"Don’t Take Me for a Fool"

I woke up in the shelter, lying on a cold stone floor that felt harder than anything I had ever slept on before. I stared at the ceiling, letting out a bitter laugh as I thought about how much things had changed. Not long ago, I was staying in a cozy inn, one that even had a bathtub.

At the time, it felt like a luxury, like a reward for starting to get back on my feet, for having some money. But now… here I was, in a cold, empty shelter. The irony wasn't lost on me, of course.

I got up, rubbing my arms to warm up, and looked for Lyris. She was nowhere in sight. Somewhat concerned, I walked towards the back of the shelter, where my eyes landed on her without her noticing. She was bent over, gathering what looked like provisions for the journey.

I watched her in silence, surprised by the delicacy with which she touched the plants, as if they were more than just resources. There was a sort of reverence in her movements that made me pause. It was almost like she was saying goodbye to them. And I understood. In an era where most life had been wiped out, what little remained became precious, sacred.

For Lyris, who had the ability to connect with life, to protect and nurture it, maybe this was the closest thing she had to family, to a home.

I stepped out of the shelter, stretching a little, and walked over to Lyris. "Good morning," I said, though the cold, gray air of the morning didn't exactly make it feel like a particularly good one. She glanced over her shoulder and gave me a faint smile in return.

"Need help with anything?" I offered, looking at the provisions she was organizing.

"You can take the bag over there," she pointed with her head towards a half-full travel bag to the side. "Pick what you think we'll need. It's going to be a long journey."

"It's time to go," she said as she stood up and adjusted her cloak. Her face hardened as she gave me a serious look. "We need to make the most of the daylight while we have it."

I noticed how her tone became colder, almost distant. "We have to move cautiously. Don't rush, Darius. Out there, there are creatures with abilities we can't underestimate. And if we come across people, we'll have to carefully decide whether it's worth getting close to them or not."

Her words echoed in my mind as she calmly explained what lay ahead. "Even the survivors may have bad intentions. Hunger is everywhere, and many resort to theft… or worse. Some, in their desperation, feed on the flesh of others."

A knot formed in my throat. The reality of this place was becoming more and more tangible, more brutal. It wasn't just the danger from the creatures that worried me; it was also how the few humans left had turned into something even more terrifying.

I realized then how much Lyris had endured to survive here, and how difficult it must have been for her to keep her sanity in the midst of this madness.

We prepared in silence, adjusting our belongings and making sure we had everything we needed. Without further delay, we set out on our journey.

As we walked through the vast desolation, the silence was only interrupted by the crunch of our boots against the cracked ground. Lyris broke the silence with a question she seemed to have been holding onto.

"I wanted to ask you something since yesterday," she began, her tone casual but curious. "It's about your swords."

"My swords?" I repeated, intrigued. It wasn't something I talked about much, so her observation surprised me.

Lyris nodded. "That style of swords… I've seen them before. Where did you get them?"

I thought for a moment before replying. "Both were forged by a giant friend of mine, an exceptional blacksmith. One of them is magical, it synchronizes only with me. If someone else were to use it, it would just be an ordinary sword."

"A giant friend?" Lyris asked, and I noticed how her eyes lit up with a smile. Her reaction piqued my curiosity.

"Yes, his name is Eldrek," I responded, watching as her expression shifted.

Lyris let out a light laugh. "That's why those swords looked familiar," she said, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out:

"Wait, you know Eldrek?"

Lyris nodded, clearly enjoying my surprise. "Yes. Eldrek was my family's blacksmith for generations. In fact, the dagger I carry was also forged by him."

She showed me the dagger, and I couldn't resist my curiosity. I took it in my hands, examining it closely. Of course, the style was unmistakable. Eldrek's craftsmanship was evident in every detail.

"Wow, I never imagined you could identify a blacksmith just by looking at their weapons," I commented, surprised by my own realization.

Then, a question crossed my mind, laden with melancholy.

"Do you know how he died?"

Lyris raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Died? No, Eldrek hasn't died."

My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn't hide the joy that washed over me.

"He's alive!?" I asked, unable to contain my excitement.

Lyris smiled. "Yes, although he's quite old now. He managed to escape all of this a long time ago. I haven't seen him in ages, but I know he fled to some distant lands."

I felt relieved. Eldrek, my friend through so many eras, was still alive.

"That's great news, that he's still alive," I said enthusiastically. "I'd love to see him, maybe after I finish what I have in mind."

Lyris paused for a moment, her expression growing more serious. "I'll give you directions when we get there. But..." she said, her tone sharpening, "don't take me for a fool, Darius."

I looked at her, a bit confused. "What do you mean?"

"Since we started this journey, I've noticed something," she continued. "You said you had amnesia, but it's obvious that's not true. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to tell me everything about Eldrek and his swords in such detail."

The weight of her words hit me, making me realize just how observant she had been. While I had been distracted, she had been watching, analyzing.

Lyris sighed as I stayed silent. "I understand these aren't easy times for trusting others. But from now on, I'd like you to be honest with me. You don't have to go into details if you don't want to, but don't lie to me."

I lowered my gaze for a moment before looking back at her. "You're right. I'm sorry. Everything I've told you about Eldrek is true, but I lied about the other stuff because I wasn't sure if I could trust you. From now on, I won't."

After overcoming that awkward moment, we managed to keep moving forward, as if starting fresh.