All of my life, I have lived by a code of facts and logic, I believe I found it in the concept that things need to make sense. But as I woke up that morning and the memory of that night returned, I felt that my persona had been broken. What happened last night was real. The forest, that village, Dianne, my wounds-
"-My Wounds!" I sat up quickly removing the strip on the breastplate. They were gone. As it has vanished, disappeared and no longer there. "Weird..." I think out loud, completely nonchalant about the fact that my wounds from last night had vanished. But I guess, after having a princess shot lightning out of one of the most impractical weapons I have ever seen you too would have big things on your mind.
'Like what comes next.I'm trapped in another world, with no way to get home and to make matters worse princess von slaughter is out of my head. So what to do?'
A cold wind ripped through me and I shivered.
"But first, fire." I sighed getting up from the place I was sitting and began looking for anything combustible. Eventually, I found some ferns growing just at the entrance and some dead branches from the trees nearby.
"You'll do," I said, taking them further into the cave until I couldn't see the entrance. I placed them down on the floor in the centre of the cave, deciding it to be the best spot and began a fire. It burned brightly, lighting up the cave and giving warmth to my cold body.
It was kinda fun, sitting here watching the fire burn. It almost reminded me how my family would go camping together in the countryside, and how much I hated it.
The trip out took day and night and my ass hated being stuck in a car with nothing to do but music and pretend that mom and dad weren't arguing about where to, weather we forget something or just because.
Once why got there, it was a race to see what goes wrong first. Whether it be finding something wrong with the tent, or the cooking gear, or heaven forbid the lawn chairs. but once something wrong happens be sure I will end in an argument. And when night came, I always remember being scared to sleep alone in the tent with the sounds of wildlife just outside it. So, me and Catherine would have to share tense, which might had been worse as she would snore through the night.
Most nights I wouldn't get any sleep and I would be either spend the the day piss or falling asleep. A smile crossed my face as I remembered that one time I fell asleep in the boat when we went out fishing and when dad tried waking me up I ended up falling into the lake and spent the rest of the trip with a cold.
I really did hate those trips, like most cities kids would. But now, as I sat there alone in a strange new world, I miss it. The silent cave had become painfully obvious now, the only real sound being the flickering of the fire.
'I'm so alone,' I thought a choked sob managed to escape my throat as I screwed my eyes shut, a few tears burned their trails down my cheeks. I was never this alone in my life. No one to talk to. No one to guide me. No one to take command and let me follow. I was completely alone. That very concept of my condition scared me and I doubled over, pressing my hands against my chest as a whole began to grow in my chest and was quickly filled with fear and grief.
'What was I supposed to do? How would I survive? Where would I get my food?'
'HUNT FOR IT.'
"What on - who's there? Are you with the knights? Show yourself!" I cried out, my voice quivering with fear, eyes nervously darted about cave the cave. Only to see that there was nothing there and after a brief investigation, I found that indeed there was nobody here beside me.
'I AM NOT BEHIND THAT STALAGMITE, MY KINAGA. THE VOICE UTTERED IN AGAIN, ITS TONE AS BITTER AS SALT LACED FROSTING.' The voice suddenly returned, caught off-guard making me jump back in surprise, I grabbed the stolen weapon that I had at my feet and held it up in a defensive stance.
"Show yourself now or I'll make you show yourself!" I yelled out to the mysterious voice, my voice quivering with rage at my apparently invisible foe.
'THERE IS THAT FIRE I ADMIRED SO MUCH, MY KINAGA. I SEE THAT YOUR INJURIES FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE HAVE HEALED?' The voice said this time must louder and clearer than before, in fact, it sounded like-
Before I could finish that thought a massive migraine hit me like a truck causing to stumble a bit as tried to balance.
'THOUGH, IT SEEMS MUCH OF YOUR STAMINA WAS LOST TO DO SO.'
"Who the hell are you?!" I yelled out, holding my sword out to where I think the voice is coming from.
'YOU'RE A LITTLE OFF MY FRIEND,'It said, let out a laugh, a strangely familiar laugh that echoed off the cave walls and inside my head clear as day. 'THOUGH, I AM SADDENED KNOWING THAT YOU HAVEN'T PUT IT TOGETHER YET.I WAS SO HOPING THAT YOU WOULDN'T TAKE SO LONG, CONSIDERING OUR RELATIONSHIP.'
"The hell does that mean?" I ask, as I start to get annoyed rather annoyed at its vagueness.
'SO, YOU WISH FOR ME TO ELABORATE ON THIS FACE-TO-FACE?'
"Yes please!" I loudly demand, raising my sword as a sign of my impatience. The voice didn't give a reply but I knew it was still here. I can feel its presence. And I was getting closer. And closer. And closer. Until-
'I'M BEHIND YOU, I DO HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME LURKING?'
All of my survival instincts were telling me not to look, but in my state of panic did it anyway, turning around in a battle stance ready for a fight. Only to find once again there was nothing there.
God, I'm getting tired of that shit.
"Alright, you can stop fucking with me now! Because I can't see you show yourself or...Or..Or..."As my eyes grew wider and wider as I started to narrow in on the location, I focused on the one thing that was there. It had a long inky black body that stretched out on the Illuminated wall of the cave.
It was without a double shadow.
My shadow to be precise.
'This can't be. That Impossible.' I thought my body was now completely overcome with terror as thousands of thoughts raced through my mind as my heart tried to break out of its rib cage prison. This isn't impossible! This can't be real? It can't be! This can't be! This is not real! I'm still dreaming or is this..a hallucination-
'I am no hallucination, I am as real as you are my Kinaga.'
"The hell are you!" I said, finally finding my voice again, although it shook with fear as I stared at that..THING.
'I AM MANY THINGS TO YOU, KINAGA. I AM YOUR SALVATION, YOUR PRAYERS ANSWERED, THE ANGEL AND DEVIL ON YOUR SHOULDERS. I AM YOUR GUARDIAN, YOUR OLDEST COMPANION AND YOUR FIRST AND LAST FRIEND IN THIS WORLD WE FIND OURSELVES IN. BUT I BELIEVE YOU KNOW ME BETTER AS: SHADOW.'
"Wha…what do you want with me?" I ask, still in a state of shock at all this.
'PERHAPS YOU HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO ME, BUT I WILL SAY IT AGAIN: I WANT TO HELP YOU,KINAGA. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, YOU NEED ME. YOU'RE WEAK, CONFUSED AND SCARED. I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE TO HELP YOU, KINAGA. IT'S MY JOB.'
Now I know it was a bad idea to trust Shadow but really I have no choice. I have no allies in this world so I will need help and someone to talk to. And besides what Shadow said isn't too bad of an idea. Hunting wasn't exactly my forte, but I was sure I could work something out if I got enough time. I would need an alternative plan, though. It would take some time before I got used to hunting for my food-
'THEN STEAL IT,' Shadow pitched in. 'THE VILLAGER ARE SURE TO HAVE PLENTY TO GO AROUND.'
I was reluctant to go anywhere near any villages again, but the more I thought of it, the better it sounded. I saw some farmland not too far from the village when I was wandering through it. If I could find a way to access those easily, I would be set for at least a decent time. Of course, I wasn't about to go out in broad daylight, though. No, that would just be suicidal. It would be best if I went under the cover of the night.
So, But for now, I must prepare for the heist that was to come. A feeling of satisfaction washed over me. I now had a plan, more or less, and the means to do it. I will survive this and anything that comes my way.
With my Shadow at my back.