A hazy memory. It was cold- everything was a cold mixture of remembrance. Resto was... standing somewhere. Somewhere grand and bright- too bright for his liking. A grand man was speaking on a throne, preaching something that Resto blocked out. It was… odd. Was this a memory? A dream? What was he doing last…? Ah, right. The mutant. He remembers the vile creature and how he fought it off… he must have died then.

He thought as a faint voice would echo out to him, slowly repeating the phrase ‘Resto… Resto... Resto...!’ As he turns to his left, he sees a woman clinging to his arm, and right as he goes to respond... he wakes up. A woman was kneeling next to the large bed he was lying on, wiping his face with a rag, as he was profusely sweating. “Resto... if that’s even your name. I can't count on those dimwit dwarfs to give me the right information... I could repeat a false name and- “‘That’s my name.’ Says Resto in a raspy voice, with a slight cough afterward. He looks around seeing where he was, it being the same material and interior of the tavern he was previously in.

‘Where... Am I?’ He’d ask with another raspy voice, looking at the young woman with beautiful brown hair neatly tied up into a bun, dark brown eyes, and overalls. Her face had freckles on it, and she had a beautiful scent to her, which was welcoming after the smells he had had to endure not too long ago. ‘You’re in Oxovine, a small trading and resting village near the coast of Savarix. Uhm… Were in the Wet Rags tavern, the only one here. You see… you’re here because- “‘I know why I'm here… The mutant fucked me up well, good. I... Don’t remember much after slaying the thing. What happened?’ The freckled-faced girl would look shocked, pressing the rag once more on the shirtless man to catch the sweat dripping from him. ‘You don’t remember…? You went into town, dripping blood and guts from your cloak, holding the head of a mutant. You scared off children, made the guards gawk… It was a horrible sight.’

Resto would sigh, looking up at the wooden ceiling and resting his head on a comfy pillow. ‘I don’t remember much of that. The blacksmith got the mutant, right? I can get the goods, right?’ ‘That’s what you worried about? Really? You traumatized children, scared off families... made others clean up guts off the street. And you care about only the free product!?’ Resto meets the brown eyes of the girl, reading her. He could tell she was upset. ‘Well… Yeah. I don’t care much about this town or the people- Should I be feeling regret for showing some youngers some blood? It'll help them become a man much faster.’

The girl stands up, burrowing her brow beneath her angry expression. ‘I can’t believe you- I'm glad you're getting punished tomorrow. I must go- don’t move until the morning. If you do, your wounds will open. Then you'll be spilling your guts, not just the mutants.’ ‘But I must go to Eator-‘‘No. I'm a doctor; you listen to me if you value your life and body. You leave here first thing in the morning… I'll be going.’

The woman would leave the room, the wooden door shutting rather loudly. Resto looks at his stomach; bandages are being placed to stop the bleeding, claw marks are present, and a visible wound is placed just above his belly button. It could've ended way worse for him if he hadn’t moved the creature's arm from it. He shakingly lifts his arm, touching the claw marks left around his left eye, feeling dry blood around the marks. With a heavy sigh, he looks towards the window near the left of the small tavern room, seeing the stars and night sky stare at him. He closes his eyes, rests his buzzed head on the soft pillow of the bed... and falls into a deep slumber.

A morning rooster would cry out. Resto's eyes shoot open, almost looking like the mutant for a second. He rubs them, accidentally rubbing the scar near his left eye, wincing in pain for a moment as his whole face burns. Sweeping the covers off him, he slowly maneuvers his body to the edge of the bed, legs now dangling. With careful steps, he slowly lifts himself off the bed- his legs giving out as he falls slightly, shoulder pressing against the hard wooden walls.

Grabbing his stomach, he walks over to the wardrobe, putting on a cotton shirt and black leather pants and lacing his boots back to his bare feet. Looking around, he couldn’t see his cloak or his new axe anywhere, though he figured it was most likely with the blacksmith. With careful steps and the occasional creak of the wooden floorboards, he makes his way down the stairs and down into the main hub of the tavern, seeing festive men dancing and drinking per usual. Looking towards where he knocked out Cloddy, he saw the unconscious dwarf was no longer there. Walking over to the tavern-keeper, he leans on the counter to rest his stomach for a moment.

“Deer Fish, please. Just one plate.” The human would say, reaching into his pockets, pulling out the rest of his copper coins, and scattering them on the counter. The dwarf innkeeper, meeting the man's eyes with a groggy look, turns around and yells out to the workers in the back. ‘ONE DEER FISH! Hurry, lads, I don’t have all day!’ The innkeeper yells. Resto, wobbling over to an empty seat near the back of the cavern, takes a seat as he continues to hold his stomach. After about five minutes, a dwarf would waddle towards Resto, setting down a hot plate with a delicious meal right in front of him on the table. The man would waste no time digging to destroy the horned fish with his mouth, and after about three minutes, the entire plate was empty.

Resto would stand, push the chair in, and would walk over to the tavern's exit. Pushing the wooden door forward, the sun's light hits his dormant face, his hand instinctively being placed above his eye to block out the light. After his eyes are used to the change of pace, he looks forward- only to find around ten guards huddling around him, carrying spears and swords, and in front of them all was a very familiar dwarf, crossing his arms with an angry expression on his small face.

“Resto! My dear friend… You didn’t think you could just walk off without any consequences now, did you?’ Resto clears his throat, a sad sigh escaping his breath as he fiddles with the belt tied to his leather pants. ‘I did, actually.’ He says honestly, the dwarf uncrossing his arms and huffing to himself. ‘Well, you thought the wrong thing, lad! Knocking me out in front of everyone, stealing my precious copper... even spending some- You fucked up lad. You not only ruined my integrity as a man but committed a crime!’ Cloddy would say, enraged to the fullest. ‘Well... Sorry, I ruined your manhood- but I got places to be. Now move- ‘Resto would walk forward, but before he could even take three steps, three guards rushed in and tackled him to the ground. Resto collides with the concrete, coughing a bit of blood as he does. ‘Watch the stomach!’ He belts out as the guards forcefully stand him up, holding his arms behind his back as the dwarf shakes his head.

‘You are to spend a day in the village jail, lad. If it were up to me, I would have had you there for a month, but your time was reduced since you killed a monster for the village. You can thank Mayhise, the blacksmith, for that. The guards would grab Resto's arms tighter, forcefully moving him toward the direction of a bunker near the front of the village. He descends the steps, the area becoming darker, as they throw the man into a cell, slamming the iron bars and locking it. Once the guards leave, Resto lies on the dirt underneath him, looking up at the jail ceiling.

The cell's iron bars were rusty, the walls and floor were concrete, and the floor had some grime and dust on it. There were no windows, the only light source being dim candles outside of the jail cells. Each cell was connected, being able to see into the cell to your right and left, with iron bars separating each cell. Resto would get up, leaning against the cell's iron bars to his left, another sigh escaping his lips. He closes his eyes to rest before he hears a voice from the cell behind him, the one he was leaning on. “Psst, human.” A raspy voice calls out. Resto opens one eye, shifting his body to the side and looking left to the cell, only to see what appeared to be a mutant- though it was different from the one he slayed the other day.

Its flesh had skin attached to it, and its eyes were bloodshot and open, though it had some specks of black hair and a full-grown beard right below its chin. And it could speak- which the primal one that Resto killed in the cave could not. ‘Human. I'm speaking to you.’ ‘And I’m listening.’ Said Resto, his hand tracing his stomach as he checked for any reopened wounds, luckily there were none. ‘Who are you? Why are you here?’ The mutant-looking thing mutters; its voice was odd- like it was talking through an instrument or like his voice was forcefully being pushed out. ‘I could ask you the same. Actually- what are you? You look like a mutant, though… the one I met was a bit angrier.’

The mutant-looking thing looked offended for a moment as it repositioned its body to face Resto once more- Its hands and feet were a mutated mix between a human and a mutant, having some claws and some human fingers. It had nothing but a pair of flimsy underwear on, covering its special places. ‘I’m a Half-Mutant. A mutant who was cured back into a human- or, well… we both know that’s not entirely true.’ Resto raised a brow, his eyes traveling the disgusting thing once more. Though even he knew this was much more than just a “thing” it could talk and talk very well at that. ‘Back into a human? Explain. I'm new to these lands, after all.’ ‘You don’t know? Mutants were once humans- who were either cursed or turned into mutants by a vile spell, usually from a sorcerer or sorceress.’

Resto's face showed expression again, reflecting on what happened the day before with this new information. A mutant was once a human…? Then that thing he slayed was once human… Resto began to feel bad, but only for a moment. It tried to kill him after all - he made the right choice by murdering it. Though thinking back on it, he knew something was up. That expression, those screams and cries- were too human-like. Even if that mutant was vile and hungry, the human it once was somewhere inside it, buried deep within the flesh of the monster. The half-mutant in front of Resto had the same expression- its eyes telling a million tales. ‘Then that means you were a human once? Can you walk me through what happened? How did you end up like this?’

The mutant looked down to its half-clawed feet, squishing his toes lightly on the dirt that existed on the concrete. With a bit of hesitation, he opened his vile jaw to speak. “My name was once Vanguard Bolten The III. I was a rather famous poet who wrote all kinds of fairy tales, false journeys, and the like. Though I wanted more- I wished to expand my world views as much as possible, and I wanted to write my Magnus opus- my masterpiece. I traveled the world and wrote all kinds of tales from my own two eyes- from my own experience. Are you listening, human?’

The half-mutant looked up, only to see Resto staring down, listening and thinking. ‘I am.’ said Resto, caressing his chin slightly. ‘Ah- ‘The half-mutant gulped. ‘Then I shall continue. While roaming the kingdom of Savarix, I came across the royal family of Savarix- the Northmen, as the people call them. There I met King Druid, the dwarven king, and his wife, Rosetta. I introduced myself as a poet who wished to know more about the land and the people here in Savarix. I also met the king and queen's daughter, Roset. She was gorgeous- a beautiful young girl who, at the time, had no lover. She was sent to an ancient temple called the Temple of Cilla. Built by the creator of Hyria- every kingdom has one. not far from this village. Every daughter or son of the king in Savarix goes to said temple, to undergo a ritual, to become a prince or a princess. Are you still listening, human?’ ‘I am.’ said Resto, listening intently, his arms crossed. ‘Go on.’

‘…As you wish. As a poet and wanting more information, I snuck off into the temple while the young girl was performing her ritual. Though... I went in at a bad time, and I was cursed as soon as I entered. When I awoke... I turned into this.’ The half-mutant eyes were darting off, and his face began to sweat as water dripped from his right eye, as if he was tearing up. Something wasn't right- and Resto knew it as well.

Squinting his eyes, Resto followed the half-mutant's movements carefully before he spoke up. ‘No.’ said Resto, calculating his next words. ‘You're lying to me. I can tell- everything you're doing tells me so. Tell the truth- why were you turned into this?’ The half-mutant's eyes widened very much. As if they weren’t already wide enough, he stops in his tracks, fiddling his deformed hands together, and gulps- A gulp so loud it echoes through the jail. The half-mutant avoids eye contact, licking its lips as the silence fills the air. However, the human's gaze doesn’t divert from the creature as he continues to stare. Finally, the half-mutant would wipe its forehead, opening its lips to speak. ‘Yes, it's true, I was telling a lie. I will not lie like that again… The real reason I was cursed was-‘“Go on.’ Spoke Resto, interrupting him for no apparent reason, as if he knew what the half-mutant would say next.

‘Y-…yes... The real reason I was cursed… I-…. I…Raped the girl. I raped the girl…!’ The half-mutant said twice, as if in disbelief. His voice raised as he smacked his head against the iron bars, a loud clanging sound being made as he did. Tears began to pour out of the creature’s eyes rapidly.

Resto stares at him- no, it, as it cries like a bitch. He sighs once more. ‘And why did you do it?’ The creature would lower its head as if cowering to Resto. ‘I… I wanted more. I wanted royalty status- I wanted to be rich, wanted to be popular- wanted fame and riches. And... that girl... her young, innocent virgin body was… perfect- ‘‘Shut up.’ Spoke Resto, the stare becoming a glare as his lips quivered slightly. ‘Continue, freak. You haven’t told me how you turned into this form yet.’ ‘Y-yes... After I did what I did, I felt a blunder- as if I was struck with lightning, a force melted by the skin and appearance away… and when I awoke, I turned into this… The almighty creator himself cursed me… And when a sorcerer attempted to cure me, the spell was so strong he only got halfway and died in the process.’ Resto glared even harder, spitting through the iron bars that separated the two, the spit hitting the foot of the creature.

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‘You disgust me. You ruined a young girl's life… for what? Fame? Riches? Greed? And afterward, you got what you deserved and became the monster you truly are. I'm surprised the king didn’t have you executed.’ ‘He threw me in here to rot. He told me death was an easy way out for someone like me.’ ‘And he’d be right. Tell me, do you regret what you have done? I mean, just look at you. Hideous, filthy, forced to forever rot in here- ‘‘I do.’ Said the half-mutant, looking up at Resto, eyes red from the tears pouring out of his sorry face. He snorts, a hideous snort, as he cries out more. ‘I do… I DOOOOOO!! I fucked up and got what I deserved; I’ve repented and recognized my sin... PLEASE!!! ALMIGHTY CREATOR OF HYRIA, SPARE A FREAK LIKE ME; LET MY SOUL BE PASSED ON, ON INTO STARLIGHT!!’

As the half-mutant screamed those words, Resto stared at him. Starlight… those words echoed through his mind once more. Something was there… memories, visions he couldn’t reach as if they were locked away. Resto questioned who he was… what he was. Where has he been? What has he been doing? A man like him in his late twenties, waking up with no memory… No, now wasn't the time for an existential crisis. He stares at the sobbing, regretful man with somehow more disgust than he already had for him. ‘Starlight- ‘Resto stops, finding the words. ‘A place free of war, filled with infinite happiness, free of dispute and regret… has no room for a heathen like you.’

Resto says coldly, his gaze piercing the half-mutant as it falls on its side, creating a puddle of tears. ‘No… No… Please- I can be forgiven! – ‘‘I’m going to Starlight.’ Said Resto, staring at the pathetic creature. ‘I’m going to Starlight… and I will not see you when I'm there. You’ll rot in this shit hole, and every day, you will wake up feeling regret for what you did. Forced to look at your hideous self, a reminder of what you did and why you will never know freedom.’

Perhaps he was too cold for the half-mutant, Resto thought. Then again, he couldn’t tolerate freaks like him, someone who preys on young girls, someone who is okay to ruin one's life for some greed. He didn’t know if Starlight, or the almighty creator of Hyria, would accept this creature, though he knew one thing: He could not. As the creature cries out on the cold floor of its cell, Resto lays down on the wall on his own, drowning it out as he closes his eyes, deciding to rest for the day. And tomorrow, he must get a move on- To Eatoruun. And one step closer to Starlight.

“King Geoffry.” A knight in clad armor would bow diligently, his armor clanking as his body fell to one knee. The large palace lights reflect off the shiny man’s armor, as a man with a long, grey beard sits on his throne, made of the finest riches Hryria has to offer. A crimson crown was placed upon his head, sitting atop the man’s wrinkly face and long, greyish hair.

He glares down at the Knight in clad armor. ‘General Lumir. What are you coming for? You interrupted my dinner for this notice.’ The king's voice was deep, and from one word the man spoke, you could tell he’d been through some terrific tales. ‘Well sir, you see…’ ‘Spit it out Lumir. I do not have all day.’ ‘Y-yes sire… It’s about the war. Elves have been spotted assisting dwarven warriors near the border of Boris, and the battle of Gathe…’ ‘Out with-it Lumir!’ ‘Y-yes… we’ve lost custody of the city, sir. Innocent lives burned and beheaded, and many of our men are currently held captive as slaves… we have more soldiers on the way- 'Withdraw them immediately.’ Said the king, his gaze fixated on the large golden doors at the entrance of his castle.

A man in a fully golden armor set and blonde hair, with a smug resting face, seated next to the king, turned his head to the grey-haired man, looking rather confused. “But father, Gathe is one of our biggest trading cities in Boris. Are you sure we can just sit around and watch as they take our men, our women, and especially our city?’ ‘I cannot, dear Winston. But I cannot overlook our disadvantages. If what Lumir says is true, those pointy-eared freaks decided to join the midgets. We are still winning this war, despite this, but sending more men to be ambushed and murdered would take a toll on this kingdom. Plus, the coin. As the word spreads about the war, men begin to value their lives more and more. Taking their woman and families to Azef where they can be safe. We cannot have that.’

The king would growl to himself, looking down at Lumir with squinted eyes. ‘Lumir! Ride out into Arkfast and look for strong, capable… No, any young men and strip them of their homes. Say it’s for the greater good. Afterward, stick them in camps and teach them the way of a knight. We need more power.’ Lumir would nod, his clad helmet clanking with each head thrust. ‘At once, your majesty. Permission to stand, sir?’ ‘Permission granted.’ The king would say with a commanding voice, as the general stood, his helmet still facing down. ‘Permission to leave the palace, sire?’ ‘Permission granted.’ The general would turn on his heel, walking off and through the large golden doors of the palace.

Like a metal pole, three loud bangs fell and smacked the iron bars countless times. Resto’s eyes slowly lifted upwards, as he saw two guards outside his cell, unlocking it and then opening it. Resto yawns, standing as he slowly begins to walk out of the jail cell, when suddenly, he hears a faint voice call out to him from behind. “Wait, don’t go human… I haven’t had anyone to talk to in years.” Said the half-mutant, an expression of sorrow and defeat, as he stared at Resto. Without looking back, Resto would speak loud enough so that the half-mutant could hear him. ‘And I hope it stays that way, scum.’ And with that, the guards move to the side, letting the human pass and walk up the stairs, leaving the bunker jail and once again seeing freedom.

The village, bustling with people, would give soft stares to the man, who was currently walking towards the blacksmith's shop. Most likely for what happened two days ago. Kids strolled around the village, dwarfs carrying logs from expeditions to the nearby swamps, it was a peaceful town. Resto hasn't seen much of any other races lately, the only non-dwarf he’s seen was the woman from the tavern room, who was a human just like him. The man would push the door open, entering the blacksmith's shop once more, though this time not dripping blood and guts all over the place.

‘Mayhise!’ says Resto, hoping that’s the blacksmith's name. Cloddy said so earlier. ‘Resto! How’d you know my name lad? Humans sure are weird. Come for the items?’ ‘Sure did. The axe I used earlier, an iron shield shaped like a cress, and chainmail armor. I'm hoping you have all of it.’ ‘Of course I do! My favor to you after all.’ Mayhise would walk over, grabbing the axe- visibly cleaned off as previously mutant blood was all over it. He uses a tall wooden stool to grab the shield and the chainmail armor, stepping off and setting all three items down on the large table separating the two. Resto grabs the axe, putting it on his hip, connecting it to his large belt. He grabs the shield, strapping it to his back, and puts the chainmail armor over his cotton shirt. ‘You know Mayhise, you're being very nice to someone who traumatized the town, spilled blood in your shop, and caused havoc.’ The dwarf would fiddle with his small hands, laughing. His beard rises slightly as he does.

‘Well, you killed the mutant. I promised the product if you did. Now I can finally get more materials again! That is until a new one comes along.’ Resto nods his head, halfway turning to leave, but as he does, he turns back to the dwarf, leaning his palms on the table and looking down. ‘One more thing. Before I set off… I’d like a map, if possible. Maybe a map of Hyria?’ The human asks. The dwarf nods and walks back into the shop, opening a chest as he clutters through different nooks and crannies. ‘Well… Can’t say I have a world map, but I certainly have a map of Savarix.’ ‘Mayhise would say, pulling out a dusted, brown map that was rolled up. He lays it out on the table, unrolls it, and reveals the kingdom of Savarix in its entirety.

The kingdom was smaller than Resto thought it would be. It was shaped like a large, upside-down L shape. The map had every major city labeled on it, including small villages such as Eatoruun and Oxovine. The dwarf would use a feather and ink to draw some things on the map, standing on a stool to tower over the table. ‘There exist three major cities here in Savarix. Fruomouth, Cilla, and Gadolinium.’ Using the feather, he circles where each city is. Fruomouth was the furthest away, near the slant on the upside L-shaped kingdom. It was surrounded by water, and near it, was a large wall-like structure that took the rest of the slants space up.

Cilla was around the middle, taking up much of the kingdom. Mountains surrounded it, and many different small villages, all connecting to one road which led down to the slant. Lastly was Gadolinium, which was further down the road towards the slant, off to the right side, surrounded by forests and woods. The dwarf brings the feather up, near the very top of the Kingdom- and in the top right corner, would circle a small village. It was Oxovine.

‘Here we are.’ Said Mayhise, going east and connecting a line to another small village near Oxovine. It being Eatoruun. ‘Big place, huh lad? Would you believe me if I told ya that Savarix is the smallest of the four kingdoms?’ Resto looked at the map with intent, then across to Mayhise, with a small smile on his face. ‘No, I wouldn’t.’ He says, looking down on the map and placing his finger on Oxovine. ‘The nearest city isn’t even close to here. Are you sure you don’t have a world map? Where is every kingdom?’ The dwarf shook his head, pointing to the map of Savarix again. ‘Lad, if I did, I would give it to ya. The preachers up in Eatoruun may have one, but a humble blacksmith living in a small village off the coast of Savarix? Never owned one in my life. Lived in Savarix my entire life, so I don’t care much about the other kingdoms.’ Mayhise would step down from the stool, handing the map to Resto, who would take it and pocket it in his belt. ‘I appreciate the help, Mayhise. This should get me going.’

The man looks to Mayhise again, opening his lips to ask another question. ‘I like this town, Mayhise. Even If they through me in the jail below, will I be able to return to it?’ Resto would ask, waiting for a reply. ‘Well, if it was up to me, I’d surely allow you to. But with the stealing and the traumatizing images you engraved into the poor lads… Well, I wouldn’t count on it.’ ‘Resto would sigh. ‘Damn. A shame, really. That human lady was quite the looker.’ ‘Human lady…? Lad, no humans here in Oxovine. Especially not a fine lady. If there were, the men coming home from the war would already have their share.’ The human would look very puzzled. No human lady…?

Then who was the woman who helped him? He could've sworn a human nursed him back to good health. ‘Then… Then who was the ‘‘Lad? You must've hit ya head down on the way to the jail cell. No human other than you exist here.’ Resto sighed and thought, then turned around to leave, but just as he did, Mayhise would shout again. ‘Wait, lad! You must tell me, where do you plan to go after Eatoruun?’ Resto stares at the door to the shop, thinking hard and long about that question. ‘…I don’t know. Go wherever fate takes me, I guess.’ And with heavy footsteps, he left the shop.

Leaving Oxovine, he would turn his head again to see the village where he spent three days. He felt… something. Despite all that happened here, he couldn’t quite make out his feelings for the place, though it surprisingly wasn't disdain or hatred. But at the same time, it wasn't something he would look too fondly of- it was but a distant memory already. A place he couldn’t see himself going back to anytime soon. For now, he had to focus on one goal: his journey to Eatoruun. Carefully pulling out the map he recently obtained, he looked at the line that Mayhise drew, seeing Oxovine connecting to Eatoruun from the black line of the ink. It wasn't far- maybe a day’s worth of journey to make it. The problem was that the road east stopped right before a large swamp- the swamp being a wall between the two villages. If he reached Eatoruun, he would have to cross the swamp. Making sure he had all his equipment, he left the small gate of Oxovine, and headed off.

As he walked, he followed the road down to every detail, the occasional signpost pointing to new locations that he mostly ignored. West of Oxovine appeared to be a large beach, which would make sense as Oxovine was apparently sitting at the top left of the kingdom, which would be the coast of Savarix. He, however, was going east and stopping once he arrived at Eatoruun. Further east was the top right of Savarix, which most likely had more beaches and water around it and plenty more villages. Unfortunately, he only had the map of Savarix and not a map of Syria. Currently, Resto didn’t know where Savarix was next to all the other kingdoms and still had no clue where he had to go to reach starlight, so he traveled to Eatoruun. After around six hours of continuous walking, taking stops to eat and drink, and such, he reached the final signpost pointing east with two signs up.

One was pointing toward a large swamp in the distance, and the words on the post read out, “Ah’mu Swamp.” The other, pointing the same way, read the words “Eatoruun.” Looking at the faded bold letters on the signpost, Resto looked ahead toward the swamp, then looked to the side, seeing a small green hill with enough room at the top so that he could camp on it for the night. ‘Eatoruun must be across the swamp… Will be a long day.’ He mutters to himself as he looks behind him, seeing the sun begin to set and the sky making a beautiful yellowish-gold color. Resto would sigh, moving near a nearby tree and using his axe to chop some pieces off, using said pieces to start a fire once he arrived at the green hill.

That night… Was peaceful. The night sky was brimming with bright stars, which reflected neatly off the silver complexion of his crescent shield. Resto was staring up at the starry-eyed sky, his arms under his head, and the sounds of the fire he made cackled as if it was staring up at him, telling Resto a tale. He closed his eyes. A question lingering through his mind still… Who was he? Would he ever find out?

He thought as the back of his eyelids began to take control, his mind putting loose colors and images of the day’s prior in his vision. He tried to recall. Recall everything, from buying the goods to meeting the Half-Mutant to slaying the mutant in the cave and being fixed up by the human woman. Yet… That’s where it all ended. It all started in that cave… with the water dripping on his face. He tries to scroll back, even to get a faint glimpse of who he was before waking up in the cave. Yet… It was a barrier.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember anything. His mind raced again, jumping between question after question. Who was that human woman? Apparently, according to Mayhise, she never existed. Then… Why was she there? It angered Resto not knowing. And… Starlight. Why was he so fixated on it? He had so many questions yet such little answers. After thinking about everything for a while, he dozed off, the fireplace cackling again as the dust of embers flew out into the wind, dissipating in the sky of the land known as Hyria… Resto slept well that night.