The rather loud beeping of an alarm clock resounded throughout a rather nice home, A man darted awake looking around his home for a moment before shutting off the annoying device. The sun was slowly rising bathing the mobile home in a rather nice yellow hue of sunshine. He then felt a weight land on his abdomen, followed by the assault of licks. "Alright alright I'm up! You're killin me here Bear" The culprit of the assault was an Airedale Terrier, brown with little specks of black on the fur. The dog let out a yawn tilting its head for a moment. It then gave the man one more lick causing the man to groan and get out of the bed. "Alright I'll get you some food, just let me get ready for today,"
He was tired. But that was a normal occurrence.
He does not really get good rest, Nightmares plaguing him during his sleep. The screams, the growls. The scar across his back. A constant reminder of the past decade of darkness unending. It was the same routine when he put his head on the pillow after each day. Honestly sometimes he wondered if the lack of sleep was affecting him in a negative way. He was somewhat glad bear was there to mitigate some of it.
The man walked over to the bathroom sink splashing a bit of water onto his face. He then stared into the mirror for a moment. Greenish blue eyes, a pale almost sickly complexion, a good amount of stubble and messy brown almost black hair fretted him back. "Lookin good, edric…or looking decent." He mumbled with a chuckle.
Edric grabbed a towel off of the rack drying his face before throwing it into the dirty clothes hamper, He then turned off the light to the bathroom walking out of it, bear following after him. Edric gets dressed rather quickly in a simple shirt and a pair of jeans with a pair of old beat up sneakers. He was not one to dress rather fashionably and instead turn to more plain types of clothing.
He walked out of his room and into the kitchen making himself a rather healthy breakfast consisting of sugary cereal, pouring the last of the milk into the bowl and gaining a rather sour look at having to make another trip to the store. He then pours a bit of dog food into a bowl for Bear, setting it on the floor. After doing so he sat down at the table and began to eat, grabbing the remote and turning on the television situated on the kitchen counter half paying attention to the newswoman that showed up on the screen.
After a moment the television fizzled to life showing a female reporter in insomnia, the crumbling buildings and streets paved with the husks of the old structures that sat behind her. Construction noise could be heard as well. The reporter coughed for a moment clearing her throat before speaking.
'Welcome to crown city news, your place for information. My name is Martha Alverez and I am your reporter for today, After the subsequent end to the ten years of darkness the world as a whole is still trying to rebuild, The starscourge has been mostly eradicated from the it, But there are still a few small pockets left throughout that still need to be extinguished. Relief efforts have started thanks to the combined efforts of the newly rebuilt country of accordio and niflheim which is currently under new leadership. It is thanks to the tragically passed prince Noctis and his crownsguard that the sun has returned once more, and it is here to stay for good. There is still discussion on the planned government for insomnia since the current monarchy has sadly come to an end and the crystal has been returned to its rightful place here in the city as a gesture of goodwill from the now reformed niflehe-'
Edric turned off the television not really wanting to listen to it anymore for the day. He quickly finished his breakfast, Putting the now empty bowl into the sink and grabbed his phone, keys, and wallet mentally ready to start a long day of repairing things that people somehow break. He opened the door to his home, "Come on bear!" He spoke with a false giddiness in his voice. The dog quickly ran out the door towards the truck and edric locked it behind him. His home was rather nice, It being a simple two story one that he commissioned from a friend of his it even had a garage attached to it that held his rather beat up truck.
He pulled out a small book going through what he wrote down, Edric scanned over it for a moment, The list he wrote a few days before has yet to be completed. An air conditioner at takka's that is on the fritz. Reapertails attacking people trying to farm out in the harsh environment. He did not know how to fight so he might have to call a hunter for that after his job today, then get a free lunch if takka was not going to be stingy. And after all is said and done go camping in the forested area of leide and get out of the scorching desert part of the region.
Why did Edric buy a truck that did not have functioning AC? Honestly it did not cross his mind that 'Oh, since I am going to be working in really humid and hot conditions why don't I buy a truck that actually has the one thing I need to survive!' The man let out a groan and wiped a good amount of sweat from his forehead focusing on the road in front of him. Bear on the other hand was right as rain was not even affected by the head. "Well at least your happy buddy" Edric mumbled with a half hearted smile
The heat of the desert had turned his truck into a damn oven even with the window rolled down. "That damn car dealer better hope that I don't find him cause when I- Oh come on!" He quickly pressed on the brakes coming to a complete stop thankfully not hitting the car in front of him. He looked out of the driver's side window seeing that in front of him was a very long line of cars alongside a roadblock with new insomnia soldiers checking each car. Edric, now heavily pissed off due to the heat and the roadblock. Backed up his truck and drove down a dirt path away from the actual main road. This road would take him through the desert itself, but it was a shortcut worth taking.
"Anything else that wants to ruin my day can go right ahead, I swear this heat is starting to make me insane." a sense of relief came upon Edric's face; he could actually see the hammerhead finally coming up in the distance. "Oh thank the six, finally I can get this job done and get home. Enjoy a nice relaxing nap on the couch a - " BANG
Before the man could finish a rather loud booming noise came from his truck. Slowly but surely the truck came to a complete stop stranding the man on the road. Edric stared out for a moment before he just got out of his truck. Edric walked to the front of it, popping the hood to the engine letting out a few more choice words. "Great, now I gotta push this damn thing, thank the Six that hammerhead is only a bit away." With a resounding slam edric closed the hood of his truck walking around to the driver side door.
He opened it, deciding to turn on the radio. If he was going to push a truck for a mile, why not listen to a bit of music while he did so. The radio buzzed to life, stopping on a random station. Edric with the driver side door still open began to push the truck towards hammerhead. Soon a song came on a generic metal song. Edric was a decent fan of it, but it played on repeat for weeks.
"Must be my theme song." He said to himself as the song played, he pushed his truck slightly humming some of the lyrics. Before long he was singing the chorus to the vast span of desert rock and sky. Bear howling along as well wanting to join in. Before about three to four repeats of the song he was finally in the home stretch. Hammerhead being almost within arms reach made Edric happy to see his salvation, "Thank the gods, I can finally rest my feet a bit." Edric pushed the truck through the entrance finally coming to a stop. He shut the door to his truck after letting bear out of it. sliding down it onto the floor from exhaustion. After a moment, Edric noticed a pair of sneakers in front of him. He looked up to see the face of Cindy Aurum staring down at him with her arms folded, a rather annoyed look on her face.
"Well now look at this wreck. Edric, you know that truck can't handle the heat here, it's already older than my Pa?" Cindy was a bit angry that he took so long to actually get to the shop. But seeing the condition of his truck and the man himself she could forgive him for being late. Cindy would take a swift walk around the beat up piece of scrap, giving bear a scratch or two much to the dogs happiness. And opened the hood and saw the blown head gasket.
"Well I really can't be angry at you, Surprised this girl has gotten you and bear this far." Cindy rubbed the front end of the truck getting a bit of rust on her glove looking at Edric, he shrugged his sour mood starting to show. Before getting a slap on the back, by Prompto.
"Heya Edric, how ya- OH GOD!" Prompto exclaimed, taken aback by the truck's condition, looking back to Edric in a complete loss for words on how bad the truck looked. "is it me or did it get worse, It definitely got worse' Prompto spoke with a grimace. Cindy chuckled at prompto's reaction, getting to work immediately, "I'll have her purrin' like a coeurl kitten when I am done with her." All Edric could really give Cindy in response was just a tired nod. "Show me where the air conditioner is and I will Grab my tools'' He got up from the ground stretching for a moment feeling a few things pop. Prompto would look at Edric chuckling as he mumbled, "Old man,", all the while giving bear a few scratches behind the ear Edric gave Prompto a glare. Cindy rolled her eyes as the two men acted like children. Prompto broke a sweat quickly putting a pep in his step pointing to the air conditioner.
"There ya go! Get to workin' Grandpa." Edric gave prompto the side eye. But he simply brushed it off, chuckling at the nickname. "You're the one who is over thirty, If anything I should be calling you that" He would mumble grabbing his tools from the back of his truck. He then walked over to the ladder that led to the roof where the air conditioner was and began to do what he was hired to do.
The next few hours passed rather slowly and the sun bearing down on him did not help with his mood, But he soon managed to get the air conditioner up and running. Edric pulled out a rag wiping the sweat from his face. "It's always that one damn screw that somehow goes missing" He put the rag back into one of his pockets grabbing his tools, He then climbed back down the ladder letting out a rather long winded breath once his feet touched the ground. He was thankful that it was beginning to cool down and the heat was starting to lessen.
The air conditioner was fixed and everyone was happy. Now it was time for edric to relax, Gathering up his tools he approached the garage and saw Cindy driving out his truck, now looking almost brand new, it even had a new coat of paint on it. He let out a grin approaching Cindy as she stepped out. "Well she is good as new, should not be giving you any trouble from now on, just come by if you have any though" Edric gave cindy a nod as he put his tools into the back of his new and improved truck and then let bear into the back of it. "Thanks' Cindy, honestly thought she was gonna be a goner, your a miracle worker"
"Damn right she is" Prompto yelled from inside the garage causing both Cindy and Edric to chuckle. Edric then gave a wave getting into his truck starting the ignition."Well it's about time I head off, tell takka he owes me a free meal for today, Gonna cash that in at a later date. I got a campsite in leade calling my name"
Edric gave one last goodbye and drove off with prompto and Cindy waving towards him. As he drove through the desert, he turned on the radio and air conditioner, relishing in the cold air. "Purring like a kitten alright" He mumbled with a chuckle eventually finding a station to listen to, insomnia radio was pretty good. Some of the songs were catchy. Slowly the sun began to set as he finally approached the start of leide, the campsite should not be too far now.
Night finally approached and it still made Edric a bit wary. Ten years in darkness would do that to someone, At Least he did not have to worry about anymore demons suddenly appearing. He then noticed something falling from the sky and landing off in the distance… yet with no explosion or even a sound?, A glowing light of sorts that did not seem natural, more magical truth be told. It even caused bear to growl as if it was a danger to them.
He quickly turned off the headlights of his truck and parked it, getting out after putting on a jacket. He then reached into his glove box grabbing a revolver out of it. Bear hopped out of the back and stood beside edric ready to defend the man. With his revolver raised he and bear began to approach the location where the light could have landed, and noticed a few varmints in the area as well circling something, a closer look showed it to be a woman.
Edric quickly raised his revolver in the air, firing off a shot in order to scare off the varmints, and thankfully it worked. Edric noticed bear immediately approached the woman and began to whine in a sad tone, he also approached the woman and noticed that she was not clothed. Looking away he quickly took off his jacket, wrapping it around the woman, and then picked her up. She was light and the paleness of her complexion would have made him worried if not for the small steady breaths. Just what was a woman doing out this late at night in this condition.
Edric also noticed a blade stabbed into the ground a bit from where she originally laid, He guessed that she was probably a hunter, one that probably got injured. "Looks like camping is gonna have to be rescheduled." He mumbled walking back to his truck and gently placing the woman in the passenger's side of it. Soon getting back into the driver seat.
He had no idea what to do, most of the major settlements were too far, and the bigger city is even farther. After a moment he made a decision. "Looks like we got to head home, quite the night huh bear'' He spoke to the dog letting him into the back of his truck, the dog set down the blade letting out a few pants.
Edric walked back over to the blade picking it up out of the ground, It had a light feel to it, despite how large it looked. "So many questions and so little answers" He spoke walking back over to his truck placing the blade into the back of it. "Should have a medkit and some spare clothing. Honestly tonight is not what I was expecting." He mumbled getting into the drivers side of his truck, He started the ignition and began to make the trek home now with a new guest apparently. Just what has he gotten himself into?