hey guys, now that I'm looking back; the first chapter isn't very good, so I ask that if any new people are reading it, please don't quit after the first one. I would fix it but I have some friends IRL that constantly push me for new ones so...
Birds. that's what I awoke to on that day. A few warm rays of sun trickled through the tree I sat under, yet I was cold. I sat up slowly due to my random soreness. And the second I regain my senses I'm instantly drawn to my strange attire. It was a deep brown shirt and leggings, two gold straps wrapped around my torso to hold a black cape, it's collars holding up high around my neck. I find a dagger strapped to the side of my VERY expensive looking boots and some keener ones on the inner of my jacket. I go to stand up farther and then i gasp as my hand touches slightly at the sword at my side...tainted red. My mind races, questions, denial, fear and many others as I pick the sword up slowly. But that was the end, that was when i saw it...my 'special' thing that threw me in, more like BACK in,to someone else's story. That. Was where my new life began, screaming into the open air
The sword had fallen from my hand a few minutes prior. I had fallen back to the tree screaming and gasping for air. There, on my right arm, were scales! My breathing continued to rupture, I looked down at the thing and stumbled for ideas.
After another few minutes I finally reached my hand down and slid it across the smooth surface. It was dark blue, guiding from my shoulder to my hand, though my hand was not the pretty stone image as the arm. It was sharp, long, two inch claws at my finger tips and a spiky triangular pattern moving outward from them. I gulped and tried to the best of my ability to calm myself. I reached down and tried slipping my hand under one of the smooth slates to see if it could be removed and of course it couldn't. And then something else hit me and slowly but surly, I moved it, starting with my fingers and up to swinging it around. I gritted my teeth aggravated as I thought to myself "please, please tell me this is some weird type of armor I got during a game or something."
then another idea came to me, but I hesitated. If I was wrong...I looked down at the knife on my foot and slowly grabbed it. Bringing the blade to my gaze and touching slightly, this also made me notice the tight brown glove on my left hand, and the rough metal lining the knuckles. "Figures" I thought to myself. But more importantly, the knife was more than sharp enough for it's use. I took the knife and put it in between the slate of some scales as I had done before and slowly fumbled it trying to get it under.
After some time I was crying. There was no arm under it, not even skin. I was bleeding terribly and yet the arm somehow regenerated faster than I could cut at this point. The knife had become jagged and bent from my struggle and it slowly fell from my hand. I yelled out to the air in anger, my left hand coming up and gripping my brown hair forcefully. What was all this? "Where am I and why don't I remember anything? why do I have this THING and wh-...who...am I?" That's the first time I noticed, I didn't even know my name. I was once again out of breath and a few tears still fell down my face, but I brought myself to look around. The place was beautiful,tall grass and a lush forest sat a little bit away from me. And then my eyes widened. Out in the distance I could see a...castle. a big one at that, and a rather large town surrounded it.
It was obvious what my choices were and after a few moments I finally stood and headed away from the place. I felt odd leaving it. Something about me wanted to stay there. I couldn't put my finger on it but I'm fairly certain I did something here. I went to step again but stopped, looking back at the bloodied sword on the ground. The thing made me sick. The full black blade stuck out dully in the sun, mind the crimson color of death. Made me wonder if I was the one who really used it, had I KILLED someone? I looked down at my new arm. I really wouldn't be that surprised if I had, I'd be much more resentful though. Then I realized something else. I can't go to a town with this thing. But if I don't find food and water I'll die. I stared at the town for a few more seconds before I bent down to grab the sword, that's when I noticed I also had a sheath on my hip and thought to myself. "How...convenient?" I wrapped my arm up in my cape and picked up the sword in my left hand, and after a few more seconds of eyeing my destination, I went into the forest.
The forest was dark. The multiple birds and animals threw off my sense of directions. My head hurt a bit now, my body wasn't ready for is journey. I need to at least find a small area of water to rest. I groaned and wobbled a little farther until I reached out to grab a tree branch to stable myself, only for it to crumble to ash in an instant throwing me on the ground. I groaned lightly in pain and looked around me. The tree was now debris being lofted around the woods. "Ugh, what?" I slowly sat up and looked around at the surrounding area. No other trees were like this, what happened here. I got up again and continued on.
It felt like months. Each foot fall was painful. dreadfully sharp jolts ran through my body harder with every new step. I had been walking for about ten hours now and it was getting dark. I still hadn't been able to find water or shelter. I was really scared now. I'll die soon without help. The town must be at least five miles away. Small compared to what I did today, but not possible in my current condition. I slumped against a tree and sat down, looking up at the branches I laughed "hehe you're not gunna disappear on me too are you?" I sighed in defeat. I wasn't gonna get there tonight. If I survived through the night I MIGHT be able to get there in the morning. I looked around briefly, the trees were fair enough shelter from anything to bad. But I still couldn't go without food. I sighed once again to myself. I hadn't seen any type of fruit or animal at all on my walk. Not even the birds that I could hear but not seem to find. I finally relaxed into the tree despite my discomfort.
I stayed silent for around half an hour I was guessing, couldn't tell much at all anymore. But sleep would not take me from my fate, it couldn't give me a peaceful death. I didn't even know who I was or any of my life before. Yet there I was, about to die of starvation on my first day. I squeezed and dug into my stomach in hunger and anger. I was thoroughly disappointed. I mean come on, starving? I swallowed deeply. My throat burned from the effort, and I groaned in response. The moon came trough the trees perfectly on my motionless figure almost in sympathy. The light made my eyes squint slightly, which scared me for I feared if my eyes shut I would not be able to lift them again. All of this and a freaking reptile arm or something I'd never get an answer to. Plus a sword and various knives? What was I, some kind of byproduct of a nuclear war? Whatever I was, I would never know this way. Not if I didn't eat, if I couldn't find something.
Then. I had an idea. A sick, grotesque, disgusting idea. Slowly, with a foggy mind, I looked down at my reptilian arm and realized. "If this thing regenerates, then could I..." I then give another painful gulp and pulled my knife from my boot once more. It was no longer nice and sleek, it was a serrated and ugly thing and would not give a clean cut. I brought my right arm up onto my lap and stared the thing down. Was I really about to do this? My breathing quickened as I placed the twisted blade over my arm. My breathing became stutters and closed my eyes and with one swift motion, I lifted the knife and brought it down.
But within that half second. I felt nothing in my arm, no sharp pain and no throbbing gush of blood fell down my arm. Everything paused, no noise was in the forest and I could see nothing. But then, all at once, every sense came back to me. The moon had been blocked out by something, and my left hand pushed away from my right. I exhaled and looked up. There above me. Was a person draped in a black cloak and a hood on their head. I was guessing of course, the moonlight came strait from behind them so I could only make out their silhouette. and barely, just barely, I think I could see a mask on them. I groaned in pain, they had my hands bound hard on my either side of me with their own. I stared up at them for a few moments more before they spoke "you were really going to eat your own arm?" Their voice was distorted, I couldn't tell if they were male or female. It was gurgled, deep and some what ominous. I tried freeing my arms but failed and I couldn't tell if it was because they were stronger or because I was so weak at the moment.
I went to speak but was stopped by a finger to my mouth. The figure had let go of my right arm, did they not notice it? My thoughts were interrupted by a thud in my lap "here." I heard from above me. I looked down to find a basket of bread and chicken and something gray that I was praying to be a bottle of water. My hands went for it instantly and my prayers were answered. I pulled out a large metal holster more likely originally used to hold small swords, but had been replaced with a large amount of liquid. I drank instantly, it wasn't cold but it was heavenly. I drank about half of it at once before putting it down and delving for the food. Bred and chunks of meat combined in my mouth. I didn't bother to cut or eat separately. I just shoved whatever hit my hands first into my mouth. My stomach was full long before I finished and I had regretfully eaten all of this strangers supply. I looked up at him awkwardly and dully said
"sorry...I've been out here for a while."
"It's fine. I'm heading to town as it is, giving to someone in need is much more important than my life anymore." I was taken of guard by the quickness and harshness of their reply. Their life for a stranger they've never met? But wait, did they say they were going to town? I continued looking at them, hoping to see their face, but started again
"Did you say you were going into town?" My answer was given by a studded shift of gravity as they hunched me over their shoulder. I coughed from the action. I was still in no condition to walk, but I wouldn't die tonight. I went to speak but was cut off again.
"Forgive me, but I'm going to blindfold you." My face became quizzical. This strangers kindness had just become slightly hostile.
"Um...why?"
"There's a place farther up...that I'd prefer you didn't see." I was confused with their answer but was not prepared to back down on their offer. I was still curious though. Had they committed a crime nearby? If so, what would happen to me? Now that I consider it, this could all be a trap. But then why did they give me food? It doesn't matter though. I'm in no condition to fight, resisting would be useless, all I could do was hope for the best. I nodded in agreement and somehow, despite me being on their shoulders, they slipped some kind of hat on me that covered my eye perfectly. And after I gave quick shrug to position myself, they started walking through the night.
I awoke the next morning swaying back and forth. By head throbbed from being upside down for so long. I didn't move, I still had no clues on my companion and I wasn't ready to fully trust him yet. I was still blindfolded. I don't know if we had passed the 'place' I couldn't see but it didn't matter, I wasn't going to risk asking them to take it off. Their walking had become shaky and I could tell they were tiring. I felt some grief for them, they had helped me after all. But I didn't know if I should try offering help or just continuing my sleeping game. I did know how ever that my head would explode if I waited much longer. So hesitantly I asked "um...would you like me too...help?" They stopped, I could feel their body trembling. Now that I realized it, they had been walking all through the night with my weight. They didn't answer for a few moments but finally replied
"Please do..." it was weird. With the voice they had it was near impossible to tell, but I could hear sadness in their voice. They tried to be smooth with it but I could feel them slump to the ground. My feet hit ground and I could stand again...almost. the dizziness spun me in a million different directions it seemed. I was like that for several minutes, stumbling back and forth, side to side. The whole time blindfolded. I'm sure i could've taken it off but I didn't even try standing still long enough. It soon wore off and I stabilized myself. I took the blindfold off and looked at my company for the first time in the light. And I was surprised at how correct I was. They wore a black cloak that covered their whole body, a hood came up from it over their head and for their face, a piece of cloth attached to their cloak covered their nose and down and where their eyes were...was a jagged mask made from blue scales. I glanced down at my arm, they had obviously seen it by now, I mean, I was sitting right in front of them, but they showed not the slightest bit of shock to it. And the mask, had the gotten it from me?
"Are you letting me on or what?" I snapped out of my thoughts at their messed up voice and walked over, knelt down and let them on my back.
Once we touched I could tell by their body structure that it was a girl. The cloak made her look much larger than she really was. I also noticed she had a sword strapped to her side. Then I realized another thing and grimaced, had that voice REALLY belonged to a girl? She had to have a voice manipulator in that mask, there HAD to be. "Are we going?" Her voice was much sharper now and I instantly started walking. The town was in sight, I hadn't realized how close we we're. I could make it there in twenty minutes tops...if i was by myself. I looked at the place out in the distance. I couldn't see the actually town, but I could see the giant walls surrounded it and the colossal castle at the back of it. I have to get there soon if I want to learn anything. That brought me back to my earlier topic. Why didn't this girl freakout over my arm? Does she know something about it? Those scales look like mine. But they obviously weren't. "Walk faster." Then I felt her palm at the back of my head forcing it downward. I looked back at her and went to reply but she jumped off my back and pushed me aside "gosh your slow." I squinted. I still couldn't get over that voice. "Hurry up before I drag you." I was quizzical. Was she not JUST tired to the bone? I hesitated for a moment but kept walking with her without saying anything.
And before I knew it, we were at the town. I had wrapped my arm back up a few minutes prior. She had to talk with some guards to get in, something about I.D but we were in shortly and she took me a small store and bought me some bread. "Thank you" I calmly stated. She looked at me and I finally saw a real part of her body. Fierce, vibrant, almost scary green eyes.
"You don't need me anymore. I'm leaving now." Her statement was blunt but affective. She turned and started walking away without another word.
"W-wait!" I called out causing her to stop. I looked for something to say, anything at all. I didn't know why but I felt i would need her for something. "I uh...never got your name." She looked down sadly before replying.
"It doesn't matter." I looked at her confused. Why wouldn't it matter. She DID just save my life.
"Why?
"Because it's a name...that will soon be forgotten." And with that. She left me, sitting in the middle of the street alone once again