-Lexia-
Travelling the heavily wooded regions of the Reacher Forest south of Meccas City was in some ways familiar to the woods around Port Town, but to my trained eye it was apparent that many of the monsters in this region were notably more dangerous. This region was truly beyond the borders of humanity, and it showed, as even lower-level monsters could recognize threats but also would test the vigilance, seeking opportunities. Judging from the mix of young and the difference in level from the older monsters, the region had recently shrunk in population notably, which made my hunt easier as fewer ambitious little shits got in my way.
It was only a couple days' journey, even at an easy pace, before I found a massive bear den. It was a massive tree that wasn’t particularly taller than the surrounding forest, but its base and roots were massive. The trunk of the tree was wide enough to carve a castle out of, and the bear's den nestled right up against it, forming a burrow in the roots of the tree. I noticed the stench long before I saw the bear. Vomit and blood pooling in the burrow, forming a small lake. I thought the middle of the lake was a small island or elevated ground until it moaned in misery.
It shifted to vomit more blood to the side, and I got a clear view of its face. Its upper jaw was half missing, and the other half had withered to a rotten black. The teeth that may have once been fearsome jaws were black with rot, and some teeth even dangled precariously from its maw. It had one eye left, which was red and inflamed. Less noticeable, one of its legs bore similar decay to that which marred its face. The Great Bear was lying on one side, elevating the injured paw enough for me to see a rotted stump pulsing as blood and pus leaked. It was a gruesome sight, but even in such a terrible state I felt I didn’t have a chance. It might’ve been some intimidation skill, but I didn’t feel I wanted to test that against a monster with enough vitality to make a lake of blood while resisting poison and some kind of decay. Just seeing such a beast laid low was enough of a reward for my visit.
Just as I was leaving, my sense of danger spiked. In the distance I noticed a swarm of Hive Mushrooms advancing en masse. I quickly backed away as quickly as I could and watched from a distance as all around the blood lake the mushrooms settled down. Soon the entire tree was covered in bright red and blue mushrooms, and at the center of the swarm, a Greater Hive Mushroom sprouted. No faces growing from the surface yet, but if things went how this swarm wanted, it was likely the Great Bear would adorn its trunk someday.
It seemed for now the show was over. This seemed like the kind of news that might be worth something to the town. After all, it seemed that the Great Bear might not be around much longer. I move away from the swarm and begin heading off to see if the swarm had sent this party in a splitting of the hive or if this was a complete resettlement. Soon I find the devastated region that likely was previously the swarm's home. A large fissure split the ground here, marking another of the Great Bear’s battles, but I also noticed something even more curious than the tracks of the relocated swarm. Travelling along the fissure's edge, looking for a spot to jump across, was a small elvish child.
One of the mentors my father hired had been an elf, so I vaguely knew of their circumstances. Which begged the question, why was a child out here alone? Their community is extremely xenophobic and protective of their children. A lone elf from the tribal region outside the Fallen Woods was an incredibly curious thing. I quietly tail the child to see what its purpose might be.
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-Freema-
Day broke, and my illusion that everything would be back to normal broke the moment I laid eyes on the emaciated and dried-out bodies of my tribe. Quietly I spoke to Vesk.
“Vesk, how long do I have to save Mommy?” Without hesitation the ring spoke back to me.
“She will pass the point of no return within 30 years, assuming she remains with the tribe. The collective will of the tribe offsets the cost of the illusion of health, but should she leave, you can replace years with days.” I sat down beside Mommy, who was roasting some monster, and her bony hand took mine in her grasp.
“The edge from the trial should be fading now. Don’t worry, it will be gone entirely in a few days, but in the meantime we’ll need to figure out how you will fit into the tribe since you haven’t developed your skills like others. Do you have any preferences?” Mommy’s gentle voice was more of the rasp of someone who was starved and begging, but her words were as gentle as always. I felt myself tearing up slightly but held it in.
“I want to develop my skills first. May I spend time in the lower forest? I’ll come back after I can properly fit a role like the trial takers would.” This was the best excuse I could come up with to leave without making a commotion. However, Mommy just grabbed me in a protective embrace, whispering softly to me.
“You feel out of place among the adults, and it’s my fault. I helped you through the trial, and now you’re back, but you don’t fit among the adults. I don’t know if I want to let you go alone, but you're an adult now, so I’ll talk to the elders. They should be willing since you need to grow a bit more.” I quietly sigh in relief as Mommy gets up and leaves to speak with the elders. It’s not much longer before she returns with the news. I’m permitted to go on my journey, and they have granted me one of the bone knives to make up for my lack of weapons. Along with it was an apology from the elder who oversaw our batch of children. The same man who had shoved me into the ruins unarmed.
I can’t quite bring myself to forgive the man, but I don’t voice that thought as Mommy waves me off again with tears in her eyes. This time my departure draws the majority of the adults who wish me well in my training. I smile with tears and run off into the woods, soon crossing the threshold between the Fallen Woods and the lesser woods. The pests here aren’t nearly as dangerous as in the Fallen woods, and I soon begin mastering my use of the dagger as I turn to head for the coast. Mommy had proposed escaping along the beach to reach human territory if I couldn’t find my relic, so I’ll use that same advice to find the humans. Step 1 to make an army plan: go somewhere with people to recruit! It wasn’t long until I ran into my first obstacle. A massive fissure splitting the ground in the middle of a suspiciously quiet part of the woods.
First Official Date
Callen and Crescent walked along the beach by the harbor hand in hand. Callen had been unsure how he was supposed to let his boss, the mayor, know about his intention of dating Crescent, but the man seemed thrilled by the prospect. In fact, before Callen could even begin to negotiate for a day off each week from his usual duties, Mayor Hew was already offering it to him to “properly develop his relationship.” Callen decided to not think too hard about how the mayor chose the exact amount he intended to ask for and just accepted the blessing.
The first real date Callen had decided on was time together on the beach and then a meal at the bakery since she seemed to like it last time. In the future he planned to get more creative with the choice of food, but he wanted this time to work out, so he stuck with the place he knew would work. To be honest, he had no idea how to date in this life or the previous, but just spending time together seemed to be the objective.
He made her a sandcastle (small house-sized), and together they enjoyed trying to relax on the beach. The relaxation might have been successful if they hadn’t been attacked by human-sized squids on three separate occasions. From there the rest of the date proceeded without a hitch. Miss Nunnally even squealed like an overexcited girl when Crescent shyly confirmed her dating status with Callen. They parted ways and settled back in at home, as both were interrogated by relatives. Ela seemed particularly upset that the nice clothes she had specially made for Callen had been ruined by angry squids.
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