Chapter Text
Time sure does fly when you're having fun. Or getting attacked by goblin patrols.
Take your pick.
All I'll say is that night crept up on me way too fast. One moment I was packing up my camp at the base of Everlight Forest. The sun was shining, birds were singing and the green leaves of pines of the forest were adorned with dewdrops. I was getting ready for the long hike ahead of me to Trove Village.
Within hours I was running uphill through said Forest because I accidentally fell into a hunting trap set by who knows what or who.
But I guess I should back up a bit.
My name is Ruth.
I am about to die.
The unknown is a thing that's fascinated me for as long as I can remember, and for that reason I've always wanted to become a researcher and archaeologist since I was a little girl. Now, I was trying to get to the biggest, most ancient temple in the Realm that somehow still holds its secrets close to its proverbial heart. And the path to get there is through this Forest, reaching Trove Village in the mountains and hiking up to Trivaka Mountain where the thing actually is. Sounds easy enough.
Guess I should've known that there was a reason that it was unexplored all this time.
But I just had to. I couldn't sit there and take the safe route, the path that everyone's already taken. All the other remnants of the Golden Age have been explored already, their knowledge uncovered, their secrets no longer, well, secret. Trivaka was different. And I was determined to prove the naysayers wrong. The people who always told me that nothing but death awaited if I wanted to explore that temple. Thousands of people have tried in the last five centuries and not a single one returned.
I was looking to change that.
But now... How embarrassing would it be if I died before even reaching the first stop on my grand adventure?
Thankfully, I never found out.
It all started to go wrong when I got lost while watching the birds.
Don't judge me, okay? I know it was stupid. But they were so vibrant, so pretty! And to see them this close up was incredible! In the city the most we get to see is the odd pigeon or sparrow here and there. And while I was watching them, I thought now would be a good time to take a break. I had surely climbed up halfway at least in good time, so this was well deserved. The trees swayed around me as the sound of a little stream running downhill added an ambient backdrop to my rest. A short nap here won't hurt anybody...
Well, it did. It hurt me quite a bit, as it turns out. You'll see.
I woke up five hours later, hungry and thirsty. The sun was already beginning to set. I should've kept better track of time. But no use crying over spilt milk. I got up, and began walking again, trying to ignore the ache in my stomach. Should I have eaten those wild berries? No. Still, there's still time for me to make it to Trove if I hurry up and don't take any more breaks. I'll eat when I get there. I'll rest. And then I'll head off to Trivaka.
Who must have thought that the best place to settle down would be in the middle of a mountain range, far away from any outside civilization? The people who founded Trove, most likely. Can't blame them too much though. Dealing with so many people in the city gets hectic and overwhelming, fast. Who wouldn't want to live in a quiet, peaceful little village nestled in the forest, set against the backdrop of towering mountains? And the scenery is to die for too.
Why, oh why didn't I look where I was walking? I need to stop being so absent minded, especially when the cost of being absent minded could be death. I would have literally died for this scenery had things been slightly different.
Because while I wasn't paying attention, I tripped over a thick rope and fell headfirst into a pit barely concealed by a small mat of fallen leaves.
When I finally came to my senses, I was still in the pit. How long had it been? I don't know. But by the looks of it, the sun had completely set. The forest was silent.
Just my luck. It was nighttime. I would have to camp out in the forest now.
Running my hands through my dirtied hair in frustration, I could feel a rather large bump towards the back of my head that definitely wasn't there before. Just what I needed. Hungry, thirsty and now concussed. My clothes were ripped at the edges but my travelling bag had thankfully been undamaged. If I could just make it out of this stupid hole in the ground I could set up camp and wait until morning to continue on.
No time to think too much. Escaping was my top priority for now. Plans could be made later. I began to climb, which thankfully wasn't too hard. At least I was adequately prepared for one thing on this disaster of a journey. If I hadn't been knocked out, I could have escaped within minutes. I had just got barely gotten out when I heard them.
The goblins.
Four of them. Mean, nasty creatures that prey on the weak and lost. I definitely counted as both of those things. And they had definitely spotted me. How hadn't I remembered that goblins patrolled during dusk? Had the trap been set by them or a hunter? I don't know, and they didn't care. Because they saw their next meal...
In me.
So there I was, running up a steep wild path. I knew that if I stopped, I would've been bludgeoned to death by those clubs they carried. For being half the height of a human, they had surprising swinging strength. And they were fast. They must have been waiting for an idiot like me to waltz in unprepared and fall into that trap.
I must admit, it was not my finest moment. I was tired, my legs felt like lead and my heart felt like it was gonna leap out of my chest. The old injuries from back home felt like they were fresh once more. I had long since used all eight of my arrows trying to shoot them from a distance. Probably should've spent that time running more.
And so, with nothing else to do, I shouted out into the cold, dark forest.
"HELP ME! ANYONE!"
The four goblins chasing me stopped. Stared at me for a bit.
Then they laughed. Hard. So hard that some of the birds flew out of their trees as they shrieked and howled. I don't even want to think about what I must've looked like to them in that moment. A weak, pathetic human who was about to become dinner, and now she's provided a bit of entertainment too. Lovely.
"Stupid human," the one with the biggest club snarled when he had finally caught his breath, though his face still held a wide, fiendish grin. "Do you honestly think anyone is coming to save y-"
Swoosh. Out of nowhere, an arrow pierced through the head of the leader, who barely even had time to change his expression to one of shock before more came flying out of a nearby tree.
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
And just like that, all four of them fell to the ground, unmoving.
"What a poor choice of last words."
I jumped to my feet, heart still hammering away in my chest. Who was this? The branches of a large fir shook as a black-cloaked figure dropped down to the ground, landing like a cat on all fours before getting up. A crossbow sat in a sling hung from their shoulder with a quiver of shiny looking arrows tied to their back. Silver, I'd wager. The front of the cloak had the symbol of an opened eye.
Silver. The Eye.
The only people to use silver plated arrows or dress in such a manner are...
"Y-You're a Watcher," I stammered out as they made no movement. They appeared to be sizing me up. Or maybe they were looking around. It was hard to tell with their hood covering their face. Watchers act as self proclaimed guardians and guides of their territories, with their primary job being to slay monsters such as those goblins, for which silver would be the preferred metal. Of course there'd be one in a vast, wild place such as this. I'd only ever heard of them in stories and fairytales, coming in to save the poor, lost princess right before she was about to meet her end at the claws of some beast of the night.
Well, that made me the princess in this situation. And I didn't quite know how to feel about that.
"Umm, hello? Can you hear me?" I said in a slightly clearer, louder voice. Why weren't they responding? Before I could say another word, they nodded. Clearly they had been deep in thought just now. About what? I can only guess. For a moment, they were quiet. Then they spoke in a quiet, hushed voice. Almost as if they were afraid of something, or someone, hearing.
"You are lucky to have survived tonight, lady. The Forest has been restless for weeks now. Those goblins are the least of your worries. Come, fast. If your wounds bother you too much, let me know. I can carry you."
That was... ominous. To be told that the things that had nearly killed me were the "least of my worries". But I obeyed. Not that I had much of a choice, but I trusted the person who had just saved my life. "Where are we going?" I asked as the Watcher began to walk forward, cutting through the thick bushes with a hunting knife.
"Trove. Our valley is through the forest ahead. The Elder will want to hear from you about the goings on in the rest of the world. We have been cut off from the outside Realm for far too long. Our healers will nurse you back to health."
Without warning, they finished clearing out a rough path ahead. With a brief motion of their hands they told me to follow. Why were they so tense? As I made to follow, they looked behind, their face still obscured. But then they spoke again. "You are bleeding, aren't you?" I was suddenly aware of the blood flowing from my head.
"O-Oh, I am? I mean, yeah, I am! I took a bit of a fall a while ago... Don't worry! It's just a bit..."
Silence. Perhaps they were already cursing the fact that Fate had paired them up with such an inept companion.
"I cannot heal you fully. But still..." They paused. A brief muttering as they placed their hands on the bump on my head. Suddenly, it felt as if it had begun to shrink, even if just a bit.
"You know healing magic?"
"Just a bit. First aid. The wound hasn't fully closed up, but it should suffice till the time we make it back home."
With another nod, they turned again and walked on into the thicker scrub. At least they seemed satisfied with my condition now.
"Do you not have any permanent paths to your village? Why are we going through the wilds?"
Their response was brief and dismissive. It was clear that they were getting irritated already.
"Those routes have been... compromised. No longer safe to traverse. Besides, this way shall be shorter and harder to track for any pursuers. Now come! There will be much time to talk when we have reached."
Nothing about this conversation made me feel better or inspired any sort of confidence within me. But, if this was truly the shortest path...
Well. Looks like I would reach Trove Village soon after all.