The bright light slowly disappeared. The birds chirping quickly replaced it.
Green, was the first thing he saw. No, i mean I saw.
The huge expanse of tree's surrounded me, the grass. The smell of nature, the sound of a river flowing. And rustling of bushes. Birds singing.
I'm in a forest?... Why do I keep getting teleported today?. He—I protested. He sighed, before looking around him holding the back of his head in annoyance at the fact.
Where am I even? And here I thought I'll get teleported to somewhere dangerous, that floating blue panel had something to with this. It called this Arcanic Trial? The emperor didn't tell me about this. So he didn't know?. That means this was first created after the empire collapsed into multiple other empires. He thought, trying to find an appropriate explanation for this. He then realized he had to move otherwise there might be danger lurking somewhere in this forest that may have caught his scent.
He walked past the tree, brushing past a bush before sunlight grazed my face. An open field?.
He walked into the grassfield. The sun was rising. The pinkish contrast of the sky was beautiful. It contrasted well with the orange emitted by the sunlight the sun gives off.
It's beautiful... He complimented the view. Before a gush of wind flew past, his silky smooth hair flying to the wind's momentum.
Vincent, completely forgot why he was here in the first place because of the view.
Vincent opened his arms, to embrace the wind and it's flow. He smiled, this was one of the times he ever fully rested without doing anything. Vincent, the hardworking person. Always wanted to rest, live his life to the fullest. Be the most sloth and lazy ridden person ever. But he had more important matters, and he never truly could do what he had wanted.
Everything he had done, was always the more important thing. He had to, He never even had a chance.
His lips curled upwards as he smiled, laughing before running against the wind's current. He looked up at the sky. His eyes glimmering, and shone brightly. He danced. Danced along with the sunrise. With the wind.
His coat that came along with the noble custome flew with the wind. Flying along the current.
Vincent, danced along before the body of Les manifested as an illusion. Shocking him. But he quickly got over it, and invited her. "Les, shall we dance?."
He let out a hand, inviting her for a dance. Maybe the last time he would ever dance with her memory.
"Yes!." Les confidently accepted, smiling.
Vincent, kissed the back of her hand. His hand moving to hold her waist. He danced with her. The view, the break he had here had long overridden his rationality, his thoughts, his worry about danger, and any bad memories.
Only leaving him in this happy state. Smiling, a smile filled with the best of memories. A smile created with love.
And this atmosphere made him unable to notice that he couldn't grab hold of her fully.
He danced with les, maybe for hours. Having long forgotten about the dangers of the forest. Even the trials. This was by far his happiest moment, they told jokes. Laughed with eachother.
Dancing the longest they had ever done, it was his only chance.
"This is so fun!" He chuckled, smiling.
Les agreed. Atleast what he heard.
The sun finally set, the magnificent night sky full of stars and wonders, was shown finally. Vincent looked up along with les. "Look Les, the stars. It's beautiful isn't it?."
He smiled.
"Yeah it is." She spoke. As he looked back down at she spun around him before finally fading away, the non-existent ashes flying along the wind's current.
He wasn't even sad, he accepted it. Hallucination fading away reminded him of the more important matters at hand. I... I need to do this, i can't be stuck here right?. What's the trial anyways?
He sighed, cracking his back. Looking back up at the stars for a bit of guidance. He has always gazed at them. And admired them from a far with Aveline.
He laughed, not the same laugh from earlier. It didn't have the emotion behind it. "I guess I'll have to find that out." He let out a smile, a smile without it's light. Aveline should have seen this.
He sat down on the grass, before laying down on it. Staring up at the sky. It was comfortable without having to do anything 24/7. Without pushing himself. It was the best thing in the world.
Resting, doing what he wanted. Just like before when he started swordmanship. He found it fun, Exciting.
He extended his hand, hoping to grab the sky. He never believed he could. But the beauty. The northern lights in the sky that wavered, The endless expanse of space was captivating.
This view is really breathtaking. He smiled, trying to take his mind of him dancing with les. It would only make him breakdown and have a panic attack.
———
He walked out of the grassfield. He looked back, with a sorrowful gaze. I... I can't just stay there forever.
He comforted himself.
He forcefully turned his head away from the comfort of the grassfield. He had somewhere to return, he had someone to protect.
The sunrise sets its gaze upon his back. Illuminating the sky with the orange pinkish hue, and the forest with it's light.
Upon seeing this, he instinctively turned back, his eyes sparkling by the beauty of the sunrise.
Beautiful...
He spoke, turning his head away to continue walking into the forest. Slowly disappearing In it's comfort.
"Now... I need to find what I need to do to get out of this place...
"If I remember correctly, this is the first trial. Then what do I need to do?." Vincent contemplated. Leaning on a tree. I can't use mana too...Wait... I should try again to be sure.
He tried to again, but the result was the same as before. He got electrocuted. Atleast that was the nearest experience that could describe that phenomenon.
"Just where is this place?... The Arcanic trials?, he didn't mention anything to me about this place. If he did know anything he should have said so, so this place was created after his time. Or he didn't fit the criteria." He put the pieces and clues together to form a logical answer in this situation. Albeit he didn't know if it was true, but it was his best guess.
He grabbed his head in frustration, sliding down the tree onto the grass. He groaned "Anghh! I just want to lie down on my bed and rest! Why do I keep getting teleported today!." Vincent complained.
He rested his arm on his legs. Looking up at the tree.
"Just what is the purpose of this trial?" He asked himself a rhetoric question. As he suddenly chuckled...
His eyes widened. He then noticed he became happier, and happier when he was here. Hold on... Ever since I came here I've been happier and less worried. Is this the effect of this place? Damn it. I need to leave immediately. Otherwise I might get stuck.
How do I leave anyways? He asked himself, pushing himself to stand. He looked around. His stomach suddenly growled.
"Damn it, I'm hungry."
———
He walked around the forest holding his stomach. He kneeled picking up a fruit that looked similar to an apple. He smelled it, his brow furrowed. As he scorned.
Vincent remarked "poisonous. Is there no non poisonous fruit here?."
He sighed, standing back up.
———
Another day, another hunt. The mysterious man growled. He had auburn hair, and emerald eyes. He had a pretty wide build. Muscular. He wore a large wooden vest, with a shirt with a collar underneath. And some black trousers and shoes, with his belt holding his sword, dagger, and some other utilities
"Good bye honey!." He shouted, grabbing hold of the hilt of his sword.
"Have a safe hunt honey!" The women replied, the wife of the man. She also had auburn hair. But blue eyes instead of the emerald her husband had. She wore a tight shirt and trousers, with an apron tied. "Don't forget your bag!"
"Oh I almost forgot! Thanks honey." *He spoke, grabbing his bag, kissing the beautiful woman who was his wife on the forehead, waving goodbye as he closed the door behind him
The man left the house. Saying hello and good morning to his neighbours.
"Hey!, going for another hunt I see Ronald?." A frail old man, shouted as he waved towards the man, whose name was now revealed as Ronald.
"Yeah, hopefully I have good hunt today old sam!." Ronald replied, smiling before a kid tugged at his trousers.
"Hey uncle! Are you going for another hunt?." The kid asked Ronald, he was with his friends.
"Yeah, like always!" He replied to the little boy. Kneeling down as he ruffled his hair.
"I'll get going now."
He spoke, standing up as walked towards the forest.
He cut the overgrown vines. Weird, it's oddly quiet today. No animals in sight. He swallowed his saliva, slowly walking. Being careful about his steps. Making sure he doesn't step on branches. A walking technique he learned for hunting animals and monsters.
"I'm sweating more today, I'm probably paranoid from the lack of animals." Ronald commented quietly... Before he suddenly stepped on branch.
He wasn't paying attention
———
Vincent, walked around before hearing a branch snapped. He turned his head to the source of the noise. There he saw, a tall man. Around 6'3ft?. Wearing a wooden vest, a shirt with a collar underneath. And black trousers. With a belt holding his sword and dagger. He was also wearing a backpack.
The man had auburn hair and emerald.
The auburn haired man looked to his left. Looking at Vincent...
They stared at each other for a few seconds as they screamed.
"AAAHHH!" Vincent screamed first, shocked that a person was here. W-Why is a person here?! I thought I was alone by the lack of animals!
"WHAT!?" The auburn haired man shouted in unison right after, who is this man?! Is he the reason why the animals are gone?!
After they had calmed down.
"Your name is Ronald?." Vincent asked him.
"Yeah, it's Ronald. And Cassian, are you the cause why there are a lack of monsters and animals in the forest?." Ronald asked curiously, tilting his head sideways. Ronald had a more mature look than most adults.
"No? There were no monsters by the time I came here." Vincent quickly replied, raising the confusion of both parties.
"Huh?"