He was but a child. A child that has been abandoned in the least habitual enviorment. His cradle was draped in fabrics and plastics to keep the infant safe, along with some leathers as his wrap. A skeleton walked towards the cradle and knelt down to the child.
"A human baby?" He wondered as he quickly picked him up. He was swift as he moved towards the Black Desert City. He quickly brought him to the skeleton bar as people took interest to the now crying bundle of acid drenched cloth and leather. Once inside, he checked the child and was glad that he wasn't injured. "Banled! What have you brought to us?" Asked the bar man as the skeleton named Banled showed him.
"A human child outside the city! His parents must have abandoned him or died in attempts to survive here." He explained as he finished any last checks on the babe's health. "Strange. I'll see what food I can scrape together." Said the barman as he disappeared in the back. Banled looked at the child, and the child glanced back in return.
"You are a tough one. To even live more then seconds in the deadlands at such a young age." He said as the child looked at him with confusion. A cloth hit his face as the barman had return with wet bread and a medkit. "Clean up so you won't contaminate the boy's food." He said as the Banled did so. "Is it a boy though?" He asked as the barman nodded.
"Your scanner must be wearing out. Genetic codes match the patterns of male." He said as Banled finished his drying. The child ate slowly, his teeth were small and barely coming in.
"What should we call him?" Asked Banled as the barman shrugged. "Don't know. He's tough though, I'll give him that." He said as Banled nodded. They ran through some until they landed on it. "How about Alikai?" Asked Banled as the barman shrugged. "Alright, but you pay for his food." He said as the baby was now drowsy.
They know little about him, about were he came from, or if he is even worth helping, but he was determined to prove himself.
The acid rains naturally made him tougher, he trained his fists on stone and metal. He lived off what he could when the merchants skimmed through the deadlands. Alikai was renown to control the iron spider population among the merchants, but he never said his name.
His adoptive father, Banled had told him that his name is like a possession. To give it means you may loose it if not careful. He had grown slowly, and smartly. He made sure not to expose himself to too much acid, crafting special equipment of his own design.
He was now still very young, but he had changed. Few knew his face now, as those who have only saw him when he was extremely young. He was stalking an iron spider, clattering and clunking along as it hunted for those not authorized in the deadlands. These specifically were corrupt and rouge machines, while others were specifically made to defend the land. He was soft in his footsteps and made sure he was in the best position. He than jumped.
On the iron beast's back, his hand slammed into the top engine and ripped out canisters and wire. The spider sputtered and then dropped. It had died like many other machines.
He looked at his hand and nodded as it was covered with plastic, cloth, and metal elements he had specially made to withstand the acid rain of the black desert. He never exposed skin to the world, as if it would eat him alive the minute he did so. He made his way back to the city, still checking his equipment. He had a suit, pressed against his frame and with cloth and plastic layers reinforced with metal plates. He also used skeleton muscles and other scrap items he scavenged from the dead machines. He also wore a special hood that mixed with a fogman mask, and layered chain mail with tempered cloths. His lower half consisted two parts. Boots being reinforced drifters, and his trousers were nothing but an ancient quarantine hazard suit he modified for more advanced movements and martial arts.
The man entered the town with a hum. He stopped by a house and entered. "My boy. How have you been?" Asked his father as he just nodded. "You've lost your tongue to a bandit? Speak to your old man." He said as Alikai sighed. "Just... your parts. I can't find any that can he-" he was stopped by Banled's hand.
"My condition is of no reason for you to silence yourself. Though I taught you to speak when spoken to, that never means to speak your mind." He said as he let out mechanical wheeze. "If my life ends, it shall join those that I have out lasted long before." He said as Alikai frowned behind his mask. "You won't go will you?" He asked as Banled sighed.
"I am like the iron spiders you fight. I live and breathe like them. Only they have lost their way in their code and mind." He said leaning back. "My time shall come soon. I am breaking down as we speak." He said raising a hand that was useless. "I don't have any regrets, because now I know I can say that I'm proud." He said staring at Alikai.
"I'm proud of how far you have come, to help me and others at will. You've even gotten enough to let me live comfortably through my last days." He said as he sputtered. "I'm dying. I only wanted you to know how much I love you my son." He said as Alikai was frozen.
He had trouble finding what he should say as he may not last a night. He simply walked up and hugged him carefully. "Love you too dad." He whispered, holding in tears as he accented their home and found himself on his bed. As night turned to day, without a wink of sleep, he knew what he would find if he went downstairs.
He walked slowly and saw him. The dead machine he called his father.
He was wrapped in cloth and set down to flow through an acid lake. The deadlands were brutal as the rain poured heavy. His life was only met with grey and black tints. Never a speck of real live other than the passing trader he never spoke to. Only showing what he wished and praying.
He felt pain, but he kept his steel mouth shut, however sorrow and tears would be clear on his face if the mask was removed. He eventually gave his goodbyes to the town, knowing he couldn't stay in the land of death and destruction. A land were it was nothing but death. He knew what he had to do. He waved off and marched to the lands east, a place known as the "border zone".
He marched through dust storms and dodged wildlife. His pack held the needs: food, medicine, and a equipment repair kit. He found himself now looking at a massive ruin of a town. He slowly walked through the broken gates and saw the destruction. Passers gave him glares as he walked to the only structure left that said: "Bar" on the side.
He stepped inside and saw the tender. "Welcome! What do you want?" Said him giving him a small smirk as he leaned on the counter. "Some food, and a map, if you have one." Alikai spoke and the tender nodded. He ducked behind the counter and then pulled up a bundle of meat wraps and a water jug. He also held a map in his hands. "This map marks the Holy Nation. Nasty cult that eats more than the sheks. Oh and that's 5,000 cats." He said with a more sleazy smirk.
Alikai didn't mind the obvious over pricing and just paid. The tender was rather shocked and some patrons were now eyeballing him. He was about to walk out, until a drunken thug shot up from his seat and along with his pals, blocking the entrance. "Ay buddy, why don't you sit down and have a drink." He said with a shit-eating grin. Alikai didn't speak or move. "Come on pal, you can buy a scam but not a drink?" He asked as his friends now gripped their swords.
"Come on asshole. Speak or fork over your cash." He growled as the guards now had hands on their swords. Alikai simply put his new equipment into his bag and slung it onto his back. He than took a stance without a word. "Fine then. Come on boys!" He shouted as they drew their swords and clubs. The boss charged forward with a thrust, only to miss and a palm crushing his jaw underneath. He reeled back as others tried to attack all at once. Alikai jumped back and spun his foot around. The leg didn't stop it's momentum and carried itself into their faces. He than quickly started jabbing and striking their stomach and chest as he fought on. The boss tried once more with a now slashing charge.
He ducked under the blade and jabbed his fist 5 times in lightning quick succession. He collapsed onto the pile of beat up lowlifes. Alikai watched as the guards than tugged them out of the bar as he walked out. Taking mercy, he wasted a bit of his medication on them, making sure they'll live. He wouldn't be any better they if he left them to death.
He looked at the map, and copied the locations to his own. He started his march north, to the greenlands of the Holy Empire. He slowly treaded as he was in no rush. He had managed to find a farm just outside the borders. He walked past and gave a wave at some farmers, who replied with a wave.
He than was confronted by a patrol of what seems to be their enforcement. "You there! You tread on holy ground. State your purpose!" He said as the soldiers in the squad shuffled slightly. "Exploring, I'm not trespassing am I?" He asked as the soldier shook his head. "No, but I will ask if you believe in our god. He doesn't want filthy feet upon his soil often." He said as his hand grasped the handle of his sword. Suddenly, a priest spoke up.
"That's him! The guardian of the dead!" He shouted as the entire patrol looked at the priest. "I was traveling along with a caravan and we were attacked by abominations! He came, and we're our paladins fell, he killed the beast and healed our wounds. He must be the guardian of the graveyards!" He said as the soldier looked back to him.
"Then I assume that those who help our priest are worthy of walking the grounds. Here, a bible upon the holy flame itself. May his light guide you." He said as Alikai nodded. "I apologize for halting any duties you have." He said, taking the book. The guard smiled and shrugged. "I have no problem if it is with a fellow protector." He said walking forward.
Alikai studies the odd book, seeing its contents. Their god, Okran, was born through the faith of suppressed humans of the second empire. It fell later, but it spoke of a man know as the Phoenix. He lead a rebellion that nearly wiped out skeletons and destroyed the empire, shaping it's remains into the Holy Nation.
He found it perhaps frustrating that they view skeletons as monsters. Humans had done worse now and in the past to them, than what they had done to humanity. He read through it as he it was now just quotes and rhetoric towards women and skeletons. He found it hypocritical about the whole situation.
His walked continued until he met a town. "You there! If you're new to the town then allow me to check your equipment." Said a gate guard as he was observed. He approached and Alikai handed him his bag, as another guard patted him down. "You smell like death. Where are you from." Said the guard patting him down as he turned away once finished.
"Deadlands." He said as the guards looked at him in surprise. "Are you human?" Asked the guard holding his bag, grabbing his sword handle. He simply pulled up a sleeve and showed his arm. The guard poked it and squeezed it. He tried his best to relax the muscles since they were built enough to pierce metals when fighting the old machines.
"He seems human. May you show us your face?" He asked as Alikai shook his head. "No, but I can bleed." He said as he pointed at the guards sword. "Fine then, a fight? Or a test?" He asked as he drew his sword. "A test, light cuts should suffice." He said as he prepared himself.
The guard lightly ran the blade on the man's forearm, making it bleed a small tide of crimson red. Alikai bandaged his arm as the guard nodded. "Seem alright. You must study the holy flame too?" He asked as he noticed the book on his belt. "Yes, it's interesting." He said as the guard nodded.
He was let into the city of Stack after packing up. The town bustled and ran like any other day it seemed. He entered the bar and decided to rest his feet. "Here for business brother?" Asked the bartender as Alikai sat down. "Yeah, may I have some water?" He asked, seeing as he had ran out an hour or two ago.
"Sure thing." He said going behind the bar and handing a jug of water. Alikai nodded and paid. He glanced over to the wall and noticed a bounty and work board. It had faces, details, and some sword for hire offers. One stood out about a caravan to the edge of a place called "Obedience". Apparently it was for a an outpost against the "abominations" He hummed as he got up and walked towards the posters.
"WANTED EXPERT: Anyone with major advice on deadland/deadlands terrain is needed!" It read as a small smirk peeled across his face. He pulled it off the board and looked at the tender. "Any schedule I need to know about this caravan?" He asked as the barman nodded.
"If your a holy hunter, then they should pass through next week for last calls." He said as Alikai nodded. He than rented a bed for the night and thought of his week of travel. How he had crossed the lines or borders of other realms completely different to that of the deadlands. He knew that whatever was similar could be many times more dangerous. He nodded as he stored the poster in his backpack. "If I'm in town, could you tell me if they stop by?" He asked as the tender nodded. He stayed on the roof, mostly in solitude.
He found the newer world he had entered to be completely to that of what he came out off. Instead of the lack of life, there almost seemed too much. He found it odd with the many other humans he had come across. When he fell asleep, he felt the night shimmer with wonder and dread, an odd combination to say the least.
