Sitting at the sacred eastern docks of Menewsha, I ponder about the world around me. I throw a pebble watching it sink into the watery sand below me. I am overcome with a sudden urge to stand up and find adventure! Many of the locals told me to steer clear of the forbidden caves near the northern enchanted forest. I'm convinced something valuable is hidden in those caves and I shall find it. I suppose some people would think this journey insane, but I think it's adventurous!

"I spy a N I G H T looking to make some trouble!" Says a crackling voice behind me. I turn around to see the old bitter hermit.

His hat is too large for his head, woven from magical gold straw. And his brown robes, though weather worn are from gods, as legend has said. I suppose I would respect him if he weren't such a terrible conversationalist and wore shoes.

"I'm just on a mission of good will to bring joy to the world," I say with a smile, but he is too clever to believe me.

"You've never been a very good liar!" He snorts while doing a little jig.
"I'll give you a potato to hocus-pocus yourself away," I say annoyed, wanting peace and quiet to make my plans. I retrieve from my satchel the potato I had saved for just an occasion.

"Gimmie! Gimmie" His voice crackles. "You better not bamboozle me!" he grins, shaking his finger at me. I throw the potato to him. He catches it midair hurriedly sinking his almost toothless grin into it. Little does he know the potato is a magical trap, laced with forgetfulness spells to keep him from remembering me. They never do work very well though.

"It seems my sojourn here has ended," He giggles, "But before I leave I must warn you to stay clear of the northern caves. They are FORBIDDEN!"
"Ah. well that explains everything," I roll my eyes. "Oh, by the way, which way should I go to find towns? My sense of direction is always a bit fuzzy... "

The bitter old hermit points his a finger towards a clump of forest to the northwest. I guess I'll have a bit of walking to do. I barely blink when the hermit disappears, like a ghost in the wind. Locals are so strange. Oh wait... never mind, I see him waddling on the beach in the distance, talking to a crab. Boy he's a fast old man. I hear him muttering "OMG! Is that a llama?!" to the crab. Maybe I used a little too much magic on that potato...

Walking away from the docks, I head towards the town the hermit pointed out. I climb a nearby tree to get a better visual of the paths to decide which to take. Wandering around without knowing has more than once gotten me dangerously lost. I take out a small map and magic quill from my pocket and mark this area with a big golden 'X' as a reminder that this location has been visited. The spring breeze rolls in suddenly, whistling the trees and almost throwing me back to the ground. I am still secure to the tree, but unfortunately it knocks the small map out of my hands, blowing it far away.

"Oh well, I've got another one," I sigh, disappointed I lost that map because I had previously marked it with the location to the some other cool docks previously visited. The docks are a humble sanctuary for me to ponder my thoughts. Well luckily, the tree has some wild purple fruits growing on it. I gather a few from branches, putting them in my satchel. I take a bite from one and it's ever so delicious. After that quick purple fruit lunch, I jump down from the tree and accidentally disturb a tiny wild dracowl in the tree hallow. It's just a baby, no bigger than my palm but it's awake and now somewhat angry. It burps up a conflagration in my direction and I hear someone yell "Watch Out!"

Before I know what's happening, a huntsman has pushed me out of the way. He laughs, but I'm somewhat displeased getting up and brushing myself off.
"It almost singed your face. Dracowls are know to be very dangerous," He says.
"Noted," I sigh. He chortles, shaking his head. I jump when I hear a low growl, thinking it's the dracowl again.
"What was that noise?!" I say, looking about. But then I turn around and realize the growl is coming from the huntsman's stomach. After I giggle, I hand him some purple fruit as a thank you for saving me from harm.
"Thanks for the fruit," he says, "If you need anything else, my inn is near. We take lots of travelers."
"We?" I say curiously.
"Yes, the Dutchman's Widow and me run the inn," he smiles. Locals and their weird titles for things.
"Oh," I say, still curious. I wonder what happened to her husband. I forget to ask about it though.

After a few hours of walking, we finally arrive. I rent a room for the night at the inn from the Dutchman's Widow.
After I settle in my inn room, I take out a new small map and quill, and mark a golden 'X' of the inn's location. Another endeavor accomplished, as well as being on my way to the northern caves. It will only be a matter of time till I find what I'm looking for. Adventure!


TO BE CONTINUED...