AN- So...this is my first Terraria fanfic, and I have only one thing left to say...which Asher will say.
Asher: Magma does not own Terraria. Any references to movies, games, products, TV shows, etc. are also not owned by Magma. Only Sarid belongs to Magma.
UPDATE: I've gone back and touched this up some, mainly resolving grammatical errors and some things that I felt needed more/better explanation, as well as some descriptions that needed editing. Enjoy!
The Stranger
Asher opened a door, breathing in the fresh air. He had been in the library all day, so it was nice to feel the breeze and sun on his face, people walking along the streets, chattering or carrying groceries, children playing.
"See you tomorrow!" The librarian called.
"Same to you!" Asher replied, he going down the steps, and onto the dirt streets, walking with the rest of the people. Stretching his legs felt good, too.
He liked working at the library, able to read in his spare time and quiet, but it was too quiet. He lived in this town all his life, and it had become a bit of a bore. They lived at the edge of the kingdom, never really hearing about anything unless it was at a major scale, and even then that rarely happened.
What am I to do? He wondered. He didn't have enough coin to move anywhere, so-
Silence.
People had stopped talking, and all heads were turned to look at one thing, which Asher took with surprise.
A man around sixteen perhaps was coming up the road to the town.
He wore the kingdom's blue uniform, but his tie was used to bandage a cut on his fore head, his coat and shirt used to bandage gashes on his side and leg, people able to see the blood coming through the cloth, he having only his black boots, blue pants, and white under shirt that was smeared with mud.
His muscled arms were scratched and bruised badly, he had a black eye swelled shut, and an arrow wound on his shoulder, forcing him to carry his pack in his hand, a tree limb assisting him in walking.
Everyone stood, silent and staring.
The sixteen-year-old came to the edge of town, where he stopped, looking at everyone with a blank, emotionless face.
"Doc...tor..." He wheezed.
"I'll take you there," Asher said, stepping forward. The stranger shuffled forward before falling to his uninjured leg, then to the ground all together.
"No!" Asher yelled, people finally moving. Asher and some others picked the stranger up, rushing up the streets to Doc's home, where he stood, wearing his medical coat.
"Oh my..." He said, seeing the stranger's wounds. "Get him inside! Get him inside!"
They did so, putting him in one of the patient rooms, then being shooed out by Doc, who went to work.
Later...
Doc sighed, cracking his neck and wiping his bloody hands on a towel. The stranger's wounds had been cleaned, treated, and bandaged with white cloth, the stranger asleep in the bed. He had defensive wounds, and the arrow wound had gone straight through his shoulder, and the gashes in his side and leg had caused heavy blood loss.
He was surprised the boy hadn't passed out sooner.
He also reeked of skunk weed. Doc would have to make sure the bed linens were changed, not just from the smell, but the boy was mud-covered to where Doc hadn't even know his hair was platinum blonde till he treated the wound on his forehead.
Another interesting thing: He was a girl.
She was small in the chest enough to pass for a man, and her features were neutral to also pass as a man.
No wonder they were so badly beat up. Women weren't allowed in the army. Either she was discovered, or she left.
It didn't matter. Doc wasn't telling a soul.
He removed his coat and put it into a laundry basket, taking his cane in hand and going out onto his front porch, where the town had gathered.
"Is he okay?!" Someone yelled.
"He'll be fine!" Doc said, everyone breathing out relief. "He's young and healthy, so he'll recover quickly."
Before any other questions could be asked, he went back into his home, shutting the door.
Young people these days, always so nosy... He thought, sitting in his rocker, warming his hands at the fire. Then leaning back, he closed his eyes and rocked, enjoying the quiet and the warmth of the fire.
"YOU TRAITOR!"
"TURN COAT!"
"Back-stabbing fiend!"
"You know the rules!"
"I'll find you! You know I will! I'll scour every inch of this country if I have to, just you watch! I'll get you!"
Sarid's bright blue eyes popped open, drawing a quick breath.
The bed she laid in was clean, and the room had the late afternoon, golden sun rays coming through a window. She could still smell the skunk weed on her from attempting to lose the hounds, and her side, leg, and shoulder throbbed with pain. Her under cloths were on her, she saw her backpack laying on a table in the room – a hospital?
Yes, yes...right before she blacked out...the people must have carried her.
Sarid winced as she sat up, getting out of the bed, all her weight on her good leg. Folded clothes also sat on the table, she pulling them on. Picking them up, she saw they were hospital clothes – a pair of white shorts and a baggy shirt, and they were difficult due to her shoulder injury, but she pushed through.
After that, she pulled her boots on, then hobbled to the door, opening it.
The room before her was plain and simple, few pictures hung on the walls, and there was an archway to a kitchen and more doors that must've lead to more hospital rooms. There were stairs going to an upper floor, and an elderly man sat in a rocking chair in front of the fire place.
His hair was white and a bit wavy, he wore a white dress shirt and dark red vest, black pants and his shoes were brown leather.
He turned his head to look at Sarid, showing spectacles in front of his green eyes and a dark teal tie tucked under his vest.
"Feeling better, girly?" He asked.
"..." Sarid said and felt nothing, no emotion on her face or in her eyes.
"Don't worry." He said, looking back at the fire. "I'm not tellin' a soul."
"..." Sarid still said nothing.
"Come, come." He waved, Sarid hobbling over, and lowing herself into a chair in front of the fire place. "Name's Doc. As you can guess, I'm the doctor in this village."
"..." Sarid still said nothing. "...Thank you for your hospitality."
"You're welcome." Doc told him. "What's your name, girly?"
"My name is Sarid." She told him.
"Sarid...That's a good name." Doc said. "So, you're being hunted by the military I presume?"
"...Yes sir." Sarid answered. "I wished to leave."
"Leave?" Doc asked, looking at Sarid with confusion. "You're sixteen."
"I was ahead." Sarid answers. "I graduated three days ago."
"Ah...Didn't want to spend five years doing nothing in a peaceful kingdom." Doc replied, nodding and looking back into the fire. "You must be something smart to survive and hide your gender for so long."
"Hm." Sarid hums.
"Top of your class?"
"Yes sir."
"That's good."
They sat in silence for a while longer.
"So, Sarid, what do you plan on doing?" Doc asked, "You're a wanted traitor, and a girl that went through military school. That's a beheading and banishment..."
"I'm not staying." Sarid tells him, staring into the fire. "There's something I need to do."
"Suit yourself." Doc answered, "Just don't get yourself killed."
"..." Sarid said nothing, still staring into the fire.
"...How long have you have Alexithymia?" Doc asked.
"My whole life." Sarid mumbled, then starting to get up.
"Don't push yourself now." Doc told her. "You sit there and rest a bit more. I'll get you something to eat."
Sarid sat in the chair, staring into the fire, looking up when Doc brought her a bowl of soup.
"Here you are, girly." He told Sarid, who took the bowl.
"Thank you." She mumbles. She ate the soup, then hobbled back to the patient room, shutting the door. Going to the bed, she laid down in it, falling asleep.
Doc sat, rocking back and forth, when a knock at his door brought him to his feet. He took his cane and went to the door, opening it to see Asher.
"Good evening." Doc said.
"Good evening," Asher replied, "How's the stranger?"
"He's doing well. His name's Sarid, by the way." Doc told him.
"Is he hurt too badly?"
"Oh no. He's already up and about; should be good to go by tomorrow noon."
"Well, you are the best doctor the world has to offer."
"Only surpassed by my daughter."
"True...Well, I was just checking on the fellow." Asher told him. "I'll stop by tomorrow morning."
"Alright. Have a good night." Doc told him, Asher turning to leave and Doc closing the door, then going looking back to the fire.
The next morning…
Sarid woke, staring at the ceiling. Her shoulder, side and leg were much, much better, the injuries gone. She got up, dressed herself in spare clothes from her pack, a white short sleeved shirt, blue vest with a hood and dark blue pants, then her military boots. She combed her hair, then shouldered her pack, exiting the room into the main one, where Doc already sat in his rocking chair.
"Mornin', girly." He said. "Breakfast's on the table."
Sarid said nothing, but went to the kitchen, where a plate of fried eggs and ham sat, ready to be eaten. After she did so, she washed off the plate, and returned to the main room.
"How much?" Sarid asked.
"Ten Silver." Doc answered.
Sarid stood silent, then took off her pack, digging through it. She came across a hammer and saw, putting them on the table next to Doc.
"Will these pay?" She asked.
"Well…" Doc started, looking at them with a keen eye. "…They're in good condition. I'll take them."
"Thank you." Sarid answered, then going to the door, pulling her backpack on. Opening the door, she saw another man standing there, his hand raised to knock.
His hair was a messy brown with his eyes the same color, his coat a pale green and blue pants, brown shoes and tanned skin.
"…" He blinked with surprise, Sarid's face emotionless.
"Oh…H-hi, I was just coming to see how you were doing." He told Sarid.
"…Hm." Sarid hums, stepping past him and out into the street. Everyone stood still watching her, wondering what she was going to do.
Sarid looked up at the sky, watching the clouds and turning to look at the sun, then looking down both ways of the main road.
"…"
She turns, heading east.
"The ocean's that way!" One man from the crowd called.
"That's where I'm headed." Sarid answered.
"…Where?" Asher asked. "There's nothing out that way!"
"Incorrect." Sarid answered, people now following him as he walked.
"There's nothing out there! Just an empty island!" Asher told her, remembering the stories he had read.
"Do the math." Sarid told him, everyone slowing down to a stop as they reached to outskirts of the village, Sarid continuing.
"…You're going out to that island? By yourself?!"
"Yes." Sarid called. They watched as he kept walking, then as he slowed his pace to a stop.
The island out there, empty, vast, untamed and full of the unknown.
Not a single human to meet, strange creatures to fight, and goodness knows what treasures to find, things to see and knowledge to learn…
"Let me come with you!" Asher blurted.
Sarid turned head, looking at him as the rest of the small town let out small gasps.
"Please, let me come with you!" He said again. "It'll be less dangerous with two people! I-I can help! I know all kinds of things!"
"…" Sarid turned all the way around, then walked back, stopping a few feet away. "…You can?"
"Yes."
"…If you come, you cannot cause trouble." Sarid told him. "You must carry your weight."
"I will."
"…" Sarid blinked. After a moment, he turned away, looking up at the sky. "…Ten minutes. Pack your belongings."
A bright smile spread across Asher's face, right before he turned and ran as fast as he could, through the crowd and down the main road.
"Where're you headed?!" Doc called from his porch, where he rocked in his chair.
"To adventure in the unknown!" He called, not stopping.
TEN MINUTES LATER…
Sarid watched as the crowd parted, Asher coming through, riding on a cart pulled by a horse, the back of the cart having crates in it.
"…Crates?" Sarid asked.
"They've got my books in them." Asher told her. "I don't have much personal belongings."
"…Very well." Sarid said, putting his back pack into the back of the cart, climbing up and sitting next to Asher.
"So long!" Asher called over his shoulder, whipping the reigns, the horse moving forward, hooves beating against the ground in a trot.
The villagers called good bye, waving to them, Asher keeping the big smile on his face. Sarid was silent, his face emotionless and staring ahead.
After sometime, they were well into the forest, headed towards a sea-side town.
"So the island we're going to, do you know anything about it?" Asher asked, looking at Sarid, who still kept his emotionless face.
"I did research." Sarid answered.
"…And?"
"There was once a kingdom."
"Really?"
"Aye."
"Did you find out anything else?"
"Hm."
"…"
"…"
"…"
Asher looked back forward, silent for the remainder of the trip.
About noon, they arrived at the port town, heading straight to the docks.
Later…
"Ye want me ta do what?!"
Sarid and Asher sat in a tavern after having spent some time asking around, until a ship – the Paranjay – had caught Sarid's eye, and someone had been able to point them in the direction of the captain, who they now sat with in a tavern call the Sailor's Sojourn. A red bandanna adorned his head, his skin heavily tanned from being at sea, his eyes a dark grey and face having black stubble and a look of incredulous disbelief. His shirt was a dirty yellowish color, his pants brown-grey, though his leather boots were well taken care of. Around his waist was a tied red sash, a pistol stuck in it and a gold chain hanging from it, while his tricorn was brown and sat on the table, next to his arm, and a brown coat was draped over his chair.
The noise around them had gone silent when the captain had yelled his question and slammed down his mug, sailors and seadogs looking at them with question, wondering why two landlubbers were talking to a captain.
"Please, we need to get to the island." Asher told him, the captain waving a hand.
"Ye can forget THAT! Ever seence me eyes seen the shore, I knew it was nu'hing but the worst o' luck!"
"Captain…"
"Name's Sinbad, laddie." He told Asher.
"Please, we'll pay you." Asher replied, Sinbad stopping. He watched them a moment, then set his mug down on the table, leaning forward and squinting at them.
"How much?"
"…"
He took out his coin pouch, looking in to see only ten silver and fifty-eight copper.
"…Sarid?"
"I lost all my coin yesterday morning." He told Asher, who blinks, then looking back at Sinbad and smiling awkwardly.
"How does an investment sound?"
"Like no good." Sinbad told him, leaning back in his chair, Asher sighing.
"We haven't anything to give you, yet." Sarid told him. "But I promise you, after a few weeks I'll have something to pay you with."
"Oh ye want time?" Sinbad scoffed, picking his mug up. "And me'd fancy meself some bars o' gold!"
"Deal." Sarid said. Sinbad choked on his ale, leaning forward over the table.
"Ye's ser'ous?!"
"Aye. How does ten sound?"
"…Hm…" Sinbad leaned back in his chair, staring at the two. "…We'll take ye to the shallow o' the shore, but none closer."
"Agreed." Sarid told him.
"A'ight, landlubbers, let's go haul off!" He told the two, donning his hat, grabbing his coat, and tossing down some coin for the drink, exiting the tavern with the two. They approached his ship, the men moving about the deck, some laying on the railing or sitting on crates on the dock, their heads having red bandanas like Sinbad.
"Ahoy, boys!" He called to his men, who turned their heads to look at him. "We be takin' 'ese two landlubbers to the island of…" He looked at Sarid. "What's its name again?"
"Terraria."
AN- So, tell me what you think. Sorry if it was a slow start…I don't know what else to say. ._.
