Well here is the next chapter. Being to be honest, writing heartwarming story is kinda hard to me for some reason (I am no sadist lol). It's just that I feel like if the story is like that, then there wouldn't be much to keep people around to read them. That's just how I feel, but anyway, here is the next chapter in this series. I hope you enjoy it, this is just another normal day before it end, awkwardly.
Chapter 3 : Another Day
Do you know about the land of Ealonna? It is one of the four great continents in this world, Elrios. The land of Ealonna, unlike the other who use what resources they find in their land and use those for all of their benefits, leads a life of harmony between the living. The land gives man resources to improve their life, in exchange they protect and preserve the forces of nature, helping it to grow and recover its lost energy. After many centuries of doing so, the land of Ealonna has been the most prosperous and peaceful land known in the world. But of course even for such a peaceful land, there are evil hiding in the darkest corner, waiting for the time for the to bare their fangs against the innocents.
That's where we come in, the natural forces, born by the blessing of the mother of nature, the Vitam El. When the time comes when there is tragedy that fall upon the land and people of Ealonna is threatened, we will answer their call and rush to their side. After many generations, the people of this land know us at the the warriors born to preserve the peace and balance of Ealonna. We are the natural embodiment of Ealonna strength. We are the "Elf".
"Ealonna, Reiber Village, Anne's Shop"
"That~ is what I wanna say about us, but in real life we are not that great. Ehehehe" I said while scratching the back of my head after telling a short summary of what I know about my race to the owner of this shop when having my breakfast.
"You sure you are not being modest here? You are those who we respect the most in this land." she says, smiling at me while putting another vegetables dish on my table.
"I'm not kidding! We're just a docile race that live our normal life in the quiet forest. Well, we might have helped you out a lot in the past, but we just want to live normally with you. Isn't that what we have always do up until now?" I tighten my grip on the spoon, showing my seriousness about the issue, though I don't know why do I have to.
"Mhm. Ok then milady, please have a nice meal miss Elvis, if you need anything just call. Our shop isn't very crowded so I can help you out anytime." she giggles, then walk away.
"Geez. I told you that you don't need to use formality, Anne..." I say "Well, you may look younger than me but who know how long have you been on this world?" she turns back and give me a winkle, then proceed to go back to her work.
I start to eat away at the dishes she gave me, first thing in the morning, you have to be full of energy. Oh, if you are wondering who I am, just like what I was saying, I am an elf, a young one at that. I did say that we are very docile and like to live peacefully in the forest, no? Well that is true for most of our people, but some of us still interest in the outside world and many have set out to widen their view. I am one of them too, although I do like the life we were having back in my home village, traveling to many places, meeting many different people and experience many different things is an even greater thing to me. That's one of my thoughts in traveling, there is another reason too but I would like to keep it a secret, girls have to have secret of their own, right? And yes I am female, a young girl and inexperienced warrior of the elves.
I finished my breakfast, I put everything neat and tidy into a corner of the table and reach out to grab my crossbow. Then I check if if my hair chignon is intact, my greenish hair isn't very long, but I do have some pride in it, and it would be terrible to have it ruined if it got into something in the forest. After checking all of my equipments "Alright! Now I am set and ready to go!" I attached the crossbow into my hand and stand up.
"Going to explore that ruins you were talking about?" Anne asks behind the counter, polishing something. "Yes! I planned to do it today after all." I said while tapping my shoes.
"Isn't it dangerous for you to go alone to a place like that? I know you are a warrior too but..." Anne says with a worried face.
"It's fine! I have been to quite a few places. I know that I am just a beginner in exploring, but I can take care of myself just fine." I say while clenching my fist, showing my enthusiasm, then quickly make a light bow "Thank you for meal, Anne~ Your dishes are the best!" and I quickly move out of the shop, walking into the light of the morning. "Elves sure is hard to grasp and she only eat vegetables too...not much of a profit. Well at least it's fun to have her around." Anne said with a troubled smile.
I walk across the road in the village and met some acquaintances that I have made since the day I arrived here, I give the a morning greets and keep moving. Then I come across the training camp of the "Belzt Scout" training campus, they seem to be training hard today too. While looking at the campus, I stumble into someone I know.
"Elvis? Are you going somewhere?" a young man, wearing a simple stripe red shirt with a shoulder guard. It is Roth, the captain of these scouts. I don't really know much about their unit, but they had already here when I arrived and I have seen them helping the villager in many thing since then.
"I'm going into the forest to find the rumored ruins." I answer normally "That ruins?" He replies, not very fond of what I just say "I know you, being an elf, know more about the forest than I do. But there has been reports saying that there were some weird noises and howl coming from that part of the forest lately. Can't you postpone you investigation a little bit?" He warns me about the potentially dangers that lie within the forest.
"I appreciate your thoughts, but if I don't hurry up. My budget gonna blow if I keeps hesitating." I'm not staying and eating here for free, I have to work for human currency too. If I work, there will be no time to actually explore, and if after I save up enough and the problem is still there...Eh... not a very good option for me, at least.
"Then do you want me to send someone to accompany you?" Roth offers me.
"Thank you but I will be fine." I quickly run off so he wouldn't have to try and persuade me any further, I don't want other to be involve if it really become dangerous so I just have to turn down the favor. "If I do find something unusual in there, I will tell after I return."
"H-Hey! Are you sure about this?" He yells.
"If they come at me then I'll just have to make their inner bottom switches place with the same upper part!". I reply then quickly run into the forest edge.
"Ah geez. For an elf, she sure is different from what I expected. Heh, well that's cool , too." Roth shrugs and move back to the campus.
I stop after running for awhile, it seems that I am in quite a depth now. I am readied for anything that will come at me so I will just leisurely take my time to go to the destination. I stocked up foods and drink, I can grab something in the forest too so I don't think I will starve even if this take a few days. Today is peaceful too, the birds chirping can be heard all around the forest, the light breezes of the wind gently touch my face and lighten my body. There aren't any better day to go out than this.
After to a certain area, I hear a rummage in the bushes and turns my attention toward that direction, I feel no hostility so I just smile and greet them "Hello little ones. Do you need something from me?" upon hearing my questions, a few small creatures pop their heads out of the bushes.
They are "Phoru", a race of docile animal that live within the forest and usually tailing other out of curiosity. These little ones seems to be newborn, about a month or so. They slowly approaches, staring at my with puppy like eyes. -Squeak- One of them make a sound while looking up at me, I gently hold it up.
"Ehehe. You're so cute~ What do you want from big sis here?" I play with it face while asking it playfully, these guys are really cute and easy to get along so I have fun playing around with them. But there is something I have to do too, so I play with them for only a little bit and then prepare to leave. But well, like I said there is always evil lurking around every corner, this one is not so serious, only mischievous... When I was going to put down the little Phoru I was holding, an adult Phoru dash through and snatches my luggage.
"What the-" shocked, I immediately jump onto my feet, it seems like I was letting my guard down while fooling around, again. The Phoru quickly dives into the shadow of the forest, but I won't let him escape! My precious months of hard-working salary in human society are in those. "Get back here!" I rush after it and shout.
We run through many layers of trees, branches and bushes playing chase. My view in the forest isn't a problem, but the Phoru is quite fast and keep changing it direction, making it quite hard to catch. Frustrating, I sigh and decide to just use force, I don't have all day to fool around "Ah geez!".
I draw my crossbow and concentrate my energy, anticipating the path it gonna chose next and shoot an arrow to a tree near it. The arrow pins into a tree right in front of the Phoru, which stops it immediately on its track. The arrow is linked with my crossbow by a spiritual line, so it quickly pulls me toward it with my order. I fly to the Phoru, which seems to be quite intimidated, and send out a air-slicing kick.
"Yahhh!" as I shout, a wind piercing noise can be heard, a few trees around there got slashed, along with some hair on the Phoru's head flies off, leaving it lying unconscious on the ground. "Ah...I think I used too much force."
I haven't got a chance to actually use my fighting arts in such a situation before so I think I overdid it a bit, if my bladed shoes had hit that Phoru, its head would have gone flying. I move to its side and check on it condition, it is pretty much out cold.
"I guess I overdid it. Sorry~" I apologize while taking back my things. Even for prankster or thief, I think that was kinda harsh.
I check my luggage again, only to find out something even more frustrating. "M-My crest!?" the crest I was given back home was lost. Did the Phoru drop it on the run? Nonetheless, it is something very precious to me and I can't just lose it like this. "Uuu... What misfortune! I have to find it before it fall into other hand!" I rush off, leaving the Phoru behind and start to look for the crest.
I run back on the way I was chasing the Proru earlier, hoping it would be around there. It has been quite awhile and I have been faraway from my last stop so it will be hard to find it like this. I totally forgot about my former objective and keep running all over the place trying to find my crest. It was noon when I was out of energy.
"Ha...ha... Where could it be? I'm sure that I put it in there and if it isn't in there, it must have beem dropped around here." I try to calm my breathing. Going into panic won't help, I have to think of other possibility. In this forest, if it wasn't dropped then someone or something must have take it away, but searching for something like that is pretty much trying to find a needle in a haystack.
When I was still trying to figure out a way to search, the earth suddenly start to shake "Huh? An earthquake?" I stand up and try to balance myself, but just to get knock out of the way right after. A horde of animal in the forest suddenly charge at me, knocking me out of their way "Woah!" totally send me flying, if I wasn't fast enough to shift my self, my head would be inside a tree right now.
They seem to be running away, is there something that is scaring them away? I was wondering, and since it won't help staying here, I follow the path where they were coming from. It lead deeper inside the forest and the light starting to become weaker around this area.
This place is different than the other section the forest "What is going on here? The vegetation here is...withering." it isn't that the whole place is dead, but it seems that they are not in good shape. And to worsen the problem, I started to smell a strange fragrance on the other side. I slowly walk through the bushes and come into an open place, with a small figure standing there. It seems to be looking at something lying on the ground, seemingly a small animal. The small one runs off, leaving the figure behind.
The figure raise its hand up and start looking at it, I can't really see much in here so out of curious, I slowly come out of the shadow and approach the figure, readied for anything. It seems that it has noticed me as well, so it turns it attention toward me immediately.
It is a small child. At first glance, the figure it just a kid with small body, with short silver hair that illuminating the light around it. I was kinda delighted but only to be shaken up right after, the body of this kid is drenched it blood, dying its clothes with a dark bloody color. Now I know what was that weird fragrance, it was the scent of blood. Cold chills runs through my body, the eyes of this child doesn't have any life in it, it is just like it has no soul in it at all. Although prepared, this kind of encounter isn't something I really wanted.
It still standing there, staring at me silently. I gulp, try to muster my courage and put up a straight face and ask with a smile "Uh... Hello! We are having nice weather today! What are you doing in such a dark place like this?"
WHAT IN VITAM NAME WAS I ASKING? That question is totally out of place! Luckily it doesn't react at all, I try to calm myself down and look for another way to continue this conversation, not letting it goes into a chaotic result. But unfortunately, something totally blew off my pulse. The figure was holding my the crest I lost back then, making me accidentally yell out "HEY! Isn't that my crest?!" pointing my hand toward the kid.
Not only that, to make matter worse, I accidentally raised the right arm with the crossbow attached to it, which was holding another arrow I was preparing for the worst case scenario. And yes... that preparation just made the worst expected scenario become reality. Due to my lack of expertise in using range weapon, I unintentionally let loose the string that was holding the arrow and shoot it at the the kid.
"AH! Look ou-" startled I shout to alarm her, but it was unneeded. The kid pulls out a weapon out of nowhere and deflect the arrow like it was nothing... and then give me a deadly gaze right into the eyes.
"...You too, huh?..." I can feel the animosity in those words, the kid eyes change from lifeless into those of great hatred.
Unable to say anything to defend myself, I slowly move backward "Um...Eh...That's...Ahahaha" WHY AM I LAUGHING?
As I still giving out a smiling face, that kid has already start to approach me with that large spear-like weapon, with total hostility of course. I sigh " Guess today is a bad day for exploring...-sob-".
Well if someone is around there at the moment, they would be hearing sound of blade clashing a few seconds after that.
So did I do good? "No" will be definitely be the answer I give to myself, this chapter was being made by too many awkward situation that I thought up trying to make it more lighthearted but I think I end up making a mess. Although this does make it an official chapter that contribute toward the story itself, any thought that can help me improve will be greatly appreciated.