ã€ŠCheers to the Warrior Hero!ã€‹


 I Wish I Was Dreaming | Chapter 1

    Todd considers himself lucky to work so close to home. It¡¯s a rough neighborhood and the less time he spends in the dark, the better. The sun had already set well over the horizon two hours ago. The only visible source of light seeps from the tightly locked windows and doors that flank him on either side of the empty street.

    His heavy eyelids and tired legs remind him of what could happen if caught unaware in such a dangerous place. For his exhaustion, he has nothing but his job to blame. Much to his own chagrin, his schedule has had him working later and later shifts every single week.

    He would love to complain to his manager, but as it currently stands, he¡¯d rather not. An able bodied young man¡ªlike himself¡ªis a common occurrence in this part of town. If Todd were to become too ¡°difficult¡±, he¡¯d be fired and replaced without hesitation.

    Instead of mulling over problems he can¡¯t fix, he turns his gaze to his surroundings. His terrifying, desolate, pitch black surroundings. His head moves on a swivel, letting no sound go unnoticed, letting no shadow go unchecked. He hopes his gaze would be enough to deter anything residing within the dark.

    He hurriedly makes his way down the street. His coat sticks close to his body, and his boots beat out into the quiet night. The blemish of poverty stains every building and structure within sight. Plastic bags and cigarette butts litter the street and every drainage grate, fire escape, and metallic surface is covered in a thick layer of rust. His steps are uneven and impaired, as there is not a meter of concrete on the sidewalk that isn''t webbed with cracks.

    A rustling noise sounds out behind him and he flicks his head back; the street is as empty as it always has been. For this entire walk, not a single car has driven by, and not a single soul walked with him. He is all alone tonight, at least, he hopes he is. Only one more block until his apartment block would be in sight.

    Rounding around a corner he approaches a building, his building, to be exact. Its a brick structure, utterly identical to each other building surrounding it.

    And just like last night¡ªand every other night he worked past dark¡ªhe makes it to his building safe and sound. The shadows outside only hint at the possibilities, after all.

    He breathes out a long held breath, trudging out of the darkness and into the dim flickering lights of his apartment block¡¯s lobby. He feels like he escaped a den of beasts.

    The apartment block is in a state of unsurprising disrepair. Well beaten wooden floors creak under his feet as Todd enters the familiar ground floor. He turns his head away from the peeled wallpaper and moldy furniture. A shabby, circular counter is stationed in the center of the lobby. It¡¯s well prepared for a crime ridden environment, as almost the entire circumference is topped with solid iron bars welded from the countertop to the ceiling. Yet, for the few months that he has lived here, he has never once seen somebody inside.

    He walks past the unmanned post and makes his way up the equally neglected staircase. The exertion from the stairs slows him down a bit; the muscles in his legs loudly disagree with each movement. One would think that after a few months of hard labor, a person would get used to this kind of pain. Clearly that wasn''t the case.

    Exiting at the 3rd floor platform, he briskly walks down the hall to his apartment door. He unlocks it, opens it, and quickly slips inside. With a practiced fervor he re-locks the door and slides the deadbolt. He reaches for a nearby chair¡ªoddly placed right next to the door¡ªand rests it under the handle. It''s always better to be safe than sorry.

    Finally in his ¡°home¡±, the struggles of the day made themselves known as every part of his body begins to double, then triple in weight. With all the will in the world, he drags himself into his apartment proper.

    It¡¯s completely dark. The single light fixture of the apartment stopped working a week prior, and the building¡¯s owner was refusing to return his calls. Luckily for him, he acquired a solution from a corner store a few days back. He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a small green keychain-flashlight, and flicks it on.

    His apartment is a dismal and tiny place. It''s a continuation of everything that surrounds it: moldy, unkept, and filthy. The carpet and the plaster walls are poxed with stains and unknown fluids. Bottles and various garbage lay dotted across the floor, increasing in frequency around a large trash bin that has long since overflowed. A bare, one man mattress lays flat on the ground, greedily taking up a whole quarter of the floorspace. An all encompassing musky smell ties the room together¡ªbut it''s his musky smell, so it can be safely ignored.

    Todd carefully moves through the landfill, pushing away trash with his shoes, carving a clear two-lane path from his door to his mattress. A brief spike of panic runs through him as he almost slips on a glass bottle.

    Standing over his bed, he tears off his coat, slips out of his boots, and collapses head first onto the mattress. Not before flicking off his keychain-flashlight, bringing darkness to the tiny room once again.

    He is gross and hungry, but a shower and a snack can wait till morning. What he needs now is sleep. A little adjusting and tossing later and he¡¯s resting in the perfect sleeping position¡ªflat on your back, staring up into the dark ceiling. It''s comfortable and the room is dead quiet.

    Now, all Todd has to do is pass out.

    ¡°I¡¯m probably going to die like this.¡±

    He mumbles softly to himself, his eyes and body keeping eerily still.

    ¡°I''m seriously gonna die like this, I bet.¡±

    He can¡¯t keep his thoughts out of his head, no matter how tired he is. His memories come tearing through his consciousness like a chainsaw. Todd knows exactly what happened for his life to come to this, the cascading pile of mistakes and failures he made since the very start of College.

    Before the ¡°disaster¡±, he was an average student at best, and mediocre at worst. And while he was a tad standoffish, he had a few good friends. He was far from a prodigy or a socialite, but he was ok. He was good enough for most. A true icon of the ¡°middle of the road.¡± But there was only one single unfortunate aspect of his life¡ªTodd was born to a family of winners.

    The Gallighers¡ªhis family¡ªare an absurd bunch. They are athletic, extroverted, and academic geniuses across the board. Perfect is the only word to describe them.

    His mom is a renowned physician and his dad is a bestselling children¡¯s author. His siblings are much of the same, his older brother was a young winner of a national Pianist Competition, and his older sister skipped multiple grades to acquire a massive scholarship years ahead of time. It''s a safe bet to say that everyone in his family can be called exceptional, with only a single glaring exception.

    Todd was never exceptional, he is the singular flaw upon his perfect family. If he was born to any other family he would have lived just fine. But Todd is the youngest child of the Galligher family, and that¡ªhe assumes¡ªis supposed to mean something.

    Growing up, he stood in the shadow of two older siblings that surpassed him in every single possible way. They received praise and accolades for their vast array of talents. Not a second went by that they weren¡¯t surrounded by an endless league of congratulatory good friends. Those two made their parents proud. While Todd, however, was merely a presence¡ªsomething far away.

    Looking at them and looking at him, It was silly to think that they are even related.

    Blatant inferiority was bad enough, but what stings him the most is that his family never thought little of him. They love him, and will love him regardless.

    It makes sense, he thinks. They¡¯re the perfect family, of course they would love him. In fact, he could leave this apartment right now, take a bus all the way back home, tell them everything, and they would still hug him close¡ªeven if he didn¡¯t deserve it.

    After living 18 years surrounded by the exceptional, College seemed like a fresh start. His mediocre scholarly efforts netted him an equally mediocre scholarship to a campus just a few hours from home.

    Within the confines of this College campus, he wished to reinvent himself. He wanted to be exactly like a Galligher should: a prodigy, a socialite, and a winner.

    Though, unfortunately for Todd, he bit off far more than he could chew. It was almost comical how much he set himself up to fail.

    Against his advisor¡¯s will, he signed up for an absurd number of classes. He joined every club he possibly could, and attended every party and social event on the docket. By the end, his weekly schedule was a packed mess. Sunrise to sunset was filled¡ªfront-to-back¡ªwith classes, parties, meetings, and other self-inflicted obligations. No time to rest, no time to think.

    They could do it, easy. It would be nothing to them. If they can do it, then I will too, he thought at the time.

    He put himself through the ultimate ringer. Never in his life had he ever tried so hard. Never before had he pushed himself to such a limit. Planners were filled, books were read, an eternal smile had found itself plastered upon his face. He truly believed that, somehow, the middling Todd Galligher could be born anew.

    But as expected, everything quickly went to hell. It was all too much for someone of his meagre caliber. It took just a few sub-average grades for the first cracks to show. All that smiling, all those parties, all those clubs. It went nowhere in the end. He only made it a few weeks in before he burnt himself down to the nub.

    He could study hard and pretend to smile all he likes, it doesn¡¯t change the simple fact that he¡¯s still the same person he¡¯s always been. Nothing had changed¡ªhe hadn¡¯t changed. He was miserable, all his efforts for nothing. He hated every second he spent on that campus.

    Soon enough, staying in bed and rotting away was about the only thing he ever did. It didn''t matter if he went to class or not, it was all useless in the end.

    While both his siblings could effortlessly push through the struggle and overcome. He¡ªinstead¡ªbecame a social recluse and got put into the academic red zone.

    He tried to be like them and was thoroughly put in his place. He wasn¡¯t like them, he just¡ªfundamentally¡ªisn''t a real Galligher.

    A few more missed assignments later and he was banned from campus; suspended for ¡°poor academics¡±. Which was fair, he admitted. No way they could keep somebody like him.

    Yet, for some curious reason, the school failed to contact his parents.

    They only told him. Somehow, his parents didn¡¯t know about his suspension! If they did, they would have driven here to pick him up, or at the very least called him about it!

    Then he had an idea. It was a stupid, stupid, idea. Todd¡ªwith his infinite wisdom¡ªdecided to lie to them.

    He called them up and told them that he was thriving! That he was acing all his classes, that he was meeting so many new people, that he was truly finding himself.

    Of course, it was all bullshit front to back. Though, he might have been a tad unrealistic with his lies. But after finishing his story, the way they replied shocked him.

    They sounded so happy for him. His parents never spoke to him in such a tone before.

    They wanted to hear everything, so he quickly made an excuse and hung up. He could hear it in their voices and their caring words. They truly love him¡ªand he abused that, because he wasn¡¯t good enough. Todd cannot recall a time in his life where he hated himself more than that moment.

    Now all alone and on the streets, he had to get his crap together and figure something out. But most importantly, he had to keep the lie alive.

    To this day, his parents continue to call regularly and Todd continues to dig his grave deeper and deeper, all while keeping track of the ever increasing complexity of his fake College life. Thankfully, they never question his stories too much, they clearly trust him.

    While lying to his parents was hard enough, the truly difficult part was staying alive and earning a living. He found a job easily enough. It wasn¡¯t a good job with a good income, but it was something at least. And before he left for College, he collected a decent sum of cash from a part-time summer job. Using that, he was able to get himself a grimy hole in the ground to call home.

    Now, he had a job and a place to live, all that was left for him was to make something of himself. Boldly lying to his loved ones and having something to show for it is better than boldly lying and having nothing.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    If he was going to truly live like this then he was going to make it big, no excuses. Anything that one would deem ¡°success¡± will be enough: money, a good job, responsibility or purpose. Anything like that would do.

    The next time his family laid their eyes on him, he¡¯ll be a changed man. No longer a freeloader. Maybe, becoming a true member of the family wasn¡¯t impossible after all?

    Then a few days passed, then a few more days, then a week, then a month. The trash grew more frequent; the garbage began to form piles. The smell went from notable to rancid. A pattern began to emerge. He woke up, he worked all day, then he went to sleep. Repeat, repeat and repeat.

    Running away like this¡ªit should''ve been an opportunity to change it all for the better. But his disgusting laziness has other plans. Despite everything, it''s so much easier said than done.

    He''s working the same job, bathing in the same filth, doing the same damn thing. Every single day. He aims for the stars, but does nothing to reach them. Just like College, just like his entire life. Once again¡ªNothing has changed.

    So here he stays, going to bed staring at the same dark, dirty ceiling he''s been staring at for months. Maybe it was wishful thinking to expect any form of ¡°success¡± in such a rundown place like this, but he can¡¯t use that excuse if he never really tried.

    A part of him wishes that his parents find out. At least then they would get him out of this hellhole and bring him home. Besides, he¡¯s running low on funds; rent has been bleeding him dry. A few more weeks like this and then he¡¯ll be forced to call home.

    His eyes snap open.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Determination leaks from his tone. He lays down on his dirty mattress. An unshakeable resolve begins to fill every part of his being. He won¡¯t falter now, he cannot afford to.

    Wallowing in his failures in the middle of the night isn''t productive¡ªnor healthy. Action must be taken. He isn¡¯t on schedule tomorrow, a full day of possibility ahead of him. He will make use of it. He¡¯ll look for a better job, go to a library, meet new people, anything besides this.

    College was a disaster, the last few months weren¡¯t great either. But this time won''t be like those other times, tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow is where he will take his first steps on the road to success! Wherever that may be.

    With the comfort of tomorrow¡¯s opportunity, Todd manages to close his eyes; the troubles vanishing from his head. The darkness of night transforms into the darkness of rest. His worries and fears lose ground as he slowly descends into a deep sleep. A state of existence where petty little things¡ªlike shame¡ªcannot hope to manifest. A place where the only thing he can contemplate, is nothing at all.

    Todd has always been a ¡°good¡± sleeper, not once in his memory can he recall ever having a nightmare. Well¡­ to be more accurate, he can never recall having a dream either. When he goes to bed, his mind pictures nothing and feels nothing. To him, It''s like he''s suddenly transported from night to day with nothing but a blank space in-between.

    He wrote it off as a quirk of his mind; dreams are something that happen to others but inexplicably never happen to him. It didn¡¯t bother him though. If he couldn¡¯t experience it, then he¡¯ll never know what he is missing. Despite that, however, there was always that small desire to just know¡ªwhat''s it like to dream?

    But tonight¡ªsomehow¡ªIt appears as if that small desire will be granted.

    Within Todd¡¯s mind, something is different. Something is stirring. Traversing the abyss of his own sleeping psyche, he comes across something new. Something he would have never expected to experience. A very simple rule of his life¡ªhis inability to dream¡ªseems to have been broken.

    Is this a dream¡­ am I dreaming?

    He thinks with a slight apprehension. The sheer fact that he is thinking at all proves that something is different tonight, at the very least. He attempts to feel the mattress under his body, but he senses nothing below him. Even the air seemed to have stilled.

    Dreams were described as wild, unpredictable glimpses into the deepest pits of one''s mind and soul. Yet, all Todd could see at the moment was a foggy black void¡ªalmost exactly like his apartment.

    The surroundings aren''t exactly an ¡°unpredictable glimpse.¡±

    Is this it? My mind cannot be this empty¡ªright?

    He tries to move his finger, then his toes. The motions are there; he can feel the feedback. But his body is unfocused and numb, the sensations of movement just barely carrying over.

    He attempts to lift an arm to his face. It''s a struggle just to move his hand. It''s like he¡¯s submerged in honey. Today¡¯s work sapped all his energy, but not to this extent. There has got to be another explanation for this.

    Trapped in his own mind, a feeling of deep unease begins to set in. Whoever had told him what a dream was like had done an awful job.

    Is this even a dream? Sleep paralysis, maybe?

    To test a quick theory Todd opens his mouth to speak.

    ¡°Hey -¡±

    But before he could even register his own voice. His world is subsumed by impossible, unending light.

    A light far whiter than any fluorescent bulb, far greater than daybreak. His eyes¡ªused to the darkness¡ªinstantly burn upon contact with the radiance. No part of his eye is spared, from the edges of his vision to the center of his corneas, the pain rips straight into his skull from all possible angles.

    He wouldn¡¯t be lucky if he wasn¡¯t blinded. Rather, he¡¯d be lucky if his eyes didn¡¯t melt in their sockets.

    Then comes the droning noise; the silence broken. Like two mountains clashing, the sound was impossibly loud and unmistakably grand. Its origin was unknowable, as if it was coming from the light itself or from some unseen horizon. The groan digs straight into his ear canals. It crawls across his body, violently shaking him down to the organs. The sound was practically tearing him apart.

    The limbs that were only numb before now feel non-existent from the vibrations. He could be stock still or flailing around like a rag-doll, he cannot tell.

    Time seemed to bend around him. The all-encompassing light and the obscene noise utterly negating any and all sense and thought. How could anybody think straight under such circumstances?

    Yet, a single thought pokes through the fog. It¡¯s a negative and nagging thought. It will do him no good, but it is all he has.

    Of course¡ªmy first ever dream would be a nightmare.

    It continued like this for a while. Todd is unable to tell how long it had been. Tracking the seconds through the stimuli is impossible. It feels as if the onslaught had lasted for an eternity, but how long is that?

    He assumes that his eyes have long since burned to ash and that his ears drums had been hammered to the bone. The only thing he knows for certain is that, eventually, the agonizing pain soon mellowed into a subdued throb. The blood pumping through the tight wrapped veins covering his form, it''s the only real feeling he has left.

    His eyes don''t matter anymore. His ears don''t matter anymore. There is nothing to be collected from sight and sound, there is nothing else but the light and the endless groaning noise. Except¡ªthat won¡¯t last forever.

    Upon the very edges of his awareness¡ªa place impossible to find¡ªa strange noise begins to form. A thousand different sounds, little clicks, and nonsensical squelches; they all move as one. Like grains funneling down a tube into a singularity. Individually they mean nothing, but together they collect into something whole¡ªsomething coherent. They collect into something that Todd was never expecting to hear again.

    It is a voice. Covered by the great noise, it could just barely be heard.

    ¡°Absolutely not! Have you always been such a crazed lunatic!? This man has nothing to do with us. I''ve been on this project since the very start, and believe me, I would have burned the prototype if I knew you¡¯d do something so disgusting.¡±

    The voice is that of a young man. Both peppy and intellectual. It¡¯s a voice that a student might hear teaching theory in a lecture hall¡ªif it wasn¡¯t currently screaming at somebody. The voice was furious and assertive, there was no room for argument.

    Yet, there is also a sense of focus; not a single stutter or misstep can be heard in the rant. This outburst didn¡¯t come from nowhere, this is clearly something that was building for a¡ªlong¡ªtime.

    ¡°You psychotic bastard. You evil psychotic bastard! This is vile, completely lord-dammed vile! I can¡¯t stand this any longer, I''m gone¡­ This club? I''m done with it. I¡¯ll leave today even, I -¡±

    The voice abruptly cuts. A deep, terrifying, rumble shudders across Todd¡¯s body, and with it, a horrible sensation infiltrates the back of his mind. Like an axe is held above him, waiting to swing at his neck.

    Todd can¡¯t perceive his surroundings. He wishes the voice would return, something to distract him from this sickening feeling.

    Slowly, the voice of the young man fades back into existence, but it''s different this time. The righteous anger is extinguished; replaced with a pathetic and quivering tone¡ªunbefitting of the original introduction. What was once a loud and assertive presence was now reduced to a pleading whelp. Whatever that rumble was, it shattered his bravado to dust.

    ¡°Please¡­ Kethrin, my good friend, many would spit at us if they learned of what we''ve done. But for this¡­ Kethrin, we would be executed. Please. Listen to reason¡­ I-I mean we don''t even know who this is! What if he¡¯s important! We should at least -¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s perfect.¡±

    Never in a million years could Todd put so much power in two measly words.

    This mysterious second man has an absurdly deep voice. Deep as a chasm and solid as stone. The sort of voice that worms its way into your skull. The type of voice that can never be imitated. It''s overpowering, and it belongs to him, and he knows this.

    The young man was shut down immediately. His prattling was simple chaff against the might of his will. When this second man spoke, he did not speak with malice or emotion. He spoke with authority. An authority only reserved for kings, or men arrogant enough to believe they control the world.

    It seems the identity of that terrible rumbling has revealed itself. No wonder the young man¡¯s confidence was left in ruins.

    The second man spoke again, calm and controlled like an undisturbed pool of water.

    ¡°If you wish to leave, then leave. I wouldn''t be awfully bothered if you do. Though it would be terrible to lose a mind like yours¡ªwe would manage in the end, of course¡­ But I''m sure you''re aware, correct? If you leave, you''ll lose my protection, and your brother will not follow.¡±

    ¡°He won''t stand for something like¡­ t-this. He¡¯ll leave too, I know he will.¡±

    ¡°Unlikely, This was his idea, not mine.¡±

    ¡°What!? That¡¯s not¡­ He isn''t like that at all! H-He doesn¡¯t have ideas like that!¡±

    The man takes a brief second to breathe.

    ¡°I¡­ I am sorry, but I simply cannot believe that.¡±

    ¡°You do not have to. Now¡ªdecide. Stay, and do your duty. Or leave, and endanger yourself as the rest of us make up for your absence. But regardless of your choice, I will proceed.¡±

    The conversion hit a lull. The young man deeply considers what he heard. Weighing the few options before him, he makes his decision.

    ¡°I need to talk to Parth.¡±

    The voice slips away, doubtlessly leaving to complete his task. Leaving Todd all alone with a loud, radiant void, and the voice of power.

    Then, like a splash of ice water, he feels a hand placed upon his chest. All the fear he had ever felt in his life couldn''t hope to match the terror that just spiked through his mind. The voices sounded so distant, like a talk show on the radio. They couldn¡¯t possibly be there. It wouldn''t make sense for such voices to be real, right?

    The cold hand pressing upon him proves just how real it is. Todd snaps himself back into focus. His mind is broken no longer. He finally recognizes the reality of the situation: he¡¯s paralyzed, he can''t see, he can¡¯t feel, he can barely hear, and there are two unknown men discussing¡­ something? It dawns upon him.

    Holy shit! I¡¯ve been kidnapped!

    The muscles in his body tighten; his beating heart pumps blood to every corner of his frame. He attempts to move, something, anything. His mouth, his arms, his eyes. Nothing works. It''s like he''s been stripped down, every part of him stolen away. His brain goes haywire.

    As every option before him gets slashed down one by one, incoherent babble floods his mind.

    Wake me up, please! I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to die! I can¡¯t move! What¡¯s happening?! Why can¡¯t I see?! Don¡¯t hurt me! Please! I just want to go -.

    Suddenly, the deep voice of authority emerges, slicing through his rabid thoughts and dominating his mind. The hand upon his chest¡ªlikely belonging to the voice¡ªrumbles as he speaks.

    ¡°Your heart rate is increasing¡­ You are awake. That means you can hear me, correct?¡±

    The voice pauses, as if expecting Todd to reply.

    ¡°You cannot speak? Hmm¡­ A shame, then. I would have liked to know your name, at the very least.¡±

    The hand lifts itself from his chest and tightly wraps around one of his forearms. The grip is firm, Todd could never oppose it.

    ¡°From the sweat across your brow and the strain within your muscles, I deduce that you are afraid, correct? Well¡­ Let me put those fears to rest then, there is nothing to be afraid of.¡±

    The vice-like grip slips from his arm and the voice continues on, but distant, like it''s briefly leaving to prepare something nearby.

    ¡°I assure you, anywhere your life would have taken you pales in comparison to the importance you now possess. You will never be forgotten for this.¡±

    A large crack of thunder and the grinding of metal fills his ears, the unmistakeable sound of machinery. The voice speaks again, but this time, right behind him. Directly into his ear.

    ¡°When everyone across the world basks in the glory of their perfect world. All of them shall know¡ªdeep in their soul¡ªthat it was your sacrifice that gave them their prosperity. For this, for everything, I thank you.¡±

    S-Sacrifice, what does that mea-?!

    Before Todd could even react, a spike of hot red pain wedges itself directly into, and through his scalp. It was an electric and restless agony; so detrimental he can¡¯t fathom where the pain starts or ends. It eats away his nerves like molten steel, and shatters his psyche to pieces. He would scream if he could, he would thrash and wail if he could. But Todd can do nothing as his mind¡ªand likely his head as well¡ªare split down the center.

    The pain lasted only a moment longer, before Todd Galligher could think no longer.

 Just Take a Deep Breath | Chapter 2

    The first thing he feels is a slight tickle on his fingers and the cool sensation of wind on his cheek. Then, a rough surface, pressed against his entire backside.

    His eyelids twitch, conscious slowly returning. A deep groan escapes his lips. There¡¯s no pain anymore, but there is a slight soreness in the head. Whatever that agony was, it¡¯s gone now.

    Is that what dreams are like? That sucked¡­ bad.

    It was one of the strangest nights he had ever had. Yesterday wasn¡¯t even all that special, he has no clue where that dream even came from. Maybe it''s because he keeps going to bed late, it¡¯s the only real explanation for his mind creating that sensory-overload torture-nightmare. Seems he might need to reconsider that talk with his manager.

    Regardless, all days start with getting out of bed. So with silent joy that the awful experience was over, Todd opens his eyes to the beginning of a new morning.

    What he expected to see was the lifeless gray surface that acts as the ceiling to his crappy apartment. What he sees instead, is the smooth rustling of luscious green leaves.

    It¡¯s funny how the mind can freeze like this, when faced with something impossible. Every synapse in Todd¡¯s mind works furiously, trying to rationalize why his apartment ceiling was a forest canopy, and not gray painted plaster.

    Is my roof gone?

    He shakes himself from his stupor and sits up. Just as he figures, he¡¯s not in his apartment. He''s in a forest, with wide trees surrounding him on all sides, green leaves adorn their outstretched branches, moss and small fungal growths wrap themselves around their trunks.

    A variety of plant life¡ªflowers and sprouts of all shapes¡ªlay across the chaotic underbrush. Strong wooden roots snake though the floor, breaking through various patches of dirt, bushes, and stone.

    The forest is thick indeed, no matter how far he looks, all he can see is trees and more trees. He turns to look all around him, no change there, just more greenery as far as his vision can go.

    A few chirping birds, and a calming breeze is all he can hear. Despite the fact that he¡¯s in a random forest that he has zero memory of entering, the place is undeniably beautiful. It¡¯d be so peaceful if he weren''t so shocked.

    Okay. Everything is okay. You''re fine. You''re fine and everything else is fine. It¡¯s just a forest. What''s so scary about a forest? Bears? Wolves?

    He decides to discard that line of thought.

    How could something like this happen? Did somebody take him from his apartment and place him here? He¡¯s a very light sleeper, if somebody tried to break into his apartment, he¡¯d wake up. And even if they broke in without a sound, they would still have to lift him out of bed! No way he wouldn''t wake up to that!

    Unless he was drugged. As horrifying as that is, it¡¯s the only reasonable conclusion. He moves a hand to his head, it still feels sore.

    What if¡­? What if that wasn¡¯t a dream? What if those two voices broke into his apartment, drugged him, did something to him, and left him in the middle of a forest.

    He remembers last night, that splitting pain, that bright light, it all felt so real. What did they even do to him?

    He feels around his head, the same place of that miserable agony. He brushes his fingers over the area of interest, nothing seems different at first, until he feels a tiny scar beneath his hair. It''s small¡ªbarely perceptible¡ªbut it''s long, it goes from the top of his hairline to the very back of his neck. It''s as if someone bisected his head down the middle, and quickly stitched him together.

    A shaky breath leaves his mouth. That confirms it then, that wasn¡¯t a dream. It couldn''t be. A scar so perfectly placed as to match his dream, it¡¯s all too specific.

    Those two men did something to him, something that would scar the entire top of his head. But that just raises more questions. For instance, why is the scar healed? If his head was split open, then it would take far more time than a single night for it to scar over like this. The scar feels old, somehow.

    Also, why the forest, and why him? He runs the thoughts over in his head, the implications are disturbing. He¡¯s on the edge of panic.

    Yet, no matter the fear, that doesn¡¯t change the simple fact that he¡¯s lost in the middle of a forest, with his ass in the dirt.

    I should check around, t-they could still be here.

    Todd tries to bring himself to his feet, he puts his palms on the ground and pushes, ready to bear the weight of his entire body. Yet, instead of feeling a familiar resistance, his arms shoot straight to full length, as if the ground isn¡¯t there at all.

    Before he can think, Todd is wildly flipping through the air, a whole meter off the ground. Wind zips past his eyes, and his world is turned upside down, over and over again.

    ¡°What the hell-! ¡± He yelps.

    His impromptu flight lasts only a few seconds, before he makes an abrupt landing¡ªwith his face flat on the ground. As his face sifts through the dirt, a moan of frustration slips out before he rolls himself over. His eyes dart around the forest. He¡¯s a few meters away from where he was before, but aside from that, everything is exactly the same. Whatever just did that to him wasn¡¯t here anymore.

    A hand raises to touch his face, despite being driven right into the dirt, it doesn¡¯t hurt all that much¡­ Actually¡ªcorrection¡ªit doesn¡¯t hurt, period! There¡¯s no blood, no scrapes, just a few specks of dirt. What!?

    Something threw him through the air like a toy, and slammed his face directly into the solid ground. A fall like that could kill a man, or at the very least scratch up their face good. What the hell happened!?

    He stares at his hands, Todd has an idea, but he must first put it to the test. He flips himself onto his stomach¡ªhe must be covered in dirt by now.

    Carefully, he places his two palms on the ground, each on one side of him.

    A proper push-up is something that Todd knows well enough. He got plenty of practice during his weird crossfit phase. But he¡¯s not trying to exercise now, he just wants to check something.

    His legs are stretched, and his arms are where they should be, it¡¯s good enough. With minimal effort, Todd begins lightly pushing against the ground, and like magic, he begins to move upwards.

    It''s utterly insane, completely unbelievable, absurd to the highest degree. His arms barely shudder, not a single hint of exertion. It¡¯s like he¡¯s floating. This exercise killed him back in the day, and now he¡¯s doing it without struggle.

    He goes up and down, up and down, up and down, and still, he feels like he could go on forever. Todd can¡¯t imagine anybody moving like this, even the strongest person in the world must feel something when they do a push-up. But he feels, quite literally, nothing.

    That must be what sent him flying earlier¡ªhis own strength. He sent himself flying, because he tried to get up too fast.

    Carefully this time, he slowly raises himself into a standing position. Todd is trembling. He can¡¯t peel his eyes away from his hands. These hands easily threw him several meters, and could very well do worse. At least if those men come back, he could defend himself.

    He needs to put this to the real test. He glances at a nearby tree, that one should work. He moves to the selected tree, even walking feels strangely easy. Up close, the tree is quite something, it¡¯s stubby compared to the others, but it''s as thick as an armchair and tall as a two story house. It must weigh tons.

    He braces his legs and places both palms on the bark, it feels mossy and rough under his touch. Slowly, he leans forward, putting pressure on the trunk. Not enough, he steadily increases his incline, pushing harder and harder.

    Soon, he hears what he¡¯s afraid to hear¡ªa creak. The tree groans under the pressure, it screams as it begins to lean against Todd¡¯s strength. He looks down to his legs, his boots dig themselves into dirt to handle the burden. A sharp crack sounds out through the forest, the tree bark around his hands shatter inwards from the stress. Todd isn''t even trying that hard, and yet the tree¡¯s about to collapse!

    He quickly stops the pushing and scampers away. Looking at the tree, there are two deep indentations in the trunk, exactly where his hands were. The tree has been given a very noticeable slant.

    It¡¯s unbelievable. Todd almost fell a tree, he pushed a tree so hard it cracked and tilted in place. And he did it with his bare hands. If he didn¡¯t stop, he could have easily up-rooted the entire thing.

    His mind goes stark blank, his train-of-thought derailed.

    ¡°This isn''t possible¡­ T-This is all completely wrong¡­ I-I-¡± He stutters his words, trying to comprehend something that simply should not be possible.

    Humans, no matter what, have a limit of what they can do physically, and that limit cannot be broken. There have been many recorded instances of humans performing ¡°superhuman feats,¡± like lifting cars and such. That''s all well and good of course, but to push over an entire tree¡ªroots and all? That is well within the realm of impossibility.

    Ever since he woke up, he¡¯s been faced with absurdity after absurdity. The forest, the scar, and now¡­ some kind of super-strength!? Did they do this to him, those voices, what did they do!?

    He stumbles around. His own body carries itself in a random direction, and leans against a tree. It¡¯s covered in fungus, but he can''t bring himself to care. Nothing makes sense, it¡¯s all so much. His brain is overloading.

    He needs to call somebody, he needs his parents, he needs to hear them. They¡¯ll tell him he¡¯s fine, that all he needs to do is stay right there and they¡¯ll come and pick him up. Just like that birthday party at the Nedleys¡¯ house.

    He instinctively tries to grab his phone from his coat pocket, but his hand bumps against solid leather, a failed attempt to reach a pocket that isn¡¯t there.

    From the constant bombardment of stress, he hadn¡¯t even gotten a good look at himself.

    His eyes cautiously wander down his body, he isn¡¯t wearing his coat, and he isn¡¯t wearing the t-shirt and jeans he went to bed in either. He¡¯s wearing something completely outlandish.

    A black, long-sleeved shirt of cotton cloth adorns his body and tucks into his pants. A length of white string is loosely woven into the cuffs and collar, likely to adjust the width for the wrists and neck. It''s sturdy, comfortable, and likely well used, if the rips and frayed strands were anything to go by.

    A sleeveless leather vest is worn over the black shirt. Stamped across its surface are various studs made of bronze and iron. What little stitchwork can be found is masterfully done, with golden threads instead of a normal cotton. The most eye-catching aspect though, is the intricate designs covering the leather surface, thousands of little nicks and indents from a leatherworker¡¯s tools come together to create an incredible pattern of spires, waves, and roots.

    On his knees and elbows are armored pads made of bright steel, wrapped tightly to his joints with solid leather belts. The armor itself is incredibly thick, if it wasn¡¯t for his sudden burst of super-strength, it would probably feel like lead bars were strapped to his limbs. Concerningly, the metal surface is scraped and dented to hell.

    His pants are made of cotton, frayed all the same as his shirt, and tied to his waist with a rope instead of a belt.

    On his feet are black leather boots, reaching up his legs and stopping right before his knees. Steel plating is adhered to both the toe and the heel of the soles. They too have the detailed leather-work of the vest¡ªprobably made by the same person, if he had to guess.

    These clothes are the furthest one can get from the dress-ware of a normal person, and they are most certainly not what he went to sleep in. He looks like a cosplayer, it¡¯s as if he walked straight out of a convention, or a renaissance fair.

    He¡¯s done, he can¡¯t take it anymore. He¡¯s been awake for less than five minutes and the only thing saving his mind from a full-on panic attack, is that he keeps finding more reasons to have a panic-attack.

    The leg muscles give out from beneath him, and slowly, he slides his back down the tree until his ass is once more in the dirt. He stares ahead with a glossy look in his eyes.

    ¡°Am I dead¡­?¡± A quiet tone of fear within his voice.

    Considering everything before him, the scar, the clothes, the forest, the physics defying strength he suddenly acquired. He¡¯s almost certainly not dead, but he can¡¯t be sure of that. His eyes glance off into the forest, looking at nothing in particular.

    If he is dead, he wishes his parents wouldn''t find out. They don¡¯t deserve that, they¡¯re wonderful people, and they shouldn''t waste tears on him. His siblings too, they got great lives ahead of them, burying their brother shouldn''t be a part of that. In fact, it might just be for the best that they never find him ever again.

    ¡°No.¡± He interrupts the dark thoughts rising in his head.

    A deep breath, in through the nose, then out the mouth. Just like mom taught him. He scratches his cheek with a finger, he savors the feeling.

    ¡°I¡¯m not dead, not yet.¡±

    It would be just like him to give up, throw in the towel at the first sign of pressure. It¡¯s why he failed College, it''s why he ended up in that miserable apartment.

    Doesn¡¯t he want to be exceptional? Or is he gonna give that up too? All his life, he wanted to make something of himself, but he can¡¯t do that if he''s dead in the middle of a forest.

    Plus, he needs to try¡ªto save his family from the pain of a dead son.

    With a back straightened out, Todd¡¯s arms grab the fungus ridden trunk and lift him up to his feet with ease.

    He has no clue where he is, how he got here, or what happened to him in the first place. But this isn''t College, you can¡¯t just run away from it all and rot.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Whatever questions he has can be filed away for later, what matters now is¡­ survival. Black boots march their way back to where it began, a Todd shaped imprint is visible on the forest floor, it''s where he woke up.

    He stands in the imprint, arms crossed, a look of solid steel in his eyes.

    ¡°Alright!¡± He claps his hands once, with vigor. ¡°Let''s figure this out!¡±

    Looking around the forest, he attempts to recall any useful information, specifically from those wilderness survival shows he used to watch. He remembers how they always made a big deal about directions, so Todd looks up to gauge the sun¡¯s position, the light barely peeks through the canopy. It¡¯s mid-day, so he can¡¯t use the sun to find east and west just yet.

    He goes down on his knees, surveying the various grass and plant-life. Nothing is recognizable. The only plant he could recognize is poison ivy, and he can¡¯t see any of that around here.

    He approaches a tree, taking in the sight of an ever-expanding colony of fungal disks and caps growing out of the moist bark. Todd walks away, he doesn¡¯t know crap about mushrooms anyhow.

    A few more minutes are spent carefully inspecting the area. Walking around. Making mental notes. Taking in the sights, the sounds, and the feeling of the woods.

    After carefully investigating his fourth patch of rocks, Todd sits on a fallen log, and puts his head in his hands.

    ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t a fucking clue what i''m doing,¡± dejection leaks from his voice. ¡°Bear Grylls¡­ I failed you.¡±

    The information from those programs didn¡¯t stick as much as he would have hoped. He¡¯s not sniveling on the floor like a child, as he was before, but his position hasn''t changed much.

    Hunched over his legs, he takes a brief look at his hand. Even if it makes no sense, he does have some form of super-strength. Starting a fire, and maybe hunting for food, should be easy with power like this. If it¡¯s in his tool-box, might as well use it.

    He begins to stand up before, suddenly, a small glint of metal catches his eyes. Just a few feet away from where he¡¯s sat, a small glimmer is shining through a small brush of plants.

    It¡¯s hardly noticeable, he almost missed it, but it''s intriguing enough to investigate. Todd gets up from the fallen log and slowly makes his way to the glimmer. Peering into the brush, he spots something both surprising, and very useful.

    It''s an axe. More specifically, it''s a battle axe. Not an axe for chopping wood as much as it is an axe for chopping heads. It¡¯s lying down in the plants, displayed on a pedestal of greenery.

    It¡¯s got a sturdy wooden handle, as long as his arm, and lacquered to a dark shine. On the end of the handle is a metal pommel, with a bright green ribbon wrapped around it, fluttering about. The axe is double-headed, with large and intimidating steel blades jutting out on both sides. Etched into the head is more of that intricate design that was found on the vest and boots¡ªit might be another part of a set.

    Currently, the axe is in a sheath, a circular leather band wraps completely around both blades, covering the sharp bits, but exposing the designs. The sheath also possesses a long strap, used to sling around one¡¯s back, like a single-strap duffle-bag.

    People don¡¯t just leave weapons lying around in random forests. So considering all reasonable logic, the axe was probably left for him. It¡¯s great to have a tool like this, without it, Todd thought he would have to split wood with bare strength alone.

    He reaches down and picks it out from the bush, the green ribbon trailing behind it. Unsurprisingly, the axe weighs nothing in his hands. Yet, for some reason he cannot explain, it feels¡­ good to hold. The axe feels welcome in his grip, as if it was made for his hands, and his hands alone.

    Creepy.

    He only ever swung an axe once, during a family camping trip where his dad asked if he wanted to chop the wood. He took the axe in his hands, swung down at the log, and damn near took his foot off. His dad decided to take over from there.

    He was 12 then, but he¡¯s 19 now. So maybe with extra years of experience¡ªand super-strength¡ªhe¡¯ll be able to chop wood properly.

    The sheathed axe is flung over his shoulders, the strap wraps around his vest, securing it on his back with the blades facing downwards, the ribbon flutters behind him in the wind. It doesn¡¯t weigh a thing.

    There¡¯s a large log on the ground not far from where the axe was sitting. It¡¯s long, wide, and dried out, all the markings for good firewood. But it will need a slight size reduction. Todd begins to fiddle with the straps on his back, trying to get the axe out its sheath.

    As he makes his way over to his future firewood, he finally manages to unlatch the axe from its leather prison, and holds up the steel weapon for all to see.

    It''s sharp. Obscenely so. The edges glisten as the sun¡¯s light leaks through the upper canopy. Holding it to his eyes, the blades look perfect, no impurities at all. It''s 2 crescents of precise destruction on a stick, you could do brain surgery with an implement like this.

    His legs move away from each other as he holds the axe above his head. Eyes remain on the log, visualizing the blade coming down on it. He needs to control his strength here. If twitching his arms too much can launch himself, then he must be careful with how he handles swinging an axe.

    His shoulders are square and his eyes are forward, dad¡¯s own advice. When he finally feels ready, Todd unleashes the sharp edge on the wood, swinging down with just enough force to¡ªhopefully¡ªcut the log in two.

    When the axe makes contact, two things happen at once. First: the axe smashes through the log, cutting through the entire width, and continuing into the ground with a loud crack. Second: the log explodes at the sudden trauma, sending two smaller pieces¡ªand a million little wood-chips¡ªflying in every direction.

    ¡°Dammit!¡± He screams in anger, particles getting in his eyes.

    He lets go of the axe, stumbles backwards, and shakes himself off. Small wood chips fall off him with the movement. Hands rub his eyes and attempt to clear the debris. When he regains his sight, he looks upon the chaos he wrought.

    The two smaller log-pieces were very far apart, their cross-sections are anything but clean. Small chips of freshly exposed wood cover the impact zone. The axe itself is still embedded in the ground.

    Further inspection shows that the log was apparently not lying on the soft forest soil, but instead, on an exposed stone floor covered in moss, a stone floor which Todd just drove his only tool straight into.

    The green ribbon flaps like a flag on a flag-pole. Todd reaches for the handle with a grumble. Less than a minute since he got it, and he probably chipped the damn thing. With a firm grip, he effortlessly yanks the thing out of the stone, and inspect the blade.

    Surprisingly, the edge is still intact, as perfect as it was before. He puts a finger against the glimmering edge. Despite being hacked against solid rock, it was still sharp as hell.

    ¡°Sturdy¡­ good to know.¡± He says to himself. He flexes an arm, ¡°Jeez, how strong am I?¡±

    He barely struck the log, and still he went too far. The axe even sank a whole foot into solid rock. It¡¯s a disturbing thought but, how far can he go? He brushes it off, just another question distracting him from survival.

    Todd lays the axe on the ground. He¡¯s about to grab one of the log pieces, before he spots something deeper into the forest.

    Past the tree¡¯s, as far as he can see. Todd spots something there, and instantly throws himself into action.

    Its movement. Something is approaching him, shaking the foliage as it crosses the woods.

    Todd doesn''t see what it is, and he doesn¡¯t stay around to check. The moment he recognizes danger, he leaps into a nearby bush. It could be a deer, or maybe a rabbit, but it doesn¡¯t matter to him. It''s something, and it''s coming towards him.

    Breaths stifled and shaking suppressed, Todd hopes it leaves him alone. The thing in the woods, it''s closer now, he can even begin to hear the distant rustling. It keeps a steady pace as it moves, blatant in its approach. The thing doesn''t need to hide, It owns this forest.

    Oh god, Oh god! I was so confident. He thinks, subsumed in his bushy hiding spot. I should of ran! Why didn¡¯t I run! I should of taken the axe, and just ran! The ax-.

    The axe! His eyes leave the bush. The axe was laying on the ground next to the two logs, completely forgotten. If it sees it, it might get suspicious.

    You stupid, stupid, stupid fucking idiot! Coward! He shakes with barely contained rage, mostly at himself.

    It¡¯s steps come closer, and closer, they sound clear as day. Even if he did run, it would see him, and he dreads the idea that it would give chase. He chose this bush, now he has to lie in it.

    The monster steps out of the deeper woods, brushing the plants aside. The sun above shines upon its form. Its fearless strides continue onward, as it makes itself clear to view.

    But it isn¡¯t a monster, or an animal. It¡¯s a person. A girl! She walks by Todd, oblivious to his hiding spot, and makes her way forward.

    Her spine is ramrod straight, arms behind her back, her whole demeanor just screams discipline. She walks through the rough terrain with endless grace, boots always hitting their mark, landing in the perfect spot with barely a stumble. She has no need to look down, she¡¯s confident in her strides.

    Black hair, unnaturally straight, flows from the top of her head, cut off in a perfect line right before the shoulders. It''s well maintained, not a single hair is out of place, despite her trek through the thicket.

    She looks back and forth, marching undisturbed. Her turning head briefly gives Todd a look at her face. It¡¯s the face of a stern instructor, not cold, but certainly calculating. Her eyes are black pits, squinted in focus, and her mouth is pinched shut. With the way her face is structured, it¡¯s impossible to guess her age, she could be in her 20s or in her 40s.

    Just like Todd, she¡¯s also wearing wild fantasy clothing. Her upper body is covered in a bright white tunic, unbuttoned, and at least a few sizes too big for her. String is tied around various parts of her arms, to keep the extra abundance of cloth contained. It seems the tunic would have draped much farther down her body, if the extra cloth wasn¡¯t tied around her waist line.

    On her legs, she¡¯s wearing a set of black baggy pants that Todd could only describe as ¡°pantaloons.¡±

    The only part of clothing that seems to fit are the boots. Shiny, black leather boots reach up to her knees, completely unsuited to a forest hike, unlike Todd¡¯s steel reinforced pair.

    Her purposeful march stops abruptly as she spots Todd¡¯s axe, and the disaster surrounding it.

    She strolls over the discarded weapon, bending down and slowly running a hand over the dark handle.

    Then, she shoots to her feet, and immediately drops into a battle stance. Her body turns, revealing a sword on her waist. It¡¯s long, straight, and thin, like a rapier, but missing a cross-guard. More a long knife, than a sword.

    There''s no sheath to hold it, but instead, the blade is precariously tied to a length of rope around her waist. It would be very easy for her to cut herself, storing a weapon like that.

    One hand delicately touches the bare edge of the blade, while the other is wrapped around the handle, ready to draw and cut down whatever moves.

    She canvasses the surrounding forest, looking every which way, preparing to respond if any threat would make itself known. The look in her eyes tell of her intentions, she¡¯s dangerous, and dead serious.

    Todd has no doubts in his mind, if this shark of a woman finds him, she¡¯ll kill him. He dares not move a muscle in her presence. If he¡¯s discovered, he''s dead, it doesn''t matter if he has super-strength now, just look at the way she moves. He could wail on her all he likes, he¡¯ll just miss, he''s certain of it.

    She turns about, locked in her stance, aware of every little thing but Todd himself. Her eyes just missing him, over and over.

    Then, she stops on a dime. Todd¡¯s breath hitches, as she turns to face his hiding place. Her black eyes aren¡¯t passing over him this time, because now, she''s looking directly at him. He¡¯s found, he¡¯s dead.

    The severe expression on her face softens as she sees him, her hands leave the sword on her hip, and rest behind her back once again. The tension in her body ceases, as she straightens her back, standing in what seems to be her¡­ ¡°default posture.¡±

    She opens her mouth to address him, an unfamiliar accent defines a calm and dignified voice.

    ¡°Galligher, why are you in a bush?¡± She asks bluntly.

    That''s his name!? She just addressed him with his name, his family name, but still! Todd doesn''t know this person, but should he? He''d probably remember someone like her. She knows him, though. Should he respond?

    ¡°I see you Galligher, I am¡ªquite literally¡ªlooking at the whites of your eyes.¡± She speaks up, her tone is dead-pan.

    She knows he¡¯s here, she doesn¡¯t look ready to kill anymore, but you never know. Her eyebrow raises in confusion. He can¡¯t stall anymore, a move needs to be made!

    With no options left, Todd slowly raises himself out of the bush, hands raised in submission. He hopes she doesn''t notice the fear on his face, but who¡¯s he kidding, she definitely sees his fear. Once he finally makes his way out of the bush, she addresses him again, the stern expression never leaving her face.

    ¡°Ah¡­ finally, he makes his grand entrance. Splendid.¡± She spreads her arms out, her tone reeks with sarcasm.

    Todd doesn''t know how to reply to this, she doesn''t look at him as a stranger, but with familiarity, she knows his face, and his name.

    ¡°I feel as if I must ask, though, for what reason were you hiding in a bush?¡± She raises an eyebrow.

    He didn¡¯t prepare for that question. Todd can¡¯t help himself, nothing comes to mind, he opens his mouth without thinking.

    ¡°A¡­a bear?¡± He stutters out a weak reply.

    ¡°You saw¡­a bear?¡± Her eyebrow raises even higher.

    ¡°...Yes?¡±

    ¡°You saw a bear¡­in the forest¡­famed for having no bears in it. Is that right?¡± She sounds doubtful.

    Her lifeless gaze bores into him, she¡¯s immense. He''s just a puzzle to her, a very easy puzzle. Todd can¡¯t even reply to that question, it seems she knows that too.

    ¡°Oh well¡­¡± She shrugs. ¡°If you saw a bear, then you saw a bear. Though, I suppose that means these woods are due for a name-change, yes?¡± She asks with amusement.

    ¡°...Um, sure?¡± He gives her a nervous smile, she does not give one back.

    She turns her back to him, approaches his axe, and picks it off the floor, talking as she does so.

    ¡°You have been gone for three hours now, we believed you were just training, but it is nice to see you were¡­collecting firewood.¡± She gestures to the mess of wood-chips and failure. ¡°The effort is¡­appreciated.¡± Her words are tinged with mockery.

    Her hands move forward, offering the axe to him, handle first. Now that she¡¯s close, it¡¯s clear to see that she¡¯s a little bit taller than he is.

    He cautiously takes the axe from her, worried she might try something. As soon as it¡¯s in his hands again, she leaves to collect the two logs.

    The ravaged logs both leave the ground and find their way gracefully into her outstretched arms, she doesn¡¯t even flinch at the effort, it might be super-strength, like his.

    She takes her leave, with the two logs in her arms. The black shiny boots begin stepping in the same direction they appeared from, the extra burden having no effect on the refined march. Before she walks deeper into the forest, she turns around to look at Todd questioningly.

    ¡°Are you not coming back to camp? You informed us you would be gone for only an hour. It has been three, Galligher. Lord Frammis is getting impatient.¡± She looks away for a moment. ¡°...and insufferable.¡±

    His feet are melded to the ground. This woman doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s trying to trick him, but who knows, she could be a master manipulator. What if he says no to her?

    Todd doesn''t know this strange woman, and doesn¡¯t know how she knows him, but you usually don¡¯t give weapons to people you want to kill, so he could probably trust her. Just a little bit.

    She carries herself like a professional, with confidence in every action, so she must clearly know what¡¯s going on here. Maybe she can answer some of his questions, she might even know about the two voices.

    Plus, she mentioned a camp. Camps are usually known to have food, water, shelter, and all manner of things for survival. Todd isn¡¯t really sure he would do well out here by himself, super-powers or not.

    This lady is probably his best bet.

    ¡°Uh¡­yeah, I''m coming!¡± He stumbles over to her, axe held in hand. She gives a quick nod, and begins her walk into the forest. Todd follows right behind her.

 A New Old Friend | Chapter 3

    It has been thirty or so minutes since Todd and this strange lady left for this supposed camp, and so far, it¡¯s been one awkward ride.

    First off, this lady clearly isn¡¯t very talkative. The only words they shared so far was when Todd offered to carry one of the logs, and all he got in return was, ¡°it is fine.¡± What is he supposed to do with that?

    Second of all, the route this lady is taking him is mind-boggling. Left turns here, right turns there, stop and go, it all feels <i>random</i>. He wants to say that she has no idea where she is going, but the sheer confidence in which she moves makes him think otherwise.

    If she truly does know where she''s going, then he has got to praise her memory. From his perception, the forest has barely changed during their journey, with the clear exception of crossing a creek ten minutes ago.

    Todd hasn¡¯t gotten around to asking any of his questions either. He¡¯s too afraid to ask her anything, she¡¯s not a very approachable person, and it doesn''t help that he can¡¯t see her face when she¡¯s leading him.

    He really wants to ask how she knows him, because she clearly does. The familiarity when she spoke to him makes that obvious.

    Maybe she is mistaking him for somebody else with the name Galligher? No, that''s unlikely. What are the chances that there¡¯s somebody else that looks like him, has the same name, and is in the same forest? Slim to none, that''s what.

    He¡¯s gotta speak up soon, the silence is killing him, the unchanging forest is killing him, the <i>awkwardness</i> is killing him.

    What to ask her, though? Maybe he can treat this like a regular conversation. Start with some small talk, maybe? Asking her how her day has been can¡¯t be a bad start.

    ¡°So¡­uhh¡­how''s your day been?¡±

    ¡°It has been fine, thank you.¡±

    ¡°So¡­how far is the camp?¡±

    ¡°You went all the way out here, and you do not know the way back to camp? How <i>irresponsible</i>¡­for shame, Galligher, for shame.¡± She licks back at him with that stony sarcasm. ¡°To answer your question¡­not far.¡±

    That really doesn''t answer his question.

    ¡°How far is¡­not far?¡±

    She stops in her tracks, her march coming to an abrupt end. Todd stops right behind her. She doesn''t turn to look at him.

    ¡°Galligher, do you trust me?¡± She asks, what little emotion she showed before is now completely gone.

    The question gives Todd whiplash, the obvious answer is ¡°no I just <i>met</i> you,¡± but clearly the situation is more delicate than that. The woman seems to have some knowledge of Todd, she both recognizes him, and knows his name.

    How could Todd even approach a question like this? If she has some preconceived notion of how Todd Galligher is supposed to respond, then what is he to say? Is he supposed to say yes and lie to her, or maybe just tell her how confused he really is?

    What if she doesn''t like what he has to say? What if he already said something wrong? Todd remembers her, when he was hiding in the bush, she was seriously ready to <i>kill</i>. Her stance, the look in her eyes. If she needs to be, she can be a dangerous person, no doubt.

    Though, on the other hand, she <i>did</i> hand him his axe back, and has had her back turned to him for thirty minutes now. Even if Todd has little trust for her, she clearly trusts him somewhat.

    It only now dawns on Todd that he has been thinking this over for a good thirty seconds now. Her voice breaks him out of his thoughts.

    ¡°If you are not going to answer, then I am assuming the answer to that question is <i>no</i>?¡± Her words cut straight to the point.

    Both logs fall out of her arms, they fall unceremoniously to the dirt. She turns on a heel and stares Todd dead in the eyes, he jumps a little.

    ¡°This has gone on long enough.¡± Her voice is like ice.

    Quickly, she steps off to the side, heading deeper into the forest, she finds a hollowed log¡ªit must''ve fallen down ages ago. She dainty sits on one end of the log, crosses one leg over another, and rests both hands in her lap. Her gaze never leaves him.

    ¡°¡­Well? Are you not going to have a seat?¡± She carefully pats the other end of the log, staring right through his <i>soul</i>.

    ¡°¡­W-What are we¡­uh¡­sitting for?¡± His voice is shaky, the fear is obvious.

    ¡°Just a chat, I must ask a few more questions, that is all.¡±

    ¡°Do I gotta sit over there?¡±

    ¡°Do whatever is comfortable for you, Galligher.¡± She speaks like a teacher talking to an unruly student.

    A tree is planted across from her seat, Todd decides to lean on it, better than sitting next to a person with a bare-naked sword tied to her waist. His axe is still in his hands, it¡¯s lowered to the ground right now, he hopes to <i>god </i>he doesn¡¯t have to use it, he doubts he can, if it even <i>comes</i> to that.

    The silence is long, and intense. She¡¯s looking up at him, barely even blinking, her black pit eyes are focused, straight hair blows in the wind.

    Todd can¡¯t help but shiver a bit. This lady can go from playfully dead-pan, to a <i>nightmare</i>, on a dime.

    ¡°¡­Galligher, are you afraid of me?¡± She squints her eyes, sniffing out his fear.

    ¡°Uhh¡­are you trying to¡­make me afraid?¡±

    ¡°No. So, you are afraid of me?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡± He lies.

    ¡°¡­That is not a very confident answer, Galligher¡­This should be an easy question for you, the fact it is not¡­is <i>concerning</i>.¡± She leans forward, an expression of steel on her face. ¡°Galligher, I have a few more questions for you to answer me, answer them all <i>truthfully</i>. Do you understand?¡± She gives no leeway for discussion.

    ¡°¡­Uh¡­yeah.¡±

    ¡°Alright then¡­Is this a joke?¡±

    <i>What. </i>He wasn¡¯t expecting that, what does she mean by <i>a</i> <i>joke</i>? Nothing about this situation has been very funny.

    ¡°¡­What do you mean, <i>a joke</i>?¡±

    ¡°The <i>bush</i>, the <i>bear</i>, the <i>stuttering</i>, the complete <i>lack</i> of awareness¡­Is it a <i>joke? </i>Did Hocken ask this of you? Is <i>Lord Frammis</i> in on it.¡± She spits out that last name with pure disdain.

    ¡°¡­I¡­no, I''m not joking.¡±

    She looks away for a moment, contemplating something, the break in eye contact is something Todd finds very welcome.

    ¡°Okay then, next question. Do you know who you are?¡±

    Another unexpected question, but at least it''s one he can answer.

    ¡°¡­Yeah, im Todd Galligher¡±

    ¡°<i>Todd</i> Galligher?¡± She cocks an eyebrow. ¡°I never heard of ¡°Todd¡± before. I was under the impression that Galligher is your only name, <i>no</i>?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡­I don¡¯t know what <i>you</i> know¡­but my name¡¯s <i>always</i> been, Todd Galligher.¡±

    She goes quiet for a moment.

    ¡°¡­Fine, last question¡­please, answer this one honestly, Galligher.¡± Slowly, she takes a deep breath, the venom leaves her body, sudden emotion washes across her face, dejection, and acceptance. She already knows what he¡¯s going to say.

    ¡°¡­What is my name?¡± A small pleading finds its way into her voice. She wants him to answer, to hear him say it.

    But¡­how can Todd know that, he never met this person before. The jig is up, he guesses, she already knew something was up with him, now she has confirmation. If something is going to happen, then this is the moment. He tenses his body, ready for conflict.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, I''m sorry.¡±

    Her eyes trail off a bit.

    ¡°Ah¡­well then¡­this is a <i>serious</i> problem.¡± Her body slumps forward, a deep sound of sadness clashes with her careful way of speaking, that must have hurt to hear.

    Just as quickly as her venomous presence disappeared, so did Todd¡¯s fear. Looking at her now, she seems more depressed than anything else. Her stern interrogation was probably because she was worried for him, but to cause such a reaction. Who <i>was</i> he to this girl?

    She seemed to have gotten what she wanted out of him, now it¡¯s his turn to ask some questions. Todd can¡¯t miss this chance, he needs to start learning, <i>now</i>.

    ¡°Umm¡­listen¡­I have a few questions of my own.¡± He hesitantly asks.

    She perks up at his voice, her eyes look tired. Afflicted with the morose sadness one would find on someone who failed something important, it''s a feeling he knows quite well.

    ¡°I am sure you do¡­ask away, it will help me figure how truly <i>screwed</i> this situation is.¡± She lazily waves a hand towards Todd, a signal to start.

    ¡°¡­Okay so¡­I just woke up an hour or so ago, I¡­I really don¡¯t know what happened, I was going to bed and then, <i>poof</i>, I wake up in the middle of this forest, no idea how I got here.¡± He takes a breath. ¡°Then you came along, you recognized me, you started saying my name, so I assumed you knew me, so I followed you, but yeah¡­uh¡­I don¡¯t know where I am, who you are, what''s going on¡­oh, and also I was able to push over a tree¡­which is new, I usually can¡¯t do that¡­¡±

    After finishing his tale, the look on her face gives him zero comfort, her melancholy has been switched for sheer <i>bafflement</i>, her black pitted eyes are bogged out, her face is scrunched into worry. Her slack jaw slips out a few words.

    ¡°Oh¡­<i>by the Lord</i>¡­this is far worse than I thought, this is <i>bad</i>¡­very, very <i>bad</i>.¡± A panic takes her over.

    ¡°<i>Bad</i>?¡­Hey, I¡¯m in the dark over here, w-what do you mean by <i>bad</i>?¡± He pleads, but she¡¯s already lost in her own little frenzy.

    ¡°You¡­You truly do not know anything, do you? Here, and now of all times¡­<i>Lord</i>¡­how do I even begin fixing this.¡± Her black head of hair falls into her hands, fingers roughly massage her temples. Her voice stresses, she begins mumbling to herself.

    ¡°Lord Frammis can never know, loose lips, Hocken might tell him¡­the old <i>bastard</i>. Volatile too. Sir Gelhardt may know, experienced, maybe not, lazy¡­<i>He</i>¡­Yes, <i>He</i> could help, probably, if we can get him to <i>leave his house</i>. Loose bundle of feathers, he is. Comple-¡± Oh god, she¡¯s on the verge of biting her fingernails. He''s gotta do something.

    Todd approaches the mumbling mess of a woman, carefully reaching a hand out to her shoulder.

    ¡°-aste of a good soldier, too loud, need to find a mind magician, need to find <i>damn</i> good mind mag¡ªah!-¡± The moment Todd¡¯s hand makes contact, she jumps back, her dumbstruck face looking up at him.

    Realization suddenly crosses over her, like a feeling of being caught. The stone-cold expression from before reemerges once again, the mumbling suppressed entirely.

    She stands up from the fallen tree. Spine straight, arms behind the back, feet together. She¡¯s back to her ¡°default.¡±

    ¡°¡­Apologies, Galligher, That was quite embarrassing, I was lost in thought for a moment there¡­Where were we?¡± She brushes her little episode off entirely.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°¡­You said you were going to answer a few questions I have.¡±

    ¡°Of course, yes, what are your questions?¡± She gives him a small nod.

    ¡°Uh yeah I was¡­How about we¡­uh¡­let''s start out with something small, how about you tell me your name?¡±

    A small shudder crosses her body, she quickly shuts it down. If she already knows Todd personally, he imagines it must be weird to reintroduce oneself like this.

    ¡°¡­I am Kimberlett, call me Kim, if you like.¡± She bows forward, slightly.

    Todd has to physically suppress saying the words, ¡°Nice to meet you, Kim, I¡¯m Todd.¡± He feels as if that particular pleasantry wouldn¡¯t go over well with the now named woman.

    ¡°Oh¡­thank you¡­uh, Kim, one more question¡­where are we right now?¡±

    ¡°We, our caravan and us, are in a north-western section of the Bearless Forest.¡± Her speech contains little fan-fare, wasting no time answering.

    Oh¡­The <i>Bearless </i>Forest, that''s what she meant earlier, ¡°<i>famed</i> for having no bears in it.¡±¡­Todd feels like a total idiot now. He brushes away the slight embarrassment, he¡¯s never heard of a forest named ¡°The Bearless Forest¡± before, especially around where he lives, he¡¯s going to need more information here.

    ¡°Ok¡­Bearless Forest, I got it, I got it¡­but uh, where <i>is </i>this forest, exactly, like on a map.¡±

    ¡°¡­The Ennula Valley.¡± Her head tilts to the side, she speaks as if it¡¯s common knowledge, but he¡¯s <i>never </i>heard that name before, not a good sign.

    ¡°Okay, okay¡­and where is that?¡± He feels like a child asking the obvious.

    A hand rubs on her forehead, the stress peeks through her defences. Todd feels for her, he truly does! He just <i>really</i> needs answers now. He can¡¯t remain a stuttering moron forever.

    ¡°The Ennula Valley is located in the south-east region of The Volcanic Kingdom of Drannick¡­the nation we are <i>currently</i> in. The valley possesses a well guarded route to, and from, the capital city of Lumbrite, which is our destination.¡± Her speech flows out, like reciting an encyclopedia, the contents however, stop all of Todd¡¯s higher brain function.

    ¡­<i>Huh</i>?

    ¡­<i>W-What</i>¡­? <i>What¡­What did she just say?</i> <i>Kingdom? Volcano? </i>Todd¡¯s attempts to parse Kim¡¯s answer, but no matter how, he just <i>can¡¯t</i>. It was the most unexpected thing she could have said. She seems like such a reasonable person, how could she say something so obviously¡­<i>made up</i>. It''s as if a dead-eyed businessman, with all the sincerity in the world, told you gnomes really existed, and stole your socks too.

    His slack jaw must be showing, as Kim leans forward, a flash of concern in her eyes.

    ¡°Galligher, are you okay?¡± Her brows curl in slight worry.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry! I think¡­I think I misheard you there. What country did you say we were in?¡± He hopes, deep down, that he¡¯s right, that she didn¡¯t say something weird. Everything has already been wild enough, what he needs now is less surprises, not more.

    ¡°¡­As I said before, we are currently in the Ennula Valley, of the Volcanic Kingdom of Drannick.¡± She reiterates herself, same as last time.

    ¡°¡­Ok, but what country is that in?¡±

    ¡°¡­Drannick¡­we are in Drannick, Galligher¡­¡± Kims getting worried, yet, she is still completely sincere. She doesn''t sound like she¡¯s lying at all, she <i>should</i> though, what she is saying is <i>absurd</i>.

    Todd has¡ªnever in his life¡ªheard of a place called Drannick before, especially not a ¡°<i>Volcanic Kingdom,</i>¡± whatever the <i>hell</i> that means. What is this, some sort of <i>fantasy</i>?

    She could be role-playing, maybe Todd was too, it would explain the clothes. Yeah¡­now <i>that¡¯s</i> a good theory. Todd is currently in a <i>super serious </i>role-playing session in the middle of the woods, he probably knocked his head and forgot his lines. Maybe Kim here was a companion of his, and now she¡¯s just trying to help Todd out, without breaking character.

    Of course, that doesn¡¯t explain how Todd acquired super-strength, or how Todd got that scar, any basically everything else. It¡¯s actually a pretty crap theory, thinking it over.

    He flops his body down on the log with a grunt of frustration. Kim looks over him, a brow twitches in concern.

    ¡°¡­Kim, is this fake?¡± His voice is devoid of strength, his eyes are glossy, they look ahead to nothing.

    She sighs, tired and defeated, crosses her legs, and gracefully seats herself back on the log, right next to Todd. He¡¯s so confused, so much he needs to ask her, but still, he can take solace in the fact that Kim is clearly suffering right along with him.

    ¡°Unfortunately, as much as I wish reality is mistaken¡­no¡­this situation is very much <i>real</i>, for the both of us.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is this even Earth?¡±

    She turns to him in honest confusion.

    ¡°¡­I do not know what you mean by that.¡±

    <i>Shit</i>, he was afraid she would say something like that.

    ¡°Oh, Don¡¯t sweat it¡­T-That''s all the answer I need.¡±

    Right now, at this moment, would be the perfect time for all the cameras to come rolling out of hiding, for the jubilant host of this prank show to pop out from behind a tree and reveal to him that everything was an elaborate joke. Kim would start laughing, and he would too, because they <i>really</i> got him. But there are no cameras, no host. It¡¯s just two of them in a forest, sitting on a log.

    Todd knew, deep down, something was fundamentally <i>wrong</i> the moment he almost pushed that tree over. The world he knows would never allow something like that to happen, it should have been his first clue. Yet, the more he looks around, the more he notices that signs were already there.

    The air is so very clean, the breeze flows through his hair, uncontested with the smog and industry of humanity. The trees, the plants, they all look so familiar, but slightly <i>greater</i>, more vibrant and fantastical, like a painting of a painting.

    As if this place runs on different rules.

    ¡°Hey, Kim¡­What kinda trees are these?¡± He breaks the steady silence with a question.

    ¡°The forest is made primarily of Keff¡¯s Oak and Bear Oak, with a mixture of a thousand miscellaneous types to make up the rest¡­but it is mostly just the first two.¡± She answers without a single stutter. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just curious¡­¡±

    Looking at Kim, even she herself looks <i>odd</i>. Not in any mean way though, her irises are so dark it¡¯s almost unnatural. Her black hair is perfectly shaped, as if it¡¯s draped across her scalp like shimmering cloth. She seems much more natural in this uncanny forest than anywhere he can remember back home.

    <i>Back home</i>. Holy shit. He isn''t home, not anymore, there''s a good chance he isn¡¯t even on his <i>planet </i>anymore. He should be freaking out about this, he should be on the ground hyperventilating, begging for things to be different, but for some reason, he isn''t.

    He probably will, when it settles in, but for now, the sheer unbelievability of it all wrapped so far around the bend, it¡¯s practically calming him down. Plus the scenery is quite pleasant, and it would feel wrong to freak out next to Kimberlett.

    <i>Those two voices did this</i>. That much is obvious. The quivering voice of the intellectual, and the voice of true authority, <i>Kethrin</i>, that''s what the first voice called him.

    Somehow, those two did something to him, something that brought him here. Now, wherever ¡°here<i>¡± </i>is, it is still up for debate. This place could still be on Earth, <i>somehow</i>. Kim could be wrong, lying, or maybe even insane, that''s unlikely, but the existence of a place like this is tearing the logical part of his brain in <i>half</i>.

    He bends over, picking up a palm sized stone in his hand. There should be weight, but it¡¯s as light as a feather, if Todd wished, he could crush the thing to dust. He looks up at the verdant canopy, swaying leaves bursting from the branches, small bullets of midday sunlight peek through overhead. It feels insane to think that this might not be Earth. It''s similar enough to be comfortable, but <i>just</i> different enough to be skeptical.

    He turns to Kim.

    ¡°What is this place called?¡± He fans his arms outward. ¡°The world, I mean, the place we¡¯re always standing on no matter how far we go, what do you call that?¡±

    She answers concisely, not skipping a beat.

    ¡°We are in the Bearless Forest, within the Ennula Valley, en route to the city of Lumbrite, which is the capital city of the Volcanic Kingdom of Drannick, all of this, within the realm of Ulstat¡­I hope that answers all your location based inquiries, Galligher.¡± She ends with a sense of finality, she¡¯d rather not repeat it, but would if asked.

    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    <i>Ulstat</i>. Not Earth, but Ulstat. So many more questions just piled up, but there is <i>one</i> that needs to be answered before any else. Something of <i>dire</i> importance that has been lingering overhead for an hour now. He takes a quick guess, she probably won¡¯t like answering this one, just as much as he won¡¯t like asking it.

    ¡°¡­Kim, who am I to you?¡± He feels like he''s violating something by asking her.

    She doesn¡¯t answer just yet, she thinks about what to say.

    ¡°¡­You and I have been travelling companions for quite a long while now. Sometimes, we are accompanied by Sir Gelhardt as well, but it is mostly just us two. We have both done quite a lot of good together. It is enjoyable, people always need help, and it is always a pleasure to give it. It¡¯s beautiful, the simplicity of it.¡± She reminisces on a past he can¡¯t hope to remember, whatever she knows of him, it''s deeply personal to her, he can hear it in her voice. Todd can¡¯t conceive of having such an impact on a person.

    She looks at him with worry.

    ¡°Galligher, I shall be honest with you, I trust you know where this conversation is heading, I must state the obvious. You have <i>lost</i> great portions of your memories.¡±

    Todd knows he lost something, but his <i>memories</i>, he can¡¯t be sure? He remembers walking home from work yesterday, his dream, his apartments, it''s all so fresh in his mind. If he truly has forgotten so much, where¡¯s the fog? Amnesia can¡¯t be so <i>clean</i>, can it?

    She continues.

    ¡°I have not the slightest idea how something like this could have happened, for it to be a curse, or the implicit twisting of the mind is <i>impossible</i>. Due to our status, our minds are secure from such manipulations¡­so whatever must have happened, must be awfully <i>significant</i>.¡± Todd is about to inquire what she means by ¡°curse,¡± but without a warning, she sits up from the log, marches right in front of Todd, and <i>kneels before him</i>.

    Knees on the forest floor, her head is below his, she has to look up to meet his eyes, which she does with <i>fury</i>. It''s like she is possessed. Her dark pits shine at him with a righteous determination, ignoring the clear look of shock on Todd¡¯s face.

    She speaks from deep within herself, her voice overwhelms the calm forest ambiance.

    ¡°Galligher, I do not know how much you have forgotten, but I assume you have lost much. You are confused, lost, broken, and there is so much you do not understand¡­but hear <i>this</i>¡­upon my honor as a <i>Great Hero</i>, upon my honor as a <i>Sword Dancer</i>, upon my honor as your <i>companion</i>! I <i>will</i> reunite you with what you have lost, I will <i>not</i> abandon you for any reason, I shall stay by your side, just as you have stayed by mine¡­I will <i>die</i>, and have my blade <i>sheathed</i>, before I let the <i>Warrior Hero </i>fade away like this, that I <i>promise</i>.¡±

    ¡­<i>Oh</i>¡­!

    Todd is speechless. She just gave him an emotional promise, with the full sincerity of the <i>sun</i>. That was not what he was expecting her to do in the slightest. Half the things she said made no <i>sense</i> either, she said she would <i>die</i> to help him, what does he say to that!? Does he thank her? What did she say at the end there?

    Good <i>god</i>, he just realized. A woman just told him¡ªon her knees¡ªthat she would die to help him, she <i>meant</i> it too, she put three honors on it, even. It might be rude to think, but this is probably the most awkward moment Todd had ever suffered through in his entire life. His face is probably buzzing red right about now.

    Kim lets loose an awkward cough, and returns to her full height, her head well above his sitting form. Her regular, dry, self takes over, as if that emotional heartfelt promise was made by somebody completely different.

    ¡°Sorry if that surprised you, ceremony such as that is a habit, it would feel <i>wrong </i>if I did not do it¡­but you understand my intention, <i>no</i>?¡±

    On his life, he couldn¡¯t tell you what a <i>Sword Dancer </i>is, but he thinks he got the gist.

    ¡°¡­You''re going to help me, right?¡± He guesses.

    ¡°In simplest terms, yes, I am promising to help you. I consider you my closest companion, so it is only natural¡­but, it is also a request¡­I need for you to trust me, Galligher¡­Even if you can not recall it, we have always looked out for one another. I would prefer it if that continued.¡±

    Todd can¡¯t help but to look away at that. It doesn''t matter how sincere you sound, telling someone, who has only known you for an hour, that you, ¡°have always looked out for one another¡± is <i>suspicious</i>!

    But should he trust her? He probably should, that was a pretty powerful speech after all, but he still doesn''t know anything substantial. They met only an <i>hour</i> ago, and she just said a bunch of weird things!

    Yet, what other choice does he have? He¡¯s bumbling in the dark here, and she just swore on her <i>life</i> to help him. He¡¯d be an idiot not to give her something. Plus, weird demeanor aside, she¡¯s been pretty good company.

    ¡°¡­Uh¡­I guess I''ll trust you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­Good enough¡­for now.¡± She shrugs and swiftly turns on a heel, her hands scoop up the discarded logs with only a single delicate motion needed.

    ¡°Let us go, Sir Gelhardt will get concerned if we are not back at camp soon, the proper people must be informed of your memory troubles.¡± She turns to make her way to camp. ¡°I will tell you everything you need, or want to know on the way.¡±

    A sudden thought crosses Todd¡¯s mind.

    ¡°¡­Wait!¡± He calls to her, just as she¡¯s about to leave. He is still seated, his hands still fidget with the ribbon on his axe.

    Todd has one more question. He recalls something in her promise, she said a lot of wild things in that speech, stuff about heroes and honor. It''s hard to remember most of it, but there was something at the end, something she called <i>him</i>. It stuck out amongst everything, it was said with such importance¡ªalmost reverence.

    She looks back at him, if she¡¯s frustrated, she¡¯s not showing it.

    ¡°During your speech, you¡­uh¡­I think you called me a ¡°Warrior Hero?¡± What does that mean exactly?¡±

    Her face is walled over, he can¡¯t read a thing about her right now. She calmly places both logs on the ground. The sword on her waist sways as she makes her way over to him.

    ¡°Hearing those words come out of your mouth, it is a bit disheartening, if I must be honest.¡± Her gaze goes forward, over his head, Todd couldn¡¯t tell you what she''s looking at.

    Kim begins to speak, her voice is terribly heavy.

    ¡°Years ago, something <i>awful </i>occurred¡­It was a tragedy, nothing like it has ever happened before, we <i>pray </i>that nothing similar happens again¡­Monsters, demons, all the <i>evil</i> in the world stood as one, and declared an eternal war on us all.¡± Her breathing goes steady, Todd hangs on every word.

    ¡°The innocent were dragged from their homes and slaughtered, beasts prowled the lands, consuming everything they could. Even if you stayed away, locking yourself inside, it wouldn¡¯t matter¡­They found ways to twist your mind away, mothers drowned their own children. Good people, kind souls who would never harm another, tore down their own walls, to let the beasts in. Kings, peasants, it really mattered not, when the sky was red, you feared the Scourge.¡±

    ¡°Some fought, they <i>had</i> too. Hunters and Knights, they were the first and last line of defence for the major cities¡ªthe few places that still had walls left to breach. They were truest heroes, death was almost assured then. Yet they still fought onwards, throwing themselves to certain death, just to hold back the onslaught.¡±

    ¡°They came for them, the Hunters and the Knights, but when they fought, a few of them¡ªminor champions at the time¡ªbegan to make a name for themselves. Innocents cowered behind the city walls, they were desperate for hope, so when they heard tales of singular men, cutting down greater demons with ease, they clung to these stories. In true desperation, an unexpected age of heroes was born.¡± She looks down at Todd, a pride slowly wells within her chest.

    ¡°Hundreds rose and hundreds fell, all fueled by the cheers of the cities they protected. Streets were lined, everyone telling stories of the heroes, how they protect the walls, how they slay the demons outside. It was a strange sight, suffering and death were still rampant, but yet, all cheered for the heroes.¡±

    ¡°Then <i>he </i>arrived, like all the heroes before him, he had meagre beginnings. His rise only came about due to a simple reason: no matter the challenge before him, no matter the pain, he <i>always</i> stood up. Where others passed on, he stood, and he kept standing tall for all to see.¡± There is a sparkle in her eyes, her heart is swelling as she speaks.

    ¡°It was a fresh breath of hope, every day he did something new. He was the first hero to mount the head of a tormentor upon a spike, the first hero to cut down a <i>royal</i> demon. Within a week of his debut, everyone knew his name. Upon his watch, the Scourge had no choice, but to <i>run</i>.¡± A sinking feeling begins to take over Todd, he thinks he knows where this is going.

    ¡°He wields an axe with a green tail, fights faster than the eye can see, a true warrior, equal to none. The Demon of Demons. His name is Galligher, the one and only <i>Warrior Hero</i>. The first to be named a Great Hero by the volcanic king himself, the hope that kept the world fighting.¡±

    Somehow, as if spitting on  nature itself, she gives Todd a small smile. ¡°And the man I am currently looking at, right now.¡±