A jam-packed forest of trees and underbrush greeted Kazuki. Birds nested in the massive sprawling tree canopies, their songs reverberating throughout the forest. Vines wrapped around trees and underbrush alike, making a passage without a sharp instrument arduous.
Turning around, Kazuki faced the way he came. Before him stood a sizeable rocky hill, in which laid the tomb-like structure he came out of. He found no signs of a road or other obvious paths, so, barefoot and staff in hand, he trekked up the hill for a better vantage point.
Past the hill sprawled an immense grassy plain as far as the eye could see. To his left wound a blue undulating river that ran parallel to the position he was facing. Kazuki's heart jumped when he eyed a narrow but definite road accompanying the river. It made an L shape, the bottom of which was closest to him, and shied away from the river. With the sun beating down high overhead, Kazuki set down the rocky hill to reach the road, trying to not cut up his bare feet on the stones.
Kazuki reached the road and traveled alongside the river-adjacent route. He had no way to tell time, but it did not take long for the dusty road to mix with his bloodied and grimy clothes, leaving him feeling rather gross. He traveled on for some time before he saw his first signs of life.
After cresting a hill, before him spread a valley with more grassy plains. Several hundred paces down the road rested a small band of people, three from the looks of it. When they spotted him, he realized the group was armed.
The first person to turn towards him was a lightly dressed woman with flame red hair who wore tightly fitting leather pieces. Kazuki noted the twin scythes tied to her sides with a shiver down his spine. The next to turn their gaze towards him was the largest man of the group, who boasted a great bastard sword and plate armor. His rippling muscles dwarfed a sword that most full-grown men couldn’t even hold upright. As Kazuki hesitantly approached closer, he saw the third member of the group - a sitting man with a white robe with gold enlace who didn’t bother to open his eyes during Kazuki’s approach.
They did not give Kazuki the time to deliberate whether he should approach these people, as the woman of the grouped wasted no time in jogging over to him. Reaching Kazuki, her eyes briefly went wide as she observed Kazuki’s bloodied state.
“He- hello,” Kazuki started, feeling nervously unsteady on his feet.
“No need, save your strength,” the woman replied curtly. With one swift fluid motion, the women put an arm under Kazuki’s right armpit and another around his right thigh as she effortlessly raised him off his feet into a carrying position.
Kazuki let out a surprised small cry as she lifted him. The woman immediately started jogging back to her party’s small encampment, seemingly not encumbered in the slightest by carrying Kazuki.
“Woah, she picked me up like I was a bundle of twigs!” Thought Kazuki.
Arriving at the encampment, the woman gently laid Kazuki down on a thin bedspread in the middle of the camp. The brief lull of being off his feet made Kazuki realize just how weary he was from traveling.
“Mauren, this stranger needs some healing,” the women called.
The robed man finally opened his eyes to look at Kazuki and immediately scowled.
“Why should I? For all we know he could be from -” He started.
“Some two hundred miles from the border? Don’t be such a smartass. Deiner said this is my exposition to lead, so I call the shots,“ the women replied with sharp annoyance.
The muscular man began to oil his sword, paying no heed to his bickering party members.
Mauren sluggishly rose to his feet, and with an exaggerated, mocking bow, said, “As you wish party lead.” Taking a straight wooden staff with gold trimmings into his hand, he approached where Kazuki lay and stretched out his other hand.
“May the gods grant this humble mortal strength - Lesser Heal.”
With the conclusion of Mauren’s sentence, a tiel blue magic circle leaped from his outstretched hand into the air. The way it caught and bent light gave the illusion of it being made of some kaleidoscope crystal, but its paper thin depth made such a thing impossible. From the magic circle flew small globs of blue particles that poured onto Kazuki and sank into him. A vague warmth spread on his skin, most intense on his feet where travelling barefoot had inflicted cuts. The entire process only lasted several seconds, leaving Kazuki astonished.
Kazuki felt that his exterior wounds had all healed. But given the fact that his nose still hurt, it seemed like a “lesser heal” was only skin-deep. Or Mauren was purposefully holding back, something that seemed entirely plausible given his hostile and haughty attitude.
Mauren wasted no time turning his back to Kazuki with a side-eyed look as the magic circle disintegrated as if it was burning into ash.
Stolen story; please report.
“He will survive until we get to town,” Mauren said as he returned to his resting position by the party’s wagon.
The woman bobbed her head at Mauren and sat down next to Kazuki, who was now in a sitting position. She handed Kazuki a flask containing water and Kazuki wasted no time in soothing his dry throat.
With a clearing of her throat, the woman began, “Hello, my name is Tana. Please do not feel as if you need to reply given your current state. I understand if you do not feel up to it.”
Kazuki looked down at himself and finally realized why Tana was so concerned. Before leaving the tomb, he had searched himself for the source of the blood on his hands - only to spread it all over himself. He probably looked like a man one step away from death’s door and travelling on a dusty road without footwear certainly didn’t help.
“Do you know where you are? It is incredibly rare to see an equipped priest traveling by his lonesome.”
Kazuki shook his head. He had absolutely no clue where he was, a fact that had become increasingly stressing as he traveled.
“I see…” continued Tana, “Currently you are on the Sable Highway, just north of the Great Jungle and about a one-day journey south of Cartaca. My two cohorts and I are the second half of a mapping and expedition party sent to the Great Jungle as part of the quadrennial inspection. Mauren is our priest who healed you, and Deiner is our frontline shield,” Tana nodded towards the massive man oiling his sword as she glanced Kazuki over. “Given your condition… I take it your party members didn’t make it. My condolences.”
Kazuki did not know what Tana was talking about. Party members? Quadrennial inspection? The words seemed to give in one ear and straight out another.
Tana let out a small conciliatory sigh as she put a hand on Kazuki’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, my crew and I will get you back to Cartaca in one piece - free of charge.”
Her eyes conveyed sincerity. Not that Kazuki felt like he deserved any of it.
“Thanks,” Kazuki replied quietly as Tana stood up.
What felt like an hour passed before Tana gave the call to pack up and move on. She insisted Kazuki ride in the Wagon with Mauren while she and Deiner walked. Kazuki felt it was improper of him to force Tana to walk on account of his own weakness, but considering this was his only definite chance to reach civilization, he wasn’t about to rock the boat.
A peculiar creature drew the wagon. With four legs low to the ground and a long snout, it looked like a bastardized crocodile.
“But man can this thing book! Look at it go!” It amazed Kazuki how fast this creature could move, given its short legs. It was almost as comical looking as it was impressive.
Miles and miles of grassy plains passed by, and as the sun mostly disappeared below the horizon, the group crested one last hill. A large walled city surrounded by a moat came into view. Even from this distance, the sheer size of its stone walls impressed Kazuki. Several small lit encampments lay on the side of the road between Kazuki and the lowered portcullis.
Tana had the party pull off the road close to another encampment and started pitching tents.
“Normally, they would grant us entrance after gate closing on account of us being part of the Noble's Emprise, but since you are not part of our party, we will have to wait until sunrise,” Tanya said to Kazuki with an apologetic smile.
“You know,” began Mauren, earning him an immediate scowl from Tana as she knew exactly was he was going to suggest. Sighing with an eye roll, Mauren continued, “Fine, have it your way, party lead.”
Tana turned back towards Kazuki with a slightly strained smile. “I’ll have Deiner take your clothes to wash tonight. You can wash in the morning after we get into town.”
As the party members continued to pitch their tents, Kazuki sat around. He would like to help as he had camped before and knew how to set up tents, but none of these tents looked like they were built remotely close to the ones he was familiar with.
The party members made quick work of setting up their camp, and as they finished, Deiner approached Kazuki. He silently held out one of his massive hands, expecting something from Kazuki. It took a moment for Kazuki to realize Deiner wanted his clothes, and Kazuki quickly handed over his robe and hat to Deiner, uncomfortably leaving him in his undergarments.
With his hand still outstretched, Deiner continued staring wordlessly at Kazuki.
“Wait, he wants my underwear too?!” The realization made Kazuki freeze. For the first time in his life, he was grateful that is his face was spattered red from blood.
The awkward standard continued until Deiner used his other hand to point at Kazuki and said, “Staff.”
“O - Oh, of course,” stuttered Kazuki as he handed over his staff.
Deiner walked to his tent, picked up a sack, and started down the road towards the city with Kazuki’s clothes and staff in hand. Tana approached nearly naked Kazuki, and he hoped the faltering light hid his beet red ears.
“Apologies, but we only have three tents, so you’ll have to sleep without one, but there’s no rain clouds overhead, so you should be fine. I went ahead and put your bed by the firepit. We won’t ask you to take a watch shift - between us and the neighboring merchant caravan we have it covered. Try to get some rest. I know you must have been through a lot these last couple of days.”
Tana gave Kazuki a small friendly smile, and with a wave of her hand, wished him goodnight.
Not wishing to stand around in his underwear, Kazuki laid down on his bed mat. Between the warmth of the fire, his weary body, and aching nose, Kazuki fell asleep in record time.
----------------------------------------
Kazuki awoke to the familiar sound of his floor fan as sparse sunrays made it through his bedroom shades and landed on his face. Sitting up slowly, he yawned and stretched his arms overhead. Today was Saturday, his favorite day of the week. It was one of the few days Kazuki could relax without letting anyone down. Even his workaholic mother (usually) took Saturdays off.
Kazuki walked over to his closet and traded his pajamas for some sweats and a t-shirt. Doing his best to not look at his schoolbag in the corner of his room, he made his way to the bathroom.
“What a crazy dream. I’ve never had one feel so vibrant,” Kazuki nonchalantly thought. Turning to face the bathroom mirror, his eyes idly landed on his nose. Kazuki furrowed his eyebrows as something deep within himself resonated at the sight.
“My nose… wasn’t it hurting in the dream? Wait, that doesn’t make any sense - how could I feel pain in a dream?” Kazuki’s head began to spin as the influx of memories came rushing in. “I also remember tasting and smelling things, too. Is that even possible in a dream?” His hands dug into the bathroom countertop in an attempt to keep himself steady.
Kazuki’s confusion mounted as more and more memories replayed in his head. The tactile sensations he felt, the incredibly vivid world, and his distinctively pained nose all served to beg the question:
“Was it… not a dream?” Kazuki asked his reflection in the mirror.