Weeks passed and we spent our time getting to know each other and becoming new friends, it was fun. Our new friend's name is Cynthia.
Very elegant just like her movements. It turns out she's a rebel noble. That's what she likes to call herself.
She doesn't want to inherit her fathers nobility. Since she would just waste away from all the boring paper work and responsibilities. Plus she said that being a noble is dangerous since nobility is all about relationships, connections, backstabbing, and assassination.
That's all how nobles move up or maintain their status. Otherwise, without sufficient strength other nobles would carve out the land that you own for themselves.
She got involved with the kingdom's politics for a year before she left a letter and left her home to become an adventurer.
She said her family's magic had supported her though the journeys and quests, she's done.
Since she was a noble she learned about magic and how to deal with monsters and beasts.
When I asked her the difference between the two. Cynthia explained that beasts were animals or living beings from this world.
She said we were technically beasts. But Cynthia said monsters were living beings from other worlds.
They came here through dungeon breaks and could very well settle in this world to become new native beasts, or could try to take it over through war.
But we shouldn't worry too much since it has never happened. It's just some warnings the other nobles and top guild members from the adventurer's guild say; when they're trying to make people work for the greater good.
Just like I had guessed the world I was in was a world based on magic and how to deal with the magical stuff.
There were adventure guilds. For people who like to adventure they took on quests for promised coin and dealt with the employers whims. Like dealing with dragons, harvesting herbs for specific potions, or clearing out monsters to deny the possibility of 'monster waves' forming.
They had merchant guilds for commerce and markets. They had magic towers built for studying all kinds of magic and creating different potions.
They even had a crafting guild whose main focus was to create convenience for profit or weapons for war. Anything was possible in this world. I just had to start.
The only downside of all this was you needed an origin of birth certificate, since most towns are afraid of bandits and thieves.
With the origin certificate you get a history check and a notification of warnings or sent to jail if you have broken the law. Thus making villages, town, and cities safer. So they check your origin certificate before leaving and entering any town or city.
Since most people wouldn't want to be hunted down by the king's guard and the adventures guild, this keeps crime down to a minimum.
Most people wouldn't want to live in the wild alone or get caught. So they have to follow the laws of the land.
Besides living in the wild can drive people insane, I would know since I got a few loose screws myself. Staying in the forest has changed me in ways even I don't know yet. I just know I changed.
Now my dreams are crushed, I'm an orphan with nothing on me besides a few pieces of clothes, some food, tools and weapons.
I don't remember ever having an origin certificate with me when I was caught in the trap, upside down in the forest.
While I wallow in self-pity. I tell Cynthia about my life. How I lost my memory's, how I guess I was a homeless orphan and that's why I am lost in the forest.
She looks at me then at my tools then laughs.
Cynthia said.
"I might be a rebel, but I'm not stupid. I could see that."
"Plus you asked so much about this world we live in, like you were a newborn relearning the world."
"If I couldn't piece it together, I could have died long ago."
Cynthia said this while standing up, puffing her chest out looking proud, and turning her head to the far distance mountains.
Then I turned to her confused with my eyebrow scrunched down and head tilted.
Then ask her.
"Didn't the great adventurer get kidnapped by a group of wild goblins?"
I smiled at the end of the sentence, teasing with my smile.
Cynthia quickly whipped her head around to look at my face and said.
"That never happened! You remembered wrong!"
"Sure…" I said
It seemed to me that even though she was a good person. She was a shameless liar, and maybe a little prideful too.
Anyways after letting go of her embarrassment. She said.
"Since I'm a noble, I could get you a new origin.
"Or if you never had one to begin with. I could get you registered, since you might be a poor homeless beggar."
She smiled at me bright and cheerful.
"Ouch."
I said. I stand up and hug and do a little celebration dance. Krikos flies around us chirping.
As we danced Cynthia seemed to be embarrassed by the close contact. To be fair it makes sense since she's a noble and most people would respect her personal space. Thus making close contact with other people for her is rare especially if they're male.
After calming down and I look at her and said
"Thank you, it means a lot to me."
She responds with a few nods. Then I bring out my map and ask her where the town is located.
She studies my map and looks at me with confusion.
"What is this?" Cynthia said.
"What? It's my map." I said
"I know it's a map, just what are these landmarks?" Cynthia said.
"Why are there wavy lines, parallel lines, and random shapes on there, like weird triangles, oddly shaped circles and a square?" Cynthia continued.
"Oh, the waves represent small hills with grass land. Triangles for mountains, a few circles for large boulders, the parallel lines represent Fish River, a square next to it represents my underground home, G Base." I said.
"Isn't it great? It's a complete map of the surrounding area. It took me and Krikos months to create. Right Krikos?"
Krikos lands on my shoulder then proudly says.
"Keee-ee-ar!"
With his chest out and head nodding.
Then Cynthia said.
"Right, great map….. I'll be drawing the map from now on. End of discussion."
Then she grabs the map from my hand and asks for my charcoal pencil. I quickly responded with.
"But?!"
She quickly replied to me by saying.
"I said, end of discussion, this is final!"
"Okay…" I quickly agreed and passed over the pencil. 'This girl sure is bossy.' I thought to myself.
While Cynthia and I were going through this exchange. Krikos looked back and forth from me to Cynthia. He tilted his head to the side looking confused. Then proceeded to fly off somewhere.
Cynthia then proceeded to lay the map down and redraw the map, with details and names like base, ground river, northern mountains, boar territories, Silent Goblin Area, etc. She even put the north, south, east and west.
After a few hours she redrew the map. I had to say it was better than what I made, clearer and more practical. I guess she really is a great adventurer. So with the map in place, I asked her.
"How are we gonna get out of this forest and where is the nearest town?"
"Over here." she says pointing at the blank map.
"Well around here-ish"
Cynthia tells me that the town is quite far from here. It's named Smoke Town, since a lot of adventures pass through and stay within the village.
Since all the adventures are rowdy and lawless people they often get into conflict. It's not too bad, since no one dies, just a few bumps and bruises.
Just past the mountains in the north, is where Smoke Town is located. If we followed the river down the mountain, we should be able to reach it.
It would take about a 15 day long journey. Maybe longer if we run into aggressive beasts and get hurt.
We might even chance upon death if we find an undiscovered dungeon, going through a dungeon break. She says in a nervous tone.
"Over here is where the dragon slumbers; Down south, near the Silent Goblin Area. Those goblins are protected by the dragon."
"So when they find jewels or coins from people, they offer it as tribute."
"If they don't have anything of value, they offer food or even themselves if they don't have enough food to offer."
"We have to be careful of the goblin, they're always hunting for people"
" Normally goblins don't care about males, but since they need to offer a tribute every week they'll use us if they have nothing else to give up."
I paused then said.
"Ahh It makes sense, the reason why that area of the forest is so quiet is because they hunted everything."
Cynthia confirms by saying.
"Yes they eat the bugs and anything bigger they offer to the dragon. Basically they hunt by weight of meat"
I then said.
"That's why the goblins were so weak and slow. But then how were you captured?"
"..."
I waited then noticed her face looked dark. I quickly apologized.
"Sorry I didn't mean to pry, just curious, let's just leave that for now."
Cynthia says in a small voice.
"Thanks."
I quickly changed the topic.
"Since we're going on a long journey, it's going to be dangerous. We need weapons, armour and provisions, mostly dried meat and water."
"You need to change your clothes, with boots and gloves to keep you warm. On the topic of warmth, we need blankets if we're going to sleep for an extended period of time outside."
Then we spent weeks preparing, Cynthia focused on regaining her strength and stamina. So all of her work was light. Cooking, smoking, boiling water to drink, bringing in fish from the net in the river, cleaning the hides I brought in to make leather.
I, on the other hand, went with Krikos to hunt anything I could find deer's, bears, boars, rabbits, anything that was alive and moving I was hunting. I did the tanning part, since Cynthia still looked a bit weak.
Food wasn't so much of an issue, I've gotten stronger with more dexterity with my throwing knives. The only thing I needed to watch out for were magic beasts. Since they were too fast and strong my current standing.
I made a few spears and two throwing knives for Cynthia. I also made her a set of clothing from all the leather we've processed. Now she was fully outfitted with a leather backpack, boots, gloves, two stealths, and a few water flasks.
Once Cynthia regained her strength. She started to practice with magic spells and her new weapons.
I thought I would be teaching her how to handle the weapons, but seemed to forget she was a battle hardened noble.
Much to my embarrassment she taught me how to handle the spear and knives, how to hold them and position my body.
I also wanted to learn magic too, but Cynthia said we didn't have enough time. It would also be safer if we learned in town since beasts could sense magic fluctuations if we weren't careful.
I agreed since now or later didn't matter. All I cared about was the fact that I will learn magic sooner or later.
Once we felt that we were ready for the journey to the town. I said one last goodbye to the home that kept me warm and safe, the river net and pit traps that kept me fed. I even caught my last rabbit to have a good bye meal.
With tears in my eyes, I slowly headed towards the northern mountains. Making my journey to Smoke Town.