I forgot how boring it can get travelling alone.

It’s been maybe five days since I separated with the dragon.

My food is getting low.

And I think I’ve been walking in circles

Just great

It’s perfect.

I’m trying to not think about it too much.

Especially about the dragon.

But it’s proving hard, it’s usually not this hard.

Or who am I lying, it’s always hard.

Counting the jerky I have left, I think it’s two days' worth of food.

Maybe three if I ration, which I should probably start

Or I should have started, but you know

Stress eating and all.

At least the environment is pretty.

Although, nothing really changes, except for the colours

Changing from flaming red to bright orange, and then weirdly enough, going to green

I know, it’s weird.

But somehow, it looks natural.

As if it was meant to be

And I’ve got to say

It’s a lot more pleasing to walk around this than the forest.

Anyway, yesterday I found something new.

I saw smoke on the horizon.

At first I thought it was the dragon

But realised that it couldn’t be. His fire does not produce smoke.

Not from rocks anyway.

Which made me realise that it must have been a camp, or something similar

So, I changed direction, walking towards the smoke.

But, as I came closer and closer, the smoke dissipated, vanishing into thin air.

And as you might guess

I have no idea where the smoke could have been

Nor who had created the smoke.

If my luck checks out, I’m probably just walking in circles again.

At least I can use the different hues of colours from the rocks to kinda give me an indication of where I’m going.

I don't know how the dragon knew where north or south was-

Wait, I see-

I see something!

It’s smoke again!

And it’s very close

I think an hour's walk from here?

Let’s go!

Using my walking stick as a crutch, I made my way forward.

Still feels kinda stiff to walk, but a lot more manageable

Especially after mister dragon healed-

…

Yeah.. It’s a lot better.

It feels more like I’m walking through jello then actively fighting against my body.

It also feels like I’ve gotten stronger. I can't say exactly how much stronger

But when I’m flexing my bow, I can practically draw it at full strength.

Anyway, back to the smoke,

I wonder who it is

Or whom

It can't be any wildlife, smoke like that has to come from wood

And wood means a fireplace

And a fireplace means civilised people

Let’s just hope they don't try to kill-

No, don't think like that.

Nothing like the present.

There is nothing good about overthinking.

Let’s just,

Think of how to say hello

Yeah

Should I try to go for the handshake?

What if they don't like touching? Or what if they go for some sort of fist-bump and I go for the handshake?

Oh no, that would get so awkward

I would just accept death at that point.

Wait.

I’m overthinking again!

Stop that!

…

But I wonder what they are doing.

It’s not like there is anything out here.

Hmmm

Oh, I think I see it, the source of the smoke!

And it is a camp, as I thought, surrounded by, erm, I think four people?

There are two tents and a fire in front.

Maybe the tents are hiding more people?

Anyway, let’s go up and say hello!

As I got closer

One from the group noticed me, quickly getting to his feet and shouting something.

Or, er

I should probably say hooves.

As they sported a lower body that looked like goat legs

And horns that resembled a rams, curving around itself, looking like a snail's shell.

Then they took out bows, made from a material resembling their horns.

Running towards me

Oh, I don't think they are friendly.

Crap.

Thrusting my arms up, letting my walking stick fall to the ground

“I’M FRIENDLY! I’M JUST HERE TO FIND WHERE THE FAUNS LIVE!”

The four creatures kept running, getting out arrows that looked like stone

Oh no, oh no ohnohonohnohnohno

I don't wanna kill these guys

Can I even kill them?

I-I have to trust that they won't kill me. Maybe they’ll just interrogate me, like miss rat lady did

Please be right.

Please.

Trusting my instincts, I kept still, hands up and looking as nonthreatening as possible.

The goat people moved swiftly, getting closer and closer at a rapid pace.

A short while later, they were within my firing range

But did not stop.

Then, maybe a few hundred meters away, they stopped

Aiming their bows

Oh my god, I’m so screwed

But I stayed still, waiting

...

And waited I did

Waited they did.

No one shot, but no one moved.

I did not bring my arms down though.

Nor did they bring their bows down.

They kept talking amongst themselves, seemingly arguing

One amongst them, with horns that looked as if they had been cut out, was the loudest

Then, a few minutes later

The goat man with the cut horn started walking forwards

Slowly at first, but gaining speed.

And as he got within ten meters of me, keeping the line of sight of his friends clear to shoot me

He started talking

“Why are you here?”

A thick accent, as if he had an bubble stuck in his throat and had just learnt the language

“Hello! I’m here to meet the fauns.”

“Meet the fauns? Why?”

“To heal my leg, I heard that fauns are accepting of humans”

...

The goat man stayed silent

Watcing me, bow turned down but hands holding it firmly

“Why should we heal you?”

Huh? Oh

OOOOH THEY ARE FAUNS

“ARE YOU THE FAUNS?”

At my exclemation

The faun aimed his bow

“Oh, sorry for screaming. I mean, are you fauns?”

The faun looked at me, face full of confusion

Well, at least it was a face I could read the expressions from

Not like the rat’s, or mister dra-

…

Then he lowered his bow again

“Human, you see... We fauns do accept trade from humans, and glady soo... But something has come up. A great disturbance”

“A what?”

“Yes, about five days ago a great pillar of blue flames painted the sky. Our people, are scared... And the only thing we know that could potentially get that powerful, are human wizards”

....

“You human, are you, a wizard?”

Saying that, he moved back a little

Grip around bow tightening

....

“Human?”

Getting nervous, the faun started awkardly shifting his weight

Waiting for an response

“Huh, I did not know it was that strong”

Eyes almost popping out from this statement, the faun aimed his bow again

And shot

Missing by just a centimeter

But the pressure pushing me to the side, flying to the ground and hitting my side

“Aow, what ar-“

But before I could finish, three other arrows flew towards me, missing as they had aimed where I stood before getting pushed over.

A small explosion of rocks and pebbles showered me from the impact

Quickly taking out my own bow, I aimed it at the ground beneath the faun with cut horns

The faun in question had taken out a new arrow, aiming it squarely at me

Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap

Imbuing my mana into the arrow, I took a chance

The faun let loose

I rolled to the side

Just missing me, but throwing me to the side, disoriented and in pain

Trying to breathe, I found myself short of breath.

And trying to move was like stabbing myself with hot knives

Eyes shut, unable to open.

But I had to shoot

One shot, please

Rolling so that my back was against the ground, I aimed the bow while lying

The faun presumable still at the same place

And I shot, aiming where I thought he was

#BOOM#

A massive explosion

A ball of fire

And a crater

I could feel the pressure even from where I was lying.

I tried to take out a new arrow, but found myself unable

My quiver was on my back, and the pain was too unbearable to try to shift my weight to grab one.

I think I’ve broken a rib

Maybe more

And it’s hard to breathe, probably a punctured lung.

My eyes seem busted.

Lying still I breathed nasally, grasping for any amount of air I could get

Eyes unable to percieve light, leaving me in the dark, focusing on the pain.

Huh

This is how I die.

Not the kind of death I pictured

But I guess it will do.

I guess

It will

Do

Then pain overcame me.

Blacking out