Chapter 2

I came around a corner after probably three hours of walking.The air's scent changed.I could smell a variety of grasses and shrubs, as well as the scent of trees.There appears to be a gap in the road.At least this gave me some comfort.I might be able to locate myself and get my bearings with the sky.That'd be helpful.However, rather than accelerating, I slightly slowed down.Other than my breathing and footsteps, I paid more attention to the sounds around me.This horde might be at the opening, I have no idea.To stumble in the middle of that mess would be completely pointless.I could make out some faint moonlight after a while.at night.Better still!That means I could look up at the stars and try to figure out where I am.I looked around as I crept up to the opening.The only thing that greeted me was a road that led from the tunnel mouth and was lined with trees and grass, which surprised me a little.I could see that there was a way to turn right or left about half a mile down this road.I came to this decision while cautiously continuing my walk forward.I noticed that the mass of footprints went to the right when I looked close to the road.I glanced up into the sky.The stars and the position of the moon pointed roughly east to the right.Stalvinport was located to the northwest, according to the map.It would appear that turning left would take you to the port.That, however, solidified my decision.I made the choice to turn left.

Okay, I kind of figured out where I was now.But who was I? As I walked down the street, I tried to get any memories out of my battered brain by jogging it.However, the pain got worse the more I tried.Okay, I see now.Don't dwell on the past.Anyone can experience that from blunt force trauma.Boy, a person's physical body can sometimes play cruel tricks on them.However, our minds are even worse.What if I was a killer?Since I would have been bound when I awoke, that wouldn't make much sense.It's possible that I was a strong man's dwarf or wrestler.That is an option.I may have been a farmer.Or perhaps a miner?

"Cease it;You are going to become insane!My thoughts came to a halt when I actually slapped myself.This was beneficial.Be that as it may, I didn't count with my own solidarity, as I hit myself sufficiently hard to have the welt on the rear of my head pulsate once more. "Bravo, dumbass!I picked up a second bottle of beer and drank it more slowly.My head started to feel less and less painful over time.Well, Dumbass the Freak could always be my nickname.I go back to the bastard sword to give you an idea of why I call myself a freak.The hilt of this sword, which is longer and wider than a long sword, typically measures five feet.The end of the hilt reached the middle of my neck if I were to put the sword's point down and measure with it.This indicates that I was a giant among dwarves, standing at least five and a half feet tall.Dwarves typically stand between four and five feet tall.I was well in excess of a foot above that.

I have to be called something, right?Even though dumbass is funny, I don't think it would be very popular with me.In times like these, I hold to the simple philosophy.The ideal thing would be something straightforward and simple to recall.I chose Canutt after a moment.Canutt was dwarfish for a thing that was so big and wide.It won't be until then, at least, that my memory returns.

What if my memories don't come back?As I moved down the road, I felt a little shaken.I want my memory back, no matter what my past was or is.Until you lose it, few people would ever think that memory is important.I suppose that's the case for all of us.We always wish we could get our lost arm or leg back.Even if we are left without an arm or leg, we can all manage, but we should all have the desire to be whole again.I felt that way as well.I long to be whole once more.I didn't care about my past at that point.I have a question.

I was thrown out of my thoughts at once by a loud crash coming from above.The road has been gradually going up.The horizon dips about a quarter of a mile further on.As a result, the road descends from there.Additionally, the large crash originated in the distance.My speed increased to a jog due to curiosity and the fact that the desired direction is in the distance.I stopped at the top of the road and stopped to look at the landscape in the moonlight.I hear a large bird struggling in the upper branches of a very large tree squawking some distance away.Its struggles become less violent as it approaches this tree, but its squawking becomes much louder.Finally, I survey the situation from the tree's base.

It's not a big bird.A bird, but not quite.It had a much larger body.It has the head and two front claws of a hawk, but its body was more like a horse, with hooves in the back and hooves on its hind legs.Lisa, a hipposWhat was Lisa the hippo doing here?Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, how on earth did I know what a hippoLisa was?I continue to examine the creature while shaking my head.I could smell blood at forty feet deep in the tree.This indicates that it got into some sort of fight.When it crashed into the tree, its body was also entangled in the branches.That's great; at this rate, this enormous beast will soon draw attention.I begin my climb up the tree after devising a strategy.

I devised a strategy, but I never claimed that it was successful.The only thing on my mind was to free the beast so that it wouldn't make any more noise.On this moonlit night, I didn't want any unpleasant sights.The only difference is that this hippoLisa thought I was one of its unsavory visiCanutts, so it probably thought the same thing.Ow!”I hit my head on the back of the head as I fell backwards on the ground, straight on my back.As soon as the hoof struck me squarely in the forehead, my head was on fire from the welt on the back.

Ow! "Son of a bitch!"I gave this some thought for a while.Why don't I just hang the hippoLisa from the tree?I could get away without being discovered in a matter of minutes.That is not you, sir.'Huh?It's great; I was hit so hard that I'm now hearing voices in my head.Wait, are you saying it's not me?It doesn't fit your style.Is this a lecture I'm giving to myself?This evening just keeps getting better.

"OK, then!"I begin ascending the tree once more.I am, however, on the opposing side this time.I want to avoid those claws and hooves.I already have enough wounds from this night to show for it.My idea of a good time is not to be pelted again in the head or to have my chest cracked open by those enormous claws.Finally, I ascend above the hippoLisa and descend to look down.It appears to have suffered a broken left wing because a portion of it is bent at nearly 178 degrees.Well, this creature's squawking is not my fault.I can only imagine my own arm being caught in the branches and twisted at that angle.

"Easy guy.You won't be hurt by me.I will attempt to rescue you from this situation.It stopped thrashing and tilted its head to the side as it looked up at me.That's correct, gentlemen."Preparing for that beak's attack, I lowered myself to its level.However, strangely, this hippoLisa remained stationary.Can it comprehend me?Or, at the very least, do you comprehend my purpose?I gently cut off the branches that were holding its broken wing as I moved slowly toward it.The hippoLisa tried to move both of its wings, but when it moved the left one, it squawked softly.a scream of agony.I grasp it.It acknowledges its predicament.I maneuver the beast's hindquarters up on the stronger branches by moving underneath it.At least it is standing in the tree there.But now there's a new problem.The drop to the ground is forty feet.How on earth am I going to bring this enormous flying hawk horse to a stop?

It's likely that the hippoLisa could read minds.It swung around, jumped, clamped its large beak onto a larger branch, dropped a lot more, clamped its beak on another large branch, and finally dropped ten feet to the ground.It is surprisingly agile for a horse-sized creature.It began examining the damaged wing after shaking its head.

I worked up my way down.It is always a pleasant sensation to feel the earth beneath my feet.I got close to Lisa, the hippo.It was looking over me while it stopped looking at the wing.A few feet in front of it, I came to a stop.Amazingly, it slightly lowered its head.I reached out and gently rubbed its feathers as I walked the final few steps.In fact, the hippoLisa began to cry out.A beast that, if you can call it that, weighs more than a quarter of a ton is cooing.I gently placed my hand over the wing's twisted portion as I slowly turned it to the left.Yes, it was defective.My friend, we have to get this fixed.You won't be able to fly again if you don't.I took my hatchet and cut off a few saplings.I started putting together a crude wooden cast after grabbing some rope from one of the sacks.The most difficult part of this mishap is now complete—putting the wing in place.I didn't want to feel those talons tearing me apart or the beak impaling my body, so it's not something I really enjoy.Lisa will suffer greatly as a result.It is going to really hurt.However, if we do not take this action, you may never fly again.I sincerely hope you can comprehend me.I took a deep breath, put my hands on each side of the wing, gave it a little test, and then quickly turned the wing around.

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