The Journey Starts

"Didn't I told you to return to your family?", I said to it, walking a little closer to the fox and crouching down to look closer at it, but also make myself look smaller and therefore less intimidating.

It nodded, confirming that I told him that... But it didn't seem to care about that, he just climbed up my body and made my neck its home.

"Oh, wait, that tickles, stop!", I said to it and then it got away from my neck, standing on my shoulder with its head tilted a little to the side.

I giggled a little looking at it and then extended my hand to the ground, making a way for it to climb down.

"Come on, you should go take care of your family and not concern yourself with me", I said, but it answered me by shaking its head and then looking a little down. Did it not want to go back to his family? Did it hate its family? Or did something happened that the situation of it with them was just not the best?... Or perhaps it was just because it couldn't return to them?

"Did... Did you lose your family?", I asked it... The fox continued looking down to the ground with a sad expression. It was clear to me now, it had lost to its family... I was so inconsiderate...

"I... I am sorry... But you shouldn't stay with me either way, I will sure just bring harm upon us both", I said.

The fox looked at me and attacked my neck again, wrapping around it. It was tickling so much, I couldn't stop laughing... I eventually fell on the ground with that attack... It was clear what it wanted to do now, it wanted to stay with me independent of what I said to it.

"Alright, alright... I got it, you can come with me, but don't tickle me like that!", I said to it and it moved back to the shoulder.

It seemed to be quite happy with my answer... I guess it couldn't be helped, but I was also happy to have it by my side as my friend and pet. The moment I imagined the former word, "friend", I realized something... I realized that I had now a friend that could help me in the journey just like the wizard had suggested to me. This means the journey could finally start, officially this time.

"Well, I need to see where we will be going next, though", I said and stood up, the fox still on my shoulder as I grabbed the blank sheet of paper that the wizard gave me.

It was still very strange to look at it, this couldn't possibly be the thing that will guide me... Or rather, that will guide us two to our objective. The fox was even more confused since it had probably not even an idea of why I even had that sheet of paper and to where we would go next. I made sure to explain it properly to the animal... It seemed clear now for it, but I suppose he also did not understand the blank sheet of paper.

"I suppose we just need to wait...", I said and it agreed...

I sighed a little with disappointment and then fall back at the ground to rest a little... Just when my back touched the ground, however, letters started to appear from the bottom of the sheet of paper and they moved all the way to the top. They started to group with each other, forming words and then sentences until the whole text was complete...

"Dagged Everblade. You chose to continue in this fight for your princess and I will guide you through your journey. The gem of the cursed love that you search for is hidden in the past of its creator, a place guarded by the door that will only open to the Key of Love. The Key of Love cannot be crafted by normal means, however... Only the four elements can create the metal of it... And only the right person can mold the key and bring it into reality...".

The words stopped coming for a moment then and I examined what I gathered of information... "The crystal lives on the past of the creator"... It could only be a place that was part of the past of the creator. This key thing didn't seem to be a riddle similar to that... Once I had my thoughts organized, however, more words started to appear.

"Deep down you will find the first element. It's an element essential for the key and essential for your life. With patience and purity, she shall give you the element if you prove your worthiness". The words stopped to appear again... There was space on the blank sheet of paper for about four more paragraphs of the same size.

"What do you think it meant by this last paragraph?", I asked the fox and it shrugged with my question. I suppose we both had no idea of where it could be the place that the riddle spoke of.

"Perhaps we should first get ourselves a map...", I said.

It would help us locate ourselves and for sure we will be able to locate the possible areas and discover where we will go next via elimination. I realized, however, I had no money for a map.

It's true that my light sack with a few coins should actually have enough money for a simple map... But the problem was that this sack had just vanished, it wasn't with me anymore! How could it be like that? It was so strange... But then I remembered... I offered my money to the hunters and they refused, it should be now on the ground of the forest... Well, it would be pointless to go back for that, the coins must have been already taken by those same hunters...

"Guess we will have to find a way to get some money... Something not related to selling ourselves", I said and it nodded in agreement. "Well, we have no choice... We must go to the city... There should be job offers and possible somewhere to buy a map".

With a smile, then, we started to walk to the nearest city... Or rather, we just followed the path that we had, eventually, it would probably lead to a city...