On The Road

Archer began to wake up, slowly opening his eyes while taking in the colorful ceiling above him, which he had never seen before. Turning his head towards the window, he saw it was still nighttime.

Blinking, he looked to his left and spotted two women and a boy who appeared slightly older than him. The two women were sleeping while the boy was reading. Sitting up, Archer felt his body ache.

Startled by the movement, the boy turned to him and asked, "You're awake?"

Archer looked at him and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine now, but my body still aches."

The boy narrowed his eyes and questioned him further. "Who are you? You're not from the Southlands. Maybe you're from one of the empires up north?"

Shaking his head, Archer replied, "Well, I come from the Land of Plenty, or at least that's what a trader called it."

"Why are you in the Southlands?"