addition, there is the small task of actually surviving the night in the Forest.
So with my mind made up, I decided to plan a course of action. First, I will search around the lake under the waterfall. If it is not there, I will search the rest of the forest come spring.
Then, on the night of the spring equinox, I need to sneak out of the house, harvest the flower, and quickly make my way back before anyone notices anything. And of course, I need to do it all while also avoiding getting eaten by any monstrosity living in the Forest.
Easy, right? What could possibly go wrong?
***
As we returned from the city to our quaint little village, I could feel the chilly air and see the first signs of winter creeping in. The trees at the edge of the Forest were turning auburn, and the leaves were starting to fall. It was time to start preparing for the long, harsh winter ahead.
Our provisions were meager, but we had enough to last us through the season. However, with my father present this time, I couldn't use my money to supplement our supplies.
It meant that this winter would be even tougher for us than usual, but we were luckier than many of the other families in our village. I had to be grateful for what we had, even if it wasn't much.
Days stretched on with monotony, filled with the sounds of wood chopping. As I was now old enough, I was expected to contribute to the household, and one of my duties was to prepare firewood. I spent long hours chopping and splitting wood, with the sound of the axe ringing in my ears and sweat falling down my back.
It was hard work, but it allowed me to take comfort in the routine and gave me a chance to clear my mind of constant thoughts about my upcoming quest.
As soon as we returned from the city, I went to the lake by the waterfall. I searched every nook and cranny of that place but couldn't find any traces of Moonlight Aster anywhere. I was right; it couldn't be so easy. I decided to follow the small river that feeds the waterfall upstream to see where it led, but it abruptly ended after a few hundred meters.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The river completely disappeared without a trace. It must flow somewhere underground, but where does it come from? I wondered what I should do while I looked around for any signs of water but couldn't find any. As it was getting late, I decided to abandon the search and return home.
Alas, in the following days, I was overwhelmed with work and didn't get any opportunity to explore the forest some more before the winter arrived.
Which leaves me in my current predicament. I have no idea where I could find Moonlight Aster or where to even look for another lake in the Forest. At least I managed to chop down a big pile of firewood, so we will be very warm during the winter.
Soon after that, winter was here. Snowflakes danced behind the windows of our humble home, and freezing winds howled across the fields. I celebrated my eighth birthday in this world. I was growing taller and stronger, and my face was becoming quite handsome as I saw myself in the reflection of water—not that we had any fancy mirrors in our house.
I also noticed some other subtle differences. My skin was smooth and radiant without any scars or imperfections, and my hands were soft, not calloused and worn like everyone else's who worked hard every day.
I guess this is another side effect of being a mage. Not that I'm complaining, but I'm glad that I will be going to the city before anyone notices that I look like some pampered nobleman who hasn't worked a day in his life.
That would certainly raise many questions, none of which I want to answer right now. My family certainly noticed, but they never thought about it since they see me every day and take it as a given.
The rest of winter, I practiced my spells until my fingers were numb and my breath was fogged by the cold air. My determination fueled me, driving me forward even when my body begged for rest as I tried to improve as much as I could before spring.
Thoughts about my upcoming quest to find the Moonlight Aster were constantly lurking like some predator at the edge of my mind, filling me with nervous anticipation.
But as winter dragged on, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in my gut. What if I couldn't find the Moonlight Aster in time? What if my journey ended in failure? The questions circled in my mind like vultures, waiting to feast on my doubts and fears.
And yet, I refused to give up. I knew that I had to keep searching and fighting, no matter how long it took. Even if it meant risking my own life, I would not rest until I had fulfilled my quest.
I won't be defeated by some stupid flower. I will find you; just wait!
***
As the snow melted away, spring colors once again emerged. The Forest, which was once a barren and lifeless place, was now teeming with life as the trees sprouted new leaves and the birds happily sang their melodies within them.
But I had no time to linger and observe any of this. My mind was preoccupied with my quest. I had been training my magic diligently during the winter, honing my skills in preparation for the journey ahead. I knew I had to be ready, both physically and mentally, for the dangers that awaited me.
My sister Helga turned ten recently. Normally, it would be time for her to start an apprenticeship, but here in the village, there weren't any opportunities for girls, and my parents didn't have the money to send her to the city, so she stayed at home instead, learning from our mother how to run a household while our parents focused on securing her a good marriage.
I was so glad to discover my magic talent. I didn't want to think about what kind of fate would have awaited me without it. Firstly, I tested the results of my training, as I do every spring. The results were quite good.
STATUS:
-------------------------
Name: [Darian]
Race: [Human]
Age: [8 years]
-------------------------
Mana: 206 --> 315
-------------------------
Spells: [Stone Bullet], [Small Flame], [Air Manipulation], [Water Manipulation].
My winter training results were there. I could feel the power coursing through my body.
This year I decided to abandon both harvesting umbrifila and working at the forge in favor of my search for the Moonlight Aster. Although there was still a long time until the spring equinox, I didn't want to leave anything to chance.
'I can rest after I find it...' I thought with determination.
I then ventured into the Forest to search for a lake. I decided to visit the spot where the river disappears underground to see if I overlooked something during my last visit and also to see if I could find any traces of where it flows from there.
I spent a couple of hours walking through the thick underbrush. Luckily, I got out early in the morning, so I had plenty of time today. I arrived at the spot but couldn't find anything at all.
So I decided to go forward in the general direction where the river flowed before it disappeared, hoping to find signs of it along the way. The Forest here continued on a slight slope upward. When most people talked about the Forest, they generally thought of an endless expanse of trees stretching towards the horizon and beyond, but that was not quite true.
The Forest was a diverse environment of wilderness, sometimes called Wild Lands by the inhabitants of this part of the kingdom. There were, of course, trees, but also murky swamps and huge mountains.
These mountains had valleys covered in grass and wild rivers flowing through them. The environment was full of rocky slopes and treacherous ravines. It was getting increasingly more challenging to pass through the tricky terrain the further you traveled from civilization.
The mountains were also the place where terrible monsters nested, and very few people who went there ever returned.
Luckily, I was a long way from the mountains. However, I could see their snowy caps in the distance, looming over us like silent guardians of the Forest.
The further I climbed, the steeper the slope became, and soon I was forced to stop my advance as it became impossible to continue.