[Recovery complete]

[New Notification]

Hearing the dulcet tones of birds talking to each other, the gentle warmth of sunlight peered through the window, as the sweet smell of cinnamon and honey filled the air, Alex became fully aware he was NOT in the woods.

“Wait a minute, where am I? Wasn't I just in the forest? I need to find Evelyn.”

His mind started racing as he tried recalling the events from earlier. Trying to figure out how he ended up in a… Bed. Bed? Looking around Alex soon realized he was in a small bedroom, wooden furniture all around him, He found his staff leaning against a desk. As well as a Giant Turtle in overalls and a white apron standing at the doorway….

“WOAH!!! Giant Turtle…” Alex let out before he realized it. Taking a deep breath, he righted himself up in the bed. “Sorry, you caught me by surprise there.

The turtle simply smiled as he walked calmly towards the bed, pulling up a chair from the desk next to them and taking a seat. His stature was very large, but he held a very friendly demeanor. His Overalls added to the whole weathered farmstead appeal he had going for him. Where Rodrick radiated a false feeling of kindness, this gentleman before him, just held a relaxing air about him, like you would expect from a kind grandparent. Just a sense of ease and enjoyment were seen in his kind eyes.

“No worries my little friend, you gave us quite the scare yourself the other day.” The Turtle voice was soft with a slight twang to his words. “Reckon you've been out cold for nearly a week or so now. Found you on the ground outside of the Village carrying your friend, covered in bruises, mud and barely alive. All you said was ‘please save her,’ before finally collapsing.” At that he started shifting uncomfortably.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Alex could only ask.

The Turtle then turned towards the desk retrieving a small bundle, passing it to Alex. Inside was Evelen’s Knife and a small book. Unable to stop himself, Alex let out a soft sob holding the bundle tightly.

“I'm sorry, friend. Tried everything I could, but she was too far gone. Found a nice place in the village cemetery looking past the hill. I can take you there later to see her.” He offered

“Thank you,” He said to the turtle, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Sorry, you've been needing to take care of me this whole time.”

“Aww, Think nothin’’ of it. Figured it was the best thing to do. Name is Nedry Ridgeback, please just call me Ned. I'm kinda the mayor of this village. Sorta. I mean there's not much Village left really.” Ned continued rambling a little bit. Alex couldn't help but smile a little. Granted Ned couldn't have known the sheer railroading experience he's been through since starting. Not only was he coming to terms with the fact that he already died once, been transported to a new world, and nearly died again, albeit at the hands of a psychopathic ax wielding templar. Not only does he have no idea about the people at the cafe, he indirectly caused the death of someone who tried to help him. On top of all that he now has a giant turtle in overalls trying to comfort him.

“Look, Ned, thank you for looking out for me. After everything that has happened recently I appreciate it.” Alex lamented, wiping the tears from eyes. "I'm sorry I'm not really able to explain what is happening right now, but please, call me Alex.”

Ned placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “No need to worry there Alex. You weren't the only visitor recently. Another young man, stopped by shortly after we found you and explained some of what's going on. You bein an other worlder for one, but before you freak out ‘n all. Know your in a safe place here. We are not in the in Grandia Kingdom. Far from it, actually. We are in Earlsvine, near the northern border, a long way away from it.”

Alex could only stare in stunned silence as Ned explained how some of the neighboring kingdoms bordered each other. Apparently Earlsvine lay on the far north with the Continent with the Grandia Kingdom closer to the southern reaches. An immense desert called the ‘Armudian Expanse’ separates the countries, not to mention several other smaller nations lie between them.

“Ok, I reckon you must be hungry. Why don't you follow me to the kitchen, I have some cinnamon rolls and coffee waiting on us. Afterward I can take you to visit your friend.” Ned offered as he stood up, replaced the chair and headed out ot the room.

Pulling the covers off the bed he realized he was now wearing different clothes, he found himself in a pair of gray slacks and a white shirt. Finding his other clothes neatly folded on the dresser in front of him, he proceeded to change back into his former attire. Although he nearly jumped when he saw the figure before him in the Mirror.

Standing before Alex, was someone not who he was used to seeing. At least not for many years. He was a near twin when he was in his early twenties, save for being a little skinnier, and a little more defined in his legs and shoulders. His hair was now a lot fuller sporting short ashy brown waves, compared to his old style. He still had his hazel eyes, which made him happy. It was one of the few things in his old life he wasn't self conscious about.

“Not bad, not bad at all.” Alex mused, before getting dressed and joining Ned at the table.

Upon entering the dining room the smell of cinnamon and coffee overwhelmed his senses. The sensation was intoxicating to Alex who, since arriving in the new world, has not had a lot of decent experiences when it pertained to food. Ned, gesturing to take a seat, offered one of the pastries.

Alex took a bite, immediately making a small noise of enjoyment. He didn't mean to, but the soft tender roll, combined with Sugar, honey, and spices, danced in his mouth. There was something about it though, something different. What was this extra note, dancing with the melody?

“Is that clove spice? You added a bit of Clove to this didn’t you? Alex asked, curious to the added depth of flavor.

“Spot on, my young friend. Bit of a family secret, really. I love it! Ned Gave a hearty laugh at that. “You must be some kind of chef to pick that out though.”

“Something like that,” Alex smiled back, now trying the coffee. He found the blend quite pleasant, hiding the normal bitterness you would find in the brew; he was able to enjoy its rich earthiness and citrus notes. The old turtle must have salted the water, allowing the more subtle flavors a chance to shine.

“This is really good, thank you. I mean it” Alex offered to his new friend.

“You sir, are more than welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it.” Ned answered, another laugh escaping, “Heck, I'm happy to have some decent conversation for once. On account that this place has been abandoned for more years than I appreciate, but that's how Flintwood has been. Not much to do about it.”

That last statement caught Alex off guard. “Say what now?”

About an hour or so after eating, Ned led Alex up the hill towards the Cemetery. Apparently Alex managed to find his way to Flintwood Village and he had no idea in the slightest how he reached it in the first place. Taking a look around he found the village to be half maintained, half reclaimed by the grass and vines. It was spooky to be sure, but the air still felt calm. Even though the village was abandoned, it was malevolent, as if it was simply waiting to be welcomed once more.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

It took a good ten minutes to reach the hill, Ned pointed towards the resting place of Evelyn, and walked away, stating he will be back in the house if he needed him.

Alex walked up to the gravestone, finding it to be blank save for a symbol of a rose on the stone face. He knelt down to it, placing a somber hand on the rough surface.

“Hey, I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything to save you. I don't even remember how we got here in the first place. You risked your life to save me, and there wasn't any… No, I don't know what happened, but I do know there may have been nothing I could do. We made our choices. Thank You, Evelyn. For giving me a chance at living, and for showing me kindness in a situation that would have been fatal for me. I hope that I can live to repay the sacrifice you have given me, and I wish this insistent buzzing would knock it off while I'm trying to say my goodbyes.”

Unable to ignore the thrumming that had been progressing actively since waking up he gestured to the screen that has been actively trying to gain his attention.

[New Notifications]

“Really! Who would have guessed.” Alex mused more annoyed than anything.

[Warning: OVERUSE OF MANA DETECTED - PLEASE REFRAIN FROM DEPLETING ALL MANA]

[WARNING: ALL MANA HAS BEEN DEPLETED - UTILIZING LIFE FORCE CONVERGENCE]

[WARNING: LIFE FORCE LEVELS ARE LOW]

[WARNING: LIFE FORCE LEVELS CRITICAL SYSTEM OVERRIDE ENABLED]

[System Override Engaged: Forced Recovery Enabled]

[Threshold Achieved: Class Shift Ability Unlocked]

[Threshold achieved: Ability to summon aid sprite unlocked]

[Threshold achieved: Staff Familiarity now at level 3]

[Warning: Overuse of first and second forms have been damaged beyond normal means - Forms are currently locked until fully recovered]

[Main Quest Completed: Locate Flintwood Village]

[New Questline Assigned: Restore the forgotten village]

[New Objectives Assigned: Please Check new screen for details]

[Recovery Complete]

Alex stood there, overwhelmed. What in the world happened. Seriously, what happened at the time, he was in the forest till now. Unsure he would figure out what happened. He put that thought to the side. He continued reading all the other notifications, deciding to check the other objectives later. The warnings he would have to talk to Libra about…

“Wait, I forgot about LIBRA!” Alex exclaimed quickly pulling out the small notebook. He opened it to the first page hoping everything was ok.

* ALEX!!! Where have you been Ive been trying to reach you for over a month now.

* Hold on, how are you in Earlsvine. What Happened?

* Are you ok?

Alex, unable to really answer the other questions, simply stated. “Yeah, I'm ok. I'm not sure what happened. I just found myself here just earlier today.” He then went to explain the events he could recall including Ned, Evelyn, Rodick, the Statue and the notifications. The whole time the book pulsing with the Ellipses that had come to understand meant it was listening. After everything was finally explained. Libra started responding once more.

* So some good new and bad news. First and foremost you are safe were you are. It will be a long time before anyone would try to find you. Earlsvine is very indifferent towards other worlders, let alone the North Heroes Faith.

* Bad news is since your staff is damaged its going to take a long time to recover. So you are going to be stuck there for a good while. Thankfully the system is wanting you to stick around and help restore the Village, so there’s that at least.

* I’ll try to find some more information about whats going on, as well as what happened in the woods, and will try to get in touch with you soon.

* Its good to see you are ok and safe. I will inform Evelyn of this as well, if possible.

* Stay Safe, Adventurer

With that the book went blank once more. Libra mentioned reaching out to Evelyn, did they know her. More questions that Alex now had, and he was tired of feeling Railroaded by everything. He needed a break, something to help him slow down. He wasn't a hero, or an adventurer, And he was tired of being treated as one. He was simply Alex.

Annoyed, he finally pushed on the New Objectives icon on the screen for restoring Flintwood. Maybe this would help his situation, or at least help his new friend, Ned.

[New Objective: Restore Flintwood]

* Restore Crestview Farm - New Objectives unlocked

* Clear Field of Debris

* Chicken Coop Unlocked

* Farm Level Increased

* Crop Quality increased

* Repair Old Barn and Stable

* Carpenters Hut unlocked

* Farm Level Increased

* Livestock ownership unlocked

* Restore Farmhouse

* Arthurs Memoir “Farmhands Fieldguide” unlocked

* Farm level increased

* Sprite Authority increased

* Restore General Store

* Required: Farm Level 2

* Required: Town Population 4

* Required: Class Mechant

* Restore Main Street Bakery - Objectives Locked

* Required: Farm level 3

* Required: Town population 9

* Required: Baker Class

* Restore River View Cafe - Objectives Locked

* Required: Town population 15

* Required: Farm Exports 500,000 Credits

* Required: Locate Memoires “An Alchemist Lament” and “Heavenly Blacksmithing”

* Restore Iron Side Tavern - Objectives Locked

* Required: Town Population 30

* Required: Restore Oakfield Vineyard

* Required: Restore Hogshead Smithy

* Restore Town Hall - Objectives Locked

* Required: Population 30

* Required: Restore Clinic

* Required: Restore Library

* Restore Town Square - Objectives Locked

* Required: Clear Town Square of Debris

* Required: Town Population 9

* Required: Farm Level 2

“That's a lot of objectives,” Alex laughed, trying to keep from freaking out. This was definitely a large order to get things settled for the village. He would discuss this with Ned soon enough, as Alex had one last thing to check.

[Summon aide sprite]

Finding the prompt he pressed the option seeing what information it might have, instead it just led to another message.

[Use Memoire: Lone Edge of a Forgotten Princess?]

[Y/N]

Well that was different. Alex was pretty sure that this was the first time the system asked him a simple yes or no question. Although this led to another question. When did he get a Memoir? For that matter, where was the memoir? Only one way to find out, he guessed. He reluctantly reached out and pressed, YES.

[Memoire Utilized: Essence file registered]

[Now Summoning…]

A bright column of light blasted skyward, a near deafening boom emanating from the column, along with a scream, from Ned’s Home…

“Oh No, the book from earlier” Alex breathed, now running as fast as he could to his new friends house. Quickly opening the door, he found Ned at the doorway to the room he was in just that morning, making his way up to the turtle, he could see what the old man was staring at. Floating in the middle of the was a brightly glowing orb of light slowly taking shape and lowering to the ground. Its light finally taking form, revealing a small figure with dark bronze skin, short jet-black hair and…

Alex Gasped. “Evelyn…?”