Terraria - The Mystic Isle
Ch 1 - A New Beginning
Legends foretell of an ancient land. An island secluded from the rest of the world. Untainted from the greed and corruption of the modern world, it remains an everlasting utopia. It is a world of immeasurable beauty and wonder. However, long ago, a powerful dark force became drawn to this paradise. The once peaceful paradise became twisted with dark magic. Monsters rose up and roamed the once tranquil environment. Soon, it became a world of torment that no one dared to explore willingly. The isle of Terraria was to be forgotten and erased from history. Now, several eons later, five streaks of light brighter than shooting stars came hurtling towards its shores. These five would be given a new life in exchange for the one they had known for so long. The newest citizens would begin their epic adventure. This is the story of Terraria and how the light had returned.
(Insert: 【mew】"Otome-domo yo" ║ Araburu Kisetsu OP ║ ENGLISH Cover & Lyrics ║ CHICO with HoneyWorks ⼄⼥どもよ)
Look at this book born out of love,
Live every chapter, read it out loud
(A book floats down with a trail of glitter following it)
But the word "love" has yet to be seen
Hasn't been written yet it seems
(The book opens up as the camera zooms in and the screen goes white. The light fades, revealing a large island before the title "Terraria: The Mystic Isle" is shown. Five different lights flowed around the title and dart off, veiled in new light)
15 pages in, I was bored
and skimming through the lines
(In the forest biome, Monica stares beyond the cliff. Her hair flowing with the wind as Clyde the guide stands next to her.)
When I flipped and
saw the page that took my breath away, my head spinning
(In the beach biome, Johnny fishes with Bart the fisherman as they reel in large fish, both laughing.)
And this feeling, so profound
I don't have the words, and now
(In the ice biome, Cassy is wandering the snowy lands as ice slimes jump at her, only for them to be blasted by Dante who grins. Cassy smiles shyly at him.)
Yet again, it came and knocked me to the ground, and left me down
(In the deserts, Roger tosses bombs, blasting slimes, vultures and antlions. Dolgrim grins at the side lines while flipping a stick of dynamite)
And before, I was so pure
And I didn't want to understand
(In the jungle, Yuki brews different potions before holding a pink one while she giggled in glee. The witchdoctor at the side sighed while shaking his head.)
What they meant by all this pain
But now, I'm not scared!
(In the shadows of the isle, multiple beings from an eye, brain, skeleton and others rose with a massive organic life form behind them all, gleaming on the screen.)
Even if I get hurt or get lost
I won't stop reading, I will move on!
(Monica swings her sword, followed by Johnny pulling an arrow back and fires. Cassy draws her pistols and fires.)
And I know I won't be perfect
On the page where I meet you
(Roger tosses many bombs as they explode in confetti while Yuki jumps while drinking a potion and winked with hearts fluttering.)
Keep fighting on, young maidens, today!
Struggle and learn, young maidens, today!
(Other females pass by, a nurse, a mechanic, a cyborg, Dryad, stylist, steampunker, and party girl. In the end was another woman in the dark, she grins and winks with glee.)
Go on and live through all of the pain
Don't need a bookmark to live each day!
(Monica and her group and Clyde's stand on the cliff as the wind blows against them while the sun rises. Monica and everyone smile brightly as the title appears again, then the screen turns dark.)
The story begins in the vast open lands of a forest, Lush, green and beautiful. Only the sounds of a cool gentle breeze, brushing the leaves and grass. The silent peace was soon broken by the sound of a soft and pained groan. The sound had come from a girl with blonde hair. The attire of this woman was a pair of skinny jeans that went to her ankles. Her upper attire was an orange blouse. Her body figure was attractive, hourglass with ample assets of her rear and chest.
The female grumbled and sat up while rubbing her head. "Owwwww… Why do I feel like a bus ran me over?" Her eyes opened to gaze around her. "I hope whoever hit me has insurance...what the hell?" The more she stared at the vegetation around her, the girl became more and more confused. "Where the hell am I? This isn't my-" As she started to speak, her words got caught up in her throat. There was something very wrong. She couldn't remember where her home was. As a matter of fact, she couldn't remember anything at all except for one thing. She knew her name was Monica, but the rest was a blank slate. "W...why can't I remember anything?" Monica felt her heart racing in panic. Her breaths picking up. She even clutched her head. Monica was terrified, confused and lost. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?" She screamed out into the open air.
Her voice carried throughout the trees until it faded. Monica sighed miserably as she picked herself up. "There has to be a reason that I'm stranded here. Maybe someone else is here and can help me." The sun was still high in the sky, so the girl began to trudge through the woods. She knew she couldn't sit around and do nothing. The best option in the situation, is to look around and find help, anyway she can.
Monica guessed she had been wandering about for roughly an hour or two before her ears picked up on a rustling in the bushes. "Oh?" The blonde breathed and crept closer to the source. Bending down to investigate, Monica noticed what looked like a person's lower half. Whoever it was, was rummaging around deeper in the bush and mumbling to himself. "Um, excuse me?" Monica spoke and tapped on his back.
"AYIHEE!" The man yelped with a start. BONK! "Owwwwwwwwww…" His voice continued.
Monica chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to surprise you."
The man muttered something before crawling out. Standing in front of her, Monica noted that the man was in his twenties or so. He had tanned skin, brown eyes, along with milk chocolate colored hair. He wore a beige, short sleeve button up short and faded blue jeans. "...who are you?" He asked while rubbing the new egg sized lump on his head.
"Monica…." The girl responded while rubbing her neck.
The stranger studied her for a long time before speaking again. "How long have you been here? On the island I mean."
The blonde woman rubbed her head. "I'm not sure...I don't remember anything, other than my name."
The man sighed before giving a sad smile. "Did you just wake here?"
"Pretty much." Monica answered while placing her hands on her hips. "I don't understand why I can't remember anything."
"Memory loss is guaranteed to all those who find themselves here." The man explained. "There's no way to leave here, so your old memories won't be of much use to you anymore." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Seeing as you don't seem very hostile, I suppose we could be friends. Name's Clyde."
"My name is Monica...if you forgot from that bump from your noggin." Monica giggled a bit while poking his still large bump.
Clyde winced with an irritated grunt. "Haha, very funny, Blondie." Monica decided to at least give him a bit of support and pecked the bump on his head. "Heh, you're a bit friendly, aren't you?"
"You seem nice enough." Monica smiled. "Besides, being in this new strange place, I should at least get to know someone I can depend on to survive. Plus, if we work together I'm sure we can get off the island."
"Impossible." Clyde stated outright. "There is no escape from this place."
"What?" Monica blinked.
Clyde shook his head. "If there was a way off this island, I'd be away from here by now. No matter what I tried, I'm stuck here like you are."
The blonde felt a sense of dread start to grip her. "C-come on, you can't be serious?"
The man sighed. "I swam out at sea as far as I could. Once I got about a mile away from shore I was greeted by an invisible barrier. Other creatures can pass right through without trying. Any human that gets stuck here...is stuck forever." Panic once again rose in Monica as her breath quickened causing her to sink to her knees and clutching her head.
Clyde is taken aback by her reaction and tries to comfort her. He rubbed her back softly before continuing. "You know this island isn't all that bad. Course, the monsters here have made it hard to live here."
The eyes of the young woman glanced up at him. "W...what are you saying?"
"Basically, the island is inhabited by monsters. Supposedly, it once was a peaceful place and nothing would hurt you. However, based on a few tales, this isle was cursed by powerful dark magic. I heard it is controlled by something called, 'The Dark One'." Clyde explained.
"What? You're telling me that magic is actually a thing? That's ridiculous...right?" Monica breathed. Clyde didn't answer as his attention was on the sky and the trees around them. "Clyde?"
"Hmmm, we shouldn't be staying out in the open. The hungry monsters tend to roam around after dusk. Trust me when I say you don't want to be caught outside if you have no weapons or armor. We're going to need to find shelter." Clyde replied.
Monica was filled with shock. Monsters that try to kill you!? Now she has to be dreaming. "B-But where and how are we gonna find shelter? I don't know the first thing about all that, or even defending myself."
"Perhaps, but I'm sure you've got some gear that can help us." Her new friend spoke. "One thing that is always a constant when someone is dropped in here, they always have some basic tools to use. Check your pockets."
Monica dug her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "...I don't feel any-" Her sentence froze as she suddenly felt something. The girl gripped the object and revealed a pickaxe. "...the fuck?"
Clyde chuckled. "Told ya. This island doesn't exactly follow the normal laws of physics. When you put something in your pocket, your pocket kinda turns into a bottomless pit. There's a limit to how much you can store in them, but you can hold a hell of a lot."
Monica glanced at her new pick and groaned. "What the hell did I do to get brought to this crazy place?"
"That's something I'd like to know too. To be honest, getting deserted on an isle with monsters that are all too willing to kill you makes this seem like a curse." The man spoke before starting to walk away.
"H-Hey! Wait for me!" Monica called as she ran after him. "What am I supposed to do for shelter?"
Clyde scanned the area around them. "Hmmmm, well, I would suggest we gather some dirt and wood. I don't really have my own place to offer you. For whatever reason when I go and build any type of building, it disappears the next day."
"How is that possible?" Monica questioned. "What, do the monsters eat them up or something?"
"I got no idea, but it's better to rebuild one instead of letting the monsters rip you limb from limb." A look of horror crossed Monica's face as he clarified. "Even if you get killed, you'll just reappear on the isle every time. In a way, this is kind of an infinite hell."
"You can't even die!?" Monica yelled out before groaning. "What did I do to deserve this!?"
Clyde shrugged sadly. "Who knows? You're here now, and there's nothing that can be changed about that." The two pressed onward through the forest as Monica took in everything. Heeding Clyde's words, she took a moment to target one of the trees before picking up on her pick and started swinging at the tree. Cracks appeared where she struck the bark and a crunch was heard. The entire tree, even the trunk that stood high above burst into a shower of cubes. She had been about to jump back and avoid being crushed when the closest block was sucked into her pocket. Monica stared in shock as the rest of the former tree did the same. She sank her hand into her pocket and found she not only had a stack of wooden blocks, but a few acorns too.
"This is insane…" Monica spoke in shock. They carried on for a bit as Monica found slight happiness in chopping down tree after tree. Continuing their stroll, Monica set her eyes on a new target. "Wooooow, that's a big tree."
Clyde stopped at her side and chuckled at the towering plant before them. "Ah yes, THIS tree. It actually stands on the very center of the island. It was even nicknamed, "The isle's axis"." Monica stared at the tree in awe. The canopy extended at least a hundred feet in the air. Not only that, but it looked to be about half a mile of rock from one side of its trunk to the other. Monica grew curious before she approached the tree and raised her pick. Seconds passed before a single block of would popped out. Not paying attention, she stuffed the block into her pocket. When she looked at where she cut the tree down, she noticed it was...gaping. The girl stared into the center and saw it was hollow. "Clyde, are trees supposed to be hollow?"
The man blinked. "Um...I don't think so." The two glanced into the gaping hole of the tree and looked down. It seemed to go into the earth itself. What they saw above them didn't make any sense either. The hollowed section seemed to extend upward through the entire trunk as sunlight peered down from the canopy.
"What is up with this tree?" Monica finally asked to break the silence.
"Well, the isle is packed with surprises wherever you go, either above the surface, or underground. You'd be lucky to find hidden goodies here." Clyde explained with a small shrug.
Monica nodded as she gazed upwards to the canopy, then down into the depths. "You know, considering there seem to be platforms already in place...might be easier to go down." She suggested. Clyde agreed as both began to descend to the bottom of the tree. Deeper and deeper they went, the darker and darker they went. "I can't see anything." Monica spoke.
"Tends to get dark when you go deep underground." Clyde spoke in the darkness. "Hang on, I think I might have a torch...whoa!" He slipped a bit and grasped something to keep his footing before hearing an 'eep!' from the blonde. "You okay, Monica? Huh, what are these things?"
"C-Clyde, watch where you're grabbing!" Monica blurted. Clyde blinked before flushing as he released his grip. He pulled out his torch before seeing Monica flushing like crazy while holding her chest. "I hope that was an accident, pervert." She glared.
The man panicked and flailed his arms. "I-I-I didn't mean it, I swear!"
Monica stared at him for a full minute in silence before sighing. "I'll let it slide once...you're lucky that I'm showing sympathy and the fact you're a good person ...otherwise I'd shove my foot up your crotch."
Clyde squeaked. "Yes, ma'am."
Said blonde sighed softly, seeing her response as being a bit too hostile to the man. "Come here." Clyde approached with caution before Monica pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry. Being pulled into a new place with no memory is getting to me. I'm just scared."
A few seconds later, Clyde sighed and returned her embrace. "I know...I know…" They pulled back before Monica smiled a bit before flicking his nose playfully. "Uh...why did you do that?"
"Just thought to brighten the mood." She giggled. "You're like a little kid. It's pretty funny." Clyde blushed a bit while chuckling with her. They soon noticed a door near them. "A door, at the bottom of the trunk?"
Clyde stepped forward and examined the door. "Hmmm, it wouldn't phase me if this was left here by someone else. It looks pretty old judging by how much moss is growing on it."
"Must be abandoned then." Monica replied. She approached the door and grabbed the knob. It was unlocked and easy slid open as the mossy bottom spread along the floor. In the room was a table, chair, a few torches along the wall that illuminated a chest. The furniture was also mossy like the door, indicating it was indeed abandoned.
"Wow." Clyde breathed. He walked over to the table in the center of the room. "That's so cool. Whoever made this table carved it just a tad and let the tree grow into it. Looks like most of the other furniture is the same way too."
Monica examined the room while banging against the walls. "It's still sturdy too...you know, since it looks like no one's been here for ages, maybe we can use this place. Make it our new home."
Cylde smiled in approval. "Well, better than me just building a shelter that'll vanish again."
Monica giggled before turning to the chest. "Now, let's see what goodies these people left." She approached the chest before opening it and began rummaging through it. Inside she found many odd items. There were two objects that resembled wands, one was made of a crooked stick with two small leaves at the end while the other was really just a big leaf with a long stem. Monica pulled the two wands out and hummed. "Hey, Clyde, do you know if these wands do anything?" She asked while showing him the two sticks.
"Hmmm, not really, but I know a friend of mine probably does. She's good with all manner of plants." He replied.
Monica decided to pocket them for later while resuming to look in the chest. "If you have a friend, then why didn't she stay with you?"
Clyde sighed and slumped onto one of the chairs. "Well...we had a disagreement and decided it was best for all of us to go our separate ways."
Eyes blinked as the blonde turned to him. "Just like that? Even though it's a cruel world?"
"There were many others like you before you arrived." Clyde answered. "I think the last I remember, there were twenty six. Like you, we were all in panic, not remembering why we were sent here or anything about our old lives. Many of us tried to find a way to escape, but you know what I mean. Hell, some even broke under the pressure and tried to commit sucicide, but they just respawned again and again. We were all in so much chaos we didn't know what to do. I tried to pull everyone together, but they all brushed me off, argued with each other off and separated."
Monica shook her head and resumed her looting. "Well that was just dumb."
"Couldn't agree more." Cylde nodded. "Find anything else in there?"
"Hmmm, a strange looking circular mirror, a blue boomerang, a red bracelet with a heart on it, a blue one with an oval like object, about five torches, and an oversized bug net." Monica replied.
"Pretty good haul." The man nodded. "So, if we're gonna make this place our home. I think we'll need to do a bit of cleaning, and make two beds. I don't think we want to sleep on the ground." He mentioned while pushing his foot into the squishy, mossy floor.
"And we'll need to replace the door too." Monica agreed while the door nearby was close to breaking off. Clyde shrugged and started thumbing through a book he pulled from his pocket. "What's that book you have?"
The man glanced at her before turning a page. "To be honest, I've been asking myself that for several years now. I've had it with me since my first day here, but I don't know why. It has a bunch of...I don't know, recipes I guess. It just has a picture of an object on each page followed by a list of items."
"Really? Let me see." Monica spoke and came to his side. Peering over his shoulder she studied the current page. On it was some kind of short table, and under it was written "10x wood". She thought for a moment before pulling out ten blocks of would she had collected earlier and held them in her left hand. She was still staring at the book when she heard a pop and found her wood had fused into a copy of the picture.
Clyde grew startled to what Monica did with a gasp. "Monica...how did you do that?"
The girl blinked. "...how the hell should I know?" Clyde thought for a moment before pulling out some wood of his own. Holding it in his left hand, he attempted to do the same as she did...but nothing happened.
"Hmm…" Clyde frowned. Monica gently grasped the wood he had before looking at the table in the book again. Like before, there was a pop as another spawned in her hand. "Guess that little trick is something only you can do."
"Cool." Monica smiled while awed by her new ability. "Can anyone else do it?"
"Of my friends? No, none of them can." The man replied.
"Weird." Monica answered. "If I can do this, I guess I can make crazy stuff from your book."
Clyde chuckled. "Knock yourself out, if you want to know what a particular item can be crafted into I can check my book for you."
Monica grinned. "You know what ...I'm actually starting to like this place."
"Like I said, monsters aside, this is a nice island." Clyde chuckled.
Elsewhere on the isle, the beach was calm with the soft splashing of waves against the warm sands. Upon it, was a young boy unconscious, being soaked by the cold water of the sea. Unable the block out the sunlight any longer he managed to pry his eyes open. His eyes squinted, attempting the adjust as a shadow eclipsed the sun. "Hey, kid?" The voice spoke in a gruff tone. "Hey, are you alive or dead?"
The boy slightly turned to the left to notice a man nearby. He was wearing odd gear with a straw hat on while holding a fishing rod that was lured into the waters. The young man grunted a bit and slowly sat up while rubbing his head. "Yeah...I'll live."
The fisherman laughed lightly. "Good, name's Bart." He grinned and cast a lure from his fishing rod out to sea. "You got a name, lad?"
"Yeah, Johny." The boy answered.
"Well, Johnny, let me be the first to say...welcome to hell." Bart laughed with a grin.
The boy blinked. "I am? Why? I didn't do anything! At least...I don't think I did. I…" His train of thought detoured as he desperately tried to remember something, anything.
"Don't waste your time, kid. If you got dropped here, you don't have anything to remember except your name." Bart chuckled.
"Oh great..." Johnny groaned while rubbing his neck. "This is fucking perfect…" The boy stared miserably at the waves. "This blows. I just want to relax and kick back. Being stranded on an island doesn't help me with that."
"Hey, if you're looking for something to kill time, I think I can help you with that." Bart smirked while reeling in his line. Having collected the end of his line, he held his rod towards Johny. "How about trying your hand at fishing?"
Johny glanced to the rod in hand before shrugging. "What the hell?" He took the pole before sitting next to Bart as he hurled the hook into the waters.
Bart stood up, dusting the sand off his trousers and stretched. "Say, kid, think I could borrow your axe? Lost mine a while back."
The boy blinked. "I don't have an axe. I just woke up on the beach."
"Sure you do, check your pocket." Bart insisted. Skeptically, Johny reached his hand into his pocket before pulling out an axe made from brownish metal. "Told ya, give it here and I'll even loan you some bait for the rod."
Johny blinked. "You didn't even give me any bait?"
"Heheh, slipped my mind." He replied. The boy rolled his eyes before handing his axe to Bart who dropped a hand full of worms in his lap. "That should catch ya some decent ones."
"Thanks." The boy nodded before taking one of the worms and stabbed it with the hook. Soon enough, Johny recast the line as his new friend went to town, chopping down nearby palm trees. "What the hell kinda crazy place did I even come to...and why am I trusting this old geezer? I don't even know him for god sake." Johnny fished for a while, catching a few basses here and there. It was a relaxing and peaceful moment for him. When he got another bite, he started reeling it in. Instead of a fish, what he got was a crate covered in seaweed. "The fuck?"
Further inland, the angler called out. "Oh yeah, that box is a loot crate. You'll find those quite a bit while fishing. I usually throw them back, but you might find the loot valuable." The boy grew curious about this before deciding to take a look inside. He ripped off the lid of the crate and peered within. Inside were many interesting items. First thing he pulled out was a pair of boots that appeared to have a blue fish like fin running up the heel. Next was a bottle filled with a swirling vortex of water. After that, he pulled out an umbrella, ten chunks of chrome colored rock, two yellow metal bars, an odd shaped bottle with dark purple liquid, five red colored liquid flasks, three smelly yellow orbs the size of a marble, and twenty silver coins.
"Huh...I think this is a good haul." Johnny hummed to himself as he took the stuff out of the crate. "How am I gonna carry all this though?" The moment he laid his items out on his lap, they flew into his pocket and disappeared. "The fu…?" The boy blinked in shock before digging into his pocket when he pulled out the stack of silver coins he got. "...this is just getting stranger and stranger."
"So, get anything good?" Bart chuckled and sat down on a block of wood he placed.
"Few potions, I think a pair of what look like shoes, some metal, an umbrella, a few rocks and coins." Johnny replied before handing the man back his fishing rod.
The man smirked and shook his head. "You can keep that one. It was a spare I had anyway."
"Oh, thanks." Johnny nodded before glancing behind and noticed a small shack made of wood. "That's where you live, old timer?"
"What, that?" Bart asked while jabbing a thumb in the hut's direction. "Nah, I just finished throwing that together just now. Sadly I can't really make anything else. I could gather all the wood on this beach, but I have no idea how to actually build stuff with it." The boy gave a lazy shrug and recast his line out to sea. "You know, I actually have a bit of a story to tell you about a fish I once saw here. I saw this bright orange and colorful fish. It was looking around frantically as though it was seeking a lost family member." He chuckled again. "You should catch it for me so another one could look around frantically for it."
Johny narrowed his eyes out to sea. "Why does that sound like a familiar story plot…?" He got another bite from his line and reeled it in. When it came out, it was an orange fish with white stripes.
The sight of the creature made Bart burst into a fit of laughter. "That's the fish I mentioned, kid! Nice job, tell you what, if you give me that fish and I'll give you some gear that I got."
"Whatcha got?" Johnny asked curiously. The man grinned and handed him a small booklet with a fish on the cover.
"That little book has every bit of information on every fish native to this island. Think you can make good use of it?" Bart laughed.
Johnny thought for a moment before shrugging. If the book would help with something, might as well. "Ah, what the hell?" He replied and handed the fish to the man who stuffed it into his pocket.
"You know, kid." Bart continued. "Seeing as you seem to be fairly decent with that rod, I might give you a few fishing quests. I'll give you more items if you get me the fish I want. They'll be all over the island."
Johnny decided to humor Bart a bit as he grinned. "Think you can score me a girlfriend?"
The older male let out a hearty laugh. "HAHAHAHA! If I had one that I could give, why the hell would I be wasting my time fishing?!" Johnny chuckled a bit as well. "Hehe, but who knows lad. I did see some fine looking women on the isle, even ones packing some big ones, if you know what I mean." Johny hid his face so Bart couldn't see his giddy grin.
The northern lands of the isle were nothing but ice, snow and blowing winds. The winds howled through the sky, carrying its ice and snow with it. The lands thickened with not a pillow or sheet, but a blanket. The whole area was drowned in this torrential blizzard so thick visibility was just a few feet ahead. In the midst of this terrible weather was a young girl, trying to move through the thick snow that was past her knees. Her hair was long and cyan colored. Her eyes were blue and she wore a blue button up blouse and short skirt.
"...I can't see anything out here…" The girl whimpered while trudging along. She managed to make it another meter or so before her foot caught on something buried. "Ohhhhh…" She groaned and started to pull on her leg to get free. It took about a few tugs, but on the last one, she popped it free and lost her balance. The girl fell off the edge and started sliding down the slope. "Waaaaaah!" She cried out and continued to pick up speed. More and more snow passed by until she found herself sliding and spinning around on a frozen lake. Feeling the spin cycle starting to power down, said girl sighed. "Oh good, I can see again." As she looked ahead, the girl panicked, now noticing the snowdrift she was about to hit. "Never mind, I don't want to see!" She "eeped" before crashing into the mound all the way to her waist.
Silence filled the snowy air before the snow mound around her started shifting. The girl popped her head out from the snow bank and shook the ice off her head. "...now I'm cold and wet." She pouted in dismay while shivering. In the howling wind and icy air, she was able to make out a cave nearby. "Finally! Now I can get out of this weather." The girl pulled herself loose and carefully made her way inside. Entering the cave, she was now free of the dangers of the snow and wind. As nice as that was, she was still freezing and wet which only increased her chances of hypothermia.
Deciding it best to climb deeper into the cave, she felt around the walls in the fading light. Much to her surprise, there was a house built just a ways deeper into the cave. It seemed to be sturdy and made from a dark colored wood. She found the door that led inside. The knob proved to be a formidable obstacle due to her shaking, ice cold hands.
"Come on…." The girl groaned before finally getting it to turn. Relieved, she made her way into the door, finding herself in a nice looking home with furniture, a bed and decorations. "Now all I need is some heat." She spoke through chattering teeth. Scanning the firmly light room, her gaze came to a chest. "Maybe there's something I can use in there."
The young girl opened the chest and began rummaging through it to find something to warm herself. She was unaware of approaching footsteps before a shadow loomed over her until a male voice asked. "What are you doing in my home?"
The girl panicked, springing to her feet and rapidly bowed to whoever just spoke. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to barge into your home! I was cold and wet and I didn't have anywhere else I could go."
The voice chuckled lightly. "Hey, relax. Not like I'm gonna throw you out." The young lady stopped bowing before getting her first glance at the new person. He had short brown hair, skin and eyes, and seemed to be wearing a rust colored shirt with blue jeans, and a pale green trench coat. He gave a small smile and slipped off his coat before draping it over her shoulders. "There, that should at least help for now. I'll grab a few torches."
The young girl hugged herself with the trench coat as the man passed her. "T...thank you…." She spoke shyly while her cyan hair covered up most of her face now.
The man rummaged through a few chests as he spoke. "Haven't seen you around before, just come to the isle?" Said girl only nodded in silence. "Had a feeling. What's your name?"
"C...sy…" The girl greeted in a soft and whispered tone. The man arched a brow before placing a torch in front of her as its flame flickered about. She felt the warmth and breathed softly in relief. "...C...Cassy." She spoke a bit louder.
"Ah, Cassy, huh? Alright then, Cassy, you can call me Dante." Cassy nodded silently again as he placed a few more torches down to warm up the room. "You're lucky you came here. The snowstorm outside is gonna turn into a blizzard. Those get really nasty."
Cassy gave a small smile. "Th-thanks for letting me stay in your house to wait it out."
"Oh this isn't my house." Dante shrugged. "The whole island is peppered with abandoned houses like these." Cassy was confused, but nodded again. "Not really the type to speak a lot, huh?"
Her cheeks burned a tad. "Well...I'm n-normally s-shy."
Dante gave a warm grin. "I can live with that. I do kinda dig cute girls who are silent most of the time." Cassy flushed and buried her face in her hair. Said male laughed this time. "You're gonna make my heart blow up by how cute you're acting right now." The girl kept quiet as she stayed close by the fire. After a moment, Dante smiled. "Hey, Cassy, since you're new here, I'm gonna let you pick out a weapon from that chest you were peeking in. I gathered them from a few chests deeper in the cave."
"Oh...thank you." Cassy spoke softly with a smile. She got up again, now warmed up and began looking into the chest for a weapon. The weapons she pulled out were a flare gun, wooden bow, and what looked to be a snowball cannon.
"Oh? Partial to ranged weapons? You ever fire a gun before?" The man grinned.
"N...no...I don't think so." Cassy replied shyly. "I...don't really remember anything at all, to be honest." She gingerly held the flare gun in her hands. "They just...make me feel calmer. If that makes any sense."
Dante chuckled. "I understand, we each have our comforts in weaponry." He dug into his pocket and pulled out what looked to be a revolver. Dante spun it like a pro before holding it to her. "Here, why don't you take this baby? Got me out of a lot of tough jams, even gave me good luck."
Casey gasped and shook her head. "N-n-no, I couldn't take something that dear to you."
"Ah don't sweat it." He grinned and gently placed the gun in her hands. "I have a spare that gave me the same amount of luck. Besides, I think old Ivory will be good in your hands."
"...thank you, Dante." She blushed as her hand grasped the smooth handle.
"No problem, Cassy." The arms dealer grinned with a wink. As the girl continued to fidget with her new gear, the man sighed. "Listen, if you don't have your own place, feel free to stay here. You'll be safe, especially if you're a good shot."
Cassy looked at the man. "But...what about you?"
Dante brushed some of his hair back. "Well, I'm a guy that travels. For many reasons, mostly because of my friends."
"There are others on the island?" She asked in surprise.
"Yep," he nodded. "We kinda dispersed around the island. Been on the lookout for them for months. I used to camp with a bunch of them, but after a few arguments went split up."
Cassy frownd a bit. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Eh, what are ya gonna do about it?" He shrugged. "We argued a lot. Part of friendship I suppose."
The young female was silent for the moment while poking her index fingers. "Um...if it's okay...I want to come with you."
"That right? You know, for a shy girl you seem a bit brave." Dante chuckled.
Her cheeks bloomed a bit. "I...want to repay you for your kindness."
The gunman smirked and tipped his hat. "Well alrighty then. Let's head out."
Elsewhere, in the complete opposite climate, a lone male was running for his life. Sand kicked up behind him as he dashed along. His day had been anything but "normal". Hours past noon, he had found himself stranded in a desert. The man had no real memories of how he came to be there or any of his life, but the only thought on his mind was self preservation.
Fresh gashes riddled his back and arms. These were acquired when he made the foolish choice to try and kill a vulture for food. The bird sat alone on a cactus as he crept up. Just before the strike, the bird snapped its head to him and called out. Now he had a flock of ten killer birds trying to make him dinner.
"Uuuugh, me and my fucking stomach!" He yelled out in anger, hunger and desperation. The man panted and stole a glance over his shoulder at his pursuers. In his haste, he failed to notice the rock which managed to trip him. Grunting in pain, he rolled down the sand dunes like a tumbleweed. "Fuck my liiiiiiiiife!" He yelled out before he found himself sliding down the slope of a deep dune. This made him panic and he tried to regain control of his situation. "Crap, crap, crap, crap!" He exclaimed. Bouncing upon the hardened ground, several snaps were heard along the way till he landed at the mouth of a cave
"Owwwwwww…" The man groaned and sat up. His gaze moved upwards to observe the forty feet had tumbled down. "Fucking perfect, this couldn't be worse."
He should have kept his mouth shut. The moment he said that, chirps and clicks echoed from the inner section of the cave. Squinting into the darkness, he soon spotted a set of glowing red eyes that seemed to be growing bigger. Seconds later, a new nightmare stood before him. To his dismay, he was now face to face with a massive antlion as big as a wolf.
The young man panicked, sweating and screaming as he backed away from the giant insect. The insect advanced, chirping while snapping its giant mandibles. "YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!" He cried out. "WHY DOES KARMA HATE ME TODAAAAAAY!?" The male knew escape was impossible due to the deep slope. His pursuer chittered, the inner jaws salivating, eager to dig into its captured prey. Nowhere to hide, run or escape, the boy only shielded himself, screaming at the top of his lungs to bury out his certain doom.
Squish. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis. Both the man and the creature paused as the pit was filled with a strange sizzling noise. The giant bug turned around as both now saw a grey orb stuck to its abdomen by a glob of blue goo. In a sudden jolt, the antlion chittered while running around like a mad dog. The boy blinked, not sure what to make of this. He yelped and held his arms over when it jumped over him and ran back to its cave. "Uh...what the-"
*BOOOOOOOOOOOM!* The man coughed as smoke and sand filled his vision. Where once was a giant man eating bug was now a mound of sand sealing off the cave.
"Oy! You alright down there!?" Called out another male voice. The young man looked up to see an older man wearing an orange vest and yellow construction hat. There was a moment of silence between them until the one up top tossed down a strand of rope.
The boy quickly climbed his way up and shuddered while brushing himself off. "Uuuuuuuuugh, I never wanna come to another dessert for the rest of my life."
The man near him chuckled while patting his back. "Ah don't worry, bucko. Be happy that was only an infant antlion you met."
"You can't mean there's worse out here?" The boy grunted.
"Oh I've seen bigger, lad." He replied. "Encountered an antlion as big as a whale once."
His new friend shuddered briefly. "Anyway, thanks for artillery support."
"No trouble at all, lad." The man nodded while looking at him. "Ya look like ya had a rough day with all those injuries."
"Ugh, try having a flock of damn vultures biting at your ass." The boy groaned.
"Been there, done that." The demolitionist laughed. He tossed another bomb into the pit causing the mound of sand to disperse in a cloud of dust. "What say we get ya fixed up? My base camp is just a bit further in that cave."
"You mean…." The boy shuddered at the thought of being below surface again. "I'm not going back down there."
The older man chuckled. "Oh don't worry. My home isn't in their nest or feeding grounds. Besides, my home is covered in sandstone. Antlions hate that stuff since it damages their mandibles. Too hard for them to dig through"
The young male sighed and gazed towards the cave. "...alright, if you insist." Nodding, the man led the boy into the darkness of the cave. All the while he heard the sand around him shifting.
"Don't worry about the sound." The man assured him. "While it sounds loud, them varmints are miles away from us." The duo walked onwards for about a mile until spotting a run down building. The structure was carved from blocks of sandstone and stood on a collection of petrified wood pillars. "See, wasn't a bad hike." The man laughed and strolled to the front door.
"I guess not." The boy replied while they entered the house.
After sealing the door behind them, the demo man took a seat by a small coffee table. "There's a few healing potions in the chest over there. Take what ya need." He lit up a cigarette and began pulling out materials from his bag. Said boy walked to the chest before rummaging through to find the potions. Eventually he found a bottle of red liquid. He uncorked it and caught a fruity aroma.
"Here goes nothing." The male shrugged and chugged the bottle. There was a wave of bitterness in the favor, which almost made him spit it out. Harnessing his will power, he kept it down before finishing the drink. After a minute, the wounds across his body steamed and healed. The boy breathed a sigh of relief. "Bitter shit, but it sure does work. Wonder if there are any more..."
"That was the last one, bucko." The man spoke up while puffing out smoke. "You have no idea how many I go through against the monsters I deal with 24/7."
"You don't say?" The young male grumbled. While sifting through the chest, he managed to pull out a stick. "You keep your lumber in a chest?"
The bomber turned to see his guest waving the stick around. "Hey, be careful wi-"
Fwoosh!
A spray of sparks launched from the end of the rod and scorched the stone wall. "Whoa!" The boy gasped and dropped the stick. "The hell? Did I just do that?"
The demolitionist chuckled. "Sort of. Say, ya got a name there, Sparky?"
The boy gave a small glare by that nickname. "It's Roger."
"Ah, to answer your question, Roger, ya just managed to exert a small portion of your mana through that wand of sparking. It's basically the weakest magic weapon you can find on the isle. Only really good for starting fires. Oh, and the name's Dolgrim."
"Right." Roger nodded before picking up the stick again. He took a seat next to Dolgrim while inspecting his craft. "So are you a bomb maker or something?"
"Demolition expert, actually." Dolgrim replied and puffed out smoke while finishing up a bomb. "Way back when I first woke on this god damned rock, this was the only thing I knew how to do. Now it's more or less my hobby." He set the bomb down and sighed. "Basically I was the only person in my group that knew how to make these babies from scratch."
Upon hearing this, Roger blinked while looking up at him. "You were with others? How come you're alone in this desert of hell then?"
The bomber sighed again and took a deep drag from his cigarette. "In a nutshell, things went sour. We all budded heads and couldn't get along. Then...we just split up."
Roger took this information in before pinching his nose. "You mean to tell me that you and your group parted ways...over a stupid argument?" The demolition expert blinked. "Seriously!? After the shit I put up with today, I can't even comprehend how you guys are still alive on your own, especially after dealing with bigger and nastier shit in this fucking world! If anything, living on your own out here will only get you killed! Having a group is a better chance of survival than being alone! If you people don't have a brain to even realize the matter of life and death of being a team or being a lone wolf, then you won't even understand what it means to live!" Silence echoed for a whole minute before Dolgrim chuckled a bit before laughing loudly. "...the fuck are you laughing about?"
"Ahahaha, ha, ha, hooooo. I'm sorry, ya just got a lot of fire in ya. Makes ya sound like a military general or something." Dolgrim smirked. "I admit ya gotta point. There is only so much one guy can do on his own, and that has gotten me killed from time to time." Before Roger could ask, the man held up his hand. "You'll learn soon enough. Anyway, I have just used the last of my supplies on these new explosives. It couldn't hurt to head deeper inland."
"If you're going, I should tag along." Roger spoke up. "Better than staying here or going by myself and getting eaten alive."
Dolgrim nodded and swung his pack over his shoulder. "Alright, grab anything useful that's left here and we'll get moving. We'll tunnel our way towards the center. This way we won't have the nasties outside to deal with."
"Why the center?" Roger questioned.
"Ah, well, funny thing is, out of anything on this rock, the monsters seem to have a huge dislike or fear of sunflowers. The center is swarmed with them."
Roger blinked. "This is a freaking weird island."
"Oh you haven't seen anything, kid." Dolgrim chuckled.
The sun was getting ever closer to the horizon as it cast a warm light over a dense jungle. Earlier today, the fifth and final new arrival had awoken and explored her new surroundings until she found something of interest. In the shade of a few massive mangrove trees, rested a shack covered in leaves and bark. Inside, was an old man dressed in ritualistic robes and a tribal mask. He was busy at work stirring a bubbling cauldron. From time to time, he would dip a small bowl into the liquid and bring it up to his lips. Blowing away the steam, he sniffed the brew and sipped it. "Hmmm, not quite done." He muttered. The young lady peered and looked through his window, quite curious about what he was making. There was a moment of silence until he spoke. "...I know you're there, young lady."
The girl giggled. "Hehe, caught me." The man ignored her as he continued to stir. The young girl tilted her head while resting her head on her hand. "Whatcha brewing up?"
The witch doctor glanced up for a moment and returned to his work. "Potions. In this harsh land, it's wise to have many different kinds on hand. They can have many different applications."
This caught her interest as she grinned. "Really now? What kind of potions can you make?"
"Many in fact." he replied simply. "Some include healing potions, restoring mana, even love potions and gender rewrite if they so desire."
A smirk crossed the girl's face. "You can actually make potions like that here? Ooooh, these could be fun." She took a deep breath and smiled. "Say mister, think you could teach me how to brew them?"
The witch doctor glanced at her for a moment. "...no." He spoke and resumed mixing.
The girl pouted. "Awww, pleeeease?" Her hand fell to her shirt as she undid the top few buttons. The breeze wafted in as her B-cup breasts and navy blue bra were clearly seen.
Once more the man looked up to her, seeing her bra. The young girl grinned, seeing he took the bait. "...I've seen bigger." He spoke simply and resumed stirring again, leaving the girl gobsmacked by his reply. Once more he dipped his tasting bowl into the pot and held it out to her. "Here, sip this." Blinking, the girl took the small bowl before taking a sip and flavor hit her taste buds. She marveled at its sweetness before chugging the rest of it. A faint blush covered her cheeks while she dropped the bowl and collapsed. "...younglings today…" The man grumbled and set down his spoon. He walked out of his home before picking up the girl and carried her inside.
Later that evening, the girl broke her slumber and came to. "Oooooooh." She groaned.
"Awake at last, are we?" The voice of the witch doctor spoke calmly. She sat up and saw him with his back turned to her while flipping through a book.
A tick mark soon formed on her head as she jumped up and stomped over to him. "Why the hell was I in your bed?!" The man only responded by grabbing a nearby staff and whacked it against her head. She yelped while rubbing the sore spot. "Owie ...why did you hit me like that?"
The witch doctor glared at her now. "You are a child in many ways. You do not listen to my warnings. I told you to sip the potion, not down it like you were parched."
The female sniffed softly. "It tasted good though...you know it's impolite to roofie strangers, right?"
"It's a way I teach those who have no respe-" He started before blinking. "Wait...did you say you enjoyed my potion?" The girl nodded slowly. "...that's a first. The others would always spit them out and say how bad they tasted."
A tiny, sly grin formed over the girl's lips. "Well, that was just rude of them."
The witch doctor was silent for a moment before asking. "What's your name, child?"
"Yuki." She greeted.
The elder gave a small sigh. "...since you enjoyed my potion...I suppose I can teach you how to brew other potions I know." Yuki gasped happily. "If you help me collect the ingredients I need of course. I don't give a hand out to people for free."
Yuki giggled. "Thank you, mister. I'll pay you back any way I can."
Hello, hello everyone. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this new adventure. This has been a game I had been dying to write a story about and I'm pumped up that it has begun. I hope that you guys will enjoy it. Please leave a review so that I can see how you enjoyed it. Also, please let me know if you think there is anything I should change. Besides that, I hope you will continue to read my stories. Till next time.