"Ooooh."
A pained groan escapes my lips as I finally start to come to my senses. An aching fills my body as it feels like I've just been through a full system reboot. My vision slowly begins to return to me and I start to realize that I'm laying down on something green. I soon realize than I'm laying on grass. What the fuck? Why am I outside? I start trying to get my body to respond to my commands to move, and I manage to start weakly pushing myself up. I manage to get onto my knees and I look around. I appear to be in some kind of forest. Okay, now shit's starting to hit the fan. Where am I? What's going on here? I try to stand up but my foot catches on something and I'm forced back down to my knees. I look down and my eyes widen at what I see. I'm dressed in black plate armored robes. My hands are bony and completely paper white except for the dirt staining them. My mind blanks for a moment as I bring my hands closer to examine them. I rotate them, hoping that it will somehow make this less real. But the longer I look, the realer it seems. I press my right thumb against my left palm, and my skin feels strangely smooth. WhatthefuckWhatthefuckWhatthefuckWhatthefuckWhatthefuck?!?!?!?!?!
"What the fuck is going on here?!"
Those words escape from me as my anger an disbelief rise. Is this real? Why am I like this?! I make my way to stand up again, this time being careful not to step on my new robes. I manage to get to my feet but there's a sudden weakness in my left leg and I stumble a bit. However I'm able to keep myself on my feet. I lift up the robes to look at my leg. It has the same stark white, strangely smooth skin as my hands. It doesn't look injured, but it still feels injured, so I have no idea what's going on. I try to take a deep breath to calm myself, but it's shaky as the realization of what's going on comes in waves. I start trying to figure out what might have gotten me here.
'Alright, what was the last thing that happened to me? I was play my game, there was a storm, All of a sudden there's a flash of light and then blackness. Could it have been the storm? No, that makes no sense. Lightning isn't magic. Grrr, I'm getting nowhere.'
What do I do now? I don't know where I am and I don't know where to go. Luckily the sun is out, but I don't know for how much longer. It's just trees as far as I can see. Well, I'm not getting anything done just standing around here. I might as well start walking. I better find some shelter before I get caught in the night. Hopefully I'll comes across something that might help me. I starts walking along, but my speed is hampered by my slight limp.
'Ugh. My feet hurt so much. I wish I knew where I was going. Why'd this have to happen to me? I barely know anything about the woods. I just wanna go home.'
A long while of walking, at least it felt like a long while, hadn't really gotten me anywhere. This place is just trees, trees, and more trees. No matter how far I go nothing ever changes about the scenery. Seen one tree in a spooky forest, seen them all. Suddenly there's a growl and at first I though it was coming from somewhere around me, but I quickly realized after the second one that it's just my stomach.
'How long have I been out here?'
Unfortunately all these trees ascribed to the "Not having fruit" school of being a plant so I'm stuck without a meal for now. This is looking bleaker by the second. Despite my aching feet and legs, I continue to trudge along in my search for any signs of civilization. However before too long the sun started to set. I still don't have a place to hunker down for the night. What am I going to do? I hate this place so much. The trees are so thick that I can't see anything above the tree tops. Not that it would really help since I can't navigate with the stars. I guess I'll just have to keep walking until I can't walk any more. I hope that I'll be able to find something before I have to contend with this forest's ecosystem. However as the sun sets, I notice something strange. Even though the light level is going down, I can still see perfectly fine. There aren't any light around so I have no idea what's letting me see.
'This just keeps getting stranger and stranger.'
Suddenly I can feel a presence behind myself. Even before I hear the low, angry growl somehow I could feel the creature behind me. It was sort of like the hairs on the back of your neck feeling, but way more precise. But as I said, it preceded me hearing a creature growling behind me. It was low and loud, and I could feel my stomach drop as I heard it. I quickly swing my head around and I see behind me is some kind of massive creature. It's covered in brown fur, has a red main, bat wings, and a scorpion's tail. It looks like a manticore, but that's impossible. However I don't have time to dwell on that as the creature roars in my face. I can smell blood on its breath as saliva flies out of its mouth. It quickly stops and glares at me. I can feel something on my back start to shift but I'm to scared to try and figure out what's going on. At this point my higher brain has checked out and fight or flight has kicked in. And right now flight sounds like a really good idea. I turn around and starts booking it in the other direction. My limp severely hurts my speed, but I manage to keep good time. As I look back the manticore doesn't seem to be following me. I don't know why and I don't really care. I just keep trying to get my ass out of there.
After a little bit of running I need to stop and take a breath. I can't see the manticore, but that's probably because of the trees and not my running. It looks like I'm pretty slow with this limp and my stamina is shot, so breathing now, moving in a moment. I don't hear anything chasing me, so that's a plus. I wonder why though. That manticore could have squashed me, but it didn't for some reason. As I'm sucking wind I take a knee so that I can take this moment to rest. As I sit there I start to think about what I just saw. That was a manticore, as in a mythological beast. But it was right there. It was real. How is that even possible?
"Damn it, where the hell am I?! Why is this happening to me?!"
I bang my fist against the tree, but it hurts so I grab my hand with a slight yelp. It doesn't look like I actually hurt my hand seriously so at least I'm not adding any new injuries to my body. Well, I seem to be at least safer now, so I think I can start trekking again. I just hope that I don't run into any more giant creatures and that I'm not just walking the way I came through. That would be a real kick in the teeth.
After another while of walking through this seemingly endless fucking forest I manage to come across a particularly large tree. It stands head and shoulders above the other tress and there's a bit of a clearing around it. The sun has set by now and I need somewhere to sleep so this seems like as good a place to sleep as any other so long as it's not already occupied. I quickly start looking around the tree to try and see if there are any monsters nearby that might try to attack me. At least for now everything seems to be in the clear so I starts walking to the base of the tree. The roots are massive so at least I should be able to sleep without having to worry too much about some of the dangers of the forest. The apparently magical dangers. After I've double checked to make absolutely sure that my sleeping spot is safe, I lay down on what at least looks like a softer patch of grass, and start to dose off. Luckily the robe is warm so I don't have to worry about getting too cold.
As the sun starts to come up the next morning I yawn and starts to wake up when I feel the the light of the sun pressing against my eyelids. I grumble a bit as I start to wake up since i was never really a morning person. And with all of this shit I've been through I would really rather keep sleeping if I could. However I can't since I'm still lost in this super strange forest, so I do my best to try to get up. I instinctual reach for my coffee once I wake up, but then I remember where I am and I pull my hand back. I give a weary sigh as I stand up once again. My limp feels a little bit better but I'm still going to be dragging the foot for a while. I hope I can find help soon because the sooner I find help the sooner I might be able to get some help with this limp. I wish I knew why it was like this in the first place though. Just having a random limp is beyond annoying and into painfully inconvenient.
And so I continue my trek through these blasted woods. So far so painful since I've been walking non-stop for hours. My stomach occasionally growls but I haven't found a single fruit tree. I'm starting to wonder if this forest itself is magical with just how much it seems to just not function like it should. Though maybe that's because I'm not a biologist and I'm just missing the circle of life at work. however when I think that thought about maybe the forest being magical my stomach growls louder than before. It's very strange, but I have no idea why my stomach would react like that. It certainly isn't helpful since that's just makes me hungrier. I really hope that I'll be able to find civilization soon. I need something to eat really soon. I need a good bed soon. I need a lot of things really soon and I'd rather not test how long this strange white body can go without proper nourishment. I'm really starting to wish I'd gotten into that survivalist book that my brother had sent me. At this point anything is better than just walking without any direction. Though I suppose now isn't the time for regrets. All I can do is keep walking.
As I continue my walking I notice that it's starting to get dark again. I sigh and wonder if It would even be worth it to try and find my way back to the large tree and sleep there again. I can't tell north from south in here so I'm pretty sure I'd just get myself more lost if I tried to find my way back. I might as well just keep walking straight and hope I run into something. Fuck, why is this happening to me? Why am I here? What's going on? Why is this happening to ME?! I hold back my tears as I continue to walk through the forest. However my stomach drops as I feel a very familiar sensation. the hairs on my neck are standing up again, this time a bit to my left. Looking around, I see what's making them do that. I turn and see my second impossible sight. Standing there is some kind of creature made of wood with bright glowing green eyes. It looks like a wolf and it's staring right at me. It seems to be along and it only really comes up to my thighs, but its teeth and claws look sharp regardless, so i really don't want to take a chance with it. I quickly turn around and starts to book it away from the strange wooden wolf. However I hear a sound that makes my heart sink: the sounds of quick steps behind me, and they're getting closer. I looks and see the wooden wolf chasing after me, and it's gaining quickly since with this limp I can't really move quickly. My heart starts beating faster and my body starts trying to get my gimped leg to work even though that might hurt more later, but it still isn't enough speed. That thing is getting way too close! what even is that?! Why is it chasing me?! What's going on?! After a short moment the wolf is close enough that it can pounce on me. When it launches into the air and of the hairs on my next tense up and I look around to try and see what's going on. Just as I'm turning around the wolf impacts me, sending up both rolling to the ground. I can feel the wolf's claws trying to dig into my skin as I try to get it off me. We stop after a few rolls with me on my back on the ground with the wolf above me. The wolf opens it's maw to try to bite down onto my next and I pull my hands towards my face to try and defend myself with all of my energy. But then something strange happens. I suddenly feel hungry and a bit tired. There's the sound of a deathly gasp and I can feel something filling me up as my wounds suddenly feel much better. There's a loud thumb as I feel the wolf collapse onto me. I look up as I move my hands away from my face and am very confused. Sitting on top of me is just a regular pile of wood, and around the pile of wood is a purple mist that disappears as quickly as it appeared. This just leaves me with even more questions than answers! What was that?! Why don't I hurt all of a sudden?! Did it kill the wooden wolf?! I quickly brush the wood off of my and I stand up. I starts taking deep breaths as I try to calm myself down and figure out what just happened. However in the distance I hear and howl and decide that trying to rely on a miracle more than once is a terrible survival strategy, so I decide to make paces while I can.
The Moon looms overhead as I continue to make my trek through the forest. Thankfully my ability to see in the dark has let me navigate through the forest some more, but I've still made virtually no progress. It's still nothing but trees as far as my strange eyes can see, but now they're darker than before. I guess I'll just have to keep walking. And so, I continue on my so far long and arduous journey. But after a while, through the tree I see a beautiful sight. Just beyond the trees there's some kind of clearing or something. Honestly I'm just glad that I can see something that isn't grass or trees. I pick up the pace, hoping that whatever I find will help me find a town or anything that might get me closer to getting home. I swiftly reach the tree line but stop, and just in time as well. Unfolding before me is a massive gorge, with myself on the edge of one of its sides. I take a few step backwards and hold onto a tree while I let my heart stop running at a million miles an hour. Once I don't feel like I'm about to pass out I let go of the tree so that I can get a better look at the gorge. It's absolutely massive. However is strangest aspect isn't is size, but its structure. The walls are covered in large holes.
'I wonder what could have made those holes. Whatever it was, I hope it's not still around, because I need a place to stay the rest of the night.'
I start looking for a way into the gorge. When none become apparent, I start to follow the left side of the gorge. Eventually I find where the bottom of the gorge meets the land I'm walking on and I enter the gorge. It feels much different than the forest, but the change in scenery is a blessing. Having hard rock on my feet instead of grass may hurt more but at least I have some solid footing. I start looking for a hole that I can use to hide out in until morning. The holes are a bit more scarce at the end of the gorge and most of the holes are high above the ground, but I eventually manage to find one. It's floor is at my chest height, but I'm able hoist myself inside and breathe a sigh of relief. However then I take a look at what's inside the hole. At the back end of the hole is a large skeleton. It looks like it was some kind of eel, but now it's just long dead. It's a bit freaky, but my legs are calling out to me to rest and I'd rather not try my luck with any of the other cave, so I sit down and start to rest. When I do my entire body relaxes. My eyelids begin to droop as the activities of the day catch up with me, and I'm finally able to get some sleep.
A burning sun
the darkest moon
a ringing bell
a treasure lost
a great force
the call to arms
the blinded
the cure
A brilliant star
a shining gem
a sweet taste
a hidden flower
a spectral friend
the hardest work
can you find them?
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"
I'm forcefully roused from my slumber by an intense pain all over my body. I can feel some excruciating thing burning its way through my body as I jolt back to awareness. My eyes shoot open to see a sight that looks maybe even stranger than the manticore. Standing over my form is a grey unicorn with what looks like a long grey beard. It's wearing what looks like a wizard's hat and a star woven cloak. He's glaring down at me with hard blue eyes, and his horn is glowing with a bright white light. All over my body lines of glowing white cover my skin and they seem to be the source of the immense pain. I try to raise my arms but I have no strength left in my body. Between yesterday's expedition and the incredible pain racking my body, I can't find the strength to move. The unicorn's horn stops glowing and my vision started to fade as my head lolls to the side. At the entrance of the cave I can see two small horse things with horns and wings. What? They're so small. What are they doing here? Maybe... I can...
"P-please... Help me..."
My voice leaves me as my vision fades to black and I can't feel anything.
Author's Note
I want to ask you somethings: Should this story involve more direct mechanics from DS2, or should it take the flavor over the crunch? Also, How do you want the protagonist to progress: faster (more powerful faster) or slower (more believable progression)?
Also, if you're wondering where I've been and why this is my most recent story, this is why: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/908794/i-need-help . I've Had this in my back pocket for a while just in case i needed to post something badly.
