As I slowly opened my eyes, I felt the soft fabric on my body and the fully soft bed as I laid there.
I grounded in strain as I felt that my body was still tired.
Though I felt clean and refreshed. I didn't feel any pain anymore. Then I said out loud. Is a whisper
"Well I hope I didn't die, but if I did this place would be my heaven…"
Then I heard a loud bellowing laugh.
"Hahahah Cynth was right, you are a funny boy. But don't worry you're not dead. Even if you did die. I would have to bring you back. Cynth would never forgive me if I killed her savour."
I woke up from my grogginess immediately and sat up straight. Then said.
"It's an honour sir!"
The bear uncle was sitting in a rocking chair, near my bed looking at me intently. Then replied.
"Oh how so? Cyth said you lost your memories so then did you lie to her? Or if you didn't lie to her, or are you lying to me? How could it be an honor, if you know nothing about me?"
When he asked that question I started to sweat. I could feel that my next words might change my fate, if I choose to lie. So while trying to hide my embarrassment I told him the honest truth and said.
" You're strong sir, I respect your strength!"
There was a loud silence he just stared at me with an intense gaze like he was trying to see through me.
Then he smiled a wide smile that looked almost unnatural. Like when a demon tries smiling for the first time in a human's body.
The naturalness made me sweat even more. As the tension heightened. Then like a lie the bear laughed and said.
"Hahahhahahah, I like you boy I approve."
Then he gave me a light tap on my shoulder and I heard a snap. He broke my shoulder with that tap. I started to sweat some more fearing for my life.
If he tapped me again, I might become a flesh pancake.
The he started to look worried, trying to fix it he grabbed my arm and 'snap' my arm broke. He started to sweat just like me.
I started to scream.
"Ahhhhhhhhh please don't kill me, I'm innocent I didn't do anything please let me live!"
Then he covered my mouth and head crashed into the bed side wall. I kept trying to scream.
"Mhhhh, mhhhh, mhhhh!"
The bear said.
"Ssshhhh, don't scream, quite, please, if you scream I'll be in trouble."
Then we heard two sets of foot steps, and we both looked at the door that creaked open. I saw Cynthia all bright and happy with a clean race in a elegant, simple white floral dress, with different coloured flowers.
The mature woman that stepped out with her was also beautiful and breathtaking. Her hair fell down to her back, braided simply, but still held elegance. Her red was, red as a classic rose flower, and her dress was the same colour as her hair colour rose red. The style of her dress was the same as Cynthia's; they were most likely made by the same designer. They both were wearing cute, fluffy slippers indoors.
The women turned to the bear and said.
"Honey, didn't we agree that we were going to treat this boy as an honoured guest, and not like some kind of criminal to be tortured? Do my words mean nothing to you anymore? Do you still love me?"
The bear responsed with.
"I'm not torturing him on purpose. I promise he's just too weak to handle my strength and ended up this way I promise!"
As he said this Cynthia looked shocked. I scream with tears in my eyes.
"Mhhhhh, mmhhhhh, mhhhhhhhh!"
As I cry, Cynthia finally screams the magic words.
" Let him go! Uncle Gunther you're going to kill him!"
The bear man Gunther finally lets me go. I free fall from the wall straight into the bed. Twitching from all the pain. I huff and puff trying to calm down my breathing.
Cynthia quickly started shaking and pulling the mature woman's arm. Then says" Quickly, Aunt Rose please heal him."
The aunt, Rose, sat down on the bed and started chanting a spell. All I heard was whispering and then the word heal at the end.
I say I green-light flashed and entered my body. The pain after a few seconds subsided and I was back in one piece. As I sat up, I saw the bears left ear being pinched by his wife Rose and he was taking punches from his niece Cynthia. All he did was stand there and take all the punishment. With a weary smile. And sweat dripping from his face. He then laughs and says.
"Look my wife is so amazing, she healed him back to perfect health!"
With that statement both women turned to look at me with a sigh of relief. Cynthia bows her head to apologize. And the aunt follows her and bows as well. The bear didn't seem to get the memo and was pulled down by is wife by is hair. "Ouch" he said.
Cynthia says." I'm sorry I shouldn't have left you all alone with my uncle he's a bit of a brute and a little rough around the edges. I just wanted to freshen up a bit I didn't think he would have you pinned to the wall and break your shoulder and arm. I'm sorry."
The aunt follows her apology by saying. "Though he's rough and slow minded. He is a kind soul so I hope you can forgive him."
The bear says. "I just broke through yesterday, so I haven't learned to control my strength properly yet it's my mistake."
I wanted to accept the apology but for some reason their apologies seemed to feel like a threat. Or maybe I was mistaken. Just to be sure I lifted both my hands in surrender and said.
"It was okay and all is forgiven. It wasn't anything major to begin with, and since I'm all healed, let's just treat it as a character building exercise."
as I laugh nervously.
"Hahah…"
As they stood up straight they look at me in confusion as to why my hands were up in surrender.
Then I told them.
"Well just to be safe I'm showing you I'm harmless since I've known you sir Gunther for about 5 mins and been attacked twice. I didn't want it to happen a third time. So I'm keeping my hands up to make you feel safe, hahaha.."
All three of them laugh like it was a joke, but I was dead serious. So they invited me. To have dinner with them and I accepted. For dinner we were having wild caught roasted boar with creamy mashed potatoes, and for dessert was a mixed fruit sweet pie all prepared by a, A rank master Chief.
A chief was under the class of mage. Focused on the study of plants and foods to enhance flavor and attributes of the food. Thus making the consumer stronger and can be used for support for training and health care.
This was explained by Lady Rose as we dined at that event. The conversation at dinner was light and peaceful, lady rose and lord Gunther seemed like kind nobles. Nothing like the rotten nobles mentioned by Cynthia.
After dinner the lady invited both of us to study. So we could explain what happened. Lord Gunther was there as well but wasn't allowed to sit. It seems like he was still being punished by his wife. I guess you call him a whipped man. Who's controlled by his wife? But could you blame him? She was a gorgeous milf.
As we all three sat down and Gunther was still standing. Lady Rose said.
"Now you don't have to share anything, but if you do want to, then we're here to listen and we could even help. Just be sure to not lie since we do not like lying."
Lord Gunther made a grunt-like sound supporting Lady Rose's statement.
After looking at Cynthia and seeing she was still nervous. I decided I should open up first. So I told them everything.
How I seemed to forget my own name, how I ended up in the Deep Forest, how I met Krikos and how I saved Cynthia. Of course I white washed the story a bit and left out parts where I drowned Cynthia and beaten her with a stick for compliance.
But I never lied about anything. They seemed to have noticed, I left out some pieces to the story but they kept to their promise and never pushed for answers.
After I told my story and we all had a good laugh, the room seemed to get deadly serious. When it was Cynthia's turn.
Lord Gunther mana pressure seemed to have been released unconscious and Lady Rose had to pinch him to get him to stop.
As Cynthia took a deep breath to relax. She started talking.
"So basically I was checking out the goblin village request that was posted on the adventures Guild's bulletin board. Since I've done them many times before. I didn't see a need to create a party to help out on the request."
" I went alone scouting the village out for a few days to get a good estimate of their numbers. Which was about 80 or so. As I was making my way back to Smoke Town I was ambushed. I didn't see who or where they came from."
" All I knew was that I was knocked out and then I found myself injected with a high class anti-mana potion. When I woke up my clothes were torn apart and ripped the sheds left inside a goblin hut."
Lord Gunther pressure seems to spill it out again. This time Lady Rose was ready and gave him a quick pinch and twist. But when I looked into their eyes I saw blood lust building up. They were making me nervous. Even though I was angry about Cynthia's situation. I still had the fear of death breathing down my neck.
Then Cynthia took a deep breath and continued.
She said that since her father gave her a protection amulet it would send her father the image of the attacker if they tried to take her life. But they never tried themselves. They left the job to the goblins hoping them would torture her, break her mind then, end her.
Thus keeping their hands clean. But the problem with the situation is only close family members knew about the amulet protection and its image function. So this had to be an inside job. After that she said, she was saved by me and the rest was history. She thanked me again.
After a while the room was silent. Then Gunther smashed. The tea table into a pile of wooden debris.
The moment that happened, I raised my hands and said.
"I didn't do it, please don't hurt me."
Lady Rode smiled politely and said that they all knew. I couldn't have done it, since I didn't even have a mana core yet so I didn't need to worry.
Though her smile had a smile her eyes were red from anger not directed at me but they were still scared to be aimed at.
Cynthia just laughed at me. While pointing at my ridiculous appearance. All the wood particles moved blew to me, since everyone else had mana to protect themselves.
Lord Gunther apologized again and said.
Why don't you and the young lady head off to bed? It's getting late and you both deserve a long good rest from all you've been through. Of course Mr. Sage you and Cynthia would be sleeping in different bed or I'll break you into dust and debris like that wooden table.
I laughed awkwardly.
"Hahhasha….ahahaha. Yes sir lord sir."
"Good night Lord Gunther and Lady Rose."
Cynthia just laughed and said.
"Good night aunt and uncle."
Then proceeded to hug them and went to her bed room.
I didn't even look at her and went straight to my room. Then I noticed a clean set of clothes and a warm bath already drawn. I took a quick wash and changed my clothes, then headed off to bed. The day was too hectic. Mhh good night.
"ZZZzzzzzzz….."