Fleeting Memories

Chapter 2: Where am I?

I pushed passed the wooden door and hearing the cringing creak that pierced through my eardrums, I eventually saw the front garden of the forest along with the forest that stood proudly in its thick and dense glory.

"She looked to be in a hurry... I wonder how far the town actually is..." I wondered as I found her nowhere to be seen other than some crushed grass that indicated she ran.

I closed the door behind me and began wandering the perimeter of the cottage with my eyes peeled and my senses set to the maximum; my senses tingling each time the wind passed while my eyes picked up each leaf that fell nearby.

I was on edge each second I walked but nothing noteworthy seemed to catch my attention in the small area where the cottage was located. It looked to be an ordinary place derived from the creatures of the dark.

Monsters that lurk under the eyes of people. Abominable beings that have no purpose other than to terrorize and kill with not a shred of mercy.

My role as a knight is to hunt down such creatures and banish them back from whence they came and though forests like these would be contenders of their habitat, not a single feeling in the area indicated any threat was nearby.

It was strange and it most definitely sparked my curiosity as to what was happening. Perplexed as I was, I only grew more interested in uncovering the truth, yet, I couldn't do so just yet barehanded. I needed to locate my belongings.

Before long I finally made it to the backside of the cottage, but not after perusing through the fruits and vegetables that seemed to be grown in abundance.

"It looked to be her main source of income..." I thought as I turned to then see what was lying behind the humble house of Lady Mary.

As I thought, a shed lay there standing just before the line of the forests, and though from afar it looked to be standing just fine, upon closer inspection, it was barely holding onto life.

The planks it was built with looked to be torn and shredded, presumably due to the elements, and with gaps that one could look straight in, the small building would most likely fall if a large gust of wind blew by.

Yet, considering how long it was built based on what Mary told me, it was impressively still alive and kicking. I walked forth to open the door and within, there I found my trusty equipment that has been by my side for years now.

The steel armor and sword sat at the corner of the small shed while surrounded by farming equipment and a bag of something that smelled herbal yet fragrant.

I picked up my blade but decided to keep my armor in the shed for the time being. The reason I was doing so was so I could move much more efficiently without tiring out when I eventually made my way out into the forests to uncover what was happening in the forests.

But another factor in why I decided to leave it there was because I didn't feel particularly well at the moment. My legs were already tiring out from the short walk around the house and with each step, they felt like they were about to give in.

It was most likely from me tiring out yesterday and based on what Mary described, it was exhaustion that left me unconscious in the middle of the forest.

"But what could've led me to become like that..."

I haven't had the slightest idea of what could've made me run to the point I would faint. 

Yet, simply pondering about it wouldn't do any good and as I tied the sword belt around my waist, I took a step out of the shed, marching forth to explore the area once more.

Though for a split fraction of a second, I felt something looming up behind me.

I turned instantly, brandishing my blade that exited its sheathe smoothly, showing its glorious shining edge and a white blade that has seen much of its fair share of battle.