The Endless Forest

Humanity.

Humanity had become a scourge. A scourge that threatened and nearly succeeded in, exterminating all the other races. Elves, Dwarves, Dragons… The list went on, no one was safe. And at the front of their vast and supposed righteous armies, was their champion.

One might curse his name, but I do not. At least, not anymore.

While he led humanity’s forces into battle, doubts had formed in his mind. I know this, because it was I who showed him the truth. It was I who made him, ironically, see the light.

Still, it was not his fault for how things went. Knowing what I do, I don’t even blame the majority of Humanity. They were facing what we are now facing ourselves, extinction.

Driven into a corner by unseen and unknown forces, they faced drought, famine, and disease at unprecedented scales. The likes of which had never been seen before or since.

Perhaps, had we cared to intervene during that time, things would have been different. Instead, we all watched as their countries collapsed.

It was at the final hour, though, that Humanity found its salvation.

Religion.

But this religion was not like those that had come before. No, it was more sinister, it was more angry, and it had a captive audience. They clung to it with fear and desperation, and with it, they turned into monsters.

At first, they merely banned the use of the more ‘dark’ side of magic. Soon though, they banned all forms of it. Only those of the clergy were allowed to study, what they called, Divine Blessings.

It was a monopoly on magic.

Up and to this point, we continued to watch, in amusement, from the sidelines. Meanwhile, they were secretly plotting and preparing. Before we knew it, they struck.

Why we were shocked and surprised at the time, I will never know.

They blamed us for their misgivings, they blamed us for laughing at their misery. They blamed us for anything and everything, no matter how much truth there was to their words. With all the rhetoric coming from their ‘sermons,’ it should have been blindingly obvious.

It wasn’t, and we paid dearly for that…

With a gasp, He awoke to find himself lying on a dirt floor. In fact, as he quickly sucked in the cool crisp air, he could almost taste the piney and earthen aroma of his surroundings.

Opening his eyes only confirmed his suspicions.

Sitting up, he took in the vibrant greens and browns of the forest that surrounded him. It wasn’t particularly dense, but no matter where he looked, it was seemingly endless.

That wasn’t all, however, many of the trees around him were absolutely gargantuan. They were so huge, that he had to crane his neck just to see how high they reached. But with their leaves and branches, and how they tended to mingle together, it was near impossible to tell.

Sky Trees, he felt more than thought. Somehow though, the name sounded correct to him. And that brought reality crashing down on top of him in an instant…

Where am I? He questioned himself, but a creeping silence from his own mind was his only answer. Reaching deeper into his consciousness, he looked for any memories that could explain everything.

There weren't any.

A cold sweat began to form as it slowly dawned on him, he couldn’t remember anything. And it wasn’t just limited to his current predicament. No, the more he peered into his mind, the more clear it was to him.

He had lost all his memories. He couldn’t even remember his name…

Yet it was that, that caused him to start shivering. He knew he had a name, he knew he lost his memories. However, why he knew, he did not know.

His breathing picked up as he started to panic. He looked around, trying to maintain his composure. Grass, trees… A forest, The Endless Forest…

There it was again, the sensation of information being given to him. He couldn’t describe it but on some instinctive level, he knew, it wasn’t his knowledge.

Disturbed by that realization, he tried to stand. However, his legs felt weak and gave out underneath him, sending him to his hands and knees. Tears began to land on the ground beneath him as he began to cry.

An overwhelming sense of sorrow flooded through him, though whether it was his own or not, he did not know. Not that he cared at the moment, the pain, and it was definitely pain, was too much.

Who am I? What am I? Where am I…? Questions swirled through him, causing only a feedback loop of despair when he could not answer them. Suspiciously, no answer was given to him either, except for one.

The Endless Forest…

In anger and desperation he yelled out, “BUT WHERE IS THAT?!”

Silence.

He bared his teeth, furious at whatever was feeding him this information. However, before he could respond, he heard the snap of a twig.

Startled, he quickly looked up and found himself surrounded by small lizard looking people. They came in various colors, with most being red or blue. However, there were a few more unique ones, like gold, silver, and black.

On top of their heads, most carried short horns that swept back, though a few seemed to lack them entirely… Their hands and feet ended in sharp claws, while they carried themselves on digitigrade legs. They were all dressed in a patchwork of different clothes, armor, and weapons.

Kobolds.

Embarrassed at being caught in such a vulnerable state, He quickly wiped his face and struggled to his feet. That had, apparently, been a bad move, as they all tensed up and readied whatever weapons they had.

Realizing his mistake, he opened his mouth to speak but was cut off before he could.

“W-who you?” A red kobold squawked out in fear as he took a cautious step in front of his pack.

He raised his hands up slowly, hoping to show them he was unarmed. Shit, what do I say? They look like they’re ready to either charge me or run away… Unfortunately, he was not given enough time before another shouted out from the group.

“HE HUMAN!”

There was a quick moment of panic in the group before they spontaneously rallied.

“KILL INVADER!” A blue kobold shouted, this one sounded feminine. She approached the red one and shoved him forward.

“M-me?” the male squeaked out in both surprise and fear.

“Yes! Coward! You say you love Niri but no protect Niri. You run and hide, leave stronger males to protect Niri. Prove me love!”

“B-but Gern no run and hide! Gern get knocked out… Look, Gern even stand in front of pack!”

“Humph!” The female crossed her arms and turned her head away from the other kobold.

He could only stand there and watch on in confusion while the two kobolds continued their little lover’s quarrel. Thankfully, the rest seemed just as interested in the pair if not more than him. That is, until a gust of wind blew from behind him…

They all went rigid, even the two that were arguing. All eyes were back on him in an instant, curiously, there was awe painted on their faces.

A moment passed before yet another kobold pushed their way through. This one was a dull gray, almost like unpolished silver.

They hobbled forward with the aid of a small gnarled staff. They came to a stop only a few feet away from him, and… Fell to their knees?

“Master!” the kobold shouted. It was male, and his voice sounded old and gruff.

“Master?” He asked, completely taken aback. He glanced at the others, who all suddenly collapsed to the ground, prostrating. “I’m no one’s m-master…”

“You smell like Master, you are Master.”

“Huh?” He was stumped, worst still, there was no help from his unseen informant.

The old kobold growled out a sigh and, with the help of his staff, stood up. “You,” the kobold pointed at him, “are new Master.”

Shaking his head, He asked. “New Master? I don’t understand, I’m just lost…”

“No, you no lost. You found. And you new Master.”

“I believe what he is saying is that you must be their new Master, since you smell like her.” A new voice suddenly cut in. A man with long pointed ears appeared next to one of the massive trees, inspecting it.

An elf…

“I must say, your mana feels very similar to hers…” The elven man turned to face him properly. “She was successful then.”

The elf had short black, cropped hair that was pulled back and a little disheveled. His emerald eyes spoke of a lifetime’s worth of wisdom that hid behind them, and the way he carried himself only helped to reinforce that notion.

He wore a green tunic and a matching gambeson, behind him a brown cloak billowed. His trousers were brown leather and disappeared into his thick boots. All in all, he had the appearance of a hunter, only he had no bow and quiver. In fact, he didn’t look to have any weapon at all, unless he hid one underneath his clothes.

“My mana?” He asked.

The elf narrowed his eyes, “All creatures have mana. Though, you are a bit…special.”

He shuddered, a chill went down his spine. Not liking where this conversation was going, he quickly changed topics. “Um… Perhaps you can help me? I’m, uh, a bit lost…”

The old kobold chose that moment to speak up, “I tell Master, you no lost. You found. We found new Master, we take care of new Master.”

Despite the absurdity of the situation, he was still lost and without memories. Hearing the kobold say they would take care of him, strangely made him feel more at ease. Hah, at least they aren’t planning on killing me…

“My name is Aluin,” the elf bowed as he spoke up, “and that kobold is Uzreg.”

Uzreg tried to mimic the elf but nearly fell over, only his staff saved him. “Uzreg meant that,” he muttered, straightening himself.

He would have probably laughed if he hadn’t been presented with the harsh reality of his situation again, he couldn’t remember his name. Maybe I should just make one up? He gave the elf a quick glance before deciding against it. He seems to know what is going on, no reason to hide anything…

“Nice to meet you all… But I, uh, don’t know my name.” He sighed, “I can’t remember anything…” There was a secondary rush of anxiety as he spoke, but he managed to hold it at bay for now.

Aluin nodded, “As expected. There is much I already know, however due to a certain promise, I can’t help you much right now.” There was an edge to his tone as he spoke, almost as if he loathed not being able to explain further.

He wasn’t sure if that admission made him more concerned or relieved, everything that was happening to him was expected. Perhaps there is a good reason? Why else would someone do this to me– Unless, this is some sort of punishment?

With a gulp, he subtly shook the thought away. Dwelling on such matters wouldn’t do him any good right now, he needed to focus and try to at least remember his name. At least that’s what I want to believe, I’m starting to wonder if I want to know…

The elf glanced up into the treetops, “We should probably get moving, it’s starting to get late after all.”

Uzreg turned to face the elf and declared, “We take new Master to old home. We no need fancy elf.”

“Oh no you don’t, I know exactly what you are scheming.” Aluin disappeared and reappeared behind the kobolds. “I will go to ensure your new Master knows what to expect.”

The kobold wanted to argue, but a sudden pressure nearly forced everyone but the elf to the ground. He, himself, winced as he suddenly felt twice as heavy. Within an instant, it was gone.

“Now, let me make it clear to everyone. I am here to teach the…human, I will not tolerate anyone getting in the way.” With that, Aluin turned around and began walking.

Feeling his weight return to normal, He watched as the kobolds slowly turned to face him expectantly.

“Uh, well you heard him… Let’s go?”

With that, there was some muttering but ultimately the pack started following after the elf. That just left him and Uzreg, who was clearly fuming.

“Hey…” He patted the kobold on the shoulder. “It’s alright, no reason to be–”

“He ruin plan! Uzreg had chance to get eggs! Now no chance…” The kobold stomped the ground.

Eggs? What does a kobold want with…eggs? Then it hit him, the sensation of knowledge just being dumped into his brain. Dragon eggs?! Shit…

Again, he tried to maintain his composure but at this rate he wasn’t sure it was going to last much longer. “Right… Well, I’m sure there is a rea–”

Uzreg cut him off, “No, Master no will let kobold near eggs! Kobold need eggs, kobold need more Masters!” There was a twinge of despair in the poor kobold’s voice, clearly this was a big deal to them.

Thinking quickly, He said something that he absolutely knew would come to bite him later. “Hey now, I never said anything about eggs… But! Let’s, uh, deal with that later? I’m sure I can do something about that…”

Uzreg perked up at that “Master mean it? Master help get more Masters?”

Nothing like talking out of my ass, but, seeing the poor guy like that, kinda reminds me of myself in a strange way… I still haven’t the faintest clue why everyone seems to think I’m their master. Hopefully, someone will tell me what is going on around here…

“Uh, yeah… Sure, but not right now, Master is tired–”

“We go! Uzreg take Master to Master’s home! We talk then!” The kobold suddenly grabbed his hand and, with a surprising amount of strength, pulled him forward.

Not given any opportunity to speak, He gave in and picked up his pace. So much for being old, he mused. This guy still has plenty of strength…

It didn’t take long for them to catch up, in fact, the rest of the pack seemed to be moving rather slowly. For what purpose, He didn’t know.

As they approached, Uzreg declared to them his promise.

They suddenly picked up speed, and before he knew it, they were practically running. Curiously, as they passed Aluin, he said nothing and continued on at his own leisurely pace. The elf seemed to not even notice them passing him by.

He can teleport…right? I think that’s right, then I guess that would explain why he isn’t concerned. He can just appear ahead of them whenever he wants…

He was brought out of his thoughts as he did his best to keep up, he suddenly felt a strange sensation. An urge started tugging at him, wanting to guide him somewhere. Luckily, it was in the direction they were already heading. Still, the closer they got, the stronger the sensation…

Unable to ignore it, he finally pulled his arm free from Uzreg and found himself getting ahead of the pack. The kobold yelled something to him, but he was too engulfed by this strange urge. It didn’t take long before he left the group in the dust…

He didn’t know how long he’d run for, but he found himself completely exhausted as he came to a screeching halt in front of a large building. The tugging sensation was nearly impossible to ignore, but he could not continue.

For a few brief moments, his clarity returned to him as he bent over and caught his breath. He used that time to study the building as best he could.

It was a manor of sorts, what looked to be three stories tall. Its construction was mainly white stones and timber, with creeping vines of the forest crawling up the sides. Overall, besides its size, it looked rather modest. Few decorations were carved into the wood, save for a few basic shapes of the wooden beams that helped to support the structure.

As He finally relaxed, that urge returned with a vengeance. This time though, he forced himself into a brisk walk and approached the stairs to the long winding porch that spanned a good portion of the exterior.

The entrance, two wooden doors stood there open, welcoming him. Aluin was standing in front of them, his hands behind his back.

But the elf was not alone.

Off to his left, and just behind him, was an elven woman with long flowing, red hair. Even then, her ears had no trouble poking through. She wore a simple green dress that, honestly, exposed a bit too much of her breasts.

He felt his cheeks flush and quickly moved on to the matching green cloak she wore. It was of a simple design, and appeared to be well worn. The edges looked to have faded patterns that were indiscernible from age.

Moving on, he avoided her chest and brought his attention to her, mostly, exposed legs.

Besides her dress coming down, she wore no pants or leggings to speak of. In fact, the only clothing that he could see were her boots that came up to the midpoint of her shin. Interestingly, they were decorated with green leather that made them look like a leaf of a plant.

Without warning, He felt the burning gaze of someone peering into his soul. His eyes flicked back up to the woman’s face, and found her brilliant blue eyes staring directly into his.

She is beautiful and…angry? He watched her face contort into a sneer as they continued to stare at each other.

“Is this him?” She hissed as she came to stand next to Aluin.

The elven man sighed, “Yes–”

She cut Aluin off, “A human?! How dare she!”

Aluin grabbed a hold of her shoulder. “Calm yourself. She had her reasons,” he spun her to face him, “and don’t forget, I supported her decision.”

The elven woman averted her eyes, casting them towards the ground. “He will only bring us more pain.” With that, she stormed off back into the manor.

He shivered, the venom that the woman spoke with only served to remind him just how out of place he truly was.

Is this what I have to look forward to?