"AHHHHHHH!!"

I wake up, and immediately felt something crawling up my arm. Panicked, I jump around and get bitten by the spider that had been on my hand, thankfully it wasn't poisonous- at least I think. It hurts!

"ouch.. man why now, I have to carry that heavy backpack like this?? my arm hurts..." 

It had been about 13 hours since I left my comfortable house at Nada village and for good reason. Apparently, my marketing schemes have been exposed by some of the traders there. Needless to say, I immediately packed my stuff and bailed, carrying some of my wealth with me. Of course, this had been a horrible idea because gold is, well very heavy.

"My life is ruined... THOSE BASTARDS! next time I see them I'll be sure to repay the favour tenfold!"

I continue my journey for a few hours and suddenly, I start to feel hungry. This is about the time When I would be eating breakfast, so I look around. A forest dense with vegetation and mosquitos lies before me. I should've left from the village route, but didn't want to be captured so now I guess I'm on my own. Thankfully I left some bread in my bag...

"...........hm"

There was no such bread in my bag. Okay, next the dried meat I had- and no, nothing.

"Calm down, no need to panic- maybe I dropped it somewhere."

I take a look behind me and realize that everywhere looks the same, of course, I had a compass and was heading to the city of Taimatsu which is in the north but with my provisions gone, I could really only say I was heading to my death.

"New plan... maybe I should find food or hunt?"

Having zero experience in survival I suddenly felt very sad. Maybe karma was real and this was my punishment for stealing- well it's not really stealing they just let themselves be taken advantage of. Ok yes, I realize how horrible a person I am, but I don't deserve to die like this!!! Well, lets just see how far I can go at this point.

Clank clink chink

As I empty my gold and other valuables from my bag. I Klen, continue my journey to Taimatsu city. After hours on end of waking, I hear a noise coming from a shrub to my left. 

"h-hey! is anyone there?"

I quickly cower behind a tree, maybe it's a monster? or just a normal creature most likely. After waiting a while and constantly hearing that noise my curiosity got the better of me and I went to check out what's there. Under the shrub, I find... a girl? who has her leg stuck in some tree roots? She glares at me, and I say nothing and turn back.

"Wha- you're just going to leave me here!"

"what do you expect?? you have a dagger and that piercing glare, better not to get involved."

She swiftly throws her dagger at my bag.

"HEY! what is wrong with you, that could've killed me! and now you ruined my backpack.."

"I have another one. Next time I won't miss."

She gives me another death glare and I reluctantly attempt to help her get out.

"So.. how did you get stuck here" I say holding back a laugh.

"Shut up."

"Maybe you tripped- oh yeah, what are you doing out here alone? we're right in the middle of a forest." I ask, as I use her dagger from earlier to cut the roots that have been tangled in her leg.

"no duh, it's none of your business, I should be asking you that question."

"I messed up and now I'm a runaway, well it's kind of exciting now. Feels like an adventure."

"huh..."

"By the way, my name's Klen, what's yours?"

"Sena."

she gives me weird and questioning looks, I just choose to ignore them.

snap

"There you're free now- AH"

She immediately gets up and rummages my bag.

"You don't have any food? useless."

"I regret helping you already."

"So where next?"

She gives me a smirk and takes back her daggers. 

"What? where next? I don't follow." I looked up at her, confused.

"Well, I've decided. I'm gonna follow you, since I am lost and you do have a compass." she smiles while looking around.

"W h a t" 

"All right then let's get going."

"fine." I guess it's better than travelling alone.

growl grr

"I'm soo hungry, don't you have any food?" I ask while being somewhat embarrassed.

"Why do you think I checked your bag?"

"Can't you at least hunt with those daggers, like kill a rabbit or something"

"..." She looks away embarrassed.

"Don't tell me your one of those vegan people"

"I'm not."

I spot a few blackberry shrubs and immediately start running towards them. Sena runs faster and quickly starts gathering all of the berries, while I stop and try to catch my breath.

"Leave some for me!"

After eating all of the berries we could find, we continue walking.

"Hey, are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Sena asks.

"Yeah, we're almost there."

After about an hour we finally reach Taimsatsu city. It was a lively place full of traders and shops, known as the city of torches for their orange flowers that glow in a fiery red at night. I chose to move here since it’s a large city with some good research institutions. Apparently, it’s one of the few places that put less importance on magic and more on engineering and economics. Well, my main reason for coming was because I was planning to move here anyways but it’s nice to know that not everyone is on the magic craze. It had been 6 years since magic had been created or rather discovered- by a group of explorers who had opened this tomb found on some Island in the far north. One thing’s for sure though, that is the dumbest lie I've ever heard, why do people even believe that? How do you even find magic? and on an Island?? Wouldn't someone have used it, maybe even by accident in the past? I had so many questions but once I saw people casting fireballs, dungeons appearing out of thin air and monsters coming out of nowhere; I had no choice but to believe it and all my common sense had been thrown out the window. 

"Well, this is where we part ways. It's been uhh- nice meeting you? Bye." I say while waving my hand and walking away.

After walking a considerable amount I realize that someone is following me. I turn around and see Sena try to look away.

"Hey... why are you following me?"

".....I- I don't have any money." She avoids eye contact and makes puppy eyes.

"Is that so. Well, good luck." I pick up the pace and start walking faster. She continues tailing me and immediately she starts full-on sprinting at me and grabs me by the shirt.

"Let go."

"Pleaseee just give me enough for an inn or food or both actually, wait no two days worth- that's it"

"why are your demands increasing??" 

"C'mon we're travelling buddies!"

"Since when?" I'd rather not help someone when I have so little money. However she does look kind of strong but I can't say for sure, maybe I could use her- or more like give and take.

"Well then since you are my "travelling buddy" we could explore a dungeon together, maybe I'd consider treating you to some food in that case." I've always wanted to explore one, but doing it alone is very dangerous.

"Really?! I'm very powerful you know!" She looks at me happily.

"Yeah, yeah enough to get stuck in some-" 

She gets flustered and hits me on the head.

"Forget about that!"

"Anyways for now let's get something to eat" I don't realize that I have a grin on my face until I see my reflection in a puddle, I immediately stop and get embarrassed. We find ourselves in a cheap restaurant, filled with all kinds of people laughing and conversing. I order two sets of fried chicken with some soup, and we start devouring our dinner.

"So what were you doing in that forest anyway? You never got to tell me." I ask.

"I was looking for something." She swiftly replies.

"Wow, very informative of you." I say with a sarcastic tone.

"I know."

"Well it's getting late, I've heard of a few good cheap inns I'll give you enough coins for a day. We can meet up around here tomorrow and plan to go into a dungeon"

"Alright."

We part ways at this INN called the Shining Morning, a horrible name if you ask me. I get to room number 12 and lie down on the bed. This has probably been the most eventful day of my life, well since my brother died at least. So, I've made a friend? or maybe not, but it's been kind of fun talking to her. I wonder what will happen tomorrow.