- The agreement was sealed with a shared glance, a silent pact between Rosita and me. As we settled into the sturdy, if somewhat spartan, confines of our new house, a thoughtful hum escaped Rosita's lips.
- "You know," she began, her gaze drifting towards the verdant expanse beyond the window, "I've been thinking about the sheer scale of work involved in making this truly a home. Perhaps… perhaps we could find others to share the burden, and in doing so, offer them something too?"
- I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Others? Where would we even begin to look?"
- A faint smile touched her lips, holding a hint of the wisdom I was only just beginning to appreciate in her. "This forest," she gestured, encompassing the sprawling wilderness, "is vast. And within its depths, I've heard whispers, tales of people who, for whatever reason, have lost their way, or perhaps never had a place to truly call their own. If we offer them a sanctuary, a place to belong, we not only gain helping hands but also offer them a new beginning. It's a win-win, don't you think?" Her words resonated with a simple, profound truth. The idea of building a community, not just a house, was far more appealing.
- "Indeed," I mused, the possibilities unfurling in my mind.
- "More people would certainly lighten the load, and the thought of offering refuge… that's a noble pursuit. But where do we find these people in need of a home?" My knowledge of the forest's hidden inhabitants was, admittedly, limited.
- "Leave that to me," Rosita said, her eyes gleaming with a familiar resolve. "I know a few old paths, places where the wind carries more than just leaves. But first," she added, a mischievous glint in her eye, "we need to get there."
- With a nod, I channelled my magic, and activated flying skill, the familiar tingle of arcane energy gathering at my fingertips. A swirl of shimmering light enveloped Rosita and me, and with a gentle hum, we lifted into the air, soaring above the dense canopy. The world unfurled beneath us – a tapestry of greens and browns, occasionally punctuated by the silver ribbon of a distant river. Our search had begun.
- After what felt like hours of silent observation, Rosita suddenly pointed downwards, her voice urgent. "There! Below us, a village. I remember hearing tales of it, but... it looks different."
- As we descended, a chill snaked down my spine. The village below was not merely different; it was devastated. Buildings lay in splintered ruins, their thatched roofs torn away like fragile paper. Signs of struggle were etched into every scorched surface. "Rosita," I murmured, my voice low, "what happened here?"
- Her expression was grim. "About a week ago, while I was venturing deeper into the forest, I encountered a lone survivor. They spoke of a monstrous attack, something utterly destructive. I didn't have time to investigate then, but I vowed to return."
- Landing softly on the edge of the desolation, a hush fell over us. The air was heavy with the lingering scent of ash and decay. We began our careful search, our eyes scanning every shadow, every overturned cart, every pile of rubble, desperately hoping for a sign of life. And then, we found them.
- Not what we expected, not the weary, defeated humans we had anticipated. Hidden amongst the wreckage, huddled together, were beings of immense stature and formidable physique. They were not human, but something… more. Orges. Their skin was a mottled green-grey, their muscles rippled beneath their rough hides, and their height dwarfed even my considerable frame. Yet, their eyes, though wary, held a flicker of something akin to despair, not malice.
- Hesitantly, I stepped forward, my voice resonating with an echo of calm amidst the unsettling scene. "We are people who live in this forest," I announced, my words echoing slightly in the silent destruction. "We came here to help. And to offer you a place to stay."
- The eyes of the Orges, once fixed on us with cautious suspicion, now widened, a flicker of something new – hope – beginning to stir in their depths. The first step in building our new community, in offering a true sanctuary, had just been taken, in the most unexpected of places. The forest, it seemed, had even more stories to tell, and more lives to intertwine, than we could have ever imagined.
- Before their arrival We constructed new houses for them to live in and upon their return to their new settlement and showed them the place their profound gratitude spurred us to continue our quest.
- After some days of searching we once again encountered a new settlement that was attacked by monsters and had some survivors but this time they were dwarfs.
- We talked to them and told them our purpose and giving them a new place they can call home, then after some agreement we welcomed them to their new home with the ogres before.
- In the next week we once again continued our quest to find people in the forest, After some time of searching we found a village that was being attacked by bandits.
- After we immediately saw them I unsheathed my sword and started to attack them and save the village, The bandits were around 40 so I killed them fast so they wouldn't use any hostages to survive.
- After I killed all of the bandits I went to the survived people, This time the people of the village were humans and elves for some unknown reason.
- Once again we told them our goal to give people a new home to live in but they hesitated because of the trauma but Rosita, demonstrating true nobility in her actions and words, eventually persuaded them to accept their new beginning.
- We came back home with the new members and gave them their new houses, Our once private place became a prosperous home for new people and different races united, now a beacon of hope and a testament to the power of acceptance.