The Outer Forest

The road was quiet, not another soul in sight, the dirt path he had walked for past few days was peaceful. Above him, a cloudy blue sky, the sun peeking out from the space between the soft white clouds whenever it got the chance, the birds chirping away in the lush green trees. He was a long ways from Annivale, farther than he'd traveled before. He wore on his back a travelling bag, in it two and a half loaves of bread, a piece of roasted meat wrapped up, a watersack, and some rubbing medicine he had learned to make a long time ago. Also on his back, a rolled up traveler's bed, courtesy of his father, from his own travelling days. 

Ardenn was walking north, towards the sea that divided the three realms of Haiilin. His hometown, Annivale, is on the far south of the southern continent, Roediina. Annivale, and the southern part of Roediina in general is covered in lush forests, rolling fields of green grass, tall mountains, and deep caves. Southern Roediina is populated mainly by humans. Most people this far down don't use coins like the other two continents do, they prefer trading goods for services, or other goods. The largest town this far south is Annivale, with three inns, stables, and diners, and many passing through to see the annual Dragon Battle show that the townsfolk participate in. They gather in the town square and reenact a legend passed down from generation to generation. A story about a knight with no sword who tricks a dragon into giving him one of it's own teeth, the knight then kills the beast with it's sharp tooth and saves the princess whom the dragon held hostage. It's quite the spectacle, and people from all around Roediina come to see the show. Ardenn, in his youth, was often involved in the show, though he never got the part of the prince. 

A gentle breeze brushed past and Ardenn's now unkempt dark brown hair swayed softly, his blue eyes looked forward as he continued walking down the same dirt path. Out of boredom, he kicked a stone and watched it spin wildly out of sight behind a tree, he heard it bounce about on the ground softly. And then silence. 

"Maybe I should've learned to play the lute after all," the traveller sayed to himself. His father had been trying to get him to learn to play since the first day they met. But Ardenn never really took interest, he was too busy practicing his sword skills. His father gave him the name Ardenn the day he found him, too, the old man was so shocked by his find that he immediately counted it as a miracle. Ardenn was a blessing, the old man would say, just as he had grown tired of travelling, a new adventure, raising a child, arrived. It must be fate, he would always say. 

The sun fell slowly, but sure enough, the sun was reaching the end of it's shift. With no town in sight, Ardenn would be forced to spend the night in the forest. He turned off the main road and went a few minutes deep into the forest, just so far that he could barely see the road and return when morning came. He found an open area, and set up camp by a tree trunk. He first took off his travelling bag and bed, laying the bed down first and putting the bag by the side of where his head would be. He then took off his sheathe and blade, Ignis. He laid the sheathed Ignis down by the bag, and finally layed down on the traveler's bed. 

He stayed awake, listening for any potential danger. He heard nothing, and  began to fall asleep, his tired eyes slowly closing. Before he could fall unconscious, he finally heard something. A soft rustling in the shrubs in front of him. He reached for Ignis and immediately unsheathed the splendid blade. Ignis gleamed beautifully in the night, letting off a soft golden glow. Now Ardenn listened, it had stopped. Then, another soft sound. Something was coming. 

A single rock came slowly through the shrubs, falling to Ardenn's feet pathetically. The same rock he had kicked earlier. He was being followed. A snarky laugh came from above. Before he could turn round to see, he knew what it was. One foul Erryg descended upon him from the tree to his back. The creature fell with such speed that Ardenn barely managed to escape it's awful maw. Ardenn moved swiftly forward, spinning around on his heel, to see the ugly creature that had just tried to pounce him. 

The Erryg was as ugly as he had been told it would be. The creature had bony feathered wings, a large set of misshapen and discolored teeth, it had eyes like a cat, and scrawny legs. It's raw black and red gums were revealed in a nasty toothy smile. Ardenn suddenly realized what was going on. From behind him, where the pebble had come from, a second Erryg leaped out, lunging nastily at him, gnashing it's foul mouth. Ignis burned brightly and Ardenn turned round hard. Erryg traveled in packs.