4 Insects

Since I am probably going to be searched around the town for the sake of appearances, I decided to go to the forest first.

I don't have money too, so it would be best if I collect some monster exploits or something.

My plan just has a slight setback...

I am a city boy. A city boy that was created in a temple and never pursued to learn anything about surviving in the wild.

So my stomach growls again.

What the hell I am going to do? I can't simply eat some random berry.

How I don't know which one is comestible and which one is poisonous if I risk myself I can die by my incompetence.

While I was in this dilemma, I hear something a bit ahead and go to see what it is, since last time I did so I discovered crucial pieces of information.

But as soon I see what made the noise I immediately hide.

What a GIANT COCKROACH is doing in this damn forest?!

Okay, I don't have any problem with cockroaches but they are TERRIBLE.

They are hard to kill, like other insects, because of their exoskeleton...

They can FLY.

They are gross. And to prove it...

I look again, and the cockroach is eating a dead deer that is at least two weeks old.

Well, I said giant, but it is probably the same size as a big dog.

Where this thing LIVES?!

Because, you know, I want to stay far away from there.

While I was observing, another insect started fighting the cockroach.

Is that an... Ant?

What do I know about ants?

Well, it is fighting the cockroach.

Maybe it wants the dead deer?

Uh, aren't ants insects that live in colonies?...

My foreboding comes true when another ant arrives and starts attacking the cockroach.

I am almost pitying it at this point.

Although the ants are smaller, they are good at working together...

With a crack that sends chills down my spine, the ants take the cockroach's head off.

You know what?...

I am going THAT way.

The opposite direction from the ants and the castle.

Although, well, maybe I am a bit lost.

Like...

Everything looks the same. I should have made some kind of marking to know where I came from.

I know I am getting deeper into the forest since the vegetation is getting denser and denser, but I don't have a map nor I know how big this forest is...

This was a horrible idea.

I will die faster here than if I had gone to the city!

At least there I could have tried to run away to another city before news of my disappearance got loose...

When I am just about to fall into desperation, something hits my head, making me trip over the vegetation.

When I raise my head to identify what hit me, I see a mostly white furry ball shivering in the base of a tree just ahead.

What is that?

I shorten the distance and intended to shake it with my hand but change my mind and poke it with a stick instead.

The furry thing shivers and I retreat some steeps. Is it getting ready to attack? Is it going to jump and attach itself to my face, killing me suffocated? Or is it some kind of venenous creature?

I stay in a defensive posture while I think about my course of action.

But the ball just keeps shivering.

Maybe it is in pain?

Shot.

This looks so much like a trap, but if it is really in pain I should help it. I don't think it is being chased by any predator, so I wouldn't be destroying the ecosystem-

Wait, why I am think of saving it? I could eat it... But then, if this thing's fearful countenance isn't a act, it could be poisonous or its entire species would be extinct. Furthermore, I don't know how to make a fire then there's no way to kill any bacteria and vermin(or its eggs) in it.

Why surviving in the forest is so damn hard?!

Feeling rather dispirited about running away yet again, I harden myself to just find the longest stick I can and flip this creature over.

What I see is a giant and closed eye, being tentatively covered by tiny wings.

And finally I can hear that it is crying too.

What is this thing?

Letting my sensibleness behind, I yet again get closer, while still weaponing myself with the stick, of course.

"Hey, thingie? Are you dangerous?"

Yeah, I know it would not tell me if it was, but who knows? Best to be sure.

Hearing my voice the creature looks at me and blinks.

It tries to get closer to me.

I step back.

"No, no. Stay there or no matter how cute you are, I will have to hit you with this stick on self-defense."

To prove my words I chop the stick from side to side.

It stays on the place, just looking at me with its big teary eye.

I stare back.

We stay on this silence, until I can't take it anymore and ask:

"Is it still hurting? Because if it is not, please stop crying."

Or I will want to help you, and you might be dangerous, even though you look like a pitiful and harmless small animal like a kitty.

It really stops crying, so I guess it can somewhat understand me?...

Apparently not, since it starts coming close to me again.

"No! No! I didn't say you could come here!"

I take another step back and...

I fall on my butt.

Damn, isn't this the same root I almost fall over before? Looks like it wasn't satisfied until really making me fall because of it.

While I am distracted by my fall the thingie fly to the top of my knees.

I stop what I was doing and slowing turn to it, holding my breath.

It looks... Proud of being there?

Do you think you conquered a new land or something?

At this moment, my stomach growls.

"See, I will not be tasty, I am hungry too."

It looks at me curiously.

"H.U.N.G.R.Y. Since you conquered me, you should at least feed me."

And right then, I knew I went crazy, since I was talking to something that obviously couldn't understand me.

The gigant eyeball blinks twice at me with curiosity.

Then it turn and leaps from my knees going ahead some meters before looking at me again.

Does it want me to follow it?...

I think about my options.

I am lost and hungry in the forest, with no means of survival and almost no chance of being found by other humans since I tried to go at the opposite direction of all civilization...

And then there's this suspicious and small fur ball who wants me to follow it.

...

Let's follow it.

...

After some time, I realize the furball - I will call it Eye because it is getting pretty annoying not having somethings to call it - Eye, doesn't really knows as well where we are going, but it looks like it is searching for something, so I just obediently trail behind it.

Finally it gives two excited jumps and pauses in front of a bush.

I look around.

We are in a nice clearing, and the ground looks as clean as the ground on a florest can be.

Eye started munching the leaves of the bush, making me arrive at the conclusion this was what it wanted to show me.

I tuck a leaf out.

I sniff it a bit...

I think I will eat just one and then I will wait a few hours, while I try to make something to sleep on, to see if it isn't poisonous to humans.

I chew the leaf and it surprisingly doesn't taste so bad.

Kinda minty, I guess?

As I think how to make an improvised bed, I arrive at the conclusion the best I can do is to use my bag as a billow, and try to start a fire.

The night falls pretty quickly without me being able to light the fire.

I didn't feel sick or anything, so I chew more leaves.

When I sit down, I feel something on my pocket.

...

The matches from yesterday?

I finally remember of shoving them on my pocket when going out.

Should I cry or laugh?

I finally am able to light the fire.

The furball gets near it as well.

I look at it for a bit, but end up looking to the sky later.

Wow, such a clean sky.

I sleep thinking about my friends and grandma.

I wonder if everyone is okay?...