It was about a day's walk when Alex came up to the wood line of a small forest. Not sure of what dangers may be inside waiting for him. The now younger lad approached cautiously. Something he finally realized while walking was that everything felt easier. He didn't feel as tired from walking all day. Even his new ID showed he was now years younger than he was before. So everything seemed at least a little better than it was, at least until he smelled the distinctive fragrance of food being cooked over a campfire.

Unfortunately this caused Alex’s stomach to get the better of him, driving him to seek this new sensation unbidden. He soon after ended up finding a small group of adventurers further ahead. There were three of them that he could see sitting, eating and laughing together. He tried to watch carefully, so he wouldn't gain their attention. Now that he found people he really needed to figure out what to say. He couldn't just go out and say, ‘hi, sorry your food smelled wonderful, and hunger got the better of me. HYUK HYUK!’ It seemed like an ok plan, until the cold edge of a knife’s blade was discovered at his throat, the warmth of someone’s breath at his ear was also new.

"If you want to live, answer me quickly. Who are you, and why are you sneaking up to us?" was what was whispered, the knife pressing more at his neck.

"My name is Alex, I smelled the food and hunger got the better of me. I mean you no harm, I was only cautious of strangers after being attacked and losing my pack." Trying to think of a story as quickly as possible Alex basically just blurted out the story he was previously thinking. At least he left out the Hyuk, the embarrassment alone would have ended him.

Thin hands grasped his arm, leading him forward to the group, tossing him to the ground in front of them. Whoever it was, they were very strong.

"What do we have here, a little kitten in search of a home?" a tanned burly man, with a thick beard, even thicker black hair and heavy armor laughed in a deep joyful voice laced with a deep accent.

"Where did you find this one, Evelen?" He continued, “He looks like he’s about to die of fright sitting there in front of us.”

The owner of the knife walked past Alex. Finally able to see his captor he now saw as the tall woman within an oversized cloak sat down with the rest of the group, her dark bronze skin glistening in the firelight. He was drawn to her short jet-black hair and her light traveling clothes seemed good for long journeys. What really drew his gaze was her cold emerald eyes as she stared right at him.

"I found him sneaking around our Camp. He says he was traveling and his stomach got the better of him." She mused, her actual voice soft, yet still as sharp as the knife she held. "Also said he 'lost his pack' after he was attacked, kind of pathetic really.

"Now Evelen. That's not very friendly now is it?" The big man laughed, looking at me. "My name is Rodrick, please don’t mind Evelen. She may not be the friendliest of people, but she's very good at what she does. Please have a seat, join us."

He points to a log around the fire. Accepting the invitation Alex quickly moved to the spot offered. This new person seemed to be the leader of this group.

"Now then, how about we have a nice chat over some roasted Stone Boar. I'm sure your story alone will be worth at least a few bites." The Jovial man mused towards Alex.

Rodrick then introduced the rest of his party, a lean figured human who sported dark clothes and a bow named Lucas, and a petite young lady in brightly colored robes Sarah. Both of them were wearing smiles as Rodrick told some stories of their adventures. Evelen kept her eye on me, but soon enough was smiling with the group, after mentioning how Sarah was nearly chased halfway down a dungeon by an oversized chicken. Sitting around the fire was a nice change of pace, Rodrick was a big guy but his jovial nature and kind demeanor is what shined through his grizzled looks.

"So, my new friend. Why are you in these woods? Normally, travelers tend to stay clear and find safer locations to travel.” Rodrick asked, a concerned tone in his voice. "especially at night by yourself. You do know how dangerous these woods can be, don't you?"

"I'm sorry, I actually didn't know." Alex answered back. "I'm simply a traveling scholar, looking to find more information on the history of the First Heroes. I think I remember reading that there was a statue in the woods nearby." Hearing this the group showed concerned looks.

"Why? Is everything ok?" he finally asked?

"Where did you say you were from?" it was Evelen now who asked. Worry now showing on her face. "Not many people venture to discover anything about the first heroes, especially after the church forbade its history in Grandia."

Alex now felt as if he might have stepped into a hornets nest. Trying to get his story straight he could only go with what Libra had discussed with him to say. "I am from a small village in Franview, just big enough for me and my family. My dad used to tell me stories of the heroes that he heard from his father." He lied, trying to find something to get things from getting out of hand.

"I ventured from my village because I wanted to see the world like they did. I didn't know the church didn't like it." He continued his tale, Trying desperately not to give anything away.

Rodrick let out a big laugh at this. "Oh, I wish I had the naiveté that you have in this world. Don't worry about it. Someone from that far in the sticks probably wouldn't know much about it. Though it's strange you call yourself a scholar if you're from such a small village." He threw a bone into the fire.

"Simple, I can show you the statue in the morning. Tonight however, you stay with us, eat and relax. The fire is the safest place to be in this forest at night." He stated a sense of finality with it. Rodrick then got up, offered Alex a piece of meat, grabbed one for himself and sat back down on the log.

Trying the meat that was given, was not what was first pictured. Alex had tried fire roasted meat before in his old life, usually the smoke adding a layer of complexity to the experience. Unfortunately, this was... Bland and gamey, the smoke from the fire was barely making it edible. The Texture was dry, yet gristly at the same time. Trying not to show his distaste for the meal since this was the first thing he had eaten since before meeting Lauranna that day. Allowing his hunger to drive him to simply eat the meal.

Alex hoped that the young goddess was ok, though he guessed she was back to dealing with more work than she could handle. The people from that Cafe were really nice as well. If it wasn't for them, and the book Kaze had given him, He would have been in a lot of trouble from the start. Though one question really stuck in his mind: Why did the church not like the First Heroes. Maybe asking Rodrick may give some answers. Although something was telling him to keep that to under wraps for now and continued eating his bland meal.After they had all eaten their fill, Rodrick assigned his party members for the night watch and left to get some sleep.

First one to go on duty was Lucas, He grabbed his bow and left the circle to find somewhere to keep an eye out. Sarah pointed out a place near the fire and suggested he get some rest as well since tomorrow should be an interesting day. Finding a dry spot nearby that she suggested Alex found a nice flat rock to use as a makeshift pillow and passed out fairly quickly from everything that happened. He woke a few times hearing voices of the party talking to each other from time to time. Hard to think that a rock would be comfortable at least until he felt a sharp kick to the stomach, waking instantly.

"Get up, Kid. your taking your watch with me."Evelen stated with no sign of emotion on her face, she walked past the fire. "Let's go!"

Trying to get up, the pain from getting checked in the stomach, also finding all his joints and muscles feeling stiff from sleeping on the ground. Alex quickly headed back to the log trying to keep pace with Evelen. After a few minutes, minutes trying to keep up with her, he looked up at the tall woman holding what looked like an apple, tossing it gently to Alex.

“Thank you.” Alex responded quietly, catching his breath. Taking a bite It was actually really good, especially compared to the Boar eaten earlier. The mild flavor of the apple, along with crisp freshness help refresh his body. “It's really good.”

"It should help with the stiffness," She told me, a small smile on her face. "So where are you really from?"

Alex stopped cold and looked up to her staring dead at him now. Her green eyes nearly cut right through him. "What do you mean?"

"I've traveled through every part of Franview and I've never seen or heard of any small village like yours. Also don't have any of the Dialect or Mannerisms from that region, let alone any of the local kingdoms. However you seem easy to trust. You haven't shown any aggression. Also the fact you don't look like you adventured for a day, let alone the time it would take for you to reach this location from Franview. Finally the ‘Doctrine’ of the Church's view on the First Heroes should be near common knowledge in this region. Simply walking through one city alone, the ‘Heralds of Truth’ preach heavily against them in public daily. So you may have Rodrick fooled, but not me. So I’ll ask you once again. Who are you?"

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

The look in her eyes that she gave alone right then, Alex felt would still haunt him for years to come. Unsure of what to do, he relented against what Libra said and told her the truth. He Started from meeting Lauranna, the cafe, how he ended up in the field, the system screen and how was traveling down the path to the forest trying to find a clue to finish the quest given. She was skeptical about the story at first until he pulled the status menu. Her expression suddenly changed from contempt to concern.

"You need to get out of here quickly, before morning." she warned quietly, now showing fear for him more than anything else.

"Why, what's wrong?" he asked, now confused by the sudden demeanor.

"The moment Rodrick notices that you are well..." she trailed off, a tear in eye. "He already plans to end your life after confirming any suspicions at the statue. He is The Templar Captain of the North Hero Church. About a week ago he was sent out here to investigate a disturbance mentioned by the clergy. We've been here since then looking for anything, and now you have arrived. With a half drawn story, and nothing to cement your reasoning"

"Why are you telling me all this?" was all he could ask. Now worried about everything going on. His blood started feeling like ice. Evelen placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Because I'm old enough to remember a time before the North Hero Church came into power, and I owe the Cafe you mentioned a debt for saving me." she admits.

Using a stick to draw a small map of the area she points to a small circle "This is where we are now. If you follow this trail here and take the left fork you'll reach the statue by morning, but you will need to run as fast as you can once you leave the boundaries of our camp. Lucas is an exceptional tracker and it won't take much to realize where you are going."

Bidding Evelyn farewell, Alex thanked her. She gave a reassuring hug, causing him to notice her pointed ears and left quietly in the direction of the camp. Walking in the direction she directed, he waited until he was a good distance away before running like a madman. Along the path he could hear the sounds of something in the distance moving in tandem, something big. Too scared to do anything else except move down the path, he simply kept running. Strangely whatever was out there never approached. Finally making it past the left fork and moving, the sounds of birds started warning of a new dawn approaching.

When dawn finally rose above the hidden horizon, a clearing up ahead was finally coming into view. Nearly out of breath Alex nearly collapsed when he made it past the woodline. He managed to catch himself when he finally noticed it.

In the center of the clearing, covered in vines and flowers, and moss was a statue of four adventurers. Moving closer the air resonating around smelled... clean, like the area was welcoming anyone and everyone. Pulling on the vines and tearing them off, he found that these "Heroes" were just some kids no older than 17 at best. On the bottom of the statue was an engraving written in a beautiful script.

TO THE HEROES WHO SAVED OUR WORLD WE THANK YOU!

VERMILLION MAGE SCARLETT

CERULEAN SPEAR JADE

PLATINUM LANCE WIESS

O Y S AF N

The Bottom name seemed to be scratched out. Looking closer it seemed like someone used a knife or sword to erase it from history, running fingers along the words Alex felt the familiar thrumming of the status screen again. The status screen opened, sending a new message

[Check Point Reached]

[Now Loading]

Shortly after his legs felt very weak, barely able to keep from falling over on the statue. He looked back up to the screen as it now displayed in bold letters.

[LOADING COMPLETE... NOW REPLAYING MEMORY]

[Begin Transmission]

The Screen Lit up as 3 people walking down what looked like the field yesterday. Among them was a young boy wearing a knight's suit of armor carrying a shield on his back, his dark blond hair maybe shoulder length. He was also able to see 2 younger women, one a shorter girl with bright blonde hair with bright orange highlights, wearing an even brighter orange robes, and the other young lady with soft black hair wearing a lighter set of deep blue armor. These kids couldn't be older than their mid-teens.

-Boy: Can you believe it, we get to be heroes and save the world!!!

-Girl 1: I know, I can finally prove to everyone I actually mean something! I cant wait to prove my parents wrong for once.

-Girl 2: I don't know, guys. I'm not quite sure we can completely trust what they told us. I mean Defeat the "Demon Lord?" Doesn't this seem like a bit more than we can handle.

-Boy1: Relax, Talia. After all, we are the "Four Heroes of Destiny" according to the princess. There's nothing that can stop us!

-Talia: Relax, that's all you can say. They barely told us anything. "Welcome Chosen Heroes, destined to slay the evil Demon Lord!" I mean who leads with that? Someone trying to push their problems on someone else, that's who. I'm only agreeing to do this because if I said anything different who knows what might have happened.

-Cedric: I'm sure we would have been fine, besides the Princess promised that we would be the ones who save the world. Save the world, Talia! Who wouldn't want to do that? Look at Veronica, she's more excited about it than I am. So, relax and just go with it.

-Veronica: Hey, it's going to be ok. I mean, look at [__________] he hasn't really said anything since we left. He doesn't seem concerned. It's going to be fine, we have these two strong guys with us. You have your spear, and I get to be a MAGICAL GIRL!!! How could we not succeed?

-Talia: ...Okay...

The girl Talia looked at the screen and smiled, then turning once more continued her journey with the rest of the party. The memory closes on the screen as the group walks away.

[Quest Complete: Find a trace of the First Heroes]

[Distributing Rewards: Class System, Staff of Beginnings, _________]

Reading the prompt on the screen, pain shot through his body once more. Similar to when it happened the first time in the cafe. However this time, he was able to stay conscious long enough for it to pass quickly. Now resting in his hand resided a long wooden staff, with ornate designs and jewels, followed by a new prompt on the screen.

[New Class Unlocked: _________ ] Data Not Found

[New Skills: Where ever will I wander, Return once more, A Mile in their Stead, Growth from Experience]

[Staff of Beginnings: First form Unlocked (Storytellers Rest)]

[Staff of Beginnings: Second form Unlocked (The Gentleman's Clutch)]

[Staff of Beginnings: Third Form Unlocked (Will of Gaia)

[Please Assign Command for Designated Forms]

Standing there leaning against the statue, staring at the screen and wondering what half of these meant. two things were now becoming clear. Alex finally had a class assigned, even though he couldn't see what it was. and he needed to get out of there. First things first though needed to figure out though was this new prompt for the staff. He thought long and hard about what he would do for these new forms listed.

"Shift First Form, Second Form, and Third Form!" He exclaimed, watching as the screen went blank.

[...]

[...]

[...ok]

[Command Accepted for Staff of Beginnings Transformation: Utilization of Command (Shift) and Names (First form) and (Second Form) Registered, Please register a better name for Form 3]

"Did the Screen just judge me?" Alex asked in irritation, “Never mind that for now.” A new message popped up in front of him.

[New Quest: The Meadow of Forgotten Dreams]

[Head towards Flintwood Valley]

Great now alex knew where he needed to go and was now certain that he had no idea how I was supposed to get there. Especially since he had no Map, nor anyone to guide him. Though considering everything that happened concerning the heroes and the Class change and the staff he felt something was completely forgotten about...

"Well now, look what we found. Guess we get to go home today after all." A large Bearded Man in Armor explained as he walked out from the wood line into the clearing, his jovial nature no longer anywhere in his demeanor. He stood there a giant Double Bladed Axe in one hand resting on his shoulder, in his other hand what appeared to be a woman with short black hair and... it finally registered. Evelen, it was Evelen, or at least it was. With a big smile on his face, Rodrick threw Evelen with little effort to where Alex was standing.

Barely Landing a few feet away, Alex ran to her to see if she was ok. She was severely beaten and bruised, but it looked like she was still breathing. He sighed in relief, unsure of how he would have felt, knowing he caused someone to lose their life. In desperation he tried to think of something that can be done. If it meant them getting away, he would try anything.

“I need to get out here, and I was going to at least find a way to save Evelen as well. There had to be something I could do.” He breathed, wishing hard for anything to happen.

Suddenly Everything shone a brilliant shade of White

[Utilizing Skill: A Mile in Their Stead a Story in their Heart]

[Retrieving Essence File: Evelen Goldleaf]

[Prerequisite Essence File: ________ Loaded]

[Summoning Aide __________]

[Now Loading]