> Sentient Difference > by Grave Walker > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1: Lost and Reborn > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cold. That was the first thing I felt. I could feel the cold breeze nip at my skin. I could feel the rest of my body communicate to my mind as I began to feel my body to start functioning. My eyes began feeling annoyed by something warm and dim. I opened my eyes only to quickly shut them tight from the blinding pain of something bright. I roughly bring my arms up and put my hands over my pain filled eyes. I began to adapt to the bright light while my eyes stayed shut and soon opened when the pain had fully subsided. My eyes took in the light and began to make out shapes and colors. Bright colors. The sky was bright blue with some low clouds that neared the line of tall spikes. The spikes were thin and tall with dark green needles that were in bundles that connected to a thin branch. These branches connected with an even thicker branch that stuck out of the dark wood trunk. The name pine trees came to my mind as I looked away from the sky and to the ground. The land around me was of lush and healthy green blades that covered the area. Grass, that what these organic green blades were. There were also these blobs of green grass, except the inside had thin branches that held the plant together. Bushes, that is what it was if I remembered correctly. The wider and oddly shaped grass blades layered over each other except near the ground and in a few spots where the plant’s grass was ripped or picked. Leafs, this was a bush with oddly shaped leafs. I then looked over to myself and examine my brown body. I saw no marks of pain, my body clean and unharmed. Testing if I was unharmed, I began moving my limbs and body more, getting used to the sensation of moving again. I felt a bit stiff, but mobile. I lifted myself up onto my feet to get a better look around the area. I slowly gained my balance, waving my arms and gaining my bearings in my strong legs. I took a few steps that felt like they were my first. I wobbled and held my arms out to stay up. I took a few more steps, this time with more control and less strain focusing on balancing my body. With a few more tries, I was walking normally and steady. I looked around the forest I was in, noticing more details and color. After looking around, I began walking in a random direction. As I walked, I saw more new things such as bushes with sour berries that I didn't like. I saw new trees and plants that I have yet to find a name for. As I walked, I began to gain my senses of smell and hearing to its full. I could hear the flying creatures of feathers give out a nice tone and smell the scent of animals that have passed through or were near me. The flying ones with feathers were called birds as my memories have been slowly coming back. As time went on more and more memories came back, but only the basic of things I could remember so far. As time went on, I began to feel less afraid and more stronger with myself, running through the brush at a blur took little to no strain on my mind now as I began to feel something new. Freedom. Feeling the wind on my body and the determination in my heart was all I needed to know what I was free. Free from something I didn’t know, nor did I want to know, but it felt exhilarating. I began to slow down near a waterfall with a bank of crystal clean water flowing from the waterfall. I crouched and approached the clean water. I took a few gulps of the delicious water and looked around the clearing and noticed something that seemed out of place. There was a campsite by the banks of the crystal clear pond. I walked slowly and quietly over to the camp. I lowered myself and hid behind some bushes and saw something that had my full attention. There was a creature that stood on two legs and had two arms, just like me. By how its slightly bulky body structure was, I could easily tell that it was a male. But that is where the similarities had ended. He had a light gray fur with a light blue feathered head. His arms were like that of birds I saw flying around. And just like the birds, he had a set of feathery blue wings with white stripes in them. Even more similarities that I saw about him was that he had a dull yellow beak and sharp ruby eyes that matched that of a predator. While he did look like a strong predator that he was, but compared to me, he was a rat compared to a cat, whatever that meant. In size, he was much smaller than me. I stood a good 2 feet taller and was way more muscular and had a much stronger figure than him. I didn’t care who was better, I was just intrigued that I was seeing something new. I then caught the scent of something, something that was delicious. He had several big fishes. The big were hanging on the big hooks that were attached to a wooden pole. I observed him for a few more minutes before I decided I wanted to interact with him, just to get a better look at him and see if he could lend some of his big fish He had been catching fish with a rode with string and also using a spear. I silently approached him and even when I was a meter away, he had failed to notice me being in his presence. I gave out a low grunt, getting his attention. He turned around to go wide eyes when he saw me. “M... M-monster!” He squawked taking a few steps back. I saw the fear and shock in his eyes, making me ever more curious about him. He took a few more steps into the water, looking as if he’s ready to run. I took a step back, wanting to show that I meant no harm. That was a mistake. He then quickly reached down and grabbed one of his spears in the water and pointed it at me. I took another step back, memories of what a spear was coming back to me in an instant. He was threatening me. This bird-animal dared to hurt me or even… Kill me? He then quickly dashed at me with the spear aiming towards my chest. I dodge to the right and clearly avoided the danger that I was about to be in. He tried attacking me again, but only to miss my blurring movements. I tried talking friendly, but only deep unintelligent growls came out of my maw. Right as I was going to leave it alone, he then he threw it. I didn’t expect him throwing the spear and it hit me. I felt something sharp cut my shoulder that cut deep enough to draw my nearly black and neon purple blood. I stopped in mid walk, as if something had snapped inside me. I then felt something in my gut began to roar with a mighty fire. He wanted to end me, I wanted to live, and I had to change that. I grabbed the jagged spear from the ground with a bit of my flesh on the hook like blade. I growled in… Anger. I felt anger that he had hurt me. Anger that he wanted to end me when I did nothing wrong. I picked up the spear and threw it with all of my strength, making it but a bullet like blur to the naked eye. I hit him directly in the chest with deadly accuracy, sticking him on a thick oak tree near the banks of the water. I walked over to him as he gurgled up blood from his beak and struggled to get away, but was stuck to the tree as much as the spear was. I lower myself to get into his eye level and looked into his fear filled eyes. I saw absolute terror in him as he struggled to get free, only to cut and tear his inside up more. I felt something new in me... Something... Good. I felt good. I felt power. I had shown this bird animal my power and strength over his weak mind. The very thought of thinking he could top me would be his very downfall. The actions of him trying to kill me, becoming his miserable death. The lights in his eyes started to fade and I quickly grabbed his throat, choking him slowly, watching the terror grow and the life fade away in his eyes of defeat. I then increased pressure enough to break the bird’s hollow bone neck. With the sudden and yet satisfying cracking, finally, he hung limp on the spear's pole with death. With the life in his ruby orbs now gone, I let my grip go and release him, letting him hang on the impaled spear as a puddle of blood stained the lush grass below. Then thoughts of what to do came into my mind. My survival instincts still kicked in. Thoughts of tools and supplies came to mind as they were essential for my survival. I began collecting and gathering things I found that I wound need. First I made clothing, to keep myself warm if it got cold. I used the olive green cloth of the tent as my fabric. I cut a hole in the middle to fit my head and cut parts to fit my arms. I then cut the extra lengths of cloth off and kept it a bit below my thins and stopping near my knees. I used a small dagger to cut it the fabric with and used some thick rope as a belt to keep the clothing together. After that, I used the rest of the cloth to make a big sack like pouch with thick rope as straps to hold it on my back. I then walked away from the destroyed tent and wrapped the big fish in thin white cloth put then my backpack. I began scavenging the fishing hooks and any tools I could find. I had a hand full of vitreous hooks and lot of strong fishing string. I had also found a big woodcutter's ax that was like long handled hatchet in my hands. I had collected all of the spears and picked the three biggest ones, breaking the spear tips off of the smaller ones. I had put the sharp objects and dagger into this small treasure chest I had emptied. It was the size of a large tool box compared to me and would be perfect in holding sharp objects and storing valuables. With my new tool box in my left hand, my spears in right hand, and my filled sack on my back, I began my walk out of campsite. Just before I left, I looked over at the pale corps that was impaled into the tree, leaking what little blood he had left. The blood had managed to make a little river, ending to where the grass and sand meet. I looked into the now dead eyes with slightly white fuzz to them, seeing the terror still plastered onto his now pale face. "Weak." I spoke in a dark growl. My voice was as deep as the oceans and dark as the night. I didn't speak in the hybrid's language, but in my own. But I still understood his words clear as day when he called me a monster. But I couldn’t make the world to communicate back. I shook my head, breaking my eyes away from the blood dry corps. I brought my thoughts onto more important matters. I looked up into the sky, noticing the sun was curving towards the edge of the horizon. It wasn't at the point of a sunset, but was nearing the mountains and was already starting to cast longer shadows. Then the ideas of shelter came into mind as I began trenching into the shady forest, hoping to find somewhere to eat and rest. I stood tall as I walked in the brush of the unknown forest. My memories of my origins or what I am still was blackened out. I began to collect knowledge of things as time went on, but nothing of my past or who I am came to my mind. I knew the difference of murder and peace, but killing him just felt so... Right. As if it was normal too take lives, but not that of any. But of those that had dishonored me. Another new word, but it felt so close and meaningful. Honor. I had honor! But of what? I search in my mind for these answers, but just blacken visions of the past that still elude me. I gave a deep grunt as I shake my head, now putting my thoughts on important matters such as on where I'll sleep for the night. I then came up with idea with the ideal places to bunker down. "Cave." I said deeply, looking over to my left to see a small mountain peaking over the tree lines. Over those trees I saw a darker small spot the resembled hole in the mountain. And it was a cave. Without a second thought, I began to skillfully sprint over fallen trees and rocks as I made my way over to the base of the mountain. I found a trail that made a few Z lines up the mountain. I climbed the mountain and jogged on the trail with ease, even with the tools and food I had required, it took little effort for me to make it to the caves door. The cave was huge, reaching over two trees tall and a tree and a half long laying down from end to end. I looked into the dim cave, unable to see much past from the entrance. I then slowly walked into the darkness, my eyes surprisingly adjusting well to the dark. If anything, my eyes seemed lest strained from all of the bright colors in the forest. As I walked deeper into the cave, I began to feel something warm around a corner. With big spear in hand I quickly turned around to find something I had never seen before, but one word came out of my maw. "Gold." I said, looking at the torch lit room. Piles and piles of shimmering gold and silver like objects and gems lay in a massive pile that reached up to my head. I looked around and into the mess of riches. I was about to take a gem, but stopped. I felt something in my gut stop me. "This isn't mine." I thought, pulling my hand back from the piles of diamonds and gold. "This belongs to someone, someone with honor to have such a hoard." I though again, stepping back from the hoard and looking for who owned it. I searched the rest of the cave to find no living soul. I then walked near the entrance of the cave and gathered some stones, forming a small circle. After that, I then walked out of the cave and over to a burnt dead tree that I had found on my climb. I cut the dead plant down and dragged it into the cave. I began cutting the trunk into parts and chunks with my ax. I then put some extra cloth in the circle and stacked some twigs and sticks on top of the cloth. I then stacked three logs on top of the sticks and walked back to the treasure room and grabbed one of the torches. I came back to my makeshift camp and gave life to the campfire. After I got the fire going, I walked over to the stump that I had turned into a short table, using it to gut the fish. I used the broken spears as knives to skin off the scales and get rid of the organs. When I finished preparing the fishes, I quickly cooked the food close to the fire. By the time I was cooking my food, the sun had fallen and night had invaded the sky. Stars were scattered throughout the sky, some forming constellations and beautiful pictures to the imagination. The snow white moon was reaching its peak in the sky when I had finished my meal. While I ate the juicy fish, I looked up into the darken sky, searching into the stars for answers. I spent a few minutes thinking to myself, asking myself of whom I was or what I was. I shook my head, tossing another log into the fire; I sat down and curled into a ball next to the fire, hoping to find something. Something of my past or who I am. > Chapter 2: Become The Hunter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I awoke to the same feeling when I had awakened in that forest. Cold. My instincts kicked in, I needed to be warm to live. And so I got up, even though my body asked to lay down some more, I didn't falter. I stood tall at my full length, stretching my arms and legs out, mussels loosening and bones making satisfying pops. I took a look around, seeing I was still in the cave, I looked down, noticing my campfire had been long dry with crumbling ashes. I took a few long strides over to what remained of the tree and put it in with the ashes. I looked into my makeshift bag only to frown. I had eaten all ten fish last night, leaving nothing but the toothpick bones. I emptied my bag of the bones; put my supplies and small tools in an organized pile next to the campfire. "Hunt." I said, now knowing that I need to scavenge and hunt for my own food. I then packed the spears by tying some fishing string around then, making a bundle. I then made an inch thick hoop by wrapping the fishing string around my hand, then tying smaller loops around the ring to keep the hoop together. I then put rope that I used as my belt through the ring and kept the ring at my right side as I tied my belt together. I then slipped the handle of the ax into the ring. I had made a holster for my tool as it fit loosely, making it much easier to grab it faster. A smile found its way on my maw, proud that I had made something new and workable. I then packed the rest of the fishing string in my bag and then stuck the bundle of spears in, the tips facing upwards and away from cutting the bag. I also took a few of the broken spear tips from the chest, hoping that could make a trap. After I organized my supplies back into the chest and had my hunting equipment packed, I began my trek down the small mountain. I took little time scaling down the dirt and rock, soon finding myself back into the colorful brush of the forest. I crouched low, breathing through my nostrils and began to stalk into the woods. I took in the scent of many wild animals, some are stronger than others. I began following a strong trail of something big and hungry. I stalked through the woods low and spared out, making my footsteps silent. I soon came upon another strange hybrid, this one being a big and strong creature like myself. It stood on four strong legs with the body of a big cat. It had two long and slightly curved fangs that could tear and bring down its prey. A big clean red fluff of a mane adorned around his neck, showing its status of being a fierce and powerful predator. But what made it even more intimidating was that it had the tail of a bug with a curved sharp stinger. The tale was a bark brown muscular and strong tale that could bring its stinger in the blink of an eye. Another noticeable thing about it was the pair of huge leathery bat like wings on its back. It was truly an animal to be respected and feared. It was now looking in my direction, its eyes filled with hunger and pride. I didn't falter to its pathetic gaze as I stood to my full height and walked in the open field where the animal stood. It looked almost shocked that came up to it, my taller figure intimidating it a bit, but not enough to scare it off. I took a few steps over to it, drawing a spear and talking an offensive stance. It took a step back, shocked that I was challenging it. It quickly changed its shock to anger and changed at me. I gave a powerful roar, charging at full speed. Before we collided, I jumped just in time to avoid being tackled and few over it. He didn't see this coming and pounced straight into the ground face first. I skillfully turned around and charged at my pray. I then drilled my spear into his stomach, roars of ferrous pain and agony coming from the beast. I jumped away from the beast before it could smack me down with its huge paw. I pulled out another jagged spear as the hybrid got to its feet. It charged straight at me with the spear still stuck into its side. I quickly rolled and jumped to my left, easily dodging the beast's rampage. But it quickly stopped itself with its wings and made a straight shot at me from the air. I saw this and jumped at him, rammed the spear into his chest and puncturing one of his lungs. I then used my strength to turn him towards the ground and me on top. It landed hard on its back, breaking the hybrid's wing joints upon impact. It screamed in agony as I drove the spear deeper into its body, twisting and turning my weapon, bringing more pain into its body. It then swings its massive paw at my side, sending me a meter into the air and landing onto the ground with a hard thud. I gowned from the impact, felling bused rather than broken bones. I shook my head and sprung back to my feet, looking for my pray. It was bathing the ground in blood as it weakly tried to get the weapons out of its body, only tearing and cutting it vital areas more and more. I slowly walked, looming over to my pray as I pulled out my ax, gaining more howls of terrified agony from the hybrid. It tried swiping me away with its free paw, only to be smacked down with a swift blunt strike of my ax. It gave another painful moan as I grabbed it by the throat, looking into it's now tearing eyes. They once proud and fearless eyes now turned to that of a pathetic and weak mess. I could feel the waves of fear and agony radiating off of my pray, increasing my desire to end his miserable life. I began to tighten my grip, choking him as he gurgled up more blood. I then quickly twisted my firm grip, snapping the nerve cord within his neck, making his body go limp with death. I smiled as I had conquered and defeated my pray. I let the body drop from my grasp and I began to take out the spears in him and slide them back in the bundle. I then tied his feet together and hug him on the nearest tree. I slit his throat, letting the red life blood drain from his body. I after a few minutes of cheating my wounds, finding just cuts and big bruises, I cut down the bloodless body and began my trek back to the cave. After thirty minutes of caring the pale body, I had made a pit stop for a long drink and break at a small crystal clear stream of water. A few minutes of rest and hydrogenating myself, I found myself feeling more refreshed and continued back to the cave. When I did make it back, I immanently dropped to the floor. Dragging a dead body that was twice my size and up a mountain was tiring to say the least. After another good rest, I then began skinning the dirty fur coat, hoping I could make some warmer clothing. When I finished skinning the beast, I began gutting the hybrid, getting all of organs and gray matter out. I had to make a much bigger fire if I was going to cook this meat, so I did. I basically made a bonfire with the last of the wood to be able cook it, but it was worth it. The meat satisfied my stomach to perfection. When my rampaging hunger was satisfied, I had an over half of the cooked meat left over, so I saved it for dinner and possibly breakfast. I then cleaned myself with some extra cloth and began to do something new. "Create" I said, looking at all of the bones and the big skinned fur coat. Ideas of what to do with them began flowing to my head. I could make small tools, decorate or improve my clothing. But before I even began making the coat, I needed to tan the skin to harden and keep my new coat lasting longer. After when I had that done, then I began making the coat. I began cutting and stitching the fur, making it fit my body more. But when it came to holding it together, a new idea came to my mind. Instead of using rope, I would make buttons. These would be more effective to keep me warm. I used the small hollow bones in the hybrid's wings make them and used the fishing string as my thread. It took a bit to find something like a needle and even longer to make the button pattern just right. I used some of the extra fur to make a hood to cover and protect my head from the cold. After I made the body and hood parts, I then began making sleeves to keep my arms warm from the cold. After I attached the parts into a new coat, I tried it on over my blood stained olive clothing, instantly feeling much warmer and comfy in my new clothing. I had long bone buttons from my waist up to my neck, the top three unhooked to show a bit of my muscular chest. At my wrists, I had made bracelets made of broken bone parts and fishing string, crackling as I move my arm or gave a flick wrist. I had also made a necklace made from the beast's smaller teeth and some broken bone parts, making a unique pattern. I also made a tool, using the one of huge fangs, some bone parts, some extra leather straps, some clay, and last of the fishing string to make my first tool I had ever created. I had made a short sword like dagger. The handle was easy to make, just finding the right bone and fitting them around each other. The next part was making the blades, sharpening the fangs into long but thin bladed daggers. The blade seemed to be as strong as the metal I was using to carve them with, so it took some time, but I did it. The handle was in a J shape and the blades were shaped straight and long. I had shaped my handle to fit around the base of the long tooth, so that the blade and handle can become strong with each other. After I had my parts ready, I needed something to hold them together. The answer I came up with was this stuff in the water as I remember as clay. The clay was at the bottom of the mountain near a stream, so I gathered it. I carried the mushy clay in my now dirty bag back up the mountain and then began making my tool again. I easily molded the mushy clay around the handle to fit my hand and connected it to the rounder base of the blade to make my weapon. I after it was molded; I placed the tool over the fire, holding it over the flame with my big hooked spears. After I cooked one side, I let it cool and flipped the other side to cook. After it was fully cooked and cooled, I began to carve the rough parts off of the stone hardened clay. After that, I began to sharpen the dull bone blade with the dagger and turning it into a weapon. For some reason, the bone like fang was strong and stayed sharp after a few slashes at the stump, cutting it like a knife through water. A smile came onto my maw, the beauty in my masterpiece of a weapon. I then slipped my bone dagger onto the side of my rope belt. I walked out and stood at the edge of the cave's entrance and stared into the distance. My crafting had made the time to pass by faster and it was already nearing another sunset. I smiled again; the things I had accomplished and made gave me a warm feeling inside my chest. I looked up into the sky, starting to see the stars. I gave out a mighty roar, one the expressed my power and victory over the hybrid that I had challenged. "I become the hunter!" I shouted in my language, roaring loud enough to send my victory scream over the forest and beyond. After I was out of air, I saw that I had scared birds and other flying creatures. I looked into the sunset; it now was blackened from the amount of birds. Another smile came onto my maw, this one much more sinister and devilish. I felt my desire of power and knowledge began to grow to no ends. And in that moment, I knew who I was, not from the past, but from what I am now. "I am Nova 'Vadam!" > Chapter 3: A Taste Of Love... > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sweat. I awoke to the feeling of my body dripping with sweat. The reason? Most likely falling asleep in my fur coat seems most logical. I opened my eyes to see that I lay next to the long dead campfire I fixed up after my victory. I gradually got up and did my daily routine, stretching my muscles and making satisfying popping sounds of my bones. After feeling fully stretched, I quickly snatched my bloody stained bag of leftovers of yesterday’s kill. I nearly ripped it open as I began to pour out the gory meat, then feasting on it like a crazed animal. The cold flesh sent the delicious sensation of bloody meat on my taste buds, still just as good as the last time I devoured it. After I gorged down the scraps of meaty food, I grabbed my spears, sheathed my ax, and slipped on my empty sack. Fully ready to face the outside world of light, I began my trek out of the cave and made my way down to the small river banks that rolled down the mountain. I stride down the dirt path slowly, enjoying the songs of nature’s music. The sound of birds chirping sent a lovely toon to my ear holes, while the buzzing of the insects kept their beat going with the rest of the wildlife. I found myself soon by the banks of the river, not too far from where the bird-lion hybrid was impaled into a tree. I paid no heed to that stupid creature’s death, only focusing on what needed to be done. I began stripping myself of my clothes and hung them onto a nearby branch with my weapons. I was stained in the blood and grime of my late night feasting, giving off a noticeable odor to any predator nearby. I needed not just clean myself to make me less detectable or to be somewhat sanitary, but my very being told me I needed to cleanse myself of the weaker blood of my enemies. But I then realized that I needed to take a dumb, badly. After sometime occupying a nearby bush, I slowly began dipping myself into the water. I had slept in by a few hours, enjoying my late night feast. Also the slow trek wasted some daylight too. By now, it was almost noon when I had finished brushing and scraping off the dry blood that stuck to my skin. I then rose out of the water and dried myself with big leaves from an odd tree. I then used the wet leaved to rid the stains of blood on my clothes, leaving bits of a light green stain that smelled like the forest, concealing my sent from other creatures. I smiled as I liked the odor that it gave off. But then I smelled an all too familiar scent. It smelled just like that of the cave, and it was on the move. I quickly grabbed my stuff and stalked low in the brush, flowing the sent. I soon found the source of the small. There stood the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It stood on two double jointed legs like I did. It also had a slim and graceful figure. It was scaled in moonlit white with light gray horns adorned on its head like a crown. I then looked briefly into its beautiful crimson blood eyes. Just by looking at its figure and soft features, I would guess female. She stood a bit shorter than me, looking young and elegant as a white rose in full bloom, practically glowing in the sun. She wore a dull gray and soft blue dress with some satchels the hung on her shoulder. But I was quick to note on the huge long greatsword that sheathed on her back. It looked as strong and powerful as her beauty. She also had a pair of huge white featherless wings. After taking in the beautiful sight, I then began rise from my hiding spot and began to approach the lovely being, trying to look as unthreading as possible. She heard me and quickly looked around to see me with a shocked expression. “What are you?” She muttered out, looking at me, unsure as what I was or to predict me as a threat. “Nova 'Vadam.” I growled out in my native tongue, sounding gentle even with my deep voice. She seemed even more shocked as she heard my voice. “You speak Ancient Draconic?” She said, gaining the tilting of my head. “Do understand now?” Now it was my true to be shocked. She spoke in my tongue. “You speak my tongue?” I asked astonished and relieved. “Not too well, I... have drink that grants language.” She said, showing that she was rusty with this “Ancient Draconic” language. She grabbed a blue sparkling bottle and opened it. “Drink little.” She said, I sipping the buzzing potion, feeling my mouth and lungs being enhanced and buzzing with the blue liquefied magic. She then took the bottle and quickly sealed it with the cork “Do you understand me now?” She asked, now speaking in her language, sounding much more elegant and sweeter than before. “I understand? I speak your tongue!” I said, speaking her language fluently; yet sounding deep and strong as before. “Yes, I know, alchemy is a wonderful skill of mine.” She said, her smile shining like that of the sun. “Anyway, my name is Sera Ruby. I didn’t quite get your name, mind telling me it again?” She asked, observing my figure. My mind melted away at her name, so soothing and lovely… But I needed to answer her. “I am Nova of the 'Vadam clan, but Nova is just fine.” I said, trying my best not to lose my first friend in this strange world. “Nova, such a wonderful name! I’ve never seen any creature quite like you before…Err, are you a species of Dragon?” She asked, observing me even more. My heart fluttered at the “I am lost both physically and mentally.” I said truthfully, feeling guilty for some unknown reason, as if unable to answer her question was a sin. “Oh… I see, I think I know of a potion that could revive lost memory. I think I have the ingredients at home…” She then began to mutter off into her thinking. My eyes widen at her mentioning she could bring back my memories. “Is your home in a cave on that mountain?” I asked, pointing my finger at the cave I have been resting at. She came back from her thoughts and looked at where I was pointing at. “Yes, it’s my father’s cave actually and- Wait… How did you know?” She asked, looking at me with raised scaly brow. “I found the cave three days ago, I found the massive treasure and have been guarding till the owner comes back. But I’ve been mostly resting near the entrance and gathering food.” I said truthfully. She still held her puzzled look, trying to see through me and find any lies, obviously finding none. “Why didn't you just take the hoard or even steal a bit of it?” She asked. I locked onto her crimson rose eyes as she did onto my thick, sickening yellow tree sap eyes. “For the last two days my survival was first before luxury. And even if I was wall and safe, I have no reason to take the riches. When I saw the pile of gold, I saw not to be my own, but saw the honor of who owned it to have my respect. But when I found no one to guard it, I deiced to keep the treasure untouched in return for resting in the owners cave.” I said, locked onto those eyes of pure beauty as she looked into my soul, seeing nothing but the honest truth. She stepped back, realizing she was a foot away from my face and blushed slightly. She then gained her composure quickly and spoke again. “You are definitely different from any dragon male I’ve ever met. Even if still wingless, you show no greed or lust as those dumb hatchlings.” She said, almost spat at the memory of whoever she had met. “But no dragon has ever came upon a horde just to guard it till the rightful owner comes to claim it. What is the real reason that you didn’t just take anything from my father’s hoard?” She demanded, ready to unsheathe her deadly greatsword. “Honor.” I replied, now standing at full height and showing my strength. She raised her scaly eyebrow once again, lowering her hand away from the sword’s handle. “To steal is most dishonorable. If I wanted that treasure, I would duel the owner for the claim.” I said, seeming to convince her that I was no thief. “Well then, you must be a real living Ancient or you're the best liar I have ever seen. Bot seem to be impossible to me.” She said turning around and began walking away. “I am tired from my journey and want to relax. Do you want to join me or not?” She said in a teasing manner. I instantly began walking by to her side, gained a giggle and slight blush from the female dragon. She then began to talk to me at a steady rate, mostly about the variety of potions she had made with the ingredients of the forest. Some deadly, some helpful, and some for random things, but I paid the utmost attention in her words. While listening to her, I also analyzed my surrounding for anything that stood as a threat. But her words soothed my mind, dimming my sensing just to hear her beautiful voice and taking in her knowledge. She just kept talking and I listened as we made our way to the mountain. “You know, you're the first to make it out this long to my ranting and to be still paying attention.” She said, taking note that I listened to her the whole way. “I’m not sure what my father might think about you stay with us, but the fact that you're probably an Ancient One will definitely swayed his doubts and let you sat with us as long as you need. In fact, he should have been here a week ago, probably just caught up in something with his old friends.” She said, smiling as she thought about her father. But her face turned to sudden shock as she stared over at where the dead tree used to be. “You… You cut down my mother’s tree.” She said, a tear already falling from her eye. I then felt a bolder of guilt fall as I realize that burnt tree meant something to Sera. “I… I didn’t know the tree had such value. I am deeply sorry.” I said, truly feeling bad that I had broken her heart. “My mother hatched me when the tree bloomed with its pink flowers. She said that she planted the seeds with a part of her soul…” She said, tears falling down her scaly cheek. “When mom died, the tree was I had left of her... And you CUT IT DOWN!” She shouted furiously, puffs of smoke forming from her nostrils. I looked at her with a guilty gaze as she ran from me and began to cry. I stood there for a few minutes, her tearing cries becoming pain filled flames. I sat near the entrance, thinking that I would be burned alive if I entered. Hours passed, soon dimming down and she had turn the remaining old wood into dying embers and a pile of cooked ash. After the temperature had gone from burning forest fire to normal, I walked in to see that Sera was curled up in a ball, no longer crying from the lack of water in her tear ducts. “I am truly sorry for destroying the last thing of your mother.” I will take what’s left of my stuff and leave.” I said, beginning to look for anything salvageable from her rampaging flames. She slowly got up from her spot on the floor and looked at me with her dry eyes. “Don’t go…” She said in a mumbling whisper. I looked back at her, seeing that she looked scared. “I don’t want to be alone again.” She said, rubbing her dry eyes. I slowly walked over to her and took her hand. “If you wish me to say, I will.” I said, now being embraced into a strong hug. Not enough to hurt, but snug and firm. She began to mumble something into my shoulder. “Thank you.” She said, letting go and looked up into my eyes. “Thank you.” After she thanked again, she began to clean up her mess and she got dinner ready. Apparently, passed the treasure, there was a set of rooms that had a kitchen and lab just for her. Plus she had a huge room just for things she had collected, such as weapons and supplies ranging from leather products to metals and other materials. She had destroyed my dagger in her fit of crying, but the amount of supplies she was willing to let me use, I could make a new and better dagger and even make some extra clothes. But that was a time for latter, for now, we were eating gems. She spent a good twenty minutes time preparing the food. She began smashing half a dozen fist sized gems and turning them into a fine grain mixed. She then added a wine bottle’s worth of something that should help give me some nuisance. She ended up making a pot of the stuff and filled a bowl with bits of green, red, blue gems with a strange yellow liquid mixed all together. I drank from the bowl, over whelming my taste and began feeling the overly sweet sensation of the cold soup. After I drank the rest of the bowl, she then began to prepare dinner at the table she had in the kitchen. We ate and talked, mostly her telling the stories of her travels while I asked for more details or question on some of her poisons that I had taken interest. It soon came time that the sun began to dawn over the horizon. After dinner, she lead me to her room and gave me a soft fur blanket. I slept in the storage room on some hay while she attended to her bed. She was so kind and sweet it made my heart beat faster while in her presence. And I think she had the same feeling while being around me. I could feel a connection grow between us, a bond forming with the feel of something erotically grabbing my heart. I tasted the feeling again as I closed my eyes, now realizing what had taken over my mind. I had tasted love, and it was true to my heart’s content. > Chapter 4: And A Taste Of Vengance > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I stood tall and strong on a hill, gazing over a never ending field of tall green grass and flowers. The sky was a clear blue with the wonderful scent of pine and oak in the atmosphere. But I was not alone, another was with me in the open field of grass and flowers. A few dozen meters from me stood the most beautiful being in the universe. Sera Ruby, wearing a dress of burning white flowers with a golden white headdress that had resemblance to a crown. She had a thin chain necklaces of gold with a crystal shaped rose as the main piece of decoration. She held a small and gentle smile on her short snout, looking at me with companion and love. She raised her hand towards me, asking to join her. I could only smile as I took walk, walking toward the beautiful dragon. But as I took the few first steps, the sky began to darken as the ground violently began to shake. I began to panic as the creaks in the ground began to give. I began to run towards my love, only quickening the pace of decaying plants and the ground's crumbling. The earth began to rise and fall as the sun was eclipsed into darkness, but I did not care about that. Sera still stood still and held her claws out, still illuminating her love through the destruction and chaos. I began jumping from falling ground to reach her, only for her to be farther away as I go on. I then tripped and began to fall with the earth below my feet. I looked up from my descending doom, only to see Sera looking down at me with a lone tear in her eye. She began becoming smaller and smaller until the world around me became pure darkness. I then began to feel weightless in the darkness that consumed me, feeling absolutely cold and emotionless. But right as I thought there was no hope, I saw two white eyes appear in the void, looking down at me with sorrow. "Nova 'Vadam. I know not who you are, but I know true love. And you have fallen in it with my daughter." said a voice, echoing through the darkness. "My daughter is in danger. The cave is infested with the greedy griffins and she is in need of your help. Save her as my last request on this earth." said the voice, waking me back into reality. I gasped, shaking from the intense nightmare that scared me to my bones. It felt as real as the air I breath, yet my logical thinking kept trying to tell me it was just nothing more then a nightmare. But it felt so real that I couldn't ignore it. I brushed off the fur blanket, got up and grabbed my weapons from the table. I lowered myself and began making my way past the pile of gold to find what the being had told me. I saw ten griffins practically bathing themselves in the gold without care or respect for the owner. Remembering that Sera was in danger from these thieves turned my blood icy cold and anger to burn like the sun. I unsheathed my ax, my anger demanding to drench my body and the floor in their blood. I let out an angry roar that stopped the griffins in their tracks, making their hearts skip a beat in sudden shock. Without any other warning, I charged with my ax drawn and rage becoming ablaze. The first one didn't even get a chance to raise his talons in defense, for his throat was slashed and smashed with the ax's blade. Two of the ten were close enough to get the spats of blood from their fallen comrade. They were too slow to draw their short swords and ended with my iron cold fingers grasping their necks, crushing their windpipe and snapping the spinal cords. In a three seconds after unleashing my rage, three of the ten were dead. These Griffins are worthless fighters! The remaining seven were no longer shell shocked and had their weapons drawn out with their predator instinct kicking in. Two more came charging at me with thin long swords raised high. A Challenge? Hardly! I'll enjoy gutting you all. I still held the dead griffins in my heads and I desired to use them. In a single spin of my feet and powerful throw of my right arm, the dead griffin was sent like a baseball at the charging two. The griffin body was a blur and sent the two into the ground hard. I quickly charged at my next target, a lone griffin that was separated from the rest, looking at me and ready to piss himself. He didn't even raise his sword as I smacked him with the dead body in my left hand like a rag doll. I sent him skidding across the cave floor with his neck snapped in a single blow. The last four griffins had taken flight and were about to dive bomb me with their spears. I quickly spun my arm like a slingshot and threw the body at the flying group, taking down one of the three. The other three dived at me with deadly speed, in turn, I rolled out of the way, nearly being speared by them. I quickly glanced over the cave, looking for a weapon. I then sprinted towards the fallen griffin I had thrown the body at. He a had weakly got up to be met with my foot meeting his face, slamming him head first into the stone floor with my foot turning his skull in splinters of bone. I grabbed the spear from his dead grasp and quickly deflected a blow from a dive bombing griffin. The two others were close behind his friend and were about to charge again. I quickly changed my hold on the spear and threw it at them, impaling one of them in the chest, sending the impaled griffin spiraling down to the cold floor. The other griffin didn't falter and kept charging like a mad bull. I used his blind rage to my advantage, sidestepping out of danger and quickly grabbed him by the arms. Using his momentum, I spun and slammed him hard into the ground face first, breaking his beak inwards, shattering his skull, snapping his hollow boned neck and spinal cord upon impact. The last griffin glanced over the mess of his fallen comrades, realizing that he was the last one in the cave that wasn't dead or gravely injured. I gave hims no chance to think further as I grabbed the spear from the floor and threw it like a bolt of lightning. The spear struck him in his shoulder, sending him plummeting into the ground. I then looked around the cave desperately, but Sera was nowhere, only the griffins. The Griffins... They took her! I glanced behind me to where the last two griffins alive were, anger still burning strong as my bond with Sera. They were groaning as they shoved the dead body off of them. I walked over to them slowly, my footsteps sending sound waves of my presence as I was radiating my hatred towards them. They looked up to see me looming above them with a mix of rage and impatience. They were swiftly grabbed by the throat and thrown towards entrance with the other griffin that had a spear impaled into his shoulder. I stomped hard on the floor towards the one that recovered first and grabbed him by the throat carelessly. I held him close to my face, staring into his fear filled eyes while I had the other one pinned down with my foot. He looked dazed, but still scared shitless. "Where is Sera." I said darkly. He coughed a bit and answered dryly. "Who?" I loosened my grip, wanting information before he suffocates to death. The griffin took deep and rapid breaths as he looked around to see the rage and impatience still in my eyes. "Where. Is. Sera!" I shouted, scaring him more as panic clouded his mind. "I don't know who that is!" he said with fear clearly taking over his thoughts. "The white dragon! Where is she!" I yelled, tired of his pathetic answers, tightening my grip as my patience quickly faded away. "The dragon slave is at camp-" as soon as he referenced my love to being their slave, that made me lose it. To call her a... Slave, the same very being that I would die and serve for to be called a slave? A slave! That outright enraged me to my core. I slammed him hard into the ground again, gaining groans of pain from him as he turned over onto his belly and began to pathetically crawl away. I then stomped my foot onto the pinned griffin, making that one cry in agony as I dislocated his wing. "That should keep the other there for a while." I thought as I then pinned the griffin dumb enough to call my love a slave with my heavy foot. "You will PAY for calling her that!" I yelled, ready to bring him a world of pain as I firmly grabbed the base of his wings. "W-what are you do-" I quickly interrupted his sentence and replaced it with screams of pure terror and agony as I ripped his wings from his back. His screams satisfied my anger and encouraged me to inflict even more pain onto this dishonorable scum. I then kicked him onto his back and stomped onto his chest with my huge foot, crushing his organs and breaking his ribs inward. He could only let out weak gasps as his broken ribs punctured his lungs and cut up his internal organs, his mind full of nothing but pain. I walked away from the pain filled, gasping griffin and stomped towards to one that I had dislocated his wing. He was trying to get up as he held his unnaturally bent wing, only crying in pain in his pitiful attempts. I shattered his hopes of escape as I smashed my foot with powerful force into his back, fracturing his spinal cord. He screamed in pain as I grabbed him by his throat with no care and looked into his watery eye of blood and tears. "Where is your camp you pathetic weakling!" I said, only gained cries of pain and mumbling nonsense from the clearly broken griffin. I groaned with impatience as I simply crushed his neck with a flick of my merciless grip. Now I was left with the last living griffin in the cave. He still had the spear lodged into his shoulder and was already bleeding a river. I loomed over the drained griffin with a dam of overflowing anger ready to be unleashed onto his weak soul. "Where is your camp." I said with surprisingly less anger and more of a sickening calm tone, still sending shivers down the pale griffins spine. He saw the storm of hellish and chaotic rage within my eyes, ready to bring his world to an painful end. "In the forest... Not to far... Don't kill my brother..." He pleaded weakly, already looking pale from blood loss. "You and your group are not only worthless dishonorable thieves, but kidnapping lowlife slavers of the innocent. Greed for the wealth and gold at the extant of others suffering plagues your soul like snake venom. Rotting scum like you don't deserve to live a life of pleasure. If anything, you don't deserve to life of anything but eternal suffering for your sins. Redemption be damned for all your sickening kind." I said darkly, grabbing the spear and digging it deeper into his shoulder. He moaned in pain, rising his arms weakly to stop the pain as I increased the river of blood to a sprinkler of blood. I began twisting the spear and plucked it out, letting the red life blood escape from the overflowing wound. I began looking around the mess of dead and blood, only the thoughts of Sera's safely and well being came to mind as I began arming up and getting ready. "I'm coming for you, my love." "What is taking those idiots so long?" mumbled the griffin leader. He was well known for being a skilled bounty hunter that went by the name Blood Eye. He ruled over his band of killers and hunters. He had around 30 strong griffins under his command as they had set camp in the Everfree Forest. He knew he had a huge target on his back in Equestria, but he couldn't resist the amount of profit he could gain if he sold these rare and expensive furs. But he didn't even care about that now. He had found an unguarded mountain of treasure in a lone cave up in the mountain near his camp. He was without a doubt set for life with the rest of his men if he could smuggle the goods and gold out of Equestrian soil. He only found one teen hatchling that didn't put that good of a fight. He could just simply smile as how he made it rich quick. He sat in his tent laying down in his bed roll, daydreaming the things he could buy, or better yet, the fame he'll get to brag about to a few of his fellow bounty hunters. But all good things come to an end as the griffin he called "Rookie" had barged in once again into his tent. "By the name of the gods. If this is another emergency and ends up being another prank, I will personally force feed you timberwolf sap till your skin and bones!" He growled loudly, not wanting any more jokes or pranks. For example, a bee hive had fallen onto his head by accident, but the problem was that the bees attacking him and only him. He still has reminding scars from that horrible moment in his life. But that still was not even close to some of the shit he had dealt with while running his little group. His thoughts then turned to worry as he saw the look on the rookie's face. The look of worry and terror. "Were under attack by a dragon! He's making a massacre out of us!" the Rookie said, gaining Blood Eye to quickly get out and deal with the problem himself. He left the tent and ventured into the campsite with the new recruit to see that his camp made into a shredded mess. Blood and gore was sprayed everywhere as both equipment and tents were torn. The ground was scattered with disembody griffins that were either sliced in half, decapitated, or had limbs ripped off violently. In the center of the mass gore stood what resembled a dragon. Blood Eye had see his fair share of dragons, even fought one too, but this one just seemed more different than what was considered normal dragons. He stood a great towering height of 2.4 meters and was buff with iron strong muscles. A dragon with the muscles of a Minotaur boxer? That was not normal. Most dragons had fire resistant scales, this one seemed to have grayish brown and somewhat bumpy skin. He also had no lower jaw, just four terrifying mandibles like that of a bug. He looked more reptilian in nature then an actually a dragon, but that didn't change the fact that he had massacred his griffins to a bloody stew. But that didn't even come close to what scared him the most, for the griffin was entranced with the beast's eyes. He had done many terrible things in his lifetime, earning a lot of vengeance filled enemies, but he had never seen so much raging anger built up in eye like his. So much fury with an equal amount of sorrow filed those yellow orbs. His rage consuming being balanced with the discipline of a harden warrior. The amount of overflowing anger towards him was like nothing he had ever felt or seen in his lifetime combined. Just staring into his unnaturally demonic eyes totally made a new definition of what true hatred was to Blood Eye. The strange dragon was drenched in the red blood of his griffins, staring at him with his burning soul of pure hate mixed with the never ending thirst for vengeance. He raised the huge sword at Blood Eye like it was a weightless feather and pointed it towards him. "You. Killed. Her." He said in a disturbingly calm in a demonic tone. If voices could kill, the whole countryside would be nothing but burning ashes of smoldering glass. Blood Eye was entranced into abyssal of death in his yellow eyes, seeing a beast that had no boundaries or morals on what he would do to him. The dragon, no. He was not a dragon. He was a more of a demon then mortal. He clearly knew that this demon would make his world slow agony with no mercy if he got him. But fear had instantly took hold of his mind, unable to make a run for it. But there was no hope or escape as his world was shattered as he was impaled with the huge sword in a blink of an eye. He was raised by the huge impaling sword and merely melted around the blade, falling to the ground broken into two. The broken griffin looked up at the rookie, seeing his truly petrified eyes. Blood Eye could only stare as he watched the rookie suffered to the fate of the Damon. His wings were plucked off brutally and arms torn off like twigs. Before he finally blacked out with the sweet embrace of death, he witnessed the poor griffin being opened up and gutted with a dagger as the demon roared into the heavens. A roar of pure sorrow and agony with hate burning of a dying star, about to go supernova. Nova 'Vadam had failed to save the love of his life, he lost his true love, and will never forgive the griffins for their crime... Or himself for failing the only love he had ever known. > Chapter 5: The Soul Passing > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was at a loss of words... My anger, rage, hate, all morphed into one bloodthirsty, merciless monster that I gave control. I let my anger control me, revealing the destruction I inflicted on the griffins. When my rage had calmed down, I was given back some will over my body, but still acting on instinct. I found myself kneeling down as a huge bonfire had erupted into the night sky. After staring into the dancing flames, I looked around, the camp had been fully raided till nothing was left. From tools and weapons as well as the furs and meats had been taken. I must have grabbed everything I thought that could be of use and taken it up to Sera's cave. The tents and everything else like wood and useless junk was stacked into the now burning bonfire, it's flames reaching over the treeline and glowing like a star in the darkness. The camp was surrounded by fresh wooden spears, each dug into the ground and having a griffin head mounted atop. I then got up from my kneeling position and walked to a random spear, instantly reconsigning the agony on his bloody beak. I slowly walked around the edges of the camp, recognizing every face and each of their individually brutal deaths. All of their pain and death by my bloody hands. I then looked over myself, seeing the mess I had become. My once fine Manticore coat now matted and drenched in blood as my body had taken a few cuts and bruises as well. I had Sera's Greatsword sheathed on my back. I unsheathed the large sword to find it slightly damaged. Even though it was a thick strong silver like metal, with some glowing marks on it to enhance it beyond natural means, it took damage. The blade's edge had a few fresh noticeable dents and it's own old battle scars along with them. The symbols I believe were that of ancient dragon magic ruins if I remember correctly, each having a different symbol and glow with their own effects. But the fresh dents on the sharp blade were obviously from my encounter with the griffins that killed... My breathing stopped as I collapsed onto the ground, dropping the sword away from my fall. My body began shaking, sorrow and loss striking me in the heart. I could not cope or shrug off her death like I had done with the griffins. She was stuck within me, unable to pull her away from my memory like the others. I could still see her beautiful face, oh such a gem of love and compassion. Then those joyful moments are instantly tormented and turned into the dead corps being skinned by those vermin of griffins. I could roar out in anger and let it take control once again, but I felt like I had none left to give. I was left drenched in the bloody aftermath that she was dead and... I was once again, alone. I then felt a cold consume my body, even with the burning fire, it too left me in the abyss, alone. I brought myself up once again, grabbing the sword, and began to trudge through the brush of the woods. My destination? A cave that had been shared as a home with the one I had emotions for. A cave that now laid bare of the joyful life known as Sera Ruby. My trek through the woods was nothing of interest, no creature dared to attack me. They obviously have finally learned their pace, especially after I made an example of the Manticore. Wearing the skin of the Manticore I killed as a coat was more than enough to show my status in this forest. But that was not important at the moment, for I had found for what I believed was Sera's father at the cave. He was really tall for a being, the biggest one I seen so far in this world. At full height, I only reached to where is his stomach would be. The Dragon's colors were that of a mixed gray with the texture of ash with a clean scale overlapping yellow underbelly. He had bright blue eyes that had no pupils, but a burning pure white dot with a blue flame forming around the dot. He had short jagged horns with a curve at the end on his head with thicker spines running across his back. Another noticeable feature was his hands, them alone could crush me into a paste as his body was in ripped with muscles. His raw strength could easily rip a tree with it's roots and all. He then spoke with anger and echoing might that I had felt in my dreams. Now I understand why there was such a huge amount of valuables in the cave and had yet to be looted. He was a force to not be reckoned with. Ever. Yet he looked as pissed as he could be as he was right next to his dead daughter. "I could not save her." I said, drawing out Sera's Greatsword. I knelt down on my right knee and held the sword by the blade, offering it to him. His anger quickly died down with his flames, looking at me with confusion in his eyes. Yet he had an area of rage still bound around his impressive form. "Who did this then?" He asked in a sad tone, grabbing the silver blade with care. He then began to stare at the blade, memories seeming to come back as he looked at it's ruins. "Griffins." I said, still kneeling before the mighty Dragon. "Where are they?" He asked, through gritted fangs, now radiating rage once again. "They now lay rotting in Tartarus, may the Griffin's burn in never ending fire for their sins." I said with hate, gaining the father's brow to raise. "I see. You have avenged Sera's death with her blade then?" He asked, I simply nodded and replied with a "yes". "And you took their loot too?" He asked, gazing over the pile of hunting equipment and furs. "I took it for you." I said, gaining his attention once again. He stayed silent for a while, until he then spoke with one word. "Why?" He said simply, yet I got what he was meaning. "Sera Ruby was the first being I have encountered to show kindness towards me. I had lost my memories of who or what I am and yet, she took me in with open arms. Her kindness was paid in returned with my loyalty. I then awoke to find the plague known as griffins infesting in your home and taking your treasure. I could not stand this and I so made quick work of them. I then searched for her, soon to find her dead and being skinned. I don't know what I felt for your daughter, but I had a strong connection with her. So when I saw her with death, I lost myself and killed them all. I then took their valuables up here and then burned the bodies in a bond fire. I lost myself in my rage and made an example of each one by beheading each one and speared then around the camp. The griffins murdered Sera Ruby and I in turn, slayed them. I at least can give you her body for her burial and the loot." I finished. He had stayed quite the whole time I talked, listening while in deep thought with my words. "Do you have a family?" He asked, surprising me with the sudden change of subject. "Sera was the closest thing I had to a family." I replied, looking up at the dragon. We looked each other in the eyes, opening myself and showing who I was as a being. He stared into my eyes as if he was searching through my soul, soon showing a small smile. "Then come, family must attend The Soul Passing." He said, jestering me over to Sara's body. I took a few second to understand what he meant. "Am I, family?" I asked, gaining the father's attention. "If Sera was accepting of you as one of us, why should I disregard her last wishes?" He said, gently picking up the dead dragoness and began rapping her in cloth. I instantly understood his thinking as I began doing what he told me, preparing for the this 'Soul Passing'. After doing various chores and work, I got ready for what dragons do with the dead. But I first helped cleaned the cave of my bloody work and rid myself of the unhonorable blood of the Griffins. As soon as that was done, I began chopping the wood that Sera's father brought from the forest. In a few hours, we had cleaned the area and made what he called, an Afterlife Guider. The Afterlife Guider was a tall yet small hut made from wood and stone. It was a cone shaped hut with a hole at the top, so that she could rise into the heavens. Inside the hut was where the body would be burned with the hut. As she was going to be burned by her father's flames, her body's smoke and ashes would rise out of the hole and fly into the heavens. And so we put the wrapped body in and he lit it ablaze from the inside. We sat at the top of the freezing mountain at midnight, praying for her passage and saying our goodbyes. We stayed up all night in the cold until the fire finally burned out. He told that after the fire had burned out, we would gather her ashes and spread them in the wind. And so we did just that. By the time we finished I was tied and soon to fall with slumber. Thunder Ruby, Sera's father, had flown me back to to the cave and put me to bed with care. As dawn finally rose, I fell into a deep slumber of nightmarish dreams, dark memories of yesterday holding me back. Holding me close as I rasped my final words before falling into darkness. "I... I failed you... My love." And with that said and done, my old friend; darkness greeted me with a tight embrace. Not letting go any time soon.