The Beloved Traveller

Chapter 1 - Letev Forest

Three days as passed since the incident in Letev Forest, rumors say that the attack in the forest was a training exercise that had misfired. In the east lies a small town called Akatow Village, it rests about twenty kilometers from the mountains that separate it from Letev Forest.

Here is where we find the unconscious archer in a hospital bed "Hey, are you dead?" asked a woman. She grabbed some water and poured it onto his face but he had no reaction "Ok then, I guess I'll have to result to option two" she said as she rubbed her hands. The nurse began to swing her hand towards the man's face and hits him knocking him off the bed "Wake up you lazy cow!" she yelled.

He stood up enraged glaring at the nurse with a fist clenched "HEY, WHAT WAS THAT FOR!!" he yelled. "Why good morning to you too, Yutama" she smiled with her head tilted "You've been unconscious here for three days, I think it's time you start moving again" she explained. "Three days but how I was just-" with a pause Yutama began to have flashbacks to the night in the forest, "Is everything ok?" the nurse asked confused.

He shook his head and smiled "Oh it's nothing really but, by chance did I have anything with me?" he asked. "W-well" she hesitated.

With a confused look, he watched as she brought out his equipment "This is everything we could find" she lowered her voice. "Aw man, my bow" he picked up the broken bow seeing the other half was missing and noticed that he still had the satchel that had several holes in it "I don't have enough to cover for replacements" he sighed.

"Speaking of covering we added your current visit to the previous bill you owe us" she handed over a piece of paper. He looked at the paper as his jaw dropped "TWENTY THOUSAND CREDITS!" he shouted. "Yup now go get to work, unless you want to stay here longer" the nurse giggled.

Yutama left the hospital as he began to head towards town square mumbling "They are always charging me so much" he kicked a can.

He stopped near a broken-down shop that has been covered up "Home sweet home" he sighed as he entered. The room was dark and everything was flipped over as if no one had been there in months, he then threw the satchel to a corner of the room and went to sit on the bed as the dust began to float from it. "I really need to do something about this place, the shop as been unsuccessful for a year now" he coughed letting himself fall backward on the bed "Who am I kidding, I'm doomed" he stared off at the ceiling. As he rested on the bed thoughts of the forest began to flood his mind "I wonder..." he questioned as he fell asleep.

A few hours later knocking can be heard on the door. No one responded as the knocking began again but louder than before "W-whos knocking so loud" Yutama yawned as he stretched to go answer the door. When the door opened there stood a tall gentleman with glasses and slick back silver hair stared down at Yutama. With a blank face, Yutama immediately slammed the door as he went back to the bed and lays down.

The door suddenly went flying across the room "FORGIVE ME IT'S NOT MY FAULT!!" Yutama jumped up backing himself into a corner as the man walked. "I see you failed once again, coward" the man sighed. "Come on Wber, cut me some slack" Yutama begged.

"I have given you plenty of chances, you truly are useless" Wber began walking away. "It's not my fault this time, I got interrupted" Yutama commented. "Oh? Let me guess a rabbit stole your lunch" Wber said looking back "If you don't mind me I am on a mission currently." "Are you investigating the incident from a few days ago?" Yutama asked. "It is best you don't ask questions, you do remember what happened last time you interfered don't you?"

Without a single word spoken, Wber left as he waved while Yutama quickly gathered his supplies and began to follow him. As they traveled to Letev forest Yutama made sure to keep himself well hidden, when they arrived there was a massive hole in the ground as the trees around were brunt. "This is where it all happened" he whispered as he ducked into some nearby bushes to keep his cover.

While Wber scanned the area a small group of shady people approached him "Captain Wber, we have been scanning the area for clues before your arrival and we found nothing but we believe this was no more training exercise" one of them spoke. "I agree" Wber confirmed, "The area has been destroyed two kilometers in each direction, there was indeed a battle here and it is our job to figure out the truth."

"Sir, our research says that there was a bounty set out on a rogue mage from a few years ago, do you believe he caused this?" the female asked. "Perhaps, but there would be no reason for a rouge like him to be this far out" responded Wber "I want you three to continue your work in secret if anyone learned of this meeting or project it could cause issues, I will continue searching Akatow Village for answers if nothing is found I will be relocating, you are dismissed" as he finished the group nodded as they split up going in opposite directions.

"Bounty? Rouge Mage? What is going on" Yutama questioned? He looked back at Wber watching as he noticed an item hanging off a branch of a tree that blended in well "A burnt half of a bow?" he glanced at it as Yutama's eyes widen and he began to race back to the village.