It was in fact not worth the wait

*Cough Cough* 

Aurelia holds back Wendy's hair as she vomits up the rest of the brackleberry. Everything seemed fine at first. The flavor was very sweet, the atmosphere felt perfect, even walking home felt fine. But about halfway up the walkway she clenched her stomach as a sharp pain suddenly sent her to her knees. Whatever brackleberry was, obviously didn't agree with her. She would stay by the toilet for several hours before eventually passing out from exhaustion. 

Out of almost everything in town, food has got to be the biggest coin toss. With stores offering wood flavored candy or mystery sludge that smelled of rotten fruit, it's a miracle when something good comes along that doesn't immediately make you want to hurl. Evermore is definitely not like any place Wendy has ever seen before, and now more than ever it seems she has to be on guard before attempting anything new. For a place that has such a large amount of tourists every year, it's a wonder how they're able to get away with selling literal garbage. 

After a terribly long night, Wendy doesn't even want to look at her Aunts breakfast out of fear of contracting some sort of vile disease from the Gishle juice she just made for her. What even is a Gishle!? There's so much weird looking food here! It looks like a mushroom mixed with a spine-apple that grew an excessive amount of hair, yet when cut open it's all green and gooey on the inside. Not appealing in the slightest.

Supposedly it would help with her head ache, and though reluctant at first, with a bit of a pep talk Wendy swallowed the whole thing in one gulp. She could feel the slimy substance slither down her throat, and that enough would make anyone want to spit it right back out. But, just as her Aunt said, her headache went away and her appetite came back. Huh. Guess not everything is so bad afterall. But never again will she make the mistake of eating brackleberry. 

Closing the door behind her, Aurelia left for town in order to stock up on more remedies. Wendy has decided to take the day to explore the surrounding area. She wanted to stay far away from town for the time being in an attempt to get their heinous foods far away from any sane thought. 

Before leaving, Wendy takes the time to fix up her room a little. Moving the chair closer to the window, the desk right next to the bookcase, and rearranging the books alphabetically. It hasn't been long, but she's already gone through a majority of the bookcase's contents. One of her favorites so far being the life and times of Ergo the Wise, a powerful sorcerer with a knack for mischief said to have invented laughing gum and tornado salads. He also had a number of smaller feats like accidentally killing a behemoth after beating it in rock, paper, scissors. They didn't specify how exactly the beast died, as from all accounts he kept mumbling something about lizards. Either way the story was very entertaining. 

A bit of dusting and a small snack later, Wendy finally walked outside. It was still early in the morning. The sun was beaming down upon her as bright as ever. To the right near the little pond, Miranda could be seen lazing about with several of the duck fairies lying on top of her. It was a cozy little pond that fit the area, something her aunt made not long after moving in. Large and small rocks encompassed the surrounding area with several small fish chasing a few of the water sprites as they tossed pebbles back and forth. Thick grass and tall flowers at one end formed a small home where the duck fairies lived. The mother watches on as some of her babies attempt to fly, saying hello to Wendy as she watches on. 

Following the stony path around her home, a plethora of vegetables and fruit make up most of the backyard. Little helper fairies contracted by her aunt tend to the garden in her stead, hard at work ensuring every plant gets the love and care it deserves. In one small pen, several squabbits make their home where they eat and play to their heart's content. In another, a rock worm moves about slowly, making its way to its next meal. Wendy isn't too sure about why her aunt loves it, but from her understanding they are very gentle giants said to grow up to twice the size of a standard home.

'CRASH'

Wendy turns toward the squabbit pen to find Mr Hoppington facing off against one of the larger animals. It lunges at him, but he gracefully avoids the attack, smacking the squabbit with a small stick. It seems like Mr Hoppington was protecting a duck fairy that unfortunately fell into the pen. Fun fact: Squabbits are Carnivores, and the leader of the pack will stop at nothing to get their next meal. It's a good thing he stepped in when he did. The pair circle one another, the squabbit baring its teeth and Mr Hoppington readying his stick. In one big clash, Mr Hoppingtons stick breaks, sending him flying into the corner with the baby duck fairy. Mr Hoppington weakly stands up, but as It lunges again toward them he pierces its eye with a piece of his stick. The little monster runs around the pen, smacking into everything and bleeding all over the place while Mr Hoppington stuffs the duck fairy into his chest and hops the fence. 

Continuing her walk around the cottage, plenty of wildlife can be seen, from the smallest dragon bee to the largest earth sprite, all coexisting around her home. It's amazing how nature can coexist so seamlessly in the area. Maybe it's always been like this, or her aunt had a part in making it all happen. Either way, she loves it here. 

Sitting underneath the large glitter rose tree in the nearby meadow, Wendy opens up her copy of 'Magic & Me', one of the many books Charles had lent her. This particular book touched on a wide variety of basic topics every mage eventually learns. From the basic origins of the world down to the way mana flows through everything. It talks a lot about how the elements have a way of impacting everything, including how humans were able to harness magic for the first time in an attempt to drive back the gargantuan forces of nature known as Behemoths and Leviathans. 

It's nearly sunset by the time Wendy is awoken by Miranda. It seems as if she fell asleep partway through one of the more in depth parts of Sprite anatomy. Across the field she can see the chimney smoking, indicating that her Aunt has finally returned. Walking across the field a slight breeze flows through the air and the hair on the back of her neck stands up on end. Miranda stops in her tracks, her eyes glowing as she hisses as something in the woods. A large shadow moves throughout the trees briefly before vanishing. 

"Oh, there you are! I bought us dinner."

Wendy pushes open the door and immediately the smell of something sweet flows outside. It seems Aurelia brought burgers for dinner. Something simple but delicious that was near impossible to mess up in her eyes, the likes of which is enough to make their mouths water. Even as a baby, something about that succulent meat roasted evenly over an open flame could turn even the worst of days into a wonderful night. Stuffed with cheese and topped with lettuce, pomatoes and grilled onions what more was there to like? This definitely beats half the food normally sold in town by a long shot, so she has got to find out where they're sold later.

After savoring every last bite, Wendy pats her stomach and relaxes in her chair, watching Filowah the fire sprite work overtime to keep the home nice and toasty during this cold summer night. 

"Hope you made room for dessert!"

Dessert you say? Wonder what it could be. Maybe it's more pie, that'd definitely hit the spot. Or it could be some of that amazing cheesecake from that store that sells socks. It was neither.

The moment her Aunt revealed a tub of Ice cream her heart and her stomach sank. Almost instinctively, the food she spent so much time enjoying nearly came up. But she worked too hard on that burger to lose the battle here. There's no way she will allow herself to spit out her favorite food. 

"...I think i'm just going to go to bed"

"Oh…ok. More for me I suppose."