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Chapter One: Dawn of a New Day

Koza wandered along a forest pathway not going anywhere in particular. Looking at his surroundings every now and then, all that could be seen were trees. Lots and lots of trees. The humid night air coupled with the silver glow from the moon gave the forest a particularly eerie feel. Just the way Koza liked it.

“Geez… a sea of trees. Not that I have anything against them, but come on! I’ve been going the same direction for the last few hours! You’d think I would’ve at least run into a clearing by now…” Koza thought to himself as he continued on his way. Stopping to rest, Koza leaned up against a tree and sat down. Staring up at the night sky, he remembered back on how things used to be. When Adrian was still alive… when he wasn’t all alone… Those were the days…

It didn’t matter anymore though. What’s done is done, and nothing can change it. He shook his head as if to shoo away the thoughts that clung to his mind like a fly to flypaper. He stared down at the ground for a time, and quietly whispered to himself,

“…Adrian…”

Soon after, he closed his eyes and was fast asleep.

Morning came around relatively quickly. Still asleep, Koza started to slowly slide off to the side of the tree he was leaning against. After a few seconds of sliding, he half opened his eyes, only to be greeted with a face full of dirt. Sitting up suddenly and spitting out stray chunks of mud, Koza looked around drowsily. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up stretched, and let out a long yawn.

“Sigh… what a night… I barely slept at all… But I guess that’s to be expected when you try to sleep against a tree,” he said to himself. Looking around at where he had spent the night, he started on his way once again.

“Lets hope this path actually leads somewhere, and I’m not just walking in circles…”
A few hours later, Koza came upon what appeared to be an exit point in the forest. Relieved that he had been going the right direction after all, he made his way towards the opening. The morning air was cool and slightly moist, the kind of weather that would make one expect a coming rain shower.

“Hm… gonna rain here in a little while, I can tell. Oh well, a little rain never hurt anybody. Probably should find some shelter though. Can’t be too careful.” He thought as he walked along.

“Ah, what the hell. I’m not afraid of a little rain.” He said half to himself, half to anything that might have been within earshot, which wasn’t much aside from a few birds and small rodents.

Exiting the forest, Koza was greeted with a large, open, grassy field that stretched and merged into the horizon with the reds and pinks of the sunrise, creating an almost abstract-art effect.

“Cool effects…” he thought as he gazed in wonder at the colors that seemed to meld together. A few minutes later, he shook his head and continued on his way. Where he was going, he didn’t know. Anywhere was better than where he had come from. At that moment, he felt a raindrop hit him on the head. He absent-mindedly looked up, and was greeted with another raindrop to the face. Looking back ahead and wiping away the drop of water, Koza continued on while awaiting the oncoming shower.

“Ah… much better…” Koza thought as the cool rain showered over him. Koza was never really one for hot weather. Even though the morning had been a cool one, the rain still felt good to him. The rain was making the ground below him softer and muddy, making it a little harder to walk. Koza didn’t mind, as he had faced far worse things than simply a little mud.

Halfway (or what Koza figured must have been halfway) across the field, a small town started to come into view way up ahead.

“Hm?” Koza squinted to get a better look through the rain. Wiping the water from his face, he continued on through the mud hole that was once the field.

“I didn’t know there was a town out here. Then again, I never did venture too far outside of home… ha.” He smiled slightly at the thought and picked up his pace. He wanted to see what it was like in other towns, to see other people, what it was like outside his hometown. Stopping at the entrance, he read the name on the gate to himself.

“Algrove Town? Never heard of it. Not surprising though.”

Koza made his way in through the gate to the town inside, not knowing what to expect.




Next chapter: Strange Days, Stranger Company