We have been in the forest for a couple of hours already, searching for our next prey, and I feel like someone is pricking me in my back.
I asked Lauf, but he said, "Just don't look back."
It's one of the weird creatures, a weird phenomenon that happens on the borders or other hidden realms in this plane. It's like other creatures living on this plane with us, but in another dimension. To interact or influence us, they need to follow some rules.
"Hey, Lauf, how do you know old Tommy?"
"Well, he kinda helped me," Lauf doesn't seem like he wants to speak about his relation with Tommy.
"We have been here for a while. Is there anything in this forest other than worms?" I asked him.
"Don't worry, we are about to arrive already," as we walk, we arrive at a ruin, it's like another old town.
"This was a settlement for the wanderers in the past. There are others like it around this forest. Here, we hunt the mice and rats." We started laying traps using some of the worms we caught.
After a day of hunting, we are finally back.
"Hey, Ander, where are you staying? If you didn't find a good place, come with me." I followed him to a small hut, at least better than staying on the roof.
"Okay, you sleep on the floor tonight, and we will find you a lodge tomorrow. Goodnight."
-------------------------------------------
As the middle-aged man opened his eyes, he vanished from his chair. In the outer sphere, he was looking at his world.
"Ah, it's been many years, and it's finally coming, our end." He started laughing like crazy.
"Do you think you will end me? Haha, never! I have made the ascend way from scratch. I made a new system. I created a great civilization standing at the apex of the known universe. I made this alone. I will never end." He started shouting. After a while, he opened a fracture in space and walked in.
.......
Ander woke up drenched in sweat again, but this time he is thinking about his dreams. "Who is that man?"
"Oh, you are awake. How's your sleep? Let's go. I need to teach you everything before I go. You have only four months to learn."
….
It's been more than three months already, and we ventured into this forest and searched many ruins in this forest. Everything isn't constant, and you may find new things from time to time, but here in the borders, you will not find good things. That's what I learned, as well as how to survive. But here is not as dangerous as I think. I and Lauf are good buddies now, but I feel frustrated. I haven't opened my mind yet, and not even contaminated. We are just a few days until the walker comes. It seems hopeless.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," i replied. We are on our way for another venture in the forest, but Lauf isn't feeling well. He is so cautious and sweating.
"Hey, buddy, what's with you? Are you unwell? Let's go back?" I asked him.
"No, no, it's finally here. We can't go back."
"What is here?"
"Nothing, don't worry. I will be fine," he replied, but I think there's something he doesn't want to tell me.
As we walked, we heard a little screech. We looked up, "It's a giant spider. Run, Ander, run!" he screamed.
As we ran, the giant spider is following us, jumping on the trees.
"Hey, there, let's jump there," Lauf jumped in a well. I followed him. "Ah, get off," I got off him and found ourselves in a spacious place under the well. The spider is above us, looking at us with its big eyes and drooling.
"Come, let's find a way out." As we searched, we came to a staircase and found many luminous stones in the way. It started lightning as we were going. There are many statues of people at the sides of the stairs. Some with cloaks, some wearing masks, some holding cans or books, and some having parts of animals or mechanical parts.
"Where are we? Do you know anything about those statues, Lauf?"
"No, I don't. It's my first time seeing something like that." I am skeptical of him, but Lauf has been teaching me, and he is like a brother to me. So I will not bother more about it for now. We reached a crossroads, but we still going in without separating. We don't know what we will find. As we are going, we noticed it's a maze, a big maze. After a while in the maze lauf stoped me ,
"Do you hear anything?"
"No, what is it?" I asked.
"I don't know," Lauf replied. Then there's a sound loud enough, and we held our daggers.
"Eh, my dagger is glowing," I said.
"This is not the time for that," he shouted as two spiders appeared in front of us. "It seems we have to fight," I said, as there's another spider in the back.
"Well, fight, but don't die," he replied.
"You too."I ran to the one in the back while Lauf will fight the other two. I slipped under the spider while running, trying to wound it in its stomach, but couldn't. "The legs, go for the legs," I heard Lauf say. So after the legs, I went for a while and wounded it in the back legs. I didn't want to face it from the front. When it started slowing, I wounded it in the stomach. "Screech, screech," then I went for the head, stabbing it many times until it slumped on the floor. I looked at Lauf, he's finishing his too. "Those spiders are stupid," I joked with him but found his complexion a little pale.
"What happened? Are you wounded?" I asked.
"No, I am fine. Let's keep going," he replied. After a while, we found a huge door. It has drawings like the status at the stairs, and above them, what looks like a starry sky, many stars as if glowing, or that's the effect of the luminous stones. I don't know.
"Hey, Ander, it seems I will wait here a little," Lauf said as he sat on the ground.
I ran to him.
"What is happening to you?" I found a wound in his leg. It's poison.
"What is this? What should I do? You didn't tell me what to do in situations like that. I am afraid right now."
"Haha, don't be afraid. It's okay. I will be fine. I will be a walker, so don't worry. I will not die. Go and see what's behind this door."
"I will not let you here alone," I said, supporting him and pushing the door, but couldn't. "Try with the dagger," Lauf whispered. I stared at him, but he smiled wryly. As I tried, there is a hole in the door the dagger fits in it , and the doors opened.