INTEGER UNLIMITED

The morning was difficult, even if syrup topped pancakes made it go down just a bit easier. Leo had woken up to see the supplies he’d need packed, primarily consisting of a bed roll, clothes, and food. The breakfast with Koram was delicious, tastier than he expected, as Koram talked to him about the dangers of the desert.

“There aren’t a lot of monsters that grow in the desert, but lack of variety and numbers is made up for in strength,” explained Koram, “While I’m certain they still won’t be a challenge, holding back enough on them may make them worthwhile practice.”

“Alright, so what exactly will I face?” responded Leo.

“Well, the only threat you should give any mind to are the Sand Crawlers. They’re horribly ferocious and can grow to obscene sizes. Even if you’re strong, these things can destroy the ground you stand on and swallow you whole,” replied Koram.

“Will make sure to keep an eye out for the ground shaking,” said Leo.

Once they finished up breakfast, Koram washed the dishes while Leo mentally prepared for the journey ahead. This would be a long and arduous journey for Leo. While he could survive dangerous fights, that wouldn’t be a guarantee of his safety. There was the worry of losing his mind in the desert, or simply running out of food and water, and there wasn’t much to ease those worries.

While he could think of all the reasons possible to stay with his one friend, he had made his decision and knew that he’d have to stick to it. He put on his backpack, filled with survival essentials, as he and Koram walked to the edge of Irontree together.

“Do you really need to leave, Leo?” Koram asked, a deep sadness in his voice.

Koram had lost Buddy, and now would have Leo leave to possibly never return. While Leo may return safe one day, Koram didn’t want to be left all alone in Irontree.

Leo responded, “I do, Koram, this isn’t something I can ignore.”

The elf let out a sorrowful sigh, as he gave Leo a hug goodbye. Leo walked off with the sun guiding his way, leaving Irontree behind him.

The first step was the hardest, with every passing step it became easier to leave behind Irontree. Though despite that, leaving was one of the hardest things Leo has had to do throughout his life.

It didn’t take long for any traces of civilization to be left behind, as large trees populated with glistening fruit made a small grove for Leo to wander through. Remembering the basics of food taught to him by Koram, he knew these were safe to eat. With a bit of water to clear the skin of any dirt or debris, he bit into the juicy glamfruit.

The fruit tasted like a naturally occurring poptart to Leo’s basic tastes. The glamfruit also was extremely juicy, it was better to describe it as drinking it rather than eating it. The fruit was a nice snack to motivate Leo along the journey, as he grabbed a couple to keep in his backpack for spare food.

While he continued his walk, his eyes couldn’t help but notice a slight glimmer reflecting into his vision. He passed by a small pond, which he used to see his reflection, finding his appearance to be a ghastly sight. His mouth and lower face looked as if he was part disco ball, a bright shining array of silver spread across. Using the water to try and scrub it off didn’t seem to have much effect, as he tried to recall what exactly Koram told him about glamfruit.

This was when he remembered that while safe to eat, glamfruit juice dyed human tissue for hours to days after consumption. While opening his mouth, Leo saw that the interior had turned into the world’s worst night club.

“Wonderful start, I get to look like I’m from the 80s in the first hour of my journey,” remarked Leo.

He carried on, having dumped the rest of his glamfruit, deciding he really hated the appearance they gave him more than he hated possibly starving. While he carried on, looking at the odd flora that populated this world, he felt oddly at peace.

Going outside seemed to be more than just something kids at school would tease him about, it was actually beautiful to see what was out here. While part of the beauty is the fact that he has nothing to fear, and is also in a cool world where he finds glamfruit instead of pine trees, it still was beautiful to Leo.

While part of him was tempted to run through as fast as possible, he didn’t want to waste and destroy the beautiful sights along the way. He also wasn’t certain if his clothes and supplies would last too long if he pushed his limits while traveling, and he did need those to travel.

For now, he settled to just move with haste while trying to avoid any distractions. The shimmering chin of his now serves as a perfect reminder to avoid getting distracted for no reason. Though as is with most things, he immediately found a distraction on his path.

The clearing up ahead has a marble pedestal with a glimmering jewel sat upon it. Leo looked at it confused, certain this was either the world’s worst trap or the world’s best trap. While he certainly didn’t need jewels for this adventure, he did know every adventurer wants cool treasure.

Leo figured that if he just took the jewel, he could probably get through whatever trap was thrown his way. He walked up towards the pedestal and grabbed the jewel, as to his right he heard a large snap. Turning around he couldn’t quite process what he was about to be hit by, as he braced himself for impact.