It has been thirty or so minutes since Todd and this strange lady left for this supposed camp, and so far, it’s been one awkward ride.

  First off, this lady clearly isn’t very talkative. The only words they shared so far was when Todd offered to carry one of the logs, and all he got in return was, “it is fine.” What is he supposed to do with that?

  Second of all, the route this lady is taking him is mind-boggling. Left turns here, right turns there, stop and go, it all feels . He wants to say that she has no idea where she is going, but the sheer confidence in which she moves makes him think otherwise.

  If she truly does know where she's going, then he has got to praise her memory. From his perception, the forest has barely changed during their journey, with the clear exception of crossing a creek ten minutes ago.

  Todd hasn’t gotten around to asking any of his questions either. He’s too afraid to ask her anything, she’s not a very approachable person, and it doesn't help that he can’t see her face when she’s leading him.

  He really wants to ask how she knows him, because she clearly does. The familiarity when she spoke to him makes that obvious.

  Maybe she is mistaking him for somebody else with the name Galligher? No, that's unlikely. What are the chances that there’s somebody else that looks like him, has the same name, and is in the same forest? Slim to none, that's what.

  He’s gotta speak up soon, the silence is killing him, the unchanging forest is killing him, the is killing him.

  What to ask her, though? Maybe he can treat this like a regular conversation. Start with some small talk, maybe? Asking her how her day has been can’t be a bad start.

  “So…uhh…how's your day been?”

  “It has been fine, thank you.”

  “So…how far is the camp?”

  “You went all the way out here, and you do not know the way back to camp? How …for shame, Galligher, for shame.” She licks back at him with that stony sarcasm. “To answer your question…not far.”

  That really doesn't answer his question.

  “How far is…not far?”

  She stops in her tracks, her march coming to an abrupt end. Todd stops right behind her. She doesn't turn to look at him.

  “Galligher, do you trust me?” She asks, what little emotion she showed before is now completely gone.

  The question gives Todd whiplash, the obvious answer is “no I just you,” but clearly the situation is more delicate than that. The woman seems to have some knowledge of Todd, she both recognizes him, and knows his name.

  How could Todd even approach a question like this? If she has some preconceived notion of how Todd Galligher is supposed to respond, then what is he to say? Is he supposed to say yes and lie to her, or maybe just tell her how confused he really is?

  What if she doesn't like what he has to say? What if he already said something wrong? Todd remembers her, when he was hiding in the bush, she was seriously ready to . Her stance, the look in her eyes. If she needs to be, she can be a dangerous person, no doubt.

  Though, on the other hand, she hand him his axe back, and has had her back turned to him for thirty minutes now. Even if Todd has little trust for her, she clearly trusts him somewhat.

  It only now dawns on Todd that he has been thinking this over for a good thirty seconds now. Her voice breaks him out of his thoughts.

  “If you are not going to answer, then I am assuming the answer to that question is ?” Her words cut straight to the point.

  Both logs fall out of her arms, they fall unceremoniously to the dirt. She turns on a heel and stares Todd dead in the eyes, he jumps a little.

  “This has gone on long enough.” Her voice is like ice.

  Quickly, she steps off to the side, heading deeper into the forest, she finds a hollowed log—it must've fallen down ages ago. She dainty sits on one end of the log, crosses one leg over another, and rests both hands in her lap. Her gaze never leaves him.

  “…Well? Are you not going to have a seat?” She carefully pats the other end of the log, staring right through his .

  “…W-What are we…uh…sitting for?” His voice is shaky, the fear is obvious.

  “Just a chat, I must ask a few more questions, that is all.”

  “Do I gotta sit over there?”

  “Do whatever is comfortable for you, Galligher.” She speaks like a teacher talking to an unruly student.

  A tree is planted across from her seat, Todd decides to lean on it, better than sitting next to a person with a bare-naked sword tied to her waist. His axe is still in his hands, it’s lowered to the ground right now, he hopes to he doesn’t have to use it, he doubts he can, if it even to that.

  The silence is long, and intense. She’s looking up at him, barely even blinking, her black pit eyes are focused, straight hair blows in the wind.

  Todd can’t help but shiver a bit. This lady can go from playfully dead-pan, to a , on a dime.

  “…Galligher, are you afraid of me?” She squints her eyes, sniffing out his fear.

  “Uhh…are you trying to…make me afraid?”

  “No. So, you are afraid of me?”

  “…No.” He lies.

  “…That is not a very confident answer, Galligher…This should be an easy question for you, the fact it is not…is .” She leans forward, an expression of steel on her face. “Galligher, I have a few more questions for you to answer me, answer them all . Do you understand?” She gives no leeway for discussion.

  “…Uh…yeah.”

  “Alright then…Is this a joke?”

  He wasn’t expecting that, what does she mean by ? Nothing about this situation has been very funny.

  “…What do you mean, ?”

  “The , the , the , the complete of awareness…Is it a Did Hocken ask this of you? Is in on it.” She spits out that last name with pure disdain.

  “…I…no, I'm not joking.”

  She looks away for a moment, contemplating something, the break in eye contact is something Todd finds very welcome.

  “Okay then, next question. Do you know who you are?”

  Another unexpected question, but at least it's one he can answer.

  “…Yeah, im Todd Galligher”

  “ Galligher?” She cocks an eyebrow. “I never heard of “Todd” before. I was under the impression that Galligher is your only name, ?”

  “…I…I don’t know what know…but my name’s been, Todd Galligher.”

  She goes quiet for a moment.

  “…Fine, last question…please, answer this one honestly, Galligher.” Slowly, she takes a deep breath, the venom leaves her body, sudden emotion washes across her face, dejection, and acceptance. She already knows what he’s going to say.

  “…What is my name?” A small pleading finds its way into her voice. She wants him to answer, to hear him say it.

  But…how can Todd know that, he never met this person before. The jig is up, he guesses, she already knew something was up with him, now she has confirmation. If something is going to happen, then this is the moment. He tenses his body, ready for conflict.

  “…I don’t know, I'm sorry.”

  Her eyes trail off a bit.

  “Ah…well then…this is a problem.” Her body slumps forward, a deep sound of sadness clashes with her careful way of speaking, that must have hurt to hear.

  Just as quickly as her venomous presence disappeared, so did Todd’s fear. Looking at her now, she seems more depressed than anything else. Her stern interrogation was probably because she was worried for him, but to cause such a reaction. Who he to this girl?

  She seemed to have gotten what she wanted out of him, now it’s his turn to ask some questions. Todd can’t miss this chance, he needs to start learning, .

  “Umm…listen…I have a few questions of my own.” He hesitantly asks.

  She perks up at his voice, her eyes look tired. Afflicted with the morose sadness one would find on someone who failed something important, it's a feeling he knows quite well.

  “I am sure you do…ask away, it will help me figure how truly this situation is.” She lazily waves a hand towards Todd, a signal to start.

  “…Okay so…I just woke up an hour or so ago, I…I really don’t know what happened, I was going to bed and then, , I wake up in the middle of this forest, no idea how I got here.” He takes a breath. “Then you came along, you recognized me, you started saying my name, so I assumed you knew me, so I followed you, but yeah…uh…I don’t know where I am, who you are, what's going on…oh, and also I was able to push over a tree…which is new, I usually can’t do that…”

  After finishing his tale, the look on her face gives him zero comfort, her melancholy has been switched for sheer , her black pitted eyes are bogged out, her face is scrunched into worry. Her slack jaw slips out a few words.

  “Oh……this is far worse than I thought, this is …very, very .” A panic takes her over.

  “?…Hey, I’m in the dark over here, w-what do you mean by ?” He pleads, but she’s already lost in her own little frenzy.

  “You…You truly do not know anything, do you? Here, and now of all times……how do I even begin fixing this.” Her black head of hair falls into her hands, fingers roughly massage her temples. Her voice stresses, she begins mumbling to herself.

  “Lord Frammis can never know, loose lips, Hocken might tell him…the old . Volatile too. Sir Gelhardt may know, experienced, maybe not, lazy……Yes, could help, probably, if we can get him to . Loose bundle of feathers, he is. Comple-” Oh god, she’s on the verge of biting her fingernails. He's gotta do something.

  Todd approaches the mumbling mess of a woman, carefully reaching a hand out to her shoulder.

  “-aste of a good soldier, too loud, need to find a mind magician, need to find good mind mag—ah!-” The moment Todd’s hand makes contact, she jumps back, her dumbstruck face looking up at him.

  Realization suddenly crosses over her, like a feeling of being caught. The stone-cold expression from before reemerges once again, the mumbling suppressed entirely.

  She stands up from the fallen tree. Spine straight, arms behind the back, feet together. She’s back to her “default.”

  “…Apologies, Galligher, That was quite embarrassing, I was lost in thought for a moment there…Where were we?” She brushes her little episode off entirely.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “…You said you were going to answer a few questions I have.”

  “Of course, yes, what are your questions?” She gives him a small nod.

  “Uh yeah I was…How about we…uh…let's start out with something small, how about you tell me your name?”

  A small shudder crosses her body, she quickly shuts it down. If she already knows Todd personally, he imagines it must be weird to reintroduce oneself like this.

  “…I am Kimberlett, call me Kim, if you like.” She bows forward, slightly.

  Todd has to physically suppress saying the words, “Nice to meet you, Kim, I’m Todd.” He feels as if that particular pleasantry wouldn’t go over well with the now named woman.

  “Oh…thank you…uh, Kim, one more question…where are we right now?”

  “We, our caravan and us, are in a north-western section of the Bearless Forest.” Her speech contains little fan-fare, wasting no time answering.

  Oh…The Forest, that's what she meant earlier, “ for having no bears in it.”…Todd feels like a total idiot now. He brushes away the slight embarrassment, he’s never heard of a forest named “The Bearless Forest” before, especially around where he lives, he’s going to need more information here.

  “Ok…Bearless Forest, I got it, I got it…but uh, where this forest, exactly, like on a map.”

  “…The Ennula Valley.” Her head tilts to the side, she speaks as if it’s common knowledge, but he’s heard that name before, not a good sign.

  “Okay, okay…and where is that?” He feels like a child asking the obvious.

  A hand rubs on her forehead, the stress peeks through her defences. Todd feels for her, he truly does! He just needs answers now. He can’t remain a stuttering moron forever.

  “The Ennula Valley is located in the south-east region of The Volcanic Kingdom of Drannick…the nation we are in. The valley possesses a well guarded route to, and from, the capital city of Lumbrite, which is our destination.” Her speech flows out, like reciting an encyclopedia, the contents however, stop all of Todd’s higher brain function.

  …?

  ……? Todd’s attempts to parse Kim’s answer, but no matter how, he just . It was the most unexpected thing she could have said. She seems like such a reasonable person, how could she say something so obviously…. It's as if a dead-eyed businessman, with all the sincerity in the world, told you gnomes really existed, and stole your socks too.

  His slack jaw must be showing, as Kim leans forward, a flash of concern in her eyes.

  “Galligher, are you okay?” Her brows curl in slight worry.

  “Sorry, sorry! I think…I think I misheard you there. What country did you say we were in?” He hopes, deep down, that he’s right, that she didn’t say something weird. Everything has already been wild enough, what he needs now is less surprises, not more.

  “…As I said before, we are currently in the Ennula Valley, of the Volcanic Kingdom of Drannick.” She reiterates herself, same as last time.

  “…Ok, but what country is that in?”

  “…Drannick…we are in Drannick, Galligher…” Kims getting worried, yet, she is still completely sincere. She doesn't sound like she’s lying at all, she though, what she is saying is .

  Todd has—never in his life—heard of a place called Drannick before, especially not a “” whatever the that means. What is this, some sort of ?

  She could be role-playing, maybe Todd was too, it would explain the clothes. Yeah…now a good theory. Todd is currently in a role-playing session in the middle of the woods, he probably knocked his head and forgot his lines. Maybe Kim here was a companion of his, and now she’s just trying to help Todd out, without breaking character.

  Of course, that doesn’t explain how Todd acquired super-strength, or how Todd got that scar, any basically everything else. It’s actually a pretty crap theory, thinking it over.

  He flops his body down on the log with a grunt of frustration. Kim looks over him, a brow twitches in concern.

  “…Kim, is this fake?” His voice is devoid of strength, his eyes are glossy, they look ahead to nothing.

  She sighs, tired and defeated, crosses her legs, and gracefully seats herself back on the log, right next to Todd. He’s so confused, so much he needs to ask her, but still, he can take solace in the fact that Kim is clearly suffering right along with him.

  “Unfortunately, as much as I wish reality is mistaken…no…this situation is very much , for the both of us.”

  “…Is this even Earth?”

  She turns to him in honest confusion.

  “…I do not know what you mean by that.”

  , he was afraid she would say something like that.

  “Oh, Don’t sweat it…T-That's all the answer I need.”

  Right now, at this moment, would be the perfect time for all the cameras to come rolling out of hiding, for the jubilant host of this prank show to pop out from behind a tree and reveal to him that everything was an elaborate joke. Kim would start laughing, and he would too, because they got him. But there are no cameras, no host. It’s just two of them in a forest, sitting on a log.

  Todd knew, deep down, something was fundamentally the moment he almost pushed that tree over. The world he knows would never allow something like that to happen, it should have been his first clue. Yet, the more he looks around, the more he notices that signs were already there.

  The air is so very clean, the breeze flows through his hair, uncontested with the smog and industry of humanity. The trees, the plants, they all look so familiar, but slightly , more vibrant and fantastical, like a painting of a painting.

  As if this place runs on different rules.

  “Hey, Kim…What kinda trees are these?” He breaks the steady silence with a question.

  “The forest is made primarily of Keff’s Oak and Bear Oak, with a mixture of a thousand miscellaneous types to make up the rest…but it is mostly just the first two.” She answers without a single stutter. “Why?”

  “Oh, I’m just curious…”

  Looking at Kim, even she herself looks . Not in any mean way though, her irises are so dark it’s almost unnatural. Her black hair is perfectly shaped, as if it’s draped across her scalp like shimmering cloth. She seems much more natural in this uncanny forest than anywhere he can remember back home.

  . Holy shit. He isn't home, not anymore, there's a good chance he isn’t even on his anymore. He should be freaking out about this, he should be on the ground hyperventilating, begging for things to be different, but for some reason, he isn't.

  He probably will, when it settles in, but for now, the sheer unbelievability of it all wrapped so far around the bend, it’s practically calming him down. Plus the scenery is quite pleasant, and it would feel wrong to freak out next to Kimberlett.

  . That much is obvious. The quivering voice of the intellectual, and the voice of true authority, , that's what the first voice called him.

  Somehow, those two did something to him, something that brought him here. Now, wherever “hereis, it is still up for debate. This place could still be on Earth, . Kim could be wrong, lying, or maybe even insane, that's unlikely, but the existence of a place like this is tearing the logical part of his brain in .

  He bends over, picking up a palm sized stone in his hand. There should be weight, but it’s as light as a feather, if Todd wished, he could crush the thing to dust. He looks up at the verdant canopy, swaying leaves bursting from the branches, small bullets of midday sunlight peek through overhead. It feels insane to think that this might not be Earth. It's similar enough to be comfortable, but different enough to be skeptical.

  He turns to Kim.

  “What is this place called?” He fans his arms outward. “The world, I mean, the place we’re always standing on no matter how far we go, what do you call that?”

  She answers concisely, not skipping a beat.

  “We are in the Bearless Forest, within the Ennula Valley, en route to the city of Lumbrite, which is the capital city of the Volcanic Kingdom of Drannick, all of this, within the realm of Ulstat…I hope that answers all your location based inquiries, Galligher.” She ends with a sense of finality, she’d rather not repeat it, but would if asked.

  “…Thanks.”

  “Of course.”

  . Not Earth, but Ulstat. So many more questions just piled up, but there is that needs to be answered before any else. Something of importance that has been lingering overhead for an hour now. He takes a quick guess, she probably won’t like answering this one, just as much as he won’t like asking it.

  “…Kim, who am I to you?” He feels like he's violating something by asking her.

  She doesn’t answer just yet, she thinks about what to say.

  “…You and I have been travelling companions for quite a long while now. Sometimes, we are accompanied by Sir Gelhardt as well, but it is mostly just us two. We have both done quite a lot of good together. It is enjoyable, people always need help, and it is always a pleasure to give it. It’s beautiful, the simplicity of it.” She reminisces on a past he can’t hope to remember, whatever she knows of him, it's deeply personal to her, he can hear it in her voice. Todd can’t conceive of having such an impact on a person.

  She looks at him with worry.

  “Galligher, I shall be honest with you, I trust you know where this conversation is heading, I must state the obvious. You have great portions of your memories.”

  Todd knows he lost something, but his , he can’t be sure? He remembers walking home from work yesterday, his dream, his apartments, it's all so fresh in his mind. If he truly has forgotten so much, where’s the fog? Amnesia can’t be so , can it?

  She continues.

  “I have not the slightest idea how something like this could have happened, for it to be a curse, or the implicit twisting of the mind is . Due to our status, our minds are secure from such manipulations…so whatever must have happened, must be awfully .” Todd is about to inquire what she means by “curse,” but without a warning, she sits up from the log, marches right in front of Todd, and .

  Knees on the forest floor, her head is below his, she has to look up to meet his eyes, which she does with . It's like she is possessed. Her dark pits shine at him with a righteous determination, ignoring the clear look of shock on Todd’s face.

  She speaks from deep within herself, her voice overwhelms the calm forest ambiance.

  “Galligher, I do not know how much you have forgotten, but I assume you have lost much. You are confused, lost, broken, and there is so much you do not understand…but hear …upon my honor as a , upon my honor as a , upon my honor as your ! I reunite you with what you have lost, I will abandon you for any reason, I shall stay by your side, just as you have stayed by mine…I will , and have my blade , before I let the fade away like this, that I .”

  ……!

  Todd is speechless. She just gave him an emotional promise, with the full sincerity of the . That was not what he was expecting her to do in the slightest. Half the things she said made no either, she said she would to help him, what does he say to that!? Does he thank her? What did she say at the end there?

  Good , he just realized. A woman just told him—on her knees—that she would die to help him, she it too, she put three honors on it, even. It might be rude to think, but this is probably the most awkward moment Todd had ever suffered through in his entire life. His face is probably buzzing red right about now.

  Kim lets loose an awkward cough, and returns to her full height, her head well above his sitting form. Her regular, dry, self takes over, as if that emotional heartfelt promise was made by somebody completely different.

  “Sorry if that surprised you, ceremony such as that is a habit, it would feel if I did not do it…but you understand my intention, ?”

  On his life, he couldn’t tell you what a is, but he thinks he got the gist.

  “…You're going to help me, right?” He guesses.

  “In simplest terms, yes, I am promising to help you. I consider you my closest companion, so it is only natural…but, it is also a request…I need for you to trust me, Galligher…Even if you can not recall it, we have always looked out for one another. I would prefer it if that continued.”

  Todd can’t help but to look away at that. It doesn't matter how sincere you sound, telling someone, who has only known you for an hour, that you, “have always looked out for one another” is !

  But should he trust her? He probably should, that was a pretty powerful speech after all, but he still doesn't know anything substantial. They met only an ago, and she just said a bunch of weird things!

  Yet, what other choice does he have? He’s bumbling in the dark here, and she just swore on her to help him. He’d be an idiot not to give her something. Plus, weird demeanor aside, she’s been pretty good company.

  “…Uh…I guess I'll trust you.”

  “Hmm…Good enough…for now.” She shrugs and swiftly turns on a heel, her hands scoop up the discarded logs with only a single delicate motion needed.

  “Let us go, Sir Gelhardt will get concerned if we are not back at camp soon, the proper people must be informed of your memory troubles.” She turns to make her way to camp. “I will tell you everything you need, or want to know on the way.”

  A sudden thought crosses Todd’s mind.

  “…Wait!” He calls to her, just as she’s about to leave. He is still seated, his hands still fidget with the ribbon on his axe.

  Todd has one more question. He recalls something in her promise, she said a lot of wild things in that speech, stuff about heroes and honor. It's hard to remember most of it, but there was something at the end, something she called . It stuck out amongst everything, it was said with such importance—almost reverence.

  She looks back at him, if she’s frustrated, she’s not showing it.

  “During your speech, you…uh…I think you called me a “Warrior Hero?” What does that mean exactly?”

  Her face is walled over, he can’t read a thing about her right now. She calmly places both logs on the ground. The sword on her waist sways as she makes her way over to him.

  “Hearing those words come out of your mouth, it is a bit disheartening, if I must be honest.” Her gaze goes forward, over his head, Todd couldn’t tell you what she's looking at.

  Kim begins to speak, her voice is terribly heavy.

  “Years ago, something occurred…It was a tragedy, nothing like it has ever happened before, we that nothing similar happens again…Monsters, demons, all the in the world stood as one, and declared an eternal war on us all.” Her breathing goes steady, Todd hangs on every word.

  “The innocent were dragged from their homes and slaughtered, beasts prowled the lands, consuming everything they could. Even if you stayed away, locking yourself inside, it wouldn’t matter…They found ways to twist your mind away, mothers drowned their own children. Good people, kind souls who would never harm another, tore down their own walls, to let the beasts in. Kings, peasants, it really mattered not, when the sky was red, you feared the Scourge.”

  “Some fought, they too. Hunters and Knights, they were the first and last line of defence for the major cities—the few places that still had walls left to breach. They were truest heroes, death was almost assured then. Yet they still fought onwards, throwing themselves to certain death, just to hold back the onslaught.”

  “They came for them, the Hunters and the Knights, but when they fought, a few of them—minor champions at the time—began to make a name for themselves. Innocents cowered behind the city walls, they were desperate for hope, so when they heard tales of singular men, cutting down greater demons with ease, they clung to these stories. In true desperation, an unexpected age of heroes was born.” She looks down at Todd, a pride slowly wells within her chest.

  “Hundreds rose and hundreds fell, all fueled by the cheers of the cities they protected. Streets were lined, everyone telling stories of the heroes, how they protect the walls, how they slay the demons outside. It was a strange sight, suffering and death were still rampant, but yet, all cheered for the heroes.”

  “Then arrived, like all the heroes before him, he had meagre beginnings. His rise only came about due to a simple reason: no matter the challenge before him, no matter the pain, he stood up. Where others passed on, he stood, and he kept standing tall for all to see.” There is a sparkle in her eyes, her heart is swelling as she speaks.

  “It was a fresh breath of hope, every day he did something new. He was the first hero to mount the head of a tormentor upon a spike, the first hero to cut down a demon. Within a week of his debut, everyone knew his name. Upon his watch, the Scourge had no choice, but to .” A sinking feeling begins to take over Todd, he thinks he knows where this is going.

  “He wields an axe with a green tail, fights faster than the eye can see, a true warrior, equal to none. The Demon of Demons. His name is Galligher, the one and only . The first to be named a Great Hero by the volcanic king himself, the hope that kept the world fighting.”

  Somehow, as if spitting on nature itself, she gives Todd a small smile. “And the man I am currently looking at, right now.”