The Old Man

Chapter 24

I remained silent, waiting anxiously for what the old man would say. He looked at me with scrutinizing eyes, trying to reconcile my suspicious appearance with my young voice and child's body.

I didn't like the way he looked at me. I didn't mind looking at my beautiful body in the past, but it seemed strange to have an old man looking at me now that I had this small body.

The old man said in a trembling voice:

"Who... who are you? And how... how did your body become like this?"

I sighed and said slowly:

"I don't know exactly. I woke up in the forest a while ago... My body is like this... My body... My head... My body is strange to my head. "

The old man shook his head slowly:

"This... This can't be real. I've never seen anything like this in my long life."

I said:

"Believe me, I wish it were different. Now I need help, at least for a few days until I get my body back."

The old man looked into my eyes and saw sincerity and indescribable pain. The fear in his eyes gradually turned to caution and curiosity.

The old man said in a less harsh voice:

"Why did you come to my hut?"

I said:

"I saw the smoke... I was hoping... for help. I'm lost and hungry."

The old man remained hesitant, but his humanity overcame his initial fear. Didn't that make him a fool? I mean, what if I was really a demon and wanted to kill him?

The old man said,

"Wait here."

The old man moved slowly and cautiously toward the hut, searching for something. He returned moments later with a piece of stale bread and a small bowl of water.

The old man held out the food and water cautiously:

"Take this. But don't try to approach me suddenly."

I looked at the food and water with grateful eyes. I took them slowly and ate greedily while the old man watched me closely.

While eating, I noticed him looking in a certain direction. I raised my head to look at him sarcastically:

"Get those fantasies out of your head, old man. I don't like men."

The old man coughed and turned his face away:

"I'm not thinking what you think I'm thinking."

"Of course, of course."

The old man's fear of me subsided after he saw that I was calm by nature, and I noticed a change in his demeanor and aura. From fear and caution to intense curiosity and excitement.

After I ate a little, I thanked him and wanted to rest inside the hut, but of course, he started asking what had happened.

The old man said:

"How did you get here? Do you remember anything?"

I said, shaking my head sadly:

"Nothing. Just vague images... and faces I don't recognize."

This was a lie, of course. Should I tell him that my guard killed me out of revenge and I couldn't resist her? What would he say about me? A man who can't defeat a woman? No way.

The old man said,

"Where were you trying to go?"

I said sadly,

"I don't know... I was just walking aimlessly."

The old man thought deeply and said,

"I see a strange power in you, boy... a power and vitality... It's not normal. I've lived in this forest for a long time and seen strange things... but I've never seen anyone like you."

I said in surprise:

"Strength and vitality? I wish it were weaker."

The old man was surprised:

"Some men wish for strength like yours, and you don't want it?"

I said quietly:

"It prevents me from achieving my goal. All I want is peace and quiet. If you allow me to stay here for a few days, I will recover and leave."

The old man said quietly, narrowing his eyes:

"Perhaps I can help you... You can stay."

I looked at him expectantly:

"In return?"

The old man said:

"There is something I want from deep in this forest. I need your help. Your strange power... it may be the key to getting it."

I said sarcastically:

"And this is the body of someone who can help you?"

The old man said:

"Didn't you say you'd recover in a few days? Stay here and when you recover, we'll go together."

I said to him:

"All right, I agree."

I was silent for a moment, then thought about where I was. Where had the river carried me while I was unconscious?

I asked him,

"By the way, where are we?"

The old man said,

"We are in the village of Milar, near the capital of the Kingdom of Krothia."

I was surprised and stood up quickly and shouted,

"What? The Kingdom of Krothia? Damn it!"

I was shocked to hear where I was. I didn't expect the river to carry me away from the Kingdom of Grothia and take me to the Kingdom of Krothia.

I was sad that I would miss the wedding of my beloved Cleara, who was dear to my heart, even more than my current situation. After all, I had to bless her marriage, didn't I?

I thought of Ferma and her strange power, a power that made me lose consciousness for days and allowed my body to recover slowly like this. Although I had never experienced having a large part of my body cut off before, such as my head, from my previous experiences of cutting off my arm and finger, I noticed that they regenerated at a reasonable speed.