Leaving the Forest

"If I stay here any longer, I'm going to go insane!" I paced back and forth around the table. I was stuck in a forest, spending all my time stuck in this dark area with Arkot's voice constantly lingering.

"But's that's not a good idea, is it? Considering your circumstances." Arkot reminded me.

"Yeah. You don't need to tell me." I picked up a notepad and marked it. "It's Day 10. Over 240 hours since I got here. I'm already forgetting how another person sounds like."

"You have me!"

"That's even worse." I was getting restless.

I took out another piece of paper and looked at the messy schedule I had drawn on it a few days ago. It was an idea I had thought up after receiving a small alarm clock in my subspace. Of course, this world had a 24 hour day as well.

Slightly cringing at my writing, I read through the schedule.

~~~~~

[schedule]

8 am:

-wake up and check subspace for changes

-check clearing for 'impurities' (note: impurities - monsters or peeps)

9 am:

-get water at river (take route with sticks)

-get fruit from tree (take water route, left for 5 minutes)

10 am:

-walk around forest (IMPORTANT NOTE REMEMBER!! - 5 minute rule!!)

11 am:

-study heraldic (note: ask arkot for pronunciation if present)

-check guide and rulebook for updates

1 pm:

-get water

-clean self at river

2 pm:

-study heraldic

6 pm:

-get water

-find wolf for rabbit

-get wood for fire

8 pm:

-study heraldic

12 pm:

-get sleep

~~~~~

"And that's what I've been doing, on repeat." I crumbled up the piece of paper and threw it away. It disappeared into the darkness.

"Maybe you should try getting some more sleep? It could help you relax. Or pass the time." Arkot suggested.

"No. Sleep is overrated."

Spending time in the subspace required minimal energy. Thus, time wasted sleeping was time that could be spent studying. I needed to get my communication skills up to the point where I could at least hold a basic conversation.

"Besides, what if something happens while I'm gone? Like the wolves come inside the area, or people find this place?" There were just too many variables to worry about, if I were to leave.

Arkot sighed.

"It's okay. Your Heraldic has improved. You could pretend to be a foreigner if you encounter another person, as long as you say you're from Merchant's Eye. And you don't need to worry about the wolves. They're intelligent creatures, they'll stay out if there's nothing of interest here. As for people, it's been 10 days since your arrival, and no one has tried to come here." His reassurance calmed me, but I was still unsure.

"Is it really alright for me to leave? I won't die if I stay away for more than a few hours?"

"You won't. I'd say you could last for maybe four days, before you start to fall apart. But I'd recommend you to come back in two or three days, just to be safe."

I remembered what happened when I met the Queen. It was as if I was slowly being torn apart, rotting and melting into something else.

I sat on the chair, and thought for a while.

"I'll do it."

"You're going to go?"

"Yeah. Doing nothing but studying in this dark place is slowly killing me as well. I'd rather take my chances venturing out there." I made my decision.

"Well then! That's your choice. Won't stop you."

"Thanks. Anything else?"

"Come back in a hour."

"Alright." I exited the subspace.

~~~

After getting some short rest, I went outside. It was the mid afternoon.

There, Wolf was waiting for me on the edge of the clearing, as usual.

"Why are you always here?" I asked him.

Silence. Wolf never seemed to make any sounds. He just kept staring at me.

"So uh. What kind of relationship do we have?"

Silence.

"Just companions, huh?" I walked past him, into the forest.

~~~

Returning from the river, I paused at the sight in front of me.

Wolf was waiting for me, with something in his mouth. It was another dead rabbit. He had been occasionally providing me with them.

I smiled.

"Thanks, but I don't need it today."

Wolf dropped the rabbit at my feet, but I didn't take it.

"I'm going out for a while. Take care."

I stepped forward, and gently placed my hand on his head. Wolf had been surprisingly friendly for a wild animal, going as far as to hunt food for me. Seeing him everyday had made me feel a bit attached as well.

"Alright, one last stop."

I began to head back to the Archive.

~~~

"Arkot!"

"Yes?" His voice was monotone this time. Whenever his voice changed to this tone, his personality and mannerisms seemed to change as well. I couldn't help but wonder about that.

"You said you wanted me to come back after a hour?" I was about to leave.

"Yes. That." I heard the sound of shuffling, then a loud thump as something dropped out of nowhere, onto my feet.

It was a book.

"So what's this one about?" I picked it up to examine. The cover was gray, and lacked any letter title. Instead, there were small inscriptions in place, similar to the ones on the Archive tree.

I opened it up, and was disappointed to see nothing but blank pages.

'This again?'

"It's a Raveryian."

"A what?" I hadn't heard that term before, or at least haven't found it in the language book.

"Rune tablet. That would be my best translation to your language. It should record any runes you use. But there's no version of that in your language, so you should learn Heraldic faster."

"I'm already trying my best." I studied the book. There was nothing else of interest.

"What do you mean by runes? Are you talking about those symbols marked on the Archive?"

"Yes. These are runes. But there are more. When you leave, there should be something waiting for you. Take it, and the book will update by itself. Is there anything else?

Seeing Wolf had reminded me.

"Arkot... what's my name?" I was leaving this area in order to find other people, but I had no means of introducing myself. I couldn't remember my own name, and I had no idea what a normal name from this world sounded like.

"It's Flyte."

"Flyte?" That didn't sound right. It wasn't my name.

"That's what you'll be called in this world." The way Arkot responded told me he wasn't going to give me my original name. Not that I thought he would in the first place.

Flyte. It was cold and unfamiliar. As if...

"What does it mean?" I asked.

"Nothing. Just a name to call yourself. You said you wanted a name, here you go." Arkot's voice faded away, leaving me alone.

I called out, and was greeted with silence.

I left the subspace, and shifted back into my previous location, right in front of the Archive.

When I first arrived, there was only a small blue glow. Now, it had grown immensely, covering the entire front of the tree, shining brightly and lighting up the entire inside of the building.

Numbers of etches and inscriptions manifested across the bark, extending to the roots.

"So this is how the Archive looks when it's being fixed. How will it look when it's completely restored?" I wondered. "Now, where's that thing that Arkot mentioned?"

I began to look around, when I noticed something in the air. It was slowly falling towards me, from the Archive's branches, until it landed at my feet.

I picked it up. It was a leaf.

Light green and the size of my palm, it was oddly formed, with two lobes creating a forked shape. The most unique aspect, however, were the glowing symbols etched on it. They were similar to the ones on the Archive but much smaller, and extended a feeling of warmth onto my hand.

"So is this a rune?" As I examined the leaf further, something else fluttered into my view.

It was another leaf, although this one had slightly different symbols written on it, and it consisted of three lobes extending outwards.

"What am I supposed to do with these?" Various possibilities ran through my mind.

I shook my head. Maybe the rune tablet, or the Raveryian, as Arkot called it, would explain how to use them. I took the two leaves and gently shifted them into my pocket.

Either way, it was time to go. I walked outside, and started south, the direction that would take me out of the forest.

~~~

As I traveled through the woods, I started to think about my decision. I was in a different world, one filled with magic and mysteries. Part of me still held doubt, that I was just in a dream. After all, this world represented so much of what you would find in a fantasy novel, a false reality that you would turn to in order to escape reality.

That made it a harsh reminder of my past, but was part of what made me so motivated. I had to see what this new world had to offer.

"Is this it?" After trekking through the forest for over an hour, it appeared as if I had finally reached the end.

Stepping forward, the trees finally opened up, revealing the land ahead. I saw green plains extending out to what seemed like a cliff which I reached after a few minutes.

It turned out that it wasn't a cliff, but a valley. Strolling along the edge, I took in the view. Far away, I could see mountains and tiny structures, but nothing in detail.

"According to the map, there should be a village around here." I glanced around, hoping to find the settlement I had been searching for. Something caught my eye. There was light smoke in the distance. I followed it until I was able to locate the source.

"A bonfire?" I saw a large flame enclosed in a massive wooden structure that resembled a bowl. It was on top of a small tower, which was surrounded by numerous other buildings, all enclosed within a tall wooden fence, with only two gates allowing entry. This was the settlement I had read about in the guide.

I began walking down the valley, until I reached the bottom, where there was a dirt road waiting for me, leading up to my destination.

"Here goes." I took a breath, and walked into view.