“Where did you find this friendly little guy.” My father asked after exiting the church. He had a neatly wrapped package tucked under his arm.

The little bird had made herself comfortable on my shoulder. She looked up at my father and whistled a few notes for him.

“Her name is Sylvie. She is mine now.”

He paused for a moment. “Sweetheart, it’s a wild animal. No matter how friendly it might be, that will not change. If you want a pet, the Lorder family just had a few newborn kittens. Perhaps I can talk your mother into getting a good mouse catcher.”

“Nope, Sylvie is coming with us. It is already decided.” Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heels and walked away from the conversation. Sylvie chirped excitedly, hopping up and down on my shoulder.

My father sighed. “Fine, but only if your mother agrees. You are so stubborn today…”

Together, we continued moving through the town. He showed me the local blacksmith, the cobbler, and the seamstress. By the time we made it to the edge of town, I had gained a new pair of boots, a white dress with green embroidery, and a small knife that could be easily tucked away in a pocket or boot.

The morning had slowly turned to mid-day. My muscles burned. Even walking for this short while had made me feel faint. I was promptly reminded that this body was incredibly weak. Years of being bedridden left me panting for breath after every step. It was infuriating. Through sheer determination, I forced myself to keep walking. My legs grew heavy. Before long, a sheen of sweat covered me, plastering my hair to my face.

The smell of cooked meat drifted from a nearby home. My willpower collapsed. However, before I could ask for a break, I heard a familiar voice.

“Wren, what are you doing this far out?” My mother shouted. My gaze locked onto a sword strapped to her hip. Together with the full chainmail armor, she was wearing, she seemed out of place with the memories I had of her at home. Normally my mother always acted like a prim and proper lady. None of that could be seen now. She dashed over in the blink of an eye. “Look at you, you look absolutely terrible.” She carefully brushed a bit of my drenched hair out of my face. Without warning, she spun around and roared at my father. “Renald, what are you thinking? It has only been a day since we nearly lost her!”

“She insisted. I did not have any choice but to bring her out,” protested my father.

“Come on baby, let’s get you into the shade,” my mother said, half dragging me to a nearby tree.

With slumped shoulders, my father followed. After sitting me down, mother noticed the many packages he was carrying. She also eyed the small bird hopping up and down on my shoulder.

“Alright, explain.”

Father’s mouth opened, then closed again as he tried to find the right words.

“I wanted to see the town. I have been stuck in that bed for forever. I am all better now, so I am not staying inside anymore,” I spoke, saving my father from his moment of crisis.

“The packages?”

I smiled happily. “My first spoils of victory. Dad bought me lots of stuff. He also picked up something from the church.”

“A gift for the carpenter’s new child,” my father said with a nervous smile.

“And the bird?”

Sylvie hopped onto my hand as I held her out. “This is Sylvie. She is mine now too.”

Mother raised an eyebrow as she looked at the bird. Sylvie cocked her head in return. Finally, she turned to face my father.

“She almost died yesterday, how am I supposed to say no to her?” he asked.

A moment passed in silence. Finally, my mother spoke. “Fine, but no more for today. You look like you are about to collapse. As for the bird… is it related to your innate talent?”

I nodded, taken aback by how quickly she caught on.

“What is your ability? Have you figured it out already?”

“Not yet.” I lied, knowing I could not reveal my full power to them. However, so long as I did not reveal the green flames, nobody should be able to see the origins of my power. “Sylvie was hurt. I wanted to make her better, like I was yesterday. When I tried, she really got all better, but she also became mine. Now she belongs to me.

My mother pondered quietly. “A type of mental domination ability? No, that does not fit with a physical recovery ability… maybe it is a power that affects the soul…”

“Mom?”

“Do not worry about it, baby. We will figure out your power with time. For now, you should head home. I still have a few hours left on my patrol. Follow your father and don’t be difficult. You will have a lot of time to explore in the future.”

“What are you patrolling for?” I asked curiously. “Why are you dressed in armor? Is the town that dangerous?” I started to get excited imagining the possibilities. “Is it thieves and bandits? Is our town home to a secret criminal den? Oh, is it pirates?!”

Mother chuckled, patting my head. “Pirates are only on the sea. The most water we have here are a few small rivers that run through the valley. There are no bandits either, though there are a few thieves from time to time. That is not the reason for our patrol, normal guards can handle that. Your father and I patrol the town every day because of something far more dangerous than that. We are protecting the town from Demonkin.