At some point in each of our lives, we must take our first steps towards a goal. That is what my father taught me. The memory of that day played slowly through my mind as I packed my shoddy leather bag with dried meats and jarred berries. With a spool of thread and a pair of needles used for sowing, with a small yet heavy leather pouch filled with all the coins I had amassed. The way my father spoke that day, the way he moved and the emotions he showed; all imprinted on my mind like paint covering a painting.
A thin yet lengthy cloth, suitable as a tent or a blanket if necessary. A change of clothes and a tightly sealed flask of water. That day, the first time my father took me into the city; I wasn’t so much as eight years old, but each step I took felt longer than the twelve years that would follow. The sturdy cobble path that crunched with each step we took, the glimmering glass panes that reflected even the bright noon sun; the clamors of busy folk and the chimes of bells, the creaks of hinges attached to both old and new wooden doors. Each direction I looked in that day was a new adventure to be had.
A brand new knife with its tanned leather sheath, and two books, one of which I had never read before. It was that unread book that stood out to me that day, despite the shiny objects, the sweet foods and smells, it was one simple book that caught my eyes that day. The Forest Encyclopedia. A book that set my path despite having never read it, even after twelve years.
As I clasped my bag and gently shrugged it over my shoulders, I took a final look around my room. With the gentle sunlight stretching past the wooden window doors, the tightly packed bed with a single pillow resting at its head; the empty desk with a single chair tucked neatly into the space beneath it. The countless memories I had within this room raced through my mind like a horse through an open field, free from any predators or even the need for food. But as my father said, at some point we must take our first steps, and these were mine.
With the suffocating sense of unease in my chest, I turned to the door and opened it. Letting the warm sunlight shining from my window spread through the lifeless wooden interior of the rest of the house. It’s a shame he couldn’t be here to see this, he would have loved to see this. As I walked through the house, by the table nestled gently in the center of the room; past the cabinets packed tightly against the walls, the comfy chairs resting in the corner. Each object I passed acting like a torch, lighting my way to where I needed to go.
The front door.
I paused in front of the exit, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes as I grabbed the tattered metal handle that somehow still worked.
“Wish me luck, Mom, Dad.” I said softly, pushing open the door.
The sun’s gentle warmth felt like butterflies on my skin, and the breeze of fresh air that blew color into the lifeless room behind me blasted the unease in my chest into the past; almost as if it never existed in the first place. The chirps of birds and the rustle of grass and leaves dancing along the breeze like an actress dancing across the stage of a play. Between the beams of light splitting the trees that surrounded the house and the depths of the shadows where the light couldn’t reach laid stood the place of my dreams. Every time I stepped out of the house for eighteen years, my dream stood in front of me, beckoning for me to step foot in every time I so much as glanced at it.
But today was the day, with nothing to turn back to and everything to look forward to, only that step forward could be taken. That step forward is different for everyone, when, where and why it presents itself, we can never control. But we can control if we take that step or not when the time comes, and now it is my turn.
As I slowly meandered down the steps to my home, the wafting smells of sap and morning dew filled my nose; the sense of ease nature brought me was something that couldn’t be compared to anything in the world. As I progressed further the soft crunch of the bright green grass and the warm breeze on my face under the summer sun only furthered my resolve, it felt as if nothing in the world could stop me. Not The Hero of the North and his party nor the Council of Twelve in the south could pose a complaint to my current state, not that I had any concern about them in the first place.
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Within a few steps I would arrive at the shadowy forest edge, yet before I could enter, I felt the urge to turn back one last time; to observe my home for maybe the last time. A quick glimpse over my shoulder was all I could bear, yet as I observed the deep brown wooden frame of the house mixing with all colors of plants and the lightly tanned terracotta resting firmly between the wooden beams, something else caught my eye; but only for a brief moment.
A shadowy glimpse of two figures, one dressed in an ordinary leather dress that made her flawless skin stand out further. The other dawned leather pants and a light gray chestplate over a light brown undershirt; with a sword sheathed neatly on his right hip and his left hand glued to the woman’s hand. The deep black hair the ghostly duo showed flowed seamlessly with the wind, whilst the woman’s long hair waved like a flag behind their backs and the man’s short and spiky hair dancing about like blades of grass in a tornado. Their age looked as if they were no older than twenty, as if the years of wear and tear I had last seen them with were no longer there. And despite the distance between us, their smiles seemed just as genuine as when they were alive.
As I turned my head back to the forest with a tear in my eye, I held my head high and raised my hand, waving to the ghosts of my parents as I entered the shadows of the forest.
It was better than I could have ever imagined, the differences between each tree and branch, despite each tree being the same type of old spruce I’d seen every day. Everything I could see felt like a dream, one of which I wished to never wake up from. The wind that blew mildly outside the forest felt stagnant between the trees, yet the sticky scent of sap permeated as if the breeze had been there for hundreds of years without stopping.
How far have I traveled so far? Maybe a kilometer or so? I couldn’t tell at this point, I was too immersed in what I was seeing right now. Moments earlier, I was walking peacefully through the forest, with no path to guide me and only the materials I had packed to survive on. Wonder and curiosity had fully taken over my mind as I observed everything around me, everything– including the first monster I would ever meet. Spanning nearly two meters in length and half a meter in height, whipping around a loose yet sturdy tail coated in light green scales. The monster crawled around on four legs like a dog, yet it had claws like that of a hawk and horns atop its head like a mix of a deer’s antlers with an added nose horn. Its scaly green body of slim, tightly packed muscle alongside the cracks and cackles of electricity spewing from its tail exuded a menacing aura as if to scare off anything that might mistake it for food.
Thankfully, there was a nearby bush I could hide behind until I knew more. Before the monster could detect me I managed to hide and retrieve my copy of the Forest Encyclopedia from my bag. Between flipping through pages to find this monster’s information, I watched as it dug through the dirt, exposing all manners of roots and bugs beneath the surface. Finally I found this monster's entry, let's see if this one is worth the trouble or not.
[Shock Lizard]
A relatively small species of lizard, spanning anywhere from 1-1.5 meters in length depending on age. While alone they’re timid and often run away from conflicts, but if more of its tribe are within 30 meters, it will stay and fight while drawing its brethren’s attention. Often found in Swampy marshes, or in forests with ample shade and a strong water source such as rivers or lakes.
It often only attacks with its electric shocks exuding from the tail and horns, tending to use its claws and teeth when its target is unconscious or if its electricity doesn’t work. For new explorers or adventurers, it's recommended to avoid conflict if there are more than one in a single area, as its electric shocks get more powerful the more of its tribe is nearby.
Although there was some more info in the Forest Encyclopedia about the Shock Lizards, it was mostly about habitat and eating habits. Unfortunately for me though, this Shock Lizard was almost double the size of the average Shock Lizard. And with how brazenly it crawled around, it seemed like there would be more in the area if I were to attack it. I was quite lucky that it hadn’t found me yet, hopefully that luck stays with me for a little while longer. I flipped to the next page of the Forest Encyclopedia, and it seems that I jinxed myself upon reading the next page's contents.
Shock Lizards cannot be avoided, their keen sense of smell and 180 degree vision lets them detect predators and prey with absurd levels of accuracy, with exception to Holy Grade Stealth Magic.
As I read that line I could feel a crackling breath travel across my ears alongside a growl that would scare even veteran adventurers. In a way, I became paralyzed as I saw the jagged front horn of the Shock Lizard stretch past my face. With it being this close to me, and my knife still packed in my bag, my chances of survival are slim to none. I could feel sweat dripping down the side of my face as ripples of electricity zapped in front of my face; my fear of this lizard spread through my body, to the point where even breathing felt impossible.