As Argolaith continued his trek through the wilds of the Forsaken Forest, the path before him seemed to stretch endlessly, with the trees on either side standing as silent sentinels guarding the secrets of the ancient woods.
He had taken a break earlier for lunch, having feasted on the tender meat of the Zorath and a salad made from magical plants he had foraged for along the way.
The meal had provided him with the sustenance he needed to keep moving, but the quiet monotony of his journey was beginning to wear on him.
Walking, walking, and more walking. It was the same every day, with the same dense forest stretching out in all directions, and the same never-ending rustling of unseen creatures moving through the underbrush.
He had learned to ignore most of the forest's sounds by now, but the stillness had a way of amplifying his thoughts.
His boots crunched softly on the undergrowth as he moved, one foot after the other, his mind wandering as his eyes scanned the forest around him.
The trees here were ancient, their gnarled branches twisting into the sky, casting deep shadows across the forest floor.
Occasionally, he would catch sight of a strange plant, its colors more vibrant than anything he had seen before, or a glint of something metallic half-buried beneath the roots of a tree—perhaps an artifact from the long-lost races that had once inhabited this land.
Suddenly, something caught his attention off in the distance—a towering mountain, its jagged peaks rising far above the surrounding forest.
The sight was striking, especially after weeks of walking through the seemingly endless sea of trees. It was as though a great wall had risen up in the distance, a stark reminder that the world beyond the forest still existed.
"Wow, that's a big mountain," Argolaith muttered to himself, pausing for a moment to take in the sight.
The mountain looked far off, hundreds of miles at least, but it was a welcome sight nonetheless.
"When I get closer to it, I'll check it out. But for now, I'll keep walking and exploring the area. Who knows? Maybe I'll come across some old ruins from the ancient races that went into hiding thousands of years ago."
He could feel the thrill of adventure stirring within him at the thought of discovering something long lost to time. The idea of ancient ruins, untouched by time, was an irresistible lure.
There could be valuable artifacts, hidden knowledge, or even clues about the true history of the forest and its mysteries. He had to admit, his curiosity was piqued.
But as he started walking again, his earlier excitement began to wane. The constant rhythm of his footsteps, the endless stretch of trees, and the solitude of the journey were starting to wear on him.
"It really never gets any easier," he muttered under his breath, adjusting the strap of his satchel as he trudged forward.
Despite the initial thrill of exploring the unknown, the reality of long days spent walking through the same forest, with little to break the monotony, was beginning to set in.
He sometimes missed the sounds of civilization—the hustle and bustle of a town, the occasional laughter of strangers, the warmth of a fire shared with others.
Out here, in the depths of the Forsaken Forest, it was just him. Just his thoughts and the vast wilderness surrounding him. Even though he had his sword and his thoughts, there was a sense of isolation that weighed heavily on him.
"I wonder if I'll ever meet anyone again," he mused aloud. "Athos was the last person I spoke to, and that was weeks ago. I suppose that's the price of solitude—being able to listen to your own thoughts, but also being trapped by them."
His thoughts drifted to the people he had met in his hometown—brief encounters, faces that were now just distant memories.
There had been the merchant in the in his town, who had sold him a small hand held mirror of the in exchange for a few coins.
There was also the schools alchemist, who had offered him advice about certain plants and herbs that could be useful on his journey.
But that had been weeks before he left for his journey, and now there was just the endless forest, the silence, and the sound of his own footsteps.
Hours passed, and the day began to fade into evening. The sun, which had hung high in the sky for most of the day, was now dipping below the horizon, casting long shadows across the ground.
Argolaith knew he should find a safe place to rest for the night, but part of him wanted to push on further. He hated stopping when he was in the midst of his thoughts, as though taking a break would cause his momentum to falter.
But as much as he wanted to keep walking, the pull of exhaustion was starting to set in. His muscles ached from the long journey, and his stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since lunch.
He decided it was time to find a place to camp. He glanced around, searching for a suitable spot where he could light a fire and prepare his evening meal.
A small clearing appeared ahead, surrounded by a ring of trees that offered some shelter from the wind.
Argolaith made his way over, setting down his satchel and gathering some dry wood to start a fire.
The crackling sound of the flames breaking the silence felt oddly comforting, and he watched the flames dance for a while as he thought about the day's journey.
By the time the fire was fully established, the sky had grown dark. The stars were visible now, pinpricks of light scattered across the vast expanse above him.
He sat back on a nearby log, the warmth of the fire easing the tension in his muscles as he ate his evening meal.
A stew made from the meat of the Fenrir, along with some wild mushrooms he had found earlier, provided him with the nourishment he needed to keep going.
But as he ate, something caught his eye. He looked up at the sky, blinking in disbelief. For the first time in his life, he noticed something that he had never seen before. A second moon.
"What the—wait, has there always been a second moon, or am I just seeing things?" Argolaith muttered, rubbing his eyes and squinting up at the sky.
The second moon was smaller than the first, but it hung there, glowing faintly in the sky, casting a pale, otherworldly light across the forest.
His heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, he wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him.
He had walked the lands of the Forsaken Forest for weeks now, and he was certain that this was the first time he had ever seen a second moon in the sky.
Perhaps it had always been there, just hidden by the dense canopy or cloud cover. Or perhaps it had somehow appeared recently.
"Well, it doesn't really matter," he shrugged, deciding that he had no time to waste pondering the inexplicable.
The moon was there now, whether it had been there before or not. And regardless of the strange phenomenon, the forest remained the same—a place of danger, mystery, and endless possibility.
He turned his attention back to the fire, watching as the flames flickered and shifted in the night air.
His mind was still buzzing with the strange discovery, but he pushed the thought aside for now. He would continue his journey tomorrow, and perhaps the mystery of the second moon would reveal itself in time. For now, there was no use dwelling on it.
As the fire burned low and the night grew colder, Argolaith made his way to his bedroll, unrolling it on the soft ground and settling in for the night.
He had long since grown accustomed to sleeping under the open sky, surrounded by the sounds of the forest. The fire provided warmth, but it was the solitude that he had come to rely on.
"Another night in the Forsaken Forest," he murmured, closing his eyes. "Another step closer to my goal."
He lay there in the darkness, his mind still whirling with thoughts of the second moon, of the mountain in the distance, and of the unknown adventures that lay ahead.
As sleep took him, the shadows of the forest seemed to stretch and grow around him, but he felt a sense of peace.
There was something about the stillness, about the vastness of the forest and the mysteries it held, that brought him a strange kind of comfort.
Tomorrow, he would rise and continue his journey, and whatever lay ahead, he would face it with the same determination that had carried him this far.
For now, though, the second moon would remain a mystery, just like the countless other secrets hidden deep within the heart of the Forsaken Forest.