"Aunt Esta, who is that?"
"Oh, that's Flint. A friend of your father from when he was in academy."
"Father's friend? I want a friend too." Aurae said enthusisastically causing Esta to giggle.
"You'll have lots of friends too Aurae, but for now let's prepare first because we need to open. Okay?"
"Okay aunt."
Esta went inside the kitchen to prpare the ingredients while Tobias started wiping the tables and chairs. Aurae, however, slowly approached his father's friend, Flint. Curiosity filled her as he approach the stranger.
"O-oh, hello." Flint said, startled at the little girl who approached him.
"Uhm, h-hello too uncle." Aurae said shyly.
U-uncle?? I'm not that old am I? Flint thought as he looked at the young girl. This is really awkward. I don't even know how to talk to girls and now I need to talk to a little girl. Thinking about how to talk with Aurae, Flint remembered he had sweets from the Royal City in his space bag. He retrieved some of it.
"Do you like candies? I have some here." Flint said as he streatched out his hand with a bag full of candies. Aurae marvelled at the candies inside. She usually just eat candied fruits and rarely does she eat candies like the one in front of her. There are a lot of small balls inside the bag, and all of them have different colors. For a young kid, it was really attractive. Seeing that the little girl is hesitating, Flint opened the bag ad took some candies.
"See this red one, it tastes like apples. This blue one however tastes like riverbush berries. This yellow one tastes like lemon with honey." Flint said as he put the candies in the hands of the little girl.
Aurae looked at the candy and took the blue one. She put it in her mouth. The candy caused her cheeks to puff up. The sweet fruity flavor made her eyes widen and caused her smile.
This kid is really adorable. As Flint looked at her, his eyes shine a bit and a strong urge to pinch the little girl's cheeks arose in him. However he stopped himself as he doesn't want to be smacked by her father. If I have a daughter like her then I would probably smack someone too. He thought.
"How about you sit down here first and we can try candies together?" Flint said as Aurae nodded. He then picked her up and placed her in a seat. If there is one thing about Flint aside from loving eating is that he has a sweet too.
"Uhm, what is your name uncle? My name is Aurae. I am four years old this year."
Ack...your father did not, mention me to you? This is hurting my heart, you Tobias. How could you? All those years we spent together.
"I am Flint, Flint Greyhardt. You can call me big bro Flint." he said gloomily.
"Okay Uncle Flint."
"Now I'm an uncle, I don't even have a girlfriend. Even Tobias has a cute daughter like you."
"What's a grifriend Uncle Flint?" Aurae asked curiously.
"It's something you're uncle Flint doesn't have." a voice said as it approached the two. Flint looked behind Aurae who's seated in front of him. A woman patting the little girl's head was what he saw. Suddenly he felt his heart beat skip a beat.
"E-esta, you're here."
"It's been a long time Flint, nice seeing you again." she said as she smile at his brother's friend. The last time they saw each other, they were still wet behind their ears. That lanky teenage boy is now a tall and strong knight. Living everyday in a routine will make time flow slower however when something reminds you of how much time pass by is when you realize how fast it went by.
You're still as beautiful as how I remembered you to be.
"Y-you just wait I'll find a girlfriend. I'm not the same from before." he said as he flexed his muscles.
" ~laughs~ Sure, sure you are. Still, your sweet tooth is still there. I should probably bake you some sweet pastries. Brother said you're on a mission. You can take them."
"R-really? Thanks."
"No problem at all. Anyways, I just checked what you two are doing. I need to get back to the kitchen. You found someone of the same interest as you. This little kid over here has the same sweet tooth that you have."
"Well, you and Tobias really wasn't a fan of eating too much sweets. Luckily Aurae understands the beauty of anything sweet." Flint said as his eyes started to sparkle at the thought of sweets.
"I never really understood how you can eat sweets. Anyway, I need to go." Esta said as she went back to the kitchen.
"Uncle Flint, do you like my aunt?" the liitle kid said as she looked at Flint with his larfe eyes, a glint could be seen in it.
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This kid doesn't know what a girlfriend is but knows what 'like' is. What are you teaching your daughter Tobias?!
"W-where did you learn that? Did your father teach you that?"
"No, it was from someone who came here.My father said he was a teenager, he wanted to order alcohol but father said he can't drink because he's young. Then he started crying that a girl didn't like him so I asked some of the old man who comes here often what like is." she said as she put her elbows on top of the table and let her head rest on her palms. Trying her hardest to recall where she learned what 'like' was.
"A-anyway, d-do you want more candies?"
"Thank you uncle."
...
The day started, the tavern was opened. It was just like any other day, warriors going in and out doing missions from the Warrior Association. As it was early in the morning, there are fewer customers. Like any other days, Aurae is just sitting on a chair watching everything in the tavern. This is how her day usually goes.
"Do you want to go out for a while?" Tobias said to the little girl.
"Can we really?" replied Aurae as her eyes shone.
"Yeah, there's not a lot of customers. Flint is also helping out so we could go out for a few minutes."
" ~giggles~ Let's go buy aunt some flowers father. The last one we gave her already wilted."
"Okay, that sounds good."
Tobias held the little girl's hand as they exited the tavern. As the tavern is near the roads, there are also a lot of establishments around the area. It wasn't as busy as the centaer of the city but there was still a decent amount of traffic as the gates outside the walls covering the city was near. Weary warriors can stop by at the tavern to grab some food and rest before going to the association to submit their quests.
In front of the tavern is the hospital. As warriors go through these roads most of the time, there's bound to be injured ones that need immediate attention. That is why the city mayor decided to build the hospital near the gate. And beside that hospital lies a flowershop. It sold flowers ranging from ornamental ones to elemental ones used for crafting alchemist potions. Flowers that are picked by warriors that contained traces of elemental energy are usually sold in this place.
Tobias and Aurae crossed the road and entered the shop. Immediately the fragrant smell of the flowers assaulted their noses. Flowers are laid in different shelfs. Some are in a boquet while others are in singular form. There are ornamental flowers roses, lilies, and daisies while a few elemental flowers that have glittering specs of light floating around it are placed in a different shelf. There are workers arranging the flowers while some are appraising the quality of the elemental ones. There is a special case used to preserve such flowers. There are also flowering plants placed in pots for people who wants to grow them.
"Hey Tobias, little Aurae you came today. Does the last boquet you bought wilted already?" a middle-aged man with a long curly moustache said. He wore a brown tunic with an apron worn on top of it, he also wore a faded yellow pants. He has a muscular body with broad shoulders but an average height. He was the owner of the flower shop.
"Hello Grandpa Yeir." Aurae said as she waved at the man.
"Ah yes uncle, we're here to buy a new one. Esta really loves the flowers we buy here."
"Your timing is just right. We just got a new batch of flowers this morning. Go pick whatever you want." Yeir said to the pair.
"Before I forget, here Aurae, your favorite pink tulips.[1] I picked the best one among the bunch." He said as a pink tulip appeared in his hand.
"Wow Grandpa Yeir. It's so beautiful." Aurae said as she carefully held the flower in her hands.
"Of course, you're a loyal customer so I can give you that one. Anyway, I should leave you now."
"Sure Uncle Yeir, thank you for the flower."
" ~laughs~ No problem at all."
"Uhm, grandpa. I want to give you soething too. Here, candies." she said shyly as she give the bag of candies Flint gave her.
"Aye this kid, I know you love candies. You don't have to give your candies to me, that flower is a gift so you have to buy more flowers from this shop, okay?"
Aurae nodded her head. Tobias smiled and patted the head of the little girl.
"Should we buy daisies or lillies for your aunt?
"Uhmm, we bought her lillies last time, we can buy her daisies. Purple ones."
"That sounds good to me."
The pair walked towards a worker and pointed at the purple daisies. It cost them 15 coppers for a flower arrangement of daisies. There are 25 flowers in the arrangement. As Tobias walked towards Yeir to pay, Aurae was looking at the plants displayed in the pots. One plant caught her attention, it was wilting with no flowers. The leaves are shriveled with patches of brown. Curios about the plant, she walked towards it.
"Oh so you saw that plant. That's a Twilight Flower. I heard it was a very interesting plant, at daylight it emits faint light elemental energy, at night it turns into dark elemental energy. Only during twilight does it emits a plant elemental energy. Sadly it was discovered by a novice warrior and dug it amd damaged the plant. I tried to grow it but it seems like it's dying." Yeir said as he and Tobias approached the little girl.
"Twilight Flower? If I recall correctly, it only grows in Uerilia. How come someone got it, much less a novice?"
"You know how we are at the boundary of the two continents right? Sometimes some of the plants from that continent appears here. Sadly it is a pretty rare occurence. I was hoping I could cultivate it. This would fetch a good price too. It's such an interesting plant however we get our supply of these flowers from the druids and dryads so we can't use it as an ornamental plant here. The ones we receive are the flowers and not a whole plant."
"So tha's why, maybe only a druid or a dryad could do something about this wilting plant."
"Father, I'm a dryad too."
"A-aura---
Before Tobias could speak, she already reached out and touched the plant. A faint light shone from her hands, slowly the light enveloped the plant. The plant started absorbing the light as the brown patches on its leaves slowly lessened in size until it regained its light grean color. The leaves also were not shriveled anymore. It looked like a healthy plant. However, there is no flower.
"A-amazing. I really sometimes wish I was not a human. These druids and dryads' abilities to grow plants are enviable."
"Father look it's not wilting anymore."
"Y-yeah, my princess is really amazing."
I know this day would come, but why is it so soon?! Luckily it's just the plant element.
"You know what, maybe it's better if this plant stays with her. She's a dryad after all. It might just wilt here, such a beautiful plant doesn't deserve to wilt." Yeir said as he took the pot and gave it to Tobias.
"Are you sure uncle?"
" ~laughs~ Of course, as long as I am allowed to see it bloom. I heard it only blooms at twilight. [2] I heard that its flower's petals are the color of black and white, alternating. That would be nice to witness."
"Of course, I'll make sure to inform you." Tobias said as he held the flower arrangement and the pot with the palnt on it.
"Bye grandpa, we'll come and buy some flowers again." she said as she waved her hand at Yeir.
"Sure, come and visit again. You're always welcome here."
...
"Are you tired? You can go and take a nap first." Tobias said as they entered the tavern. There are a lot more people as afternoon approaches. This means that a lot of warriors go back and take lunch during this time.
"I'm not tired father. Can I take the flowers to aunt's room?"
"Sure, be careful okay? I'll put the flowers in our room."
"Okay father." she said as she took the flowers and went upstairs. Tobias followed her.
The two then went downstairs to help at the tavern. As the day went on, the tavern got busier. Flint helped them a lot as he told them it was the payment for letting him stay. Finally, they closed at evening and had the dinner. And like most of the time, the long day is finally over.
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Ash's Note:
[1] Here is a pic of tulips
[https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/10/2018/08/2048x1365-Pink-tulips-LI3456001-77a1777.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=940%2C626]
[2] Twilight is the time period between (astronomical) dawn and sunrise, or between sunset and (astronomical) dusk. (According to wikipedia)