Drenched from head to toe, I washed ashore from the river-now slow and steady. The waters had carried me to a stone bridge arching overhead. I walked beneath it, pressing my right hand to the wall beside me and my left hand to my lower abdomen. A low groan escaped me. Though I had nearly escaped capture, the pain weighed heavily. It was no longer just eating through my armored plates-it had breached my skin, leaving me exposed and sickened.
With each passing moment I felt weak and hazy, my vision blurring.
"Ghhhh-" I gasped. My back hit the wall, and I slid down to the ground. I couldn't go any farther; the pain was unbearable. I felt as if I might slip into sleep-or something deeper.
I glanced down.
The corruption had seeped through my suit and into my body. My strength was drained and I was pulled under. Before I could do a thing, my mind slipped off....and I fell asleep. For how long, there isn't an answer. But before I really fell unconscious, I heard the sounds of movement on the surface of the bridge. It sounded like a vehicle but was it, I didn't know.
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Darkness. That was all there was. I was asleep-but I knew I was waking. My eyes opened slowly, bit by bit, until I could see. What did I see? A ceiling. I turned my head left, then right, taking in my surroundings. Then I sat up, though I remained seated.
Where am I? I wondered. The place didn't quite feel like a prison. But it didn't feel safe either.
It appears to be the inside of a house. The walls were made of wood, not the cold, lifeless white concrete you'd see in a prison cell; lower pots with real, blooming flowers sat on ledges; wooden furniture filled the room with a lived-in warmth. Through the windows, trees swayed gently, as a bird freely flew beyond the glass.
I noticed I wasn't wearing my armor. Every piece was gone, not a trace of metal in sight. All I had on me was my black undershirt and jeans. At least I wasn't naked, I thought. That would be a nightmare. Though I wonder-where could my suit have gone?
Another puzzled me? The pain that once gnawed at left abdomen seemed... distant. Almost forgotten. My fingers drifted cautiously to my abdomen, expecting the sharp reminder of what had been there before, but behold and wowed-there was nothing. Beneath the shirt, there was smooth skin. It almost felt brand new like a new bought gift untouched, unbroken.
No blood.
No tear.
No trace.
Memory of the pain remained however so-the wound-the wound itself was gone. I stared down in silence, unsure of what to make of it. A miracle maybe that I survived. Whatever had happened here, it wasn't ordinary; whoever had done this... found him and just healed his wound.
Then as I was thinking over my would be saviour, the door, creaked, and instinctively I got off the table and hid to the side of the door where the hinges at. When the door full opened and winded, a person came out. I took a glance. She was short (a child perhaps), has white hair, and...what, I can't believe this-POINTY EARS!
Not again.
Not only did I escape those elves warriors, but another one was right before my eyes. The last thing I wanted was to be discovered and captured.
The small elf girl was about to turn around, and that is when I took my chanced and took her by surprise at the back, grabbing her, and covering her mouth. I didn't want noise. "Don't talk if you want to live!" I said, heart beating, voice low.
The girl stopped her struggle, her muffling faded.
That was the first of it. I turned to look at the door and saw yet another elf. This time she was much taller. When she saw me, she froze, and what looked to be a plate of assorted goods fell to the ground.
My mind was now in full-overdrive.
"Don't come any closer!" I shouted at the tall elf girl. I threatened her. With this girl as my hostage it was my best tool to getting out of here, "One wrong move," my head switched to the tall to small girl, "and I break her neck!"
The air filled with an intense breath of life on the line type of situation. Putting it that way, I'm not sure that'll sit right, especially if your being saved and then find who this unfamiliar folks are. Trusting one person, risking my life for their benefit only to be back-stabbed, no, I wasn't having none of that. Why trust when she could-they could be-part of those elf warriors.
The tall elf girl held a dagger on one hand and other wasn't. But I knew what the other could do: magic. Her glowed. Particals swarmed her and she was about to do it.....but she didn't.
She put her dagger down on the floor carefully without aggregating the situation, and her magic stopped, the flow of her actions stunned. Although I haven't said a thing about putting her weapon away, though she had already done so, which made me slightly ponder my thoughts. Was she just going to surround like that?!
I then asked the tall elf girl for information. "Who are you people?! What did you do to me?!"
"Please calm down, this all has to be a misunderstanding." The tall elf girl said.
"Misunderstanding alright, tell me who you are?!" I hastened.
I could tell she was hiding something. The only thing that made her realise the urgency of this situation, was the tears of the other girl. I felt it on skin contact as I held firm grip on the small girl's mouth.
"Please I beg of you don't her Senra. It's the two of us. We happen to stumble upon you when we made a stop by a the bridge. It was Senra that wanted to help you. So in good faith, we helped you and healed your wounds!" She explained.
Time slowly passed. The tall elf girl spoke. "P-please don't hurt my sister, please, don't hurt her," the tall girl said again. She had tears falling from her eyes as well. She kneeled down and bowed.
Now I was really pondering my thoughts. Innocent and unwilling to fight, this didn't strike me the same as those of the Sylvereen elves. Was I in the wrong? My anger, rage, fury; settled. If this people, .... I mean, if they aren't a threat, won't that mean they are the innocent. Would I be breaking my code of honour-No!
I released my hands over the girl and she was let go. She cried‐running to the tall elf girl. This was her sister. I still stood and watched them, their cries rejoiced when they meet. They hugged; they embraced; they were united.
~~~~~~
20 minutes later and I was sitting on the exact table I woke up to. This thing, this thing that I did, it wasn't right. It was deplorable, inhumane, and unscrupulous. Pumped with adrenaline, blood rushing, and a need to act for my own safety, I disregarded my code-the very most of what my group had to abide by. Have I really become the monster? I ask myself, moving my hands close to sight.
The door opened again, and the tall elf girl came in. I hesitated for a while. I was still on edge.
"Sorry if my not disturbing," the tall elf girl said. On her hands she brought with her a plate of something, food perhaps. "I've brought you something to eat, here," she put the plate beside the table.
I'm surprised to be honest. And that's true.
I thought something would happen dramatically when the tall elf girl entered again. Maybe to punish me or hold off for a long period of time until I starve. Instead, she has come for me and with food. For her, at her age, teenager, she must really have a kind and generous heart.
I should return the favor. "Thank you," I said.
"And thank you for healing me as well. I appreciate your kindness," I added in a follow-up.
She nodded and was about to leave before I could say one more thing. "Wait-I didn't get your name?"
"It is Suhra," Suhra said.
Now was my apology. "I'm really sorry for you and your sister, Senra, I hope she is alright."
"She is," Suhri closed the door and not a word from her again.
Damn it. That's the best I could do-at least give a proper apology.
I glanced at the plate she left behind. I don't know what the food is: potatoes and beef-that much I can come up with. Appearance alone, I better eat it before it gets cold.