Underneath a golden tree, a young boy lays unconscious…His back is hunched against the trunk, perfectly placed between the gap of its roots. The tree casted a vibrant, yet faint glow from its body, in a way that it was almost as if it was alive.
Small specks of soft golden light illuminated the space, gradually dimming into the air as more flourished from the grassy field taking its place in a repeating cycle. Among the alluring scenery, the boy was the only thing that appeared dirtied, his body tattered in bruises and wounds.
[https://i.imgur.com/MP8uMn7.jpg]
A soft feminine voice echoes through his mind, getting louder as it repeats a name, “Tatsuo…Tatsuo…!”
The boy’s eyes weakly twitch from trying to muster any strength to open them. They creak open and suddenly he finds himself enveloped in a warm, radiant light, bearing from above; scattering small light particles within the surrounding. It almost seemed as if he was being visited by the sun itself. At the center of it, an attractive figure catches his attention.
???: Hello Tatsuo…
His face perks up upon clearly hearing the voice of the heavenly figure, though his gaze remains captivated on the womanly being, completely entranced. This was the first encounter between the boy and the wishing goddess.
Yes…It was this moment where his life…Was about to change forever…
The shady figure opens up to him with a warm smile, and offers an enticing proposal:
“ I…am here…to grant you a wish…”
*End of flashback.
***
Fast forward to the present time, a young elf girl is walking alongside a river surrounded by a forest and lush greenery. She has a map out in her hands, and besides her is a small flying creature, resembling a plate-less stegosaurus with wings.
Elf Girl: Whew! It took us a while, but we’re almost to Woodsford! Perfect timing too since we’re almost out of supplies, we’ll need to restock once we arrive there.
The elf girl turns her head to the side facing her pet, “Let’s see if there’s anything we can get for you!” The flying pet turns its head towards the river as it notices something and flies towards it.
Elf girl: Hm? What’s wrong Windie?
The elf’s expression changes to an alarmed panic as she sees an unconscious boy on the riverside. Making haste, the elf girl hurries to the boy. The elf grabs hold of the boy’s arm and tries to drag him out, “Aaarrgh…!”
Her bones crack, pain jolts through her body and she immediately falls on the ground.
Elf girl: What the – Why the heck is this guy so damn heavy??!! His weight doesn’t match his size!! Windie, support me!
The elf grabs hold of the boy’s arm again as the flying creature swoops in behind the elf’s back and latches onto her.
She begins to tug as Windie flaps its wings. A huge gust of wind booms forward, pushing the three of them backwards. With that, they managed to barely bring the boy out of the river.
Elf girl: Phew~! Alright! That should be good enough! I got him out of the river, there’s no need for me to commit any further than this!
“ Right?!” The elf exclaims to her pet in validation of her assurance.
The elf exchanges glances with Windie and looks over at the unconscious boy as she ponders silently to herself.
***
*Skipping ahead, the scenery changes to the western styled town of Woodsford. The town was rife with people dressed in typical western clothes.
The boy is awake and is eating voraciously in a restaurant with empty plates stacked in front of him. This causes the elf girl to throw a tantrum after a return from the bathroom.
Elf girl: What the hell is all this?!! I left to use the restroom and I came back and see you ordered a buffet! I told you to order anything, not everything!!!
Other people inside the restaurant discreetly look over at the two, but the boy is unfazed by the elf’s scolding and continues to simply scarf his food.
Elf girl: …..
Elf girl: …Are you even listening to me?!!
The boy continues to ignore his savior as he indulges himself to his appetite without a pause. Having lost her patience, the elf walks up to the boy and begins to strangle him.
Elf girl: Is this the treatment you give to someone who just saved you?!!
The boy chokes, his cheeks puffs out and the color of his face transitions to red. His arm struggles to reach for the table; he begins to tap onto it as if to signal a time-out.
***
*A couple moments later…
Boy: Pwaaaah~! That’s much better!
The boy pats his belly with a satisfied smile, “It’s been a while since I’ve last had a proper meal and water! I was almost a goner! It’s not every day you get somebody to give you free food! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
Sat across from him is the elf girl. She sucks at a straw with her hand pushed against her cheeks vexed. She contemplates if she should associate herself any further with the eccentric stranger.
She resigns herself and probes the boy with some questions. Afterall, it would be awkward to just leave him like this. Also, a part of her was mildly curious as to how he got himself in that situation. “So what happened to you? How did you end up in that situation? Did you not know how to swim or something…?”
The boy nonchalantly replies, “Ah! Well, I was really thirsty, so I wanted to drink from the river…But then I drowned.”
The elf gives an awkwardly affirmative reply, as she thinks to herself – ‘I can’t help but feel we’re missing a lot of context from this story…’
She resumes asking questions, “So what are you doing out all the way over here? Are you a traveler? Do you live around here?”
Boy: Nah, I’m actually looking for somebody.
Elf girl: …You’re searching for somebody?
Boy: Yep~! Have you heard of the name Veloren Aund Gerfuden?
Elf girl: Nope…Never heard of anyone with a name like that…
The boy responds back flippantly, “Figures. Oh well! It’s always the same! I’ve asked countless random people the same thing but nobody’s got a clue!”
Boy: By the way, the name is Tatsuo! What’s yours?
The elf slightly hesitates to reveal her name. Was it safe to even give out her name to someone as weird as this? From their interactions up till now, her intuition says that this person is nothing but trouble. Yet, the boy doesn’t seem to pose harm; he was just weird.
In the end, Sharon decides to give her name away. “…My name is Sharon.” She says, hoping she doesn’t come to regret her decision.
She catches Tatsuo staring at her inquisitively, leaving her to feel uneasy, “You know…You’ve been staring at me for some time now…Is there something on my face…?”
Tatsuo: Ah! Sorry, it’s just your ears. They seem unusual. You’re the first person I’ve seen whose ears are shaped like that!
Tatsuo’s words surprise Sharon, “You don’t know…? I’m an elf.”
Tatsuo cluelessly tilts his head with a blank expression, “Huh? Elf?”
Tatsuo: Hey, Henteko. Do you know what an elf is?
Suddenly, Sharon was left feeling lost. Who was he speaking to? Was he referring to her? But she had just given her name, unless he forgot already. But if that wasn’t the case, who was Henteko? Tatsuo carries on to mumble to himself.
Tatsuo: …No, no…It’s not a food…
Tatsuo: I don’t know! That’s why I’m asking you!
Sharon awkwardly interjects, “I’m sorry but…Who are you talking to…?”
Tatsuo: Hmm? I’m speaking to Henteko, can’t you tell?
Sharon exclaims in her head, ‘Who??? No! No, I can't tell!’
Tatsuo: Ah, hold on. Henteko is saying something…
Tatsuo proceeds to get into an argument with Henteko, leading Sharon to believe that Tatsuo is a delusional person. While amidst his ramblings, Tatsuo asks Sharon what an elf is. She proudly explains to Tatsuo:
“Elves are an ancient race related to humans, normally known to be naturally gifted in magical properties. The pointed ears were a physical trademark of the elf species.”
Tatsuo compliments Sharon which leaves her blushing brazenly.
Sharon: The thing is…I’m also searching for something.
Sharon proceeds to tell Tatsuo her back story of how she was orphaned by an old human couple since she was abandoned as a baby, however one of her parents is sick with an incurable illness. Now, she is on a journey in order to find a cure.
Sharon: Did you know? People say there is a legendary flower said to be capable of restoring health and curing any ailment… It’s called the Mardi Gracias, have you heard of it?
“Thanks for the food~!” Tatsuo callously says, as he walks off gesturing his hand farewell to Sharon.
Sharon stands up from her seat, calling Tatsuo out on his rude behavior, “Hey! What the hell!? Get back over here!! I’m not paying for all this food!!!”
“…And here I thought we could get along…” She says in a regrettable tone.
Sharon commands Windie to stop Tatsuo. Windie swoops ahead, landing in front of Tatsuo catching his attention.
Tatsuo’s eyes twinkle with joy: WOAH! WHAT’S THIS?! IT’S LIKE SOME SORT OF FLYING DINOSAUR! THAT’S SO COOL~!
Windie proceeds to flap its wings, sending Tatsuo to fly back with a powerful gust of wind. Tatsuo lands with his rear on the floor, letting out an “oof!”
Tatsuo hears the sound of Sharon’s boots stepping behind him. “Well now…” Sharon towers over Tatsuo with both hands on her hips.
Sharon: First of all, how did you not recognize Windie all this time? She was literally in front of you the entire time at the table. And as you can see…You ain’t going anywhere…At least not until you’ve paid up for all the food that you’ve eaten.
Tatsuo casually sits himself back up, “But I don’t have any cash on me.”
“Then go look for a job or something! I’m not busting my fortune on you!” Sharon snaps back angrily.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Suddenly loud crashing sounds from outside interrupts the two and alarms the rest of the people inside the restaurant.
A man from outside rushes in to inform everyone that there’s a monster outside terrorizing the town. The folks are left bewildered as reasonably there shouldn’t be a monster that exists within the area that’s strong enough to threaten them. Because of this, some of the folks question the legitimacy of the situation. However, the loud crashing sound from earlier and hearing the people murmur among themselves left Sharon an inkling of uneasiness.
***
*Outside on the public streets of Woodsford.
Clouds of dust and dirt bellows from the city as wooden structures are destroyed one after another. Pieces of wood and furniture fly around everywhere as the town folks scream and run in terror.
A shadowy grotesque figure looms in the distance. As it approaches, the monster reveals itself. The monsters sports four stocky legs with a body shaped like a bean. White oval shaped spots are patterned around its red colored body. On top of the body a long vine creature sticks out with a head shaped like a piranha plant. The tail resembles that of a palm tree branch.
“What on Beria is that thing…?!” A terrorized civilian cries out.
Another civilian responds, “I’ve never seen a monster like that around here…!! What’s it doing in our town?!”
A couple brave citizens have taken up tools to confront the monster while the rest flee. Their weaponry ranged from pitchforks, shovels, axes, etc. The folks who have beared arms maintain their distance from the monster.
“It’s no use…Nothing’s working…!! Even the sheriffs have failed to stop it…!!” One of the citizens holding a weapon distresses as the monster draws nearer.
The person next to him tightly grips his pitchfork, “We’ve gotta do something!! We can’t just let it destroy our town!!”
The monster lets out an intimidating roar, which resounds across the town. The town folks are left confused and panicked as they watch helplessly as the monsters tear down their homes.
A gun clicks and suddenly three projectile bolts pelt the monster, with one of the bolts cleaving partially through one of the monster’s vine appendages. The monster turns to face its assaulter and looks up. The town people momentarily stop to see as well.
Up in the sky is Sharon floating mid-air due to Windie holding onto her like a backpack. Equipped in one of Sharon’s hands is a crossbow gun.
Sharon: Dang. This thing is pretty tough. I even boosted that with magic.
Sharon (thinking): I was held up in helping that guy (Tatsuo), I wasn’t able to resupply myself…There’s only one arrow left…
Sharon readies her last arrow and her bow gun clicks, “I've only got one shot at this.”
She zips through overhead above the monster. She leaps off of Windie and lands across from it skidding through the ground; leaving a trail of dust clouds.
The monster lets out a roar and begins to trot towards Sharon. A magic array appears before Sharon’s bow gun as she begins to charge for her attack.
The vine creature launches itself towards Sharon but gets intercepted by Windie. Windie dives in, sending a blade of wind towards the vine and slicing it cleanly in two. The sliced off part falls to the ground with a large ‘thud’ sound. Windie snorts triumphantly asserting its dominance. The monster is abruptly taken aback by the sudden setback.
Sharon continues to charge her attack, pouring in as much mana as she could into this one shot. The magic array disperses as the charged arrow flies off from the bow gun.
A distorted blue blur fizzles in the air and the shot strikes the monster directly, piercing through into its head. The head is blown off from the powerful impact and chunks of blood spurts everywhere.
The lifeless body of the monster flops to the ground and the crowd of spectators let out a gleeful cheer. With sweat running down her cheeks, Sharon looks upon the corpse of the monster as the people cheer in the background behind her.
Sharon: Whew~! It looks like I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was…! If that final shot didn’t kill it, things would’ve gotten a lot more complicated…
Sharon’s head begins ringing, a sharp headache causes her to flinch in pain. Staggering for a bit, Sharon fights off the pain in her head. She brings her hand up to her face.
Sharon (thinking): That was actually very dangerous… If that hadn’t killed it, I most likely would be dead… It was really a do or die situation…
Out of nowhere Tatsuo is sitting next to the monster’s carcass, poking it with a stick.
Tatsuo: Wow, this thing is pretty huge. What kind of monster izzit?
“What the – You…!” – Sharon exclaims in surprise. She stops momentarily as she has already forgotten the name of the boy.
Sharon: What are you doing here?! I thought I ditched you at the restaurant!
Tatsuo: Yeah, but I need you to pay for the food.
Sharon: As if! I’ve already told you, I’m not paying for your meal!
The onlookers continue to watch as the two bicker between each other until the town’s chief, a small, frail, old-man with a cane approaches the two.
Town Chief: Hey! You two there!
The town chief’s callout prompts the two to face his direction.
Town Chief: My name is Wanzo, and I’m the chief of this town! Are you the young’ins that killed this monster?!
Sharon: I was the one who killed this monster, yes.
Wanzo gratefully moans, “Oooh…This town is one that I cherish a lot…And for you to have saved it from this monster….” As a sign of gratitude, Wanzo bows his small body, “I thank you…From the bottom of my heart…!”
Sharon: Well, of course! I am an adventurer after all! It’s my job to get rid of monsters! So no worries!
Wanzo: Hm! An adventurer I see…! And at such a young age! How impressive! It’s no wonder you were able to take down such a monster…! Allow me to thank you once again!
Wanzo: If there is anything we could do to pay you back, please let us know!
“Of course~! If you would just give me one moment though~!” – Sharon says cutely.
Seeing this as an opportunity to settle the restaurant dispute, Sharon glances over at Tatsuo. A sense of unease trickles onto Sharon worried about what he may do. As a precaution, Sharon whispers to Tatsuo to let her deal with the situation, and that she has a plan to pay off the tab at the restaurant.
Sharon (whispers): Hey. You. I found a way to help us pay for all that food you ate. Just don’t do anything stupid, got it…?
Tatsuo pauses. His body glints up in realization.
“Oh…? Is that how it is…You’re more cunning than I thought.” Tatsuo murmurs to himself with a conniving smirk.
Tatsuo’s words leave Sharon confused, but she opts to ignore it and proceeds to speak with the town’s chief.
She walks up to the chief, ready to ask him to help settle for the restaurant bill.
Sharon: Sorry for the wait, err…Wanzo!
Wanzo: No! No! The pleasure is all mines!
Wanzo: So? Was there anything you had in mind?
Sharon: Right! Well, you see –
But before Sharon could finish her first sentence, Tatsuo abruptly smacks the town chief on the head, knocking him out. The frail-old body quivers frantically before flopping to the ground. Everyone who witnessed the event takes in a moment to process what had happened.
Tasuo: …..
Sharon: …..
Bystanding Crowd: ……
Tatsuo turns to face Sharon and confirms with her with a thumbs up, “Alright, got him.”
Sharon: What do you mean, got him?! Why did you do that?!
Tatsuo: Hm? Was your plan not to lure the old man into a false sense of security, and then kidnap him so that we could sell him for ransom money?
Sharon immediately responds with a resounding: NO!
Sharon: I was simply going to just have him pay the bill for us at the restaurant! Where did you even get such an overcomplicated idea from?!
Tatsuo pauses.
Tatsuo: Well I’ll be damn Henteko. You were right.
Sharon: Don’t go blaming this on your friend that doesn’t exist!
The crowd becomes agitated, “C-Chief…!! Damn them…!! Why’d they do that to Wanzo?!” A heated mob begins to march their way towards the two in sight of revenge for their dear chief.
Sharon: Oh great…Look at what you did…
Tatsuo grabs Sharon’s wrist by surprise saying, “Let’s go.” The two flee the scene with Tatsuo dragging Sharon’s body in the air, his extraordinary strength catches her off guard as she stammers to try and calm Tatsuo down.
***
*After some time has passed, the two of them find themselves outside of the town in a forest.
A moment of silence passes by as Sharon pants heavily with her body hunched forward, hands on knees. Tatsuo patiently waits for Sharon to catch her breath while he stares looking up at the town’s signboard.
Tatsuo: Sorry, yeah.
“NO! YOU’RE NOT!!!” Sharon hisses back, whipping her head furiously.
Sharon: Why did you have to drag me into this mess?! I had stuff to do in that town! Now I can’t take a step in there without an angry mob aggressively chasing me down!
Tatsuo: Hey.
Sharon: ?
Tatsuo: Henteko says you’re really annoying.
Sharon took offense to Tatsuo’s uncalled response. “Wah-!? There you go again! Always using your made up friend to talk to other people! That kind of behavior isn’t healthy, you know!”
Tatsuo: But Henteko isn’t made up…
“He’s a dragon living inside of me.”
Hearing what Tatsuo said left her speechless. Her mind couldn’t keep up with all of his fantastical rambles.
Sharon in response replies sarcastically, “Oh…Yeah? And look at me! I’m the queen of the elves! See how I can make up bullshit too?”
Sharon: Look here, I’ve already had enough of your bad antics! I want you to shut up, and stop bothering me, understand?
Tatsuo simply stares back at her.
Sharon tiredly sighs, “Why do I even bother trying to talk with you…”
“You hear me?! Don’t follow us!!” Sharon says as she begins to distance herself from Tatsuo.
She begins to walk away before once again telling Tatsuo to not follow her, “and I mean it!!!”
***
*After some time has passed, Sharon finds herself lost in the forest.
The hassle of arduously going through brushes and not knowing where she is begins to irritate her. She orders Windie to soar into the sky to pinpoint their location. Windie ascends high above the forest as Sharon watches from the ground, her hand placed above her eyes on her forehead to cover from the sun.
Sharon: Ah, wells…At least that guy isn’t here anymore. Good riddance. For sure I thought he was going to follow me.
Just as Sharon finishes her sentence, Tatsuo springs up from a bush in front of her, “You called?”
Sharon: Oh my god why??!!
Sharon points her finger at Tatsuo, “I knew it was too good to be true! Why do you keep bothering me?!”
The two awkwardly stare at each other. Tatsuo then ducks back down in the bush.
Sharon: Hey, are you serious? I already know you’re there.
Tatsuo gets out of the bush and begins to make a half-tone apology to Sharon, “I’m sorry, I followed you here because I wanted to get to the next town. But apparently as it turns out, you’re an idiot too.”
Sharon: This is coming from a natural idiot himself! Is pissing people off the only thing you do??!!
Tatsuo: So you don’t want me following you, but you’re okay with others doing the same?
Sharon: Huh??! What the hell are you saying?
Tatsuo: Like I said, there’s others following you. I can even point them out if you want.
Sharon: I don’t believe you! Why would anybody be following me-!
The next moment, Windie suddenly sends wind slashes at Tatsuo, which tears against his side as blood comes gushing out with his body being flung in the air. Tatsuo’s body drops and rolls across the grass, leaving a trail of splotched blood.
Sharon turns to face Windie horrified, “Windie! Why did you do that?!” But Windie remains unresponsive.
Sharon: …Windie?
A sudden voice coming from the nearby trees interjects, “ I’m afraid that pet can no longer listen to you.”
Sharon turns around to see two individuals draped in a brown cloak. The first one has a gray haired spiked pony tail, while the person behind has blonde, frazzled, spiked hair with small black side burns.
Man with ponytail: I do not know how that boy knew that we were following you, but that doesn’t matter now anyways…
Sharon: What do you mean? Who are you people?!
Man with ponytail: We’re bandits. My friend here can use magic to control monsters. As of right now, your little flying pet is under our control.
The blonde man sneers with Windie hovering over near him.
Bandit Leader: Now then…Let’s cut to the chase. Little elf girl, what we want is you.
Sharon: Me?!
Bandit Leader: Yes…Nowadays, elves are a rare species that are highly regarded for their affinity with magic. You yourself should know very well just what they are capable of. In the black market, they could be sold at a very high price! An opportunity as rare as this…It would be a waste not to take it…!
Sharon hears snickering coming from behind her, with two more bandits appearing behind covered under the shade of trees.
Bandit leader: There’s no use escaping…We got you surrounded. Of course, not that we shouldn’t need to resort to that…”
The bandit leader gestures his head at the blonde bandit controlling Windie, and he raises a knife towards Windie’s head. A visible message to send to Sharon that they have a hostage.
Sharon: Fine…! I get it…! I’ll do what you guys say…Just don’t hurt Windie….!
The bandit leader chuckles, “You’ve made the right choice…”
One of the bandits from behind Sharon grabs her by the hand, and ties her up. He then proceeds to knock Sharon out.
The blonde bandit ogles at Sharon, “Ehehehe...You know, it’s not everyday one could get the chance to have fun with a young female elf’s body, I wonder how it feels….! Can we Nate?”
Nate (the bandit leader): You fool. If we damage the goods, it won’t sell as much. In fact, one of the main reasons why she’ll sell a fortune is for the same thing that you want to do to her. You can have as much fun with however many girls you want once we sell off this one. Now hurry up and bring her back to the tents before she wakes up.
The bandits take Sharon’s body and vacate the scene. After some time has passed, Tatsuo wakes up feeling groggy. He takes a moment to look at his surroundings. He sniffs the air and walks over to a location nearby. There, he finds one of Windie’s feathers and picks it up.
***
After some time has passed, Tatsuo contemplates on what to do next on a small grassy cliff overlooking a vast plain.
Tatsuo: Hmmmm…Should I help her…? But she told me didn’t want me involved…
Tatsuo: Actually yeah, you’re right Henteko…She doesn’t really matter…
Tatsuo: Mm…Yeah…
“At the end of the day…” – Tatsuo holds up the feather of Windie. “I don’t like that they did that to me. So let’s go.”
A sneer forms on Tatsuo’s face, “Let’s pay them back.”