'Where am I?'

A gray, impenetrable wall of fog. From somewhere a female dressed in a white gown, is laying on the decaying grass. Her hair sprawled over, and her white satin dress with a long slit barely hiding her smooth legs. '

Why am I here?'

The sky was black, the rays of sunshine hardly penetrates the thick dark clouds. Whooshing a cold, unfamiliar wind. Giving her visible goosebumps and shivers.'

What was that?'

Her eyebrows moved as she heard the distant explosion chorused with distant shrieks and cries of people. In desperate weep for their lives, and freedom. Her eyes now wide open. Looking around the world she's fallen into.

'What happen?'

When you climbed up the mountain, you should see the whole beauty of the city, but what she saw is the defileth view of the city. Where the buildings who stood proud, have met their downfall. The houses that screams luxury, now lost their voices. And the people who lived positively, where now suffering drought.

'Why don't I remember anything except for my name...Mayari?'

She thought. Her eyebrows meeting halfway as she try to recall everything, but it seems to be a dead end. All she knew is that she's wearing a white gown, and her name.

As she assessed herself, she was surprised to see what she wears, she is dressed like a goddess, with a gold belt and a low v-neckline.

"Is this actual gold?" She asked herself and a satisfying 'ting' was heard.

"Oh, well. I could use this too-oof." Something magically appears on her back that made her lose her balance from the sudden weight put on her.

"What's this!?" She shrieked and grab the thing behind her and examine it.

"Wait is this...? A recurve bow---what!? How did I know this is a recurve I've never tried this before!"

"Did I just remeber something from my past? That I didn't try archery?" She asked herself again, making her double her questions without answering them.

Still, she felt excited of having it looking like a kid, happily opening christmas gifts. And she took a sit and lay the equipment in front of her.

The bow was plain but elegant looking, though it lacks decorative pieces, it's still beatiful. It also has a soft texture that you can easily glide your fingers. It was made of slick silver, shining as the light touch it. The thick string looks hard and sturdy, and very flexible.

After feasting her eyes on the bow she put her attention on the silver quiver, it was polished to shine and boy! The arrow was sharp from the point to the fletching! That she almost cut her finger. You can even have a splinter if you touched the fletching!

She quickly put the arrows back in the quiver and decided to leave them there. She doesn't know how to use it, nor if it would be essential to bring it with her. She's just a civillian and not knowing about the world she's in, she doesn't know her stakes.

All she want to know is her past, and this mystery world she's currently in. And so she trek down the hill to visit the destroyed city.

She was already a meter away from the spawn point when she felt a big push from behind that sent Mayari rolling down the hill like Jack and Jill.

She didn't stop herself from tumbling down, how could she? She prays that there's no obstacle that copuld hit her head and leave her injured, nor the arrow might dig itself onto her skin. She did stop anyway, when the surface was now flat, face direct on the ground.

And from the added weightshe now carries, surely the bow and quiver is glued on her back. Just like how it first appeared the first time.

"Did you fly?" She asked the weapon, but just like any other normal thing it won't reply. So she left it again there, for another trial of experiment and just like what happen awhile ago, it did stick itself on her back.

Sighing she left it behind her back and what shediscovered is that, the longer you carry it the lighter it gets. Which she find weird.

'Probably because I'm getting used to it?'

'But no, I always carry my backpack when I go to school but as time goes on, it gets heavier every second.'

'Wait did I just remember I went to school?' She abruptly stopped in her tracks. Her eyebrows meeting halfway again, lips slightly parted and her pointer finger on her chin.

'If I did, then I'm still a teenager? Or in early twenties?'

'Silly brain!' She muttered angrily. 'Why can't I remember anything!?' She scratched her head in annoyance, and felt something sticking.

Of course, leaves and other twigs made their way on her hair and before continuing her journey she quickly fix herself and dust off her gown before going down, barefoot.

As she was nearing the bottom of the hill, a small village is spotted with minimal people walking. They were carrying logs, hunted deers and jars of water. There were children playing outside and mother's nursing and cooking outside.

"Finally! Civilization! I hope someone can help me and explain to me what's happening. Or I can just live here and have friends!"

Feeling excited to find humanity, she rushed down and called for help.

"Hi! Uh, may I ask what place is this?" The man looked at her weirdly.

'Why is she asking me the place? Isn't she from here?' Nevertheless, she still answered her question despite the confuseness the man felt.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"You're in Isles of Oleas, the country and the destroyed city of Elencia" Mayari pronounced the word but when she opted to ask again a woman gasped.

"A-archer!" she frighteningly pointed out with her fore finger.

"Wha--?" The once harmonic place turned into a chaotic zone as they ran frantically without specific direction, they didn't care whether they break the jar and spill the water, nor let their food catch germs, even the logs were around, blocking the path.

"Hide!" I heard someone scream despite the panicky situation.

"Keep the children safe!" Everyone was shouting orders, children crying in the background.

"PREPARE FOR ATTACK!" And men encircled Mayari holding their long sharp spears.

"She should've been dead by now!" One men whispered but Mayari can still here them clearly.

'Why should I've been dead?'

"Why is she alive?" They asked unbelivably.

They looked at each other never minding Mayari's clueless face as they turn trying to ask the person next to them.

"Why--?" I tried to reach them but they firmly hold their ground, making me flinch.

"Don't move!" A deep voice shouted amongst the crowd's chattering.

And she did what she have been told. She didn't move a finger, afraid about how her life will end. Even with the bow she doesn't know how to use and protect herself.

'Why are they doing this to me?'

The leader of the village walked towards Mayari holding his sword, ready to strike when she tries to do something funny.

'Why am I even given a weapon that I don't know how to use?'

"You must been mistaken, I'm Mayari and I--

"Don't you dare, brainwash us again! You swore to protect us from the apocalypse! Yet you dare walk and show your face!"

"She should be beheaded!"

"Torture her to death!"

"Feed her to the wolves!"

"Offer her to the next eclipse!"

"Wait! You don't understand! I don't know where I am! And I don't know you--

"Nonsense! Kill her!"

And they all come at the poor girl. Relying with her instinct she grab the bow from behind and swing it at them with eyes closed. She don't want to see what the bow can do. She don't want to kill them, She don't want to be a killer.

But then everything became quiet. And when she opened her eyes, the village people were gone.

'What happen?'

"Where did she go?"

"Did you let her ecape again!?"

Mayari hid herself in the bushes and watch as they try to find her.

"Find her! And ring the kingdom, that the archer came."

Mayari quickly left the village and run for her life, she don't know the world she's in. No sense of direction, she just continue to run and try to save her life.

Holding the side of her waist, that have been slashed by one of the men. When she can't run anymore she took a little rest and look at how bad her wound is.

Whatever happen a while ago was also a mystery with her. All she felt was a sudden rush of cold wind and when she opened her eyes, everything was safe. She's out of danger. Grabbing her bow, she silently thank it for saving her life. And like the bow can hear her gratitude it shined whilst Mayari putting it back behind her.

"Tch! so much for finding home and shelter! When your neighbors wanted to kill you." Her voice was mad yet tired, she needs water and walking around in the forest didn't help.

It was getting dark and her blood was already dried, still she couldn't find anything that can help her. She was about to lose hope when she heard a precious running water. She hurriedly ran towards the sound and when she spot it, a huge smile and relief washed her dark and hopeless face.

She folded her legs near the water and duck her face, to drink the crytal clear water where fishes were fearlessly swimming and laying eggs.

She scoop the water with her hands and pour it on her wound to clean it, when her finger accidentally poked her gold belt when the bow and arrow disappeared.

"What!? No! Why did you just dissapear?!" She shrieked. Now, she has nothing to shield her body from.

Feeling dejected, she force herself up, looking around for something useful. She needs shelter for the night, as it will be shivering cold.

"Did they just appear when I need it?" She asked herself again, and shrugged when she couldn't think an answer for herself.

Darkness now enveloped the whole forest, and how she wished she could see still even in the dark when the whole place light up.

Then on the top left corner of her vision, she saw a small box saying;

[ Nightvision, activated ]

"Wow so I just need to think something then it will appear!?"

Then she thought about her bow and arrow, but nothing happen, instead a note appeared;

[ Bow and Arrow are already summoned, tap your belt to unhide ]

"Wait!? So I can hide my weapon? So that no one will see it? That's nice!"

She kept nodding as ideas popped inside her head. Hiding her weapon will surely give her advantage in her situation as what she learned awhile ago, having and being an archer brings negative vibes. And on top of that, someone will haunt her down.

With her night vision activated, her eyes scanned on something. It was a little weird as the footprints are similar to hers. The scanne in her eyes, pointed out that it was hers. So she followed the track and that led her into a small treehouse.

'Why would I have footprints here? I never remembered being here.' She continued to rack her empty memory even though she doesn't have to replay.

The treehouse was located on a large tree and was hidden by plenty of leaves, but how can she get up, when there's no ladder to climb on?

She can't crawl up with her injury and so she poke her belt and her bow and arrow suddenly appeared, she grab the arrows and stack it onto the tree trunk to serve as a ladder, every arrow she puts, the quiver magically add another arrow. It seems unlimited.

When she reaches the top, she can barely see what's below, it was a great but then they would see the stacked of arrows and someone will obviously know who was in here. She was about to open the door when she saw an odd looking button.

Feeding her curiosity, she clicked it and she heard a faint click sound and she saw that the trunk spitted out a staircase and after thirty seconds it disappeared.

"What!? There was a staircase!?" She can't believe herself, why would she stacked her arrows when there was just a hidden staircase. "But how do you, access it from below?"

She clicked the button again and went down, when she's down she searched for another button but there was none, she already searched around but there was nothing. Annoyed that she couldn't climb up she punch the tree trunk thrice and the staircase revealed.

"Ugh! I really hate myself." As she climbed up, she open the door excited to see what's inside.

The treehouse was spacious. The layout was round and there are adorable furnitures. There's a bunk bed hidden by a curtain. There's a big cabinet full of clothes, shelves full of accessories and a working kitchen.

There's also supplies and different books. And in the middle is a meduim-sized carpet with two floor chairs and a small coffee table in between.

She hang her bow and quiver near the door and look around, it seems that the house is well-maintained and someone is living inside.

'But where's the owner?'

She first opened the cabinet to find medical supplies for her wound that she almost forgot that she have. She was surprised to found one and stored in a box, the box was made of raw materials of abaca fibers.

There she found cottons and raw oils extracted and kept in small bottles. She put one and put it on her wound, surprisingly, she didn't feel anything, other than coolness and refreshing.

After that she continue to explore the inside of the house, looking for clues whether the house was abandoned and if it was , then she can take over the house as hers.

Noticing that there was another door, she walked out and it led to the outside of the cabin. Near the door was another ladder, up to the highest top of the tree.

Never minding the tingling pain on her waist, she still manage to reach the top. And she was in awe when she saw the top. It was open and the leaves serves us the walls. She deactivated her night vision and saw how beautiful the moon was shining down at her.

There was also a shade when it rains and under it was a little bed and a table and chair.

"I think no one's home." She muttered and look at the papers on display. It was a sketch about the automatic staircase of the treehouse, located on the tree trunk and it says;

'Knock on the trunk thrice to activate the staircase -Nymeria.'