'Smoke..?'

Damian calmed his beating heart, and began to set himself a plan:

'No matter what it is, I need to somehow get to the smoke. Even if I don't run into people, that'll maybe tell me something about where I am since every other direction is just a forest I can't see past. All I can hope for is that I come across some sort of recognizable landmark. Hell, if there's nothing—I can even head back to the church if I have to… if I'm still alive by then.'

Now with his objective set, Damian returned to the fallen statue and scanned for anything else possibly hidden under the rubble. Alas, this minuscule hope had been thoroughly crushed as it was clear nothing useful could be found. He briefly inspected the small mysterious crystal wrapped in cloth before checking his cloaks for any sort of pocket. An inner pocket presented itself to Damian and thus quickly stored the object. With all preparations finally completed, it was time for his departure.

***

…Regrettably so, after dozens of attempts to leave, no progress seemed to have been made…

'C'mon, it's not that hard! I just need to… open the door… and be on m-my way.'

"…"

'Haha, ya know what… I think I should just stay here. It's not like food and water are an issue now! I can just worry about that when it becomes a problem later…'

Nodding lightly to himself, Damian backed away from the door but eventually slowed to a stop and stared back toward the smoke. His complexion slowly paled after realizing he may have made a 'slight' miscalculation:

'...What if that smoke disappears? And… oh no… what happens when nightfall comes? What then?' At this sudden question, Damian then picked up his pace back toward the church's tall doors. He, after what felt like the hundredth time, pressed his palm against the finely carved wood.

'It's no big deal, it's just like going on a light jog… It's not like that thing from before is there still…'

*Sigh*

'Who gives a shit where I'm going, all that matters is I'm alive at the end… and sometimes that requires a little bit of luck.'

At this surge of resolve, the church entrance made way for the small boy as he sprinted and approached the slim, subtle grey cloud.

Fortunately for Damian, who had steeled his mind for the worst—was left feeling very unsettled. Everything looked to be going too perfectly.

'Why is it so damn quiet.'

Slowing closer to a jog, Damian cautiously surveyed his surroundings. So far, nothing out of the ordinary had presented itself. The Dense trees and subtle fog heightened his awareness as his eyes darted periodically. Up until a strange feeling began to creep onto his back. He immediately pushed himself to a frantic sprint keeping his gaze straight ahead. Blurs of dull green, greys, and blacks passed by in the blink of an eye.

Damian, now unaware of his location—chose to stop and finally turn around. Almost immediately, he spotted it: that same black and white creature from the window. Completely still with the left half of its body exposed; it loomed behind a tree far in the distance. An almost outstanding shade of black coated its incredibly tall and slender body. Large eyes and a pale face contrasted its black fur significantly. However, out of this presentation, no ears, nose, or mouth could be spotted. A simple blank staring face. Cold sweat trickled down Damian's back as he watched its every movement. Slowly, he continued his pace backward; carefully avoiding anything that hindered his movement. Luckily, this stand-off was brought to a halt as a somehow both familiar and alien sound reached his ears:

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Who are you?"

Damian jumped at the foreign voice, twisting his head in response. Towering above him, he's met eye-to-chest..? with a rather intimidating individual: A large man, sealed completely in knight's attire. Underneath a cloak of thick gray rags rested a surplus of chain mail and armor covering most of his body. The armor; colored in what clearly used to be white, looked stained all over in shades of grey and brown. However, even with his appearance conditioned from unimaginable hardships—the insignia displayed proudly on his chest remained clean and prominent. An elaborate symbol of the sun engraved to perfection.

However, there was one striking feature in particular that immediately stood out above everything else: It was the eyes. Lying at the center each of the knight's eyes shone a distinct golden dash, captivating Damian.

Damian studied the man thoroughly as he backed a step:

'What the hell...is up with his eyes? And...where have I seen that symbol on his chest, it seems somewhat familiar.'

However, realizing his mistake; Damian quickly glared back toward the strange beast in the distant woods. Within seconds of losing focus, it had already vanished. In this situation, he unknowingly held his breath in a short and tense silence. Frozen in place, Damian was eventually brought back into reality by a sudden interruption:

"Answer me, now. Who are you?" The man scowled.

Damian relaxed his posture, albeit ever-so-slightly. Bringing his hands up slowly, he turned to the tall figure and inspected the man.

'Now… how exactly do I approach this situation?'

Pressed for answers, Damian carefully presented himself:

"Well sir, I'm but a humble merchant looking for the nearest town or city to sell my precious goods. All that I've gathered on my journey around the lands," Damian subtly bowed, his hands still up and in view of the man.

"Hmm, and why do you wear a mask, merchant," The man observed Damian—still suspicious, but willing to listen.

Damian widened his eyes but did not falter.

"As a merchant, some valuables I carry could put me in danger if my face is known. I'm sorry to say, but I'm not the most skillful in combat." Damian calmly explained, his tone hinting with regret before continuing:

"On other matters sir, I'm sadly having a bit of trouble with finding settlements in this area. Do you happen to know anything of this matter?" Damian asked despondently.

The man grunted:

"Yeah, there happens to be a town down south. It's a few dozen kilometers, so after around a day of travel, you should eventually run into some of the townspeople."

Damian noticing the conversation coming to a close acted with haste:

"Well, sir. If it isn't too much work, is it alright for me to request your service in escorting me to this town?"

The man scoffed:

"No, I don't have time to deal with-

"Of course, I will be paying you upfront, sir…" Damian interjected.

"...What payment are we talking about," the man asked, a little skeptical.

"I would be giving you one of my more valuable products on hand." Damian slowly reached into his inner pocket, pulling out the mysterious glass he had looted from the church statue.

The man, observed the object at hand, somewhat stunned:

"What is this?"

"I couldn't tell you sir, but a few assumptions can be made. I found this at what I could only assume to be the site of an unknown god." Damian explained with certainty.

"How did you get this?" The man hardened, urging Damian to respond.

"I know it must be hard to believe, but this is all I can offer to you. If it makes you feel better, when we reach the town you speak of, you can get this item verified by someone more informed on the subject than myself." Damian declared reasonably.

"Hmm… alright, merchant. We have a deal." The man finally agreed.

"I'll need to talk this over with a few others, but I'm sure we'll have no issues."

"Sounds excellent, then please… others?" Damian unevenly inquired.

"Yes, we'll be heading to the camp, where the rest of the group is settled," the man clarified before walking through the forest.

A grin slowly formed on Damian's face:

"Of course, sir."