The sunlight, it's too bright everything is blurry and my head hurts. I finally sit up taking in my very blurry surroundings as my vision clears everything seems off.
The sounds of the village are in chaos, everyone is screaming in horror, and I also don't remember how I got here; or who I am.
All I know is that my head is bleeding and the world seems to be crashing down all at once.
"Luke" I hear but I don't know where it's coming from.
"Luke, come on we have to go!" All of a sudden a girl is taking me by the arm and pulling me down the streets of this strange place.
Tripping and falling she's not letting me get my footing, there must be something wrong.
"What's going on?" I called out as we were running towards a heard of people
"You must have hit your head pretty hard if you don't remember, look we don't have time for reminders we have to keep moving, I'll explain everything when we get out of here." Not know if I should trust this strange girl pulling me down god knows where, but something just seems...right to follow her lead.
So I do, I follow her through all the rubble and falling pillars, to the gates that are being pulled apart by other civilians trying to leave this disintegrating place.
My head spun I thought I’d pass out but I pushed through to help pull away the breaking metal and debris.
With everyone's force, we finally got the gates open and continued running for a safe haven, or where ever it is that we were heading if any of that even exists.
Things got even more odd as trees are everywhere swallowing us whole, with adrenaline in our veins we continued to run. A woman ahead of me ran directly into the massive gap in the tree, and with a force of shock I fell backward for a brief moment, she never came out of the tree sputtered, and sprayed blood all over the field.
I stood up and maneuvered my way in and out of the trees, in this case we were to surely die, more and more civilians are being eaten and spit out from these horrid things we thought were trees.
A booming voice came over the forest and sent everyone running. "Run! leave the Forrest! Go!" We finally get out of the forest not looking back until the screaming stopped falling to the ground trying to catch my breath I dared to look back.
The survivors including the girl who brought me here all looked silently at ash where all the trees were. black snow falling in the sky with a withering old man with long white hair and a long white beard with a blue robe standing in the middle of the devastation.
"Do you not know what treants are? Where have you been for the past fifty years," The old man boomed; He started walking toward us with some sort of walking stick I have never noticed he had, until now, not that I had the time to really notice such minuscule things.
"Alright... come on no time for introductions if you want to survive this place." He said walking past all of us in a stride. We all stared at him not moving; he looked back.
"I know the way, follow me." So again I did as I was told to, I barely knew who I was I didn’t want to die as one of the nameless.
I decided to try and talk to the girl who brought me here.
I matched her pace in stride.
“Do you really think he knows where we are going?" she whispers under her breath.
“He know’s more than what I know I don’t even know why or where we are going,” I reply honestly.
“None of us really do, but this was your idea so we are following your directions.” The girl says as we continue to walk the winding road of the unknown.
She began to walk a bit faster to keep up with the mysterious man, I quickened to catch up with her.
“What do you mean by it was my idea?” I questioned.
None of this makes sense there's a complete gap before I woke up with a bloodied skull and questionable surroundings.
“Luke, we really don’t have time to be filling gaps, in your weird jokes. This is a serious matter.
I didn’t reply, Instead, I just stared at her, I am completely lost, and just want some answers.
That's when I think she finally clued in that this in fact was not a sick joke.
"You really don't remember anything do you?" She asked bewildered.
"If I did would I ask you all these questions?" I asked, as the feeling of helplessness kicked in.
How could I, lost and confused, know where these lost and confused people are, there was one difference however these people knew me, even if I don’t remember myself or my own name, also who is this ‘Luke’ person, is that my name?
I guess it had to be if that's what she called me.
Up above, the clouds started piling in the sky making it go dark and eerie; and the rain quickly pelted the ground, they felt almost like shards of glass from above.
"We should get out of the rain, let's go look for cover." the old man ordered walking in what seemed to be a random direction on the path
We soon approached a cave; it was so dark the light from outside didn’t help our eyesight. Or at least until the old man snapped his wrinkled old fingers and the cave lit up as if it were magic. I opened my eyes wide as if a little child watching a fake magic trick.
"How did you do that?" I asked, amazed.
The old man looked at me as if he saw me for the first time; he looked shocked and pained. "How are you still alive?" He asked horrified he placed his hands on my shoulders as tears filled his gaze. I looked around awkwardly and looked back at him with confusion, not sure what hes going on about. Do I know this old man?He held my face between his hands, and I stood there staring with confusion. "I don’t know what you mean, also who are you?" I said embaressed not remembering anything. "Arthur, you don't remember me?!" He said loud enough for everyone to hear. ”Arthur?” I mumbled under my breath, that name didn’t feel all that familiar. "His name isn't Arthur, his name is Luke and we're from Mud-Haven. Our home has been infected with some kind of...Madness. We had no choice but to leave." She said horrified. This girl is giving me a bad headache, how dare she tell this old man who I am? I don't even know who I am. "I don't even know your name, how do you possibly know
"You said you lived over three hundred years, how are you still alive?"I asked curiously. "As a wizard we have a very long life span, sometimes it's a curse and other times it can be a blessing," Merlin explained. Sighing he brought his attention back to me. "That girl, named Ariel said there was a madness in your kingdom. How did that come about?" Merlin asked as if he was hinting at something. "If you're so curious, why don't you come to ask me yourself?" Ariel said sarcastically. "The reason I didn't ask 'you' was because I wanted to know his point of view," Merlin said sarcastically back. "I don't remember anything, sounds like she needs to tell us both." I said sighing. "How do I know I can even trust you, Merlin" Ariel glared at Merlin. "That's a good point, miss Ariel. However need I remind you I saved your life from those treants, so I believe its needless to say I should have a bit of your trust, but I guess it would be foolish of me to expect you to trust a
I let Ariel go, the crowd of people surrounded us they looked very uncomfortable. "We decided that we are going to head out of here, we can't live in a shared cave for the rest of our lives," The man from earlier said. "What about our families, our homes?" Ariel said through wiping her tears. "We have to look at the facts Ariel, the Queen gave up on us. There's no salvation in Mud-Haven, no food, no water, no wheat, Mud-Haven is dying.” The woman from prior says, she looked quite frail, the fact that she got this far is even impressive. ”We can't live there anymore, of course, if there is anyone left in need of help we will be there and take them with opened arms." The man agreed. "Think what you want, and do what you please. But Luke and I are not giving up." Ariel spoke shakily. "I know I have no business in the village's matters, but can I aid you with some assistance?" Merlin assisted. "What kind of an assistance could 'you' possibly give us," A woman said with a s
"That is until Balinor got to her." Merlin chuckled, "Speaking of, Poor Balinor is probably hungry after that long flight. Who's to say you won't be next?" Balinor growled in protest to that as he shook his head and laid down, Ariel, on the other hand, looked scared, with her eyes all bulged and her mouth ajar, with her facial expressions. I myself had to laugh, I tried holding it in, covering my face but it was just too much. I burst out laughing and they both stared at me. It was the first time I laughed since I could remember. Ariel pouted and I finally calmed down I took a minute to take in my surrounding's; There was a large bookshelf spiralling all the way to the top of the tower with a staircase built into the bookshelf. finding myself raising my hand to caress the books binding and the smell of dust. It feels like an eternity since I held a book. Across the binding's there were letters that spelt: P. O. T. I. O. N. S. and E. L. I. X. E. R. S. Ok
Merlin suddenly appeared behind me and whacked me on the side of my head. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" I rubbed the back of my head. "You really are an abusive old man, you know that?" "In any case how could you let them take her like that?!" I argued. "You did just get thrown across the room, yes?" Merlin said giving me a look. "Yeah, but you have magic couldn't you have done, I don't know anything?" I argued, Merlin shook his head. "We have a lot of work to do, come. Follow me." Merlin said. "I seem to be following you everywhere," I said snidely, Merlin ignoring my comment goes over to another bookcase and starts looking through books and writes down things he thinks is important. "Do you see that caldron over in the corner, bring it over to me on this table." He pointed to a specific place onto the table. I went and picked it up, not realizing just how heavy it actually is. "This thing is like fifty pounds!" I exasperated placing it where he directed.
I shook my head, I'm definitely hallucinating. Walking over toward Balinor I climbed onto his back. "What are you doing?" Merlin questioned. "I thought we were taking Balinor," I beseeched. "Are you insane we will get caught before we are halfway into the air! No, come. We shall walk." Merlin commanded. "But we won't make it in time!" I argued. "Arguing won't fix that statement, Lucas." Merlin walked off, grumbling I slid off Balinor and ran after him. Empty fields of blades of grass with every step gently puttered underneath my feet, my new dagger stuck into my belt shined from the moonlight, making it seem like its glowing. Up ahead seems to head into a forest, no not a forest it was those destructive creatures, what were they called again? Ah yes, Treants. There was no way around them, and no way going over. "I hate killing nature," Merlin joked halfheartedly. "Looks like we don't have much of a choice, how do I even kill these things?" I investigated. "Fire,"
I awoke, coughing and gagging as water and blood spluttered from my lips convoluting me to my side gasping with every breath. I should be dead right now, so how even am I still alive... My dagger dropped in front of me as I looked up as a mysterious woman with black hair and silver-like eyes looked down at me with her intimidating gaze, her body was drenched. She smiled at me and pointed right across the water where Merlin sat with bloodshot eyes and sticky wet rosy cheeks. I looked back at the woman and she again pointed towards something in the distance, looking to where she gestured I noticed a wooden rowboat with paddles. "Thank you for saving me," I tried to sound grateful. Suddenly her smile became a maniacal grin. "One day you will return to me, and it will be I who will require a favour, from you," she said in a monotone voice. Suddenly, she walked back into the water and vanished. Leaving a trail of her wet footprints behind. My body still smeared in mud and s
Ariel's Point of view: I awoke in some kind of hut that was made of sticks, mud and grass, it was quite dark in here even with the sun coming through. I started to remember what had happened, we were all in Merlin's tower and Orcs came we tried to sneak away but before I got through the secret door a large ugly orc grabbed my arm with his chubby fingers and used one of my pressure points and I passed out. My wrists have been bounded behind my back with something that feels like rope, I struggled against it testing its strength. That is until the large orc from before what was his name, Margon. He came in with a large decaying smile on his face and coming close enough to caress my face. I cringed away from his touch his fingers felt like sandpaper or leather of a snake against my skin. "Aw, are you afraid my little concubine?" Margon teased as he got closer toward me and suddenly pinned me to the floor with one arm as the other slowly went up into my dress, but before he cam