Surprised? Quite frankly after the flop of my other story I didn't have the confidence to write another, but one of my friends asks if he could read it and I showed it to him. He was an intellectual and older than I was. He said it lacked a basic foundation and mixing stories would be hard work to think on. He advised me to start over but stick with something simple, like one basic character with a moral background and understandable struggle.

Wish me luck comrades~

"When you begin your transcendental training, focusing your best efforts, without attachment to outcomes, you will understand the peaceful warrior's way."

~ Dan Millman

Silence…so still the air was. I took the moment to breathe in, a relaxed feeling coming over me. The air smelled of peace and tranquility, dispelling my fear when I woke. As I grabbed the edge of the rocky incline of which I had been assimilated in, only one thing came to my mind. In reality it was surprising to me, strange and forbidden. Like this wasn't supposed to happen but here I was.

"I'm alive…"

It was unexpected, crawling out from the place I had been put to sleep in, drawing my hands across my body, my skin bare without the scars of my past battles in inclination. Even the wound that killed me was gone, I subconsciously placed a hand over left pectoral, wincing out of instinct like the wound was still their but like everything I was left bare, like a newborn.

It actually took me a nanosecond to realize I was naked, but in modesty I didn't really care at the moment.

No one in this tomb was alive anyway.

I pulled myself up, the sparks in my muscles still getting use to the fact, which im still having a hard time believing, the fact I'm alive again. Stranger still I wasn't a zombie, my skin looked good as new in contrast with the bones of rotting flesh of my fellow fallen around me. I shrugged casually, shaking myself a few times then moved on, looking for a way out. As I walked past further dead, I began digging into my memories, trying to remember what had happened and how I ended up like this. I remember being involved in a conflict, a large one at that. Then I faced my enemy…

My enemy… who was he again?

I tried everything to remember his face but the memories blurred, only jolting at the point of where I was stabbed through my heart. I remember it was slaughter, but also a final stand of sorts, but for what reason, and who were we fighting. I grunted angrily, holding my head in confusion, then shook it for context, remember my current objective. I turned back for a second, deciding maybe looking through my own grave would give me details on the matter. I searched through it, finding a few wrapped things. Taking them out and setting them down my eyes glimpse at the headstone, above where my head before. It was dusty, so I brushed it with my hand.

Ranalf Anatolia

203 – (the date of death was scratched out for some reason)

"May your beloved prince rest in eternal peace, and be granted amnesty of the gods"

"I was a prince?" I couldn't help saying out loud. Provided it did made me feel a little more important, though the feelings was dispelled as I looked at the bodies around me. 'Your'? that obviously was not a good sign, meaning his enemies had buried him, along with his fellows who died with him. Sighing I looked at the items in question I had pulled out, not wanting to bother myself with confliction.

My mind was set on survival now that being alive again, whether it was a curse or a gift, was given to me. The items of question where a decorated rusty sword with a pommel that wrapped on each end of the handle, a large gem on the handles peek, perhaps a rapier of some kind. The sheath had been wrapped with it so I inclined to do just that.

The next was a dusty tunic with the cloth fading color, though in spite my rather dark position it looked of a blue with gold trimming on the neck and decorated along the chest and bottom. There was a belt with a rusty gold buckle, a wolf howling image present. Then pants with the same decorative intone.

Thinking this might be the clothing might be what I was last buried in before removal; I quickly put them on, strapping my belt as I opened the last of my find. It was a gauntlet, the fingers clawed and a large crystal, similar to the one on the rapier, was set in the metal above the knuckles. Something compelled me to put this on as well despite its condition, seeing it was just as rusty as the sword was. Provided it was terribly uncomfortably, and it fit snugly along my arms which just furthered my believe in its importance. I strapped the sword to my belt then continued on my quest to find an exit.

It was dark, but my eyes had adjusted to it.

As I continued I began racking my mind with an assault, trying my best to remember anything important. I was Ranalf Anatolia, I am… a prince, and… I was in a war that resulted in me dying. Not very explanatory. I managed to find my way out of the corridors filled with dead, but I was still in the tomb so I pressed on in the same direction.

Small plants where growing on the walls, which I ignored until when I got further they seemed to have bright crystals that lit the dark somewhat. I was curious, and thankful not to be in the dark anymore. I moved to touch one with my gauntlet hand, but as soon as that happened it immediately lost its glow, which disappointed me.

It was then the crystal on my gauntlet did the same however that caught my attention. It was faint but it was there more or less. Did toughing the crystal absorb its glow? As I copied this theory on to other crystals present the same thing happened, but the crystal on my gauntlet got stronger until it itself was lighting up the room. I was excited, having a natural light to take with me just in case I was stuck in the dark again; mimicking my actions with my sword with which I noticed has the same crystal as the gauntlet. I was right as soon the rusted blade was now lit on my belt. Happily I continued on my journey through the passages.

It didn't take long for me to run into a stop. It looked like a door but there was a stony crevice blocking it. I tried pushing it myself, making it shiver a bit but it didn't budge unfortunately. This could possibly be the exit I was looking for, and I'll be damned if I die AGAIN in this place. I pushed it more, shoving and pressing with all my strength. This wasn't working, and it was also annoying. Placing my hands on the stone I willed for the strength to push it out of my way. The gem glowed on my gauntlet, which sparked my interest immediately. I closed my eyes, trying again as I willed for this strength, to be strong enough.

What happened next…well I wasn't really expecting what happened next. I thought I was gunna get stronger or something and move it out of the way. Instead, to my surprise the gauntlet suddenly was surrounded in blue like energy then seemed to fire point blank into the stone, cracking it and causing it to collapse. I was bathed in light, not even caring about my new discovery I ran out of the tomb. What I saw next caught my off-guard. I was in ruins of some kind, around me the green lush forest surrounding.

This would seem normal if it wasn't for what I was looking at in the sky. A large floating masses of land, sometimes just ledges or mountains of earth, around my position far off in the distance but I could see clearly now.

Floating islands? I stepped forward then looked down at the land I was on. I saw not a few notches away it inclined, steadying my belief that I too was on the same. This seemed fine at first but suddenly my little island vibrated and shook. I looked back at the incline and my eyes widened with horror as some chunks tore from it and fell to whatever was below. My mind immediately realized…

…the land I was on was collapsing.

I'm back bitches. My last story was a bit rushed and fell out too soon, so if I can correspond with this one I'll be happy to take it somewhere, once I get one fan I will immediately start on the next chapter. This time I'm not excepting OC's for this story, it will strictly follow my character's story until I deem confidant enough to add some.

Wish me luck ~