"This is impossible? That can't be a dream, right." Asher thought, sweat dripping down his forehead. The fallen leaves beneath him crunched just as he tried to make himself comfortable.
Drops of water dripped through the handmade roof composed of tree branches and leaves, soaking his shoulder in it. A sudden chill went through his spine, and the temperature was low, too low.
His breathing became ragged, his expression distorting as well.
'Damn these flames.' Asher grimaced internally, staring at the flame with a distorted expression. Suddenly, he flinched again before shaking his head.
'I think its going to rain.' He thought with furrows burrowed. His head was going on a rampage with what had just happened. A sudden dull ache started to echo through his forehead, eventually intensifying.
'Crap.' Asher thought with gritted teeth. Fatigue was crashing upon him like a hurricane. If that was not enough, hunger also enveloped his senses, blocking them from time to time.
Realizing the situation, he mustered all of his strength and pushed forward, snatching the half-burnt meat. Bringing his face forward, he opened his mouth, crushing his face into the burnt meat.
A terrible sour taste spread through his glands, making Asher almost puke. A burnt aroma entered his nostrils, making him feel even more horrid.
'This is nothing, I've bore much worse.' Asher before munching tirelessly the hard meat. Feeling his teeth tremble that fought against the tough coat of the meat, he decided to wander his thoughts.
'So, let's organize our thoughts, shall we?' He thought, continuing his munching.
'Basically, what happened was me running into a space crack, entering a weird dimension, fighting some gods who weren't even serious and now I am back here.' He continued his contemplation; his teeth, at this point, felt like they would shatter at any moment.
Asher took a glimpse at his meat; half of it was already gone, and the remaining was charcoal black due to being burned for who knows how long. A small smile appeared on his face, and his stomach was finally under some relief.
Just as the hunger went by, thirst came descending from the other corner of the universe. A gulp went down Asher's throat; his eyes bulged out from the emotion.
"Dammit," Asher exclaimed in a hoarse voice, his expression distorting once again. Swallowing his own saliva down his throat, he finally stood up. Heaving a heavy sigh, he stepped outside the shack.
The shattered sky was covered with pitch-black clouds. The winds calmly bristled against his face, waving his hair as a consequence. The grass beneath him crunched; the thick crowns of the conical trees dampened the atmosphere.
A roar of thunder echoed through the sky; a slight pour of rain started to descend upon the world. The leaves of the trees gradually collapsed under the pressure of the drops.
'Let's move.' Asher exclaimed, a tachi lay swiftly in his left hand. He had picked it up as he was exiting the shack.
Asher heaved a sigh before moving towards the blood citadel. At the moment, he needed water, and he couldn't care less about anything other than that.
As he moved through the evergreen conical forest with trees that towered over giants even, he swiftly slayed any abomination in his path with a fast-motioned slash or two.
His combat had enhanced ever since he had entered this world. Gripping the blade in his hands, he felt a mastery over it.
'This feels nice but not what I should be thinking about.' Asher exclaimed internally with a smile before bending his head slightly, dodging another branch as he continued to run.
The air felt delicious to breathe, filled with a fresh feeling that gave Asher some strength to continue.
As he continued to run, his eyes darted towards an opening that led to an open field. Thinking there might be a water body there, he increased his speed, bursting towards the opening.
However, as he did so, a severe ache echoed through his kidney, slowing his speed for a fraction of a second.
'I need water fast.' Asher thought with a distorted expression; one of his hands lay on his waist while the other gripped the tachi.
Soon, he entered the opening, welcomed by a view of an open field surrounded by conical trees. The field was not large; it was just a tiny patch of open space in the middle of a forest.
A pond lay in between the patch, reflecting the pitch-black clouds covering the sky.
Asher came to a sharp halt; his eyes shimmered with excitement before bursting towards the pond.
As he crashed his face into the pond, he realized that it was much deeper than expected. His surprised expression lasted for a second before he devoured water from the pond. A sweet patch of water entered his mouth, brushing against his glands. The water tampered with his dry throat, making him melt in awe.
'I have never drank water so delicious.' Asher thought; a small tear appeared in the corner of his eye.
Devouring the water like a beast, he brought his head upwards, heaving a sigh of relief.
"I feel refreshed." Asher thought before standing up, the grass beneath him crunched as he did so.
Suddenly, the winds howled, and the sounds of leaves rustling echoed through the horizon.
"It's about to rain," Asher whispered to himself before yawning. His eyes started to squint tirelessly due to the lack of sleep.
Immediately, his eyes darted here and there, seemingly trying to find the shortest route back to his shack.
'Curse the Gods.' Asher grimaced internally. The sense of thirst had completely dulled his senses as he was trying to find a source of water to refresh himself, and due to it, he had forgotten his way back.
Furrowing his burrows, he turned towards the Blood Citadel. Gripping his tachi, he took a deep yawn before taking a step forward.
"Ahh, Here we go again."