The surrounding seems distant yet close. I feel fragments of my own self as I crumble away from this world. My soul finally rests, back from within the waves and the Song. "Don't wanna go out with a smile. Do we?" I say to myself. "Goodbye, Kenny Yuset"
Chapter 1: Castaway
My body jolts to consciousness. I'm at... an inn? My body is aching, and all my muscles feel as if each fiber is slowly dying. These old rags are thin and light, yet they feel like they weigh a ship's anchor. I take a walk around this inn, I manage to find the door, and there I meet a man. "Ah, you're finally awake" just as the man from Skyrim says. "Where did you take me?" I ask, "I didn't take you anywhere, you came here on the shore."
"Then where's my ship"
"Oh no, not by ship, you drifted here. You were lucky to be seen by a local fisherman" I stand there puzzled. I look at the man that had just told me I had just floated however long across that dreadful sea and managed to make it out alive. But what had happened? "Tell me, 'Freshie', what's your name? Surely you remember that much" The word freshie struck me awkwardly. It felt foreign, something I hadn't heard in a long time. I know of this word, it's slang for someone who is weak and beginning to find their path. "Xavier"
"Xavier who? Sahet? Vendet?"
"Yuset. Xavier Yuset"
"Well, 'Yuset. Xavier Yuset.'" He speaks as if he's mocking me "You seem to be quite…frail. However, you look like you can pick up the blade…in no time…probably. You were lucky to have drifted here out of all places, The Isle of Vigils. Who knew what could happen to you if you had gone to Etris instead? You would see people hunting Felinors more than Etreans themselves"
"What do I do here?"
"You can head to the temple just right from the inn. There you may be able to spar against one of the trainers." I thank him and head towards the temple as he said. Maybe, somebody, there knows what happened to me. "Oh and here, since I can't stand to see you in such a sorry state" He hands me just enough for a single training gear or a book.
Chapter 2: Temple of the Blade
The walk towards the temple was tiring even though it was only a couple of meters. Maybe I should've rested before coming here. No matter. I slowly hobble my way inwards, down towards the "Training" room, marked by signs. On my way down I see a boy, curled up in a ball and crying to himself. My instincts want to talk to him, but that's none of my problem, I already used all my energy talking to the Innkeeper and walking here. "If he wants to cry he can cry, it won't get him anywhere in these lands except lower and lower" I recall my thoughts. What was that? Why did I start thinking as if I knew everything? I finally reach the training room. There's a wise-looking man with mismatched eyes, green and purple. He looks like the trainer the Innkeeper was talking about. Suddenly, the wind in the room picks up and pushes me back. I try to push against it but my weak body fails to do so and I topple backwards. The wind speaks of me not to approach the man, I'm not sure how it did, but I won't go against the idea. There's a person with a mask across the room, he's wearing the same robes as the innkeeper, I should talk to him. "Ahh, new blood? Come to try out his abilities?"
"New blood?"
"Why of course, you don't look from here, why not spar against one of our instructors? Quick, pick up the training vest and I'll assign you an instructor and lend you a training sword"
I do as he says without question, however, I don't like the idea of sparring in this condition. The instructor that was assigned to me wields a spear. I draw the practice sword I was given. Although I don't remember much, I can always put my trust in my weapon. "Get ready!" He dashes towards me with a lunge of his spear. I don't know how to react. I tell my body to move but I can't with my frail muscles. The spear had jabbed me. Not strong enough for it to kill me, thanks to the vest, but it freakin' hurts. I return attacks to be parried by Mr Instructor. I want to do the same. As soon as I see his spear come towards me, my arms jolt into a block. But I messed up my timing and his force is too strong and knocks me over. "That's enough for now, you don't even look like you can take on a lowly bandit, we were hoping to send you out to Erisia but it seems that's a faraway goal". Prick. Thinkin' he's all that just cuz he beat a mere freshie. Despite knowing I couldn't win, I'm still filled with despair. I could've done better. I'll use that 25 notes Mr Innkeeper gave me for some books or something.