The Forest of Gife was home to a large number of trees. It spanned a great distance from the eastern edge of the Kingdom of Lando to the southern cliffs, where it met the ocean. If one was to get lost inside, trapped by the thick bark and smothered by great green leaves preventing light from raining down, it was said that they would never return back without the help of the spirits living in the trees.

On the forest's outskirts, there was a young girl lying on the ground. Hair, as black as night and eyes as fierce and red as the setting sun. Skin, soft yet firm. Her generous chest rose and fell ever so slightly with each breath she took.  

Slowly, her body started to move, and she reached out her arms to the sky as she yawned. She opened her eyes, rubbing them in an attempt to wipe away the sleep. Sitting up slowly, she pushed off the ground with her hand.  

Looking to the left, she saw a pathway that had trees to its left and a grass plain to the right.  

Glancing right, it was the same, but the plain was to her left and the trees to the right.  

She looked up and saw nothing but green leaves and brown branches. However, she could see tiny spots of blue in the gaps of the green leaves that were currently casting a shadow. She moved her hand to her chest and felt the smooth touch of leather.  

The mysterious girl was wearing a brown leather tunic that covered her upper body. She looked down. Black leather pants and boots were in her vision. Then she glanced at her hands, protected by a black pair of gloves. She took them off and ran a finger over her hands. Her white skin was smooth to the touch. She pressed a finger against her palm and looked back up at the sky.

After putting the gloves back on and taking a deep breath, she got to her feet and looked around again.  

Where am I?  

Who am I? 

Two vital questions ran through her mind on repeat. She didn’t know her name, and she didn’t know her location. Thinking about it, she couldn't remember any identifying information about herself.

Her lips slowly parted, allowing a word to escape from. “Wha—” 

She slowly rubbed her head.  

“GAAAHHHHHH!!!” Tremendous pain surged through her body as she felt a paradoxical amount of discomfort. It felt like drowning, being electrocuted, set on fire, and poisoned at the same time. Every single centimeter of her body was suffering. Thrashing around, she fell to the light green grass. Twisting and turning, she tried to do whatever she could to escape the agony.  

Then, as soon as it assaulted her, the pain disappeared. She tried to open her mouth but found she was unable to.

Why did that hurt? What was that? I’m so scared! She thought the words that she wanted to speak.  

I need to get up and run away. I can’t stay here.  

Mustering some courage, the girl formed a fist and softly punched the grass, disrupting the only thing supporting her. Sweat and tears dripped from her face and eyes as she set about standing up. Her arms and muscles ached and cried out from the previous pain, but she managed to get upright without too much of a hassle.

With her heart pounding against her chest, she placed a hand against her tunic, breathing in life-saving oxygen. Her nose picked up the forest's scent, filling it with what she thought nature would smell like. Her heart soon calmed down, allowing her built-up stress to slowly fade away. 

I can feel my heart beating... I can see... I can smell and breathe... I'm alive, right? I... I have to get out of here...find some help... 

Looking left and right, the girl could tell that she was on a road of some kind.  The ground below her was grassy, with a few plots of mud sprinkled around. Behind her laid a thick brown sea of trees that had never been intruded upon. In front of her was a large open green plain. No trees or animals could be seen. In the far distance, the girl could make out a tiny splotch of blue: a lake. 

I have three options in front of me. Left, right, and crossing the field.  

Taking a moment to think, the girl decided to walk down the path to her right. Yes, water was vital, and that should have been the way she went, but something inside her told her not to.  

Besides, I can always find a lake down this path. If I don't come across one, I just have to come back here.

As she moved, she felt yet another pain in her head. But unlike last time, a paradoxical wave of pain did not assault her. She saw a frame of a memory in her mind, almost like a picture, but she heard a voice.

It was of a man, maybe in his early twenties. He wore a fancy-looking button-up shirt with black pants. His face was scarred and rugged like he was born from a dirty rock, but the girl felt such happiness and fondness radiating from him. A small cup of black liquid was on the table he sat behind. The man's mouth was open, and the words that played over and over again, like a scratchy-recording, did not match the gentle atmosphere.  

Please, run away! You must get out of here! Servi—

The memory ended, and the girl went to her knees.  With the strength drained from her entire body, she shook her head and uttered a single word.  

“Servi.” 

Is that my name? 

The girl—Servi— said that name over and over again. Each time, she made sure to pronounce it correctly, letting it roll off her tongue and onto her lips.

I don’t know why, but saying that makes my chest feel tight.  

She moved her hand to her chest and said the name once more.  

“Servi.” 

Blinking, the girl took in a deep breath.  

I have to move! I can do this!

She reached her leg out but quickly pulled it back as an odd feeling crept up her thighs, threatening to down her heart in agony and pain.

What if it hurts again? I know I can’t stay here. I need to move! Come on, Servi! You can do this! 

She struggled against her fearful instinct to stay still and forced herself to walk. Servi closed her eyes.  

One! 

Two! 

One! 

Two! 

One foot forward in front of the other. By the time she opened her red eyes, she was a few meters away from where she woke up.  

“I can do it!” she yelled quietly to herself, capitalizing on the little things.  

Walking down the path she had chosen, Servi saw, heard, and smelled things that were all foreign to her.  

A set of nearby leaves rustled, and Servi jerked her head and crouched down. A small cat-like creature strolled out of the forest. It had two tails, large green eyes, and brown fur, likely for camouflage. It stopped moving and sat down, allowing the tails to flutter and twist together as if performing a dance routine.

How pretty! 

Servi was entranced by the unnatural monster and moved towards it with a hand held out. The cat turned its head, sat up, and shook its head. 

It turned its body and strolled back into the forest, stopping once to take a look at the unknown Human staring at it.  

I wonder what that was? It wasn't a cat, was it? It sure was pretty, though, but now I'm left with more questions.  I have never seen such a thing before in my life... 

With the encounter behind her, Servi continued her walk down the road. She looked down when something caught her eye. 

I think I see two parallel lines on the ground. Maybe something on wheels passed by? Was it a car?

As she pondered her question, the entire forest and ground shook with a great rumble. The sweet air that she had been tasting and inhaling scattered, leaving it stained with an unknown taste.  

From somewhere in the forest, a large animal roared with all of its might and strength. Servi looked back towards the noise, and sweat dripped from her face. 

I have to get away from here!!!

Turning the other way, Servi shot out and ran like a lightning bolt. Her boots stomped through the mud and grass, sending brown chunks upwards and dirtying her footwear while leaving behind a set of frantic footprints. Her chest and lungs constricted and expanded with every step. Air flooded into her body as she ran. She kept running and running until the noise was a memory.

After what felt like hours of excitement, Servi tripped over a tiny tree root in the road and slid on the ground. Her leather chest armor and pants covered any skin, so she was uninjured. Only her pride was damaged, and her face was dirtied.  

Thankfully no one saw that. Servi thought as her cheeks were assaulted by a soft flame. She shook her head to force that embarrassment out of her mind.  

I have more important things to do than be embarrassed.  

Standing up, she reached down and dusted herself off while struggling to fill her lungs. Servi's hands, now stained with the dirt, clenched into a fist as Servi looked around at her new surroundings.  

I don’t know how long I ran, but I can see a lake in front of me. I should head there next.   

Servi still followed the grassy path, but she clearly saw a set of footprints.  

They look fresh. Maybe I can find someone up ahead. 

Servi walked and stumbled her way down the road, eventually coming to a stop. To her left, a small blue pond, probably about ten meters long and five meters deep.  

Servi took a long sniff.  

Salt? 

She could smell salt, usually reserved for an ocean, in the air.  

I know I’m thirsty, but something in my mind is telling me not to drink that.  

She walked over to the blue gem surrounded by a sea of green, dropped to her knees, and stared into the surface of the still lake.  

I can see myself in it.  

Seeing a face stained with tears and mud, she lifted up an arm and waved to herself. Her reflection waved back. She shook her head and watched as her hair flowed left and right. It was black and short, barely touching her shoulders.

I wonder if I can wash my face in this... If I do, I better keep my mouth shut.

Servi looked away from the lake and searched far and wide. She was looking for some sort of container or bucket. Sighing because she couldn’t find one, she took off her gloves and cautiously dipped a hand into the lake.  

It feels nice and cold.  

She stuck her other hand in, and a small smile appeared on Servi’s face.  By rubbing her hands together, the motion disrupted the calm surface of the lake. Small waves and ripples floated on through the center and reached the other side.  

That should be good.  

Taking her hands out and examining them, she was happy with the lack of dirt staining them. Next, she leaned down even further and splashed some water on her face.  Mud dripped down, corrupting the pond's purity, but Servi did achieve her goal of washing away the dirt. Not having anything to dry her hands and face, she left that task to the wind as she made her way to the road. Afterwards, she put her gloves back on.  

Let me see… The lake was to my left, correct? Then I need to go this way. Maybe if I find a town or something, I can properly wash my face and hands with soap... Still, I haven't seen anyone since I woke up...

With the lake far behind her, Servi continued to walk. And walk. And walk, yet again. The entire time, her scenery never changed much. Trees and grassy plains were her only companions while the sun mercilessly beat down on her. Eventually, she found herself a fork in the road. 

A sign was nearby. It had one arrow with a name pointed to the left. Another arrow with another name pointed to the right.  

Unfortunately, the sign contained writing in a language Servi couldn't understand.

Damn... Do I go left or right?

After thinking about it, she decided to go right. At least, for a little bit. If she saw anything dangerous, she would turn back.  

And unfortunately, after around an hour or so of walking, she saw something dangerous.  

Were they enemies? She thought so because she spotted giant bees. They were taller than the average man, with fuzzy bodies colored black and yellow. Buzzing around a short distance away, Servi was just far enough away that they didn't sense her. Two of the flying beasts were fighting in the middle of the road.  

The large bees had sword-like appendages attached to their head via a small piece of fur in place of antennae, and a large sword stuck out from their bottoms. It acted as their stinger, but it was a sword. Not to mention the razor-sharp blades attached to their arms and hand. It was clear that these deadly-looking animals were meant for battle and war. From where Servi was hiding, two of the bees were locked into a bloody battle. They were swinging wildly without any defense, and flesh splattered the grassy ground with each slice.

I count fifteen of them...

That was way too many for her. Honestly, even one was probably more than she could handle, considering she didn't have a way to defend herself. But if she did have a sword or dagger, could she really go up against something that had bladed-weapons growing out of it? She didn't think so.

I have to backtrack... If that other road doesn't turn out good for me, I have to go back to where I woke up.

So Servi did just that. She turned around, found that sign, and took the road she hadn't travel.

As she walked, methodically putting one foot in front of the other, she hoped and prayed she'd come across something worthwhile.  If she had to spend all that time walking back to her starting point, then it was bound to be nightfall.  Falling asleep in the wilderness, with no food and water, essentially guaranteed her death.

Soon enough, her prayer was answered.

In the far distance, she saw a collection of towering walls surrounding something, and she knew that something had to be a city or town.

"Finally... Finally!!!!" she shouted in joy and glee.  With a positive hop in her step, she ran for a few more minutes, closing the distance while continuing to stare. When her breath ran out, and she slowed to a crawl, Servi realized she wasn't alone. She didn’t know when, but people were walking next to her. It appeared that they all were heading towards her destination.

Not wanting to say anything, Servi just listened to the passing conversation while catching her breath, but it was just as she feared. She couldn’t understand any of what they were saying.

I'm surrounded by so many people, yet I'm so alone... There has to be someone in there I can communicate with, right? Left to wallow in her thoughts, Servi shuffled along slowly, keeping to herself as she held on to a faint sparkle of hope.

It didn't take more than fifteen or twenty minutes for the impromptu caravan she traveled with to be separated into two lines.

One was made up of people, and the other had only carriages and wagons. She stood in the first line and glanced around at her surroundings.

She saw people, of course, some that were human, like her, but she also saw people with cat ears and tails, some with pointed ears, some with different colored scales where their skin should be, and some had a mixture of scales, fur, and skin. Seeing such mystical-looking creatures brought a subtle fear to her heart.

In the wagon line, Servi saw a carriage with no roof. A giant metal cage hooked the back, keeping its inhabitants held against their will. An imposing lock hooked onto the door, preventing it from ever opening without the key. The cage's inside sat a number of children dressed in dirty rags.

From where Servi stood, she saw about fifteen or sixteen kids, all cramped inside. Two were Human, just like her. Five were children who had scales in place of skin. Two were covered in blue scales, one had green scales, and the other two had red scales. Other than the scales, they looked identical to humans. One child in the cage had a long tail and a face that looked like an alligator. Most of his body was fur and skin, with a few red scales covering his forehead.

Of the eight remaining, two of them had black cat-ears atop their heads with a black tail coming from their lower back. However, the girl only had one ear, and where the other one should be, there was nothing but a bloody patch of paper that served no function as a bandage. They had their tail wrapped around their waist as if to protect them from any further harm.

The boy and girl pair looked to be fraternal twins. Like the other slaves, they had on rags that functioned as clothing, but that wasn’t all. The boy's face was littered with scars and bloodstains. In contrast, the girl's face was nearly pristine.  She only had a few scoops of dirt here and there that stained her trembling cheeks. 

He must've protected her from something... It hurts my heart to see them locked up...

The two held hands as the boy pulled his sister closer to him.  She was close to crying, and the boy wanted to be strong for her.

The other six remaining all had pointed ears. Four had a light creamy skin tone, while the remaining two had the skin color of dirt. They all huddled close together and held hands, forming a circle.  

Though she didn’t know it at the time, there were many different races in the world. The ones with cat ears were called Singi. The ones with scales were called Koena, and the ones with pointed ears were called Elves. The ones with the alligator-like face and tail, with a mix of scales, fur, and skin, were called Kobolds.  

The category of Race was divided into two, Humans and Demi-Humans. Those with skin and no horns, animal ears, or other animal-like features were humans. Those with animal-like features, look vaguely humanoid, and spoke the common language, were categorized as Demi-Humans. Within the Demi-Human category, there were individual races like Elf, Singi, Koena, and Kobold. Races could have Sub-Races.  For example, an Earth Elf was a Sub-Race of an Elf.

Every so often, a man walking beside the wagon would take a stick and beat the cage, producing a nasty and frightening noise that scared the children inside. The man would then laugh disgustingly, causing bouts of anger and hatred to well up inside Servi.  

Why is he doing that?! What gives him the right?! 

The Gods Above knew Servi wanted to act. She yearned for the chance to rescue them with all of her might, but she just couldn’t.

It’s terrible, and I hate it, but I need to look after myself first. Fuck... I guess I’m not better than that guy banging on the cage...

Servi sighed in sadness as she quietly followed the line. Soon, she would reach the front, and she didn’t know what to do.  

I better pay attention.

Minutes later, only three people stood between Servi and the front of the line. But entering the city wasn't as simple as just walking through. Everyone thus far had said something to the man standing guard, but there had to be more to it.

I see. That must be a password or something. But what is that weird light? And why is it different for each person? Wait… 

It had just occurred to her that the light wasn't just light. By subtly standing on her tiptoes, she spied on the Singi three spots ahead. As he said a word, a burst of orange light appeared from nowhere, transforming into a rectangular stone tablet.  Servi instantly groaned in annoyance as another thing she didn't understand appeared to cause her trouble.

Oh, come on!!!!  I can’t understand this language! I don't know what he's saying! I don't even know where he got that thing from!!!!

A few short minutes later, only one person stood between her and the guard. Servi felt sweat pour down her face as the nervousness in her heart made her breathe faster. Her eyes stared at the woman in front of her.

She was an Elf, clearly. Her pointy ears were the striking proof of their race.  The red ponytail dangling back and forth in the wind mesmerized Servi's eyes, calming her. She followed it with her eyes as the woman uttered a single word.  Now that she was next in line, Servi extensively focused on what the Elf did to gain entry into the city, and she swore to follow it word for word and action for action.

"Jōtai."

A red light swirled down her arms and stopped when it reached her delicate hands. The crimson glow faded, and in its place was a tablet. The woman handed it to the guard, who looked it over lazily as if he didn’t want to do his job.  

Handing it back and jerking his head, the woman was free to pass. The guard yelled out something, and Servi walked up. It was her turn at last. 

Damn, I’m up. Okay, I can do this... Just say the word and hope for the best...

The guard had his armored hand out. He said something, but Servi didn’t know what.  

Servi took too long because the guard clicked his tongue in annoyance. Spitting on the ground, the guard repeated himself with a nasty tone.

How did it go? Jotai? Or was it jōtài? Or Jōtai? 

Trying several different pronunciations, it took Servi a few times to get it right. When she did, red light flowed down her arms and grouped together, eventually forming a stone tablet. It was just like the one produced by the woman with red hair and pointed ears.  

After handing it to the guard, he moved his finger over the smooth surface, and he said some words aloud. Obviously, He was reading something, but there must've been an error or a mistake. He tapped his finger at a spot on the tablet and waited.  

Out of nowhere, the guard exploded into laughter and pointed at Servi, who had gone red in the face. The guard, still laughing and now even snorting, handed the stone back and jerked his head. Apparently, Servi had his approval to enter the city.  

Snatching it back with a little more force than necessary, Servi stared long and hard at the stone tablet. It was nearly blank except for some words near the top, but Servi couldn’t read them. It smashed into the ground when Servi dropped it, surprising the guard who put his hand to his sword at his waist. Red light flowed from the destroyed tablet into Servi’s body.

She looked up with a frightened look and stared at the guard.  Through his helmet, she only saw his brown eyes. They were twitching-- itching-- for a fight.  He checked her out from head to toe and only moved his hand away after discovering Servi didn't pose any threat.  He pointed upwards, and Servi followed his fingers.  She didn't know why he wanted her to look up.  Was it the smooth stone gateway holding up a rusty portcullis? If it descended, it would land right on her, cleaving or smashing her into a bloody pulp. Did he want her to feel fear or fright? A million little questions ran throughout her head, and she didn't know the answer to any of them.

Shaking her head, Servi looked down and met the guard's gaze.  He shouted something and returned his hand to his weapon. The frightened girl got the memo and ran into the city, tortured by the guard's cheerful laughter at her emotional expense.

In a way, she felt like everything was a horrible dream, and Servi pinched herself as she continued to bypass a horde of people, who only turned and stared at her like she was the strange one.

Would she ever wake up from the nightmare?