Galdor dusted the heavy book and laid it on his lap. It looked very old and was torn at the edges.

" It is said here that this mirror has different abilities. It can show what is happening presently in another location or even events that happened in the past. One of it's best abilities was being able to communicate with other people in other locations. " Galdor said after reading from the book.

" May I ask a question? " I requested.

Ju-Ju was standing on the book reading along with the Wizard while I just sat in front of it listening to him explain the details.

" Yes you might ask. "

"You said the book can allow communication with people in other locations. "

" Yes. "

" Does that mean I can talk to my mother right now? " I was missing her already.

The wise man back in the village once told us;

" You never know what you have until you've lost it. "

I used to be angry with my mom for being so protective of me. She didn't let me play with the sand with the other children or explore into the forest. I envied the other children anytime I saw them running and chasing after each other.

The only time I was permitted to go out was when I went to fetch water in the morning or when I followed her to the village market. I had to stay back at home or occasionally visit the children of her closest friends in their houses and I mustn't go out.

Once when I was six years old, my mother left the house for the village market. She normally took me along with her but that day, she went alone.

I saw that as an opportunity and escaped from my house. I felt free and I played with the sand with the other children and we ran and chased each other with me trying to push away my fears of my mother finding out.

She eventually did and I was punished. That day I had cursed her under my breath and said I would never forgive her.

Those memories played in my mind as I sat in front of the big book and looked at the tree branch representing Aquaridge village.

I missed my mother and everyone in the village and couldn't wait to see them again healthy and safe.

Tears welled in my eyes and I wished the village wise man, as we called him, could see me come back after rescuing the village from danger. He would have being so happy and I could've seen him smile and tell me how much he was proud of me.

This wasn't the first time I was losing a loved one but I still felt the same pain I felt when I lost my dear father at the tender age of five. Although I was still little, his death was fresh in my memory.

The way it felt that morning that I woke up to find my father's lifeless body on the bed. It was unbelievable and I stood frozen there for hours.

My mother's sobbing was uncontrollable. She cried and even fell ill for days.

It all started when he fell sick. It was seen as a minor illness but it gradually escalated. He coughed blood and complained of serious headaches and body aches. All the medicine that was used on him failed to work. It only got worse.

I was still little at that moment and the sight of him groaning in pain was unbearable for me.

My father and I were very close and he made jokes for me to laugh every time. He liked to see me happy and I did to. He hated the fact that I was present to see him ill.

" Lyra, are you okay? " Galdor waved his hand to bring me back to reality.

I didn't realize I had gotten so lost in thoughts that I forgot my whereabouts.

" Oh... yes. Please let me talk to her. " I rubbed my eyes with my hands cleaning the tears away.

Galdor chanted the spell which he read our from the book and a bright light shone from the mirror. It was hot and I instinctively threw it on the ground. I heard a familiar voice from it that left me dumbfounded.

The bright light ceased and I saw the frail face of my mother. She looked malnourished and her eyes were red from tears.

I wished I could embrace her and I also felt great pity for her. I didn't know it was going to be as bad as that. It had only been few days.

She was packing clothes from a line which was connected to a tree. We looked at each other without saying anything for what seemed like forever until she finally let out a word.

" Lyra? Is that you? You're alive! " She gripped the clothes in her hand and a little smile spread across her face amidst tears.

Galdor who was watching, was happy for us and Ju-Ju looked at the mirror as if he hadn't seen a person before. Well I was the first.

" Everyone, Lyra is alive! " She ran off  from my sight before I could even get to talk to her.

Shortly after, I saw the other villagers, who looked even worse than mom, come to where she was standing before and they were as dumbfounded as I was.

" It's impossible. How can we talk to her through this tree" Someone observed and I understood that they were seeing me through tree where the line was hung on.

" She's alive. "

" When is she coming back? "

" We're suffering. We need you. "

" The Wise man was right. "

They talked among themselves and made a great amount of noise. Galdor came over to where I was holding the mirror and politely greeted them.

" Who's that?" One of the children called the attention of the others to see Galdor.

" I am the wizard of the tree of life and I am sad to say that you will not survive like this if for only few days it has become like this. I can help you. " Galdor offered.

The mirror wasn't big enough to capture them all and they pushed and pulled each other to see me.

" But the village wise man advised to pack enough food for thirty days and you did. What happened? " My heart ached when I mentioned the man and the mood of the villagers dampened.

" We did. But all the food destroyed and rotted away. The land is as hard as rock and there's no room for farming. It's a miracle if we find food to eat. " My mother explained.

The cries from the children made me even more frustrated. Galdor entered the tree without saying a word and came back with a single fruit and a piece of meat. He put them in a small basket along with a bottle of water and raised the basket to the sky.

A tiny blue bird flew over and grabbed the basket in it's talons.

" Go to the village of Aquaridge and give this to them. " He said silently to it.
The bird chirped and flew away in direction I came from.

" When the bird gets to the village, the little food with it will be multiplied over and over again. You will have a lot of fruits, meat, and water for a period of time. Be sure to manage it while it lasts. It isn't ordinary so it will never rot away. " Galdor said to them.

They were very grateful and some ran off in joy.

" Thank you so much. " My mom appreciated.

" You're welcome. " He was very humble.

" Lyra, " He turned to talk to me. " The mirror can only be used for thirty minutes and it will have to charge with light from the sun "

" Oh. I think I have to say goodbye for now " I wished I could talk to my mother and tell her all that had happened.

" But you haven't even talked with the king yet. " A woman pushed my mother away to talk to me.

" I am afraid there's no time for that. " I was focused on finding a way to put of the mirror after saying goodbye to mom.
 
" Lyra! "My mom pushed the other woman away and screamed my name.

" Yes? " I noticed the sober look on her face.

" Uhm, the wise man..." Tears formed in her eyes and she was unable to complete her sentence.

" I... know. I wish I could have seen him again. "

" It happened the day before yesterday. His corpse will be buried soon and the other poor child. " She was given some space to talk to me this time.

" Do you know what caused it? " I was naturally curious even though it seemed obvious that it was deprivation of food.

" That night, we heard him scream in pain and talk to someone we couldn't see, then..." The mirror went off at that moment and I felt like throwing it on the ground.

" I don't think it was lack of food and water that killed those two. It was something else. There's something wrong with your village and that entire region. "