Baeto

Chapter Seven

 I wake up, hot and sweaty, pressed against a tree, the burning sun beating against my body. In my tired state, I can only groan and roll over, laying in the cool dirt, shadowed just slightly by the tree. I couldn't have been sleeping for more than a few hours and my body craves to return to the sweet arms of Dormus.

I do my best to rub the exhaustion out of my eyes before standing up. I pull out the map from my bag and stand, preparing for the long journey ahead of me. I study it as the features move, each shift in the water and land appearing on the map. I can even see the vague structure of towns and cities.

After last night it's clear I don't have the supplies I need for this journey. I only have half a loaf of bread left and my headache reminds me that I don't even have a canteen of water. A village or town is my best bet for those. Maybe I can even swipe a couple of magic items to help me along the way. As much as I hate stealing a quest for the gods seems a worthy cause. 

I study the map further and quietly thank my father for everything he taught me.

My father was obsessed with travel. He dreamed of someday fleeing the tiny nation-state of Bona Terra with just our family and exploring the vast world beyond. He argued over this on multiple occasions with my mother, mostly when I was supposed to be asleep, her preferring the safety of our quiet little home on main street, and him, desperate for adventure the world provided. Eventually, my mother won and my father took to geography. He had an old map of the world we would often study together. He liked to teach me stories about how the diety Mons thrust mountains from Mattera, and how Mare would use the seas to push warm air towards the southern countries and drag heat away from the hottest places. He showed me where people had settled, explaining the rich history behind the land there, the creatures, fertility, and the resources they had an abundance of. He had towns marked

I'm thankful for all the lessons he had taught me, as I spot a place where I know a town with a decent population lies. It also lies right in the way of the fastest way towards Numina.

I direct my way east, ready to face the unrelenting sun.

As I walk the scenery around me seems to blur together, flowers, fields, a few villages. Hours pass before I look back down at the map. The town I had been heading towards is gone.

"Where in Numina did it go?" I say under my breath, confusion filling my core. The town should have been a days walk from the edge of the forest but now, it doesn't even appear on the map. I sit down on the grass, shading my face from the sun and ask again where the town went.

To my surprise a monotone voice responds, the sound circling my head rather than coming from a specific direction. "Clearly, Cado is no longer a town."

I whip my head around to find the source, taking in the view around me, I don't find anyone talking instead I discover that I'm painfully alone in the vast plains East of Bona Terra. Sighing, I shake off the voice I heard as my mind playing tricks on me and return to the map.

"I have directions to the nearest town if you hold something I wish to trade for." The voice is back, I whip my head around again, hoping to catch the person speaking. Once again I don't spot anything. Maybe they're using an invisibility spell?

My thoughts are interrupted again. "Hey, Girl. I'm down here." I look down, finally confident I've discovered the voice, I don't see the faerie I thought I would and I'm once again at a loss for what the voice could be. "The MAP! Gods, humans are dense these days."

I stare at the map, still confused. "What...? Who are you... Who's talking."

"Oh my GODS!" The mysterious voice is lathered in irritation now. "Just because I don't have Cartoon eyes and sing a song about my job doesn't mean I'm not a sentient map, and if you don't start treating me with respect I'll roll right up and hide in that bag of yours."