It is a peaceful Morning, and as the sun slowly rises, a previously silent forest comes back to life. The sounds from the native birds of the forest and the sound of critters on the floor. The forest wasn’t too dense, letting one see far into it. small patches of wild flowers could be seen in the openings the trees gave.

Among the wild, a small dirt path laid. In that path a young man walked through, Carrying a primitive wooden spear and a basket. The Path leads to a clearing where a wide river is located. Although the river is wide, it is also quite shallow, only getting deeper towards the middle. The clear water exposed dark openings that seem to be wide one meter holes scattered along the river bed. But the young man wasn’t here to study the mysterious holes. The young man picked an edge of the river and settled his basket.

The young man wore a black woolen shirt even though it is the middle of summer, coupled with white breeches, and brown boots.

Taking off his shoes and rolling up his breeches. He then approached the river, and was able to see his reflection in the flowing water. His blond hair, blue eyes, and a full beard, this young man possessed a curious contrast of youthful spirit and a physical appearance that surpassed his young age.

He equipped his wooden spear and slowly stepped onto the water. Taking extra precaution to avoid the Tunnels as his feet made contact with the gravel riverbed.

The young man already knows all about these holes on the river. These unusual holes are actually tunnels. Even though some are longer than others, they never seem to intersect. Each tunnel has a start and a end all still connected within the river. The water on the tunnels flowed with unnatural vigor making sure whatever got in an “entrance” would come out from the “exit”.

The young man was easily able to distinguish which one was an entrance or an exit. That is because of the unnatural bulges in the water surface due to these tunnels.

He is trying to head towards deeper water as in this shallow area there are only small fish swimming through and between the tunnels.

He headed towards the deeper part of the river. Moving as if he did it often, Going fast but carefully so as to not slip and fall into one of the river’s tunnels. He could finally see the Bigger fish that was missing from the river. To not startle the fish he moved slowly, picking a spot where fish were passing through the most. Tilting his spear downwards he placed the tip of the spear under the water, staying completely still, waiting. After a minute or so a fish passed too close.

*Thunk*

Bigger fish than usual. He had never seen this kind of fish before. It has a green head followed by a red body and a white underbelly. The young man has never seen such a large fish coming from this side of the mysterious river.

‘It’s my lucky day!’ He thought.

He returned back to the shore where his basket was located with a wide grin, while being careful of course. He then placed the fish in the basket.

‘I’ll try throwing the spear next’ He wanted to train on his aim with the spear in a different manner. However, this is where his thoughts were interrupted. While he was turning back towards the river, he failed to notice someone sneaking in on him.

“Sancio~!” A girlish yell rang behind him and before he could turn around Sancio was hugged from behind. “Why are you here? It’s your Birthday everyone is waiting for you back in the village!” Her energetic, but whiny voice made him almost let out a sigh, but he ended up letting out a smile instead.

“Emily, not right now. I'm getting my morning routine in, I'll be there in a second.” Explained Sancio.

“Oh, so that's why you stink of sweat. You should really stop using black shirts during the summer.” pinching her nose, She backed away from him with a disgusted tone, regretting she ever hugged him.

‘This little…’

Sancio had a vein appear on his forehead. He turned, looking at her teasing grin, that didn’t match her disgusted tone. At that moment he decided he would get her back.

“Well, it’s my birthday and you didn't even congratulate me yet, and you don't seem to be carrying about anything that could be a gift. could it be that you forgot and only remembered just now?” Sancio had a sad face as he looked at her with slight disappointment.

Emily panicked. “No, That’s not…”

“It’s alright. It's not the first time someone has done that to me, so I won't take it to heart.”

Ashamed she lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”

Seeing her now apologetic appearance a muffled chuckle escaped Sancio’ lips making Emily lift her head. His smug appearance made Emily puff her cheeks and tried stepping on his bare feet with her heel.

“You’ll pay for that!”

Sancio quickly dodges running back towards the river laughing the whole way.

“You’re not gonna get me!” he taunted, knowing she was scared of this river, and that she wasn’t going to chase him. That was because of the abnormal phenomenon of which Sancio named tunnels.

It is unknown how they formed, But Sancio made a hobby of mapping them out, as he thought they were quite fun to go in. Emily however did not have a great experience with them.

The violent pull of the tunnels is too much for a child to handle.

Last time she fell in one of these she almost drowned from being caught off guard. Inhaling water into her lungs and ending up with bruises from crashing against the tunnel walls. She had to go see the clergy in the village after that.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

That’s why he was surprised when she took off her soles and started to walk towards Sancio with her hem lifted. Shock painted his face as she traversed the wide river without trouble.

“I found your little Map and memorized it.”

“Of course you did.” He facepalmed. Sancio took great joy in mapping the tunnels in his free time.

Emily was always good at finding things this time is no different, so Emily always liked exploring, Including exploring his cottage.

“I can never win against you huh?” Sancio lamented, not even responding to the fact she most likely invaded his home.

When she reached him she pinched him on his arm earning a grumble from him.

“Of course you can’t, a rascal like you would never win against me!” she puffed up her chest, earning a chuckle. “Even though you have such a manly beard you act like this you should shave it off, it really doesn't suit you.”

Sancio Shrugged. “This beard makes others take me more seriously, I'm not giving up on it that easily.”

“Tsk, fine. We should head back now everyone is ready to congratulate you. You wouldn’t want to miss your coming to age now would y-” Feeling happy due to her victory, when she was speaking she got sucked into one of the tunnels. But as they were still close, Sancio was able to react quick enough and pull her back up from the water by the waist. Putting them in an awkward position.

“Are you alright?” He asked, concerned.

The shock of what just happened passed through Emily's face, before settling on a thankful but grumpy face, realizing she was now drenched.

“I’m fine, we should get out, "she said.

Looking at her grumpy face Sancio laughed out loud.

“Hey!” she exclaimed.

“Sorry, Sorry...Um.” He suddenly realized what kind of position they were in. However she seemed to be oblivious.

“Carry me back!” she demanded.

“Okay, fine.” Sancio compiled his face red as he carried her with his arms, Princess style. He heard a giggle, coming from Emily as she hugged Sancio's neck. He thought his beard would hide his blush but it didn't seem to be the case.

Right now, Sancio feels that he really can't win against this girl.

With all said and done he carried her back to shore. They picked up all their things and put on their boots.

“Let’s go,” said Sancio.

They started heading back towards their village.

Emily took interest towards the fish Sancio caught Causing a new round of conversation to start.

Thanks to the summer Emily didn’t have to worry about getting a cold due to being drenched, But she still complained, causing them to start another round of bickering as the path gradually grew steep as they walked into an intersection. The dirt path ended as it connected into a cobblestone road.

At the intersection, Two wood arrow signs stood. The one to the left has “Briarford'' written. While the one pointing right has “Azurewave” written on it. Azurewave Lake is connected to the river where Sancio and Emily just came from. The river, Named Aquavein river, is a relatively isolated part as all the bigger and profitable fish were in the Azurewave lake.

Briarford is the name of their village and their next destination.

“Why do you always go to that isolated river?” Curious, Emily shifted from their previous topic.

“I like the peace and quiet.” Sancio answered

“But why? The villagers all like you now. The fisherman there would all greet you with a smile.”

“I just like being alone in the mornings.” He shrugged

“Hmm, You used to be so outgoing and loud, now you are becoming just as gloomy as Eric.”

“Alright, alright. Don’t compare me to him, I'm just busy thinking about something. I’m still the same Sancio.” Sancio sighed.

“If you say so…” Emily looked as if she wanted to say something, but she didn’t.

Conversation finished, Both quietly enjoyed the passing nature in each other's company. As they approached the village the road ended turning into stairs.

Nestled high above the lush canopy of the forest, the village emerges on top of a hill. With each step, the air grows crisper, carrying the scent of pine and the songs of woodland creatures. As the escalated path became stairs they could see more and more of the village that sits like a tranquil oasis, perched on the edge of the world below. An astounding sight.

To the north, majestic mountains stand tall, their snow-capped peaks piercing the heavens. They serve as guardians, protecting the village from the harsh elements and offering a breathtaking backdrop of rugged beauty. A veil of mist occasionally cascades down their slopes, casting an ethereal ambiance upon the village.

From the southern vantage point, the forest sprawls as far as the eye can see. Thick clusters of ancient trees form a verdant tapestry, their canopies interweaving to create a natural ceiling of emerald hues. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled patterns upon the forest floor below.

At the village's eastern border, the forest thins, revealing a vast expanse of rolling plains. A gateway to the outside world, this exit from the forest leads to endless horizons and boundless possibilities. The open plains stretch like a sea of golden grasses, inviting dreams of exploration and adventure.

They were coming from the West where the Lake of Azurewave was located. Even at this height they could not see the entirety of the immense lake, the shiny blue waters taking the majority of the visage to the west. Their fish are abundant and are a great source of food for the village.

They greeted a couple fishermen on their way back. Their presence livened up the atmosphere as they slowly approached their home.

Amidst this harmonious coexistence of nature, the village stands as a testament to human resilience. Previously ruins left in the Demon War the village quickly sprung back to life when the war ended. Its cottages, adorned with timber and thatched roofs, blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. Smoke dances from chimneys, carrying the comforting aroma of hearth fires and meals shared.

“Well I’m off!” she said in an energetic tone. “Oh! And by the way the villa head wants to see you. He told me you should meet him at the church, this is so exciting! I want to know everything you two will talk about, okay? But still this is so unfair. Why are you the only one that gets to meet him? Make sure you tell me every single detail of that conversation okay!?”

Looking at her curious, but shameless behavior Sancio couldn’t help but look her over. Her cascading brown locks still wet from before, Her hair, the shade of rich mahogany, frames a face adorned with emerald-green eyes that shimmer with curiosity and a touch of resilience. She possesses a natural beauty that emanates from within, complemented by the simplicity of her attire. Wrapped in a worn, wet but well-loved linen dress, her ensemble echoes the earthy tones of the rustic countryside.

Looking at the 14 year old girl whom he had known practically his whole life, He simply nodded.

“Yeah!” she then excitedly ran off to change from her wet garments. “Meet you at the party!”

“See you there!” he replied, shaking his head lightly, but internally he was thinking of the reason as to why Cedric would want to see him. And at the church of all places.

Last time Cedric called him like this was when Sancio got lost in the woods when he was 12 years of age. At that time, Ordered by the village head Cedric, a whole search party went after me and was later found Sleeping under a makeshift shelter with edible berries on my lap. The only thing I can remember from that day was Cedric’s scolding, and the villager’s sudden shift of attitude towards me for the better.

With these thoughts he trotted towards his cottage wondering what this whole thing was about.