Pain racked my tiny body. All my muscles were torn, bones broken and my brain woefully tired. The full force of the pain began hitting me. I felt as if my entire body was being pounded by a large mallet. I nearly howled pain, however, my voice had ran away from me. All it did was further add to my mental exhaustion. My chest also hurt. I felt as if my heart was constantly being strangled. Some liquid was pouring inside my body making me feel as if I was slowly drowning in my own body. Tears didn't cease. I opened my eyes. Through the tears I could recognize the brilliant expanse of the beautifully starry sky. The blue and red moon were out, showering the earth with their glory. I paid no heed. The seething cold bit into me. I felt my throat block up. I vomited some blood. I tried moving my right hand but my right arm was twisted and broken. The demons must've took my left for who knows where it is. I stared at it. Tears cascading. Silently. Pain I had never even fathomed to exist rampaged through my body with a barbarity akin to that of a Grimbaka. My vision started turning a deep red. However, shockingly, truly, this weighed the least to me.
I had done it. Again. I was hopeless. I couldn't fathom what detestable sin I had committed to deserve this. Was it that I sometimes told lies? But plenty of people lied. Why weren't they suffering? Why was I the only one? Truths from a demon are lies anyways. What else was I supposed to do other than recite the lies they wanted to hear? My curse couldn't have been it. All the ones before me were the ones doing the taking not being the take-ee. Maybe it was the mere fact I was born. Then, what was different from my birth? My body. A weird wave of euphoria and implosive sadness surfed my nerves. It was depressingly simple. I was weak. That was it. No wonder, the rest were takers and I was the only take-ee. I had trained, yes. I trained hard. I wanted to be a big brother. A lo... I couldn't. I stopped then. Nobody wants a weak man.
(If only I was born a girl, life would be simpler)
Abruptly, I had a low growl. I couldn't tell from what direction but I heard it. It wasn't meant to be heard but I often disobeyed such circumstances.
(A goblin?!)
My chest tightened. My eyes widened. I listened carefully. It was approaching me. Four limbs. Some fur. I shifted my head towards its direction. I saw it. Staring right back at me. I was relieved. Those fierce red eyes staring right at me. Within the tall grass it hid. Failed. I could see its fur under the brilliance of the moonlight. It had a bluish tint to it with only a smudge of red. The Wolox approached. I welcomed it.
I couldn't do anything. My vision was becoming red and the edges were becoming black. The decay of the soul had begun, though it was rotten. Right arm broken. Left arm somewhere in the savannahs. Ribs collapsed. The drowning had advanced. I was now sinking. I welcomed it. It could all end. Though no salvation would be forthcoming. I cared not. The abyss seemed pleasant at this moment. It was drooling. It was time.
My heart suddenly beat powerfully against my chest. Then another time. This wasn't fear. Another. Two of them now. Veins pulsated. I was now floating. No, the liquid within me was being drained. I wasn't drowning. My ribs were being re-adjusted. Blood stopped flowing out of the remains of my left arm. My right arm twisted painfully back into its original position. The red had become more violent. The black more elusive and mysterious. My voice was returning.
*gh31 u9*
I heard some incoherent noise in my head. No it was a command. That shocked me. That wasn't me. Fear engulfed me. I had to hasten. It couldn't take me yet! I had to die! Quickly! I staggered to stand. My legs still weak from the blood loss. I walked towards it. I was shocked. It took a step back. I took another. It only watched. I knew why it was being docile. It could sense it.
(Just ea....)
Fear started eclipsing my being. Fear of death. This made no sense! It took a step forward. I took a step back.
(Coward! Damn it!)
I heard. I looked. Far in the savannahs, I spotted Wolocs approaching. Fear had strangled me. I couldn't escape. It took another step. I took two back. My heart was now beating furiously against my chest. Some power was surging through my veins. I only now realised that I was seeing, hearing and feeling much more than I used to. The darkness had not bothered my vision. My perception was better. I stared at my now fully healed right hand. The red and black had dissipated. A blue eminence gently occupied their position. I didn't understand.
*7um*
I turned and ran. The woloc was in hot pursuit. This was mad! My feeble body could barely handle running a few strides yet here I was running away from a Wolox. My body not collapsing. My body withstanding. Slowly getting faster. However, nowhere near fast enough to outran that beast. Within seconds it pounced towards me. Instinctively, I took a deep breath, ki flooded into my body. This time, it rapidly made its way to my left leg. Instead of stopping, I planted my right leg into the ground and used the momentum to turn and kick the beast right in its face. The beast was blasted away, its jaw flew off and its eyeballs all burst. I was shocked.
(When could I do that?!)
This was not the time for such thoughts. Wolocs were one of the few beasts that sought vengeance for their brothers. Worse if it was a child, a Wolox. I could feel the Wolocs in the distance. Their killing intent was so corrosive someone like myself could feel it. I turned again and ran. This time with the assistance of ki. My legs now gained explosive power and I was blazing across the savannah right towards the forest. The Wolocs were quickly catching up. Suddenly, a projectile blazed past me and crashed before me with a might force. I knew what those were and this was not good. One of them could tear me in half. I had to make it to the forest quick. It was within sight. They shot more of those fur projectiles at me and for a moment, I lost control of my body. I started dashing in a zig zag manner, performing all sorts of acrobatics, leaping into the air, bending my body this way and that way just to dodge all those projectiles. However, my right hand together with my wrist and forearm were blown off. No blood dripped. The pain didn't bother me as much. I was paying it no heed. I was focused. However, just before I could reach the forest, my senses screamed in terror. Something was there. However, I couldn't stop. I pushed onwards. It rushed forward.
(An Ostrogorth!)
However, it completely ignored me and immediately lacerated the Woloc about to pin me down. More Ostrogorths came out of the forest and attacked the Wolocs. My curiosity intrigued me to watch, however, now was not the time to be irrational. I rushed into the forest and ran AND RAN AND RAN. All the while more Ostrogorths stampeded past me. Then I was floating.
I had no idea what had happened. It had happened in an instant and I was still trying to grasp my situation. No. I was falling. My eyes widened in terror. It was a pit. The pit narrowed the further in I fell. I closed my eyes and braced for impact. I crashed into the ground with a soul crushing force. The ground shook. Dust clouds rose up. I was bloodied and battered. My head rang with a ferocity of a thousand Frerees. Insufferable. My organs felt crushed. Yet I struggled to stand. I got to my feet. Unsteady but stood. Groaning but stood. My heart steadied. My vision was hazy and I couldn't immediately tell what was going on or even see what was around me. However, as my vision cleared, I was flabbergasted. There was no end to what I'd see that day.
Before me was a massive structure; 4 massive pillars holding a now collapsing wedge shaped roof with carvings of people on it, the pillars themselves had strange carvings snaking around them to their foundation where a flight of stairs were. They led up to a massive door fit for a giant to leisurely stroll inside. However, past that door was complete and utter darkness. Even with my improved vision I couldn't see anything past it. I looked around. There was a small tunnel and an old path leading to it from the building. I stared at the path. Then looked back at the building. Some beast could've made it its home. That darkness looked very suitable for such an endeavor. Then again, maybe within it lies an unfathomable curse or something so grotesque one is not meant to see it. The unlucky few who do may suffer a nasty fate or such stories like Krinlin's. She always did say avoid dark places. However, my curiosity was piqued. What was that darkness hiding?
I took to the flight of stairs. As I approached the door, the darkness had not disappeared. In fact, it was like staring at a wall of nothingness. This was the greatest move of disobedience I had ever committed. I stepped inside. It was just as dark inside. I could only see a few strides around me and even then not clearly. Slowly, I started seeing figures in the corners of my eyes. I was rooted to the spot for a while. I was shivering. However, nothing happened. I waited and nothing happened. All the while thinking, I came to a conclusion. That this was the peak of stupidity. I had no control of whatever was in the darkness, whether I am to die or not, whether it'd be agonizing or not. Why then should such possibilities keep me in place? I took a step forward. Then another. Nothing happened. I continued walking in the darkness. Hitting my toes against rocks and yelping in pain. I paid heed to what I felt. I came to a halt. My heart began to roar. I saw a pair of glowing brilliant blue eyes staring right at me. I stared at them and they stared at me. For a long while nothing happened. I moved my eyes in search of its body and it did so too. I was confuzzled. I moved closer and it moved closer. I raised my hand to touch the being as I got closer and was shocked to see my own hand on the other side. I looked at the other being, in a similar state of shock.
(It's me?)
What seemed to separate us was a clear silvery solid. My heart roared and beat thunderously against my chest. However, it calmed once I convinced myself it was my reflection. Why were my eyes glowing? There was something I remembered hearing about such an occurance but the details had been lost in the turbulence of thoughts in my mind. Moreover, it was strange. I only thought that water could do that. I played around with my reflection. She was right all the way back then. There's much I don't know.
(I wonder if she knew about this?)
I felt a warm excitement pervade my heart. I waved goodbye at my reflection. It waved back, smiling. I went on with my exploration, buoyed up with stupid bravery and adventure. Suddenly I came upon a massive opening and a flight of stairs leading into it. In the corner of my eye, something glimmered. I turned. A skeleton! I nearly jumped. However, it wasn't moving as my fertile imagination had me believe. It was adorned in a full set of armor I had never seen. I walked to it and touched it. Though dusty and rusty it was hard. I looked around and there were more skeletons. More and more. Suddenly it seemed my vision was expanding. It was seeing the full extent of things. These people had weird armor on. Some looked priceless too. My senses screamed again. No it was a desperate screech.
Behind you!
I quickly turned. I was aghast. I dropped to the ground. My body shook. It was staring at me. Its eyes glowing a bright green tint. Before me was a statue of a lady tied to a stake her eyes upon me. However, I felt a presence within the statue. A presence far greater than the mortal I was. Even that power I had been using, that power that seemed to defy all circumstances had all but become submissive. I crawled backwards into a corner, the eyes slowly followed me there. It didn't help that the statue was the size of a giant. I feared it'd break lose at any moment. It smiled. I shivered. Abruptly, however, the green glow shown even more brilliantly and became a light that filled the entire room. Markings slowly appeared all over my body. Terrified and panicking, I tore off my own skin using some rusty blades to get the markings off me but to no avail. More and more engraved themselves onto me until , suddenly, pain erupted from all over. I writhed in pain as I rolled on the ground. Those markings were being burnt into me. Blood started spurting out of my arms and wounds. My flesh sizzled painfully. The agony lasted for eons but abruptly ended. A green light erupted around me. My wounds slowly closed up. Even my arms were regenerating. The internal pains I was feeling were now gone. I was shocked. I quickly stood up. My body was healed. In fact, I could tell I was even healthier than before.
I looked up at the statue. Cracks had started forming on it. More and more formed as they enlarged. It was crumbling. I quickly rushed out of the room as the statue collapsed. However, its collapse was the impetus for the collapse of the entire building. My heart thundered. Pillars started falling one by one. Instantly, I bolted towards the door dodging debris and collapsing pillars that could easily end my free trial run in this realm. I dived out the building and rolled down the stairs just as the entrance collapsed together with the pillars. I watched as the colossal building collapsed shaking the ground vigorously. I was disappointed. I wanted so much to explore some more. There would be more anyways, there can't just be one. However, I had a more pressing matter to meditate upon.
(What just forced it's way into me?)
I vaguely knew it was being above mortality but as to what or who it was I don't know. Worse still, I didn't know whether it was divine or demonic. I could only guess it was a spirit on the demonic spectrum as the lady was on a stake. However, who was she? Though in my terror my eyes didn't capture all her details, it captured one. Pointed ears. That confuzzled me. There was no tribe I had even heard of with pointy ears. Maybe the Amoraks but theirs is just a slight extension and an inattentive eye wouldn't note anything peculiar. Furthermore, the size of her statue indicated she was a giant. He only knew of the giants of the east but they didn't have females. She was definitely from a tribe I know nothing of. Truly I knew nothing.
I put off such thoughts and considered the one property of her that I had access to. Healing. Though I found it weird for a demonic being to have healing. I thought for a moment and saw this was a marvelous gift I had been granted. I remembered when I used to train a few years ago. I would get hurt easily and would be forced to end it early. Though Taiwhur would be the one enforcing such. I shook my head a bit. This was the only path left; to train. Again. Only this time, my life's on the line, the entire village wanted me dead and there would be no one to assist if something goes wrong with my training. I shook a bit. Everything would depend upon me. I smiled. I turned.
I looked for the path. I spotted it but even with my enhanced eyes, this darkness seemed darker than most. I started seeing movements all round me. Bloodshot eyes somewhere in the darkness staring at me, another and another. I simply walked along the path. My heart drummed. I continued walking, the darkness getting darker and darker. Despite it getting darker, there was a light I spotted in the distance. I nearly just ran towards it but there was need to be cautious. I walked towards it and as I approached it the light blinded me for a moment. The next step I took, I realized there was no step-ee and quickly tumbled down onto a surprisingly soft ground.
My eyes quickly adjusted to the light and beholden to me was a sight I had never seen before. Truly I knew nothing of the world. Before me was a brightly lit cavern, the ground covered with an assortment of colorful flowers making it seem like a comfortable bed spread over the cavern. Clear crystalline waters streamed across the flowers at uniform lengths watering them. They blended beautifully with the flowers. They emanated from four statues and each with a cave behind them. I looked behind me and noted that there was a statue there too. It was the lady but now adorned in all kinds of jewelry and clothing I couldn't fathom. She also held a massive staff with her right hand and held a pot by her hip with her left. Water was pouring out the jug. Similarly, the others had pots but different 'tools'. One, with pointy ears too, had what looked like a staff but a massive crystal was embedded onto it and it glowed a gentle red. Weirdly, the statue holding it looked too familiar. It made no sense at all.
(Krinlin?!)
How did she have a statue here in this ancient ruin? Or is that just her ancestor? No that was definitely her. I was sure of it. Though she didn't have pointy ears. At least, as far as I've seen. I sighed. If only she hadn't gone back to her homeland down south, I could've asked her. To ease my disappointment, I trained my eyes on the main spectacle. In the middle of the opening, there was a massive tree with brightly colored leaves, however, the leaves constantly changed colors from blue to pink to red or any color creating a symphony of brilliant colors that dazzlingly lit up the room. I was entranced by its beauty the more I stared at it. Even its barks had tiny colored streaks of light leading up to the leaves. One such leaf fell towards me. I grabbed it. Immediately it changed from red to blue. I was amazed. Instantly I remembered my brother's book. It made sense. Something instantly seemed to strangle my heart. I shook my head violently to no avail.
I quickly brought myself back to reality. I had to get out of there. Luckily I could feel a draft coming from one of the tunnels. I walked towards it leisurely not too eager to leave behind such a serene environ. As I neared it, I noted a large white hairy mass next to the entrance. It was a bit bigger than I was. Mushy. I wanted to poke it. I didn't. I had to focus though the temptation was rather immense. I walked to the entrance. My eyes widened with shock. Before me was a graveyard of skeletons. Some with the armor and bones dissolved, others missing heads and others just lacked a spine. Abruptly, my instincts flared with the same intensity as before. The same message.
Behind you!
I turned. The hairy mass had sprouted eight crimson red eyes and all of them were upon me. I shook.
~END~