I slowly opened my eyes... after crying yesterday I feel... light. Like I got a weight off my chest. I feel better, and I can think clearly now.

I was reborn in a world where magic is a thing, there is an impending doom coming towards each and every being in the universe, and, according to the goddess I'm the one who can stop it.

No pressure. No pressure at all... damn...

I don't know how long I have before it's too late. I suppose I can at least grow up, I don't think the goddess would expect a baby to control those flames. - Yet the urgency of the matter does not leave me.

I don't want to burn again. I really, really don't want to. I'll do anything I can to stop that.

Right, so with that in mind, time to formulate a plan, I need to start learning magic a soon as possible so...

[BRRRRR]

Huh? What was that?

I looked around the room, only to see my dad sleeping in a bed next to me. The low light of the morning starting to shine through the window. Around me, I can see wooden bars, so I'm probably in a crib.

Hmm... The sound didn't seem to come from very far... what was it?

[BRRRRRRR]

The sound returned, louder than it was before, and with it, a feeling comes.

Oh... I'm hungry. - I look back at my dad. - Damn, I don't want to wake him up. Yesterday was so rough for him...

I'll just wait for him... yeah - Like that, I waited... and waited... and waited a bit more...

He's not waking up any soon, is he? - I made a sour face.

Well, at least I gave him a few more minutes.

Just like that, I started crying, as a baby would. It came much easier than I thought; it seems babies have a natural talent for that. Dad quickly woke up, looking startled.

He got up, taking me into his arms, trying to soothe me.

Nope, not sleeping, I'm hungry! - I didn't stop crying until he finally seemed to get the message. He grabbed the canteen from yesterday, opening it and trying to make me drink, only to realize that it was empty.

A few words came out of his mouth, which I can only assume were curses. - I had better remember those.

He put me back down in the crib and went towards a piece of furniture... It's pretty far for me to see, but I think it's a wardrobe. Then he got dressed in something other than his pajamas, picking me back up and wrapping me in some cloth. It was a handy thing; really, it wrapped me all up except for the head and then went around his neck in one piece. Like that, both his arms would be free and I was wrapped in a tight baby package.

In a few minutes, we went out and onto the street. The light got into my eyes, which admittedly annoyed me a little, but I soon got over it. It was a small, stone ladled street, or at least a try at one. A few round and flat stones were buried in the dirt, to create a small path for people to follow, but it still left many gaps of dirt visible.

Father walked quickly, there weren't many people around walking at this time in the morning, but I could already smell something... The smell of bread!

[BRRRRRR]

Hungry!

This time father seemed to pick the sound up too, as he showed a slight grin, pointing at a building by the street side, and saying something.

We walked right inside, it looked like a medieval coffee shop thingy, but without the sweets on display, or the pastries... or the waiters... not really like a coffee shop, to be honest.

There were a few tables where some men were drinking some kind of hot beverage; I could smell something similar to coffee as dad walked by. Then there was a counter, where an old-looking woman would stay, taking notes and managing a wooden stove with some pots.

She greeted dad, talking excitedly when she saw me. Soon she got from the other side of the counter, lifting the bar flap and coming to dad's side.

She seemed very sweet, dad talked to her for a bit, she even got me in her arms, doing some baby talk.

[BRRRRRR]

Hearing it again, dad seemed to talk to her about something, probably milk. She handed me back to him and went inside, going through a door on the other side of the counter.

A few minutes passed and she came back, a jug in hand, dad handed her the bottle thing, and she promptly filled it. He got some coins out of his pocket but the lady seemed to refuse.

Hmm... I like her!

Father sat by a table, holding me in his arms and finally quenching my hunger. I do eat a lot for a baby, don't I? Is it because of my species? I have to search into this later... somehow.

After that, dad bought a bread loaf, this one he actually paid for, and we were out. We walked through the city for a while, left the bread at home, and left again, following roads that had the same similar stone pattern to them.

Soon we got to a stone wall, where I could faintly distinguish the figures of men on top of.

Those seem to be guards... What are we doing here?

Father walked up to a small door on the wall, a sleepy man was standing guard by it. They said something, the guard seemingly worrying a bit. They seemed friendly to each other. I think... father told him about mom.

The guard opened to door for us and we went it, it was a badly lit corridor that led to a staircase, dad walked for a bit, and we soon got into a room. Where a man was sitting behind a desk, it was cramped with piles of letters and documents.

They started speaking.

---

Irwan looked at the tired-looking man behind the desk; he was the captain of the guard's secretary.

"Morning, Ulfrid. Is the captain in?" He pointed at the door, behind the secretary's desk.

Ulfrid looked up from his papers, at Irwan, who managed to look even more tired than he did.

"Yes, Private Irwan. The captain is in his office, I believe he is free for the moment. Why though? Is there a problem? You should be on leave for at least a week, so I did not expect to find you here today. Nor that you would bring company." He looked at the baby, wrapped close to the man's chest.

"Yes, something happened, but I would prefer to talk directly with Camen if you don't mind."

"If you say so. Just knock at the door before you go in. " The secretary said, going back to his papers.

Irwan walked to the other side of the room, lightly knocking on the door.

"Come in. " A man said from the other side.

He walked in, closing the door after passing. The room was tightly packed with shelves and documents, in the middle of it, there was a desk where a man, seemingly in his forties, was going through some papers and drinking something from a mug. He sat in a comfortable wooden chair with red padding. Behind him, close to the wall, was a set of scale armor on a stand. A sword, still in scabbard, was propped onto the table, on arm's reach of the captain. In front of the desk, there was another chair, not as decorated as the other, but also comfortable, for visitors who had matters to discuss with the captain.

Camen looked up from the letter he was reading, at the man who entered his office.

"Irwan? I didn't expect to see you so soon! Why are you here and not at home?"

They were friends, both of them. Having grown up together and joined the city guard when still fifteen, they were very close and rose together in the ranks. As Camen's father died, he came to be the new captain, while Irwan remained his second in command. It was pretty normal for them to act informally to each other.

Since both were close, Camen could sense something wrong that moment he saw Irwan. He looked tired, more tired than when he had his first son, or even when he was still in training in the garrison.

Irwan took a sit, pulling the char for himself, and getting the baby comfortable. He heaved a deep breath. Looking at his friend in the eyes.

"Yesterday was... so difficult. We knew it was going to be hard, but we weren't prepared for this, Cam. We weren't! The healers weren't prepared, damn it" His voice cracked.

"What do you mean, they weren't prepared? Is everything alright?" Camen got anxious, he felt what was coming.

"No, it's not alright man! Teressa, she... she..." A single tear, that Irwan tried to contain escaped his grasp, falling towards the ground.

"She did not make it."