Second time I am formatting this. GRRRR.

So I'm not even going to pretend I am going to get any studying done before finals.

Expect the next chapter when it's done! Not a second before!

Chapter 4.3: You’re Kidding Right?

“Alfin! Thank God!” Mist exclaimed in relief as Alfin's face appeared on the surface of the puddle. The little glasses perched on top of his nose gave her immeasurable relief. There is nothing like seeing a friendly face in a foreign land.

When the sun had set, the forest had gotten cold, dark and damp. Her skin felt sticky, she was uncomfortable. She hadn't noticed the nights much while she had been on the run. Having been too worried about the damn monkeys she had just rushed forwards without registering much. She did so now.

The trees were eerily hanging over her like unwanted listeners. They seemed to overpower her, making her feel vulnerable. She clutched to the connection she had with Alfin like a life-line.

“I found the man! He’s in a clearing not far from here! What should I do now?” She blurted.

-“Now, now. One thing at a time. You have done admirably in locating the perpetrator… though I must admit I was beginning to worry. I thought you would have reached him much earlier.”

She felt a nudge of frustration.

‘After all I went through… he criticizes me for being late!?’

“I would have – were it not for those friggin’ wolf-monkeys. They chased me the whole way here. You said that the way here would be treacherous. But you never said I would have to deal with a horde of rabies-infested critters!”

A confused look came across Alfin’s face.

-“Wolf-monkeys? The part of the forest you are going through would have had challenging beasts – but nothing life threatening. I knew you would be able to stand up for yourself. You are after all my disciple. But wolf-monkeys you say? That is quite strange… I have never heard of such a creature… then again the forest is vast and there are many mysteries, how am I ever to be expected to know even a fraction of them?... Wait… Unless… No it couldn't possible… by… Well, by wolf-monkeys… could you possibly be referring to Jewokees?”

Mist sighed in frustration. She loved Alfin, but right now she was still feeling the effects from her six-day trek. She didn't want to have to deal with his ‘non-shut-upy’ self.

“Of course! What else would I be referring to?”

Alfin, who had been intently waiting for her response gasped in shock.

-“But they wouldn’t… they couldn’t possibly… You said they were chasing you? Where!? Where did they start chasing you? And more importantly, where are they now?”

Mist was slightly taken aback by Alfin’s sense of urgency. She had known the man for almost ten months now and he had never been urgent about anything.

“Well… umm… er… I first noticed them two days after I left Amirav. And then they chased me until I got here… and then they disappeared.”

-“What do you mean disappeared?!”

The fact that she had fallen asleep/ been entranced because of the music shamed her to a certain extent, but Mist reluctantly answered.

“I.. um… I kind of lost track of time when I saw the human. I had been running away from them using Book Immersion… like you said I should. But the next thing I know is they aren’t following me anymore and are nowhere to be seen.”

Alfin’s face paled, “Oh no. it is worse than I feared. You must leave immediately! You said the human was still near you. Yes?”

Mist was a bit surprised by the sudden change in Alfin as he issued orders.

“Yes.”

-“Good. There is no time to spare. Take him with you. He needs to come back to Amirav for the forest – but that can wait, time is measured differently for the forest. He is a strong human and you will need him. He is a good tracker.” Alfin’s grimaced as he said this, the compliment seemed to cost him something. “Take him to the last place you saw the Jewokees and follow them. You must find their whereabouts.”

“Wait what?! I’ve been running from these things for almost a week and now you want me to go and find them? Are you nuts?!”

‘…Actually, never mind.’

Alfin grew annoyed and said, “We don’t have time. If you leave now we might be able to avoid more damage. But as it stands we have no way of knowing how bad it has already gotten. Leave immediately. Track down the Jewokees and kill their opponent.”

Mist was confused, “Alfin I don’t understand what you are asking of me – and I can’t kill anything remember? Too weak and all that!”

“You can’t but the human can! Did I not tell you that he is very strong? If only the Jewokees have assembled you two will be able to take care of the threat on your own. I will have some elves follow your trail in case the unexpected occurs. But do not rely on them. As it stands it will take them at least two days to catch up with you. And then however long it takes to go to where the Jewokees face the enemy.” Alfin blurted.

“But…” Mist tried to interrupt. She was still lost.

‘What do the Jewokees have to do with anything? What exactly is going on?!’

Anticipating her question he answered. Alfin’s voice held a little bit of anger because of her interruption, “The Jewokees are one of the guardian clans of the forest. They protect it when it is under attack. At the moment I am not sure what the cause of the attack is. It could be anything. While it is bad that the Jewokees have been summoned, there is still hope that only the Jewokees have gathered. There are many guardian classes, and the Jewokees are one of the lower – yet still important – classes. That is why it is important to target the threat immediately before it spreads. If the Jewokees are not able to eliminate the threat… It is better not to think on it. Nothing will come out of deliberating all the possibilities anyways. We must deal with things as they come. Now go! You don’t have any time to waste!”

“…Alfin! Hey… Alfin psst!!!” Mist cried at the puddle. Alfin’s face had already left the surface of the puddle though and the water began to quickly trickle away.

‘Why that little… When I… Oh he’s… Agh… Alvin!!!!’

She still wasn't sure what was expected of her. She couldn't fight – all she could do was run. She wanted to run. She wanted to sit in the warm, cozy, clean library and read… with a hot cup of coco - and maybe some cookies. She was wallowing in self-pity when she noticed the windows.

Quest Complete!

You have successfully located the perpetrator and alerted Alfin of his location. Your mission is however, far from over.

Rewards: Return to Alvin to claim it.

You have leveled up!You have leveled up!You have leveled up!You have leveled up!You have leveled up!You have leveled up!You have leveled up!

You have received 50 Fame

You have received a New Quest!

You have received a New Quest!

Confiscate the Perpetrator

You have finally tracked down the perpetrator. It is now of the most importance for him to be brought to Amirav where he will face the Forest. Do not let him escape.

Difficulty: D

Warning: He must not die.

Provide Assistance to the Jewokee Clan

The Jewokee's are in unrest. You must find the cause of this disturbance. Use the confiscated perpetrator to help you eliminate the threat before it gets the chance to get any bigger!

Difficulty: C

You cannot refuse quest. If you fail the Forest will lose faith in you.

‘Greaaat. Level 20. It takes getting chased by death-monkeys to get anywhere… Sigh.’

She decided to quickly allocate all 35 stat points in agility.

‘Being stronger isn’t going to help at this point. Might as well increase my chances of running… and surviving… while I still can.’

Character NameMistAlignmentNeutralLevel20ProfessionFabled Midnight ScribeTitleThe Unknown ApprenticeFame223Health280Mana5020Strength23Agility108Vitality31Concentration12Wisdom240Intellect262Luck8Leadership2Attack2Defense1Magic ResistanceNone

Mist briefly considered staying put.

‘Let someone else handle this shit-storm.’ Then she remembered Alfin and the way he had seemed so out of sorts – something she had never expected to see. ‘You so owe me for this you little bastard.’

(A/N: the guy isn’t actually little. He’s a head taller than her. But it’s her way of addressing him.)

She got up with a new sense of purpose, taking out her quills and arranging them into her hair. Mist righted her clothes as much as she could, took out her little notebook and tucked it into the back of belt.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

‘I’m going to need you later for some paper. Off to meet my first human in Royal Road… even if he is an NPC.’

It made her a little nervous. She had been able to become a different person in Royal Road in large part because of the fantastic element everything happened. But meeting a human inside the game... it kind of changed things.

----------

Tork was cooking his meal, he knew there was a girl hiding behind the tree at his five o’clock. She had been there earlier – but then she had left for a while only to come back just now.

He wasn't sure what to make of the situation. She had come crashing through the forest like a bear on a rampage, smashing and breaking everything in her path. Tork had heard her coming miles away and he had noticed that she had some company.

From the looks of things the two parties hadn’t been in the best of terms. Tork had encountered Jewokees before, they had seemed relatively harmless – until he would hurt anything. Killing animals or burning trees was not something you wanted to do when they were around. At the time he had thought they were interesting creatures and had spent a couple of weeks observing them.

Tork was interested in all kinds of creatures, always curious about their behavior. In his time with the Jewokees he had noticed one of these behaviors pertaining to his music. Whenever he would play his flute they would sit on the trees around him, slightly swaying to the lull of the music. The first time it had happened he had been surprised to see thousands upon thousands of beady eyes blinking at him from the branches above him in the night. After that though, he played to them every night while he followed them around.

He was very good at playing the flute, he had learned it from his great-uncle and practiced diligently – even after the man had passed away. As a child he had wanted to follow into his father footsteps and enroll in the army of Kellamore – until he discovered what he could accomplish through music.

He had always liked wandering in the woods to observe the animals and he would often play his flute while he walked through the trees. He had been twelve when he had learned that he could use the music to entrance the animals. Tork had used the skill efficiently to provide his mother with wild animals. Eventually his traipsing through the woods had made him want to become on of the King’s Hunters, he had enrolled when was 16.

In the following four years he polished his skills and became one of the best hunters in the kingdom.

‘In the Continent probably.’

He added a little smugly to himself.

Tork wasn't necessarily conceited. He just hadn’t met anyone that was stronger than him in a very long time. He was just that good.

So it wasn't at all surprising that he knew of Mist’s location in the bushes. He wondered vaguely at what she must have done to inspire such rage in the Jewokees. It had taken him more than three hours to appease them enough with music so that they would leave. Tork had even resorted to using his flute to drive them away – he usually didn't have to resort to such means as the animals usually became amicable through his music.

He was stirring the pot in which he was making some rabbit stew when the girl decided to come out from behind the tree. Tork sat complacently not showing any sort of reaction to her ‘sudden’ appearance.

She slowly stepped towards him.

She got closer.

And closer.

And closer.

Her steps slowed until she came to a complete standstill 5ft from where Tork sat. When she did stop, he waited another moment.

‘Bet that will get to her…’ He he. He liked using his domineering appearance to scare people when he first met them. Tork thought it was kind of funny – he knew he wasn't threatening, but it was funny to ‘watch them squirm’.

So… he took his time. It was a beautiful night, he might as well enjoy it. The air was crisp an clean, except for the tangy smell coming from his campfire smoke. That smell also had its fair share of memories, pleasant memories. He reminisced at other times he hat sat at campfires just like this one. It cast a glowing bubble of light in the pitch-black-inkiness of the night.

He imagined seeing a speck of light in a sea of darkness. A comfortable darkness, a darkness that he knew well and could navigate in as well as if it had been daylight. Though the forest was not his home, he was at home here. The tall trees that ringed the clearing trapped any gusts of wind that might want to bother him. It was peaceful quiet. All he could hear was the crackling and popping of the fire.

A few sparks worked themselves loose of the fire and rose up into the air. The fallen-dead tree provided an opening that revealed a brilliant starry sky – speckled with light. There were no clouds. No wind could bother him here. He had food… and now company. He was content. So… he took his time.

Tork slowly stirred the soup. Slowly ladled a small scoop of it into a bowl. Slowly added another scoop. And then slowly turned to the girl and slowly held out the bowl for her to grasp.

Tork used that time to study her.

‘She’s an elf!’

He was slightly taken aback by this. One of the reasons he had been this far into the forest was because he had wanted to meet one of the, much talked-about, little known-about Midnight elves. The girl seemed to fit the description. Stark black hair. Pale features. Broad forehead. Pointy ears.

She was tall for a woman, maybe she would reach to his shoulders if he were standing next to her. That usually didn't happen. What he had read about the Midnight elves though had claimed they were usually seven feet tall. He put the thought aside and continued to study her. She was a young little thing he realized.

He stifled a laugh at her expression.

Mist was looking at the bowl that the man had suddenly held out… though ‘suddenly’ might seem like a bit of a stretch for describing the speed with which this guy moved. She looked him straight in the eyes trying to determine what he was planning. From his reaction to her appearance, he had known where she was hidden, probably the entire time. She was wondering about how much else the man might know.

Tork was still suppressing his mirth. The girl was studying him with suspicion/ fear/anger/annoyance/animosity all at once.

‘I didn't know a look could hold that much expression.’

She had a strong look – one that had a big backbone. He respected that in a person. Tork realized she had the most penetrating eyes he had ever seen. They were a deep emerald green and seemed to bore into anything they set their gaze on. He decided he liked the girl – in a brotherly kind of way. She reminded him of his little brother in some ways.

‘That kid also hides a whole different person inside than what it looks like from out here.’

Having finished his assessment of Mist he gave her a big smile that was almost as effective as that of Ty’s and said, “You gunna eat or what?”

Mist jumped a little at his words. Somehow she hadn’t expected something as normal as words as coming out of the intimidating man she saw. She took the bowl without comment.

When she didn't move he added, “Sit down would ya? It makes me uncomfortable to have people towering over me. That’s my job.”

He smirked in a self-depreciating manner.

Mist sat down but continued to hold her tongue.

-“Sooo what brings you to these parts? Business or pleasure?”

‘Is this guy trying to be funny? She considered his question… pleasure? Yeah right. I would rather pull my teeth out than relive this night. I just want to get this over with so I can get back to my books.’

“Business.” She answered curtly.

Tork nodded in understanding. “I see. I see.”

Silence followed while he began eating the bowl he had prepared for himself. Mist saw him eating and decided to chance eating her own food. She was starving – having only been able to eat while running in the last couple of days. The meals had been less than appetizing consisting mostly of smashed fruit, dried fruit and nuts.

It was delicious and she ate voraciously.

Tork finished his own meal before saying, “Well then. Why did you come find me?”

‘Wh… what?! How does he know I was looking for him?!'

He read the thought off her face.

-“It was quite obvious kid. You were smashing through those trees like a galloping hippopotamus…

(A/N: I’m just going to assume they have hippos in Royal Road cuz I like the image of a running hippo. Watch ‘The Gods Must be Crazy’ if you get a chance. You will know what I mean.)

… it was hard not to notice. And well – when you seemed to be coming straight at me, I moved out of your way… you seemed to be on some kind of rampage and I didn't want to stand in your way… but then you changed your direction and were headed towards me again. I did it a couple times… and here we are. You. Me. Together. Eating soup. Funny coincidence huh?”

Tork gave Mist an anticipating look.

‘This guy is actually smart. He just looks like a big bully. But maybe he will be able to help… he seems nice. I’ll just ask him and go from there.’

Mist took a deep breath and proceeded to sort her thoughts. She decided to start from the moment she was being chased by the Jewokees… she could tell him the part about the forest wanting to meet him later.

‘If this guy gets scared and runs away I’m toast. I need to appeal to him… nice and easy…’

“So… there were these demon-wolf-monkeys….

>>> fast-forward on Mist’s slightly embellished retelling of events… >>>

… and that’s why I need your help. To kill whatever it is that amassed the freaky-demon-wolf-monkeys.”

Tork hadn’t said anything during her monologue. He had sat patiently and stoically without giving anything away. Waiting another two minutes before answering, he put away his cooking utensils and packed his belongings. His movements no longer slow. They weren’t hurried, but they were efficient. Soon he was standing at the ready.

He looked at her, giving her one of his best Ty-smiles.

“Well… let’s get going then shall we? We have a hippo path to track.”

Mist gave him an annoyed look as they set off.

‘Hippo path… Oh. I’ll show you a hippo path brother…’

Chapter 5.1

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Special Thanks to StarKin for PRing for me! You da bomb! ----> Like seriously.

Thoughts, comments and suggestions always appreciated. Criticism too!