Chapter 2:
The Mercenary
I must have been running for weeks now. I would occasionally take a quick rest then I would be on the run again. I haven't slept since what happened in the cavern. With my legs feeling like pudding, I fell to my knees. Hearing my own heart beat out of fear and anxiety, and my mouth was drier than the deserts of Vacuo, due to heavy panting. I was finally able to slow my heartbeat to a calm level and started to take in where I was. The forest brush was starting to get thick. The forest itself was dark and damp with the aftermath of the storm that was in the sky. I could smell the decaying bark of the trees in the forest and the soil giving new life. The night sky danced with the Aurora Borealis glowing beautiful colors of greens, blues, and purples. The leaves, being so brittle, that they crunched under my feet with every step. The abundant nocturnal wildlife in the forest with owls hooting, mice scampering, and bobcats running to find food.
I was tired, too tired to continue running, much less walking. I sat down placing my back against a tree trunk so I can recover my strength. As I was sitting, I heard a voice. "Hello?" the Voice called. The voice was of a man's voice, somewhat deep and husky. I was too tired to lift myself up to run away or even speak. Then, I began to hear crunching leaves growing louder and louder. "Hello?" Called the voice again. Who ever it was, they seemed to draw closer to my location. I began to see the flickering of a torch glowing brighter and brighter with the steps also coming closer. I was too tired to do anything except let something happen. "Hello? Anyone there? I heard you running in the forest. I mean you no harm. My name is Christoff and my house is close by. If you need a place to stay, I'll take you to my place to wash up and get some food and rest." Christoff said reassuringly.
I sat there not saying anything, not moving. He was standing close to me, about 10 feet away. He turned his gaze in my direction and began to approach me cautiously with uncertainty as if his mind was playing tricks on him. He saw me. Just to be sure, he rubbed his eyes and saw that I was still there. "Hey, Are you okay? I'm here to help you. My name is Christoff. I mean you no harm. I'm gonna take you to my place. You'll be safe there." He picked me up as if he knew that I was too tired to lift myself up and took me to his house. He lifted me up with a quiet exhale. "How long have you been wandering the woods all by yourself?" I was too tired to answer.
Once we got to Christoff's house, more like a log cabin, he placed me on a soft pile of hay, covered by a big sheet of thin wool. The cottage was made out of wood and the floor was made out of compact dirt with a cozy fireplace in the middle of the room. With 4 wooden chairs surrounding the fireplace. There was a pile of dry wood for the fireplace next to where I was laying down. The door was on the far end of the living room. The cabin also had a bathroom and, a storage? Anyway, what matters is, is one, that I get as far away from that cave as possible and two, I find a cure for my curse.
I recovered enough strength to say "Thank you for saving me, Christoff. Name's Daken." I said quietly. "Hello, Daken. There was a post about you in town saying that you and your family..." He looked at me and saw my expression become sour. "I don't want to talk about it." I said, curling up into a ball hugging my knees and tearing up and trying to hold back some sobs. "Okay, Talk to me about it when your ready." Christoff said caringly. "I need a bath. Is it alright if I use your bathroom?" I asked. "Absolutely, you must have been without a bath for a while now." Christoff said happily. "Oh, and just to let you know, dinner will be ready soon." "Thank you."
The bathroom had a different floor than the living room. The floor was made of wood and had a little gap in between each log so the water can flow outside. I poured the hot water into the dark colored, metallic tub that was sitting at the corner of the bathroom and the shower curtain was a plain, aged white cotton material. As soon as I got behind the curtain, I realized that I didn't have a second pair of clothes.
"Hey, Christoff? I forgot to mention that I don't have a second pair of clothes." I said ashamed. "Don't worry, Daken. I'll make you some special clothes." Christoff said. "Alright." I said more confident. I filled the tub with hot water and stripped off my dirty clothes. I went into the tub, feeling the hot water relax my muscles from my feet to the bottom of my neck. I feel so much better already! I thought to myself.
After I relaxed and washed in the tub for "an hour and a half" Christoff told me while bringing me my new 'special' clothes, that he apparently made by hand, I got out of the tub and got dressed. The clothes he made for me were a perfect fit. Almost every fiber of the clothing he made seemed to cling to me. Christoff made me a black, skin tight, long sleeve muscle shirt that clung to me. He also made me a pair of black cargo pants that had a little bit of room for me to maintain my flexibility. "These clothes will grow with you, and die with you." Christoff said, clearly proud of his work. "So basically, these clothes are… Alive?" I asked confusedly. "Yes. And they won't rip however, they can be cut, just like skin. I guess you could say that it's a second set of skin." Christoff gave me a pair of black combat boots that also fit me perfectly. "And so will these." He said as I put them on. I wore a black, athletic style, long sleeve shirt, black, slim fit, cargo pants, and black combat boots. "These clothes will never wear out or off. On top of all of that, These clothes are alive. They will heal with you, grow with you, and die with you."
"So, they are attached to my life essence?" I said confermingly. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Anyway, You need to be careful with them as if it was something you hold dear. Like your favorite toy, or something. And you can't depend on them alone. They are not armor." Christoff stated. "How soon do I get my armor?" I asked excitedly. "When your old enough."