Rising of the Running God

The First Steps

Fergo Village.

One of the many walled villages in the Dark Continent.

According to the history books that Vayne have read, they were settlements built by Explorers thousands of years ago.

They initially served as outposts for them to rest temporarily without fear of the beasts that prowl outside.

But then, more and more of them started to gather— some explorers injured and unable to progress any further.

But instead of going home on a carriage, they chose to stay. And eventually, families started to sprout.

The farthest settlement should be near a large body of water called… an ocean. Something that Vayne truly wanted to see— and beyond the ocean, it is said that more creatures and lands await.

Only High-Ranking Explorers with enough Fame were allowed to venture out of the ocean. His father, Valerion Valentine, was one of the many.

The world is a very large place— they were all just specks of dust compared to it.

Fergo is one of the nearest villages from the Safe Lands. But still, a very long journey that would take more than a week to travel with a normal carriage.

So why… why was Vayne in Fergo?

Did he suddenly sprout from the dead and walk all the way here?

"...Pft," Vayne could really only chuckle at the thought as he looked at the blanket that was covering his useless legs.

As he did so, however, Sheera, who was arranging her herbs in the cabinet, could not help but stare at him as if he was crazy.

"You seem to be doing well."

"..." Vayne quickly looked to Sheera, before letting out a courteous smile "I… think I am, thank you."

"Good," Sheera nodded as she leaned on her cabinet, "Because someone might need that bed soon, and we're not running a charity here."

"...Oh."

"And since you've been awake for an hour, it would be good to stretch your legs and walk around. I think the chief wants to talk to you."

"I… truly am grateful to you, madam."

"Cut it out with the madam," Sheera sighed, "Go, exercise. Stretch your legs and run."

"..." And with Sheera's words reaching Vaynes ears, he could really only tilt his head and blink a couple of times,

"Surely, you jest again, madam," he chuckled, "I… can't run. I could barely move one of my legs, and the other is completely inoperable. I need a crutch just to walk."

"...Really?" Sheera raised an eyebrow, before approaching the bed and just casually lifting the blanket.

"!!!" Vayne could really only look to the side; his face, slowly turning cherry. He shouldn't be wearing anything underneath the covers.

He didn't say anything, however, since Sheera should be a doctor by trade. It would be… childish to react. Still, it was the first time someone other than his mother was looking at him without clothes and— No, don't think about it.

"...Oh," Sheera let out a small hum as she inspected what was under the sheets, "Yep, your 3 legs look healthy to me."

"3… What?"

"Sorry, that was inappropriate," Sheera quickly said as she let go of the blanket.

"You said… my legs look healthy?"

"Kid, let it go," Sheera closed her eyes, slightly ashamed of what she just said, "I don't want the clinic to get in trouble. It's just a jest, yeah?"

"!!!" Sheera's eyes then widened as Vayne suddenly pulled the blanket away, 

"W… what are you doing!?" She screamed as she quickly rushed back to her cabinet, getting some sort of knife and pointing it at Vayne.

Vayne, on the other hand, was just staring at his legs. At first, he saw his legs still mangled, twisted— soon, however, that image faded away.

The crippled leg that he was expecting— nowhere to be seen. And instead, they just looked… normal.

"It's… it's not twisted," Vayne stuttered as he tried tapping his legs, "It… It's healed! Madam, it's hea—"

Vayne tried to get up from the bed. But alas, his completely naked body fell straight to the floor. His posterior, clear as day to be seen by Sheera.

"..."

"...Pft," Vayne didn't seem to mind, however, as he even started laughing… while his two legs slowly began to wiggle. He looked more akin to a worm as his buttocks were lifting themselves up.

Furthermore, tears were also bursting from his eyes at the same time.

He didn't even have to see it— he could feel both of his legs. It didn't even matter how or why, because for the first time in his life…

…he felt normal.

"What…" As for Sheera, she could really only drop the scalpel from… the sight that was in front of her, 

"...What the fuck did I let into my clinic?"

***

"I am truly mortified and aghast to have shown you such a ghastly sight, madam Sheera. It… it was unbecoming of someone my age."

"I am recommending they return you to the Safe Lands to get your head checked."

"...Thank you, madam."

Vayne was now completely dressed; just a simple hemp shirt and pants. He and Sheera, now seated at a table outside the room he was previously resting in.

"...Right," Sheera squinted her eyes,

"I will go check on my other patient. Just leave anytime you want after you finish your tea," she then sighed, before walking away and hopefully glancing at Vayne for one final time.

"I… truly am grateful to you, madam," Vayne whispered before turning his head down; and as he did so, a smile started to crawl on his face.

How could he not, when he was looking at his fine legs?

"...Heh," a sound then escaped his lips as he placed one hand on the table, and on his chair the other as he started lifting himself up from his seat.

"O… oh."

His stuttered breaths somberly echoed through the air; his legs, trembling uncontrollably.

And then, very carefully and slowly, he lifted up his hands.

"!!!"

Vayne could not help but grit his teeth as it felt like the weight of everything he endured, the weight of all the years of solitude came weighing down on him like a storm.

"..."

"..."

Soon, however, the weight… just faded away; erased, hopefully forever as Vayne, for the very first time in his life…

…stood on his own.

"So this… this is what it feels like," he chuckled as tears started to trail on his cheeks. He ignored it, however, as he took in a trembling gulp that almost choked him.

And then… he started lifting up the leg that never once he was able to move.

He almost tumbled— almost.

But he remained standing, standing as he took the very first step in his life without anything supporting him.

"H… Ho," the smile on his face turned wider… as he then took another step. Very carefully, very gently.

And as of this very moment, he momentarily forgot everything as he just watched his legs move almost on their own.

Revenge? Regret? For now, those do not matter.

He was still just limping, but it didn't also matter.

"This… fuck," and also for the very first time, he cursed. He then look to the front as he took another step…

…and then another… and then another. Until finally, he could walk no more— not because his legs weren't working, but because there was a wall in front of him.

"He… hehe," Vayne tapped the wall several times, before turning around and leaning on it. He tried to calm his breaths that almost danced in excitement, but he could not.

He could really only look at the cabinet on the other side of the room with a single thought in his mind— to run.

And so, he took in a very long and very deep breath as he closed his eyes. He then slightly pushed himself from the wall with his hands, not enough to go far, no— that was for his legs to do.

And then, he opened his eyes. And with one final breath…

…he ran.

"!!!"

A short whistle then whispered in the air… as Vayne suddenly found himself now leaning on a shattered cabinet. The dozens of herbs and expensive ointments in it, now dripping over him.

"...What?"

"...What?"

Vayne then slowly turned his head to the side, only to see Sheera's daughter looking at him straight in the eyes.

"..."

"..."

Sheera's daughter slowly opened her mouth. As for Vayne, he was shaking his head— telling her not to do anything.

"...Return to your room?"

But alas…

"Mama!"

And so, Vayne was thrown out of the clinic, out to venture on his own two feet for the very first time.