Ted stumbled back, tired yet triumphant, his bag hanging from his limp arms.
“Ok…! I’ve got the damn thing.” Ted said, his breath coming now in deep desperate gulps for air as he dropped his bag down to the ground.
His hands meet his knees and after a few long moments he looks up at the two other people standing a few paces in front of him.
The elven man shook his head, and said, “You ran all that way, and didn’t even notice the open wound in your side.”
The green-haired woman seemed to hold back laughter, as Ted groaned. The adrenaline from the fight, along with getting his Voice, seemed to mask the injury. But, now that the elven man pointed it out, he did feel a sharp pain in his side. He looked down to see a jagged tear in his dark green vest. A hard to spot, deep red color stained the fabric around the wound.
“Damn it!” Ted said, quickly unbuttoning the thing and holding the vest in front of him.
Inspecting the large stain, he scoffed and looked down again at the much bigger crimson splotch on his undershirt, quickly removing that as well. Now that he was looking at the wound itself, it wasn’t egregiously severe. It was bleeding quite a lot, yes, but it was otherwise superficial. The arrows which had caused the injury just grazed him and weren't deep enough to cause any real internal harm.
As Ted reached for the bag for his packed supplies, it was quickly snatched out from under him by the green-haired woman, who kindly said, “I can do it, too much movement and that wound of yours will start gushing up blood... again.”
Ted tried to protest, but was interrupted by the elven man, his voice dry and straight to the point, “Try to find a map in there.”
Ted groaned, clearly he couldn’t argue this. At this distance, he could get a better look at the green-haired woman. Not like it was difficult in the first place, she had towered over him with almost a foot on him, and without any lack in muscle mass either. Her skin was a light caramel, and her hair was long, ending at just below her shoulders. She wore a white sleeveless tunic, and a metal chestplate on top of it. Her arms had a strange texture with rough ridges and lines all up her arms. Actually, she was likely at least half Lignum. If that’s the case then her arms are likely to actually just be wood. Nothing Ted wanted to be hit by, that's for sure. She wore white, loose-fitting cloth pants, with cuisses attached to them along with brown adventurer boots, and had a large axe on her back and a decent-sized bag on her side.
She said joyfully, “I found it!”, her hand shooting up to the sky.
Ted smiled for a second, before he saw that the item she found was the map, which the elven man promptly took from her hand. He investigated the map and looked deep into it.
The elven man said, “It seems like we still have a ways to go. We will likely have to camp for the night before we reach Fort Trionis”
The green-haired woman said, “That’s fine with me.” before she turned to Ted, saying “Catch!” only mere moments before the medical kit she packed flew from her hand and into Ted.
Ted exclaimed, “Gah! What the hell?!”, he yelled as he fumbled with the medical kit for a few seconds, before he was able to properly get a hold of it.
The green-haired woman sheepishly said, “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to throw it that hard…”
Ted just scoffed, “Didn’t mean to throw it that hard? You basically punched me with the damn thing.”
As he spoke though he pulled out a roll of bandages. He methodically wrapped it around his waist a few times covering the wound to at least stop the bleeding until he could properly tend to it.
The elven man shook his head again, and said, “We should move while light’s out. No use in waiting.”
Ted began to put his shirt and vest back on, and quickly pulled his backpack back to him, zipping it up. He agreed, they should get a move on, Ted was tired of standing in an area covered in gore.
As they began to get ready to move again, the green-haired woman asked, “Since we will be traveling for a night, my name's Sanet. No use in hiding it, especially if we are to work as a team for now.”
The elven man replied, “My name is Ori.”
Ted said, “I am Theodor Bonumas, I’d honestly prefer it though if you just called me Ted.”
As they set off, it wasn’t long before Sanet asked Ted, “I am curious, though, despite the fact that you are an Adventurer, you came here without armor. I can’t imagine any Adventurer without armor.”
Ted shook his head, “I was planning to buy my armor from Fort Trionis, I thought that I wouldn’t need it until then. Clearly, that was wrong.”
Ori interjected, “I assume that some Adventurers may prefer cloth or leather due to the greater movement offered by it. I really wouldn’t even bother considering iron, textiles have much greater versatility.”
Sanet rubbed her head, “I guess you’re right. I just don’t see the point in not prioritizing defense. At least to an extent. You can wear minimal iron armor that wouldn’t hinder mobility.”
As they idled on about several topics, they walked briskly for several hours through the thick woods. The sun began to set in the horizon visible just between the trees, shining radiantly on the three hopeful adventurers. The sky a mix of soft and vibrant pinks and oranges that paint the clouds that dominate the sky. The temperature dropped consistently, now just enough to have a shiver run up Ted’s spine. Around this time though, they arrived at a split in the path.
Ted turned to Ori, who still had the map, shooting him a pointed look.
Ori replied, “Left. I think we should stop for the night, though.”
Sanet looked around at the surrounding woods absently and said, “Yeah, it is getting pretty dark, I’d hate to have to stumble our way through the woods.”
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Ted groaned and clutched tentatively at his wound, “No definitely. I need to clean this sooner rather than later…”
“Then we're stopping. We’ll set up camp before we run out of daylight.” Ori said, suddenly stopping and angling himself towards the tree line.
The others take a few steps past him before they realize and pivot to follow him. They carefully stepped into the woods, making sure to not trip on any obstacles in the evening light. Eventually, they found a spot not far from the road, covered by the trees.
“This will work.” Ori said as he stood in the middle of the covered area, looking around.
Ted and Sanet walked in after him as Sanet said, “I like the spot. What will we do for bedding? I am perfectly fine with sleeping on the ground.”
Ted added, “I have a bedroll for myself, but nothing else, unfortunately.”
Ori said, with an aura of unusual pride, “You need not worry, I have us covered.”
His bag dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, and as he rapidly unpacked it, it became increasingly obvious what he had in it.
Ted exclaimed as he looked over the elf’s shoulder, “How the hell did you fit three tents in there?”
Ori paused for a moment, before he said, “I keep one tent for my clean clothes, one for my dirty clothes, and one for myself. It is best to separate clean and unclean textiles, so they are easier to handle later. Though, I am fine with washing my unclean clothes in a nearby river.”
Sanet curiously asked, “Do you have anything else in that bag?”
Ori promptly said, “No.”
Ted inquired, “What do you mean, no? What about food?”
Ori promptly said, “Nature will provide.”
Ted replied, “Nature will provide?”
Sanet stated, “Nature will provide!”
Ori replied, “Nature will provide.”
Ted stared blankly at the man's back for several long moments. He then turned back to his bag and crouched down as he dug through it for a few moments. Eventually though, he found a pack of hard tack his mother had packed for him. She had lectured him about how life would get drastically harder as an adventurer and packed the damned thing in his bag to prove a point. He looked at the barely edible cinderblock in his hand for a long moment before ripping the thing in half and tossing it in his mouth.
As Ted struggled to chew he watched as Ori began to supposedly set up his tents. Though the word seemed far too crude for what he saw. The fabrics for the things were breathtaking style. Made with expensive cloths that came in a myriad of colors and patterns, clearly made through constant meticulous effort. It was made in a style reminiscent of what he heard were used by nomads in deserts, made to provide comfort in a brutal land. That comfort was in full effect in these woods, as even if they weren’t massive, they were more than enough for their needs.
Sanet smiled, “These tents are truly amazing! Did you make these, Ori?”
Ori rubbed his back, “It was nothing, I just copied some styles that I saw on my way here, really nothing much.”
Ted grumbled, “To think that it was going to store some dirty clothes…”
Ori turned back, “What?”
Ted said, “I said I was going to get started on the fire.”
Ori replied, eyes raised, “Keep it a fair bit away from the tents. I wouldn’t want to risk any damage to them.”
Ted turned back, “Yeah, yeah… no embers will get anywhere near ‘em.”
Over the next hour, Ted prepared a fire, while Ori found a nearby river and filled up one of Ted’s two flasks up with water, bringing it back to the camp.
Ted sweated as he leaned back, finally finishing the fire. He was able to secure some wood, and he had a firestarter on hand, but clearly fate didn’t care about that. It must’ve been the longest time it had ever taken someone to start a fire in these elements. Nonetheless, it was done. As the flames grew higher, slowly engulfing the wood strips he had set up the faint smell of sizzling sap spread around the small camp. Just as Ted stared into the bright flames and had begun to lose himself in thought Ori came walking back, carrying a fairly large flask full of water.
Ted asked, “Wait, isn’t that my flask?”
Ori said, “There was nothing in it, I think that securing a safe way to put out the fire is more important than personal property for now.”
Ted groaned, “You could’ve just asked.”
Ori replied, “I think if I interrupted you while you were making that fire, it would not be the only thing burning tonight.”
Ted continued to groan, “I guess…”
Ori said, “If it makes it any better, I planned to clean your vest while I had this water.”
Ted replied, “Alright, but you and Sanet need to break this ‘rummaging through all my stuff’ thing that you’re doing.”
Ori smiled, “Duly noted.”
As Ori sat down, Ted took his vest off and handed it to Ori. Ori propped the vest up by hanging it using some sticks and a nearby tree, and began to pour water on it, trying to wash the blood out.
As Ted relaxed, and enjoyed the fire, he asked, “Since you’re a tailor, can you fix it while you’re at it?”
Ori sighed, “I don’t do work for free. This is a matter of common courtesy. You saved my back there, so I might as well do something for you.”
Ori’s sight narrowed a bit, as he said in a more direct tone, “After all, I have some questions for you as well.”
Ted raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
Ori said, “You awakened something out there, no?”
Ted had forgotten about that. Forgotten wasn’t the right word, rather, he simply ignored it for a bit. After all, something like a Voice Awakening was no small matter, especially to an inexperienced newbie such as Ted. He knew that he was inexperienced and that was also why he didn’t plan on revealing it to anyone. He knew next-to-nothing about how it worked.
Ted had tensed up for a bit, and after deliberating it in his mind, said, “I did. Do you have one? You know…?”
Ori sighed, “I do have a Voice. Judging by how you talk about it, I guess you don’t know anything about it.”
Ted replied, “Not really? Trust me, I tried several times when I first really got interested in being an adventurer. Everyone I asked, at least back in Lindow, seemed pretty ignorant. Not the kind of information you get easily.”
Ori said, “I guess I must be lucky for being in a family that freely discusses such things. Since you saved my ass earlier, if you want, I can explain the basics to you.”
Ted grinned, “Yeah, I wouldn’t exactly mind that.”
Ori turned from the vest, now hanging mostly clean in the air. He walked around the fire across from Ted and sat on a log of wood Ted had left there earlier. The sun light now dimmed further into a dull grey as the evening clearly transitioned into dusk and the temperature dropped further.
Ori brought his hands up to the flames, turning them over idly, “In a person’s body, there are two spiritual bodies. There’s the Soul, which is the inner form of yourself, the primal origin of you. Then, there’s the Voice, which is the current form of you, and how you have evolved and changed from the immutable Soul. Usually, the Voice is nothing more than a record of the person. However, if that person has a wish, a need so strong that they feel as if the world must bend to that need, the Voice will awaken. It can manifest in a variety of ways, often reminiscent of the wish it spawned from. For instance…”
Ori raised his hand up, and the air began to curl around it. In a few moments, grey sparks softly flickered through the fire, as the large sewing needle he had used during the fight emerged from seemingly nowhere. Then, just as fast as it appeared, it faded into nothing, the grey sparks dissipating in the light breeze.
Ori finished his speech, “Of course, I am no less green than you. I know there’s types and that the soul can affect it more, but I am not sure.”
Ted thought for a moment, before he said, “That makes a whole lot more sense now. Y’know, how I got my Voice, and how you were able to do all of that during the fight.”
Ori asked, “If it’s no problem, what is your Voice?”
Ted paused for a moment, watching Ori a bit more carefully for a moment before scratching the back of his head and replied, “I think I know what it is, but I’d like to keep it to myself. At least till I’m 100% sure what it is myself.”
Ori smiled lightly, “Of course. It’s good to keep your Voice close to your chest. After all, it is your outlook on the world. Your will to change the world, and to bring your vision of life into it. The world is yours, if your Voice declares it so. Consider it your greatest weapon.”
Ted breathed out, relieved to talk about Voices and such out loud, “Thank you for filling me in. No clue when I would have figured it out otherwise.”
Ori replied, “Of course, I’m just paying you back.”
As they both began to relax again, Ted thought out loud, “You know, I haven’t seen Sanet in a while.”
Ori said, “She just left into the woods when you began to make your fire.”
Ted said, “What did she even leave fo-”
“NATURE HAS PROVIDED!”
Suddenly, the bloodied and beaten carcass of what appeared to have been a bear thrusted forth from the darkness, landing a few feet away from the campfire. Sanet stepped forward with her axe raised high, covered in the blood of her victim.
