(Keon)
(Refer to "Capture of a Familiar")
"Please, stay safe, Keon."
The voice faded. In a sudden movement, I jolted awake. It was dark.
I must be on the forest floor.
Slowly, I got up, dusting the dirt off my body. An intense miasma lingered.
I looked down.
A trio of unfamiliar corpses lay on the floor. Headless. It was unfamiliar, yet, I couldn't stop crying.
Then, I puked. It was a disgusting sight.
"Haa... haa..."
I panted.
Who am I?
A sword was on the ground. Still in it's its sheath. I picked it up, unsheathing it. It felt so light.
I'm a swordsman.
I felt a sharp pain in my forehead. Instantly, I reached my hand to touch it.
A wound? From... who?
A roar could be heard from a distance. I turned my head, quickly. A trio of orcs.
I just got here. From the looks of it, I've died.
I'm not gonna let myself die again. No way.
3 orcs.
Again, I unsheathed my sword. This time, with the intent to kill.
No, even when I was swinging my sword in the air, I had killing intent.
Am I stuck like this?
It doesn't matter.
I sliced the head of the first orc, a clean execution. I swiped the blood off my blade.
1 down.
The second one is a little taller. I jumped into the air. It's neck was a lot thicker. But, I got it all the way through.
2 down.
The last orc, fearless as ever, charged at me. Even after seeing all of his friends die, he still went on.
I guess he wishes to die with honor.
3 down.
Again, I whipped the blood off my blade, sliding it into my sheath.
"Orcs are foolish."
My thoughts slipped out, as I rested my hand on my sheath.
First things first, I need to figure out my name. That's the only way I can survive.
But how could I possibly escape such a thick forest?
My stomach growled.
The orc meat was starting to look awfully tasty.
. . .
. .
.
Cooked orc meat. I used my sword and some rocks nearby to cook it. It dulled my blade, but I had to eat.
I took one bite into it.
It was tough. I should've expected that, from such a strong animal. Their muscles are huge.
As I chowed down on the orc's leg, I had company. The rustling of leaves and shuffling was easily heard. I guess it was so easy for me to hear because I'm a swordsman.
"Come out. I can hear you."
I wasn't too bothered. I sat cross-legged on the ground, tearing through the meat. In the dark, a figure slowly moved out of the bushes.
As it came closer to the fire, it became more distinguishable. A human. Her dark black hair was unkempt and scruffy, like an animal. Her skin was fair, though dirty, and her eyes were large, with light blue pupils. She seemed innocent.
Her clothes were in tatters, ripped, and even burnt.
"You stink," I said. She didn't respond, only eyeing the meet and then looking back at me.
"Can I… have some?" she asked.
"No names? Jeez."
"I don't… I don't have a name."
"Me neither. I'll call you… Arlene. Is that good?"
Hesitantly, she nodded. I think she was only nodding to get the meat, though.
I threw the meat her way. She caught in the air with her mouth, like a dog catching a treat.
I started laughing. She looked at me, confused.
"You're that hungry? Jeez!" I said, half speaking, half laughing.
After a few minutes of her loudly chewing, I decided to speak.
"You can call me Keon."
The name felt right. It resonated with me, I guess.
"Keon."
She repeated, staring at me. I thought she was going to say something after, but I guess not.
"So, what happened to you?" I questioned. She looked down at the ground, her hands still gripping tightly onto the bone of the meat.
"I… don't want to talk about it."
"Why? You wuss."
"What's a wuss?"
Damn it. It's hard to peer pressure someone like this.
"Someone who… is afraid of everything!"
"I'm not afraid of everything."
"Yeah, you are."
"I'm not!" She yelled.
"Seems like you are, though."
She leaped at me, like a wolf. She dug her nails into me.
"I'm not!"
"Alright, alright!" I yelped, trying to wiggle her off me. After a few attempts, I finally escaped.
"That was mean of you… Keon."
"You don't even know what mean is."
"I do. I'm not dumb. I just… don't know a lot of words."
"That's what it seemed like. Or, maybe you've just warmed up to me?"
She sighed, irritated. To make an excuse to not talk, she bit into the orc meat.
"How far did you walk?" I asked.
"Far."
"It's dangerous here, Arlene. Lots of orcs. Monsters."
She shivered. I held in my laugh.
"Then… I know I've asked a lot from you, but can I stay with you for… some time?"
"Sure. But you gotta do some work, too."
She nodded, understanding. Her head was faced down, but I could still see a faint smile.
Night fell, and the forest became even darker.
"I found some materials that could be used to make a bed."
I looked at her hands. How did she obtain wool? She had a few more materials, too.
"Where did you get all that from?"
"Where I'm from, they taught me how to survive."
"Where are you from?" I asked quickly, hoping she forgot about the last time.
"Not telling."
I sighed.
With the materials she gathered, only a single bed could be made.
"Do we have to sleep on the same bed? You smell really bad."
"So rude."
She went into bed, not paying much attention to me. I followed after her.
"Don't try anything on me while I'm sleeping, a-alright?" she requested, staying as far away from me on the bed as possible
"How lowly do you think of me..?"
"Nevermind. Just, go to sleep quickly."
"Don't rush me."