13. Resurrection
Alex groaned when he regained his senses. Apparently flinging your soul across the in-between hurt like a bitch. Even though he had no physical wounds, his body hurt all over. He opened his eyes to assess his current situation.
The first thing he saw was leaves and branches all around him. Half of his body was still submerged in the water of the Crystal Snake River, while the other half was entangled in a low hanging brush.
Alex started to struggle against his natural confines, and eventually managed to free himself from its vines. With a soft splash, he was fully in the water again, being carried along by the current. He immediately went under, sinking like a rock.
He desperately held his breath, realizing that he’d never learned how to swim in his new body. Alex knew now that even if he drowned here, he’d still survive, but drowning was still an unpleasant experience which he didn’t want to experience. Thinking fast he did the first thing that came to mind. The doggy paddle.
Although unrefined his technique worked, and he soon broke the surface again. As soon as he came up he breathed in that sweet, sweet air. The shore on both sides of the river was shallow, great for dragging himself out of the water. He decided to paddle to the left shore, as that was the side he was on before the accident.
Pulling himself onto solid land, he collapsed as soon as he was safe. As he was lying there, he let the events that had just transpired pass through his mind again. As he remembered that his throat was slit, he pulled a hoof across his throat, feeling for any marks it might have left. What he felt surprised him, as there was absolutely nothing indicating his mortal wound. Even his fur seemed surprisingly undisturbed.
He let his hoof fall again into the wet dirt he was sprawled out upon. Now that he wasn’t distracted by Hades or almost drowning, it really started to sink in. He was truly and completely immortal. If Hades was to be believed, nothing short of a god could end his life. And if Zeus was to be believed, Alex would never meet such a god for as long as he lived.
“The soul of Atlas…” Alex said under his breath.
Every lingering doubt Alex still had about whether or not any of this was real, was brutally crushed. Dying was just too painful an experience to not wake up from any hallucinations he might be experiencing. Adding to this, everything so far was too detailed to be a construct of his imagination, Alex came to a final conclusion.
All of this was real life. He possessed a soul fragment of Atlas the Titan. The gods had abducted him from his home, because they were afraid of what slumbered inside of him. And because of the now awakened soul fragment. Alex could now be considered a demi-god, an immortal of a race he had long believed to be a myth.
Hades mentioned that the two souls inside Alex would eventually complete their assimilation into one being. He wondered how long this process would actually take. As far as he knew, it could take thousands of years.
He also considered what would happen if Atlas’s soul was bigger or stronger than his own, which it most likely was. Would Alex as he knew himself eventually cease to exist, eventually becoming the new Atlas in the process? Or would it just greatly enhance his own abilities?
A huge sigh escaped Alex’s lips, as he turned around to his stomach and got up. Nothing would be solved by lying around and doing nothing. He looked himself over, noticing that his coat was full of dirt. His saddlebags were still securely attached to his midriff, albeit soaked.
He took them off and put them on the ground before him, pulling out it’s contents. The Apples he received from Vibrant were still intact, but pretty banged up, sporting some brown and mushy spots all over. The small bag was wet, but otherwise undamaged. He hoped the coins weren’t capable of rusting.
He opened the bag and took his first look inside since he got it. Picking up one of the coins, he turned it around in his hoof, closely inspecting its surface. It didn’t have any fancy decorations, like he was used to coins having. Instead there was just a simple ’one’ engraved on both sides.
He rummaged inside the bag to see if there were maybe some coins of other sizes, or numbers in there. After a while, he came to the conclusion that there were only bits worth one single amount of currency. He counted them to be exactly thirty bits. Alex had no idea what he could buy for this amount of money, but was grateful to Vibrant all the same.
Finally he unrolled the map. Like everything else it was soaked. He was lucky that it was made from cloth, as opposed to paper. Otherwise it may have dissolved upon contact after becoming soggy. The Colors didn’t wash out, and once it was dried, it would most likely be like nothing happened.
Still, something seemed off. Alex scanned the map for anything out of place, coming up with empty hooves. He realized that Vibrant’s addition to the map was gone. He frowned as he looked around for anything he could use, to mark it anew, but found nothing. So he decided to simply stare at the spot he knew it was supposed to be at, until he had committed it to memory.
He then packed up his things again, before leaving one of the Apples sitting on the ground beside it. Alex turned around and trotted back to the water. He washed the dirt and grime off his coat, at least as good as he could in the murky shallow water.
After he finished the task, he returned to his meager belongings, and put on his saddlebags again. He then picked up the apple and started to eat it while he began to walk away from the river.
As he was walking he looked up to check on the sun’s position. It was already past its zenith, indicating that Alex was unconscious for at least half a day. He ‘tsked’ in annoyance as he continued to walk straight ahead. Eventually he came upon a dirt road. Considering its position on the left side of the river, Alex was sure this was the same road he’d traveled on for the last few days.
According to his map and Crimson, if he just followed it, he would eventually reach High Rock. Thinking about whether or not anyone made it out of the Attack alive, he started the journey. His thoughts went out to Crimson and Winter Banana, as well as everyone else in the Caravan. He hoped that in the end that they had won out.
Alex didn’t know how far he had drifted downstream, so there was no way for him to tell if they would be ahead or behind him. As he passed the same greenery he got used to, Alex looked for any traces of the caravan. He couldn’t find anything indicating that they already passed through here, and so he continued his journey towards High Rock.
Alone.
--------------------------------------
Alex was trotting through a forest. The last rays of sunlight filtered through the treetops over him, illuminating the dirt road he was travelling on. He had spent the afternoon relentlessly moving forward, only stopping for a drink once every few hours.
While he walked, he always kept an eye out for any signs of the caravan coming through. In the end he didn’t spot a single thing that could mean they had passed him while he was out. He came to the conclusion that they either stopped for a while to tend their wounded, or worse, would never come.
At first Alex reveled in the solitude that came with being alone. Ever since he arrived in this world, he didn’t spend much time by himself. There was always someone with him, or at least a place he could return to after an hour or two.
Soon enough he got bored. He tried to befriend some random animals, like he did on his trip with Vibrant. The wildlife didn’t care for him here though. Some seemed to be curious at first, but never approached, no matter how hard he tried to coax them.
As he went around a bend in the path, a small hut came into view. Alex’s heart skipped a beat, hoping to find some company, or even someone from the caravan. He closed the distance, falling into a short sprint. The closer he got to the hut though, the more obvious it became that it wasn’t inhabited.
He came to a stop a few meters in front of it. The wood looked old, mold attacking a few spots on the outer edges. Around the base, moss was growing rampant. The windows looked milky, and he couldn’t see inside. Completing the picture, was the door, it was unhinged, and hung limply at an angle.
Alex sighed, his hopes were dashed once again. From the looks of it, Alex identified the small building as a travellers hut. Crimson had mentioned them in one of their conversations. They were built, so wary travellers could take shelter in case of bad weather.
He trotted up to the door and pushed. I creaked open, the base grinding against the floor. Alex stepped inside and scanned the interior. It was furnished as simple as possible. Beds lined both walls, while at the back was a small fireplace. Dust was everywhere and the mattresses of the beds had holes in them.
The hut was obviously not being used for quite some time. Alex sighed, hanging his head. A loud noise behind him, made him spin around. The door had finally given up and fell over completely, billowing up a huge cloud of dust.
Alex didn’t even bother trying to fix it, and started looking for a bed that wasn’t completely unusable. He found one on the left that had close to no holes in it. There was no blanket or pillow, like on every other bed. He patted down on the mattress a few times, sending clouds of dust swirling about.
He climbed on top and took off his saddlebags. He pulled out an apple and set it down on the ground. As he munched on the sweet treat, the light started to fade from the outside world. Sleep didn’t come easy that night.
--------------------------------------
Alex awoke to the sounds of hooves clopping on wood. He immediately sat up, scanning the room, hoping to find one of his lost comrades. Or at least another pony. What he saw was the retreating form of a deer. It must have come inside, looking for food, and his sudden movement scared it away.
He sighed as he got up and put on his saddlebags. Now that he was awake, he might as well continue his Journey. He stepped outside and took in a breath of fresh air. The day had just started and songbirds could be heard all around him. With the sun in his back he trotted off, towards his destination.
--------------------------------------
The sun was beating down hard on Alex as he trotted along the dirt ever westwards. He had left the cool shadows of the forest a few hours hours ago. In the glistening heat, Alex had long since desperately craved for a sip of water.
To his despise the water of the Crystal Snake became unavailable to him once more, a twenty foot drop separated him from the cool refreshing quench the river provided. As he traveled further and further into the afternoon, he always kept an eye open for a safe way down. Hours passed, yet no opportunity presented itself to him. Right now Alex would sell his soul for a glass of water. Which one, he wasn’t sure.
--------------------------------------
Chestnut was scurrying along the treetops. The brown squirrel was returning home to his wife and children, having collected lots of food for them. His cheeks were filled to the brim with fresh nuts. He came to a rest upon a branch as he heard some weird sounds. He looked around to find the source of it, and soon enough it revealed itself.
A unicorn with a dark gray coat and a white mane was running down the closest hill like a madpony. It ran straight past Chestnut’s perch while throwing off it’s saddlebags. A loud splash was heard as the unicorn jumped into the water.
The Pony was laughing with glee, jumping around like a mad little foal. After a while it dunked its whole head into the water as it guzzled loudly from the banks of the river. With a huge gasp the pony’s head resurfaced, the pony now looked a great deal more refreshed and sane.
It took a few sips more of the clear liquid before coming ashore once again. After putting on it’s saddlebags, it trotted off like nothing happened. Chestnut shook his head at the strangers antics, and resumed his way home.
‘Ponies are weird…’ He thought.
--------------------------------------
Alex trotted up a steep incline on his way west. He had spent the last night sleeping on the grass next to the road, his muscles aching something fierce after lying on the ground in a strange position. Undeterred he carried ever onwards. By now he was glad he couldn’t get blisters on his feet.
The scenery was ever unchanging in his travels along the Crystal Snake. Water to the right, green to the left. Every few miles something minor changed, like a hill came into view or a group of trees could be seen in the distance. Alex was bored out of his mind, so it was with great anticipation he crested his latest obstacle.
His tenacity in trotting ever forward, step after step, was finally rewarded. Albeit it was still far into the distance, he could finally see his goal. High Rock presented itself before him in all it’s glory.
Alex realised the name was meant quite literally, as the city was built around a huge rock. He could see that the top of the stone was flat, building a giant plateau. Resting upon it was a fancy palace. Spires’ rose to twice the rocks size, gold decorations glistening in the sun. From his position he judged the thing to span at least three thousand feet in width alone.
Around the base, stretching in all directions, buildings lined the roads. The Crystal Snake wound it’s way along the city’s northern border, continuing further still until it touched the horizon. On the opposite side, massive fields were sprawled out, growing all kinds of crops and foods.
Alex was stunned by the sight before him. He had seen quite a lot of breathtaking sights back on earth. But High Rock had something more to it, something that just couldn’t be compared. For one, there was the sheer size of it. He knew they couldn’t have used overly complicated machines to build it. Which made the Palace even more impressive.
The sun was starting to set, bathing the bustling city in an orange golden glow.
“Vibrant would love to see this…” Alex said under his breath.
And with renewed vigor he picked up his old path. A clear goal now in sight.
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Are we going to find the truth about the caravan? Or did you just kill that mouse on the side of the road while we were looking else where?
7136897
Is the caravan dead? Is the caravan alive? Find out in... the next chapter! Or the one after the next chapter!
7137016 It is called whinning about the weather. People love to do that every year when they don't get an almost tropical weather. Regardless of how un-realistic their expectation are.
7136945 Yay.
This is what happens when you make a deal with a Greek god.
Oh boy. He reached it. I wonder if the caravan made it?
Also, good work Orthoros. I can't wait till the next one :3
Great chapter, all doe it would have been funny if Alex had fallen into water and discovers that he can't drown and that he could have trotted all the way on the bottom of the river. I can't wait the see what will happen next. I sure hope he will find his old companions of the caravan and see how they will react about what happened to him during the attack.
I love this story and have no constructive commentary at this time.
7138048 i only mean that Unicorns are less physically apt than Earth Ponies or Pegasi. I mean, Twilight needed to use magic to do, well.... this!
The runes on the second chapter, where they written in Latin? Just asking.
7139467 Is there even such a thing as latin runes? But no, they're fantasy runes of my own creation, some will have pictures when they're first mentioned.
I'm really enjoying the story thus far, Its very creative and I like it. Please write more soon! I've very invested in the story now, I want to see what happens next and what interesting things he will do and see.
7141284
So... did Alex create the runes? Or did he maybe did he ask Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic, to help him?
7142622 now that would be spoilers ^^
7141997 will do!
7149629 putting aside who may or may not be cancer, I am aware that this chapter was very exposition heavy. Even though it seems like a lot of info, all it really tells us is why and how alex became immortal, as well as a bit of setup for wayyy down the road. I just needed to tell the story fitting to my reason.
Ultimately this chapter doesn't really impact the story that much, at least not in the near future. But i still felt it necessery, to prevent some possible contradictions and to get a bit of setup done.
Also, not sure how literal your example relates to the story, but calling alex a chosen one seems a bit much. He's just an unlucky guy in an unusual situation.
Sry if that came off as a rant, it is meant to be a civil discussion :D
finally I managed to read this too, I really have to much of anything to do, to wacht, or to readat the moment.
I find it mildly disturbing that a seemingly normal squirrel has the presence of mind to comprehend and vocalize, albeit internally, the meaning of "I", implying the squirrel is fully sentient. If the squirrel is like this, who's to say all other animals aren't? And, if that's the case, who's to say all other animals aren't fully sentient, and while ponies might not be meat eaters in your setting (I can't recall you clarifying it whether or not), but other predatory species such as griffons and dragons certainly eat meat, implying they're eating fully sentient, thinking creatures.
I'm overthinking this. A lot. However, I still find it disturbing.
7462143 You're overthinking
shush
don't think
just let it in
BELIIIIIEVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
shhhh
Dan Bull!!!
WWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
That is all.
colors
attack
caravan
travelers'
stranger's
its
its
Earth.
7462143
If you consider it, animals being sentient is quite likely, albeit they seem unable to vocalize. The main 6 have conversations with their pets where they seem to completely understand. Owlicious can help sort a library, and gummy is like Shakespearean
8086015
Different countries spell 'colour' differently (among other words). Which country he's from is anyone's guess, though, as he used both metric and imperial measurements in a single chapter. England, maybe?
8679660
Gummy is existentialist or philosophical or whatever. Not Shakesperian.
7138460
I believe that unicorns have become so dependent on their magic that they don't know what to do without it.
It creaked