''Deep into the Forest''

‘S-Sir?’ the older man tries to get my attention as I stuff my face with another slice of pizza.

‘Mm?’

‘So…about the problem…’

‘Mm, hm mh mhmm!’ I respond as I swallow the delicacy of heaven itself. ‘I know, I heard you. Something with a guardian spirit terrorizing the village.’ He smiles wryly and nods his head. ‘See, I was listening, but more importantly!’ I stand up, holding another slice of quattro formaggi pizza in my hand. ‘I demand an audience with the chef who created this dish of wondrous adventures and discovery. I must know the recipe, even if my life depends on it!’

‘S-Sir! You’re making a scene!’

‘No, I’m making a demand!’ I yell as I stuff my face with the slice of pizza in my hand. ‘D-Dewicious!’ The chef promptly comes forward and gives me a tutorial on how to make pizza and a handwritten recipe. I finally start to calm down and return to speak with the old man. ‘So, how can I help with this guardian spirit problem?’

‘Shhh… Don’t talk to loudly about it,’ he whispers to me.

‘What do you mean? Wasn’t this a problem for the entire village?’

‘It is, but you have to understand that some people don’t like outsiders to…interfere…with our problems. They are old in their ways, still thinking that they can resolve this problem by themselves.’

‘Yeah, you said that a rampart guardian spirit is terrorizing your village, but how come you cannot solve this problem yourself?’

‘We have tried that…’ the man closes his eyes for a moment, looking extremely sorrowful. ‘We have lost many good friends and family, trying to fix this problem ourselves…only a few men return back to us…gravely wounded,’ he says as he hints me to look in a certain direction behind me. I turn around to see a man without a left arm and right leg. Just seeing that sends shivers down my spine. ‘The guardian spirit has gone rampart near our precious lake, which sacred waters give birth to our villages pride, the Earth-Dragon Roots.’

‘Earth-Dragon Roots?’

‘Yes, we use to roots to make our renowned potion, the Dragonroot Elixer, but enough about our potion. You have to save us, young sir!’

I gulp for a moment. ‘You know I am just a traveler, right? What could I possibly do that tenfold of people couldn’t do?’

‘You’re experienced!’ he responds. I am honestly flabbergasted by his unique response, which makes absolutely no sense in the long run.

‘I don’t think that is a good reason to send me to a battle like that.’ He looks pressuring at me. ‘I’ll give it some thought, okay? I’ll have to discuss it with my companion first!’ I quickly stand up, trying to put some distance between me and the old man. ‘I’m sorry!’ I dash away after my useless apology, completely forgetting to pay for my delicious meal.

I’ll just have to return later……

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‘And that is basically what he told me…’ I finish explaining the situation to a sleeping Evander. He hasn’t woken up the moment I left him, which worries me more than ever. ‘When is this potion going to wear off… I’m glad Cindy treated him and all, but he is absolutely useless at this moment…’ I feel the pressure growing on my shoulders. ‘Should I just leave…?’ I think about it. What can a single 15-year old do by himself against a guardian spirit, that killed multiple people? ‘But then again…this is technically what I signed up for…a Hero…’ I remember the man I saw at the pizza place. He lost two limbs in that attempt to quell the danger. That could end up being me if I do this. ‘That’s it, I’m not doing it!’ I grab my sword, take the cloth with belts that serve as a scabbard from the sword, and examine it from the base to the tip. The white, shining metal reflects the light perfectly, a blade so clear I could see my reflection in it. ‘I…’ My previous resolves disappear like snow in the sunlight. ‘What is wrong with me…? I’m doing this to get home. I cannot forget my original goal. Get the stupid Stars and go home! As much as I want to help them, I cannot risk my own life in order to help them!’ I put the sword back against the wall, covered in its belts and cloth, and walk outside. ‘I just have to find that old man and tell him I cannot do this…’ I walk around the small village that doesn’t give any tension at all. Like danger is a foreign concept. People working in and out their respective stores, selling and buying goods and services. Trading and chatter fill the streets of a calm village. ‘I haven’t seen any kids though…’ It makes me wonder for a moment as I pass by the entrance that leads into the forest. I always enjoyed walking through well-kept gardens and parks. ‘Too bad there weren’t that many in Edelweiss…’ I always had to travel to Brixia or the Dark Woods in order to have a calming stroll.

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…

The wind slightly breezes through my hair as I walk down the path of the forest, completely forgetting all my stress and thoughts I had. Nothing calms me more than being surrounded by nature itself. If I could, I would plant thousands of trees and flowers, so that the entire world would be a big forest. ‘If we have tons of fruit trees as well, we’d be able to feed ourselves for the rest if our lives. Everyone would be happy, and the world would be a beautiful place. No more wars, fighting and useless politics keeping everyone busy…’ I reflect on what I just said. I really am a pacifist at some point. I don’t want to fight anything. If possible, I’d talk things out with Abyss and make sure everyone can live happily ever after. I continue reflecting on myself, asking questions and answering them myself at the same time until I stumble on a clearing in the middle of the forest with a small playground and a few benches. ‘So, this is where the children hang out. Isn’t this quite deep into the forest…’ I do remember Evander’s words stating that animals don’t attack the people here for some unknown reason that domesticated the local fauna…

I decide to sit down on one of the small benches that is the furthest away from the playground and take a deep breath, taking in the forest smell into my nose. The peace and quiet truly make me feel at ease, to the point that I even feel a bit sleepy. Realising I should head back soon, I stand up and walk to the inn…only I don’t do that and for some reason lie down on the bench instead and slowly feel my conscious drift away…

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‘Hero…’ A young woman’s voice echoes through my mind.

‘Huh… I…’ My eyes open to darkness, instantly waking me up as soon as I realise that I am no longer in the forest near the small village.

‘Hero, head my plea for help…’

‘W-What…what is happening? Where am I?’

‘Do not be afraid, young Hero. I have merely entered your dreams.’

‘He said merely… Does he think that is normal or something?’

‘Young Hero, I am in desperate need of your services...’

‘Wait, I’m asleep? Did I actually fall asleep on that bench?’

‘Focus!’ Her voice suddenly pitches up, startling me.

‘I-I’m sorry… You said you needed something?’

‘Yes…I am Perinia, Guardian of the Seas and Waters. I am the Keeper of this forest.’

‘The Guardian… You were the one the old man from the village was talking about. The one that was killing the people…’

The voice sighs deeply, and she suddenly materialises in front of me, tuning into the shape of a lady, but a body completely made of water. Her expression (or at least what I can make of it) carries a sullen look. ‘That is how it looks like from the outside, most certainly…’

‘From the outside? So it isn’t really you doing all the battling?’

Her head shakes multiple times. ‘I would never senselessly kill them! I’ve been protecting them for generations. I have no intention to terminate the contract that is my duty.’ I want to ask what the villagers are fighting against, but she starts talking before I can even open my mouth. ‘If I could, I would protect them until my breath, but I cannot. Not until I can finally be liberated from my capturers. The capturers named Abyss.’ There it is again. Abyss. It always comes back.

‘So, Abyss has captured you... How did they even do that?’

‘They’ve corrupted my home…I cannot do anything if it’s out of my control… Young Hero, you have to save me… Save me from the hands of Abyss.’ Her words and image start getting hazy and blurry.

‘Wait, how do I do that?!’ Everything is being pulled away around me, and I can feel my own being change.

‘Shine your light! The waters and light align! Hurry!’ She gets engulfed in darkness as I’m being pulled away.

‘Ha!’ and suddenly I find myself lying down on the bench again, woken up by my bizarre experience. ‘Ha…ha… Was that…a dream?’ It all felt amazingly real, and I can still remember everything she said. ‘Shine your light…The waters and light align…’ Nice and cryptic, just how I like it…couldn’t she say something that was less hard to figure out?’ She mentioned the waters…so she must mean the lake I heard the old man talk about. ‘I should head back…it’s already night-time…’ I look at the moon shining brightly in the sky. I stand up, but just as I try to make my way back, I could hear laughter and voices. A shiver goes down my spine. ‘W-What…was that…’ I don’t want to figure out and just go back, but if I turn back now, I would constantly think about it and be scared… So, my feet take me deeper into the forest.

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Laughter can be heard from time to time if you listen closely. They are the voices of children having fun in the night-time. ‘Definitely a ghost story…’ The deeper I go, the louder the voices become, and if you listen closely, one would notice that there are two of them. A boy and a girl. ‘They are not ghost…they are not ghost.’ I pray for safety and sneak behind some bushes until I feel like I’m close to them. They are talking about something, but I cannot really follow the conversation. ‘Okay…’ I must take a peek. Just a small one to sate my curiosity… ‘Three…two…one…’ I peek over the bush, and my eyes meet the eyes of someone else. It takes both sets of eyes a few second that someone is looking at them, before the both of us start screaming and backing off.

‘Inna, what are you doing?! Stop shou-‘ the boy notices me before finishing his sentence, and starts screaming as well. ‘Inna, run! They can’t get us!’ The boy starts making a run for it, but soon stops when he notices Inna not running. ‘Inna… Ugh, fine.’ He comes back, while Inna stays frozen on the floor, probably still in shock. ‘Did you piss your pants or something?’

‘Uhm…you guys…’ I take a closer look at the boy who now stands in a spot where the moonlight beams on him. It’s the same kid from earlier this day!!

‘Y-You!’ We both say at the same time as we point at each other. ‘You were from earlier this morning!’ We seem to be in synch. ‘Ugh, and I thought it was my gramps. Inna, let’s go. He’s not important at all.’ The boy picks Inna up and starts walking.

‘W-What do you mean, not important?!’ I wonder why I care about this…

‘You won’t lose your shit because we are here playing. That’s the difference.’

‘So, you are hiding from the elders of the village…’ He nods. ‘Well, it’s true. I couldn’t care less that you’re still up. That’s your responsibility.’

He smiles brightly. ‘It seems like I’ve misjudged you. You do have a bright head on you.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean…’

‘Most people would hate people going out late… They have strict curfews after all,’ Inna says, finally speaking for the first time since I got here. I hold my shoulders up.

‘Say, bright man.’

‘The name’s Bran-‘

‘We wanna show you somethin’, kay?’ He waves to follow him and starts running off.

‘I should’ve gone to bed…’

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‘This…is…’ It’s a lake. A simple lake in a forest, yet it carries more beauty than the stories I have heard about the vast oceans, waters that would stress endlessly into the horizon. The shine of the moon beautifully beams a clear and perfect mirror image.

‘This place…feels…calming…’I completely forget everything I was doing for a moment as I approach the waters and kneel to check out my own reflections in the lake.

‘Neat, isn’t it, but that’s not what I wanted to show you!’ the boy proclaims, as Inna starts pulling his hand.

‘Hey…should we really show him? It was supposed to be a secret. Our secret.’

‘Don’t worry, he won’t tell anyone. He’ll leave sooner than later, and no one will know.’ I don’t focus on the conversation that is happening behind me. I just look at my own reflection in the lake, and then in front of me. There is a little island in the middle of the lake. She said something about a home she cannot return to… ‘Hey, bright man. It’s this way.’ He grabs my shoulder, but I resist his pull.

‘That island…’ He looks confused at me. ‘I need to get to that island…’

His eyes light up in excitement for some reason. ‘You have to go there? You know it’s prohibited, right?’ he asks, still with a smile on his face. I can feel he’s scheming something.

‘I have to go there…’ It must be the home the Guardian was talking about. Should I wait for backup…or proceed with haste? My mind tells me the former. My body…acts according to the latter.

‘Say, what if I told you I know a way to get there?’ the boy says proudly.

‘Wait, are you going to…’ Inna doesn’t finish her sentence, but we all know where she wanted to head with it. There is something they know that I don’t, and I must figure it out…

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