xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxA/NxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXx

I have an contestant for the O/C contest! the first of five O/C's goes to...CherrieKittie, with her O/C Shadowtail Sayu! Four more good entries sent to my PM box and I will have to close it down...D:

As always, I appreciate reviews...but I guess since most of you who viewed this were guests, I can let ya'll review now. :)

Let the story commence!

xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Hunger. All-consuming, painful hunger was my world, with room for nothing else, because there was nothing else. I was a tiny vessel, lost in a universe of darkness. Nothing to see but blackness, or to feel but the warm cobblestone beneath my numb fingers. Nothing to smell but that of my misery. i could make tools out of the cobblestone floor beneath me and the wood-plank table before me, but I was too weak. I opened my eyes, but I could only hazily make out the form of a torch in a bracket before the darkness consumed me again.

[~(|)~]

Creeeaaaak. The iron door that was my only hurdle to freedom swung open on its hinges, before a tall, slightly chubby girl walked in. She was about my age, and could have been my cousin, with her long, dark hair and blue-green eyes. "Hello," she said softly. "I'm Shadowtail Sayu. I work for the Faction. What's your name?"

I tried to answer, but all that would come out of my mouth was "O-o-or..." before Shadowtail looked at me with concern.

"I forgot...You haven't eaten for three days!" Three days? It was a wonder that I had survived that long! No wonder I was so hungry! After the initial shock faded, I was bewildered. How was it that this beautiful girl knew that I had not eaten in three days, but she knew that I had gone for three days without food? Then, I was temporarily distracted by the steak she was offering me. I tore it to shreds in a matter of seconds, regaining my strength with every bite. "Thank you! I haven't been that hungry since I was locked in the mines down at Staghelm! But tell me one thing... how did you not know my name? By the way, it's Orkiz."

"You're very welcome. I didn't know your name because all of the Faction refers to you as the Prisoner, or, sometimes, Thief." Ahhh... apparently I was a small celebrity with the Faction. This wasn't our first run-in, though. I had met the Faction Army numerous times, and none of them were very pleasant. There was the time I stole a ghast tear, and then when I stole magma cream, and netherwart, a slimeball, some acacia saplings...all the way untill now, when they finally managed to catch me after stealing blaze rods. All in all, I was pretty proud of myself for evading them for so long. "You know you only have a limited amount of time, right?"

"What? What for?"

"They're going to execute you, if you don't give them what they want in the next two sessions. They'll torture you, and then kill you."

Oh, no. This is bad. This is very bad. if I don't tell them about the End portal, I'm dead. I start to remember what Crystal said, about-"NO!" I shout, startling Shadowtail. "Orkiz? What's wrong? You still have a chance to save yourself!"

"Nothing-I just fell asleep for a moment and had an old nightmare," I lie.

"Oh...okay. just let me know if you need anything-I'll be outside the room most of the day from now on," she consoles me.

"Alright. Bye, Shadowtail," I say, although that doesn't make me feel any better.

"Bye, Orkiz," she says kindly as she sashays out of the room.

[~(|)~]