Tenacity, perseverance there were various words and ways to describe it, it, that something that allows a person to break through their limits, be they mental or physical. It was this something that allowed the captain to transcend his current weak physical state, it wasn't physical ability, no, it was something rooted deep in the man's very being, his soul. Where ordinary men would fail, where ordinary men would be discouraged and disparaged, the captain would keep going, despite his failures and loses along the way.
The beta had been partially right, had the captain been an ordinary man, had the captain been even unordinary he most likely would still have died. Fortunately he was anything but, having experienced the cold clutches of death, and the regret that followed, the man was even more determined to persevere, to struggle to survive, and so he did.
The night carried on as the captain was washed away in the river in the roaring river, drowning any howl or roar that the alpha boar might've made when it realised its prey had escaped its clutches. The captain was using his makeshift crutch to stay afloat and somehow also navigated and bounced between the rocks with it, piece by piece however it broke apart, leaving the man less and less ability to cushion himself against the deadly rocks in the river.
Luckily the river split into two and its intense current lessened significantly, but even then he was barely hanging on, gasping and kicking in order to catch every breath he could, no matter how small and insignificant it might be. For hours he clung unto the vague hope of survival! All other thoughts were gone, there was no mental space to begin contemplating complicated strategies that would allow him to reach shore, there was no time for him to realise that his muscles in his legs were clutched up. Pain and anguish washed over him as intensely as the waves, but it was secondary to his strong will to survive, and so he kicked with his debilitated legs.
Eventually his crutch splintered completely, and in that very instant, the current pulled him underneath the water knocking his head onto a small rock, opening his head-wound once more.
"...Ra" as he was pulled into the darkness and quietness of the water, a voice echoed out in his head "...dir" The voice was soft and gentle. The captain was slowly losing his consciousness and grip with reality. An ethereal shadowy hand reached out towards him, he couldn't see who it belonged to, but he felt that it was somehow familiar to him, and so he stretched his hand out barely touching the fingers of the shadowy hand.
…..
"Barandir, what trouble have you caused your parents this time?" an old and gentle looking lady asked while smiling, she was slightly chubby, but her features were friendly, and her grey hair was tied up into a small knot. The most striking part was her deep blue eyes, aside from her head the rest of her body was largely obscured. She definitely spoke a language the captain had never heard before, yet he found that he understood it somehow, but who was she speaking to?
"I didn't cause any trouble..." the captain answered, much to his own surprise, it was his mouth that answered, but the words were not his own, the voice had sounded immature, like a small child's. A pang of fear and insecurity present in the sentence.
"Then why are you hiding here?" The old lady answered once more, patiently, with a glimmer in her eye.
"I'm not hiding!" the immature voice replied slightly offended.
The lady's eyes turned stern "Then what are you afraid of, get going now, don't waste your time here boy!"
'Hiding! Afraid!' The captain's heart shook, whatever this scene was, it struck him hard, wasn't he just drowning? Then what happened?.. slowly the reality of what had passed began to dawn on the captain, as he yelled out in his mind 'I'm not afraid! I'm not hiding!' and like a bubble bursting, the image of the old lady disappeared. The captain found himself drowning underwater once more, yet somehow he found the strength to clutch onto life as he struggled up to the surface!
It was as if the river had responded to the man's strong will to survive as the current slowly let go of him, and the rapids turned gentle. Dawn was breaking through the treeline, an orange sheen of sunshine cascading through the clouds shimmering in the water, warming up the drifting man's body as he lay on his back, allowing the river to carry him to unknown destinations.
…..
The river had turned into several smaller streams, and then into a larger river again, and all the way the captain left a bright, albeit diminishing stripe of red after him. He was eagerly operating the Bears Hibernating Breath, allowing his bleeding to coagulate quicker, despite the water cleansing it over and over. During his drifting, he had come to the conclusion, that the rivers and streams that he had been floating through must've been shallow as he had not seen any bigger fish, and also, he chuckled to himself, any of the numerous river beasts that would've surely been attracted his blood.
'All good things must come to an end!' he thought bitterly to himself as he noticed the river increasing in speed, and the vague sound of water splashing onto rocks. There was a fall coming up, would it be more dangerous river rapids? A small waterfall? A series of waterfalls? He didn't know, but he knew he couldn't stay in the river any-longer which was unfortunate as he was planning to stay there for as long as possible. It had been an easy solution - as long as the river stayed shallow, he would most likely come across a village or settlement eventually.
Although sore, his legs had recovered some modicum of function, and so he pushed his body like a fish in a strange way, which quickly allowed him reach the shore. All soldiers had to learn swimming skills, and several schools of martial art had developed their own swimming techniques. The captain being a fanatic of the warrior arts had dabbled in some of these, and he had used the Reverse Turtle's Glide to reach the shore. His stomach grumbled eagerly at the thought of eating some Reverse Turtle, a local delicacy of his home-town.
The silent thought of 'home' painted the man's face in sorrow as he sat by the river shore, the sunshine drying his soaked and weathered body. The birds chirping and whistling in joyful tunes, the forest was truly alive, yet the man did not feel the warmth of the sun, he did not feel the joy of the forest, his thoughts were still and dark, his mind obscured by memories that now seemed ever so distant. He had died, and most likely had anyone he had ever known, he didn't know if a lot of time had passed, or if this was even his own world, but it didn't matter! The kingdom of mages had destroyed his regiment, slaughtered his comrades, the only family he had left.
Wallowing in sadness was an uncommon feeling, it was as if his thoughts were not quite his own, as if the body of whoever he inhabited had some lingering emotions and memories.
"Barandir" the captain spoke slowly, his voice strange and unfamiliar to him, it sounded like a young man's voice. He closed his eyes and leaned back until he was lying on his back the sunshine covering his face, drying two streams of tears.
"I don't know if you can hear me, or if you are truly lost from this world" The captain mustered, he spoke slowly and barely with a whisper "I hope I did not cause you harm, that me occupying your body did not cause you to lose yourself..." he was quiet for a while, finally he began hearing the forest and its occupants, a small smile crossed his lips, his expression turning more peaceful "If you have family out there, I will help you take care of them, if I find that you have goals that do not conflict with my person, then I will help you complete them" his voice grew louder for every word he spoke "That, Barandir! Is my thanks to you, that is my repayment, I will not waste the life you have given me, that is my promise to you, man to man!" he exclaimed strongly, his voice full of emotion, making the birds in the nearby trees flutter away in surprise.
Silence followed for a while afterwards, but eventually the quiet was disturbed once more "I am my own man Barandir, but I am also no longer myself, whatever life I led, that was in the past" his fists clenched tightly as he continued speaking in a strained manner "I wasn't a perfect man, I had my faults, I lived and I laughed, I cried and I suffered, but it was my life, all in all it was a good life" a tear escaped his right eye in a thin stream running down his cheek "but I have always been a man of absolutes!" the strain in his voice loosening, becoming more unrestrained "I died! Regardless of me being here, I am dead, who I was am dead!" his voice was free, yet pain was present in every syllable "I accept that... I want to move forward, to live again, unburdened by a dead man..." the sound of the river sloshing drowned out the long quit that followed the sentence "I won't forget who I was, but I won't let that determine who I will become!" a sense of finality and determination could be seen in his expression "I might not be able to bring you back, but I will carry your name, so that I can bring you honour".
The lone monologue was followed by a strong gust of wind that rustled the branches in a cacophony of clicks and clacks, and leaf's swishing and swooshing. The captain, no, Barandir laughed loudly as the cool wind brushed against his face, whether it had been some quiet acceptance of the new Barandir, a passing of the torch, or if it had merely been a coincidence, he knew not, and he never would.
…..
The Hibernating Bear's Breath was truly miraculous Barandir thought to himself, he had never had much use for it as he had mastered a multitude of more advance breaths that relied on natural energy, however he now understood how precious this breath could be for the common soldiers or the common folk. His injuries had scabbed after two days of lying almost entirely still, aside from a light crawl to the riverside for the occasional scoop of water. His legs had been almost completely out of commission, but now he could feel a slight amount of strength in them again.
He knew he couldn't stay by the river much longer, he needed sustenance. Even in his previous life he had never reached the rumoured level of living off of the natural energy of the world, and now that he was simply a common man, he certainly couldn't sustain his body like so.
Barandir evaluated his options, there was sure to be fish in the river, but the river ran fast, at least too fast for his current strength. His skill might be superior, but he was exhausted and weary. As a soldier he had learned the survival skills, as a captain he had taught them. Right at this moment he needed sustenance, if possible, fat or salt. The forest would provide, there was sure to be some nuts and berries around, eventually he would return and catch some fish.
…..
Barandir skilfully moved at a brisk pace with a newfound crutch, however his mood was anything but good. He had soon realised that he didn't recognise the vegetation around the forest. Exasperated and his former confidence gone, he jumped in-between bushed and trees, his feet were sore from the earthy forest floor, and his arms and legs had been scratched, and his clothes almost completely gone from the previous days' hardships.
He had found nuts, and berries, but were they safe to eat? His thoughts ran wild with ideas, he was too weak to begin making a complicated trap, no he needed something simpler, and then it hit him! He might not be able to stand still without shaking currently, but he could sit still.
Unfortunately there had been a waterfall not far from where he was staying and steep cliff as well spanning as far as he could see. The view was magnificent, surely, but from this location alone he could see several large shadows of predatory birds in the distance and along the cliff side away from the waterfall, he could see at least a couple of nests. The sight had made him depart in a hurry, back to the riverside where he had drifted ashore.
…..
A small moss-pig ran through the forest, it had green moss-like fur, and short stubby ears, it was well-camouflaged in the thick bushes and in the dense forest. It soon came to a stop, its tiny snout trembled lightly as it caught the scent of berries. It didn't take long for its stubby brown hoofs to carry it over to a large bush. The moss-pig noticed that there were several mushed berries, some of them poisonous even, it hesitated, until it noticed a couple of small piles of nuts near the bush also.
It slowly approached, afraid that some animal might be lying in wait, but there was nothing that smelled out of the ordinary, only a strong smell of mushed berries. It sped up again, but before it got any real speed, it died a quick and violent death.
The large bush had barely shaken, as a short make-shift spear had struck true from within, penetrating the moss-pig under the armpit, instantly stabbing its heart killing it instantly.
He had obscured his smell by wiping the strongest smelling berry on himself together with a thick layer of dirt and mud. It had successfully tricked the strong sense of smell of the moss-pig.
…..
Fire was risky, it could attract and scare away wild animals all at the same time, but he couldn't risk eating raw meat either. Starting a fire was hardly difficult for Barandir, his camp was simple but efficient, a small fire burned next to the river, the mist and openness allowing the smoke and smell to diffuse more easily. He had also collected several leaf's and pieces of moss and made a cover to sleep on. As much as he would have liked to sleep securely on a tree-branch he didn't have the strength to climb one, but he needed to rest, thankfully he knew the Hibernating Bear's Breath, which could allow his body and mind rest while still staying somewhat aware of his surroundings.
He washed himself in the river, allowing his dirt and bush camouflage to drift away in the waves. He needed to keep his wounds clean. The scabbing was an ongoing process as the wounds continuously opened whenever he was moving for longer periods.
Most of his clothes had been torn to threads, whatever remained of his pants were barely covering anything, so there he sat, pretty much naked chewing down the small pig. Every fatty salty bite brought him strength and energy, it fuelled his believe in his survival.
Luckily it was, he assumed, summer time and he could safely turn out the fire without worrying about the night-cold. His thoughts went to the moment of the kill while he was operating his breathing technique. Killing was not unfamiliar to him, he was well versed in the art, be that man, animal or beast, however this was the first being that he had taken the life of since his return, and somehow, he didn't find himself as emotionless about it as he would've normally.
There was nothing like lying in the night, to allow a person to contemplate one's choices, and he realised, much to his chagrin, that taken a life was not something that should be taken lightly. The very thought confounded him, he had never killed carelessly before, or so he had thought, but now it was different. He had always scoffed at the people who hesitated in cutting down their enemies, or an animal during a hunt.
A bitter laughter escaped his lips as he now saw himself as someone who might hesitate in front of an enemy, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Having been a soldier he knew that changing one's psyche wasn't easily done, although he didn't wish to go back to who he had been, he also didn't think that his current state as a good one, maybe the coming days of hunting would remedy this he thought to himself.
…..
Two weeks had passed since his first successful hunt, and his wounds had largely recovered, although his legs still suffered some weakness. Certain movement techniques should not be attempted by an untrained body, although Barandir hardly regretted his choice, as the alternative had been less than pleasant.
During this period, he had attempted eating quarters of different berries, fruits and nuts, and he had whittled down a list of what made him sick, and what appeared safe for consumption. There was a oblong type of nut that was especially fatty and flavourful the size of a grape, it provided him with lots of energy, and it had a noticeable effect on the recovery of his wounds. Unfortunately, it was hard to find.
Aside from learning about the collectible foods, he had also engendered on a mission of trapping and hunting the local wildlife, all things considered he had arrived at a relatively save area, compared to where he had first found himself, and had decided to stay until he fully recovered. His traps ranged from the simpler stuff, like bait, to the more advanced traps such as snares and pitfalls. He could hardly dig a pitfall himself, but by using nature's own holes he could trick the unsuspecting into them, of course there would be plenty of sharp wooden branches.
His earlier qualms about killing hadn't disappeared, he had reasoned though that killing for survival was quite different than doing so for sport, although he was still deeply bothered by the fact that he had qualms about killing an animal at all. Maybe had it been his pet, he would've understood, but this was not the case at all.
…..
Towards the third week his legs had recovered fully. It was about time he ventured slightly further into the forest, as the number of animals and harvestable berries and nuts were running low. Surprisingly he had yet to catch or even see the glimpse of single fish, maybe it hadn't simply been the shallow water that had kept the river beasts away from him, maybe there was more to the rivers and streams in this forest? Not that he would be able to find out, but the thought crossed his mind as he sharpened the edge of a sturdy branch that he had burnt black at one end so that it could be sharpened.
At this point he was completely naked, his clothes had long since lost all functionality, it had become clear to him that he hadn't been some hunter who had fallen from a tree, but that he must've fallen from the sky somehow, just how that had happened he didn't know. He surmised that a beast could've dropped him, either accidentally or purposefully.
He was covered in brown dirt and dark greens moss, and a handmade shoulder and leg cover constructed from whatever bush and dirt he had been able to find in the surroundings. His movements were silent and stealthy, yet It didn't take long for him to pass the tree that had been his dividing line, so from here on out it was going to be new territory.
Upon crossing the border he reminisced his shocking awakening, it felt like a life-time ago at this point in time. He shook his head slightly as he continued forward undaunted by the unknown.
…..
The forest hadn't changed much, since he left his riverside campsite earlier in the day, there were still large towering trees allowing very little sunshine to break through the multitude of branches above creating speckled dots of white on the earthy ground it was quite the marvellous sight when the sun had shone the strongest and tangible looking streaks of sunshine would be spread out appearing as pillars from the heaven.
Albeit Barandir had moved with care, he could not have foreseen the tree that found itself in front of him as he barged head first into it. He almost fell on the ground, but managed to grab a hold on the tree trunk, until it moved that was!
It shimmered invisibly for a moment when it moved, and appeared as a tree trunk once again when it touched ground again several meters ahead. The most disturbing part had the way that the tree had somehow managed to do so almost completely silently, barely making contact with the other trees or bushes. Barandir looked up towards the area where the moving tree trunk was located, and all he saw was branches and leaf's. In absolute! It dawned on him that there was a large darkened area of almost a hundred meters long and twenty meters wide where no sunshine could escape to the undergrowth, absolutely no sunshine, he soon noticed several other moving tree trunks along with the covered area. Whatever creature it was, he did not know of it, but the size of it alone was shocking.
The pillars of light had been increasingly dimming and it was clear that the night was creeping up slowly but steadily. Barandir decided that he had explored enough for the day and began his trek back, following several markers that he had made on his way. During this process of backtracking he would also be marking the trees with directions carving different symbols on the trees, representing if it was a good place to hunt or find other types of sustenance.
Overall the day had been successful for Barandir, he had mapped the area and he could soon begin preparing where his new campsite would be. It was a rather optimistic line of thinking that was disrupted by a large monkey, its body would have easily been camouflaged had it been in a tree and not on the ground, its skin was covered in a bark like substance, and it stood a full head taller than Barandir, and twice over the shoulders. Its eyes appeared to have a semblance of intelligence as it observed Barandit quietly.
This wasn't good, this wasn't good at all! Barandir had finally seen a creature he recognised, and he cursed any and all entities as his body slowed down to a standstill. The creature was known as a Red Bark Monkey. The word red had been added to its name as it was rare monkey type that was fond of a diet consisting only of meat...any meat.