Under the Cover of Darkness

Chapter 14 - Hope

"Do you know where I can find the Silver Forest?" the M.O.B. asked calmly.

The farmer looked up from his work to look across the fragile wooden railing that surrounded his property at the man. He appeared to be a worn down stranger who looked to have been traveling for days if not weeks. Living on the Great Expand, the farmer knew who to trust, and one of the kinds of people he knew not to trust were strangers from out of town. In turn, he turned his focus back to his work in the field without even batting another eye at him.

"Can you please tell me where I can find the Silver Forest?" the man begged again.

Despite it being a weak fence, the barrier was enough to keep himself a good distance from the stranger; however, the pestering sound of pleading wasn't caught in the fence. It infiltrated the farmers boundary and found its way inside the ear of the old farmer. The words manifested a meaning that had no bearing on his emotions though. He simply continued to rake at the soil with his hoe. The farmer wasn't willing to give in to the beggar. Stories of people like him were common. One second, he's asking for directions, the next thing the farmer knows, a knife is sticking out of his back.

"Please, sir. I'm just asking for directions. Do you know where the Silver Forest?"

"Go away," the farmer snapped.

"Look, sir, I'm begging you. I'll give you all I have left. Can you please just give me directions?"

The farmer, with his back to the stranger, heard the thud of a sack in the dirt behind him. Whatever belongings the poor man had was now the farmer's property. Stubbornly, the farmer kept his back to the stranger and continued to focus on the ground. If the stranger had the audacity to attack him, the farmer would be quick to get him first. He had been living on the farm for nearly his entire life for that reason. The farmer never gave into the demands and bribes of strange people, no matter there condition. Constantly, he'd tell his wife it wasn't a character flaw, but rather a sign of his strong will.

"I told you to get lost, didn't I?" the farmer grumbled loudly.

"Yes, sir, you did, but I'm saying I need directions. I've been traveling from the kingdom of Set to here day in and day out, and I need to meet a friend of mine. He said he'd meet me in the Silver Forest, so I'm asking if you know the directions."

"Ask someone else," the crusty man spat.

"I'm afraid that won't do. I've just given you all the money I own, so I expect to leave with my money well spent," the stranger argued.

"Welp, you invested in the wrong person, now get lost before I force you off my property."

"I seem to not be standing on your side of the fence, so it would appear you have no property to force me off of, sir," the man corrected.

"I've lost my patience!" the farmer bursted. He turned around to face the stranger who stood in the road with his hands behind his back. With his face a dark purple color, the farmer advised him loudly saying, "It's down the road. At the nearest fork in the road, take a right. It'll lead you down a trail that runs right in front of the Silver Forest. Now get lost, will ya?"

"I thank you," he responded calmly, and continued his walk down the road with an intensely positive vibe.

His face returning to its normal blue, Brefave color, the farmer looked down at his feet to see the small sack in the dirt. Cautiously, he opened the bag to see the reflection of the noon sun on nearly a hundred gold coins instead of the magical potion he was expecting. "What the hell? Is that stranger even from this planet?" he asked to no one in particular.

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"They what?" Fitch screamed.