"Two additional chapters on Patreon."

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"I'm lost," that's what he thought after several hours of deepening into the forest.

At first, he was only trying to distance himself as much as possible from anyone who might be following him, as he didn't know how long it had been since he threw himself into the river. But it seems his decision was reckless, as he's now lost and doesn't know how to get out of the forest. He's not ready to fall asleep in an open area; who knows what could happen to him while he sleeps unprotected. So, he shifted his focus from searching for a way to explore the forest to finding a suitable place to sleep. However, the task was challenging due to the abundance of materials and the limited visibility, composed of only two colors. Eventually, he noticed an anomaly in the landscape from a distance; it seemed like there was a source of light. With caution, he approached it to get a better look.

"Makhayyam" (camp) was the first thing that crossed his mind when he saw the burning firewood, the suspended bed between two trees, and, most importantly, the man sitting on a tree trunk, conversing with a bird 

talking to a bird!

Upon closer observation, the man seemed to be wearing some kind of peculiar accessories, as there were incomprehensible symbols emitting a contrasting light compared to the rest of the materials. Could this be the reason behind the man's ability to communicate with the bird? Or is he just a madman with a penchant for conversing with animals?

Just another oddity added to the strangeness of this world.

Now, the most critical question is whether he should go there or search for another place to sleep. It's a challenging choice as both options depend on fate and the response of the man or the creatures of the forest, not on his own ability. Therefore, he decides to leave the decision to fate as well.

He will look for a place to sleep, and if he doesn't find one when it's time to rest, he will head to the man's camp, hoping for his hospitality. As he continues to contemplate and search further, he finds himself pondering his options more.

Will he surrender his fate to the forest or to humanity?

And now his thoughts became random. "Damn, I've never been a man of plans," he thought. He had always followed his instincts and impulses throughout his life, so why did he find himself overthinking in this new world? Despite his dislike for excessive thinking and his inclination to procrastinate on making plans for something that hadn't happened yet, Therefore, he decided to leave his thoughts behind and return to his previous plan

"Search, and if you don't find anything, seek help." 

...

"No other choice," he sighed inwardly as he felt his bedtime approaching. It seemed that fate had determined his course, leaving him with no option but to comply. But before that, he took three bags of money and dug a hole, leaving them behind. He marked nearby trees to remember the location. The rest of the bags he kept hanging on his belt, visible for a purpose – to pay "rent" if the man demanded it, and also to divert greedy eyes away from the heavier loot, guiding their attention towards the money.

After all, who would leave behind the ready and lightweight money to steal heavy, haunted armors?

With these thoughts in mind, he approached the campfire, contemplating ways to greet the man. He had considered starting the fire himself to keep the animals away, but the problem was how to light it.

When he was close enough to catch the man's attention he decided to keep things simple.

This was Cedric's first night in the forest, where he needed to hunt three prey before returning to the village to complete the rituals and marry, now that he had come of age. He hadn't expected anything unusual on his first night, but here he stood facing a terrifying creature he had only seen in his grandfather's books and grandmother's tales.

Before him stood a creature with a seemingly ordinary, worn-out armor that appeared incomplete due to its missing right arm. However, emitted a calming, turquoise-colored fire that moved like fur. And those eyes! Two small flames, like candlelight of the same fiery hue, sending shivers down his spine and making his body hair stand on end. The worst part was that the creature seemed well-armed, as if ready for battle.

The only thing that kept Cedric from jumping and running for his life was the fact that the armored figure hadn't attempted to sneak up on him and had stopped walking a few meters away without displaying any aggression. This eased his tension as it seemed that the armor held no hostility or ferocity like some other creatures.

Suddenly, the armored figure raised its hand in a simple gesture of greeting, which bewildered Cedric and made him hesitate to respond in kind. However, it appeared that the armor didn't mind, as it then pointed to itself and then directed the gesture towards a nearby tree, prompting Cedric to follow its finger.

The situation took several moments before Cedric grasped the general intent of the armored figure's request, seemingly asking for permission. Caution prevailed, and Cedric took a step back to be on guard. With a hint of hesitation, he eventually signaled his agreement to the informal request. The armored figure responded with a gesture that seemed to convey gratitude before it moved towards the tree and sat, leaning its back against it.

Several awkward minutes passed in silence before Cedric witnessed the astonishing sight of the armored figure as if it were a puppet whose strings had been cut. The fiery aura vanished, and its parts began to fall to the ground, And so, he realized that the armor was empty from the inside, with no occupant, making the strange situation even more peculiar.

Cedric hesitated in his actions until he found his bird friend returning to his shoulder, which made him exclaim in his mind with realization, "You fled as soon as you sensed danger and left me all alone!" The bird shook its feathers as if mocking him, and he heard the mocking and sarcastic voice of the bird in his mind, "I'm not foolish enough not to take precautions in the forest, unlike some people," it continued, "But it doesn't matter; I was watching over you from above and didn't sense any hostility from it, whatever it was."

Cedric retorted with sarcasm, "And what if I had sensed hostility? You would have just left me behind"

"Do not be oversensitive; at least I would have made it easier for your parents to search for your body," the bird's words echoed in Cedric's mind, tempting him to engage in a conflict with the creature. However, he reminded himself of his current situation, calming down as he looked at the armored figure in front of him, pondering, "Could it be a spirit?"

The bird intruded into his thoughts once more, "That's why you should have read your grandfather's library or at least listened to him when he taught you." Cedric shifted his gaze, saying, "So, what do you think, Otreasure of Paper-hoarder?"

The bird remarked, "It is impossible for it to be the trace of a spirit, whether artificial or natural, for reasons not worth mentioning since you won't listen." It continued, "Honestly, I don't know what it is. It somewhat resembles one of those hybrids whose name I've forgotten, but at the same time, it's entirely different. They are beings with physical bodies, whereas it lacks any material existence other than the armor, which seems to function as its receptors."

After a few seconds, it seemed that an idea had dawned on Cedric, making the bird attentive. However, it didn't expect the sarcastic response, "Looks like there are things you don't know, bookworm."

Anger overcame the bird as it started pecking at Cedric's hair. "Is this all you care about, you fool? I thought you'd finally use your brain!"

"Ouch, ouch, stop!" 

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