Adam stepped to the village gates, pungent scents of cattle, mud, and sweat crashing against his nose. He grimaced before a smile curved his lips, and memories flooded his mind. The poor atmosphere, burly men dragging ropes tied around their reluctant beasts' necks, and the makeshift militia glaring daggers at them reminded him of Julius' birth village and Alina's ungrateful first job.
He... missed them in moments like this.
A melancholic sigh escaped his lips, yet they curled upward as short legs dangled down his chest. He gazed at the cheerful girl perched on his shoulders, chuckling at how she tilted her head and admired her reflection in the ice mirror.
Just like her, he would reunite with his family one day. The only thing lacking was his strength and knowledge—the two pillars that had never betrayed him. And he was on the right track to expand them.
But for now, the girl who kept making him roll his eyes with her whispers took priority.
