《The Phoenix: A Tale of Rebirth》 PROLOGUE- OBLIVION PROLOGUE- OBLIVION Imagine, a room. It¡¯s a grand place, marble flooring, wooden banisters, distinguished paintings of made up faces. Beautiful faces. I take a seat by the fire, and get confortable. But I don¡¯t get it quite right, you see. The embers burn at a thought yet it just doesn¡¯t look right, I can¡¯t feel the heat. It¡¯s cold, the fire is cold and for a moment it bothers me. I look out of the window: I look out into the blackness. The illusion faults and I¡¯m back again. Back in oblivion. But I refuse, I persist and rebuild by room, brick by brick, I repaint the pictures and change the walls, a deep dark red. But the darkness sweeps in. So I try for something more exciting, a battle field, the ground is painted yellow, made porous and fine. I stretch the ceiling out to the ends of the horizon and I place a bright dot at its¡¯ centre. Then men rise up, from the sand, flesh and blood is born, wrapped in armour, handed weapons, swords, shields. In a moment, the two armies are ready, and then they charge. A million pairs of feet strike at the ground as one side rushes into the other, metal clashes against metal, blood is spilled, death cries uttered. I watched, in my head I gave them all names, families, lives. So that I would feel something when they died, feel something when they succeeded. But the void kept creeping in. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The image faded and I was stuck again in the darkness. Oh how I hated the darkness, no, I wish I hated it, I don¡¯t have the luxury of hate. Oh why can¡¯t you talk back, I¡¯m so bored, you don¡¯t even need to say much, just something. Don¡¯t leave me in this silence. That¡¯s when the chorus broke the silence. ¡°Welcome, Oh immortal one,¡± it sang. Its¡¯ voice rang, as it name implies, the way a thousand voices ring when they all speak in unison, it was a childlike tone, but with it came a tremendous weight. If there is a God, I would believe this to be his voice. ¡°As per our arrangement, we will bring you to the world again.¡± The statement was more of a courtesy call after all. Someone took their goddamn time! was my initial response. You must understand, the company of the voice brought so many memories back, any with them came so many treats, like anger- rage. My new life started much like any other. A sudden panicked frenzy as I find myself suddenly assaulted by the light that touched my delicate new eyes, and the raw air that rushed into my new fresh lungs. I cried out. It was nice, I could feel my throat vibrate as the sound drummed up from my chest and up, through my mouth, out into the air. Tears rolled down my cheeks; my heart pumped it¡¯s first beats as boiling blood rushed through my veins. CHAPTER ONE-THE TOWN OF MAN CHAPTER ONE- THE TOWN OF MAN While during Roberts early childhood he was acutely aware of the world around him. The room he resided, in for a large portion of my time was in a square, its borders were an elaborately painted dark rad. There were several bright squares on the wall, which severed as the main source of light. It was too high to reach but Robert would occasionally catch a glimpse at the pictures behind it. Another occasional pleasure was the bigger room, the one called the outdoors. The floor was green with little colourful little circles, upon closer inspection they weren¡¯t circles at all but I dismissed them soon enough. There were other children playing in the field, separate from me and a lot older and bigger. With that came the fact that they were obnoxiously loud and so my distain for my peers was seeded at infancy. I looked out at the distance and saw there was a wall of green. The adults seemed to gather between me and the other children, they talked amongst themselves while occasionally looking back, aloof. My mother was something of a social elite, and it showed in how they all went silent whenever she talked, and never seemed to disagree. At some point there a rustle, a woman screamed, the air became static and thick. A beast erupted through the green wall, a hound, huge beast that shrieked at the people around it. Robert was plucked up from the blanket he sat on and bobbed in their arms as they ran away. He watched from over her shoulder, this was the first semblance of intrigue he had felt and he was going to revel in it. Monster was quickly surrounded by grey men with long grey tipped sticks. The grey men have give off sensations as well, more like the beast than the chorus but still entirely different. Robert assumed that the monster was dealt with and that was the end of that episode. What many did not know, was that, on that day the cursed hound was not the only monster to violate the town. A grey troll, a monster of humanoid stator and monstrous proportion, had managed to lumber into the town virtually unnoticed. It strolled through an empty back street when it heard the commotions caused by the other intruder. Dumbfounded by the sounds it elected to investigate, the dull look on its face mirroring that of a dim-witted child. At the same time Robert and his mother had separated from the crowd of spectators and where making there way through the town up to their estate. The commotion had attracted a large crowd, causing even the market place to appear disserted. It was then that she saw it, the monster, the grey troll. For a moment the two stared at each other in silence. It was the infant Robert turning his head to see the beast and cried in response to it, that set the two adults in motion. Roberts mother tried to run but the troll scooped her up off the ground. In the process, Robert was dropped onto the ground, landing on his side with a smack. Robert cried out in pain but the troll ignored him. It had its prize. Nearly half an hour later mercenaries, from the same band as the few that dealt with the cursed hound, also found Robert wondering the streets. His eyes were rubbed red and his cheeks were wet with tears. The mercenaries would find Roberts mother around the corner, covered in bruises with her dress torn to shreds. She was had been discarded by the troll, who had subsequently left. As Robert grew older, and time passed, stumpy legs became long and thin. His fingers grew more dexterous and my mind, clearer. He was still, in many ways a child, one who started to prefer the imaginary to reality. At first, Robert decided to try to understand the world, an expedition his peers weren¡¯t to keen to partake in. He, aged eleven, walked through the winding path of the town. Robert would take the same walk every afternoon, right after his obligatory lessons and right before the mandatory homework. The route Robert took was especially designed, practised and revised. Everyday, he¡¯d take the same route walking past the wood cutters. He¡¯d give them a smile and they¡¯d return it; then Robert would continue, whistling away without a care in the world. This routine was repeated until the wood cutters smiled first, then they started greeting ¡°hello,¡± or ¡°Good afternoon, young lad,¡± the greetings became longer. Robert came from a position of privilege, he understood that much, and that many of the townspeople saw him as an opportunity to enter the same position. The wood cutter was, no doubt, making a long play towards pushing a daughter or granddaughter on Robert in the not so distant future. His motives were boring but Robert was willing to benefit from the situation with information. Eventually Robert started asking questions. ¡°What do you do with the wood?¡±, ¡°Has the wood cutting business always been in your family?¡± these questions weren¡¯t probing, and it was Robert getting a lay of the land, covering social elements that his education missed. ¡°Looking into the career are you,¡± The head Wood cutter said, an old Mr Moore was keen to present himself as jolly to the young Robert. ¡°Well, you see,¡± Mr Moore said, ¡°I sell my wood to the merchants in exchange for money, to the farmers in exchange for food and occasionally the blacksmith, he does like charcoal.¡± He stopped in his tracks entirely, letting his sons drag the severed logs away. From this, Robert could map out how much of the village was run. Households ran companies that would produce a narrow number of products, like the wood cutters who kept the business between himself and his sons. Then trade with other similar households until everyone had most of what they needed, and finally sell off the excess to the traveling merchants that would in turn sell it off in the big city. Robert only saw the merchants around the harvest time once a year so most of the trading going on in the town was done without money at all. Roberts next stop was near the edge of the farm, there were eight separate farms in total, and it was at this point in the journey that Robert would humour the farmers youngest child. John, a tall, young boy who was easy to make friends with. And every now and again I¡¯d ask him a question or two, ¡°Why are there eight separate fields?¡± was the first question I posed. At first he couldn¡¯t reply, but he got John interested, and that was enough. The next day he was happy to report, ¡°My great, great grandfather was a rich farmer who owned a lot of land,¡± he began reciting the information, ¡°but he had eight sons and didn¡¯t want to leave any of them with nothing.¡± From there it was simple enough to guess what had happened, the land was separated between the eight sons and each son passed the land on. John continued by teasing another little fact, ¡°Did you know we¡¯re related?¡± the boy was getting smarter. ¡°No, how are we related?¡± Robert recalled that both his father and his grandfather before him where only children, making it unlikely that he had any close extended family. ¡°Well,¡± John began, ¡°My great, great, great granddad was the younger brother of your great, great, great, granddad. They owned all the land together but then my granddad was tricked by your one and that¡¯s why you get to live in that big house.¡± Robert nodded at that, ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± and Robert left with that fact. Next Robert tried asking how eight different farmers could profit all at once. Supposedly the sons of the first farmer all agreed to dedicate their land to different produce, with the oldest getting first pick and the second oldest tricking him into leaving the most profitable produce for him, that story made Robert laugh, and to this day the descendants of the second oldest are one of the richest households in the village. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Roberts next stop was the butchers, house nothing of note there. Though the Butchers daughter had a nice smile to her. Then the clergy, the clergy was interesting. He was drenched in a magic, a magic that was light and aloof. Outside of his role as a pastor he is, to put it generously, an unappreciated genius, or rather just a scientist ¨Cno maybe just a sorcerer is a better word. The clergy man wouldn¡¯t teach Robert anything practical, he insisted that there were proper channels to go by to study magic and that this was not it. Though he was passionate and Robert was relentless, so it became a regular occurrence that Gerald would lecture Robert about whatever experiments he was working on. These meetings would stand out as a highlight for both of them. ¡°Would you care to stay awhile?¡± He¡¯d ask, Robert would naturally agree, and would take a seat in the church. ¡°Now you see,¡± he would begin his lecture. It went on for no more than an hour, any longer and Robert would have to insist on leaving. Pastor Gerald would say, ¡°You see, naturally, magic is inherited, or transferred through consumption. So in the wild, it¡¯s the predators at the top of the wood chain that possesses the most magic power.¡± Gerald would explain, ¡°Power begets power.¡± As Robert understood it, these were all pre-established truths, so he merely nodded and allowed Gerald to explain his latest experiment. He admitted, ¡°What I¡¯m doing taking it further,¡± he raised a pea, ¡°What I was trying to do, is make it so this pea passively gathers magic, that is to say, gathers magic without the efforts of a sorcerer assisting it.¡± He said, the pass at which he talked quickened as he grew excited. There was something about how genuine it all was, that made Robert smile at I all. ¡°See, magic can be ingested, consumed, and assimilated,¡± the pastor proceeded to define half the words he said, a vice that annoyed Robert. Then continued his lecture, ¡°So if I could concentrate and store a substantial quantity of magic in a single pea, it would be a route for even the least gifted of individuals to become extraordinarily powerful.¡± ¡°So everyone can be as powerful as you?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± He blushed. ¡°You¡¯re a saint,¡± Robert exclaimed, ¡°trying to make everything fair for everyone,¡± that alone was enough to make Gerald positively red, and would insure that Robert would be invited to his next lecture, perhaps even learn some real magic as a result. Beyond what he said though, his experiments where all but encouraged by the church even though practising magic openly is considered a taboo. Only certain people were permitted by the church and anyone else was considered a witch or warlock, an offense punishable by death. Roberts walk ended back at home. His father is the son of the landlord that owned a large portion of the village and my mother was his faithful wife. The landlord, Roberts¡¯ grandfather and the master of the house, spent much of his time doing very little. While Roberts¡¯ father had taken up much of the responsibilities that came with owning the land. He contracted a band of mercenaries that stood guard over the village, the previously mentioned "grey men" where actually members of the Band of Black Hounds. So, incase you couldn¡¯t guess, their house was an elaborate one, largely for the sake of showing off. A random ancestors attempts at imitating the lifestyle of the nobles. Later that night, Roberts¡¯ father, in a moment out of character, tried to teach him a little something himself. In that he gave Robert a lesson in geography- a subject he apparently felt passionate about. Robert''s father showed him a map on a stand. Curiously the map didn¡¯t seem complete. Only the northern hemisphere was shown, where the northernmost parts were large clusters of small islands (each less than a day''s sail away from each other). On the other hand large portions of the map, nearer its centre, seemed to feed into a much larger body of land that stretched along the bottom. Then the map stops, just prior to what you would call the equator. It goes without saying that the very top, was capped with an expansive frozen dessert. Supposedly Roberts little town was on the border of a human kingdom called Eshnunna and the southern wastelands. Father noticed Roberts odd expression after revealing the map and asked ¡°What is the matter, boy?¡± looking at the map himself and then back at Robert with a quizzical eye. So Robert tested him: ¡°Is that a map of the whole world?¡± Robert asked, it would be stupid to just assume so, ¡°Yes, why?¡± He looked back at the map as if to check nothing was missing, satisfied he turned back at Robert confused. Robert gestured towards the southernmost part of the map, ¡°shouldn¡¯t there be something beyond there?¡± Roberts question made his father smile. ¡°Now that¡¯s a question,¡± He said, his excitement almost mirrored that of Pastor Gerald, ¡°Yes there is something below the edge of the map, that much is certain.¡± He looked at the map and then back to Robert, with a grin, ¡°But what''s down there is anyone¡¯s guess.¡± Interestingly enough there was more, Father ran his fingers along the bottom edge of the map, ¡°here, is the great storm,¡± he asserted, ¡°The great storm?¡± Robert echoed. ¡°Yes, it rages on to some degree at all times of the year, right up until the end, then it dies during the colder parts of winter before being reborn the next year with new vigour.¡± he nodded at his description, as it pleased in the fact. Then he continued ¡°There is something south¡± he began, ¡°But no man can pass through that storm and with only a few short weeks between its death and rebirth, there really isn¡¯t enough time to traverse the waste lands, discover new lands and return to publish said findings.¡± for now, Robert would accept what he had to say as fact. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Underground, however, the world was much grimmer. Imagine if you will, four brick walls. No windows, no light, just four walls. In the darkness, something moves. It expands and contracts, breathing. As if gorging on the air, the being in the darkness inhaled and exhaled audibly. Monster had been born some years ago. He sat in a damp dungeon, naked and alone. Sometimes he paced the room perhaps a hundred times a day. Sometimes he climbed the walls, wedging his fingers in-between gaps in the brick work a, perhaps a hundred times. Monster didn¡¯t know about the world beyond those four walls. For the longest time, he¡¯d forget that there was anything out there. The only one he ever had contact with, was Mother. Right on queue a heavy metal lock clicked and an unseen wooden door squeaked open. The hollow sound of shoes against stone tapped repeatedly, growing louder as she drew closer. In the doors slim window, Monster could see her. ¡°Muther.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± She said with disdain, her eyebrows furrowed and her nose clenched whenever she saw the abomination before her now. She opened the door as slightly as possible, had there been anyone in her employment, anyone at all, that she could trust, Monsters ¡°Muther¡± would never subjugate herself to such a lowly role. She pushed a tray through the door, on it was stale bread and slightly aged milk. Monster, who at this point knew better than to move in her presence, sat quietly and watched. ¡°Muther,¡± the word escaped his dry lips as she closed the door, locked it, and walked down the corridor again. With the second door closed and locked, Monster began feasting on his meal. For the longest while this would be all he knew, and the Monster was content with that. CHAPTER TWO- A MIDNIGHT RUN CHAPTER TWO- A MIDNIGHT RUN Some years later, after some meticulous planning Robert had decided to run away from it all, from home and from the town. His reasoning was simple enough, he was bored. So, at the dead of night, Robert would ran away. His way out was simple enough, Robert began by slipping out of his bed in a thick jacket, complete with a knife he had stolen from the kitchen and a small bag of rations, mostly bread and cheese. He didn¡¯t know when his last meal would be so he made sure to really stuff his mouth over the course of the last couple months. The result was that he had become somewhat squarer than usual and that he would probably be able to last significantly longer without food. He even managed to steal a glass jug, which he rinsed out and filled with water, before hiding it out in the fields. He stood motionlessly in his room, with food, water and a weapon all ticked off the mental list the last things he would be a map, a compass and a fair bit of money. Thankfully all of that could be found in one place, his fathers study. As Roberts room which opened up to a large entrance hall, he walked carefully but hurried from one side of the mezzanine to the other until he reached the corner of the room. From there, he paused and listened, then moved on, along and across the back wall. Robert sneaked past the top of the stairway, a floor board creaked and Robert paused. Again no sound came in response. So he moved on, to the next corner, where behind a flower pot he took out his fathers key. A key he had stolen only for his father to replace days later. By the corner was the door that led into the study, Robert inserted the key, and turned it, the gears shifted and fell with a metallic knock. The door clicked daring to be opened. Robert paused, there was a stir, from his parents room. With no other choice, Robert pushed forward, opening the door and entering the study. The room was a large as my own bedroom, which is to say it was fairly spacious, with bookshelves along the walls, nothing of note largely trading logs. At the entre was a large dark wooden desk, and on one side of it was a locked draw. Father kept the keys in his jacket, a jacket I had ample opportunity to steal from. This particular draw functioned as on of many safes around the house. It was common sense not to put all of your eggs in one basket, but the price for that is that some stores of money is more secret and inaccessible than others, which naturally means the opposite is also true and stealing from this desk was almost too easy. Still, he took a pouch of gold coins, large enough that it wouldn¡¯t fit on the pam of his hand but not too large to be a bother to carry, closed the draw and left the study. The pouch fit quite nicely in the inner pocket of Roberts thick jacket. The next order of business was getting out of the house entirely. The easiest way Robert could concoct included squeezing through the large twin doors opposite the stairway that led to the ground floor. Into the dinning room, a lavish oval room with a thick strong table at its centre. At the other end of the dinning room was a balcony that over looked the garden, a place Robert was rarely entered due to my mothers fear that he would ruin it. Robert took a chair, carrying it with both arms as he walked back into the door, then with a twist of my hips and all of my, than considerable weight, Robert threw the chair down the stairs. It tumbled down loudly until it finally crashed into the hard floor. With that he quickly slipped back into the dinning room and headed for the balcony. Directly under the balcony was a thicket of bushes. Robert put one leg over rounded balustrade, then the second leg, and finally, he hopped down. The fall was short with wind blistering past him for all but a second before my feet and hands hit the greenery. Robert crawled out of the bushes and glanced around. His fathers hired security were making their way back round to the front of the house to see the source of the commotion. Without this they would stand directly in my path, and even with this it would be several minutes before they actually checked his room. Not having to worry about the guards also meant Robert could run with all caution abandoned through and out of the garden, past the purple little flowers, and finally out of the village entirely. This continued without a hitch, until he heard a guard call out from the balcony, ¡°Thief,¡± Robert didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be spotted in such a cloudy night, but sure enough he was, Robert started to run harder beating his feet against the ground as his arms came into full swing. After a minute or two he could hear the dogs and guards chase after him. Oh now his heart was ponding, fear is an excellent motivater after all and the blood stomping through his veins were a testament to that. For a moment he almost turned to see them approach. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Now, the house was at the edge of the town and the town seat in the middle of a larger clearing that protruded into a larger forest. At night, the forest was a place very few people went to and, by running along the edge of the village and then out through the field, Robert could be inside the forest in an hour and thirty minutes. The issue arose when the dogs came at him, Of course he had a plan for them but they were at my heels long before Robert got clear of the town. There were three dogs on him, both of which where large cruel things that spat as they barked after me. Robert veered away from the village slightly and headed into the grassy fields. They grass was not maintained and there were patches of it as high as my thigh, making it eye level for my canine pursuers. Robert dived into the grass, whether they¡¯re dogs or humans they can be shocked. He turned while on his knees and took out his knife and lashed out at the first dog, it barked a response. As mentioned, first dog received a cut to the face that drew a disproportionate amount of blood, this only made it mad and it leaped forward at Robert anyway. Robert let the huge dog take him down, there was really no fighting it, however he did position his knife between his chest and it. As it threw itself at Robert, its¡¯ own weight pushed against him and quickly enough the hard ground creped up behind him. Fortunately the knife struck true and pieced the beasts breast, halting it before it took a bite out of Roberts own flesh. The second dog, seeing the pain inflicted on its¡¯ dead companion hesitated to attack. Robert took the chance and hurried away. He wasn¡¯t running anymore, Robert was winded and tired and his legs were already burning from the sprint though he forced them through before. By the time Robert reached the forest, the guards had found their dead dog and was using the other to follow my scent as oppose to actually chase him. The guards, while being grown men, wore heavy armour and was not prepared for a kind of long distance running. Knowing this they wouldn¡¯t pursue me for very long and Robert would have until morning at the least before an actual search party is put together and sent after him. In that regard, the chances of being caught is highest in the first two days before falling to practically zero per cent. The night wouldn¡¯t last forever so Robert started marching into the forest, it was dark and Robert couldn¡¯t really see much of anything. Though there was a constant buzz of magic in the air. This could be fun. Unknown to Robert, his father was watching. ¡°He¡¯s awfully clever isn¡¯t he?¡± the man said, standing from the balcony. The question was addressed to his agent, one who had watched the entire time completely unknown to dear Robert. The agent was dressed in dark blue hooded robes, the agent was kneeling to the ground staring at the ground profusely. She was being paid a ludicrous amount of money after all. ¡°Why did you let him go like that.¡± Mother stomped in towards him, wrapping herself in a gown as she did so. ¡°Well he put so much planning into it,¡± Father said, ¡°I just want to see how far he goes.¡± Mother faced the agent, ¡°You, you can get him back. NOW GO! GO GET HIM BACK.¡± The agent didn¡¯t respond, a fact that aggravated Mother to no end. ¡°Very well, follow him, make sure he doesn¡¯t end up dead.¡± Father said in an act of mock dismissal. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Mother proclaimed, practically foaming at the mouth, ¡°Your not being serious.¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not, don¡¯t worry dear, he¡¯s going to be just fine.¡± Father said, ¡°Now go.¡± He addressed the agent and it disappeared in the shadows. The agent started at the fields, where footprints of people and dogs led her to the a patch of tall grass. There had been a fight there, blood soaked grass made that much clear. The trail continued. Eventually the footprints of men and dogs ended and the little boys continued, right into the forest. The footprints became more even, he wasn¡¯t running anymore, but they weren¡¯t any shallower. They were however dragged out, sluggish. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monster sat in his prison, tormented by his own rushing mind. He tried imagining scenarios. Ones in with Muther didn¡¯t have to leave. Instead she could stay, she could touch him, just once. All he wanted was a touch, a pat, a hug. Of course his imagination ran wild sometimes, he¡¯d try to imagine what it must be like outside of his room. For whatever reason, one of his favourite images was that of a floor, covered in yellow stuff. The ceiling blue and high and stretching out forever. Then people, like Monster but thinner in shiny dresses would raise up from the floor. Two raging armies, infinite armies clash against each other. CHAPTER THREE-THE FOREST OF BEASTS CHAPTER THREE- THE FOREST OF BEASTS Hunger woke Monster; he sniffed the air and lumbered into his forest. Scratching old wounds and scars he followed my nose, how fortunate must he have been to happen upon such a smell. Approaching a clearing in the woods, Monster found his prey, a group of two humans, and an elf amongst them. The closest human wore clean armour that made the light seemingly dance off of him, in one hand was a large shield that could easily covered his entire torso, while in his left hand was a morning star made from an inferior metal to his armour and shield. The two behind him wore cloaks; the elf even had a staff readied in his hands. They meant to challenge Monster, what insolence. Monster gave a roar; the enormous sound hit the surrounding trees and greenery like a gust of wind. The two behind seemed shaken by Monster, Monster supposed the metal man was the strongest. Monster charged forward at full speed and was upon them faster than any deer or rabbit could react. Yet they were not normal prey, the two cloaked men had already left Monsters¡¯ line of sight, his nose and ears informed him that they were to Monsters¡¯ left and right respectively, he even heard an unintelligible babble from the elf, and the elf¡¯s words seemed to flow into a visible light that embraced the metal man. The metal man was the most impressive, he did not run, he stood tall, braced his shield and took the brunt of my charge, like a tree he resisted all attempts to move him. Even with all of Monsters might he the metal man held steady. By some miracle he received Monsters charge entirely and would have held him there had the ground beneath his feet not surrendered. With the metal mans left hand he raised his morning star and bludgeoned Monsters¡¯ side. The blow reached his side, bouncing off of his thick furry hide having little affect. Monsters¡¯ response: he raised his paws and brought them to the metal mans side, Monster would have crushed him then and there had the elf not spoken. With a word the elf shocked Monsters¡¯ limbs without even touching them. Monster stumbled to the ground, unable to feel his legs. The metal man''s shoulders fell, and a sigh escaped his lips, he had relaxed, did he think Monster could be so easily defeated. In Monsters mind this itself was a grievous insult that he would not allow this. Pushing past the numbness and forcing his limbs to work. With a roar Monster leapt towards the elf. This elf would die in my jaws. But the other cloaked individual had other thoughts, He ran, until he was adjacent with Monster, then turning and in a perfect arc, fully utilising every muscle and all his momentum, raised his arm. His blade followed, and in a perfect arc, preying upon Monsters¡¯ throat. Screaming, his dream passed, he found himself back in the little room. The dark little room. Monster remembered the forest from his dream, he recalled how beautiful it was and how it felt to run. As the beast, Monster had ran. He stood up, possessed by the bear that ruled the forest. No more. No more of these walls. Monster struck a wall, leaning into it as he did so. The weight of the bear was immense, and the wall caved into itself. With that, Monster strolled up along the corridor. At the end was another locked door, another wall to crush. Monster struck it too, shattering the wood into splinters. Monster walked through the opening, into the blinding light. The world was so bright, so very bright. Monster looked at the ground, at all the pretty flowers and bushes. He kneeled down, the bear all but gone, and held them in his grey meaty hands. Monsters cell opened out to the back of ¡®Muther¡¯s garden. Naturally it wasn¡¯t long before he was spotted. A group of guardsmen surrounded Monster, ¡°What¡¯s a grey troll doing here?¡± one commented as he tipped his spear towards Monster. ¡°He¡¯s a bit small for a grey troll, if not for the colour, I¡¯d say he was a man.¡± Another said. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, look at its face, its just an infant troll.¡± A third guard chimed in. ¡°Then where¡¯s the mother?¡± A fourth guard asked in legitimate terror. His question had the other guards stop in their tracks. If they hurt a baby troll and its mother went berserk, it could kill them all and then some. The prospect of signing their own death warrant had all the guards hesitate a great deal before moving on. In the commotion Muther, accompanied by an angry looking man, came out of the large house. Monster got up and started heading towards her, but the guards stopped him. Taking it as a sign of aggression, and with no other choice, the guards attempted to shoo Monster away. He stumbled back at the sight of the sharp blades and for a moment he looked past them to plead with Muther. That¡¯s when the angry man stepped forward, ¡°KILL THAT THING RIGHT NOW!¡± he ordered. The guards still hesitated. In the light of day, Monster could see Muthers face clearly for the very first time. There was no hiding it, she hated him. Muther hated everything about him. And the realisation hurt Monster more than any spear could. So he responded in kind. Monster retreated inside himself, allowing the bear to take over again. At the drop of a hat, everything had changed. Monster roared, a bestial savage roar. One so forceful it threw back the closest of the guardsmen. And Monster fled. With a threatening amount of speed, Monster began running on all fours, down the hill and through the field, in minutes he was in the forest having long out paced anyone that dared pursue him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert with his face buried in grass, half of his face was wet with dew. Getting up, he took note of my surroundings. The blue sky seemed to break through the cracks in the green ceiling that was the overbearing trees, it was morning. Then there was the plant life around him, on the ground, the grass seemed brighter than normal. Then there were the mushrooms that sprouted out from the dirt only to bloom outwards with a rainbow of colour, oranges and purples sparkled together. The florescent flowers seemed bigger than it should be, reaching as far up as Roberts shoulders. he rubbed the dew off of my face and started my march again. The mushrooms seemed to be a festering with magic in a way that would make the old pastor excited. Knowing this, he made an effort not to poke the intriguing products of nature. Robert found that my reckless parading through the forest did not go unheard. The bushes rustled and for the moment the thought of fighting or running again made his muscles ache. First, there was a slight hiss. Then naked little green men sprang from the bushes, with sharpened sticks, they chuckled like madmen as they sprinted for Robert. He sized them up, turning a full three hundred degrees to find that he was completely surrounded. The impish creatures chuckled in their high pitched voices as a way of egging themselves on. Roberts heart pounded, sweat flowing from his brow, the tips of his lips curled into a smile. This made them pause. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Robert whipped out his knife and pointed it at one of them, he wasn¡¯t the biggest or the smallest, this green man just happened to be in Roberts line of sight, ¡°Make this fun for me,¡± Robert told him. With that, he charged, the sight of which most have seemed so outrageous and suicidal, that the goblins assumed it was a trick and backed away. Though Robert wouldn¡¯t let up, he plunged forward into the closest little green man. The blade sank into the creatures flesh and scrapped against bone, an attack aimed at his chest was almost pushed down by the presence of his ribs, so instead of piecing the little fools lungs, Robert lost his knife in its gut. Four of the closest goblins converged on Robert before he could dig his knife free from the fresh corpse. So, abandoning it, he dashed out of the way. They gave chase for a moment only for Robert to skid back into the fastest amongst them. Roberts fist followed the goblins stick, pushing up at the last moment. Robert drove his fist into its nose. With a crunch, the goblins nose was buried into its own bony head. The child sized creature fell onto its arse as blood trickled down its jaw line and dripped over its own lap. In the process Monster had dropped its weapon, a sharpened stick that Robert was quick to adopt. Between the growing grin on his face, their two injured comrades and the pointy stick facing them, the three goblins stopped for a moment. Robert took the time to twirl, getting a good look at the goblins behind him before they could mount a surprise attack. It was all a show really, that last punch was really the best Robert would could muster and the last of his strength. His muscles ached and even now Roberts stomach was nagging audible complaints at him. So, realising that he needed to end this quickly, Robert rattled his brain for ideas. That¡¯s when a roar thundered through the forest. The sound was immense, swaying the trees like a gentle breeze. The sound sparked something in the goblins, they ran way, dropping their bags and weapons as they did so. Leaving the their injured ally. Robert sighed in relief for a moment, then regarded his new friend. ¡°I wonder how much you can take?¡± The goblin, clutching its broken nose stared up at Robert its eyes widened. Robert pointed the sharp stick at the goblin, ¡°Now,¡± Robert breathed in heavily, ¡°Let me enjoy this.¡± He took the edge of the spear and, with everything he had, buried it into the goblins thigh, pinning it to the ground. It screamed, and cried and bled out. Robert didn¡¯t stop there. He circled around it, taking it in from multiple angels. Once he was behind the creature, he quickly turned to the copse and pulled his knife free. ¡°I¡¯m one unbelievably lucky fella.¡± He took the blood knife and walked up behind the writhing goblin. He put the edge of the blade against the goblins throat. At this point it had given up entirely, ¡°How boring, its no fun if you don¡¯t fight back.¡± Robert notes, and slits the goblins throat. He takes a minute to watch it bleed to death. Robert sat down and considered this as he took out his own pouch of food. From the loaf of bread, Robert tore off a small chunk and from the block of cheese he broke off a small piece. He then pressed the two items against each other and shoved the result into his mouth. The strong cheese was complemented by the soft bread and Robert savour this as he considered eating more. In the end he choose to conserve his food and walked on while snacking on the berries the goblins had gathered. The goblins would surely know what was save to eat, Robert supposed. All the while, he was being watched by the shadowy agent above. She watched him with unblinking eyes, studying his every move. The roar that had saved the boy could only be the product of magic. The agent knew that much. But she seemed puzzled by this unfamiliar magic that had so easily scared the goblin pack. That¡¯s when it dawned on her, the goblin pack fled! She took a mental note of Roberts location and heading and she turned to the direction the goblins had come from. Why was she so anxious to find the goblins? Well she understood that they were intelligent creatures. And with a threat like the boy in their territory its very likely that they could regroup in greater numbers. There have been reports of goblin armies numbering in the hundreds, and should even a fraction of that force decide to confront Robert there would be very little the agent could do about the it. However, if there are no survivors to tell the tale, then there won¡¯t be a goblin army looking to pick a fight. The agent concluded that as long as Robert encountered them in small enough groups, he would overwhelm them. She was sure of that much, but an army, that was a different story. As to why she didn¡¯t just drag him out of the forest? Well there¡¯s a simple reason for that. The sound originated from outside of the forest and she didn¡¯t want to consider facing the source. The agent jumped from one tree branch to another so quickly and fluidly it appeared as if she was running on the air between them. It wasn¡¯t long before she caught sight of the group of goblins, now no less then five in all. She would make this quick, dispatch them all in a manner of seconds. That was her intention at least. She touched down onto the ground, slap bang in the middle of them. Before they can react, she extends her arm, causing the dagger in her sleeve to slip of its sheave and, with practised precision, she plucks it out of the air. In a matter of seconds, the agent makes her move dismantling the group of goblins. Then she hears a hissing noise. The sound causes her to stop in her tracks. That¡¯s when someone began to move from behind the bushes. The agents brow furrowed as she rebuked herself internally, how could she be so careless. She moves to attack the stranger, but can¡¯t, the hissing noise turned out to be the mumbled words of this stranger. The agent was under someone¡¯s spell. CHAPTER FOUR-ONE POOR RABBIT CHAPTER FOUR- ONE POOR RABBIT After wondering deep in the woods, the bear subsided and Monster regained control. He stood up and started looking around. Monster walked over to a nearby tree, and he touched it, and his hand retreated. Up until now, his hands had only met the rough wet bricks of his prison. But this tree bark was something else entirely. Experimentally, he pressed his the palm of his hand against the tree. H curled his fingers and broke off a piece, Monster slumped down at sat on the ground. He played with the piece of bark, breaking it up in his hands, he listened to the bark. He listened closely to the crunch it made as he snapped it in two and then two again. The sound made him smile. Then he spotted something on the ground. A pretty little thing on the ground. He plucked it from the ground, and coursed the soft petals ever so lightly. Around that point, Monster regarded the surrounding area. That¡¯s when he heard something, the noise prompted Monster up. What approached him, was a rabbit, a tiny fluffy thing with light brown fur, two beady black eyes and the tiniest button nose. The bunny rose its head up to greet him. Monster kneeled down, and reached out to touch it, it looked so soft. For a moment it sniffed at the large approaching hands but in the end, it ran away before he could touch it. The little rabbit ran straight into the bushes and Monster ran after it. The rabbit led Monster through patches of odd looking mushrooms, Monster patted the flaring tops of the mushrooms causing it to collapse under the weight of his hand. The mushroom had reached as high as Monsters forearm and he frowned at its untimely fall. That¡¯s when he remembered the rabbit, and started running off again. At this point Monster had lost sight of it entirely, but persisted in running after the little creature. That¡¯s when Monster walked into a clearing in the forest, draped in rays of sunlight, a little shack stood over the low cut grass. Monster looked around, and approached the shack. ¡°Wait,¡± he heard, but failed to understand. He stepped over a row of stones. Stones that he noticed ran a circle around the house. Still. He moved on. Stepping on the first of a tiled path leading to the front door. Before he could take another step. He felt a sharp pain. He looked down. Dumbfounded, he found a hilt of a knife or dagger, sticking out of his chest. Red ran down his leg. For a moment he watched his blood escape him. Then he looked up, up at the source of his pain. Standing on the roof of the shack, was a person dressed in dark garbs. The person didn¡¯t say a word, merely stretching out her arm. Another dagger slide out of her sleeve, she plucked it out of the air and throw it. The knife span in the air slicing through it like a gleaming metal disk. This time, something clicked. ¡°I told you to wait,¡± a crisp aged voice rung in Monsters ear. The dagger had slowed to a halt in mid-air and just like that, another person appeared. The old man stood, facing Monster, only a few steps away from him. The old mans eyes shone like stars in the night sky. Together, they made for a beautiful painting, yet the canvass, his face, was covered in wrinkles and imperfections. His long face flowed into a pale white beard, and his white beard flowed into a long dull robe that covered the vast majority of his figure. Monster raised his hand, and swatted the old man out of the way. At least, he tried. Monsters hand moved through the old man as if he wasn¡¯t there to begin with. ¡°My name is Cosmo, in a weird way, I am you, just like the bear,¡± Cosmo looked at Monster, ¡°Right, you can¡¯t understand me.¡± The old man took Monsters head in his hands, and Monster, unable to move, felt the old wrinkled hands on his cheeks, then bumped his head (the old mans head) against Monsters. With a odd pain, Monster retroactively began to piece together what the old man had said to him. ¡°I-I, cAn undersTANd yoU?¡± Monster said. Cosmo nodded, ¡°With that out of the way. Lets deal with this.¡± The old man pointed to the dagger logged inside of Monster. ¡°Wh-Why Are yoU hELping mE?¡± asked Monster. ¡°Because,¡± Cosmo said as he moved so that he was beside Monster, ¡°I am you. Now do as I do.¡± With that the halted time waned and everything sped back into gear. The Knife whirling through the air, continued in its path, and Monster stood at the end of it. Monster watched Cosmo, and Cosmo guided him. ¡°Together now.¡± Cosmo and Monster said in unison, their legs apart and hands placed in front of their respective abdomens, this was the stance Cosmo put Monster in. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. With a word, from Cosmo, a word Monster imitated. With that word, Monster felt something cover his hand, and then Cosmo moved his left hand reaching up so that his open hand was level with his face. Monster copied, not just the movement, but the blinding speed in which it was executed, and with the tip of his fingers, struck the metal blade in mid-air. It veered out of its deathly path and fell harmlessly onto the ground. At the same time, with Monsters right hand was pulling out the dagger already buried inside his gut. However, there was a magic applied to the act, the dagger was pulled out yet no blood followed it, the wound sealed as the tip of the blade passed through. Cosmo stretched his right arm out as he said yet another word. And once again, Monster copied. With that the shroud that covered Monsters hand left him, and was fired forward at the dark dressed person. However she had already begun to move, flinging herself from the roof of the shack to the ground and then up into the trees overheard. As if riding on the winds itself, Monsters attacker moved him blinding speed, running circles around him. Monster returned his hand to its initial position as, under Cosmo¡¯s instruction, he began to focus. What Monster couldn¡¯t possibly have seen was the fine string she was putting in place. The attack had fastened sturdy string around the trunks of two trees and the proceeded to run up of the trees. The string held fast and strut as she climbed higher and higher until finally it wouldn¡¯t go any higher. She held herself in place, letting the pressure build, and readied yet another dagger, placing it in her last free hand. With that she let herself go the entire process took up less then three seconds. The string and trees acted like a sling and she was the shot. She rocketed down towards the ground, aimed expertly at Monster. He didn¡¯t even move, there was no way he could react to something so fast. And sure enough. He didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t have to. In the instants in which her blade inched towards the side of his neck she was stopped, held in the air. ¡°SORry, BUt, CosMO iS just toO gOoD at thIS.¡± Monster said. And with a snap of his fingers, the spell was broken. The assailants eyes widened as she came to her senses. With that, the doors to the shack opened wide and a crusty old woman stood in the doorway. ¡°How WOuld yoU liKe to lEAve?¡± Monster asked his assailant, at the same time he stared at the witch. ¡°Sure,¡± she said, mystified at the troll in front of her as he lowered her down. The two of them backed away from the witch, the old hag watched them retreat into the forest. After they were out of the witches sight, Monster finally calmed down, and started to feel hollow. He collapsed to the ground. ¡°Hey, what are you- are you okay?¡± his companion exclaimed as she tried and failed to prop him up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert walked southwards, his goal, the edge of the map and he snacked on berries as day slowly shifted into night. He noted how, like the town before it, his new habitat worked on a very simple system. The food web spanned hundreds of animals, many of which he would never know, but nevertheless it was all just one huge game of cat and mouse, a game he loved to watch. For instance, now, Robert noticed a small rabbit get cornered by a fox-like abomination. Robert was inclined to call it an abomination because of its glowing red eyes, the mark of beast touched by magic. In any case, the rabbit found itself cornered and with no other means of escape it actually turned and faced the beast. The game of cat and mouse became a desperate grasp at life and the rabbit charged at the fox as it tried for life. Naturally this didn¡¯t play out well for the rabbit, with the fox beast plucking it from the ground by its throat, with its huge jagged fangs. From there it pressed its leg onto the rabbits back and started to pull with its jaw. The rabbits head began to tire free until only the smallest strands of skin kept it linked to the body. Oh what fun. CHAPTER FIVE- IDENTITIES CHAPTER FIVE- IDENTITIES Monster woke up in a tent, someone was calling out from outside. For a moment Monster studies himself, noting how fair his skin looked and how thin his fingers had become, this was a memory of yet another past life, that much he was sure of. He got up and was in my armour in less than a minute, Monster walked out of my tent, sword and shield in hand, ¡°We¡¯re under attack¡± some man screamed. Monster walked towards the commotion, peering through the crowd and dust to try and make out the threat. What faced him was a large mountain troll. Watching it fight the other troops was like watching a toddler wrestle its dolls. It''s huge, bulging red eyes zeroed in on Monster. A grin spread out across its face. This creature thought it had found a new toy. It lashed out, reaching to grab Monster but he sprang to attack just as quickly, he cut into its wrists of the troll and blood oozed out, it squealed and monstrous cry that shook my very bones. With its other hand the troll swung a dead soldier at Monster, despicable, to use men as mere tools. ¡°Know your place monster,¡± Monster shrieked, and he proceeded to threw his shield at its face, it struck true and dazed the beast, before it could retaliate Monster had plunged my sword into its thigh and rolled away to cover. Then he saw the real threat, behind the troll was a harpy, a subtype of beastman, and the creature wielded some kind of amulet, the magical device irradiated a green aura, was the harpy controlling the troll? Monster picked up the spear of a fallen comrade, and stalked the harpy, allowing other soldiers to occupy the Troll. However before he could do anything the troll had been killed and the harpy fled. Monsters king had joined the fray. I kneeled to my king, Gilgamesh. ¡°Rise soldier, for a commoner, you have gone well.¡± His voice boomed, ¡°Thank you my lord, you are too kind,¡± I stood up, though my eyes never left his feet, ¡°Tell me your name and rank,¡± ¡°Sibri, my lord, I am but a humble foot soldier in your army,¡± I spoke in a uniform tone, ¡°No more, you are wasted as a simple soldier,¡± Then he raised his voice and spoke to everyone in the area, ¡°Behold, Sibri, the latest Captain of my army against Monsters of the world.¡± The men cheered, more for our lord and saviour than for me. The memory faded. Monster woke up in a cold sweat, he lay in a damp, shallow, cave, one that formed on the side of a low-laying cliff that overlooked a flowing river. Next to him was a warm fire with a wooden frame built where some kind of meat was cooking. On the other side of the fire was the person he had saved. She had removed the hood and scarf that previously covered her head, quickly took note of the troll waking up. She was curled up into a ball by the fire, but otherwise seemed content in watching the river gently pass them by. ¡°You should rest,¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you expended too much magic,¡± She looked at him for some kind of conformation but Monsters face showed no signs of understanding what she was talking about, ¡°We can talk later, rest.¡± At the same time, Monster saw Cosmo standing amongst them, ¡°I apologise, I am accustomed to a much larger store of magic. This won¡¯t happen again.¡± Monster couldn¡¯t muster the strength to talk. Monster fell to sleep again, quickly becoming dead to the world. Sibri returned. The winter day chilled me to the bone. As Sibri, Monster wandered through the camp walking towards its centre. The war tent was large, the floor covered in the furs of bears and wolves. A semi-circle of chairs took up the centre, thirteen chairs in all with only one being occupied for the moment. Gilgamesh sat on his improvised throne. The man¡¯s head was framed by his hair and beard; both boasted a thick, rich brown colouration despite his age. His eyes glared through the thicket, a steel blue that threatened to tame any flame with its icy gaze. The between his eyes, protruded a strong bridge, leading into an equally strong rigid nose. He wore thick garments despite the blistering heat, leaving much of himself concealed. And for good measure, some would say that anything less would cause lesser men to grow bitter while others claimed that under those robes was a frail body that would dishearten his men. I dared to take three paces then retreated by one, and kneeled, it would not do to disrespect him by drawing too close. ¡°You summoned me, Lord of Lords.¡± Monster announced, not allowing my eyes to leave the floor. A voice answered him, ¡°How long would you have persisted with this falsehood?¡± I glanced up to find my accuser. A short man stood between me and my king. Monster began to defend himself, and then he saw Gilgamesh again. Monster could not lie here, ¡°You do not deny it.¡± The short man looked down at me, his chin held high, triumphant. ¡°Now,¡± the short man said, ¡°Wake up, wake up,¡± Monster was roused out of his sleep by the woman. ¡°You need to eat.¡± She said, handing him meat skewed by a stick. Monster sat up and, only after watching the proper way to consume the meal, started inhaling the cooked rabbit. ¡°Since you saved me I decided to return the favour, there¡¯s more rabbit if you want it.¡± The woman sat down at her spot on the other side of the fire, ¡°Thank you.¡± Her words voice was plain and uncaring a monotone of indifference. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Monster didn¡¯t really know how to respond, so he kept on eating as if it never happened. After several minutes of silence the woman tried again, ¡°Just who are you?¡± That was a question that struck Monster as odd. He had so rarely interacted with other people, that the concept of a name was far from fully fleshed out in his own mind. Though, the woman saw his confusion to the question and decided to make an effort, ¡°I¡¯m Sarah,¡± She said, pointing to herself, then she started getting impatient, ¡°You can talk right, I heard you.¡± Monster thought about talking when Cosmo appeared again. He touched the demi-trolls forehead simply saying, ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± as he did so. ¡°I was-¡± Monster seemed surprise with how neatly the sounds erupted from his throat, ¡°I have always been called monster.¡± He said, ¡°My mother had always called me monster.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not really going to work.¡± Sarah said, brows furrowed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you call yourself Cosmo earlier?¡± ¡°Cosmo is my teacher,¡± Monster responded. ¡°So the half troll has a sorcerer for a tutor? More importantly, if you don¡¯t have a name then you should give yourself one.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Do people normally name themselves?¡± Monster asked. ¡°Well, no.¡± ¡°Then maybe,¡± Monster hesitated, ¡°you should name me.¡± ¡°Fine then,¡± Sarah got up, ¡°Goodbye Jacobs, its been a pleasure.¡± With that she got up and started to leave. ¡°Wait,¡± Jacobs called out, ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Quiet frankly, Jacobs,¡± Sarah looked at his nude form again, ¡°You¡¯re disgusting.¡± Jacob considered that for a moment. At first he considered his lack of clothing, something that had grown increasingly apparent. Then he considered the look she had given him, it wasn¡¯t like the look his mother had given him, it wasn¡¯t the angry of the man who demanded his death. He didn¡¯t understand it but he knew she wasn¡¯t telling the truth. So, he got up, and he followed. Sarah had shot up into the trees, heading in a particular direction and Jacobs decidedly went the same way, abandoning the dying fire as he did so. Jacob considered his name, ¡°Jacob,¡± he repeated to himself with a smile. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Robert had grown bored of the woods, with the compass in hand he headed south were eventually he¡¯d reach the mountains and then the wastelands and finally pass down into the unknown. But the mountains never seemed to come, and thanks to the trees, he had no way of telling how close he was. Not that it mattered, Robert had consumed the last of his bread by that point and was depending entirely on the small animals he managed to catch. A smoked rabbit had been strapped to his back and he was currently looking for a place to rest and eat. In this quest for a dark cosy spot, Robert succeeded in finding a dear, a graceful creature that grazed the grass below it. It grazed in one of the deeper parts of the woods. To Robert, it seemed strange that a creature like that would be so helplessly alone. He took out his knife and considered trying for it. The brown nosed mammoth of a mammal would feed Robert for several days. Though, before he went for the kill, something else beat him to it. A boar, a wild beast covered in a layer of thin fur making its bulging muscles even more prevalent. It charged from a set of bushes not fair from where the deer was standing. Its huge, curved and yellowed, tusks rose up into the dears side as the boar continued to drive its prey into a tree. The force alone shook the branches that hung above the two animals as skewed its prey again and again. That¡¯s when something unexpected happened. The neck of the dear twisted around, its mouth gapped unnaturally open, and it clamped down onto the bridge of the boars stout. The dears slips sealed around the bloody wound and it seemed to such at it. In moments the boar was reduced to little more then skin and bones, so that when all was said and done, the dear pushed its way past the lifeless body, its wounds seemed to deject the tusks that had been logged in them, and prance into a deeper, darker, part of the woods. What Robert had just witnessed, was a vampire beast in action. A monster that would have been his demise. He lowered himself out of the tree and inspected the boar. The blood of the dear was still present on its dusty tusks. From what he understood about the vampire curse, a single drop of vampiric blood would be enough to transmit the curse. With that curse, comes all the power that dear had flaunted. It was wasted on a dear like that, Robert thought, power like that ought to belong to someone intelligent enough to use it. He knelt down beside the corpse, studying the gleaming blood. Just a drop, he thought to himself. With that he, licked it. Testing crimson blood before quickly gulping it down. The change occurred immediately. It hurt, Roberts entire body burned and his blood boiled. Robert let out a scream, and slumped into unconsciousness. CHAPTER SIX- INTROSPECTION CHAPTER SIX- INTROSPECTION Jacobs followed in Sarah¡¯s general direction, hurrying past the tree¡¯s and fumbling over every dump, rise and fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ahead of him was Sarah, who had dashed up into the trees. The world below zoomed past, she went south, having found a trail that was undeniably Roberts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While Robert was still desperately crawling out of unconsciousness. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacobs pushed off of a tree and trampled through a bush, walking into a path. Then he saw them. The goblins. There were a group of them holding corpses. Two goblins per corpse, in a way that insured that none of the dead touched the ground. The heads where placed onto the corpses torso. The goblins carried the green tiny corpses with surprised and sometimes grim faces. ¡°What would you do?¡± A crusty voice prompted, it was Cosmo pushing Jacobs onwards. He smiled at the group, tight-lipped, looking downwards. Then Jacobs pushed on. The goblins watched him go, then continued. ¡°You know you¡¯re very clever, for a man-child that hadn¡¯t seen the light of day until recently.¡± Cosmo said. Jacobs didn¡¯t reply. He still hadn¡¯t decided. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you help me before, when I was locked up?¡± Jacobs asked. Cosmo replied, ¡°You never tried to leave. Then the time came to leave, we didn''t want to miss anything too exciting.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you talk to me,¡± Jacobs looked away from the imagined source of the voice, ¡°when I was alone?¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t trying to listen.¡± Cosmo said, in a monotone. But, realising that this wasn¡¯t enough, he made an effort to say more, ¡°You¡¯ll notice, should you choose to analysis the sequence of events; that when you did try to leave, the bear helped you. A magic beast, whose power straightened your decrepit form. When you faced a user of magic, you needed me, so I spoke up.¡± ¡°And the dreams?¡± Jacobs asked. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot,¡± Cosmo said, ¡°you needed the example of a stoic hero. One who faced prejudice, like you and pushed through, as you did.¡± At this point, Jacobs stopped. ¡°And who made that choice?¡± he asked. ¡°We did.¡± Cosmo said, his voice echoed with something greater, louder. This was the phoenix. And it was so warm. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± It was growing impatient. ¡°I guess.¡± Jacobs pushed on. This was a part of him, no- he was apart of it. And so Jacobs continued south. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Robert agonised over the pain, this, unknowingly, brought him to seek comfort. Desperation had him flick through his own mind until finally finding something. In his mothers arms, his tiny body wrapped in a soft blanket. This was his real mother, from long before the day with the troll, a youthful and graceful woman. There where bags under her eyes and beads of sweat running down her face. Robert noticed his fingers, his small, chubby fingers. How old a memory was this? He asked himself. His vision seemed to follow the bead of sweat. Down to her neck. It flowed further. Yet he stopped there. At her plump neck. Robert pushed himself up from her arms, stretching his head upwards before finally, his lips met her neck. Her skin was felt soft and smooth against his pink lips. Robert opened his mouth wide, pushed his head just a little higher, and he started to bite in. Blood flowed down into his mouth, and his tongue rushed to meet the warm flood of red. He closed his eyes, as the ecstasy of the action shock his entire body. When Robert opened his eyes, he was back. Back in the green thick of the forest. On top of him, was a stranger, a woman he had never met, wearing black. She seemed to fall into him, limp and pale. In seconds, Robert had finished his meal and risen to his feet. He stood over seemingly ancient dead body. ¡°Congratulations," He smiled down at the corpse, "You will be eternally remembered,¡± Robert promised. He took note of his new body, it felt light and its muscles seemed stronger, more defined. Everything seemed smaller, or perhaps he was taller. His skin, cold to the touch, but paler, smoother, cleaner. In a way, he felt both older and younger, as if he had been alive for eons, but also as if he had literally been born that very day. It was strange, but the feeling persisted. Robert tried to rationalise the sensation, in the end, he came to a single conclusion, "This is agelessness. This is eternity". And then he stepped over the forgotten corpse, and rumaged through his pockets for his compass. He had two choices. Commit to the mysterious south and all it holds. Or head north, and dominate the known world, perhaps there was an adventure to be had, in the comfort of home? In either case he had to decide then and there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With that, I am forced to break the narrative to submit a question to you, dear reader. Which way does Robert ultimately go? Does Robert attempt to conquer the known world? Or does he head south and discover the unknown? Pick north for the conquest or south for adventure.