I could not remember how long I had been asleep, days, months, years, it all meant nothing. The war was over, and in the end, no one really won. I guess you could say that I won, however, that had never been my intention. To be honest, it had been a suicide mission; the only hope of the world carrying on being an over charged blast of my specialty ability. I was going to explode. I didn’t.

        My memory had begun to decay as the hums and whistles awoke my mind. I was trapped in darkness, eyelids unwilling to pull back and allow me to see the ashes. Ashes? Why would there be ashes again? Had there been a war? A sharp pain flashed through my mind as I tried to remember. Perhaps my coding was faulty, glitched, as one could say; this was not normal.

        A face. I remembered a face. I remembered pain, and an inability to feel my left arm, as I reached for that face, only to watch it turn away, unwilling to pull my mangled body from the wreckage. I came to despise this face. Perhaps all faces were as betraying, however that could not make sense, for I, myself, had a face - as unresponsive as it was, it still very well existed - and I knew I would never have left anyone behind. Would I?

        The humming grew louder, and as it did, my identity dissipated to nothing but a name and a class. I was May, a Shifter, which was merely short for a shape-shifter with some emotionally triggered magics. I believe I was an emotional mess once upon an eternity ago. How long would I have to wait before I could walk and talk again? How long until I could laugh and love again? I remembered being one hell of a lover, caring too much about... About. Darn. His name was lost, however the face wriggled it’s way into my thoughts again, and before I knew it, I was fuming over something I no longer knew anything about. As my slumber came to an end, I found a cold sensation creeping into my numb body, and then I knew.

        It was time.

        An earth shattering boom jolted me awake. I was soaking wet, icy tomb still clinging to my arms and clothes. The shell that had cocooned me was fractured, melting slowly in my presence. My muscles creaked and crackled as I pulled myself into a sitting position, they still had yet to thaw fully. Every bone in my body ached, could I even stand, or would the weight shatter me? I slid from the glowing ice to the grass beside, steadying my wobbly knees for a moment before sinking to the ground. The warmth of the earth brought new aches and pains to my thawing body. Everything seemed slow, as my surroundings were bathed in a blue light. It was truly magical.

        High above my head was the top of a frozen dome. What had created such a feature? Surely it was powerful. I pushed myself to my knees, looking around with blurred eyes. A large tree stood, towering before me, its white bark ghostly, and its stretching branches reached out to what ever light it could find. However odd it seemed, I was still comforted by its presence. One hand, one leg, other hand, other leg; I slowly inched toward it, hoping to steady myself on it’s strong trunk.

        My hand grazed its scarred bark, gripping it for dear life. I had to use every ounce of my strength to pull myself up. My slumber had made me weak, far more so than I would have ever liked. The veins trailing across the top of the trunk startled me as I slowly stood. Marks like lightning had been scorched into the surface of the tree, marks that shook me to the core. These were more recent than my dome, how could electricity have gotten through? I stumbled a few steps, trying to get out of there before something bad happened.

        A howl shook the air, causing me to fall out of shock. Crap. I scrambled forward, clawing at the ground to heave myself as fast as I could. The thud of paws thundered toward me, until I couldn’t take it. Quick as a flash, I rolled over, pulling whatever weapon I had in my inventory out to battle.

        A slobbering shadow beast stood before me, tall and majestic. Its two front paws straddled my head as his red eyes glared into mine. His wolf-like stature and shaggy grey coat made my eyes wide.

        Kage? I dropped my weapon, face beading with sweat. Kage. My hand slowly extended to touch his ruin-infused coat. Slowly, surely, the hair on the back of his neck lowered and I was allowed to sit up. The red light that rippled through the ruins all over him turned to blue. He sat, obedient.

        I pushed myself up on my elbows, unsure of what to think. I knew this shadow beast, but how? My soaked silver hair plastered itself to my face uncomfortably, the longer I was in here, the colder I felt. My eyes trailed to the thick ice wall not far from me, only a few meters to be exact. What was the outside like? My curiosity was almost equal to that of a cat, and I was willing to fulfill it. I pat Kage’s head, and slowly stood up, reaching my hands at the frosted over ice that was before me.

        Kage whimpered, standing nearly as tall as me on all fours, but still scared.

        I gently touched the wall, feeling it slowly melt as I did so. No words could explain the awe I felt as I passed through it, leaving an arch behind. The dark clouds high above made me anxious, but the thick layer of ice on the ground was what startled me. Inside of the dome, it had appeared to be spring, however, that was clearly not the case. Trees with dark claws arched up above me, threatening what little security I had. Everything that moved was a blood-thirsty monster in my deprived mind.

        A dark shadow loomed high above me, soaring in the dense clouds with ease. Another shadow beast? I stepped a bit further from the shelter of the dome, looking at it with wonder, that was, until it started barreling toward me.

        I pulled out my weapon again, starting to question what damage a useless stick would do against, well, anything, as I darted toward the treeline. My heart felt like it was going to burst with fear as I ran, not even sure if Kage was following me or not. Every step I took seemed to sink three inches into the ice, or slipped off awkwardly so I would have to replace it.

        A gust of wind kicked up, clattering the branches together and forcing ice into the air. I felt it in the wind, every particle, every shard. My heart was in tune with it, as if it were an extension of my body, mind, and soul. I dove down, barely able dodge sharp talons as they snapped together above my head, close enough to snag a few hairs.

        Black feathers, littered with red marking, ruffled in the branch a few feet away. Its screech rattled the very essence of the forest, surely no wildlife could be found for miles.

        I scrambled to my feet, palms bright red from the icy ground. What could I do? The air around me shifted, my hair slowly drying in the new wind. Everything seemed to slow down for a long moment.

        The large bird-like shadow dove at me, feathers gently swaying in my slowed world. Its curved beak opened to show a horrifying row of teeth.

        I planted my foot firmly onto the ground behind me, steadying myself before swiftly flicking my wrist, pulling up a wall of ice between myself and my attacker. The impact of the bird shattered the wall, but I was ready then. Frosty breath left my parted lips, only to disappear a moment later as I brought forth three spikes of ice, fists clinched. I pulled them forward quickly, slamming them into the shadow beast. A small, pitiful squawk was all that followed.

        I shivered, brushing my hair from my face to investigate. The bird had many components I could use for crafting or trade, however I felt oddly, different, more enlightened by the experience. I stepped over the corpse of the bird, not at all ready for the journey ahead, but sure that there was a town somewhere near here. I really needed warmer clothes; shoes would be nice too.

        Where was Kage in all this?

        I stepped over roots and twigs, toes going number at every step. Why couldn’t I have been frozen with appropriate clothing? The wind cut into my thin clothes, making my agitation grow. Who could survive like this?

        The darkness of night slowly encroached on the world, only making my trek more miserable. The bottoms of my feet had been sliced by the sharp ice on the forest floor, and I was sure I was leaving bloody foot-prints. I stumbled a little, losing my balance completely before falling, face first, to the ground. I was ready to give up. How far from civilization was I when I woke up? Was I walking further from it? I had no clue. I couldn’t really feel anymore, the cold air had drained the feeling from my bright red skin. This was different from when I was thawing, I could feel the pain of my heart furiously pumping to maintain my body temperature. It was horrible.

        I couldn’t move for some time, every minute I counted, and every hour I grew colder, until sleep came.

        I opened my eyes slowly, light from a glowing candle illuminating the room. Warm woolen blankets were wrapped tightly around me, had I died and gone to heaven? Or perhaps hell? I turned my head slowly, every muscle aching and tugging as I did so. A young man, possibly only a year or two older than I, sat in a chair, head on his hand, snoozing like no other.

        I quickly unfurled myself from the trawl of blankets that entangled me, and stood up, obviously still weak from the cold. I had to get out of there, I didn’t know the person and sure as hell didn’t want to.

        His armor alone, piled up in a corner, was enough to tell me I didn’t want to tangle with him. His sloppy blonde hair and strong chin, yup, I was out.

        I dug into my pocket, opening my inventory. No stick. I had no weapon on me, probably dropped it in the woods. There was, however, a canteen on a dresser, which I could easily use to fling ice at people. I tiptoed toward the door, slinging my new accessory crossed my shoulder before stepping into the hall. The bustling sound of a tavern winding down came from below, warmth seeping through the cracks in the floorboards. I sneaked toward the stairs, listening quietly for anything I disliked at the off chance I could bolt and make a run for it.

        The barkeep was busy drying a mug, meanwhile a man sat at the bar simply sipping his brew of pungent cider. Both minding their own business, both obviously unaware of my spying.

        I straightened my posture, perhaps I could get something to eat and drink while I was there, however, I only had about thirty two coppers in my coin-purse, which was funny to think about as I barely knew my own name, and yet knew a bit about this world’s currency. My hands were shaking wildly as I slowly sunk to the level of the other people. People. People with faces. Could the face be here, the one who left me to the numbness?

        My feet felt heavy as I walked as quietly as I could toward the bar, trying not to make eye-contact with the barkeep. A floating box appeared, was that an interaction menu? I cocked a brow, the bartender was an AI, huh. "A large ale please, and do you sell shoes?" I cleared my throat, combing through my hair awkwardly. The soulless shells that were nothing but coding made me uncomfortable, and the fact I hadn’t seen anyone remotely human in, who knows how long, made me feel even weirder.

        The AI blinked and handed me a bottle and a new pair of shoes that weren’t too fancy, but were far better than the bareness of my skin. “This is on the house, pleasure ta meet you madame.” The whiskers that nearly covered his mouth moved slightly with his words, his oddly human words.

        I pulled the shoes slowly toward me, wincing as my shoulder tugged unevenly. As quick as possible, I laced up the pair of boots, trying to hide the growing pain in my shoulder. Every movement of that arm felt wrong, weak, almost as if it had been detached and reattached incorrectly. My lip quivered, but I found myself burying my face into the foam of the mug.

        “You shouldn’t drink that, you’re far too young.” The young man cleared his throat, taking another sip of his drink before twiddling a brass ring between his fingers.

        My voice was scratchy as I retorted back at him, “So are you.” I gulped more of it down as he sat with a bemused look on his face.

        He leaned his elbows onto the bar, turning his head toward me finally, “And how would you know that?” The hood over his head almost swooped over his stone blue eyes.

        Head low, I swiveled myself to face him, guzzling the last of my drink and slamming it down on the bar. “Because I’m not your average bimbo.” My throat felt warm from the drink, but my stomach felt as hot as fire.

        The young man smiled slightly, sipping from his drink slowly, “Careful now, you don’t want to anger me.”

        My eyes narrowed, my heart racing, “Why not?” This man was starting to get on my nerves. I took a deep breath, trying not to let my agitation show through.

        He chuckled, amused at my behavior. “Because, you’re such a low level, it doesn’t show up on my radar,” His eyes flashed blue as he snarled. “And it’s clear you have no gear.”

        I swallowed, unsure if I should warn him not to be so cocky, or just shrink back. “You have no clue who I am, I don’t use weapons, because it would be too unfair,” My eyes went to the wooden bar, studying the grain in detail. “And my level is not that low. I think.”

        Raising a brow, he looked above my head, shock suddenly spread across his face. “Y-your HP is massive, what level ARE you?” He stuttered, obviously as confused as I was.

        I pulled my wrist to my face, studying the screen that appeared when I did so in great detail; it appeared to be some sort of tool to use for inventory and stats. “I don’t know, I woke up like this and had to walk for ages until-” I stopped, furrowing my brows, why was I telling a stranger this?

        “I’m Brendle,” He extended his hand, shaking mine firmly before removing his hood. “You’re obviously in quite some trouble.”

        I swallowed, eyes wide. “What do you mean?” My throat felt tight, studying the stranger’s face with determination.

        He stood up, hand on the hilt of his sword, “Because you look a lot like the savior, and I can’t have that.” Bright blue sparks flickered in the air, sending chills down my spine.

        “Wh-who are you?” I choked, shaking at the sight, why did this power scare me? His face was familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. “Who’s the savior?”

        He grit his teeth, brows angled down, “You have no clue, do you? That just makes things worse.” Brendle’s eyes glowed brighter, his rage was clear. “You can’t be her, it’s impossible.”

        I jumped off the stool, pulling the canteen into my hands with the threat. “I don’t know who you’re talking about, just leave me alone,” My hair fell over my face, hiding the fear that was written all over it. “Don’t make me fight you.”

        “That would be wonderful, actually,” He cooed, smiling menacingly. “You could be quite the XP boost, especially if I eliminate you.” He drew his sword, only to find his hand and hilt encased in ice. “Wh-?!”

        I looked at it, had I done that? My pulse quickened as I pushed out of the tavern and into the street. The night was cold, wind plastering my hair to my face. “Kage!” I called out, hoping the wolf would hear me.

        Brendle burst through the door behind me, fuming in his armor. “You have no clue who you’re dealing with, peasant!”

        I turned around, breath coming in plumes. I didn’t want to fight, I hadn’t realized that this would turn into an ordeal. People were coming out of their homes, curious about the ruckus, or perhaps weary of the howl in the distance. “Kage!” My voice was lost in the wind.

        “Who are you calling to?” My opponent growled, sword now drawn, pointing at me.

        Heat radiated off my cheeks, anger boiling in my core. “I told you I didn’t want to fight!” I stomped, snow melting under my feet instantly. “What do you not get about that?” As he moved forward, I stepped back, slipping on the ice and falling backward.

        Brendle raised his sword, slashing downward at me, only to be stopped by a massive shield. “YOU!” He barked, anger growing at the sight of my savior. “What are you doing here?”

        The man in front of me let out a grunt, “Are you THAT bloody stupid? You don’t see the resemblance?” He snapped, it was the man from the room. “Didn’t you see the signs?”

        I sat up, trembling, what in the blazes were they talking about? “What’s going on? Who are you?”

        My savior pushed Brendle down, into the snow. “Or maybe you knew and came looking too, but for a different reason.”

        Brendle spat on the ground, eyes blazing. “Maybe I did, but I see now that I was stupid to hope it was true.” He narrowed his eyes, glaring down at me. “Let me pass Travis.”

        Travis rolled his shoulders back, raising his chin lightly, “You know I can’t do that. You can change your name, but it’ll never change who you are,” He pulled out a sword. “May, do you remember me?”

        I shivered in the snow, breathing quicker suddenly. “H-how do you know my name?” My eyes darted from one of them to the other, why did they look so familiar?

        A dark shadow leaped at them, pinning both under its big paws. Kage growled menacingly, markings glowing red in the night. He was massive.

        A few townspeople had pulled out weapons, throwing things at the wolf in anger. I stood suddenly, anger surging through me. “Stop! He’s protecting me!” I turned to the crowd, who didn’t seem to understand. Several players wanted the beast dead, but why?

        Brendle shouted under a massive paw. “Get off of me, Kage! I was your master, not her!” He struggled, coughing under the weight.

        A rock struck my head, causing me to stumble backward. The world spun around until I hit the ground with a thud.

        Kage suddenly spun and stood over me, growling and snapping at the audience, I could sense his anger. His dark black fur swirled with shadows, scaring everyone around us.

        Travis moved to pull me out from under the wolf, but had to jerk away so that Kage wouldn’t snap his arm in two. “Kage, you remember May, you know we need to get her out of here.” He held his hands up, trying to calm him down.

        I swallowed, crawling out from under my faithful companion. “What’s going on anyway? Last thing I remembered, I woke up under a dome that looked like it had been through hell.”

        Brendle planted his boot on my back, shouting, “How dare you pretend to be her?”

        I felt fear envelope my whole being, and for a moment, the world seemed to freeze as the clouds parted in a circle around us. Particles of ice flew around me, suspended in the air as I forced Brendle off of me. “I don’t even know who you’re talking about, I’ve been trapped in ice for long enough that I don’t remember how I got trapped!” I swallowed hard, tearing up slightly. The stars above us shone brighter for a second, what was going on?

        Brendle grabbed me by my shirt and pulled down my left sleeve, exposing my shoulder. “I-impossible,” He breathed. “She’s dead.”

        I pulled away from him, lifting my sleeve again. “What the hell are you talking about anyway? Seriously, this is not cool.” My mouth was dry, this had become an ordeal, and I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

        Kage swung his massive head to glare at Brendle, growling lowly. He lowered his head, sparking a memory in my mind.

        Quickly, I swung my leg over his haunches and gripped his long fur, watching the world as we landed on top of the tavern. “Holy-” I choked as Kage ran along the roof and jumped to the next building.

        The crowd dissipated, leaving only the two men to bicker about what had happened. I was glad to be away from them, but at the same time, saddened. They knew who I was, or who they thought I was, perhaps, if not for the constant threats, they could have been my friends. Maybe they once had been.

Next Chapter: Chapter 2 : File Not Found