Coexistence
'Ow w my aching everything, oh god what decided to die in this place it smells awful; hey wait a minute'. Finally I decided to force my eyes open, what I saw was not a welcome sight, kind of expected sure, but unwelcome all the same. I wasn't in my room anymore that much was certain, and by the looks of it I was in an alley in what I was now hoping was just one of the older parts of town.
"Alright lads, his majesty said he wanted this place torched so that's what we're gonna do." A guttural voice murmured to the people around him. The men around him all gave nods of agreement, then a few of the thugs began some barely audible gibberish, next thing I knew buildings were on fire and people were screaming bloody murder and running for their lives, if they were fast enough.
"Well this is just fudgin' great; not only do I have no idea where I am, but I'm also practically cornered by a bunch of maniacs that would probably sooner try to kill me than help me!" I exclaimed, having a mini panic attack.
"Oh well, if I'm gonna die than I'm doing it on my terms." But first let's see what I can use to fight these guys with. That's when I noticed that I was actually armed with a wide assortment of medieval weapons including a katana, bow and arrows, daggers that seemed to have their own pouches, and dual short swords, along with some semi-modern assassins creed type getup. Remembering that I had a backpack I looked and saw that I must have been using it as pillow, I grabbed it and placed the bow and quiver full of arrows carefully inside.
Standing up I unsheathed the katana being careful not to cut the backpack which was now on my back, "Hey, I think I heard something, come on with me." One of the brutes said, bringing at least two other bad guys with him.
"Well shit, I'd better get out of here before, things get any worse." I muttered to myself.
Man I hope I don't die that would be dumb way to end a dream; oh look they're splitting up and there's only three of them from what I can tell. I suppose now might be a good time to make a break for it.
"Well, time to blow this place." I said, gripping my sword in preparation to strike, then the worst thing that could have happened, happened. The man that stood between me and freedom saw me. Letting adrenaline and instinct take control of body I charged at the ax wielding man at full speed, intending to stop him from summoning help.
"Hey, I've found the little Ylissean pup he's over here." The man shouted, attracting the attention of several comrades of his.
Well so much for that, wait did he say I was Ylissean; than I must be in Southtown.
"Well boys, looks like we... hurgh." The barbarian didn't get to finish his sentence, on account of his life being ended by my sword. I could already see that I was outnumbered, even so I didn't really care; I mean it's just a dream what's the worst that could happen if I die; I mean it's not like I'm not going to wake up if they kill me. I thought sarcastically to myself.
"Come on, let's do this than," I shouted cockily with a shit eating smirk on my face, I didn't have to wait long for my taunt to take effect as the enraged bandits quickly tried to over power me.
First I was attacked from my left side by a charging myrmidom, who was swiftly elbowed in the face and decapitated, than I was attacked by another barbarian who was quickly disarmed and dispatched to the great beyond. Unfortunately what I hadn't taken into account was the mage in the back row who had been readying a thunder spell, which I was too busy killing to notice when he'd fired it at me.
When that thunder spell hit me I realized several things in rapid succession things like-holy balls I was just electrocuted, and it hurt; and I'm hurt, this is real, shit I'm gonna die, but I don't want to die.
I tried to move, to crawl away at the very least, but I couldn't for some reason; than I felt it, my blood was erupting out of wound in my abdomen made by my own sword no less.
"Well, well, well looks to me like your lucks run out kid, but don't worry I promise to make you suffer for what you did to my friends." The mage spoke as he walked slowly over to my limp form, with a sinister grin on his face. When he finally reached me he paused, clearly weighing my life in his hands than he knelt down so that he was looking me in the eye and began to slowly lift the sword out of my wound; than he wrenched it back into my gut out of anger.
"I thought I told you to suffer now..." But I couldn't make out what he said next for some reason.
Next thing I knew there was this beautiful green light that would go away momentarily before starting up again, it felt comforting somehow. Than just as suddenly as the light started, it stopped and I could feel myself being moved somewhere.
"Oh Zach no, not like this." a disembodied voice said, clearly upset with me for some reason. It didn't take me long to figure out what was happening, I was dying.
"Oh heck no, we ain't done living yet!" I told myself, while using every last bit of energy I had to move, to stand, to say something.
"Time out." The disembodied voice called out clearly, and just like that everything froze, and just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder; three tall darkly robed, hooded figures appeared out of no where.
"Are you sure he's one of them, L?" The figure on the left asked.
"I keep telling you I'm sure, he's definitely one of them; I did my homework this time, it's all good." The one called L responded.
"He'd better be L, or do I need to remind you of the last time you shirked your responsibilities?" The man on the right asked angrily.
"No, you don't A; because this time I'm right, see for yourself." L retorted, handing A a tablet that he must have materialized. Upon hearing this, the man to L's left also materialized a tablet for himself, and began working on it.
"So can we get started now or what?" L asked, clearly fed up with the situation, the other two men simply looked to each other and nodded in silent agreement.
"Great, let me just do one thing before we take off." L said casually.
"And what might that be?" A asked incredulously.
"You know what needs to be done just as much as I do A." L defended.
"I was hoping that we could put that off until after things had been made clear to him. A said dejectedly, "very well you may begin." A sighed in defeat.
Nodding the man named L snapped his fingers, and a pillar of lime green flame poured itself into me than just as suddenly as it started it stopped. "You should be able to move now." L said to me in a tone that was kind but revealed nothing else about who I was dealing with or what was happening.
Deciding to trust this man who I only knew as L, I tried taking his hand which he had extended to me and was surprised to find that I was indeed able to move.
"Alright that's done, now let's get out of here we have a lot to enlighten the boy to as it is. A said clearly becoming impatient with me and L. The three of them then looked to each other and without another word the still nameless figure pulled out an incredibly old looking key and inserted it into the air behind him. Imagine my surprise when he actually opened a portal of some kind.
"Well Zach, after you." L said as he guided me toward the doorway.
"Age before beauty." I said as he was waiting for me to enter.
"Very well if you insist." he replied after giving me an odd look. Then he took a step forward and grabbed my hand, gripping it tightly as we moved forward into the gateway. Then there was nothing.