Wings of Narshe I: Wonderland
A strange creature emitted a cry which awakened Bartz frm his sleep. His face was caked in sand, he could feel his body being nudged over by a large, wet head.
"Hey Syldra," Bartz rolled over. His body still ached with agony. With his eyes looking straight up to the sky as he lay on the sandy terrain of the beach, he saw the dark clouds thunder across the sky. Snow Clouds. He realized that for a beach, it was cold. Slydra seemed to wait patiently for him to stand like a giant puppy. Bartz stood up quickly and glanced around, remembering there were other people with him on board.
"Damn it. Faris! Krile! Lenna!" He cried into the distance. Circling around, they were no where to be seen. All he caught eye of was the remnants of the ship mast, splintered in two. It looked as is the ship had been strewn a long distance across the beach, and most likely in the ocean. Slydra interrupted Bartz again, lowering it's head and opening it's mouth, presenting a torn pendant. ("Is that Lenna's or Faris' pendant?") Bartz thought to himself, unsure.
Lenna and Faris where the daughters of King Tycoon of the kingdom of the same name and their birthright was proven with specially crafted golden pendants, both being exactly the same. However, this one had been under severe punishment of nature; the crimson red ribbon was torn and wet, soaked in mud from resting probably at the bottom of the ocean in silt and mud. The gold platings shine was also dulled, tarnished by yet more water and mud.
"Slydra, while I may not be so good at speaking to you like Krile or Faris can, but thanks. Will you help me search for your friends?"
The sea creature seemed to nod in understanding. It then suddenly turned, hung for a moment and clumsly dived, soaking Bartz with a spray of cold water. Getting wet in a cold and damp atmosphere was extremely punishing. Bartz sneezed and began to shiver before trying to shake off what water droplets he could before continuing on. He still had the pendant, clutched in his hand, a cold reminder of the problems he now faced. Although he had never before had a chance to take a good look at it and gazed upon it's glorious. Upon it were a dash of wind swirls, a representation of the Tycoon kingdoms guard of the wind crystal. They formed the symbol of the Hiryuu, the pride and joy of King Tycoon.
Part of him hoped that Syldra wouldn't find anything, anything in the ocean would most likely be dead. But the pendant's wet state caused him to think the worst.
There was no time right now to be spending on doubt and worry. What mattered to him right now was that he remained alive and he had to find out if the others had managed to survive. The area around him was wide, mountains scattered ahead and the area was cold. The grass was yellow and dry, battle-hardened from multiple snowfalls. There were a few trees around, but for the mostpart they were leafless, perhaps and indication of the season. In the distance he could see a cluster of mountains and beneath them, harboured what looked like a large town built against it, smoke rising from the chimneys of warm burning fires. On the field he noticed it had begun to snow. As if things couldn't get any worse. He hastened his pace as much as his battered legs refused.