It was two in the afternoon when the funeral came to an end.

They dug out all the hidden gold around their little island for their expenses. Seeing the amount of gold piling in front of him, Baddie frowned. Did he really had to swallow all ten thousand of them? Lucky for him, his pocket was bottomless. He reluctantly swallowed the gold coins and let a big burp out as the last piece of gold went down his throat

The chest had been opened and the skeleton had been buried. Mia couldn't do anything to the remaining of the cottage, there was no point to linger there any longer. Her stomach grumbled- all the running, sobbing and digging consumed every bit of energy she had. She look up at the sun and made her estimation. The day would turn dark soon. They had to head to the town and find a place to sleep and eat.

In the enchanted forest where the werewolves, fairies, and other magical creatures lived, a flying broom gave Mr. Oggle a terrible shock. The old dwarf was picking mushrooms when Mia glided low past him. Gliding through the dense enchanted forest was one thing she was good at. The enchanted forest had been her playground for years. She ducked low under the vines hanging freely from the trees where a group of Tiktik sat. Their head made a ‘tiktik tiktik’ sound at every slightest movement as they cheered on her. After half an hour of flying, she reached the edge of the forest. From there onward, they had to walk to the town. Mia couldn’t risk herself being spotted on a broom.

“We have another problem, Mia,” Said Oyen, pointing at Baddie who floated innocently in the air.

“What’s with him?” Asked Mia, handling the broom over to Baddie to keep.

“What do you think the townsfolk will say when they see him, Mia? He’s a monster.” Said Oyen.

He was back on walking on four instead of the usual two legs.

Mia froze. She had never thought about this before. Baddie never went to the town and he never met another person.

“Baddie… Monste’… On’y Edga’… Mia… Oyen..See..Othe’ no…” Said Baddie, he floated nex to Mia and pointed his finger to his chest.

“You mean, only Master, Me and Oyen can see you? Others no?” Said Mia, grasping the sentence Baddie said. He rarely spoke more than four words.

“Baddie..monste’.. Bed… Edga’ bed… Mia bed… Oyen bed… No people bed…” Said Baddie again.

“Oyen, what does that mean?” Mia stared at Oyen who looked as confused as her.

“So Baddie, what you’re saying is, only Master, Mia, and I can see you because you haunted our bed?” Asked Oyen.

Baddie nodded and clapped. His wide mouth grinned and his sharp tooth flashed. It was one of the hardest sentences he had to say.

“There, no problem at all. Come, let’s go,” Said Mia. She was glad Baddie was an invisible monster.

Mia wondered how many those like him, the monster under the bed are. She knew Baddie had a family too. They haunted the Dendragon’s castle, which the King had seized long time ago. Baddie was the only monster under the bed who grew up with Edgar.

They walked past the Estia village where the rows of windwills greeted them. A herd of cattle grazed the grass along the field, occassionally staring at Mia who stared at them like a hungry wolf.

“Hello Giselle, heading to the town?” Said toothless Rowan, sitting inside the horse carriage full with crops. He was a very old farmer who kept losing his sickle. Mia had helped him several times before to find his lost sickle.

“Yes, I'm heading to the town,” Said Mia.

“Hop on then,” He said.

Mia jumped inside the carriage and greet Roth, Rowan’s son. She sat above the pile of sacks and stared at the fluffy cloud all the way to the town.

Half an hour later, the enormous wooden plague greeted them at the entrance of the town.

Griffinfall Town

Mia hopped off in front of the guard station as they parted a separate way.

She strolled past the rows of wooden buildings with a red roof built facing each other. A young girl in green dress stood in front of her family's store and watered the flowerbed. Like everyone else in the town, the townsfolks were fond of flowers. Their obsessions were proven by the abundant of flowers planted all over the place; at the storefronts, on the balcony and along the streets.

Griffinfall Town was never short of flowers, colors, foods, peoples and festivals.

It was after all, the nearest town to the capital.

Various signboards hung outside their shop, exhibiting the business they had. The horse-carriage trotted slowly on the street paved with cobblestones, carrying crates and barrels on its back. It halted in front of a bakery and a man came down carrying a large brown sack into the bakery. The door swung open and the aroma of freshly baked bread escaped.

Mia rubbed her grumbling stomach.

"Urghh.. I'm really hungry..."

Motivated by her starving stomach, she rushed to find a room to sleep. It was a busy weekend, as it always had. Travelers and merchants came from all over the kingdom for the Bread Festival, like ants swarming around sugar. The Bread Festival, according to Edgar, was another stupid idea born out boredom from the Mayor's little brain.

Every year, they competed for various categories of bread; The biggest bread, the hardest bread, the sweetest bread, and whatever categories they could think of.

As far as the townsfolk could tell, Mia was just another ordinary girl. They would never suspect that such a beautiful girl was a sorceress. Sorcerer and sorceress are wicked and ugly. They have a crooked nose and wild hair. They eat the flesh and drink the blood of the virgin, said the rumor spread by Martian Cockroft, a fellow sorcerer himself.

Mia walked past the bakery and turned left at the junction. A row of cherry trees decorated the street in its yellow and deep-red tinge. There were voices everywhere, haggling and promoting their wares and items.

Colorful pop-up stall erected under the cherry trees. Here, in Cheery Lane, merchants from around the kingdom gathered around to sell. After a long walk in the crowded lane, the curved bridge of Griffinfall greeted her. The Griffinfall river flowed under the bridge. Mia crossed the bridge to the other side, where the lonely inn stood alone.

CHERRY INN

Mia read the signboard and entered the inn. It was one of the oldest inn and less preferred by visitors. For that reason, she chose the inn.

A very old lady stood behind the long counter. Her white hair tied in bun. She wore a frown on her face and dark blue dress with a red brooch. She never smiled, except on the day her husband died. Her frown, however, was soon replaced by anger when she saw Oyen. She snorted and pointed her fat finger to the wall on the left.

NO PETS IN THE INN

Poor Oyen was chased out from the inn.

Mia paid for her room, which was the last two available that day. She climbed upstairs through the narrow and dimly lighted hallway. She walked until she reached the very end of the corridor where her room was. Turning left, she opened the room with the key. The door creaked open and the dust greeted her with hostility. She coughed as the dust attacked her nose. It must have been a long time since someone sleep in the room. Not wanting to admit defeat easily, she cast a cleaning spell and opened the window.

Oyen jumped from the cherry tree and sneaked inside the room.

Growl!

Her stomach growled again.

Mia cast a cleaning spell on herself and walked down the Cheery Lane. Stopping by the stall under the cherry tree, she bought a straw basket. She rushed to the bakery and filled her basket with bread, jam, cookies and cheese. Ah, her stomach growled again, louder than before. The little boy at the counter smiled and offered her butter cookies.

A lady, which Mia assumed was the boy’s mother, entered and held the door for her. She thanked her and walked out to into Red Lady; a very busy and popular tavern that served the best food in town.

She sat at the small table at the corner and watched as the waitress rushed over to wait her table.

“Hello, Giselle. I haven’t seen you for some time. The usual?” The lady said, pointing at Oyen on her side. “For your cat too?”

“Yes, please. Thank you.” She said and smiled at the waitress.

The waitress came back a while later juggling a hot lamb stew and bread, and a small bowl of sausages for Oyen. Mia ate her food while thinking about what she had to do next. Well, none.

There was nothing to do except wait for her Master.

Mia sighed. Where had her Master gone to?

Clean and fresh water washed down the meal down her throat. Ah, how she wished they could wash down her worries, too. Maybe she should try grape wine or ginger all.

NO. NO. NO.

Mia shook her head. Master had warned her a thousand times before. A sorcerer and sorcerers shall never touch the dirty alcohol. Once, a sorcerer drank too much alcohol and ended up wasted. He cursed the Mayor and turned him into a dog. The Vistior Army captured and killed him.

A sorcerer and sorceress must stay on guard all time.

The waitress came and Mia paid her one gold. Seven silver for their meals and a generous three silver for the lively girl. She never forgot her, although Mia never caught her name. She had mentioned it a few times before, but Mia just kept on forgetting.