His shoes squished as murky water splashed upwards, maybe too much splashed as some managed to grasp Resto’s tongue. Immediately, he recoils, spitting out the salty, murky concoction that just entered his mouth. It tasted less like water and more like the dung of a nearby animal or, for better or for worse, the piss of a large creature. The swamp, having the title of “Swamp Ah,mu”, was significant in size and scope. Trees the size of castles, lily paddies the size of queen-sized beds, and water that reached your ankles as you moved through it. The ambient sounds of cicadas talking to one another, most likely commenting on how stupid and lost Resto looked as he navigates the high-tipped swamp lands.
Map in hand; he raises it so it doesn’t get splashed by water or doesn’t get wet; seeing the large swamp separating the two villages and the road before it, he squints, trying to see if he could make out a clear way; he had to go to reach Eatoruun. He could not. So, he decides to simply use his instinct and continue to go east, hoping the swampy nightmare will end soon. After a couple of hours of walking, and after the sun had already set and said good morning to the world of Hyria, Resto would still be walking. Seeing a large gap between two trees in the near distance, hoping that was his answer to a long, muddy problem.
As he walks, he hears a noise—different from any other he has heard so far. It feels bigger and closer, and before he knows it, it is rapidly approaching. Coming from his right, something is moving in the water, and right as Resto goes to act, something grabs his right leg with enough force to sweep Resto into the water, dragging him through the swamp like a ragdoll. Back skiing in the murky, green swamp water, Resto would pull his axe out with difficulty and slam the sharp end down on the thing holding his leg. Letting out a few loud grunts as he hit sharp sticks and rocks while being dragged, he eventually severed the thing, holding onto his leg and tumbling through the water as he cut through it.
Holding his now hurt back, he walks over to what was dragging him, pulling out a large, green tendril- it was still moving, as if still alive. It was gooey; his hand quickly stuck to the weird green thing many times. It was shaped like an arm with no fingers… Resto would throw it deeper into the swamp, looking left towards where he was being dragged. Before Resto could turn around, he felt something vastly approaching- dodging to the right as a spinning shell appeared out of the water, spinning in the air before it fell back in, disappearing again. The shell was green and large, more prominent than the shield Resto carried.
Despite this, Resto pulled out the crescent shield- only to immediately feel a rough force hit the back of his legs, forcing his knees to fall back into the murky waters. The force was fast, sharp, and hurt like hell, Resto assuming it was the shell he had just seen. Figuring that he was at a disadvantage while in the water, he sees a large tree stump nearby, floating in the swamp water. He hurries over, the shell of the giant creature cutting through his chainmail effortlessly. Once Resto reached the stump, he saw the creature dip back into the water.
It carried a considerable shell on its back; its head was green and slimy. Their eyes were vertical, with black dots in each one, and their arms and legs looked just like the thing that grabbed him a moment ago. It was almost as if a snail and a turtle combined, but it was way more extensive and deadly. Resto knew it was coming from the direction he was looking at, and he knew his axe couldn’t harm the hard shell. So, he dropped the axe and shield, and right as the shell sprouted out of the water and spun towards Resto, who was on the tree stump, he caught it.
“GR----GRAHHHHHH!!!” the man screamed out. His voice echoed throughout the swamp as he grabbed the shell with two hands, controlling the fast spinning, slamming it down with a colossal thud over the stump, turning its shell upside down. Panting quickly, he grabbed the creature again, reaching into the shell and pulling on whatever was there. He grabbed one of its large, vertical eyes and pulled until he ripped it clean off the creature. Green fluids splattered over the log, resto, and the murky waters below as the creature screamed out, spinning again as it fell into the water, leaving for good.
The man would spit the green fluids out, leaving a horrible taste in his mouth. Armor and clothes now soaked with murky swamp water and the supposed blood of whatever that was, he decides to get a move on despite the hurting back and stomach that hadn't quite healed. After about an hour, he reached the two large trees with the gap in them, seeing an opening and a large, green field. He couldn’t tell if he was lucky that another swamp creature didn't attack him or if they watched Resto manhandle the one that attacked him. But either way, he was glad he was finally out of the swamp.
Closer to midday now, Resto stands in a long, grassy field right outside the swamp. Looking at the map, he follows the tall grass until he comes across a slope: A hill leading downwards to a large village, much bigger than Oxovine. Resto stared at the map, then the village, and smiled softly. ‘Eatoruun-!’ Mumbled the man excitedly, pocketing the man on his belt as he made his way down the hill. Across the village was more forest and a road that most likely led down to Savarix, closer to the first city, Ciila. As Resto approached, he would raise a brow, seeing an odd form of introduction to a village. A large, closed gate was placed, stopping anyone from entering.
On the gate were little eye holes and a small box-like opening underneath it, small enough to fit a hand or foot. A large sign-off to the side reads, “Knock three times for entrance fee.” Resto shrugs, knocking in rhythm three times. After about a minute, the small box would open, and a pair of green eyes would peer at the man through the eye holes. ‘Greetings, traveler. Please pay the entrance fee if you wish to enter our humble home of Eatoruun.’ The downright robotic voice would say. Resto stands awkwardly before fiddling with his belt and pulls out a pouch full of silver and copper coins he received from Mayhise. The person on the other end doesn’t take it. ‘Wrong payment, traveler. You must pay with your blood.’
“My what?” Resto says almost instantly as the person on the other end giggles. ‘Did I stutter? Please place your hand in the opening. Do not wince. It will only be for just a moment.’ The voice says. Resto grabs the pouch of money and clings it to his bet again, staring at the opening with unease. He thinks for a moment. Why would they need his blood…? He was told this place was weird and overly religious, so he thinks that could be the case. No matter what, though- he had to reach starlight, which was one of the only ways he could get more information. So, with a deep breath, he gently places his hand in the square opening, and almost instantly- he feels a sharp burning sensation dwell over his left hand.
He shakes it, trying to fight the pain off, then realizes that it has been cut. And deep, too. That, paired with the two broken fingers- his left hand was destroyed. The person on the other side of the gate would wipe down the blood, wrapping it with a powerful cloth that stopped the bleeding and pain only seconds after the cut had been inflicted. ‘There, good as new.’ The voice said, and the gates slowly opened; two men in large, church-like clothes pushed it open, revealing the city in all its glory.
It was beautiful. Flowers were in front of every house and building. Every house was clean and had an amazing golden complexion and color. Children were playing in the street, pretending they were kings and queens as they gave commands to each other. Adults picked flowers and left shops with goods they could use back home. Everyone had a smile on their face and moved accordingly and in even flow. Resto looked at the person who cut him, seeing a cloaked, bald man with a pale face and green eyes. The man was old, having a wrinkly face. He was tall, taller than Resto by quite a bit, and his nails were long. The man smiled when he noticed Resto staring at him.
“Ah, excuse my manners, traveler. My name is Archen, Minister of the Eatoruun church.’ To begin with, he gave a respectful bow to Resto, who didn’t like all this formality. Resto would stare at the man, nodding very slowly. ‘And I’m Resto… professional dream chaser and traveler.’ He mocked the man quite a bit, but he didn’t seem to catch on. ‘How wonderful! Professional dream chaser, you say? What a wonderful outlook on life to have. If I may know, what dream are you chasing?’ The older minister asks, standing straight and looking at Resto, who pondered the question greatly. ‘Starlight.’ He says in one smooth go, looking deep into the eyes of the tall man, showing that he wasn’t kidding. ‘Ah, starlight. the land of no war, infinite happiness, and prosperity. Yes, I know of it.’ Said the reverend, nodding quite quickly. ‘Resto, dear guest, please come to the church near the back of the village tonight. I think you’d like tonight’s showing.’ Resto would squint. ‘I’m not the religious type- ‘‘Please.’ Said the bald man, his voice becoming quite desperate. ‘In exchange, I shall give you information. Which I know you want. ‘
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Resto raised his eyebrows. How did he know he came for information? The older gentleman bows and then walks off, deeper into the village and out of sight. Resto stands there quite confused but knows he cannot dwell on it for long. Adjusting his belt, he walked deeper into the village, seeing the flowers lined up throughout and the marketplace near the front bustling with people. Weirdly enough, almost everyone had green eyes and had the body shape and appearance of humans. An all-human village living in Savarix? It struck the man quite odd. While walking, his boots slap against the stone ground as he looks around, checking out the shops and people.
To his right, he sees a little alleyway, small enough only to fit one person. Said person is in the alleyway. He was shirtless, had white hair, and was shivering- his body was skinny as if you could see his bones right through the meat. When the man notices Resto starting to stare, he stops shivering and flashes a quick, generated, yet happy smile. Then, would wave to him. ‘Greetings!’ Is all he says. Resto stares at the shirtless man before turning and continuing his walk. Right when Resto leaves, the man's smile fades, and he shivers again.
“Keef Flower Inn” Was the label on the large building, a flimsy sign hanging off the entrance. Resto was looking for a tavern, hoping he could get a bite to eat or something to drink. Though no tavern was spotted, only this inn. So, Resto opens the fancy door, and with a cling, the bell beeps, signaling someone walked in. To the right of the entrance was a counter decorated neatly with flowers and other fancy little trinkets. The person sitting next to the counter was beautiful. She had long, pure white hair, pale skin, crimson red eyes, and long, pointy ears. Resto stopped before the door, staring in awe at the woman who seemed only a few years older than him. After about a minute, a voice rang in his head. ‘Sir? Sir! Can I help you?’ The pale-faced girl would ask, snapping Resto out of his trance.
The man cleared his throat, his hand moving to his pants, fiddling with a corner as he found the right words. ‘Y-yes. Sorry about that.’ The woman would nod, softly smiling as he puts on her usual innkeeper look and tone. ‘Welcome to the Keef Flower Inn. Would you like- GOOD ALMIGHTY! ‘She stops suddenly, her eyes traveling around the man as she sees the various cuts, gashes, scars, and other injuries Resto had on him. She immediately turns around, leaving the counter and coming to the other side to where Resto stood, touching his body with her soft hands. She was around the same height as the man, which was impressive as women tend to be shorter.
“Wh-what are you…” Resto’s face flushed slightly, getting started. The woman would continue to touch his body, lifting his hand, looking at his stomach, and lifting the shirt underneath the chainmail. After careful inspection, she would nod. ‘What happened to you!? You look as if you were stabbed, gashed, thrown, slashed, bitten...’ Resto would lower his shirt, which the woman raised. ‘That’s because I was.’ He says it rather straightforwardly. ‘It’s… Been a rough time these last couple of days. I- ‘‘Save the details for later. And follow me- I need to get you fixed up immediately.’ The woman grabs Resto’s arm, pulling him with surprising strength as the two leave the inn, flipping the sign to “Closed”.
“Walk me through each and every single wound.” Said the pointy-eared lady, forcefully taking Resto’s shirt off and wetting multiple rags and towels with ice-cold water. ‘Hold on- I just met you and am already shirtless in your room? Elves are easier to persuade than I originally thought.’ Said Resto, with a sly smirk as he began to wrap a wet towel around his stomach, wincing slightly as the water contacted the wound. The elf would blush, her pale face not hiding the redness on her cheeks as she turned her head away, so he didn’t see. ‘Ugh- Humans are so perverted. Is that all you think about? Sex, Power, Money? How good a woman would look in a tight dress?’ asked the elf, standing and walking over to her drawer, where she pulled a shelf out and grabbed three tubes. Two were purple, and one was a yellow and green mixture, giving off a horrible smell.
‘I do think about that a lot, actually.’ He would admit, looking curiously at the tubes she would pull out. ‘But not all the time. I have more important things to think about right now. That being your name… Not every time you see an elf in the kingdom of Savarix.’ The elven woman turns around, meeting eyes with the shirtless man sitting on a soft bed, looking up at her. Behind her was the door, left open and accessible to the other rooms in her home. “My name is Heaim. In Elven, the name means ‘A beautiful star set to shine above the others…’ Stay seated, lean your head back, and open your mouth. Don’t manually swallow; just let it pass naturally down the throat.’ Resto smirked. ‘Woah.’ He couldn’t help himself, smirking more as he leaned his head back, opening his mouth wide. Heaim scoffs, shakes her head, and pours both purple elixirs into his mouth, Resto doing as he's told and letting the liquid pass. Lastly, she opens the green and yellow mixture, quickly dumping it into his mouth. Resto grabs the bed sheets with his non-injured hand, enduring the taste and smell, letting it slowly go down his throat. It was chunky.
After consuming it all, he swings his head back down, wiping his mouth with his large forearm, grimacing at the taste still in his mouth. “What in hyria was- “‘Regenerative elixir.’ She responds quickly, putting the empty glass tubes atop the dresser and closing the drawer she previously opened. ‘Elixer?’ he asks, a curious look on his face. ‘Yes, an elixir. A potion combined with another potion.’ She would begin to pace the room, looking at Resto’s wounds and any cuts or gashes that he had on his body. ‘Mind explaining a little more?’ Resto asks, curious as to what an elixir was. The elven woman would gawk for a moment. ‘You don’t know? Okay then… Well, Elixers are two potions that are mixed. Potions are usually used as weapons. A poison potion coming from Nightmare Fern, commonly found in the hollow forest of Brimgind. An explosive potion originating from Snettle, a common plant found anywhere in Azef, and so on. Potions were and are still used in many wars and are a horrible weapon.’ She stops, gathering her words.
‘Sorcerers and sorceresses in Azef created them, used them against the first settlers in Azef to drive them away and take that land for their own. Elixirs… They are much different. Elixirs were created by elves long ago, and they use the deadly potions of ones with magic to turn them into good.’ ‘Explain.’ Said Resto, interested to hear this story. ‘Well, it’s nothing that interesting. It’s as simple as two negatives make a positive- you mix two poison potions, and you create an elixir that cures poison. You mix two potions that deal with pain over time and generate a painkiller elixir. I gave you three potions just now: two painkiller elixirs and one regenerative elixir. Those wounds weren’t healing anytime soon- with the regenerative elixir, they should close much faster. Though, it depends on the wound...’ Resto looked astonished, not knowing such advancements existed here in Hyria. Potions that could kill you and elixirs that could cure you. He was already confused. ‘Enough about that. Explain each wound and how you got them. I should be able to determine how long it’ll take to heal up.
“Well… Let’s see- Stomach and left eye came from a mutant in a cave near Oxovine.-“ Before he could continue, she butted in. ‘Oxovine? That small place west of here? What was a mutant doing near the coast of Savarix?’ She asked Resto, giving a soft shrug. ‘Couldn’t tell you. The hand is also from the mutant- not the slash, though. That’s from the church guy who welcomed me here.’ ‘Archen- That bastard took your blood, hm?’ she asks, staring down at the large gash on his hand's palm. ‘Yeah… the cuts on my hip and shoulders are from some weird green shell thing- ' Was it from a swamp?’ She interrupted again; Resto sighed. ‘Yeah… Ah’mu Swamp- ‘‘Solisnare’ she said quickly. Resto would look confused. ‘That’s what attacked you, it's called a Solisnare. Innocent little fellas-‘‘Innocent my ass.’ He finally interrupts her. She raised a brow. ‘Fucker attacked me while I was getting here. Had to kill it, which was a pain in the ass.’ She gasped, putting her hand on her rather large chest for a moment. ‘You… KILLED IT?? It’s an innocent little thing that greets people with its spinning shell! They aren’t hostile, you monster!’ She yells at Resto. The man, thinking back to his encounter with one… ‘Calm down Heaim. It was hostile… My wounds speak for themselves. It attacked me, dragged me, all sorts of shit. I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn't kill it.’ Said the man, speaking respectfully and keeping his tone calm.
‘…Ah, that’s right. That was wrong of me to lash out.’ ‘It’s okay; I do it all the time too.’ Resto would say reassuringly, as Heaim would smile softly with her pink lips. ‘Right… Solisnare’s attacking people, mutants in Sovarix… Something weird is happening, and I don’t like it…’ said the elf, pondering what could be happening. She’d get on her knees to look closer at the cuts on Resto’s shoulder Right, but right as she did, a creak of the front door would make itself present. A younger girl, around her teenage years, would walk in. She wore baggy pants, a tan coat, protective gear under it, a bow and quiver on her back, and brown boots that made two loud steps as she entered the house. The girl had green eyes and a mix of black and white hair; it was long and was tied in a bun near the back. She took her boots off, stepping her bare feet on the wooden tiles of the home as she looked forward.
“Mom, I’m ho- “She sees her mother kneeling before the man. Resto, of course, being shirtless and looking down at Heaim, would look up, seeing the teenage girl enter. He gulped. “….” There was an awkward silence for a moment before the young girl turned on her heel, facing the room to her left. ‘…I came in at a bad time- I’ll be going now-‘She scurries to her room, shutting the door loudly behind her.