Chapter 3 : High Alert!

How well does Sano deal with simple directions? Well to use common terms, he’s absolute garbage at them. Now that Sano has gotten unnecessarily lost, he can't help but follow some mysterious noise...

“I swear to god if I hear that sound, one more time, I’m going to-“ Sano mumbles trying to fall asleep, before being rudely interrupted by another loud thrashing noise coming from the forest.

“Oh for crying out loud !” He continues in an aggravated tone

Sano reluctantly lifts his sore body off of the ground and goes to investigate the source of the bothersome sound.  His eyes dart around as he keeps his ears wide open for a stray crackle in the wind, when suddenly, * Pock! Pock! Pock! * , The journalist wastes no time and spins his head so fast towards the source of the sound that he makes himself dizzy. However, once his vision clears up, the origin of the sound is revealed to be the forest that’s just a short walk from Sano’s current resting place. With tired legs, Sano hobbles his way into the forest,  the moss on the ground squishes under his feet as he stealthily makes his way towards the sound, but he is soon distracted by another oddity, an orange glow emanating from deeper within the woods, Sano halts to a complete stop and begins to go towards the light, almost like some oversized moth, instead of pursuing  the aggravating sound, he slowly creeps closer and closer to the light staying as quiet as possible, luckily, Sano’s lanky body allows him to avoid a lot of the branches that would otherwise stand in his way. Oddly enough, the closer he gets to the light, the more the annoying sound gets quieter and is soon replaced by a new sound.

It sounds like..mumbling? Sano tries to focus on the sound, but can barely comprehend the grumbling, he steps a little closer and focuses a little more,

“Stupid guard, won’t even set up my tent… I’ll show him.” The distant voice grumbles

Sano unconsciously steps closer to the voice, focusing more on listening in rather than where he’s walking, Sano didn’t think much of it, he thought he would just step on some nice, soft, quiet, delicate mo-

* Crack! *

“Oh shi…” Sano says as he flinches in anticipation

Sano waits for a second, but nothing seems to have noticed, Sano sighs, stands back up, and looks around,  but as he repositions himself to continue walking, a sudden * Ka-chunk!* noise echoes throughout the forest, before Sano even has time to react, an arrow flies past his cheek , gashing it slightly, before pinning his flared collar up to the tree behind him. Before the sound of the arrow flying past him could even stop echoing in his head, Sano could hear heavy foot steps coming towards him at an alarming pace, the frightened young man could barely stay standing, let alone pull out the arrow that was keeping him there. With trembling legs, Sano stares ahead in absolute fear, but his terror was soon enough dissipated once a familiar figure made it’s way through the woods.

“Sano! What on earth are you doing here!?” Esquire exclaimed, in absolute shock.

“Oh….hey…E-Esquire” Sano replied as his soul temporarily leaves his body

“We thought you were lost in the cave, or worse just a figment of our imagination !”  The ex-monarch responded

“Why on earth would I be a figment of your imagination, you literally hit me with a rock.” The journalist asked snarkily.

“Oh yeah…sorry about that...” Esquire apologized

“No worries, now could you get this stupid arrow off of this tree, I would but my arms have the collective power of a decaying old lady right now.” Sano joked, trying to brighten the mood.

“You seem pretty capable, I don’t understand why you can’t possibly take it off yourself?” Esquire asked with genuine confusion.

“Here let me show you why, give me your hand.” Sano offered both of his hands to Esquire.

Esquire cautiously offered Sano his hand, with a weak grip, Sano grabbed Esquire’s hand with both of his own, and they both waited for a second, suddenly Esquire felt a rumbling sensation shake him to the core, Sano was so shaky that his hands alone caused Esquire to tremble as well. Esquire quickly retracted his hands in shock.

“Goodness, alright, I see why you were incapable of removing the arrow yourself, hold on I’ll get it for you.” The royal said as he pulled the arrow from the tree, finally freeing Sano.

Sano thanks Esquire and he leads Sano to his current camp, it’s nothing you’d expect a royal to settle down with but it does it’s job well enough, just a circular clearing with two tents, one that’s barely standing, and one that’s been professionally and neatly set up, an oil-lantern, and a makeshift, unlit fire-pit. 

“Where’s What’s-his-face? I thought he was your guard or whatever.” Sano says as he scrutinizes Esquire

“I am his guard, and what of it, Outsider?” Stryder responds sternly, loudly dropping logs of wood behind Sano.

Sano let’s out a shrill yelp and jumps ridiculously high in surprise,

“God, what is it with you people and not introducing yourselves properly?!” Sano says, trying to regain his composure.

Stryder completely ignores Sano, picks the wood back up, and heads to the sad excuse of a fire-pit.

“While Stryder sets up the fire, why don’t you tell us Sano, where did you go after our meeting?” Esquire asks, trying to ease Sano’s nerves.

“Oh, uh… sure! So basically, while you and your guard over there were arguing-“ Sano starts

“I have a name you know?” Stryder chimes in with an annoyed tone

“So do I, Stryder. So. Do. I. Now will you quit interrupting me?”  Sano replies in a frustrated manner.

“God, anyways,  during your argument I kinda just, walked by the two of you. Once I was out of the cave, I just started heading north like you had said”

“Wait are you certain you went north?” Esquire asks

“Yeah, why?” Sano mumbles in response

“Sano, the mine you exited from is located at the entrance of this forest, how in the heavens are you not already at the settlement?” Esquire questions as he tries to comprehend Sano’s logic.

“Well once I left the cave, I started on my original path which was on this direction, I just assumed that was north.” Sano says as he points to his right

“Sano, I regret to inform you that that is in fact not North, but East.”  Esquire says in pure stupor of Sano’s incompetence.

“Wait, then how did you manage to get back here?”
 
“Well, once I cleared the first 3 hills , it was almost sunset, and I figured that I was getting nowhere so I just turned around  and started heading back to the cave, I got to the top of the first hill and I head just completely given up at that point.” Sano rambles casually as if he didn’t just explain a very dangerous situation.

“Enough about me, if you assumed that I was dead, or just wasn’t real, how on earth are you guys only setting up camp here and not farther up along the trail?”

“Oh, we explored the mine’s various shafts to see if you got taken by something. We swept that mine far and wide but we found no trace, so we just left and we only managed to walk to this clearing before Stryder and I felt exhausted after combing the mines for hours on end.” Esquire explains

“I could’ve been taken by something!?” Sano says as he feels feint.

“Stay with us, Sano ! “ Esquire shouts as he snaps his fingers repeatedly 

Sano feels his head rush but dosen’t pass out right away, he just stares into space as Stryder finally gets the fire running.

“Esquire, I think we should just call it an evening, the last thing I want to do is to carry him through that trail.” Stryder says as he goes into his tent.

“You’re right, good evening Sano!” the royal says as he walks into his tent.

Sano dosen’t even reply, he just passes out close to the fire, feeling it’s warmth comfort him into a peaceful slumber.