Remembrance And Recollection

Inside the sylvaneth Forest, Celm gathered numerous kinds of berries with different textures and shapes. He continued venturing deeper into the forest, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings as his hands moved through the underbrush.

He looked up at the sky and noticed the sun at its peak, noon. His brow furrowed as he realized something felt off. He also noticed that his surroundings began to sway in a peculiar way, the trees almost leaning in his direction.

"This is getting weird..." Celm muttered under his breath, his voice tight as he nervously glanced around. His thoughts slowly became aware of the natural changes in the environment, and he couldn't help but frown. He pondered, feeling unease crawl over him.

This place is starting to freak me out... It's giving me the creeps, and it's about to get dark here soon... I should try to be on guard. He swallowed hard, trying to shake off the feeling.

Though that little determination stopped his thoughts from spiraling into madness, his body soon began to signal an all-too-familiar warning thirst.

Celm's lips, once a healthy red, were now a pale pink with a hint of grey. His head, too, had begun to feel heavy, dizziness creeping up on him, unexpected and unwelcomed.

"I'm thirsty..." he whispered, a tremble in his voice as he wiped his dry lips with the back of his hand. "I should try finding something to drink, though I don't know if it's a good idea to drink random liquids in the wild," he added softly, sighing with frustration.

Out of curiosity, Celm reached up to touch his lips again, feeling how dry they were. His brows furrowed in concern. My lips are dry... If I don't find something to drink, I'm sure I'll faint, and possibly die. That's not a good outcome...

He stood there for a moment, weighing his options. But considering that I can't find any drinkable water... He shrugged lightly, his shoulders sagging in resignation. I'll just make use of the berries I gathered.

Celm looked down at his pockets and stuck his hands into them, fumbling around before pulling out the berries. His gaze moved across the forest, searching for a decent place to sit. His eyes narrowed, searching.

"Hmm... I should try finding a place to sit down and eat my berries," Celm muttered, more to himself than anyone around. His eyes darted back and forth as his mind raced. Where should I sit... here?... Or under a tree? Wait, what do I mean by under the tree? I'm literally surrounded by trees twenty times taller than me...

His gaze flitted around. How about a rock that could act as a table or a chair?

Celm nodded to himself, his expression thoughtful as he glanced around. He walked a few paces, his steps sluggish, eyes scanning for a rock or boulder, small or big enough.

His movements grew slower as he trudged through the forest, his legs becoming sore and his breathing growing heavier.

"I'm tired and exhausted..." he sighed, his shoulders slumping as he leaned against a tree for support. "Should I keep roaming around or stay here?" he whispered to himself, his voice weak as though the exhaustion was weighing him down physically.

I feel like I'm going to die from exhaustion... His thoughts slowed, and with a sigh, he gave up. I'm just going to sit here and eat my berries, I don't care about that rock anymore.

He paused, staring down at the forest floor, then slowly lowered himself to sit on the ground. Though it would be nice to have somewhere to sit on, or use as a table, I think I'll just stay here and eat my berries, even if it gets dirty.

Celm reflected, his gaze sweeping the area one last time. He exhaled heavily, his body sinking into the dirt.

"It seems that there's nothing really here, only me and my thoughts alone... and berries," Celm muttered softly. He crossed his legs, wincing slightly at the discomfort, before pulling the berries out of his pockets and placing them in front of him.

"One, two, three... twelve, yeah, I have twelve berries or less. I don't know... I just want to have something to eat or drink... and now," he murmured under his breath, counting them with a slight shake of his head. His hands trembled slightly as he grabbed one of the berries and bit into it without hesitation, swallowing it quickly.

If it's bad, or something I shouldn't have eaten... but it's my only choice... it should work, hahahaha... yeah, I'm going to die. His face twisted slightly into a hollow smile, the humor in his thoughts dark as he stared upward, eyes unfocused as his mind drifted.

The corners of his lips turned up as he smiled faintly, still imagining his fate. His eyes wandered upward, barely able to see the sky through the dense forest leaves.

The sun began to fall from the sky, and night began to settle in. The beautiful stars started to show themselves, slowly lighting up the darkened sky. The loneliness of the forest seemed to dissipate with a sense of calmness, a strange comfort settling in.

The more I relax in this forest, the more I enjoy it and become one with it... Celm's thoughts softened, a deep, inexplicable peace creeping into his heart. It gives me the calmness I didn't anticipate or even ask for.

He questioned his emotions, his body relaxing further as he sank into the ground. "But I was really in need of it... I just didn't think much about it. But to think this forest would give me it... maybe because it knows me or..." Celm's voice trailed off, his smile softening as he looked around at the dense trees and shadows.

The coldness of the night lingered in the air, but the warmth and belonging of the forest surrounded him, wrapping him in a strange comfort.

"I really like this kind of feeling... Maybe I should look forward to it more," he said softly, the words leaving his lips almost automatically. He then reached for another berry, only to pause.

He blinked, confusion flickering in his eyes as he searched the space in front of him. Why do I feel like I'm rubbing against the ground? Don't tell me I've already eaten them all... His face twisted slightly in disbelief. I probably ate all of them already.

A hint of annoyance crept into his expression as his happiness faded. He looked down, seeing no berries left in front of him.

"Sigh... I really did eat all of them," he muttered, his frustration and relief mixing in a bitter taste. "Though I feel much better than last time, it didn't suffice to completely remove my thirst..." His words trailed off, his gaze turning toward the never-ending forest before slowly drifting upward toward the sky once more.

It's beautiful... he thought, but then his focus returned to the task at hand. It's time for me to keep going and find something that could actually quench my thirst, fix my dehydration.

"Even if you're beautiful, I still need to keep going and find water," he muttered resolutely, his voice filled with determination. "All things a person encounters will only be for a moment... I must keep going." He slowly lowered his gaze, his eyes scanning the forest once more.

He stood up, stretching his stiff legs before setting off again, his body already protesting from the exhaustion. The coldness of the night clung to him, and the chill sent a shiver through his spine.

"It's cold," Celm murmured, his voice barely audible. "I should make a fire... Maybe a torch since I'm going to keep walking through the night."

His hands moved quickly, gathering sticks and leaves, his movements sharp and precise. Celm placed the leaves in a small pile and grabbed a rock, using friction to create a spark. He worked quickly, adding more leaves to the fire until the flames were strong enough to light a stick.

This should be enough... though it's not as good as the ones I've used before, it'll do. Tearing my tunic again on a cold night is not a good idea. I'll freeze to death if I did that.

He muttered to himself as he continued walking through the forest, the firelight casting eerie darkness across his path.

Then, a glimmer of light caught his eye.

"What's that? Should I go there...?" Celm whispered to himself, the curiosity rising in his chest. He gave a small shrug. "Yeah, why not?"

Without further hesitation, he followed the light. I should just follow it, see what it is... though it's supposed to be dark since it's night... but what could it possibly be?

He pondered, his mind working in overdrive as his legs carried him forward. When he arrived, his eyes widened.

What could possibly be the source of light in the middle of a forest?

He walked toward it cautiously, his senses heightened, checking his surroundings. His body tensed, ready to react.

It was a horse, with a lantern attached to its saddle, yet no rider in sight.

That's odd, he thought, frowning. Why would someone leave a horse here? And why does it have a lantern? Probably because it's dark.

...

"Finally, I've gathered enough supplies. Though I got scammed about the information regarding the Sylvaneth Forest having a living creature, it's mostly spirits. I've spoken to one before," Yaja said excitedly, holding a small lantern in his hand, his voice filled with a sense of accomplishment.

he smiled at the lantern, its soft light flickering as it light his face.

He exhaled deeply, looking around the darkening forest, his shoulders sagging slightly from the weight of the journey but his eyes still bright with the excitement of discovery.

"I should probably head back to my horse right now," he continued, his tone shifting to one of practical concern. "It's going to be hard to get back, especially in the middle of the night, and I need to return the borrowed horse."