《The Trudge Through The Forest》


 Chapter 1: The First Step

    At some point in each of our lives, we must take our first steps towards a goal. That is what my father taught me. The memory of that day played slowly through my mind as I packed my shoddy leather bag with dried meats and jarred berries. With a spool of thread and a pair of needles used for sewing, with a small yet heavy leather pouch filled with all the coins I had amassed. The way my father spoke that day, the way he moved and the emotions he showed; all imprinted on my mind like paint covering a painting.


    A thin yet lengthy cloth, suitable as a tent or a blanket if necessary. A change of clothes and a tightly sealed flask of water. That day, the first time my father took me into the city; I wasn¡¯t so much as eight years old, but each step I took felt longer than the twelve years that would follow. The sturdy cobble path that crunched with each step we took, the glimmering glass panes that reflected even the bright noon sun; the clamors of busy folk and the chimes of bells, the creaks of hinges attached to both old and new wooden doors. Each direction I looked in that day was a new adventure to be had.


    A brand new knife with its tanned leather sheath, and two books, one of which I had never read before. It was that unread book that stood out to me that day, despite the shiny objects, the sweet foods and smells, it was one simple book that caught my eyes that day. The Forest Encyclopedia. A book that set my path despite having never read it, even after twelve years.


    As I clasped my bag and gently shrugged it over my shoulders, I took a final look around my room. With the gentle sunlight stretching past the wooden window doors, the tightly packed bed with a single pillow resting at its head; the empty desk with a single chair tucked neatly into the space beneath it. The countless memories I had within this room raced through my mind like a horse through an open field, free from any predators or even the need for food. But as my father said, at some point we must take our first steps, and these were mine.


    With the suffocating sense of unease in my chest, I turned to the door and opened it. Letting the warm sunlight shining from my window spread through the lifeless wooden interior of the rest of the house. It¡¯s a shame he couldn¡¯t be here to see this, he would have loved to see this. As I walked through the house, by the table nestled gently in the center of the room; past the cabinets packed tightly against the walls, the comfy chairs resting in the corner. Each object I passed acting like a torch, lighting my way to where I needed to go.


    The front door.


    I paused in front of the exit, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes as I grabbed the tattered metal handle that somehow still worked.


    ¡°Wish me luck, Mom, Dad.¡± I said softly, pushing open the door.


    The sun¡¯s gentle warmth felt like butterflies on my skin, and the breeze of fresh air that blew color into the lifeless room behind me blasted the unease in my chest into the past; almost as if it never existed in the first place. The chirps of birds and the rustle of grass and leaves dancing along the breeze like an actress dancing across the stage of a play. Between the beams of light splitting the trees that surrounded the house and the depths of the shadows where the light couldn¡¯t reach laid stood the place of my dreams. Every time I stepped out of the house for eighteen years, my dream stood in front of me, beckoning for me to step foot in every time I so much as glanced at it.


    But today was the day, with nothing to turn back to and everything to look forward to, only that step forward could be taken. That step forward is different for everyone, when, where and why it presents itself, we can never control. But we can control if we take that step or not when the time comes, and now it is my turn.


    As I slowly meandered down the steps to my home, the wafting smells of sap and morning dew filled my nose; the sense of ease nature brought me was something that couldn¡¯t be compared to anything in the world. As I progressed further the soft crunch of the bright green grass and the warm breeze on my face under the summer sun only furthered my resolve, it felt as if nothing in the world could stop me. Not The Hero of the North and his party nor the Council of Twelve in the south could pose a complaint to my current state, not that I had any concern about them in the first place.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Within a few steps I would arrive at the shadowy forest edge, yet before I could enter, I felt the urge to turn back one last time; to observe my home for maybe the last time. A quick glimpse over my shoulder was all I could bear, yet as I observed the deep brown wooden frame of the house mixing with all colors of plants and the lightly tanned terracotta resting firmly between the wooden beams, something else caught my eye; but only for a brief moment.


    A shadowy glimpse of two figures, one dressed in an ordinary leather dress that made her flawless skin stand out further. The other dawned leather pants and a light gray chestplate over a light brown undershirt; with a sword sheathed neatly on his right hip and his left hand glued to the woman¡¯s hand. The deep black hair the ghostly duo showed flowed seamlessly with the wind, whilst the woman¡¯s long hair waved like a flag behind their backs and the man¡¯s short and spiky hair dancing about like blades of grass in a tornado. Their age looked as if they were no older than twenty, as if the years of wear and tear I had last seen them with were no longer there. And despite the distance between us, their smiles seemed just as genuine as when they were alive.


    As I turned my head back to the forest with a tear in my eye, I held my head high and raised my hand, waving to the ghosts of my parents as I entered the shadows of the forest.


    It was better than I could have ever imagined, the differences between each tree and branch, despite each tree being the same type of old spruce I¡¯d seen every day. Everything I could see felt like a dream, one of which I wished to never wake up from. The wind that blew mildly outside the forest felt stagnant between the trees, yet the sticky scent of sap permeated as if the breeze had been there for hundreds of years without stopping.


    How far have I traveled so far? Maybe a kilometer or so?  I couldn¡¯t tell at this point, I was too immersed in what I was seeing right now. Moments earlier, I was walking peacefully through the forest, with no path to guide me and only the materials I had packed to survive on. Wonder and curiosity had fully taken over my mind as I observed everything around me, everything¨C including the first monster I would ever meet. Spanning nearly two meters in length and half a meter in height, whipping around a loose yet sturdy tail coated in light green scales. The monster crawled around on four legs like a dog, yet it had claws like that of a hawk and horns atop its head like a mix of a deer¡¯s antlers with an added nose horn. Its scaly green body of slim, tightly packed muscle alongside the cracks and cackles of electricity spewing from its tail exuded a menacing aura as if to scare off anything that might mistake it for food.


    Thankfully, there was a nearby bush I could hide behind until I knew more. Before the monster could detect me I managed to hide and retrieve my copy of the Forest Encyclopedia from my bag. Between flipping through pages to find this monster¡¯s information, I watched as it dug through the dirt, exposing all manners of roots and bugs beneath the surface. Finally I found this monster''s entry, let''s see if this one is worth the trouble or not.


    [Shock Lizard]


    A relatively small species of lizard, spanning anywhere from 1-1.5 meters in length depending on age. While alone they¡¯re timid and often run away from conflicts, but if more of its tribe are within 30 meters, it will stay and fight while drawing its brethren¡¯s attention. Often found in Swampy marshes, or in forests with ample shade and a strong water source such as rivers or lakes.


    It often only attacks with its electric shocks exuding from the tail and horns, tending to use its claws and teeth when its target is unconscious or if its electricity doesn¡¯t work. For new explorers or adventurers, it''s recommended to avoid conflict if there are more than one in a single area, as its electric shocks get more powerful the more of its tribe is nearby.


    Although there was some more info in the Forest Encyclopedia about the Shock Lizards, it was mostly about habitat and eating habits. Unfortunately for me though, this Shock Lizard was almost double the size of the average Shock Lizard. And with how brazenly it crawled around, it seemed like there would be more in the area if I were to attack it. I was quite lucky that it hadn¡¯t found me yet, hopefully that luck stays with me for a little while longer. I flipped to the next page of the Forest Encyclopedia, and it seems that I jinxed myself upon reading the next page''s contents.


    Shock Lizards cannot be avoided, their keen sense of smell and 180 degree vision lets them detect predators and prey with absurd levels of accuracy, with exception to Holy Grade Stealth Magic.


    As I read that line I could feel a crackling breath travel across my ears alongside a growl that would scare even veteran adventurers. In a way, I became paralyzed as I saw the jagged front horn of the Shock Lizard stretch past my face. With it being this close to me, and my knife still packed in my bag, my chances of survival are slim to none. I could feel sweat dripping down the side of my face as ripples of electricity zapped in front of my face; my fear of this lizard spread through my body, to the point where even breathing felt impossible.

 Chapter 2: My Unlikely Scenario

    I could feel the fear inside me rise the further forward the Shock Lizard moved its head. It was to the point where I could see my own face in the lizard¡¯s eye. The terrified expression on my face and the fear ever present in my hazel green eyes. Even my white hair with black patches littered without, like paint flicked randomly across a canvas. Yet, while I could see myself in its eyes, I could also see the crackling red blood dripping down the side of its neck.


    At the top of the wound was a stone knife stuck halfway into the lizard¡¯s neck, the clear culprit of what caused the wound. Maybe it was this wound that¡¯s kept me alive, despite the Shock Lizard being close enough to eat me with one bite. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves in preparation for my next move. Slowly, as slow as I could move, I reached for my bag, rummaging around for a strip of jerky to give to the lizard. It was a gamble, since I didn¡¯t know how intelligent these Shock Lizards are, but maybe helping it would be better than killing it.


    As soon as my hand exited my bag, the Shock Lizard tilted its head down, clearly having smelt the jerky leaving my bag. Yet unlike common house pets, it didn¡¯t snap at my hand to steal the jerky for itself, the lizard began to lower its body, to the point where its head was resting on my lap in a matter of seconds. It did hurt for a moment, as its heavy head caused the prickly green scales to dig into my thighs every time I tried to move, almost as if the Shock Lizard was saying, ¡°You can¡¯t leave until you help me.¡±


    I gently placed my hand just above the lizard¡¯s front horn, petting it gently as I moved the strip of jerky towards its mouth. Had it not reigned in the electricity emitting from its horn, I would have been zapped already, I probably wouldn¡¯t be dead, but I¡¯d wish I¡¯d be. The Shock Lizard bit down on the jerky I had placed mere centimeters in front of its mouth, and as it chewed through the dry and rough jerky I directed my attention back to the lizard¡¯s wound.


    The lizard was clearly in pain, that was obvious just from inspecting the wound. And while I¡¯m not a doctor, I do know how to patch a wound. From my bag I pulled out the lengthy cloth, folding it a couple times so it matched the width of the lizard¡¯s wound. Yet as I gently grabbed the stone knife, I felt the lizard¡¯s growl reverberate through my legs, I could almost tell what the Shock Lizard was thinking based on its reactions; this time it was saying, ¡°stop that, you¡¯re making it hurt worse.¡± Or something along those lines.


    I laid the lengthy cloth over my shoulder and grabbed another strip of jerky from my bag, hopefully this would distract the lizard long enough to let me take the knife out of its neck. I took my hand off the knife as the lizard chewed through the second piece of jerky, using it to pet the lizard¡¯s scaly head for another few minutes. It was weird, this Shock Lizard was different from how the book described them, first in size and then with its behavior, whoever researched the Shock Lizards must not have spent a lot of time with them.


    After several minutes, I could feel the weight of the Shock Lizard pressing down on me increase, as it seemingly fell asleep in my lap. Despite the pain it seemed to be in, it was sleeping so peacefully, so much so that I didn¡¯t want to wake it by moving. But that stone knife was a danger to its life, if it dug into its flesh any further it could be paralyzed for life, so it had to be removed.


    As gently as I could, I wrapped my fingers around the stone knife¡¯s handle, the shoddy twine grip wrapped around the handle felt like grabbing bundles of unprocessed wheat. With my spare hand I grabbed the lengthy cloth on my shoulder and took a deep breath, and another just for good luck¡¯s sake. With this I was ready, I¡¯d have a few seconds at most to tie a knot in this cloth around the lizard¡¯s neck once the knife was removed. Surely the lizard would resist, so this very well could be my end.


    With as much speed and strength I could muster, I yanked free the stone knife, the second the knife came free the Shock Lizard¡¯s eyes shot open with fury and agony clear inside its snake-like eyes. Yet, its head didn¡¯t move from my lap, it only watched as I tied the cloth around its neck to cover the wound, not tight enough to strangle the lizard, but just enough to seal up the wound. After I tossed aside the stone knife, the Shock Lizard seemed relieved, as if saying, ¡°thank you for saving my life.¡± It slowly closed its eyes once more, letting itself go limp as it fell asleep in my lap.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°This feels nice.¡± I said aloud, I knew nobody was here to respond, but talking to myself sometimes feels good.


    I placed my hand on top of the sleeping lizard¡¯s head and looked up into the branch filled sky, the mix of sunlight and shade that encompassed the sky was as beautiful as any sunset I had ever seen. But despite the beauty of the forest that could bring peace to my mind, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder about my actions. Why did I go through the trouble of saving this Shock Lizard? Could I have killed this lizard from the start? Do I even have the guts to take a life, even if it isn¡¯t a human one? The questions ran through my mind like a fish swimming downstream, all left unanswered, digging into my head like a nail through wood.


    If there was one thing I was sure of right now, it was that helping this Shock Lizard was the right choice. This encounter alone proved why The Forest had been unclaimed by humans for centuries, even a monster that was common in this area was powerful enough to kill a trained human if it wanted to. Maybe Mom and Dad knew this would happen... Would they let me dream on while knowing I''d end up experiencing something that would change my mind?


    Well, there''s no point in wondering about such useless things, it''s not like I could ask them. I haven''t been able to for a few months now anyways. With that bit of self reflecting out of the way, I tilted my head back down, to the sleeping Shock Lizard crushing my legs with its heavy head. Despite how close I was to dying at the jaws of this lizard, I couldn''t help but be curious as to the distinct differences between it and what the Forest Encyclopedia described.


    For starters, its size. The book said Shock Lizards would only be 1-1.5 meters long, yet this one was closer to two meters in length. Secondly, despite being alone as far as I could tell, it acted with such confidence rather than the timid nature the Forest Encyclopedia suggested. Could it have been the author''s fault for these misinterpretations? Maybe the strength he wielded was enough to felt even by these monsters? Making them feel timid unless they had enough backup nearby?


    With my spare hand, I grabbed the Forest Encyclopedia from the grass, had it not been for the lizard''s jump-scare, I wouldn''t have dropped it in the first place. A few shakes of my hand cleared off the dirt that had gotten onto the cover, followed by the flipping of pages one by one until I reached the Shock Lizard page. I started reading from where I left off, glossing over details like their lifestyle, favorite foods, predators and prey. It was only after these detailed sections did I find a paragraph that caught my eye.


    Shock Lizards have an extreme sense of community, so much so that it rivals that of Humankind''s need for companionship. And while they don''t often take kindly to other beings, on occasion you can find other monsters within their tribes and vice versa. If a human were to save a Shock Lizard that has no tribe to turn to, the Shock Lizard has been observed to treat that human as its new tribe.


    With that, I had an answer to one of my questions. Or at least I think I do. This Shock Lizard was an outcast of some kind, one without a tribe to turn to. It wasn''t interested in a quick meal that could fill its belly for one day, it wanted to find a new family so it wouldn''t be lonely, or so it wouldn''t become the meal of whatever was hunting it. Had I not started this journey today, it might''ve died at the hands of some other monster; dying entirely alone in a forest that''s hungry and unfamiliar. Speaking of other monsters, I turned my attention to the shoddy stone knife laying in the grass beside me. Something about its design alarmed me, maybe it was the serrated edge still covered in Shock Lizard blood. Or maybe it was the eerie resemblance it had to a knife I had seen years ago. Regardless, if it was in this forest, it was most likely in the Forest Encyclopedia.


    Yet despite flipping through page after page, only skimming through for any sketches that matched that of the knife, nothing matched. Could it be that this knife doesn''t originate from The Forest? If so, why was it here now? Who brought it here and why was it dug into the neck of a Shock Lizard? I was back to square one, with too many questions and not enough answers, but that wasn''t exactly a bad thing. I''ve barely explored this ever mysterious forest, probably less than 1% of it so far. Even if I have questions now, I''m bound to find something that will give me what I''m looking for.


    As I closed the Forest Encyclopedia, a beam of light broke through the skyline of leaves and branches, shining brightly upon the forest floor. With its gentle heat resting on my shoulders like a guiding hand through a difficult task, a smile spread across my face as I embraced the peaceful scenery once more.