RETIRED TRANSMIGRATION: The Shadow Loss Chronicles

BLOOD

"Now that we have an idea of what happened, what do you say we do about the pug, huh Centshuu?" Asked the last member of the group who was a short but burly man with a thick red beard and a scar of an animal's claw mark along his right eyebrow.

Centshuu looked at him, pausing for a moment to think, and then he smirked and looked at Avery.

"Mosey, Ripply, Kove... come with me. Let's go find out who this pug is and maybe do something about his situation. Shieve, you can stay here if you want. Who knows, maybe the pug has fangs and he'll bite that nose of yours if you get too close" Centshuu said then chuckled as he took the first step toward Avery who had been trying to stand up but was still too weak.

Ripply was the first to follow behind Centshuu which from how he moved seemed like a common occurrence. Next was Kove who smiled at what Centshuu said to Shieve and lastly was Mosey who laughed his heart out, making sure to infuriate Shieve.

Shieve frowned at them, crossing his arms and looking away. "Suit yourselves. Don't blame me if something bad happens 'cause I know I've done my best to warn all of you" he said but was left on deaf ears.

"Stupid jackasses. Nobody ever listens to me in this group—" Shieve mumbled, looking at Avery's clothes and grimacing at the condition they were in, but then, he looked a bit lower at Avery's belt and his eyebrows raised in interest.

"Nice design." Shieve whispered then looked down at himself as he placed his hands below his novel, using them to mimic a belt buckle then he licked his lip and smirked "Very nice design indeed"

Centshuu and the rest got close enough to Avery then stopped. The leader seemed more carefree in his approach, whereas, the remaining three looked ready to attack and protect their leader in case Avery tried anything stupid.

"Hey pug, can you understand the words coming out of my mouth? I don't think you can with the strange language you spoke earlier so let's see if we can find a way to communicate—" Centshuu said but was cut short by Avery who spoke.

"Yes, I can… understand the words… you're saying, although… you're talking so… fast that it's hard to keep… up," Avery said, speaking the same language as Centshuu and the rest but doing so slowly.

Hearing this, Centshuu smirked "Good. Looks like you know how to speak Scrimis, although barely. At least, that makes it easier for us to communicate, so tell me, who are you and where did you come from?"

Avery grimaced from the pain he felt in his arms which was gradually subsiding the more time went on.

"My name? My name is… Avery and where I come… from? I come from… I come from… Hmm, I don't… remember" Avery said with a surprised look on his face.

He could feel the information roaming at the back of his head, but for some reason, he was having a hard time grasping it.

('Maybe if I give myself time, I'll remember. Not just where I come from but my other memories that seem to evade me too. Memories like what is the passion that's making my chest feel so tight? It's like there's something I should be doing right now') Avery thought, at which time, Centshuu and the rest had given each other glances before focusing back on him.

The common consensus among them was wondering if Avery was lying about not knowing where he was from or not. How could he remember his name but not his hometown? Sounds fishy, they thought.

Centshuu saw the weakened state that Avery was in, and so, he decided that pressuring him wasn't going to do anything productive. He decided to change the topic to something he was more curious about.

"Alright A-ve-ry, give me the answer to this question if you can remember. Why is your shirt all burnt up in the front but strangely you don't seem to be hurt? Secondly, A-ve-ry, whose blood is that all over your body and face?" Centshuu asked and Avery's eyes widened.

Avery who had been distracted because of everything that had happened so far started to feel the wetness around his jaw, chin, neck, and chest that he hadn't before.

He quickly swiped his fingers across his chin, feeling the wet and thick substance that transferred to them. He brought them to his face to see what it was.

He saw blood on his fingers which shocked him.

"Whose blood is this? Is this my blood?" Avery asked himself in English then hurriedly patted his neck and chest which was when he felt the holes in his shirt.

He pulled on his shirt to see the bloody and hole-filled mess he had on which seemed to have been created by some form of fire or combustion.

"Doesn't look like it's your blood if you ask me" Centshuu who could tell what Avery was thinking by actions alone said and Avery looked at him with more shock.

Clearly, he had been in some kind of accident involving fire for his shirt to be in the condition that it was in so why would Centshuu say that the blood on his body wasn't his, Avery wondered, but then, he thought about it and things became even more confusing.

('I don't feel it. I don't feel the pain of an open injury on any part of my body where the blood is. Is this really not my blood?') Avery asked himself, utterly confused.