As the sun set, casting long shadows over the village, the elders gathered to make a decision. The air was thick with tension. The village elder, a wise but stern man, stood before the community with a heavy heart. "The existence of people without blessings can mean many things, but to appear in a remote village like ours isn't something we can take lightly. We have to think about every aspect of our village, starting from weather and famine that might affect our farm produce directly. The danger of mana beasts lurking and attacking our village will increase as the existence of The Forsaken might bring certain bad luck. With a heavy heart, we have made a decision. To ensure our village remains blessed and free from curses, Elyan must leave," he declared.
The decision sent shockwaves through the crowd. Many villagers protested loudly, their love for the boy clashing with their fear of divine retribution. The scene grew chaotic, with voices raised in anger and sorrow.
"No, Elder, please!" cried Mrs. Anwen. "He's just a boy. He's done nothing wrong."
Elyan stood in the midst of the turmoil, feeling the weight of their words and the gaze of countless eyes upon him. Out of love for his village and a desire to maintain peace, Elyan agreed to the elder's decision. His eyes, usually bright with mischief and joy, were now clouded with a mix of sadness and resolve.
"I'll go," Elyan said, his voice steady despite the tears in his eyes. "If it means keeping everyone safe, I'll go. Plus, this will be the chance for me to go out there and explore the world!" said Elyan, forcing a smile.
Touched by Elyan's bravery, with teary eyes, the villagers gathered around and circled Elyan to embrace him, to comfort him, and to give words of encouragement. It was not uncommon for the people of Eldergrove to gather around and celebrate a happy or sad occasion, but this time it was a farewell to one of the youngsters adored by many.
That night, Elyan took a stroll before going back to the orphanage, looking around the village one last time. The village looked as usual, the dim lamplight on each house slowly went dark, signaling that the people were not receiving guests. The breeze that night was cold and lonely, gently caressing Elyan's cheek, trying to comfort him, but instead, the opposite happened. His vision started to turn glassy and blurry due to the tears in his eyes. Elyan bit his lip, trying to silence his sorrow so as not to disturb people from sleeping. He took his steps slowly as if there was a ton of weight tying to his legs.
As he arrived at the orphanage, Elyan spotted Mira Thistledown waiting with a warm smile. Mira, the head caretaker, greeted him warmly, her gray-streaked brown hair tied back in a loose bun. Her hazel eyes shone kindly under the soft glow of the lantern she held. The flickering light gently illuminated her face, casting a comforting warmth over her features. "Out training this late, Elyan?" Despite the late hour, she exuded a sense of calm and compassion that endeared her to the children and villagers alike.
Upon seeing her face, the one person that he could call mother, the residual feelings inside Elyan and the realization of the possibility of not seeing her again welled up. Elyan ran towards her and embraced her tightly, letting out all his frustration. Mira responded in kind.
It was not unusual for the orphanage to bid farewell to their kids, but the common cases were when they were grown up and able to support themselves through work. In Elyan's case, he was going to be outcast, young, and without her to support him through any challenges that other kids had gotten from here before. As much as Mira wanted to appear strong to her soon-to-be leaving kid, seeing the boy crying his eyes out unable to do anything, Mira couldn't help herself. She cried for the first time in so many years.
The cries woke up the children who were just about to enter their dreamland. They went out of their beds to see what was going on. One of the children lit a candle and led the others to the sound of the cry. Upon arriving at the scene of two people bawling their eyes out in the bask of the moonlight and the lamplight, the children were reminded of the reality that one of their beloved brothers would be leaving their home far too soon. They all went and joined them in front of the entrance of the house.
That night, the children put down their mattresses from the beds to make one big sleeping area. They all fell asleep together after tiring out from the crying.
The next day, when it was still dawn, Mira helped Elyan pack his belongings with a heavy heart. She put extra clothes that were bigger in size so that Elyan would have additional clothes when he hit his growth spurt.
"Now Elyan, you will be traveling with adventurers. You must listen to what they say and respect them as they are older than you. Maybe if one of them likes you, someone might take you as their apprentice or teach you a thing or two about being an adventurer," said Mira, giving Elyan her last nag.
"Yes, ma'am. I will make sure to be on my best behavior and not pull any pranks," replied Elyan, trying to lighten the mood as he wanted it to be a happy occasion. Seeing the eyebags on Mira's eyes made him think that they had cried enough.
Mira turned to Elyan and gave him a smile while ruffling his hair. "You cheeky brat, always have something smart to say. You better walk your talk, young man, or else nobody will trust your words ever again."
"Okay, I promise to always fulfill my promises and not lie," replied Elyan with a smile.
"Good boy," said Mira while pinching his cheek gently. Mira understood that Elyan was trying to appear happy so she would not worry too much about him.
"Elyan is always an empathetic kid. Always knows what to say to lighten up the mood, but boy, that causes me to worry even more. Who is going to lighten your mood? I hope you find someone that can do the same things for you when you feel gloomy," thought Mira while slowly putting the clothes in Elyan's backpack.
It did not take too long for Mira to help pack things for Elyan. At least, that's what she felt even when she did it slowly on purpose when there was not much to pack besides clothes and necessities such as dried food and drinks.
After finishing packing, Mira and Elyan went downstairs for breakfast. It was the other children who were old enough to cook who prepared the breakfast today. "Wow, this is a lot of food! Must take a lot of time to prepare. Thank you, beautiful big sis Liora!" Elyan's eyes widened, excited by the food on the table.
"Thank your big sis Elowen too, everyone. She also woke up early and helped me cook," said Liora while fixing other children's food. Liora is one of the oldest children in the orphanage, along with Elowen. Liora is 15 years old while Elowen is 14 years old.
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"Thank you, big sis Elowen and Liora!" said the children in unison. "Thank you, big sis Elowen!" said Elyan as Elowen sat next to him. "Just big sis Elowen? It's beautiful tall cute pretty big sis Elowen!" said Elowen jokingly while pinching Elyan's cheek.
"Thank you, beautiful tall cute pretty big sis Elowen! Ouch! Why are you always pinching my cheek? You are going to ruin my handsome face!" Elyan said as he freed himself from Elowen.
"UUuuuu~ Are you afraid that your girlfriend Thalia is not going to like you if you are no longer handsome?" said Elowen, teasing Elyan while poking his side.
"What? No! It is not like that! Thalia and I are comrades in arms! Also, she would not care about small stuff like a pretty face, right?" Elyan replied while trying to block hundreds of Elowen's fingers that were trying to poke his side. Noticing that Elyan's ear was red from embarrassment, Elowen quickened the pace of her pokes until Mira interrupted.
"Now now, Elowen, let Elyan eat first. He needs strength before going on his journey. And also, strength to meet Thalia later," said Mira, joining in to tease Elyan.
"Not you too, Mama Mira! But yes, I have to meet Thalia later before going. She's my comrade, after all," replied Elyan as he stuffed his mouth with the food from his plate. Mira and Elowen just smiled and continued eating while Liora ate and looked after the other children.
As dawn broke after finishing the hearty breakfast, Elyan wanted to help with the dishes but was stopped by Liora. "It's okay, Elyan, I will handle it. Don't make the adventurers wait," Liora said as she lowered herself to Elyan's eye level and gave him a hug. "Make sure to take care of your well-being, my dearest little brother." The other children saw this and immediately joined in the hug.
Their sweet moment was interrupted by the knocking on the door of the orphanage. They all went to see as they thought it was the adventurers coming for Elyan. Mira went to open the door and found Thalia standing with both her hands at the back hiding something. "Good morning, ma'am! Is Elyan still here?" greeted Thalia. "Ah, morning, little one! Yes, he's still here. You almost missed him. Elyan! Thalia is here!"
Elyan, along with the children, went to the door to meet Thalia. "Morning, Lia! So you actually were able to wake up this early," said Elyan, teasing Thalia.
"Well, today is different and I have something for you. It isn't much but I didn't have enough time to make it pretty. I hope you like it," replied Thalia ignoring Elyan's joke. She handed him a handmade charm for protection. It appeared to be a small intricately crafted piece designed to be worn around the neck or carried in a pocket. It consisted of a delicate wooden pendant, carved from a piece of sacred elderwood, which is known in Eldergrove for its protective properties. The pendant was shaped into a small shield that looked slightly crooked, showing Thalia's beginner skills at craftsmanship and her effort of crafting it overnight.
Knowing that Thalia spent the night crafting this charm for him made it even more precious to Elyan. It symbolized their bond and her wish to keep him safe, despite the distance that would soon separate them. The charm was a physical embodiment of their friendship and her hopes for his safe return.
"Thank you, Lia. I love it! You must have worked really hard for this, didn't you? I will treasure it," said Elyan as he wore the charm around his neck with a big smile on his face. "I am glad you love it! Make sure to always wear it even when you are sleeping but still be careful though. I am not a master artisan so the charm can only protect you once," Thalia said while holding the small shield part of the charm.
Their moment was disturbed by the other children from the orphanage who wanted to say their goodbyes. Mira, holding back her own tears, handed him a small, sentimental keepsake: a locket containing a tiny portrait of the orphanage and its inhabitants. "This is from us all. Keep this close, Elyan," she said softly, her voice trembling. "No matter where you go, we will always be with you."
Elyan hugged her tightly, the weight of their bond pressing against his heart. "Thank you, Mama Mira. I'll never forget you all," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. They all went to accompany him towards the village outskirts.
With a heavy heart, Elyan turned towards the village outskirts, where the group of adventurers awaited him. They greeted him warmly, their expressions kind and encouraging. "You must be Elyan," said the leader, a tall man with a rugged face and a gentle smile. "We've heard good things about you. Don't worry, we'll take care of you."
Elyan nodded, feeling a mixture of sadness and excitement about the journey ahead. "Thank you," he said, introducing himself to the group.
The adventurers consisted of four members. The leader, who had spoken, was a tall man with a rugged face, a gentle smile, and piercing green eyes. His weathered skin and battle-worn armor hinted at many years spent on the road. Next to him stood a lithe woman with sharp features and dark, flowing hair. She wore light, flexible armor, and her keen eyes scanned the surroundings constantly. A burly man with a thick beard and a broad chest was adjusting his heavy pack. His muscular frame and numerous weapons made him seem like the muscle of the group. Lastly, a young man, probably not much older than Elyan, with sandy hair and a friendly smile, carried a bow and a quiver of arrows.
As Elyan stood at the village gate, a small bundle of belongings on his back, the entire village gathered to see him off. The atmosphere was somber, yet filled with hope. Villagers exchanged tearful farewells and words of encouragement, their love for Elyan evident in every gesture and glance.
"Take care, Elyan," said Mr. Garrick, handing him a small, finely crafted knife for protection. "This should keep you safe."
Mrs. Anwen pressed a loaf of bread into his hands. "You are always welcome back, no matter what," she said, her voice choked with emotion.
Elder Varis, standing at the front of the crowd, stepped forward to offer a final blessing. "May you find strength and courage on your journey, Elyan," he intoned solemnly. "May the spirits guide you and keep you safe."
With the group of adventurers by his side, Elyan took his first steps away from Eldergrove. He looked back one last time at the place he called home, the faces of those he loved etched into his memory.