Turns out, wolf meat isn't half bad—it tastes a lot like chicken, actually. I'd know; it's been my only meal for the past five days while I've been wandering these woods, heading west with no real purpose. Not that I'm complaining. I've always liked chicken. But variety would be nice every once in a while.
I mean, sure, I've had chances to switch up the menu—I've run into plenty of other wild beasts just as mean and ugly as that big son of a bitch wolf. Too many, if I'm being honest with myself; it's really become a pain surviving in this monster-infested den of a forest. However, none of them looked all that appetizing.
One of them was this massive praying mantis that came at me swinging those big ass—whatever they're called—pincers? Blades? Claws? Doesn't matter. The big green bastard nearly took my head off. He was a tough customer; I'll give the guy that. However, in return, I took his arms. Fair's fair, as the saying goes; at least I think that's how it goes. Never was one for old sayings.
As I wake from a short rest, slumped against a tree, I catch a sound in the distance. Not just one noise either—low growls mixed with heavy grunts, like something... or possibly someone, is struggling up ahead. I can't help but be curious; maybe I've finally stumbled on people in this godforsaken forest. Still, it's better to stay cautious when dealing with the unknown. I'll keep out of sight, at least for now.
I stay in the shadows, inching closer to the source of the noise. From behind the brush, I spot a man and a woman fending off a pack of small green creatures. Five of them, by my count. Four of them are holding spears and fending the two people off as one of them appears to be sending large gusts of wind at the pair.
The guy looks young—early twenties, maybe. Bright orange hair, lean build, swinging a sword that looks way too big for him. Still, he handles it like he's been doing it his whole life.
As for the woman—about the same as the guy. Slender build, youthful appearance, probably around his age. Long, flowing purple hair, and she's fighting bare-handed with brass knuckles like a seasoned brawler. I'll admit, it's impressive.
I watch them wrap up the fight—both seeming tired, but their efforts proved efficient. Five green creatures downed by their skills and teamwork. I think I heard one of them mention "goblins." Funny if I'm being honest. I used to read a few fantasy novels between jobs. Never thought I'd actually see something like this, but then again, not much should be surprising me anymore. I'd always pictured goblins as scarier. These look more like green gnomes with bad attitudes.
"So, were you ever planning on helping us out, or are you here to ambush us?" The woman calls out, her gaze shifting from the fallen goblins to the bushes where I'm hiding.
Appears I've been made. They both clearly are skilled at fighting. I should try to appear friendly; I don't particularly wish for bloodshed. Besides, they could prove helpful.
"Either you're really observant or I'm bad at stealth. I'd wager a mix of the two. I can't say what the plan was; I was merely observing. I can never be too sure of anyone." I say, stepping out from the bushes, hands raised just enough to look harmless.
My knife remains hidden in my sleeve in case things go south and I have to take these two down.
"This guy looks suspicious, big sis. I mean, look at the weird way he's dressed."
"Ferrick, little brother, I love you, but you're always suspicious of everyone we meet. Besides, if we judged everyone based on how they dressed, then we wouldn't have nearly as many acquaintances."
So, they're siblings. That tracks. Judging by their appearance and their words, my clothes don't exactly fit in here. Maybe I'll change things up if I'm ever able to find a town of some form with a clothing outlet. Then again, I've gotten attached to this outfit. The trench coat's… comfortable. What can I say? I'm a creature of habit in some cases, at least.
The brother—Ferrick—doesn't trust me. Understandable. If I hadn't cleaned off all that blood at the river I'd found yesterday evening, I'd probably look like a walking crime scene. I would be incredibly suspicious as well.
However, the sister seems willing to hear me out. Maybe I should try putting on a smile of some sort; that could possibly put me in a more friendly light.
"I know my appearance may strike you as odd, but personally I think I pull this look off. I should probably introduce myself. My name is Void." I say as I attempt a smile.
It doesn't go well—it feels forced and looks worse. Probably should've skipped that part, as it's definitely not helping my case.
"Odd name to go with an odd outfit, I like it. Well, Void, I'm Ashara, and this is my brother Ferrick, and we're the famous adventuring duo the Peltz siblings. Also, excuse me for being rude, but is that a smile? Because it looks like you're taking a shit," the woman who calls herself Ashara says, smiling wide, even going so far as to strike a playful pose at her own introduction.
"Big sis, quit pretending we're famous. People always give us weird looks whenever you do that." Ferrick says, rolling his eyes at her dramatics.
A pair of adventuring siblings, huh? Even after everything I've seen, it still feels strange realizing I've stepped straight into some kind of fantasy world.
From just their short and energetic introductions, I think I've got a decent read on them. They don't seem bad—at least on the surface. If I play my cards right, I might be able to get some useful information out of them… maybe even a way out of this forest. That would be a treat, as I'm getting a bit sick of all these bugs, wildlife, and having to survive off wolf meat rations.
"I can't even remember the last time I smiled. I suppose it just doesn't come naturally to me, but it's the easiest way I could think of to try and show I'm friendly. I've been a bit lost in these woods and don't exactly know where I'm headed. I don't even know exactly how I got here. You're the first people I've seen in almost a week." I admit, it's not the full truth, but it's parts of it that may get me some sympathy—and maybe some help.
The siblings glance at each other, mutter something, and walk a few meters off to talk. And by talk, I mean whisper-shout at each other like one would expect from some old married couple. From what I can tell, Ferrick's not buying it, but Ashara's leaning my way. More or less how I figured things would go, nothing all that shocking.
After waiting patiently for a moment, it looks like they've finished their little powwow. From what I've seen so far, I'd wager the sister usually wins their arguments through sheer force of will. Let's see if I'm right.
"After careful deliberation, my brother and I have decided... as a team... that if you want, you can travel with us. We just about finished what we'd set out to do in these forests anyway. We're heading to Foundland City." Ashara says, her tone light and friendly, all the while Ferrick watches me, suspicious as ever.
Thank God. I found my way out of here, hopefully at least. Can never be too sure what could go wrong, but for the moment at least, there seems to be some sort of salvation from this godforsaken forest.
"I'll definitely take you up on that. I thought I'd never get out of here." I say in a calm but genuinely relieved tone, extending my hand. She takes it, and we shake.
After a few more moments of chatter between the siblings, we finally start moving. Ashara runs ahead, full of energy—damn, that girl's got way too much of it. Her brother and I follow at a normal pace. After a bit, Ferrick falls into step beside me, still giving off that air of suspicion. Once again, can't blame the guy; I'd be the exact same. Ashara seems kind enough, but that easy-to-trust nature of hers will definitely get her killed one day.
"Hey. I don't know exactly who you think you are, but I don't trust you. If you so much as step out of line, I'll use my blade to cut you down. My sister may be trusting, but I sure as hell am not." Ferrick says in a serious, hushed tone towards me, trying to make sure his sister doesn't hear it.
"Good threat. Here's mine: I don't enjoy killing, but try to take me out and I'll snuff the light from your eyes without a second thought. You or your admittedly kind-seeming but naive sister over there. Seems our heads work the same way—should be fun," I whisper, letting him know exactly where we stand.
I fall into step ahead of him, keeping my face calm. It doesn't matter if he's suspicious—so long as they don't try anything, I might learn something about this place and finally get out of this damned forest.