Cursed Explorer of the Arcana

Peace in the forest is a delicate thing, maintained only by the overwhelming strength of the few governing above the rest. Many participants in this natural feud for power wish to carve out a territory of their own in the lush central regions be it hunters or prey, families of hundreds, or lone wolves fighting only for themselves.

In the end, however, all bow down to the Lords of the Forest, the most domineering beasts older than most countries surrounding their home and powerful enough to be called calamities in the civilized world. These creatures govern their own slices of the sprawling woodland, enforcing their will either with an iron fist or allowing the free flow of life as it is the forest’s will.

The Grand Sentinel Elk, overseer of the western bounds and protector of the natural order bolts through the landscape. Despite its great proportions, the beast moves as swiftly as the morning breeze and is graceful like a falling leaf all to preserve the peace of the forest even while restlessly scouring the woodland.

A child has gone missing from the herd, a reckless young one, and as the protector of their family it is his responsibility to make sure no harm comes to even the ones seeking trouble. As is stopping large-scale destruction to their home.

The rumbles of intense combat have been echoing over the trees for a while now, intermixed with roars the elk is too familiar with. Soon its concerns are proven true when billowing clouds of grey smoke wash over the sky as the ruler approaches the battle still going strong.

The elk picks up the pace jumping into the air and hopping on the tiny puddles of water forming under its crushing hoofs. Dashing through the air it can clearly see the hungry flames expanding and claiming more and more of the woodland, a crisis that needs solving before the search can continue.

As it passes over the tiny creek nearby the water comes to life and follows after the ruler of the lands, taking to the sky and gathering above the smoldering landscape. The trail of water turns into droplets, dispersed over the vile devourer of the greenery before raining down to push back and preserve.

It doesn’t take long for the elk, a beast of his caliber, to quell the inferno and return the river to its rightful place. That’s when he finds an unexpected surprise on the back of the creek just where the blackened ground meets the domain of water. The lost youngling.

To find it so close to where the fire broke out is no surprise, this one has always had a tendency to find trouble before it even popped its head out. What is surprising however is the fact that the child is completely unharmed and that it’s not alone.

It’s standing over a person, licking it gently and not taking its eyes off the unconscious thing even in the presence of this sovereign.

A furless walker as the dwellers of the forest call them, or men as they refer to themselves. This one should be a female and quite a young one at that. It's badly wounded and obviously exhausted.

The little fawn nudges the girl with its head before finally gracing the great elk with its attention. As an elder beast, the elk can communicate through simple feelings, the transfer of will able to communicate simple thoughts or complex intent. The one it receives from the child is pretty straightforward and powerful, resonating with great desire.

Help, Heal!

The child wants to help the girl, the furless creature whose kind often intrudes upon the lands and hunts indiscriminately. It’s not unheard of to help the walkers, but why would the fawn be so stubborn about it?

The elk replies with a sense of questioning. The answer is… chaotic.

Hunt, fear, run, this, fight, run, protect, fire, fight, lose, run, fire, fear, sleep, live, help.

The feelings are not easy to decipher, still the old male manages to get a vague outline of the events.

The girl indeed deserves to be helped, even if she’s partly to blame for the burnt-down trees. Acting selflessly is a rare virtue amongst even the denizens of the forest and a trait even more elusive amongst the outsiders.

Rest now.

The elk reassures the distressed child.

The creek nearby reaches out and forms a bed under the children, carrying them with utmost care in the wake of the elk as the satisfied ruler returns home.

Now I did it, I think I really did die this time. Malor’s domain, the serenity and peace… this is how I’d imagine it. Okay, not necessarily a clearing in the middle of nowhere, a massive bed with an army of pillows sounds more like my cup of tea. But seriously, this place is breathtaking.

Even though the skies are dark and there is little light making it past the canopy of trees, what shines through creates the illusion of a milky veil covering the entire clearing. As if to compensate for the lack of light, patches of moss and families of mushrooms turn into tiny lanterns, bringing a myriad of colors to the darkness of the night. Pair that with the puny pond I’m lying right next to, reflecting the entire scenery while emitting a relaxing and cool sensation and I’m having fewer and fewer doubts about having found my end in that fire.

It kinda sucks, I really hoped to spend more time with Mom and Dad now that we reunited… Especially the part where we live together in a grand city and the idea of learning something new about that world.

Despite my sour mood, I feel no urge to cry so I just put my hand behind my head and enjoy the peace. “And doing that should’ve hurt, another point to being dead.” I chuckle sadly. “Maybe I can watch-”

Before I can finish the monologue of self-pity, however, something disturbs my peace. A small brown and jumpy something I didn’t expect to meet here of all places.

The little fawn only stuck its head through a bush at first as if to check in on me and the moment I turned my head, still a bit jumpy after all that happened it sort of… brightened up. I’m not Kayla I can’t read an animal’s facial expression and have a chat with them about the weather but even so that’s what it looked like to me.

The little shit who tried to ditch me, then pulled my ass out of harm's way just to drag me back there again for being utterly stupid. I like this one and I’d rather have an idiot around me than spend my days alone.

“What’s up Little Fluff?” I intercept the tiny brown baby diving into my arms with a happy giggle.

I only have two weaknesses. The one I inherited through my racial traits, and cute fluffy things. Cuddling this little warm bundle of silky fur with those gleaming eyes and adorably restless nose is just what I need.

Just what I need to realize something when it accidentally steps on my chest. It hurts… Despite the discomfort no yelp leaves my mouth, the shock too overwhelming to think of anything else.

This is wrong… The place, the skies, the lack of people… Notifications.

[You have triumphed over the enemy [Thronborn Storm Ursus - Wind lvl 87]-[Fireclad Fury lvl 24].]

[The Class Skill [Arcane Mastery] has reached lvl 72.]

[The Class Skill [Armory of the Arcane] has reached lvl 66 ->67.]

[The Class Skill [Arcane Focus] has reached lvl 63.]

[The general Skill [The Art of Movement] has reached lvl 59 ->60.]

[The general Skill [Dodging] has reached lvl 58.]

[The general Skill [Pain Tolerance] has reached lvl 27->29.]

[The general Skill [Premonition] has reached lvl 63]

[The general Skill [Serene Spellcrafting] has reached lvl 51 ->52.]

I have long learned that the Journey Guide just loves to see us struggle every step of the way. I guess having everything handed to us poor mortals wouldn’t be too satisfying but seeing all these numbers after almost dying twice in a single day… It’s infuriating.

This solves one of the mysteries at least. I’m not dead, I think. Probably. This leaves the question; Where the fuck am I? And what in the Gods’ name happened to my injuries?

Judging my face wet enough from all the licking I push my new hug pillow aside and sit up with a long old people’s groan. There’s no one around to interrogate for answers so either I look for an answer myself or… or I don’t I guess.

As if understanding my motives Fluff hops back on… wait, let’s take a peek where it needs to be checked. Huh, a boy. He was so small and cute that I thought he was a she all along but turns out this- no, he is a calf.

“What are you so excited about, huh?” I scratch his little chin while keeping an eye on our surroundings.

If this is not the afterlife then dying is still an option and I definitely don’t want a ‘third time’s the charm’ situation. Even in a city, one can never be too careful, much less out here.

Just as I’m about to follow Fluff as he tries dragging me away by tugging on my blouse a growl echoes over our small clearing. A long, angry and painful growl.

“Ouch, I haven’t eaten in almost two days.” I wince, contemplating whether Fluff is cute enough to keep living.

In the end, I allow the little baby to lead me wherever he wants, putting his excited tip-taps to rest and picking a direction. I’m pretty clueless here and I doubt I could get any more lost than I am right now.

The longer I walk and the more I see of this forest, the more obvious it gets just how far from home I am. The woods near Granhall were… normal. This place on the other hand makes me question the things I’ve learned about both plants and animals. The number of bugs playing their music like a drunken band, the colors painting our trail, the sweet and sour smells filling the air.

And it’s only the tip of the iceberg.

The pond I lay next to and the trail I’ve just walked suddenly seem like an outhouse compared to the palace right in front of me that opens up once I step foot into the glade.

The colorful plants lighting the ground are present, only complemented by the countless tiny flickering lights hovering in the air and flying from flower to flower. There are also ponds, just like where I woke up, except these ones are bigger and interconnected by pathways of water crisscrossing in the air and arching over the myriad of animals lazing around everywhere the eye can see.

And to elevate this scenery to a whole new level the trees part above the majestic glade and the dancing rivulets, letting the moons bless this place with their light. Even though I, a person, a wielder, a stranger, just entered the home of all these beasts both predator and herbivore none of them mind my presence.

I wish I had a way to somehow engrave this picture into my mind forever. Rarely do I admire beauty, most too focused on the practical side of things but there’s still a heart in me. One telling me to treasure this moment.

“Awesome.” Is all I mutter subconsciously as I watch like a newborn lamb.

My eyes and mind struggle to take in the sight, everything is so verdant and lush, and even the temperature feels more pleasant despite the summer heat. I always imagined the wilderness to be hostile and merciless, teeming with things trying to eat me and every tiny nook promising a new struggle. Here however I feel at peace even though many of the beasts should be able to prey on me without much effort.

I still prefer the city but I could take something like this in my backyard. Except for the smell of wet animals.

My oblivion is soon shattered by a deep huff and the sound of steps carrying enormous weight approaching from my back. No matter the environment the instincts drilled into me still kick in as I spin on my heels and ignite and bundle of blue fire ready to protect myself at all costs.

When my eyes fall onto the creature standing just and arm’s reach from me I begin to question how I’m even still alive. And yet despite the terrifying pressure the monstrous elk towering over me emits, I can only laugh. Laugh at how ridiculous all this is and how little I actually know about what awaits us outside the walls of our cities.

Majestic. That’s the shortest way to describe the beast I’m facing. The expansive antlers gleam like the most noble crystals, its earth-colored fur is streaked by blue lines running across it just like in the clearing, and the eyes… They speak of immense intelligence hiding behind the robust body of one of the largest beasts I’ve seen in my life.

No, not a simple beast. A sovereign.

[Elk lvl ???]

[The general Skill [Identify] has reached lvl 60 ->66.]

Oh shit…

I go still when the towering monster takes a step toward me and almost faint from what it does next. The beast slowly lowers its head, its eyes never leaving me until it reaches my eye level. Then it goes even lower.

A bow.

I’m so taken aback that shock almost brings me to the ground and it’s only amplified when a voice addresses me inside my head.

Child, save. Grateful, repay.

It’s the elk, I don’t know how I can tell and I have absolutely no clue how it’s doing it. Since speaking doesn’t seem to be its forte, just like most animals, relaying information through whatever weird Skill it uses to send feelings seems like a good alternative.

Actually, this is almost better. Faster, simpler and more intricate since feelings can be a lot more colorful than words. Also, I only did what I did because Fluff was cute. Cuteness is truth and we can't let the only unshakably good thing in this world disappear, I refuse.

I repay the courtesy, bowing in my own human way and trying to send my own intentions back the same way they came.

Pleasure, heal, thankful.

It's a lot easier than I thought. How do I know it worked? I just do, it felt right. I have no evidence the elk had anything to do with my condition but I feel like it’s a strong guess.

Fluff skips over to us, nuzzling my legs at first, then hopping over to the elk and running laps between its legs. I eye his ridiculous behavior, acting this carefree around the…

Wait, little one, big one, brown and blue fur?

My eyes widen at the revelation.

No fucking way. This goofy little idiot is this majestic thing’s-

Indeed.

Comes the answer through the connection.

I didn’t mean to share my thoughts, my astonishment must’ve reached all the way across the mental channel. I fearfully look up at the elk again, however, instead of anger or indignation, I only see some amusement in its eyes. It looks down to the little fawn and huffs, puffing out enough air to make the comparatively tiny creature skid back a little.

Fluff runs over to me and hides from the abusive parent before the elk begins to walk past me towards the clearing, towards the rest of the animals. I pet the little version that looks fluffier and a lot less scary because even though I know my life is not in danger I still need something to soothe my spinning mind.

The elk looks back at me and its child before nodding towards the clearing.

Stay? Shelter? Food?

It asks.

I feel my eyes turn watery for a bit. This is all I could ask for, some stability. I might have had a few survival training sessions back with the Fist near Grandhall but this… this is something else. What I need right now is a stable point in this unknown and dangerous environment to rely on and I got offered just that.

“Yes please, I’d love that.” I answer with a goofy smile.