"Oh crap, I hope I'm not lost," I said glancing at my map. I walked around for hours and wasn't sure how I ended up in this huge forest. I didn't know what to do.
"Okay, this direction says go that way, and this direction says take the other way," I mumbled. "But where the hell am I? How would I know if I'm heading in the right direction?"
I'm honestly freaking out here! If I'm really lost, I should just stay put. I can wait for help to come or find a landmark to recognize. God darn it, why the hell did I agree to this? If I hadn't put myself in this situation, I could have been in my room right now but no among all the people in the universe, they have summoned me!
I can't believe I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere. I should have known better. YOU KNOW WHAT? SCREW THIS! I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE! I'M TELLING TOMAS I'M DONE WITH THIS STUPID ADVENTURE! I don't care if it's the last thing I do, I'm going home!
Suddenly I noticed a familiar landmark in the distance. I smiled as I realized I knew exactly where I was and how to get where I needed to go.
"Oh right! I knew I was on the right track," I said to myself. With renewed energy, I happily continued on my journey but suddenly tripped on something and fell on my butt.
I groaned as I looked up and saw that I had tripped on a large creature that looked like a bear but with a huge tusk. The creature had been sleeping and was now awake, staring at me surprised. I scrambled to my feet and ran as fast as I could, not looking back. I heard the creature growl behind me and ran faster. I could hear it getting closer and closer, but eventually, I fell again leaving the creature on top of me.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable pain, but then I heard someone call from the distance.
"Fireball!" I opened my eyes and saw a fireball flying toward me. I ducked and it sailed overhead, exploding against the bear creature. I looked around, wondering who saved me.
When the bear got up, a group of people suddenly appeared out of the bushes. The group of people were all dressed in the same uniform with different colours and they were all carrying weapons. A woman in green holding a bow and arrow stepped forward and said, "Stay calm, we are here to help you."
She said as she held up her bow and arrow. "Distance: 3 meters. Aim: Center. Fire."
With that, the woman let go of the bowstring and the arrow flew through the air, striking the bear in the chest and pinning him to the ground. The bear let out a roar of pain before slumping to the ground.
Group of three men surrounded by a bear. The man in red swung a sword at high speed against the bear. A man in blue had a wand and the other wore black and had two long draggers. The bear roared in pain as the sword hit it. The man in blue used his wand to immobilize the bear. The other man then carefully approached the bear and stabbed it in the heart with his two daggers.
The bear let out one final roar before collapsing to the ground, dead. The three men cheered in victory, grateful for their quick thinking and skill.
"Ah yeah! Lawrence! We beat that sucker to the ground!" Said the man in blue.
"Well, of course, Kareem, we are the S+ adventures. This is nothing new." Said the man in black.
"Now, calm down you guys. Do you remember the girl we rescued?" The man in red said.
Everyone turned to me and I felt my face turn red. I gulped and nodded. The man smiled and said, "See, Malachi, she's safe now." He patted my shoulder and I finally exhaled.
After getting up from the ground, I bowed to them. "Thank you for saving me. I thought I was going to die."
They both smiled and shook their heads. "It's no problem, we're just glad you're safe." Said the woman in green. "Anyway, what are you doing here in the woods alone? Are you an adventurer?"
The guy in blue laughed. "Come on, Lara! If she's an adventurer, she'd be wearing her uniform!"
"Sometimes adventurers don't wear their uniforms," she yelled back. "But they will have to wear their badges."
"Badges?" I said.
She then turned to me. "Huh? So you are not an adventurer?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm not. What do you mean by badges?"
"Badges. It's a sign of identification, so other adventurers can tell who they are and what their rank is. See."
The woman pointed her finger at a group of adventurers in the distance. "Their badges have different colors and designs, which show different levels of authority and responsibility. Some of them even have special symbols that represent their achievements."
She then held up her uniform badge. "You see? I'm a Rank 4 Adventurer. This badge symbolizes my hard work."
"Wow, amazing," I said. "How did you cast a spell like a fireball?"
All of them laughed at me after looking at me funny. "It wasn't her that cast the spell! Can't you tell by her uniform colors? She is a Ranger!"
"Rangers don't cast spells, they use bows and arrows to fight," one in a black uniform said.
"Oh, I see," I said sheepishly. "Then, who cast the spell?"
"I did."
I jump and turn to see an old woman wearing a blue uniform like the other guy. She had a kind face and a warm smile "Glad to see someone safe, I hope my spell didn't shock you."
The female ranger frowned. "Yeah but did you have to step into danger? You could have gotten hurt, elder."
The old woman smiled. "I knew I would be safe. I have been around a long time and I know how to take care of myself." She winked at the ranger and then stepped back, her smile still on her face.
"Yeah, but still, today is your-"
I interrupt her, "Um, excuse me? Can any of you tell me which direction 'Mortha City is?' I'm kinda lost."
I showed them the map. They all look at me and the map and try to figure out where I am. The guy in blue points to the north and says, "Mortha City is that way. You should be able to get there in about an hour."
I smile and bow. "Thank you so much, sir! And thank all of you for saving my life."
Suddenly, all the adventurers turned quiet and stared at each other. I was confused and tried to understand why they were suddenly so silent. But then, a guy in red spoke up: "It's the least we could do."
I waved at them back before turning away. They started to walk in single file, towards the dark forest ahead as I heard them talking.
"Sir? What does that even mean? Does she know WHO I AM?"
"Probably not. She said she's traveling to Mortha City so she's not from around here."
"Yes, but don't you find it odd that she didn't know I was a Ranger?"
"Yeah, that is strange. It's like she's from another world or something."
.
.
.
I walked for almost an hour when I saw a sign that read: Mortha City. I was exhausted and thirsty but determined to reach my destination. I increased my pace and, within a few minutes, I could see the city in the distance.
When I finally arrived there I was blown away by how HUGE the city was. I had never seen anything like it. The buildings reached the sky and the roadways were literally high up above the ground and filled with people in strange clothes. They appeared to be wearing clothes from the 1940s; the men wore suits and hats and the women were in dresses with their hair tied up. It was a world I had never seen before like a fantasy version of the 1940s city and I was mesmerized by it.
But I'm not here for sightseeing. I'm here to look at a shop called 'The Wizard's Den' for a certain someone. I stepped inside and was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of strange and strange objects crammed onto the shelves. An old man with a long white beard greeted me with a smile and said, "Welcome, young traveler. What can I do for you today?"
"OH MY GOD IT'S HIM!" I thought. "That's the guy in the photo Tomas gave me!"
"Uh, yes, I'm here to buy a certain instrument."
He smiled and said, "Ah, yes, I understand what you want. You want to be an adventurer and need a weapon."
"Well, actually-"
He cut me off and said, "I know what you need. Let me show you something!" He pulled out a shining sword and handed it to me.
"This sword came from an ancient temple. It will give you the strength and courage to face any situation. Trust me," he said.
"Um, that's nice, but I-"
"You don't need it," he interrupted. "Not applying to swordsmanship? Okay, how about this?" He reached for the staff and handed it to me. "This is a magical staff, it will give you the power to cast spells. What do you think?"
"I'm not learning magic. Sir, I want a-"
He cut me off again, "You want to become a Ranger? I got you!" He said, his voice stern but with kindness giving me a bow and an arrow.
"No! Can you please let me finish? I want a-"
"Draggers? Spear? Warhammer? Spells? Wands? Boxing gloves? Medicine?"
"MUSICAL INSTRUMENT!" I yelled out.
The old man raised his eyebrows. "A musical instrument? What kind?" he asked.
"Anything will do," I replied, followed by a triumphant look. "I want to be a bard."
"A BARD?" The old man's face was a mix of confusion and disbelief. He looked at me in silence for a few moments before shaking his head. "You can do better than that, besides bards' weapons are their voices," he said sternly.
"I know that," I said. "But I want to be different. You see, I'm on a mission to help someone, and all I'm good at is music. So, I need a musical instrument."
The shopkeeper shakes his head. "Oh, I'm so sorry miss. Since bards are underrated adventurers, I've only purchased the most popular weapons for high adventuring classes. Nobody wants to be a bard."
"So, I've traveled all the way here for nothing?" I said feeling down.
A smile spread across the shopkeeper's face. "No, not for nothing. I might not have the weapons you need, but I do have something else that might help you on your quest."
He pulled out an old, battered book from under the counter and handed it to me. "This book contains ancient bardic songs and tales. It might come in handy on your journey. Also, I have this."
He pulls out a small wooden box under the drawers and opens it.