CHAPTER 12
REBIRTH

A figure was sprawled on his back, the river washing over him and his back dug against the muddy river bank. He could feel his own face weaving itself back together as the bone extended to reform the front of the skull, the muscle reconstructed itself and the skin wove itself over his face, back together once more. His entire body began to surge. The figure arched upwards on the floor and for a moment fur exploded all over his body. A momentary transformation.

He could feel it in his brain. He knew what was happening. The damage was too great. His body could not reconstruct his face. It was trying, but failing. It was too complex and too damaged. The fur grew over him as he arched upwards, yelling in a combination of terror and pain. The fur suddenly surged backwards and he collapsed, leaving him sprawled on the ground by the river.

The figure opened his eyes and flung his hands to his face. It was still there. His entire body felt different. He could somehow tell what happened, despite not actually knowing. The damage had been too great, so his body had taken the only way out. It had started over. It had regenerated an entirely new body. It had wiped the slate clean and regenerated him as it saw fit.

The figure rose to his feet and looked into the river. The reflection staring back at him was not his own. It was a new face. A new one created by his regeneration powers. The skin tone wasn't even the same. He looked at his own arms, rolling up the sleeves of his water soaked jacket. His entire body had changed to match his face in the spasm on the floor. He sighed.

Olose Sampson was dead.

The Olose Sampson. The one that had a life and a past had been replaced by the stranger that now stared back at him. A smile crept across his face. He had survived, but was dead. Abaj would never be able to find out that he was still alive.

He suddenly dropped to his knees as he realised. Abaj was a werewolf. He'd know that this regeneration process was possible. If he never found Olose's body, he would watch for him. And the only place he'd always watch was Arcadia's home. If he was to live, and Olose was to die, he could never return to see Arcadia again. He let tears swell up in his eyes, he didn't have the energy to fight them. They ran freely as he knelt by the river, saying in his head the goodbye to Arcadia he would never get the true opportunity to say.

"Olose?" Came a sharp voice. He must have still looked like Olose Sampson from behind, his hair and clothes were still the same. He snapped to his feet and turned. "You're not Olose!" The woman stood before him snapped. The figure smiled.

"Nadia." He said warmly. He walked towards her, and she looked over him, the blood on his clothes and by the river, and managed to figure it out.

"You are him, aren't you?" She walked towards him.

"I was." He replied. "I haven't seen you in years." He commented, trying to remain calm. Nadia managed a smile.

"I know. I got kicked out of the army." She held up what once had been her arm, now just a stump. "You can see why."

"You lost your arm?" Olose exclaimed, caught off guard and only just noticing.

"Turned out the orc that caught it had a poison tipped weapon. Had to be amputated to keep me alive and stop the infection from spreading. Although after that, I was deemed useless and thrown out. Norg tried to keep me in, but failed." She paused. "I came here to see you because you were a friend of Norg. Arcadia told me what you were up to. You're lucky I found you."

"I wouldn't call it luck." Olose grumbled.

"Come on." She smiled. "We'll head back. Arcadia will be glad to see you're still alive."

"No." Olose said calmly, trying to repress any emotion. "I can't go back."
"What? Why?" Nadia snapped.

"If Abaj discovers I am still alive, he will do anything to get to me. He will harm and kill Arcadia, and anybody else I know. And he will be watching her, to see if I survived." He explained.

"You look different now! Abaj won't be able to tell-" Nadia was cut short.

"Abaj is a werewolf as well!" Olose interrupted. "Of course he'll know. I must disappear. I cannot let Abaj know I am still alive."

"You're going to run away?" Inquired Nadia. "I never figured you for a coward, Olose."

"I'm not." Growled Olose. "There is nothing cowardly about walking away, leaving your entire life behind to protect the ones you care about! I am immortal, I can fight Abaj as much as I want, but I cannot win. And I cannot risk the ones I care about. I cannot risk Arcadia. I will walk away and I will allow Abaj to believe I am dead." Nadia paused sadly.

"Can I at least tell Arcadia you survived?" She asked gently.

"Tell her. Please." Olose managed to say tearfully. "But make sure you are alone. And tell her to never speak of it. If this ever blows over, I will return."

"I understand." Nadia sighed. "Where are you going to go?"

"That little port town probably, the one that Bastok just constructed between themselves and San d'Oria. Seblina was it? I'll hit the waves. Get a boat, get a crew, keep sailing, nobody'll catch me out there." Olose explained. Nadia smiled slightly.

"A life on the waves, leaving this place behind?" She asked. "Need a first mate?"

"Welcome aboard." Olose managed to smile.

"I'll meet you in Seblina then." Nadia nodded. "I'll tell Arcadia. If anybody else asks I'll say I didn't find you."

"I understand." Olose nodded. He paused, slipping out of his brown jacket. "Give this to Arcadia." He said. "I-I always wore it as the old me. The new me shouldn't have it." He explained.

"I will." Nadia smiled. "I'll see you in Seblina."

"Be careful. Make sure nobody finds out apart from Arcadia. She mustn't mention it to anybody." Olose turned and left. Nadia clutched the jacket in her one arm, turned, and left.

Some time later Olose was slumped against a table in a tavern in Seblina. He hadn't eaten or drunk since he had arrived, and didn't really feel he needed to. He had acquired some new clothes, wearing now a dark yellow shirt and a crimson jacket, with dark blue trousers. It didn't match in the slightest, but he didn't care. It made him look a little eccentric and crazy, but he was willing to accept that. It kept most people away from him. He had also cut his hair so that it was short, making him look completely different from his past self. He hadn't noticed before, but his hair had actually lightened to a brown colour in the transformation. When it had been long it had been harder to tell.

There was a sudden rumble and somebody rushed into the bar. He sighed, looking over at what was going on. Somebody bolted in and forced herself into the corner, curling up, clearly very upset and frightened. She was a mithra, Olose could tell that easily, but other than that he didn't much care. She continued to sob, which began to annoy him. Not only that, but he was feeling pretty down and thought that helping somebody else may make him feel slightly better.

He got up and headed over to her, crouching down by her curled up form.

"Are you okay?" He asked, trying to sound compassionate. She shook her head. "What's wrong? What happened?" He inquired.

"They hurrrt me." She whined. Olose suddenly sighed, putting the scent, the face and the voice together. He let out a loud groan. He couldn't believe it. His eyes wondered to her tail, to find that it wasn't there. He already knew it wouldn't be. He had cut it off three years ago.

"Who hurt you?" He sighed, trying to avoid the fact that he was the same person who had de-tailed her.

"The otherrrr mithrrrra." She groaned. Olose looked over her and could see that she was badly bruised.

"Here. I'll get you a drink." Olose offered. She was still crying. "It might make you feel better."

He wondered over to the bar, and the bartender sighed.

"That one's been running in here almost everyday crying like that." He told Olose. "She hides in here from the others outside. Nobody wants to start a fight in the tavern because it'll degrade into a full barroom brawl."

"Why do they beat her up?" Olose inquired. "She seems harmless enough."

"Some mithran honour thing. She has no tail. Some bastard cut it off." Olose suddenly felt very guilty as the bartender spoke. "So they like to pick on her for it."

"You know what she likes to drink?" Olose inquired. The bartender shook his head.

"She never drinks. She just cowers in that corner, crying." He answered.

"Just give me a water then, that should at least help her feel better." The bartender obliged and Olose walked back over to her curled up form.

"Suse?" He asked, having remembered the name. She looked up, not registering that he shouldn't know it. "Here. Drink this." He gave her the water and she gulped it down before looking at him with big green eyes, her blonde hair a mess on her head. One eye was blackened. "Does this happen every time you're in town?" She nodded shyly. "Wanna leave?" He offered.

"Wherrrrre can I go?" She mumbled.

"With me." He suggested. "I'm forming a crew, gonna get a ship and hit the waves. Leave land behind. Want to be part of it?" She looked up at him.

"Why would you do that forrrr me?" She asked, confused. Olose sighed heavily.

"Because I'm responsible, Suse." He admitted. "I know I don't look the same, but I'm the guy who caused all this." Her eyes went wide as she recognised his voice and she thrust herself back against the corner in fear. "I won't hurt you Suse. Not again. I swear." He said gently. She looked up at him, shaking.
"You prrrrrrromise?" She whimpered.

"Yeah, I promise. Last time I had to defend myself. I guess I never thought about the rest of your life." He offered her and hand and she took it. He pulled her to her feet. "I'm sorry."

"So, you have a ship?" She asked enthusiastically.

"Not as such. No." Olose admitted. "But I plan to get one!"
"So you have money?" She inquired. Olose paused.

"Well, not yet." Olose told her and she slumped down on a chair.

"They'rrrre going to hurrrt me again!" She moaned. Olose sat down next to her.
"No they won't." He said, putting his arm around her and trying to comfort her. "I'll make sure they won't." She looked up at him with a gaze, clearly comforted by the hug. Olose began to understand her. She was just a child. Her physical age seemed to be about nineteen, but mentally she was shattered, just a kid lost in the big world. She seemed to just be desperate for parents and somebody to care for her. "So what's your story?" Olose asked, trying to find out more about her. "What happened? How did you fall in with Abaj?"
"Bandits raided my home when I was little." She answered sadly. "They were going to kill me when Ghoma burst out of the ground. I was so scared. I thought he was going to eat me. But instead he chased off the bandits and saved my life. He became a loyal friend to me, doing whatever I wanted and helping me to survive. I was only little, I didn't know what to do." Olose paused painfully at the thought that he had killed her only friend. "Abaj became obsessed with capturing him. Eventually he did, and I agreed to help in return for money and a warm bed. I was desperate, and at least I got to look after Ghoma that way."
"And then I killed him and cut off your tail." Olose said bluntly. "I'm so sorry."

"After that I came here. And they've been making my life so difficult ever since." She whimpered. Olose held her tightly.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you now." He said warmly, trying to be like a parent to her. She smiled.

"Thank you." She whispered. Olose turned to the door as he heard it creak open. A one armed silhouette stood in the doorway. Olose sighed.

Nadia strode through the tavern confidently.

"OLOSE?" She bellowed, not caring about the stares she attracted.

"Here." Olose said, slightly embarrassed. Nadia saw him and sat down, slightly surprised by how much he had changed. She had forgotten, half expecting to see the old Olose sat there.

"What the hell are you wearing?" She inquired. Olose shrugged.

"Keeps most people away." He answered. "Arcadia-"He began, becoming much more serious.

"She was upset." Nadia told him. "But she was so thankful too. She swore to see you again. And gave you this." She held up a huge bag of gil. "Enough to buy your own ship." Olose forced a smile.

"Fantastic." He said unenthused. "Oh, this is Suse by the way." He gestured to the mithra. "Suse, that's Nadia." The two exchanged a welcoming glance. "She's our first crewmember."

"Great. What can she do?" Nadia asked. Olose paused.

"Urm, I don't know." He admitted. "But I'm sure we'll find out!" Olose sprang to his feet, trying to be as energetic as possible to avoid having to think about the actual events that were occurring to him. "Nadia, guard and stay with Suse. I'm going to get us a ship." He ran out of the tavern before either Nadia or Suse could say anything.

Olose was stood on the dusty deck of a ship. It was a small single sailed vessel, made out of old but tough dark brown wood, with a small cabin on the deck for the captain and two floors below for cargo and crew. Rubble was strewn across the deck, and the interior of the ship even had a collapsed rafter. But it was cheap, and had a certain charm to Olose.

It had been a few days since the meeting in the tavern, buying a ship had taken longer than Olose had planned. But now he stood there with Nadia and Suse, who both didn't look impressed. Nadia had taken to the irritating habit of calling him 'sir' all the time ever since he had explained how he would be captain of the new boat.

"You actually paid money for this, sir?" Nadia said in disbelief. Suse was silent.

"Oh come on. It's not that bad. What do you think?" He asked, sounding enthusiastic.

"Honestly sir? I think you got robbed." Nadia said bluntly.

"Oh come on, she's perfect. She sturdy, strong. A ship like this'll be with you 'til the day you die." He said confidently, quoting the salesman who had sold it to him.

"That's because it's a death-trap, sir." Nadia said bluntly and Suse giggled.

"It is not!" Olose protested. "Okay, look, just come and take a look around." He opened the hatchway to below decks and showed the two down.

"Sir, it's a pile of junk!" Nadia laughed.

"You've got look past what she is, and see what she represents!" Olose cried enthusiastically.

"What's that?" Suse asked, sounding slightly disgusted.

"Freedom!" Olose cried happily.

"No, I mean, what's that?" Suse said, pointing down at a pile of disgusting looking brown goo on the floor.

"Oh, I think something was living in here." Olose said casually. "Okay, so she needs a lick of pain here and there."

"You mean, like a sail?" Nadia said sceptically, dropping the 'sir' in her disbelief.

"Yes, okay, so we need a sail, and a bit of a tidy up. But once she's sea worthy, then we'll be free!" He cried happily.

"So she's not sea-worthy?" Nadia muttered.

"Not as such, no." Olose admitted. "Yet!" He added in a snap. "Now all we need is a name for her." Olose grinned.

"How about Wreckage At The Bottom Of The Ocean, sir?" Nadia suggested. Olose just glared at her.

"Death-trap was a good one." Suse suggested softly, joining in the mocking.

"Oh, ha ha." Olose bitterly mumbled. "I thought of Arcadia, but we're trying to keep a low profile and leave our past lives."

"Quite a nice one though, sir." Nadia said sarcastically. "After all, I don't think Arcadia can swim."

"Quiet you." Grumbled Olose. "Okay. I've got it!"

"Ohh! What is it?" Suse cried excitingly.

"From now on, this ship will be known as the Destiny!" Olose announced.

"Just like it's our destiny to end up at the bottom of the ocean." Grumbled Nadia.

"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" Snapped Olose.

Author's Note: That's better. Back to normal length. I am aware that everybody knowing Olose lives ruins the drama, but Olose Sampson did die, from a certain point of view, so I didn't lie.

As a point, a lot of the dialogue on buying the ship is paraphrased from Firefly (I'm stealing so much of that show for this story it seems) when they brought their spaceship, mainly because I liked the humour it created, and it pretty much was exactly what I wanted to say. Another nice nod to one of my favourite TV shows (by nod I mean blatant rip off).

Oh, and Phabrizoe said that he wanted to see Sotobu again. Don't worry, he will be back! And keep in mind that Galka's reincarnate, and that Sotobu is an anagram of a certain other character from another story of mine…