As Nia walked into the meeting room, she was immediately greeted with a cold atmosphere. She had waited in the hall for quite some time, but because of the awkward silence and her shyness, she couldn't stand it anymore and decided to talk with the chief. The sooner she did, the sooner she could leave but who would have thought that as soon as she had entered the meeting room she would be greeted with such cold stares. Seeing the three elders looking down on her with such ugly expressions sent a shiver down her spine.

"Nia, how dare you come here."

"Wha..."

Nia couldn't understand why the elder had berated her, she had just knocked and the chief said she could enter but now as soon as she walks in she's told how dare she come here. Nia was confused and scared at the same time. Had she done something wrong? She was positive that she had knocked and gotten permission.

Another elder spoke menacingly.

"Do you think that you don't have to follow orders? Do you think that you can just do whatever you want and not mind the words of the chief?"

Nia's body began to tremble and shake as tears began to build up at the edge of her eyes.

Just as the elder was about to scold Nia some more, the chief instantly stood up and slammed his fist onto the table.

*BANG!*

"ENOUGH!"

The 3 elders, as well as Nia, jumped in fright.

"But chief, this brat..."

*BANG!*

Once more the chief pounded a fist onto the table.

"I SAID ENOUGH!"

The room was filled with silence for a brief moment before chief Roland sat back down, letting out a long sigh. Finally, he peered at the young lady. Seeing her appearance, even he couldn't help but have a disappointing look, after a moment, he spoke.

"Nia, why have you come? I specifically said for women and children to stay inside."

Hearing this, a look of utter confusion appeared on her face followed by a sudden realization and sadness. On her way here she had seen people running about somewhat panic-stricken but no one had mentioned a word to her. Something important must have happened in the village yet when she walked past others, people had either ignored her like she didn't exist or gave her a mean glare. She thought by now she would be used to such things but even now it still hurt to be looked upon with such disgust. Thinking of all this, she began to shed tears silently with a face filled with grief.

Noticing her look, Chief Roland, put it all together, the other villagers hadn't given her the message, once again Roland sighed.

"Nia, right now there's an emergency, I've placed the village on lockdown. Guards are being posted around the village and those that can't fight are to stay indoors, that's why the atmosphere is so tense. You've done nothing wrong, so calm down and breathe."

Nia took a few deep breaths, wiping her face with her sleeve and within a few moments, eventually, her tears faded and her shoulders began to relax.

"Now quickly tell me why you've come and then hurry back home, I'm sure your younger brother will start to worry if you don't show up soon."

Nia looked around the room slightly embarrassed but seeing the annoyed look on the three elder's faces, she regained her senses. Looking at chief Roland's stern expression, Nia timidly spoke.

"W..www.....we've run out of food, me and my little brother, and I..... I don't know what to do."

"Each of the elders scowled at Nia and just as one was about to speak out against her, again Roland spoke first.

"Nia, our village is having a crisis and you're worried about your stomach?"

*Sigh*

"I don't have time for this right now. Nia, go home and stay inside, we will discuss this at another time, now go on."

"Bbbb..but we haven't eaten in 3 days and today's the only day I've been able to meet with you. No one in the village will help or share food. My brother is barely 5. He's so thin he's losing his strength. Please, if not for me at least a little for him, a piece of bread, a potato, anything, just please I beg you.

One of the elders was becoming visibly mad, his face began to contort with anger, in the end, he could hold back no more and snapped.

"YOU THINK WE WOULD GIVE YOU ANYTHING AFTER WHAT YOUR FATHER DID?! BECAUSE OF HIM.....BECAUSE OF HIM, MY SON LOST HIS LIFE, HIS WIFE AND THEIR 2 KIDS, MY GRANDCHILDREN LOST THEIR LIVES. THEY WERE INNOCENT. IF IT WAS MY DECISION YOU AND YOUR BROTHER WOULD ALREADY BE DEAD, A TRAITORS DAUGHTER DESERVES DEATH."

With the sudden outburst, Nia retreated to the door and trembled like a tiny baby lamb being caught by a hungry wolf, the room once more took on a heavy atmosphere.

Roland wanted to say something to calm the enraged elder down a bit but he knew that elders thoughts. After what Nia's father had done, just yelling at her seemed quite reasonable and although he was the chief it would be better for him to not call out one of the village elders in defense of a traitors daughter but still, he should say something. Just as Roland was about to speak the young boy Lowen stepped in front of Nia with arms spread out in defense. When he entered no one knew. Glaring death at the elder who had just yelled, Lowen spoke with a childish yet cold voice.

"Old men should never shout at little flowers, they'll cause them to wither."

(Hmpf, although I have no reason to interfere... but I just can't stand a bully, especially when it is targeted at children.)

Everyone froze in astonishment, such a poetic yet odd like thing to say and coming from such a young child no less, this was just too weird or rather this child was just too weird but with it, all the tension in the room seemed to have vanished. A thought suddenly popped into Chief Roland's head and he saw an opportunity to not only regain control of the room but to solve another problem temporarily.

"Nia, as you can see we are dealing with a crisis at the moment and everyone...is a bit tense. So here's what we'll do, first off take this."

Reaching into his clothes, the chief pulled out a small bag of coins, opening it, he retrieved a few coins and before any of the elders spoke up he quickly passed them to Nia.

"Take this money and buy a bit of food and take this boy with you as well, he will stay with you and your brother for now. Afterward when you get home lock your doors and windows and stay inside until the village bell tolls 5 times confirming that the village is once more safe and secure."

Nia quickly nodded in agreement and before anyone could say anything else, Nia grabbed Lowen's small hand and dragged him away. The door shutting quickly behind them, and the room once more filled with silence.

Nia's thoughts were all over the place at the moment. Just who was this boy, why did he defend her, how was she to take care of another kid. She could barely take care of her self and her younger brother and that in itself wasn't going well at all. In all of her confusion, she suddenly realized that she was pulling Lowen along. She had never held a boys hand beside her little brother and her father but she was too shy to let go and she was too shy to turn back and look at Lowen. It had been a long time since someone last stood up for her and it was this very boy who did it. Nia couldn't help but grow a little red in embarrassment just thinking about it.

As Nia pulled Lowen along through the village, many looks of scorn and disgust could be seen directed their way or more accurately, directed Nia's way. Lowen couldn't help but wonder what Nia's father could have done. After what that elder had said, Lowen gathered that Nia's father must have committed some great crime in order for even his children to take the scorn from the villagers. As Lowen thought about this, he was about to ask Nia when suddenly she stopped. They had arrived at the village square, in front of them was a small cart that held a few vegetables on it. Behind the cart was a man in his early 30's packing things away readying himself to depart.

"Sss..sir, excuse me, sir."

As Nia began to speak, she was rudely interrupted.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy."

The man looked up from what he was doing and when his eyes landed on Nia, he quickly packed the rest of his things and began to leave, seeing this, Nia began to panic.

"W..wait, please wait. I want to buy some food from you."

The man hearing this only seemed to move even quicker, once again Nia spoke.

"W.....ww wait I have money, please my brother needs to eat."

Nia pulled out the small coins Roland had given her, trying to show the man but he just ignored her and speedily left. Looking at this scene, the other vendors were packing up quickly as well. Whether it was due to Roland's order or their feelings towards a traitor's kid, everyone soon cleared out of there, returning to their homes or going to their post to guard the village.

The village square soon became silent and empty with only 2 people left, Nia and Lowen. As the 2 stood there quietly, Nia wanted to break down and cry. Everyone had abandoned her. Even though she tried to be a good daughter, even though she had tried to be a good big sister and even though she had done nothing wrong, still, everyone blamed her. Everyone scorned her, everyone turned away and everyone left. Nia felt such sorrow that her body physically hurt. She fell to her knees and began to weep.

What else could she do? She had nothing and soon she wouldn't have anyone either. Without food, her little brother would soon die. Just thinking about it hurt even more and soon she no longer had any tears. She was tired, so tired of it all. Her eyes were dry and red. Soon she grew quiet, her body quivered with despair, her mind, completely exhausted. She for the first time had a simple thought of. (I want to die.)

With that thought soon followed a feeling. A small feeling resting on her shoulder. Lowen had gently placed his small hand on Nia's shoulder. In his previous life, Lowen lived a long time. He had seen and experienced many things. He had become one of the most powerful human beings. In his previous life, he had no family and he had no friends. Whenever he got close to someone, when he truly thought he had someone to call a friend, they either betrayed him or died. Although he couldn't relate to Nia's situation exactly, because of noblemen, Kings, and Martial Masters, Lowen had been plotted against and nearly assassinated almost a dozen times. He himself had experienced despair many times and recognized it coming from Nia.

(Why should such a young one suffer so, poor child.)

That same despair, that same feeling of wanting to collapse and just give in, looking at Nia, Lowen felt a twisting pain in his stomach and even though he barely knew her, he couldn't help but reach out and try to comfort her. After grabbing her shoulder, Lowen repeated the same words his King had once said to him in a time of his hopelessness.

"Do not abandon yourself to the dark. Life can be the hardest thing in the world. Like a mountain covered in jagged rock, the more you climb the more you wound yourself. But if you do not succumb to the pain and sadness that this climb produces, instead if you keep going higher and higher, even if you can't see it, as long as you push on you will eventually reach the top. And when you do stand on your very own peak, you will look out to see the splendor in the world around you and know that you too are apart of that. Right now you still have a bit more climbing to do but I promise, if you keep going, you will make it to the top."

As Lowen said his last few words, with a simple thought he released some of his ki energy into Nia's shoulder. As it spread throughout her body and mind a warm sensation melted away her weariness, reinvigorating her. Her eyes began to clear up, returning to their previous dark brown. Her exhausted body began to fill with vigor and her storming mind soon came to a soothing calm. A look of tranquility washed over her face and the little village square was filled with silence once more. Nia slowly turned to Lowen and looked at him with astonishment. For some reason, this boy spoke like a wise old man. She found it both a little weird and a little funny at the same time. This was the feeling she got, but more than that she felt something she hadn't felt in a very long time. Something she had thought disappeared in her little world a long time ago and although these words came from a child, to her, they were like an oasis in the middle of the driest desert and that oasis, that feeling, it was hope. With that feeling, at this moment, surprisingly Nia leaped onto Lowen embracing him tightly in a hug and in a tiny almost nonexistent soft voice, she whispered.

"t...thank you."