Chapter 17 – First Laugh
Chapter 17
First Laugh
Date: Unknown (38th day of the Journey)
Morning of day 38 arrived softly. The first light of the dual suns crept over the horizon. The leaves filtered the light into scattered beams that shone across Hyoren's face.
He stirred from his soldier's sleep. His eyes opened. His body remained still. His hand found his spear, resting within arm's reach. His other hand touched his bag, secured to the branch beside him.
Everything was in place. The night had passed without incident.
But something was different—a low and rhythmic sound—coming from the tree in front of him. Snoring.
Hyoren turned his head slowly.
The silver-haired elf was still sleeping on her bough. But her posture was awkward. One arm dangled limp in the air. Her legs were splayed at odd angles. Her head lolled to the side, mouth slightly open.
And the snoring. It wasn't loud, exactly, but it was audible. Definitely audible from a distance.
How deep is her sleep? She's almost falling. And I can see... is that drool?
He watched the dual suns rise higher over the horizon.
Should I wake her up? Or let her be? But I'm afraid she'll fall if she continues sleeping with that posture.
He sat up slowly, keeping his movements quiet.
"Elise. Hey, Elise. Wake up."
She mumbled something unintelligible. Her body shifted.
Her arm, which had been dangling, swung outward. Her torso tilted precariously toward the edge of the bough.
Hyoren's breath stopped.
He almost lunged across the gap between the trees. His muscles tensed. His hand reached out—but then she shifted again. Her body rolled back toward the trunk. Her arm flopped across her chest. She settled into a slightly more stable position.
Still fast asleep. Still snoring softly.
Hyoren exhaled. He pressed a hand to his chest.
"Woops… That almost gave me a heart attack."
His heart rate slowly returned to normal.
He looked at her again. The awkward sprawl. The peaceful expression on her face.
Is she really the same veteran, guarded ranger I saw yesterday? How can someone like that sleep this deeply in the middle of a dangerous forest?
He remembered her words from last night. I won't get careless again. I won't repeat the same mistake.
Hyoren decided he needed to be more direct. He raised his voice.
"Elise. Please wake up!"
The words echoed slightly through the trees. Finally, he saw movement. Her eyelids fluttered. Her head turned.
She sat up slowly. Her eyes were half-closed. Her expression was blank.
"Hmm. Why am I not on the ground? Where is the barrier?"
Hyoren tilted his head. Barrier? What barrier?
"Elise. Hey Elise. Don't move carelessly or you'll fall."
The warning cut through her fog. Her eyes snapped open fully. Her hand shot to her side, grabbing her bow. She scrambled to her feet on the bough, swaying slightly as she scanned her surroundings.
Her posture was tense. Alert. Ready for danger.
"Hey. Relax, Elise. Relax. I said don't move carelessly!"
Her eyes finally locked onto him. Recognition flickered across her emerald eyes. She lowered her bow slightly.
"Oh. Right. I'm on top of a tree. And with you..."
She sat back down heavily on the bough.
Her long silver hair was a mess. Disheveled. Matted on one side. She held her head with one hand, as if trying to gather her thoughts. Her eyes drooped again—the hint of sleepiness.
But Hyoren noticed something else and chuckled. Her pointed ears were fully red. A deep crimson flush that spread from the tips to the base.
She was embarrassed.
***
The composed, guarded elven ranger. The veteran who could navigate the Forest of No Return with ease. The one who had killed goblins with precision—been snoring and drooling on a tree branch.
And now her ears were burning red. Hyoren decided not to comment on it and kept his voice neutral.
"Good morning, Elise. The suns are up. We should get moving soon."
She didn't respond immediately. She just sat there. One hand holding her head. Her face half-hidden by her messy silver hair. The disheveled strands fell across her eyes, obscuring her expression.
The silence stretched between them.
Hyoren turned away politely. He gave her a moment to collect herself. To gather her composure.
He began gathering his supplies. Checking his spear. Running his fingers along the reinforced connection. Securing his bag to his shoulder.
Behind him, he heard her moving. Adjusting her position on the bough. Gathering her disheveled hair into a ponytail again. Her fingers worked through the tangles.
"Ehm… Good morning, Hyoren."
Her voice was quieter than usual. Still slightly rough from sleep. A hint of embarrassment lingered beneath the words.
"And… thank you for waking me."
He glanced back.
Her ears were still red. But her expression had returned to composure. The stern ranger mask was back in place. Almost. There was still a hint of sleepiness in her eyes. A softness around the edges.
"You're welcome. Shall we get going?"
They descended from the trees.
Elise moved more slowly than yesterday. Her usual grace was hampered by fatigue. Her footing was less sure. Twice, she paused on a branch, blinking hard as if fighting back dizziness.
Hyoren watched her with concern. He kept glancing over his shoulder as they climbed down. Making sure she didn't slip. Ready to catch her if she fell.
She noticed his attention but didn't comment.
They reached the ground with soft thuds. The forest floor was damp with morning dew. The air was cool and fresh.
Elise set her bag and gear down. She stood there for a moment, swaying slightly. Then she walked toward the small pond nearby.
"Give me a few minutes to wash my face…" her voice was flat with hint of exhaustion.
"Take your time."
Hyoren watched her crouch by the water's edge. She cupped the cool liquid in her hands and splashed it against her face. Again and again. She ran wet fingers through her hair, smoothing the remaining tangles.
He stood guard. His eyes scanned the treeline. His ears listened for any sound out of place. The forest was quiet in the early morning. Nothing dangerous.
When Elise finally returned, her expression had changed. The sleepiness was gone. In its place was the stern, cautious ranger he'd met the day before. Sharp-eyed. Alert. Ready.
"Sorry, Hyoren. I'm not used to sleeping on top of trees. And I usually have means to sleep restfully and safely, even in the middle of a dangerous forest."
A pause.
"So last night... I couldn't enter sleep before dawn almost broke."
Hyoren understood.
So she really was still wary of me. She couldn't sleep the whole night because she hasn't trusted me yet.
A thought formed. He suspected her problem was because of him. He reassured her and he keeping his voice casual.
"It's fine, Elise. And give me a few moments to wash my face too."
She nodded and took position as guard.
Hyoren walked to the pond. He crouched at the water's edge and looked at his reflection—a wild man stared back at him.
His hair was tangled and unkempt. His face was smudged with dirt and dried blood. The rabbit-leather clothing he'd crafted was worn and stained. He looked like someone who'd spent thirty-eight days alone in a forest.
Because he was forced to.
He cupped water in his hands and splashed it across his face. The coolness was refreshing. It washed away the grime and the sleepiness. He scrubbed at the dried blood on his arms. Ran wet fingers through his hair, trying to tame the wildness.
She mention barrier and sleep safely. How we can actually sleep safely in this dangerous forest. I think that was just an excuse for her.
He thought about the night before. The sounds of her shifting. The rustling. The snoring that had eventually come.
She couldn't sleep because she didn't trust me. And when she finally did sleep, she slept deep. Too deep. Because she was exhausted.
He finished washing and stood up and mumbled. Try to not to let Elise heard it.
“I need to get my grip. To earn her trust. So she doesn't need to be cautious of me. So she doesn't miss sleep because of me.”
His reflection looked slightly more presentable. Still wild. Still rough. But at least clean.
He returned to where Elise was waiting.
She stood with her bow in hand, her eyes scanning the forest. Her posture was alert. The tired ranger from earlier was gone.
They gathered their supplies. Slung their bags over their shoulders.
"Ready?" Elise asked.
Hyoren nodded.
"Let's go. And follow my lead like yesterday. Don’t fall off."
They began walking. Moving through the forest. Together.
***
Hyoren and Elise walked with a quick pace.
She led the way. Her steps were sure and confident. Always finding solid ground. Never stepping on branches or dry leaves. She ducked under low-hanging limbs and leaped over fallen logs with an ease.
He followed her lead. Mimicking her movements. Stepping where she stepped. His Forest Walker skill guided him. But even with the skill, he had to focus. Her pace was quick. A moment's distraction and he would fall behind.
He noticed something else. She never glanced back at him anymore.
Yesterday, she'd checked on him constantly. Every few minutes, her eyes would drift over her shoulder. Making sure he was keeping up. Making sure he hadn't fallen behind. Making sure he wasn't a burden.
But today, she walked forward without looking back. She trusted him to keep up.
They encountered a few goblin patrols and the fight was brief. They stood among littered corpses after their third fight this morning.
He looked at Elise. She was extracting magic stones from the bodies. Her movements were practiced.
"Elise."
He wiped his spear on a goblin's loincloth.
"The frequency of meeting goblins seems reduced."
He gestured at the corpses around them.
"And we rarely encounter patrols with more than five goblins."
Elise stood up. She wiped her hands on the grass. She scanned the surrounding forest. Her ears twitched. Her eyes moved through the trees.
"You're right."
She tucked the magic stones into her pouch.
"And their crude camps are also starting to get sparse."
She slung her bow over her shoulder. Adjusted her bag. A hint of relief entered her voice.
"This is good. This means we're almost out of their territory."
Hyoren picked up his bag and gripped his spear.
When he looked up, Elise was already walking. She didn't wait for him. Didn't check if he was ready.
She simply moved forward. But she called over her shoulder.
"Don't get complacent though, Hyoren."
Her voice carried back through the trees.
"We're still not truly free from danger."
Hyoren nodded. She couldn't see him. But he nodded anyway.
He gripped his spear tighter and followed her lead. The forest stretched ahead. The goblin territory was thinning. The patrols were fewer. The crude camps were disappearing.
But danger still lingered in the shadows.
***
Hyoren looked up, the dual suns were reaching their zenith. He shielded his eyes with his hand. Wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
For the past few hours, they hadn't encountered any goblin patrols
Elise walked ahead of him. Her stride had relaxed slightly. Her shoulder had dropped a bit. The tension was almost gone from her. She was still alert and watching her surroundings, but her alertness had dropped a few levels.
She slowed down. Her eyes scanned the surrounding trees. Her ears twitched, listening. Then she turned to face Hyoren.
"We've already exited the Goblin King's influence, it seems. The ecosystem is changing. We can relax a bit."
She adjusted her quiver.
"Small goblin patrols or their foragers are still everywhere in the forest. But out here, they'll only be in groups of two or three. Not the organized patrols we saw before."
Hyoren nodded.
"That's good, Elise. I'm glad."
He took a deep breath. Enjoying the fresh air of the forest.
"I was starting to get sick of seeing goblins. And smelling their musk and dumps."
Elise smiled—it was small and brief—but genuine.
"Me too. Let's keep moving. We still have ground to cover."
Then she turned back and began walking again. Her pace was steady but no longer rushed.
The forest shifted around them. Instead of goblin smell and snarl. There were horned rabbits there and there.
“So many Horned Rabbit around here huh…”
Elise’s ears twitched, hearing Hyoren mutter. She kept walking and facing front while answering him.
“Hmm? Oh…. Yeah. They should appear more often from now on. There is no goblin to eat them here.”
She continued her lead.
“That’s good though. Easy fresh food for us.”
Hyoren smiled. But then notice something. When he had traveled alone, they'd been aggressive. But now, they ran. They seemed to know there’s veteran elven ranger here. Or because there is two of them. But they seems to know attacking them is fool’s errand.
The Mossback Squirrels were different. They chattered in the branches overhead. They paid no attention to two of them. The squirrels cared only about their moss-berries.
Their eyes occasionally flicked toward Hyoren and Elise, but without fear. Just idle curiosity.
"They really only care about the berries," he murmured.
Elise glanced back.
"Yeah… Mossback Squirrels only care about their food. "
Hyoren nodded. And continued following Elise’s lead.
***
While following Elise’s lead, Hyoren observed the squirrels perching on a moss-berry bush. One of them nibbled contentedly, its cheeks bulging. Another seemed to argue over a particularly large fruit.
The forest started to change. The ironwood trees around them began to thin. The underbrush grew less dense.
Elise turned around without stopping. She walked backwards, her eyes on him. She seemed to be contemplating something. Then she leaned forward slightly.
"Okay, Hyoren..."
She spoke while maintaining her backward pace.
"I've decided. Your knowledge is jumbled. And I've noticed your eyes seem to have a lot of questions."
She continued walking backwards. She sidestepped a protruding root. Ducking under a low branch. All without looking.
"I'll answer any questions you have regarding this world."
The words caught in Hyoren's throat.
He looked at her—really looked at her. The sincerity in her face. She was offering something he hadn't realized he needed. His tense shoulders dropped.
For the past thirty-eight days, he'd been holding his breath. The cave had provided shelter, but not safety. Every moment had been spent in vigilance. Every sound could be a threat. Every shadow could hide a monster.
And now, in this moment of relative peace, he had someone willing to help him understand.
"Elise… Are you sure? I might ask a lot of questions. A lot. There are so many things that have bugged my mind since I got thrown into this world."
She smiled—it was a small smile—but it transformed her face. The wary and alert ranger softened.
She sidestepped another tree without looking.
“Ask away. I know as Spirited Away, you would be clueless. I will become your teacher while we walk. Consider this as part of thanks for saving me.”
Hyoren felt something moved in his heart—gratitude and relief.
“Maybe I should ask the very basic. What is this world called? I know this forest is called Forest of no Return. But I want to know more, the knowledge beyond this forest.
Elise chuckled softly.
She turned forward again, leading him through the trees. She adjusted the strap of her quiver as she walked.
“Basic. Right. Firstly Hyoren, this world is called Kresneger.”
The name felt alien on Hyoren’s tongue, heavy with unknown words.
“Kresneger…. So this world is called Kresneger. Finally, I know the name of this world… The world which going to become my world from now on.”
The thought settled heavily on him. This was his world now. Not Earth—but Kresneger.
He swung his steel-tipped spear through a particularly stubborn hanging vine, clearing the path ahead for Elise. The blade sliced through cleanly.
"Thank you."
She stepped through the opening he'd created.
"And look up…." she gestured toward the sky.
"The dual suns above? The golden one is called Sol. And the silver one? Luna."
The two suns hung in the sky. Sol blazed golden and hot. Luna shone silver and bright, but warm.
"And then, when the night comes, there will be three moons. They're called Crimson, Azure, and Ebony."
Three moons. He'd seen them during his nights in the forest, but he hadn't known their names.
“The three moon will be always there during the night, Hyoren.”
Hyoren look back to Elise.
“And the suns? They change?"
Elise leaped over a fallen log without breaking stride. She glanced at him over her shoulder.
"The suns up there will be different based on the season. When both of them are in the sky, it's either spring or autumn. When only Sol is there, it's summer. Sol's size will also be bigger then."
He'd noticed the dual suns since his first day. He'd noticed the difference in their heat. But he hadn't realized the connection to the seasons.
"And Luna marks winter, Elise? Is it because Luna's silver light is only bright and warm? And Sol creates summer because its golden light is hot?"
He'd already sensed the difference. Sol's rays felt hot on his skin. Luna's rays while bright, felt warm. But in those first desperate days, he hadn't had the luxury to wonder why.
Elise turned around briefly and gave him a thumbs up.
"That's correct! I don't understand the how myself. Scholars might be able to answer you if you're curious. But that's the gist."
Hyoren smiled at Elise. He would accept the fact for now. His curious nature wanted to dig deeper, to understand the mechanics. But his logical side knew there were more important things to chase.
“Next, we are in the Kingdom of Altaria. A Human Kingdom. Specifically Baron Akela territory. The closest town, the one where we going, is Frontier City Akela. My base operations.”
Kingdom of Altaria. Baron Akela.
The names of nations and nobles. Information that might be important later. But he had another question which are more important now.
"Frontier City Akela. Our destination."
He stepped over a root.
"So there's an Adventurer's Guild there?"
The question had been nagging at him since she'd first mentioned her quest. The Adventurer's Guild. A staple of every fantasy story he'd ever read. A fantasy trope.
There was another reason too.
Becoming an adventurer might be his only path forward. His medical knowledge was half-baked—unfinished studies. He didn't even know if human anatomy here was the same as on Earth.
He needed a way to survive and to earn money.
Hearing his question, Elise stopped and held her chin, thinking.
"Yes, Hyoren."
She looked back at him.
"You want to become an adventurer like me?"
He nodded sincerely.
"Okay. I will help you with that later."
She started walking again and she drew her sword and used it to part the thick bush ahead of her. Creating a path through the undergrowth.
"Thank you, Elise..." he murmured.
His words didn't reach her ears. She was busy fighting through the bush. But he didn't mind.
He stepped forward and helped her clear the branches. His spear worked alongside her sword, cutting through the foliage. Together, they carved a path through the forest.
***
The stubborn underbrush finally parted.
Beyond the tangle of branches and vines, a clearing opened up. A sprawling moss-berry bush dominated the space, its branches heavy with red colored berries.
And the bush was alive with movement. Dozens of Mossback Squirrels chittered and scrambled over the branches. They chased each other in circles.
Hyoren paused at the edge of the clearing. He'd never seen so many in one place. A handful, maybe. But not this many.
Elise stopped beside him. Her eyes scanned the bush. Then she turned to him.
"So Hyoren…."
She tilted her head.
"Squirrel or rabbit?"
His head turned in heartbeat.
“Huh!?”
Her question caught him off guard.
"Our dinner, Hyoren. There are a lot of Mossback Squirrels here. Taking one or two as our dinner will be easy…. Or do you prefer horned rabbit meat?"
"Oh… So that's what you mean, Elise."
He thought about it for a moment.
"Right. We should save our preserved meat and get fresh food whenever we can… I'll leave it to you. I'm fine with whatever."
Elise licked her lips and then unslung her bow from her shoulder.
"I always prefer squirrel meat…. Rabbit is too gamey and rich for me. Squirrel meat is lean. Not too much fat. Perfect."
Hyoren watched as she nocked an arrow to her bowstring.
The squirrels continued their chittering. Oblivious.
Elise drew the bowstring back. Her eyes found her targets—two squirrels perched on a nearby low branch of tree.
She released. The arrow flew—and another one.
Two squirrels dropped from the branch. Elise lowered her bow.
Hyoren walked to where the squirrels had fallen. He picked up the two carcasses. He tied them to his bag, securing them for later dissection.
When he returned, Elise was watching the bush with narrowed eyes.
"Remember... Don't touch the moss-berries."
She pointed at the hundreds of squirrels still lurking in the branches.
"Those hundreds of squirrels will hound you and kill you slowly… And I won't help."
Hyoren shuddered.
The memory flashed through his mind. His first week in the forest. The mistake of grabbing a handful of red berries.
The chase. Multiple squirrels pouring from the trees and bush. Their peaceful nature became very aggresive. The sting of their small claws. The sharp pain of shallow bites.
"Please stop joking. It's not funny. It really happened to me back then, before I knew they were so territorial."
He rubbed his arm unconsciously.
"The number wasn't as high as these. But it still gave me a lot of problems running away from them."
Elise paused—then she laughed.
"Hahaha!"
She pressed a hand to her chest.
"Somehow I can imagine you getting chased by so many squirrels, Hyoren. Running through the forest and screaming."
She laughed harder.
"Hahaha! The image in my head!"
Hyoren's face grew warm. He scowled at her, but she was too busy laughing to notice.
"Can we just go? Please?"
Elise tried to compose herself. She pressed her lips together. But another snort escaped.
"Sorry. Sorry. It's just... your face when you remembered."
She took a breath. Steadied herself.
"Alright. Alright. Let's go."
But even as she turned to resume walking, he could see her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
Hyoren sighed. He adjusted the squirrels on his back and followed her.