"Strip."

'... What?'

"Strip. Give me your clothes."

'What?'

"Oh for fucks sake, imma knock you out m'kay?"

'Wha-'

*Boink*

.

.

"Shoulda done that from the start." I mumble.

'He made a strange noise when I hit him... what's his skull made of?'

I could feel the girl's- Rachel as she introduced herself- eyes were light on my back as I frisked the unconscious body before me.

For some reason I feel no discomfort at committing this reprehensible act before her, as if her opinions didn't matter… no not only her, it was as if no one's opinions mattered to me.

This was confusing to me. My sense of self may be vague and memories blurred but I don't believe I was of the arrogant disposition.

Yet here I am, privately considering her beneath me.

Privately considering everything beneath me.

A baseless pride? Egotism? Hubris? No… not quite.

'I just feel a great sense of dissonance with the world at large.'

What that might mean and what it might imply were lost to me at the moment. I had no time to consider it anyway.

The scent of blood was permeating the air slowly yet steadily. Malice slowly filling the tract of floating land like water filling a cup.

'That's another thing…'

I seem to me hyperaware to malice and ill-intent. I can see how that would be useful in the future, but right now it's just another thing I can't control- another thing I don't understand.

'Irritating.'

All the hostility feels like needles pricking my skin. It's making me twitchy.

So I get to work.

I feel Rachel flush and avert her eyes, eyes leaving my person as I strip the unlucky fellow of his trousers. Now the passed out sack of meat was only wearing a fundoshi like underwear to protect its decency.

Its (for I care not to ascertain it's true gender) items and clothes laid out next to it for me to appraise.

The meat bag was humanoid enough, standing around my height, maybe a tad shorter, but far thinner. The beings skin was an unhealthy shade of pale for humans, but perhaps it was the norm for its people.

Bulbous eyes, pale skin and elongated ears are stereotypical for creatures adapted to living underground are they not?

It's armaments were crude to my eyes, however I feel my expectations may have been a tad unrealistic. Once more I find myself confused by the lofty standard I judge my surroundings by. It seems to be set a bit too high no?

'No matter.'

There were only a few of its possessions worthy of interest. The rest just a few grades above ornamental rags. Unbefitting of myself.

'Ugh... There it is again…'

Discarding the atypical opinions, I somewhat reluctantly, but swiftly equipped the bracers. Fashioned of dark brown leather and inlaid with golden rune-like symbols, given the quality, the bracers seemed to be the cornerstone of the creatures equipment.

Looking at its naked body once more, I note there are quite a few scars on its forearms, plus they are by far the most muscled part of its anatomy. Its fighting style probably made use of blocking critical blows with those bracers extensively.

The only other thing of interest was its sword. Reminiscent of an Egyptian Khopesh, the things reach was about as long as my arm. The handle was crafted with some sort of bone and there was a red coloured tassel attached to its pummel.

'... Egypt… Ancient dynasty, pyramids, pharaohs, deserts…'

Less than a memory, more than a feeling, the "returning" knowledge was just data to me...

I will return to that data at a later date.

I feel like I'll have to return to a lot of things till a later date.

'The Memory Giant, how I got here, who I am, what happened to Headon, what's a floor-' I look to my till now silent companion, 'why this girl is clinging to me like some lost child...'

But it will all have to wait.

The girl- who by dint of being the only connection to what happened prior- was elevated from "insignificant bug" to "friend's pet goldfish", shuffled slightly closer at the sounds of approaching screams.

She shuffled closer still when they stopped.

I let out a short breath through my nose. I suppose it would be crass of me to not comfort a clearly distressed lady- girl rather. Though it pains a part of me to have to stoop to a goldfish's level.

'... That will really need sorting.'

"Stay close, but if I tell you to back off, you back off." I stare at her. "Am I understood."

She nodded frantically, fear colouring her pale yellow eyes as she looked up at me with quivering lips.

'Hmmm.'

Something about the way her hair flopped around pathetically reminded me of something amusing so I smirked slightly. She blushed at the sight and looked down, her countenance still fearful but there was a touch of demurity not present before.

How foolish, she must have thought I was smiling for her.

I roll my eyes, but did not bother to correct the misconception. There was still conflicting notions within me, I would prefer to limit interactions to a minimum before I decide how my character should be.

But more importantly, we have company.

It would seem someone had finally noted our presence.

It landed behind me with a bang, not a thud. I watched Rachel's eyes widen in panic and face pale in terror with sadistic curiosity. I fought down another fanged grin.

'Hmmm, Yes. She certainly reminds me of something. Something about the way she displays her emotions on the sleeve and the floppy hair… some sort of animal I think.'

I kinda want to put a collar on her.

This time the bestial smirk could not be fought down.

And yet again the fool of a girl took it as reassurance, that I was not scared and would protect her. Her legs ceased to tremble and her breath stabilised.

Once again I didn't bother with correcting her. A relatively cool headed goldfish is better that a panicked one. She was partly right anyway.

I was not scared.

With no delicious face of dread to enjoy anymore, I casually turned around, and looked up.

A pale humanoid with long gangly arms with squatting in a half crouch yet towering over us, the creature was at least six of seven meters tall straight-backed.

It had bloodshot bulbous eyes and lang serrated ears, canines protruded its mouth and dripped with saliva. The beings armed were disproportionately muscular compared to its otherwise skinny frame, and it had a large sickle-sword in each hand.

'Aha.'

"One of yours?" I ask politely and gesture to the unconscious- and mostly naked- meat bag to the side.

Veins bulge on the already ugly mug of the beast's face. It's already bloodshot eyes becoming visibly more red with each passing second.

"MY. DAUGHTER." Come a grinding, raspy voice, higher than one would expect given its larger than average physique.

I blink.

Then turn to the fallen body, the goldfish doing so as well. I take stock of my first victim once more.

The wisps of hair on a balding misshapen head, the bent hook-like nose, the mismatched arm lengths, the liver spots decorating her (ugh) torso… her flat chest.

'...'

I look back to the father, my goldfish doing the same.

For the first time in living memory, I find myself struggling to find the words.

Eventually I could look up at him with sympathy.

"My condolences."

.

.

AN: Wussup homies.

Apologies for the short chapter, but it's all I could squeeze out at the moment.

This is just me de-stressing, currently I have my finals for art going on and it requires my full attention.

I'm not sure when the next chapter will come out (for any of my stories) but I hope you enjoyed this one at least.