The hope that a bit of wandering would bring back any of his memories was slowly dying. Somewhere along the way, Blank was becoming far more comfortable with the reality that his memories were lost to the winds. The constant talk of a game and being trapped was on the tongues of every person in the Town of Origins. But he couldn't express the same sentiments that they may have had. Being trapped in a video game but feeling everything as though it was reality, maybe they were mistaken.

At least that is what he told himself. But for a group of people to be mistaken about the same idea seemed far too unlikely. Instead of shouldering the thought of his own ignorance, he took to wandering about and exploring the world he was in. 

Gargantua. 

Faywood.

The words were written on parchment that he bought from a vendor. If he so easily forgot about his entire life and even himself, it'd be best to record things so that it wouldn't happen again. The price of the parchment and ink was high and left him without money for an inn or even food to eat. Taking quests was something that the others in town talked about to supply their endeavors, so he decided to do the same. 

That may have been what led him to the Faywoods, among the bones of the fallen and beautiful greenery. It was too beautiful for words. A little smile formed as he felt sunlight on his skin and wind brushing through his hair. This felt nice, tranquil and se-

A person's laughter and words knocked him from his reverie and he turned his head, noticing a familiar pair of animal-like ears.

"Excuse me," he said. "But what's BokuMono?"

@zephyrus

It hadn't occurred to him until the person turned around to look at him that it was the same person from the festival. Zephyrus, if he was remembering correctly. A little smile formed as he watched them excitedly talk about the forest surrounding them and the "farming simulator" that they enjoyed. He wasn't sure whether or not it was something that he was supposed to know or commonplace knowledge at that but it did seem interesting.

"I'm trying to find—"

The first words on his lips was 'myself' but he wouldn't dare say something like that. It would've made someone else think that he was crazy and that was something that he wasn't quite sure of yet. Instead of saying that, he simply shrugged and smiled despite the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

"—something to do."

He settled his hands in the pockets of his trousers as he tilted his head slightly. Beyond them was a barn and grazing animals, rolling fields of green. A beautiful sight. One that he wasn't quite sure would exist elsewhere in Gargantua.

"Were you headed there?"

@zephyrus 

The idea of living a peaceful life with just animals to look after and crops to water seemed nice. Though, he wasn't entirely sure that it was a practical one to live at all. Most people seemed far more interested in the day to day fighting which he wasn't a very big fan of but it wasn't that bad either. Blank could've sighed at his own indecisiveness but the thrill of being able to pursue his passions like this was more interesting than wallowing in his own ignorance. 

"You seem more excited about this than I could ever be," he said. "Is this what happens in your farming simulator?"

He'd have to ask later what a farming simulator entailed but if thinking about it made his partner happy, why not indulge in the idea? 

At the compliment over his size, Blank felt the tips of his ears burn as the blood rushed to his face. That was embarrassing. He rubbed the back of his neck and mustered a nervous laugh. He thought that the clothes he wore were baggy enough to hide his physique. It wasn't as though he was ashamed of himself or anything, it just seemed like second nature.

"If I handle the heavy lifting, you can show me how to take care of animals, right?" 

He lowered his hand, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You look like you'd have a way with animals."

With a little smile at the joke he made, he walked past his partner with a hum as he made his way down the dirt path towards the farm.

@zephyrus

The closer they came to the farmhouse, the more the anticipation of what lied in store for them drove him further. A little smile found purchase on his face as he took in the sounds of nature. There was a creek nearby probably teeming with fish and a few animals which scurried across their path. Everything seemed so vivid and bright, almost too real to be true. Like a scene out of a fantasy novel that he was baring witness to with his own eyes. 

A whimsical feeling overcame Blank and he could barely hear the words that his partner uttered. However, there were a few that breached his awe-stricken stupor. 

Avatar.

Natural.

Nyao.

Blank turned to address his partner and ask what they must've meant by their words only to be interrupted by the feeling of something soft brushing against his leg. It sent shivers up his spine and the blood rushing to his cheeks. He'd seen only a few cats during his travels but if he knew anything about animals, their most vulnerable spots were their most intimate as well.

To say that he wasn't embarrassed would be a lie unlike any other. Thankfully a chance of pace was given and his posture slackened.

"Yes, I was. Although I wasn't quite myself."

I'm still not myself in truth.

Blank's gaze met Zephyrus' and he found the color of their eyes were pretty. A warm amber and then an autumn brown, and if he stared too long then it would've made trouble. He ran his hand through his hair as he looked forward.

"My name is Blank," he replied. "It's nice to meet you again."

A loud whistle and the sound of clopping hooves caught Blank's attention as the pair were approached by a farmer perched on a horse carriage, waving to them enthusiastically.

@zephyrus

It hadn't occurred to him that even farm animals and a peaceful place like this would be under some form of attack. A frown settled on his face as he listened to the farmer's complaints. The rational part of his mind urged him to remember that they were in a forest. Monsters prowled these forests and other animals did as well. There would always be a possibility of attack even if they thought they were safe. The frown he wore dissipated as Zephyrus turned to speak to him again.

Their enthusiasm and eagerness to see the animals was endearing but he couldn't help but feel guilty at the prospect of abandoning or failing to save the cows. Looking to the farmer as he awaited their answer, Blank nodded.

"I am a fighter, more or less. If you can heal me then I can try and save the cows."

He looked to Zephyrus and raised his hand to pat the shorter player's head. A little smile formed as the "menu" appeared before the two of them.

"Don't worry, we'll get to see the animals and have a nice day after this is done."

His hand fell away and he walked forward after accepting the quest requirements. It would be a good idea to get there as quickly as possible. On one hand, he wanted to record the monsters that lived in the forest and on the other, the cows needed them. He wasn't going to break his promise to Zephyrus, not by a long shot.

@zephyrus

---

What monsters do you reckon they are?

I was going to say wild dogs. 

A little smile formed as Zephyrus caught up to him and the two walked side by side. Although their talk had been interrupted before, he was happy to know that the other regained their spirits even if it was by a little bit.

"My class is centered around defending, I suppose," he said. "I can use a variety of weapons to protect my teammates."

Looking back on it, he'd always followed a routine of defending and fighting. Making sure the others got away even while he was attacked. A part of him like it although the other part was mildly annoyed by it. At least, that's how it was at first. 

I wonder if the amount of battles I've been in before made me expect this kind of outcome.

He didn't like fighting but if it was necessary then he didn't mind engaging the enemy. But there was something about expecting things to escalate to a battle or brandishing his blade as an extension of himself that made him worry. Maybe he was becoming more violent as time went on.

But is that a bad thing?

A cow's distressed moo and a dog's snarling brought him back to reality as he looked up. There were several wild dogs surrounding a cow that was steadily trying to back up only to move forward once one of the wild dogs snapped at it's tail. The dogs' fur was matted in certain places while missing in others. They looked utterly filthy and rabid.

"I'll try to draw their attention away, lead the cow back to the others while I do."

Blank smiled at his partner over his shoulder before unsheathing his sword, walking closer to the fray. Invisible Air activated and the wind shifted towards him, the dogs turning from their initial target to observe him.

Here we go.

@zephyrus

---

Four wild dogs start attacking a cow as Zephyrus and Blank approach. However, they have taken notice of Blank due to Invisible Air. What will you do next?