Chapter 55: Rusted Health
The Tempokeeper Khan, after his two-week break to repair his drum kit, has returned to Erisia. He didn't return only for the Voidwalker, rather that was a side quest to him. His motives were to claim a bounty placed on an escapee. Details and reports lead Janus to the land of Erisia, being that the last known place where his target was spotted was at the Burning Stone Gardens.
Janus knew it'd be a hassle to make his way to the Gardens so he'd might as well check up on that Voidwalker to see if he was alive or not. The problem, however, is that when he arrived at the spot where he'd left the Voidwalker, he wasn't there, speculating that he'd already died to some bandits or some other Sharko. He wasn't far off on the latter thought.
A voice had yelled out from out the door, over across a ledge. There sits a Vesperian, Zote. It wasn't difficult for the Vesperian to track people since his job as a scout needed skills like his. "If you're looking for your friend, he's resting up. I can show you him if you want."
The Khan hesitated before talking but deemed that the bandit wouldn't be too hard to handle on his own. "Alright then, lead the way."
"...That's it? You're not worried about the guy?"
"Why would I be? I barely even know him!"
"Isn't he your disciple or whatever? I saw you save him from a Sharko like two weeks ago, and you say you're not worried about him."
"Look, Vesperian, just show me where he is if he's even still alive at this point. If you'd know where he is then i'm assuming you've taken him to your hideout, no?"
The Vesperian scoffs and an attempt to wring out any more information about this man. "Fine, follow me. I won't do anything on the way."
---
Man...i wonder how the guy who discovered milk was doing with the cow...
"Oyye, you're still alive! Who would've guessed!" Says a familiar voice.
I turn my head and there appears that Khan with the really odd name, accompanied by the Vesperian whose name I can't seem to remember.
"What's up with you?"
"I got rocked by a Sharko... Again. It was worse than last time and i was out for a couple days"
"How long?"
"3 days they said. Though it feels a lot longer since the last volume was released two months ago" Part of me still feels forgotten, like I'm missing some parts of my life. Maybe it's just the effects of the coma.
"You remembered to keep your end of the deal right? I may be slightly disabled as of now but I'm not dead."
"Yea yea ik man, but it's kinda hard to train you if you can't even get out of bed."
The Khan's right. What the hell am I supposed to do here? I mean. A training arc wouldn't be so bad. As of now, I don't have any goals I want to accomplish. The only "goal" I have right now is about taking down Goldency and avenging my village...? About Goldency, I recall this bandit camp having some files regarding Goldency. Maybe I could stick around and see what I can find.
"Hey, listen Voidwalker, stay here for a while and rest up. You could even become a bandit in the meantime. Once you're ready I'll think of something for you to do."
"Cheers man. But I don't feel like sitting around here and doing nothing, it's just not the way i swing." I say as i swing my legs off the bed. "I'll be fine in a couple of days, maybe even later today."
"You sure dude? You haven't used your legs in three days." Says the Vesperian
"Watch me go," I say as i stand up from my bed. "See? Don't be assuming things too ear-" I was cut off by my inability to fucking walk properly and ended up falling on some stool.
"ruh roh retard alert."
Chapter 56: About the feeling
It's been 4 whole days since i woke up here, a week including the 3 days i was out, and i can finally walk around without falling over. Thinking back i was waffling some wackass shit like "ThRill Is wHat FuELs Me" like cmon now. I've even developed a tiny habit of swearing under my breath every time i think about it. I've acquired a new thing to cringe at every time i go to sleep.
What the Vesperian said was actually true, everybody here sees me as some "saviour". Maybe I'm exaggerating but they really appreciate what i did. I mean if someone drove a Sharko away from my house then i'd be pretty stoked about it too.
The Khan, whose name is actually 'Hugh Janus' not Huge Anus, has been coming around every now and then. He gets dirty looks from Etreans and everyone else is too afraid to approach him, i'm sure he knows but he looks like he can handle it pretty well.
"Voidwalker, The has returned from ye journey. Ye greets thy with minimal respect."
"Whats with the language man?"
"Calmneth down, Voidwalker."
"What do thy want, monkey."
"wtf man no need to cross the line like that. I've just come to see if you're ready or not."
"Yea i think i'm good."
"Thats too bad cuz i'm not helping you out anymore"
"wth i didn't even say anything bad?!" I think i didn't anyway. It kinda just came out naturally.
"Nah, get fucked man," Hugh says as he walks off leaving me with the middle finger. However, due to my quick thinking,
"uhh, Tell me more about Tempokeepers, i'm interested."
Hugh stops in his tracks and turns his head towards me with a slight not and a grin on his face.
---
Sitting beside a campfire where the warmth encapsulates my body and relieves me of my worries as if i had any in the first place. "Whats up, Voidwalker? What piques your interest?"
"I have a name, you know?"
"I hAVe a nAMe- shut up dude, you didn't even tell me your name how am i suppose to know."
"Aloysius Kanreshi, Aloy or Kanreshi is fine."
"Whatever, 'Aloy'. wackass" he scoffs under his breath. "What do you want to know?"
"It's actually not about Tempokeeping, it's more-" Hugh starts to get up and leave at the moment he hears that i'm not actually interested in his music oath. But after some negotiating we come to a treaty, for now.
"Why is it that i feel a little icky? It's as if my soul itself is muddy and tainted?"
"Ahhhh i think i know what you mean. You see, you may have actually died."
Actually died? If i actually died then how am i still here? Is this Khan stupid or what?
"Stay with me here. You see, you've been granted gifts. Not many people can awaken these, hell not many people who CAN awaken the gifts, eventually GET the gifts, understand? Look, many people are born 'tone-deaf' or just people who can't listen for the Song. Some people, about 1/5, are actually born with this dormant talent. But about 1/20 of those 1/5 can use the Song. So about 1/100 people can effectively use the song, that is before they get their ass handed to them by a Sharko."
"Soooo how does me being the 1/100 mean I'm a walking corpse"
"Shut the hell up, i'm getting there. Anyway, the 1/5 people who have the dormant talent have blessings that allow them to miraculously reawaken on some shoreline or an inn if you're lucky. The reason why this is so underground is because you actually have to die first in order for you to find out if you have these talents or not.
Survivors say it's all down to luck but I reckon it's the Song giving people a second chance before it sends them underseas. The people that have been 'revived' have been saying that they feel a sick feeling. They've lost appetite, they feel dizzy most the time, they regularly shit themselves, yk stuff like that."
"wait wait wait wait wait wait. So what i'm getting from this is that because I have these blessings, i can die and come back? And if i die again then i'm getting sent 'underseas'?"
"Yea pretty much."
"No wait tell me more about the underseas part"
"Okayyyy" He says after nodding his head to the side as if giving a signal of "If you say so buddy"
"The 'Depths' is what people call it" I gulp, for the first time in my entire 15-year-old life i gulp in fear, "It's where the people who've died twice in a row go. It's a real deep topic to dive into. It's o-fish-ial name is Scyphozia. You won't Jelly've what kind of Crab goes on down there. My mate Jam-owl tells me all kinds of in-thresher-ing things"
I'm gonna dropkick this man bro
"Just don't die twice and you won't need to worry about it"
"What do you mean 'twice in a row'? Can i somehow, get my life back?"
"Yea, just power up. When you power up, you feel regenerated right? Like you've freshened up. Thats your soul gaining more power and energizing you. You just gotta do that and you'll be good as new"
This guy is actually spitting facts. Now that i come to think about it, the feeling of rejuvenation of powering up can be addicting. I think i have a while before my next power up though. So it's gonna take a long time. I also want to investigate more about Goldency and this bandit camp. Something's up, i know it.