Prologue
A forest never looked so beautiful at night.
Well, the view that was presented was betraying that notion. Amidst the darkness of the cold night, the enchanted warmth of the flora that surrounded the campfire gave a cozy glow. The trees stood proudly with their lush tops and amidst that green muted from the night, their berries tore through the black like another star in the night sky.
Gentle oranges that dangled from their vines. At one angle, they were just bioluminescent berries, but at another, they looked like flickering glowing bugs in the background. Was it just the ambience of the night causing that illusion or was there actually firebugs of sorts here?
This world. This environment was captivating. It just ignited the question of what else lies behind the trees at the edge of this forest. What other new environments and locales populated this brand new, foreign land?
Well, it didn’t matter. The terrain was beautiful and the cozy glows that pulsed from the vegetation surrounding only made sitting at this blazing campfire that cut through the cold winds of the night, that much more warm feeling.
The crackling fire, the trees shaking their branches in the gentle wind like their own organic wind-chimes. It was all calming.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
His voice suddenly broke the tranquil silence of the night and crackling fire. Though he wasn’t wrong with his words.
“I don’t blame you for getting lost in thought. These kinds of woods are my favorite. The enchanting overgrowth with that beguiling orange glow in that lush green obscured by the night.”
His eyes were just as lost in the beauty that was the environment circling around him. Even with the roaring fire, reading them was easy from on the other side, even if his eyes themselves were a delicate orange.
The man then readjusted himself, flicking his open maroon jacket to hang correctly rather than fold up uncomfortably on the log he was seated on. “You don’t look familiar,” he then asked.
He didn’t look familiar either.
“Well, I bet you are really confused,” his delicate voice then cooed. “A sudden shift, almost like a dream. The idyllic ecosystem with howling creatures that roam their territory or roar in volatile triumph as they march their way into their articulated lives.”
As he gave his synopsis, he was being gentle with his movements, unfolding his arms outward with his palms to the air as if the world he was seated in was on display. As he brought them back to his lap, his hood and the flickering of the fire played tricks with the shadow blanketing his face, but even still his eyes managed to bleed through perfectly as if they themselves had a delicate glow.
“Don’t worry. I was once in your shoes. Lost in a world with no recollection. Fragments of thoughts that you aren’t even sure are even your own… It’s all new. A hostile paradise full of beings and environments always so familiar, yet somehow completely foreign.”
The fire played with the shadow of his hood again as he let his words vanish quietly in the illuminated opening of the night.
“Poetic, ain’t it?”
In a way, it seemed so.
“You think you got a general idea, but low-and-behold, you’re naked with information. No clue.” He then took a good exhale before finishing his sentence with a follow up. Not out of breath, but as if to compose himself. “No truth…”
He made it seem as if that was important.
He then leaned forward again, resting his arms on his knees as he relaxed himself. “How about I give you some information about these lands that I have obtained myself over the time?”
The world that enveloped all around was intriguing and here he was leading to wanting to give some information about this odd and deceptive terrain. Maybe it was because he hasn’t seen anybody in a while or maybe it was because he felt like he needed to.
“Maybe I can make it more entertaining for you, somehow,” he then alluded. “How about some stories?”
Erecting his back, he reached for the massive satchel seated beside him on the grass. Flipping it open he plunged his hand gracefully inside. It took him a moment of searching before he pulled out a wrapped leather journal, ensnared with a white strap to keep it shut.
Unraveling it, he flipped this hand-crafted journal open, yet its appearance looked neat and controlled. The papers embedded inside said otherwise, but it was clear he kept good care of this book.
He flipped through a few pages, his eyes calculating each obscured literature written inside before something caught his attention. “I could just give you all the information, but I feel as though that wouldn’t be too entertaining. Not for you, anyways.”
He was being very gentle about it and it was clear that he was in no rush. Then again, it’s not like he has anywhere to go, probably, if he is taking the time to do this.
“I feel like it would be better if I put it in a way that is easier to digest and feel more real. Who knows, maybe you’ll be more intrigued. I like to tell stories anyways. Are they real? Are they fake,” he followed it up with a shrug. “I’ll leave that up to you, if you will.”
He adjusted himself again, shifted his seat to be more comfortable. From his calming demeanor, he exhaled gently and it almost seemed like it merged well into the background environment. It almost felt like he was a part of it. His stature and attire blended well with the world around him. His clothing and colors seemed to fit like a missing puzzle piece in this enchanted looking forest.
It seemed like he was made for this place. With everything at ease and amidst the glow of the campfire, he slouched forward again to relax near the fire as its glow illuminated off of his curved leather beak.
“So which one should I start with first…?"
