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sidneygardnerblog · 4 years

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Sparrow’s Truth

I can’t remember where I’m from, or who I am. There seems to be gaps in my memory but it seems as if whoever tampered with my mind left some clues. Like breadcrumbs I’m meant to follow back to the truth of who I am. So far I figure I’m some sort of hunter, why else would there be a bow in my hand & a quiver of arrows on my back? This just begs the question of what I’m supposed to be hunting down. Is my quarry the four others I woke up surrounded with? I can see faint outlines of them laying on the floor, but with them there, I’d have to wait until they stood up in the light to fully see them. I can feel my heart skip a beat at the thought of them awakening. Have I ever killed anything but game before? I could escape, but in any direction the light seems to fade the farther away it is from where I’m standing. This clearing is the best place to be at the moment. I’ll have to wait.

Not being able to recall my own identity is starting to eat at me. It’s been at least an hour since I’ve awaken. It’s cold but still safe. Something inside of me knows that this isn’t right & if I attempt to strain my memory, a wave of nausea washes over me. I’ve tried a few times, with the last resulting in me throwing up. I must’ve been kidnapped, it’s the only logical explanation. I can only assume the same for the other four.

The others are starting to wake up from their deep slumber. One by one, they come to. I study their faces for any sign of aggression or hostility. Nothing. Only looks of confusion & terror. They seem as lost as I am but it could be a trap. A facade mean to lower my guard. If I’m being honest, none of it matters. I need to get back home, no matter what. If it means having to put an arrow through each of their skulls, then so be it. Nothing will stop me from learning the truth of what's occurred.

My pulse starts to quicken. My mind is racing, searching for the right words to say. It’s almost as if I’ve done this before, attempted communication with persons unknown. One wrong stringed together sentence can lead to my death or theirs. Not knowing if they are in league with one another is what’s stopping my hand from reaching into my quiver. I’m not in a favorable position, so diplomacy is my best option. Taking action could only end in failure, something I’m vaguely familiar with. All of this, the tension in the air, the uncertainty that’s being portrayed, all of it is putting me on high alert. My ears are straining to catch any whispers. My eyes looking for any hint of movement. We stared at each other for what seemed like hours before a woman with some sort of machine on her shoulders broke the eerie silence.

“Well, since no one’s talking I guess I’ll have to open my mouth & ask the obvious question. Where are we? And who are all of you? Okay, make that asking two obvious questions. Sometimes I forget to keep count, ahahaha!” Asked the woman before laughing at her own joke, if you can call it that. Apart from being armed with some sort of yellow machinery on her shoulders, she looked normal. Trustworthy even, I doubt someone with ill intentions would be laughing with such delight. As she was laughing, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the man who hid his face underneath a hood started to slowly chuckle.

“My dear, if only I knew it’d ease the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. I can’t even remember my own name for that matter. However, It seems that I’m able to manipulate space with these gauntlets of mine. I can feel energy just flowing all around me & it feeds me energy, which is how I’ve come to realize my ability. Alas, it’s also how I’m able to tell you’re all friendly & how our friend with the braided hair has been studying us. Care to share anything you’ve managed to learn about us?” Asked the hooded man, before pulling it down so as to reveal his face to us. A clean cut beard greeted us & his eyes seemed to glisten with curiosity.

“The same as you, that so far no one has shown any signs of aggression & hostility. I’d like to keep it that way, seeing as how we all seem to be at a loss of memory. All I’ve been able to figure out is that I’m a hunter, or at least I think I am. Just not sure why I’m here or what my prey is. “ Replying back to the question I was asked.

“I see. Such innocence in the words you speak. However, I can sense the quickening of your heartbeat & how your fingers ache to fire arrows. I can not allow you to harm any of us if that is your will. I am Steel, the shield of my allies & the blade against the throats of my enemies. Which do you align yourself with hunter? Better yet, do you see us as potential victims?” Asked the huge behemoth of a man who calls himself Steel. His voice boomed with confidence & I felt it echo in my bones. Straightforward & to the point, I can appreciate that. I was never one to mess with those who can stop my arrows without breaking a sweat & something tells me this man can with ease. Clad in orange armor & blue skin, he’s sure a sight to see.

“When I awoke before you all, I contemplated my reason for being here. I had the opportunity to lodge arrows in each of your heads but somehow, I felt as if this wouldn’t be the right call. I needed you all alive. I needed your help. I am an ally, a friend who will stand by you. We need to figure this out together. As for your keen observation, I feel as if we’re not safe here & I’m preparing myself to strike at any moment. Not knowing where we are is dangerous. All of this seems all to familiar to me, & I can’t shake the feeling that something horrid will occur.” I responded honestly, not caring if they believed me. Yet, it was enough for them. Steel grinned & gave me a thumbs up. The creaking of his metal fingers rang loud & seemed to reverberate around us. The man with the beard smirked & nodded his approval. The woman with the strange machine looked serious, vastly different than the first time she spoke.

“It seems as if we’re in some open clearing in some sort of room, otherwise we wouldn’t have heard any echoes but with there being little light pass this clearing that we’re standing in, it’s hard to tell just how huge it is. Better to stand here than investigate, there’s no telling what could happen if we step off. Mage, you said you can feel the energy thats flowing around us. Any way for you to sense if there’s a means of escaping?” Asked the woman in an almost stern voice.

Doing as asked without so much as a complain or retort, he attempted to do so. He began to levitate off of the floor, & his eyes started to glow purple. The gauntlets on his arms started to activate but before they could operate, a voice full of urgency rang out.

“Don’t use power here. Power gets sucked away. I know. I try escape too. “ Exclaimed a beast. A literal beast, not a man with the characteristics of an animal. I was beginning to wonder where the fourth body went. It seemed as if he had just arrived from somewhere. I was foolish. He escaped my vision & that could’ve been dangerous. Feeling ashamed, I hid my face from the others. This feeling, of making a mistake felt heart shattering. I don’t think I’ve ever made such an equally stupid & endangering one.

#short story #author #writer #video game #paragon #mage #hunter #mechanic

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