Redo, Recollection Prologue, The Dollmaker
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Disclaimer : I don't own cover image
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I always hated people with too much power, there are too many of them.
The brush gently caressed its hair slightly on the grainy wooden face, giving the doll life and colour. The artisan panted as he dipped his tool in water with his veiny hand and shook the unused paint off.
Pompous bastards ... abusing them under whatever excuse they cooked. Righteousness, power, or some other garbage.
He placed his seventy-seventh completed doll on his shelf alongside the many others. Each one unique and handcrafted by this man with his own bare hands. The Artisan rubbed his forehead and proceed to walk back to his workbench, clamping a piece of pine wood, he sanded the piece with all his strength, mixing his own sweat with the sawdust. Eyes bloodshot with black eyebags.
Don't they know great power comes with great responsibilities!?
The haughty Re-Estize nobles
The Eight Fingers
Even scums like the Blue Rose and the Arrogant upstart...
...That bastard Mormon.
I hate them, but...
The artisan sighed, uncorked a bottle of gourd shine and chug it down, his throat was cooled as he left his workshop. The day have turned into a chiller night in the woods.
I am not a man of power, but a simple Dollmaker, who if dead no one shall bat an eye. This world will forget my name for I weren't able to change it nor I want to.
And since I have little power...
The Dollmaker washed his face with a basin, when the water settled, he looked at his reflection. A Young man with a dishevelled grey hair despite his age, he put back his round-framed spectacles. Straightened his bowtie and suit vest, and forced a smile.
That means I have lesser responsibility
Lesser things
And lesser friends
Probably will also die a virgin, not that I mind that, it may suck. All things will reach death or downfall one way or another. I just want to die while continuing living this normal life as myself. Regardless of how less I have, I am happy … I think?
The Dollmaker strolled his way through his patch of the Great Forest, for some reason this area lacked any dangerous beast or any creatures in general. Only him himself live around this place, only him. The environment was perfect for him mental state, he takes strolls around here to calm himself down. For It is... relaxing.
In morning he will continue his routine in peddling toys to villages or to the city. It may not be much, but it will be honest work, enough coin to buy food and necessities. At night he will isolate himself in his little cottage or stroll alone along his little patch again; Or harvest bitter gourds from his makeshift vine fences for him to ferment into a unique moonshine that no one but himself likes.
But tonight, he has done all of that, now he stares aimlessly at the skies, whilst enjoying his bitter gourd moonshine underneath the moonlight. Stars glittered like a thousand jewels in a mine, then one catches his eye, a shooting one that stride its way across the skies, the one people called shooting stars!
Normally he wouldn't wish for much, for he is complacent for his life. So out of boredom, after overhearing a couple's romantic conversation in cringe out of coincidence, whilst learning from them to wish upon the weird white star shooting down from sky. He clasped his hand together and mimicked them with envy.
"Sigh... alright I have no god to worship... hate them even, but umm whoever's up there, can I have a friend please? Or even a girlfriend! I am not asking much but … um yea, I don't know what comes next."
Crickets answered him back. As if mockingly. His eyes started to get cloudy with tears as his heart aches.
"Well fuck you too gods, FUCK YOU TOO! That's why I don't need you or anyone else. FUCK...fuck it I am going back to sleep." Wise decision, he was flustered red on the nose and cheeks, a sign of his drunkenness.
As he turned his back away from the skies to head home, he noticed the light from the moon that baths the ground gone brighter and brighter. Only realized two things, firstly being the said light doesn't came from the moon, and secondly something very bright is flying towards him in a very fast and dangerous speed.
"What in the name of... OH NO!"
The star or more appropriately a meteor, almost as big as the boulder he was sitting came clashing down on him. He narrowly jumped out of the way to dodge it. What proceed was explosion of debris, wood fractures and smoke.
The Dollmaker rushed to the direction of the crash site... his homestead.
"No no no, my livelihood depends on that place!"
He reached his home at last. Only to find the house was still safe with a sigh of relief. But he welled up more tears when his small gourd farm on the other hand. "OH NOOOOoo!" He repeated this time with both palms on cheeks.
Fractured wood, ruined vines and splattered crushed gourd pieces all over the place. His donkey, Old Chariot was braying uncontrollably and made circles around his makeshift stable.
He was destroyed utterly, but it's alright, he could always rebuild the farm and plant new gourds he told himself. Trying every desperate attempt to avoid further depression with much futility, controlling his breathing was one of them. They all failed at that moment.
Then he caught sight of something interesting.
The meteor that wrecked his farm, wasn't a meteor, but what seemed to be a petite young girl with a short stature. She wore a torn and nearly shredded black evening dress with a big skirt and purple accents. Despite her battle scars and bruises, she has an unnaturally smooth pale skin and refined silver hair. Had she been placed inside the Dollmaker's house she would have been mistaken as an oversized version of his porcelain dolls.
"What...who..." he looked at the girl, wiping a sweat off his forehead.
He looked at the mysterious girl again, before mustering enough courage to move forward.
"Oi," He gently slapped her face, "You, ok?"
No response, her eyelids are still close and she seemed to be in peace.
"Curses, what should I do with her, I am bad in social interactions besides that when I am at my jobs. She seemed like a noble, or something unnatural and dangerous. Normal humans wouldn't be this pale! It would invite trouble to be involved with whatever she is! But then again what do I do!?"
"Call the Adventurers? No, he hated their guts and high horses!"
"Consult an Orphanage? Uh"
"Or report it to City Guards!? But they are too far from here!"
The Dollmaker walked around in circle as he rambled his thoughts to himself. Thinking about what to do with this mysterious person. Not even noticing the pale girl was slowly getting up from her back, staring blankly with red ruby eyes at the weird human who was walking in circles and muttering to himself. She opened her mouth, revealing the sharp fangs within.
In her vision, the human finally noticed the girl and widen his eyes.
"Those eyes and teeth, dear god, you're a Vampire are you not ?!"
"V... vampire?" she replied tilting one head innocently.
"Fuck, stay away, don't kill me!" he pulled out a carving knife from his coat and pointed at her. Who still stares at him blankly. The Dollmaker knows he isn't the smartest man alive in the kingdom, however he was not dumb enough to know such a mortal as him was no match for the Vampire. So, he dashes to one side, hop onto his Donkey and sliced the leash.
As he galloped away from his home, or more appropriate from the apparent danger there.
"Go Old Chariot, I can't believe I have to say this but I think this might be the first time we need to beg those cursed Adventurers or City Guards for help! Luckily for me, a man without dignity wouldn't mean much in the face of hypocrisy!
Especially when my precious livelihood is threatened!"
Old Chariot brayed loudly in response.
Dollmaker rode through the familiar Pinewood trails. A place that was usually a serene place for the Dollmaker to trot gently his caravan through. Now with the tall shaking tree and mists all over, and that thing supposedly behind him. This place became the most frightening place, he has ever been in his life despite being one of the places he passed by the most.
"We are almost out of the woods, someone like me won't die easily! Those are the jobs for pretentious heroes and baddies! Not for labourious backgrounders like me!"
A blur flashed right in front of him and the form of the vampire caused the Dollmaker to held the donkey's reins for a tight stop. Unfortunately for him, a donkey wasn't a fancy barded warhorse nor that the Dollmaker was an experienced rider, hence the braking the donkey so sudden only cause him to be catapulted forward, landing face down right at the toes of the bloodsucker.
"Guess I will die. And I realized, given who I am, it doesn't matter anyways. I shall leave without anything nor any regrets..."
Were his last thoughts as his lie motionless in defeat, face flat down. Only to realize that he has never been more wrong as he was breathing for longer than he expected. Pulling his face out of the ground and spitting dirt, he only exchanging an awkward eye contact with his supposed assailant.
Who just bend down slightly to look at him with dumb emotionless red eyes?
"Why didn't you kill me? You have all the means to do so! Look at you!"
"I... I don't know, why would I do that?"
"Because you are a vampire, vampires are powerful monsters kills humans without a care, at least that's from what I heard."
"Are you telling me that I should kill you right now?" she asked in a confused tone, raising a finger that touches her small fang that stuck out of her lips.
"What?! No! No! No! Missy, I would very much appreciate you not to do so. In fact, a lot of people will like you better if you don't kill anyone!" He got up and wave his hands frantically.
The Vampire only looked back at the human with an emotionless and awkward look.
Silence, a calming one now, has descended upon the trail for a brief moment, only the rustling of leaves and Dollmaker's panting can be heard. Most of the adrenaline from earlier has expended, and he knows he was getting nowhere with his undead counterpart.
"Look lady, I think we started on the wrong foot, let's have a reset alright? I am just a local mediocre Dollmaker around here, Billy O Tea is the name, but I preferred to be called by my profession. I am one who want to try his best to not get involved in another's business. I will just head home if it's fine with you then proceed to forget everything happened here. I won't even ask for your name or why did you even crash onto my lawn."
Again, the Vampire said nothing, just looking at him aimlessly.
He hopped on his donkey, and silently trot back to his homestead. Only to find the Vampire to follow right behind him on her barefoot while clutching her torn clothes carefully. Staring at the taller yet weaker man without any malice nor supremacy.
"Uh Missy, are you ok there?"
"I... I."
The Dollmaker reined in Old Chariot, albeit gently this time.
"Umm, look umm, how can I address you?"
"My name? I name is Shall...Sal...Sell..." each name with 'S' got softer, as she shrunk.
"Yes? Sell...Serl?" Dollmaker leaned closer whilst on his donkey.
"...I don't know. Where am I, who am I?"
The Mind-blowing realization hit the Dollmaker like how the ground hit his face earlier. It was not a good feeling. A deep sigh escaped his throat for the umpteenth time.
"Ah... I see, then guess other questions will be pointless since you can't remember a thing. Curses, so you followed me, a random rather useless stranger, all because I am the first person you saw who talks and walks?"
The Vampire nods twice while looking up.
"Look lady, I don't know who you are and I don't care, I believe something as powerful as you should be able to fend for yourself. Just please go somewhere and let me live my life"
... was what the Dollmaker would normally say, not even caring for any dangers posed to his life due to that answer.
It was those puppy eyes that begged pity from him. The Vampire, no, this lost child who lost track of who she even was, reminded him of something that hit him very close to home. It was those things that forbids the Dollmaker to categorize her as the other high and almighty bastards he known in his life.
He clenched his teeth and muttered a "damn it". In a sheer display of hypocrisy and break of character, he got off his donkey and took off his coat, offering it to a superior being who was amnesiac by chance. Who looked up at the taller man with surprise and sparkly eyes?
I am so going to hate myself for this he thought as he took a seat on the ground beside her. For he would probably lower his life expectancy after this. However, he can't help to control his impulses to utter the next words which will change his life forever.
"If you have nowhere to go, no identity nor life, you are always welcome to stay with me for quite some time."
"Really?"
"Yes really, however I will warn you, this life of mine is pretty dull and unrewarding! And it might need to take a lot from you! The only bright thing is you can always back out of it, my line of work is that of ALWAYS return! And I..."
The Vampire gripped the Dollmaker's hands with both hands before he can continue, with a gratefulness emanating from her beautiful ruby eyes. She spoke.
"...Thank you."
Dollmaker flustered before turning away coughing, he never had any experience such as this.
"Right, now the night is getting late. I think we shall return um Miss... oh yea you need a temporary name aye? And since your real name starts with a "Shell" if I am not wrong... umm then umm..."
Crap I am bad with coming up with names.
"Hah! How about Sally Brown?"
The Vampire stared at him without a world. Two wide ruby eyes peered into his soul like an owl studying a mouse.
"What, is there something wrong with that name? Yea it's probably too without a kick. Umm, I will come out with something. Or um you can do it! Wait, since it's your name so um..."
"I like the name Billy; I like it very much. In fact, I think my last name start with Beh...Bleh...Barf..."
"Oh" the Dollmaker uttered, out of surprise for both her acceptance and the use of his real name. While the other was trying her best to come out with something that started with 'B'.
"I... think you tried enough, but I am happy we are making progress. It's best now If there's no further ado." He got up from his sitting position and offered a hand to his new companion.
"Let's start our life of mediocrity!"
With a smile, Sally Brown the Vampire took Dollmaker's hand.
Sadly, when their hands joined, the world shall spin around them, spinning them into a life that will be anything but mediocre as the big players plot and scheme in secret. Even those who were common folk shall not be safe. Especially now deep inside a certain tomb, a certain great Undead Overlord was getting very angry over losing one of his closest Child.
Perhaps the Dollmaker should never have invited the Vampire into his house.
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-Prologue end-
