Waking up from his stupor Ray looked to his right where the other man, bob was supposed to be. Yet all he found was air. Bob had long run away and he wasn't wrong for that as staying any longer would warrant the wolfs attention.
Looking back at Chloe who had already stopped moving, her eyes slowly turning cloudy, He then looked at Jack who was in dire straits, with three wolfs surrounding him. His fate could already be determined from the wound on his right shoulder and another one on his torso with more on the way. Adding blood loss to the equation, even if the wolfs decided to be a saint for tonight, he still wouldn't survive the night.
Taking a deep breath, Ray took off to south, opposite to the way they arrived and also the route bob had taken.
**************
Under the moonshine, deep in the forest.
*rustle rustle *
Ray ran through the woods, unsure of his pursuers., he took note not to leave any track as he could be followed. Moons wolfs, a sub category of wolf, are more agile, strong, and have about 10x the tracking ability than a normal grey wolf. But, nature being symmetric, they are mostly docile unless agitated. That or they're just hungry.
Cursing his bad luck ray ran as fast as he could, occasionally taking a glance behind him.
Suddenly the place where he had placed his foot, in a seemingly clear opening without any roots or rocks, sunk in, pulling him down.
*Creee *
"ughh.."
*thud *
**************
After who knows how long, Ray woke up to a splitting headache in a dimly lit space, on top of scattered rocks and wooden splinters.. He could barely see anything beyond the areas which had some shine. But he could tell by stabbing pain that some of the splinters and rocks had made him injured and bleed for a while now.
Clenching his teeth, he endured the pain as he stood up as he tried to assess himself and his situation.
"ughh.. oww! That hurts, shit."
Every time he moved he could feel different parts of his body in pain. But if he didn't move a headache would assault him. Sometimes, like now, human body worked in ways no one could understand. To alleviate pain in some parts of his body to endure pain in other parts.
He could only move forward, on one hand to alleviate the pain which didn't really help and on the other hand he couldn't just stay when those wolfs or any other danger might creep up on him any moment other than the fact he sorely needed medicine and food. And above those he felt like he could really use some rest....
Moving on he could barely make out that he was in some kind of abandoned building, presumably belonging to a Noble. "Heck, it could be one of those 'ancient ruins' that everybody wished to chance upon. Well, if is really the case... then don't mind if i do"
Indulging in his and everyone's childhood fantasy in general, of striking it rich by becoming an adventurer who found a legendary ancient ruins full of gold and mystic artefacts. Although no one had actually explored an ancient ruin and returned with riches, there were many legends of such case. In fact, the empire's founding hero, The Great Emperor Samuel, was told to have accomplished all of his deeds by the knowledge and wealth he had supposedly obtained in one of the Ancient ruins. But that was just that, a legend. Other than dreamy children no one would entertain such thoughts.
Ray, however, at the moment was seriously considering the possibilities because one, he had to distract himself from the agonizing pain, which made his every breath like inhaling a thousand needles, his every muscle twitching in harrowing pain. And two, he wasn't sure if he would make out alive of this one. He had already thoroughly assessed his body. He had too many injuries and he had no way to stop the blood loss from them all. Most of his luggage was left behind back at the camp, and the little booze and cloth he had on him were already used but it was one drop in an ocean.
As such his thoughts were all over the place, his childhood, his then-friends, his hated parents, his mates at the barracks. They all flashed pasted him as he remained in a slightly dazed state.
"No no pleas- fuck. Ray you better get a grip man!...Damn it"
As he caught himself hallucinating from blood loss, reliving his past, he lightly slapped himself on his face cheek a couple time. His situation was getting worse by the minute. He had already walked for what he thought was half a candle stick and he still hadn't gotten anywhere substantial, even though that half a stick of wax felt like an eternity as he was getting more oxygen than needed to his brain. His heart became more and more reckless. His breadth heavy and excessive. His body as if on fire. His mind drugged!
Ray finally faced his future openly. He couldn't go on, not with that body, not with that mind crumbling pain. And so he thought "why no go out peacefully, if it's gonna happen anyway. I don't want the future historians to think I'm a pathetic bastard who died here from something like hunger"
As if the spirits of the ancient ruins could feel him, he soon found himself in what seemed like a... a cheap throne room. Don't get it wrong, the room was not one a peasant could afford but it was also not that grand to be considered by Great Nobles.
"so it really was a secret place belonging to a Noble. sigh "
Swallowing the building regret he felt at the discovery of this, he cheered himself up as he posed himself with everything he had on the throne.
He positioned himself to be domineering, to be proud, to show he chose his own outcome, although he didn't really choose it.
As he did he started to go through his memories again but with clarity, from his earliest to now.
**************
In a house that looked just like the rest, without standing out, on a neighborhood of lower middle class families, a young boy about 9 years old lay curled up in a dark corner of a room. Combined with the darkness of the night, it would be quite hard to notice anything, much less the boy, without a perfect sights.
His eyes were red, a bit swollen, presumably from crying. He eyes would cycle from hate, anger, sadness to a nascent form of determination. A muffled voice could be heard inconsistently.
"That useless bastard-"
"...-that fucking shitbag of mine.."
"bastard-"
"who does he think he is-..."
"If he doesn't wanna do what i tell him to why is he still here, that damn leech"
This was Ray, enduring his father's cruel heart wrenching comments. The young Ray was a very well mannered good boy who always did as was told. He would do his almost to fulfill what was asked of him . One he feared he would be hurt, like the many times before. Two, to make his father acknowledge him.. . Poor Ray didn't know much at that time, well he didn't know anything outside of his house. In fact he wasn't allowed out because his parents wanted him to be the 'ideal' son, whatever that was. Being groomed by a conceited father to became what even those rich nobles couldn't become, ray was abused and forced to perfect things he couldn't even do by his delusional father who only cared about results.
**************
Standing, a boy about 14 looked down ,putting on a mix of smile, embarrassment and a hint of shame on his ways. He stayed that way as vicious comments made its way to his ears, coated in sugar by about 5 people, all his own family including his own father and mother. A ray more mature than before stood there, shouldering those insidious remarks. He could faintly make out the underlying meaning from them. They basically told him he was pathetic, a useless leech. To hear that from his own blood family, it was bitter at least. He decided to leave, anywhere long as it was away from people unable to endure this mental torture any longer. Especially people like them who pry into others life for no reason. And so on his next birthday, when he was a legal adult, he set out for the army. The Great empire had waged war to its neighboring nation for land and was recruiting peasants and the like to fill it's ranks. The had been going on for more than 4 years already yet they still recruiting soldiers and kept the front line busy.
In the army he found out nobody would care with him for no reason, that he wouldn't be bothered with as long as he did as told. He slowly made his way into the military society, which was of course just his mates from the same regiment. He turned carefree and a bit violent, as one could expect from those who served in the army. he became intoxicated by his experiences there. The peace of mind and comfort he found there, outside of his time fighting was simply incomparable to his home. Even the bloody battlefield which could claim his life, the unholy acts he had to do couldn't change his mind about his then-home.
**************
Now twenty years old ray found himself outside of the Central Military Quarters in the Royal capital. He had just been shown his way out after being handed his temporary suspension. Of course it was just a sugar coated termination letter. But it wasn't because he was lacking as soldier, in fact he was even selected as a candidate for medals for his meritorious deeds. Nor was he wounded, physically or mentally, at least in eyes of those in charge of the army. It was just that the Empire's war had already come to an end. To the soldiers who wee expecting victory feast, what greeted them was this termination letters. It wasn't that the empire doesn't appreciate their work but just that they were unnecessary now hat the war was over. The Empire, in fact no country ,now or in history could sustain nine hundred thousand,fit and able soldiers for long unless they were looking for a quick way to empty the treasury. It was just insane. The money hungry Noble and Royal would never allow to that. And so they fired approximately five hundred thousand people from all branches, from clerical to field medic. But would anyone just give up on these battle trained, experienced veteran for just that? What if they had another war? what if they were needed again? Thus they put on that temporary suspension facade. This way they could keep a record of those with worth as a soldier and call upon them in the future when they are desired.
Suddenly becoming jobless, Ray found himself in the street in future if he didn't look for any job to keep him fed. And the only thing he had learned in the army was basic survival, reading and writing and of course his most proficient skill of them all was killing...Thus he soon found a suitable job and the rest is history.
**************
Back in the dark throne room, unknown to ray, his body had been bleeding profusely from his wounds had traced away from the throne, in mystical ways such that they appeared to be to random and unrelated yet on a different view would make an intricate pattern.
By the time the pattern that was spread across the entirety of the hall was complete, Ray had already fallen asleep. Never to be awoken...