When someone wakes, they come out of slumber in two ways. One way is peacefully, slowly lifting away from the peace of sleep to a new day of possibilities. The other abrupt, forced out of calm to only to be flung into the complications of life. Our lives are filled with both, sometimes a weekend will allow to us to wake at our leisure, other day's the sound of an alarm will push us out the door.

For Erwin, waking tonight follows the path of the latter. The sheering pain in every inch of his body begs him to fall back to sleep, but the fear of death keeps him awake, at any moment something could kill him. Looking up, he had to have fallen several miles. The slope of the mountain probably the only reason he survived, trading death for bruises and broken bones, not a terrible deal.

Erwin climbs up to his feet, from the extreme pain in his left arm and lower rib cage, both are probably fractured. Fortunately, his legs are only cut and bruised, and he can standup without too much pain. The carriage is only a few feet away cracked in two places leaving a strew of wood scattered about. Where are the horses? Erwin thinks, that's odd they were tied to the carriage.

Erwin walks closer to the carriage, maybe he could salvage something, a healing potion would be a blessing right now.

Hmph. Erwin tripped over something lying in the tall brush, it felt oddly soft unlike a stump or stone. It's hard to see in this lighting, darkness is quickly approaching 30 minutes maybe hour until daylight fades. Erwin takes a closer look prodding into the grass until identifying it.

"Agh!" Erwin yells in horror. He had found the corpse of Lem. He had probably not been as lucky as Erwin and landed on his head on the way down. Looking at it, Erwin finds himself gawking at the corpse. He hadn't seen many before, only at funerals cold and with peace on their face. But this is completely different, Lem's face contorted in pain still red and bruised, the sight of it makes Erwin queasy. He gets ready to leave the corpse where it is but thinks, he might have a potion on him.

A potion in these conditions could mean life or death. He doesn't like seeing a person, even one like Lem, in this kind of state, it makes him sick to his stomach. But he really doesn't want to end up in the same state. Erwin slowly moves his hand to the corpse, as if at any moment it might awaken. He reaches into Lem's coat and begins to feel around for anything.

First, he checks the inner pockets finding two solima slates and a watch. Damn, he thinks, not wanting to be doing this any longer than he needs to. Next, he moves to Lem’s belt, checking for anything strapped on, he finds a dagger and a vial with green liquid inside.

"Thank god," Erwin announces wasting no time chugging the green vial. His blood begins to clot at the cuts and the pain his body dulls. The healing potion is low-grade, but still a blessing. Now, he'll be able to walk without worrying on collapsing in pain. With a clear head, Erwin can now focus on his surroundings.

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Crk Crk. Erwin hears something in nearby shrubbery. Is someone approaching? Crk Crk Crk. No that's not getting closer. Erwin approaches the stationary sound, crouching close to the ground as to not make any sounds of his own. He gets closer brushing past leaves to peer on the sound.

Crk Crk Crk. Erwin see's several dark brown wolf like creatures eating the carriage's horses. Judging by the red stripes along their spine, these are baskerhounds. Nasty little creatures that carry disease magic, any wound would slowly rot the victim until otherwise treated or dead. Many look at them more as rats than dogs, burning down entire forests to extinguish a nest. Erwin sees them huffing a green poison out of their mouth, the horses flesh hardening to a tough slate of meat. The pack bite into the meat creating a small Crk.

Those horses won't last long for a pack of five, and Erwin has to intention on being their next meal. Erwin backs slowly away. Without warning, the baskerhounds simultaneously stop eating, their heads darting up to inspect their surroundings. Their pale green eyes stare directly at Erwin, and for a moment he thinks that's he's been caught. But with the same speed, the entire pack runs into the forest away from Erwin. That's odd, my presence shouldn't have them running.

Erwin doesn't like this, this feeling as if something is watching. Something just out vision, close it breath on the brushing against the neck, as if at any moment it could come from anywhere and surround Erwin from every angle. I need to leave. Now. Erwin disregards stealth going into a full sprint, or the very best he could manage with his injuries. But, He can still feel the shadow of a monster creeping on his, following him, until.

Slash. Erwin hears the air cut and his own blood dripping down his back. Even after drinking the potion, the pain causes him to make a silent screech. Accepting the futility of running, Erwin turns pulling the dagger out of its sheath expecting a fight.

But the creature standing in front of him isn't something he's ready to face. A hulking beast of a creature, covered in dark scales harder than most metal. Weighing at least a ton and standing twice the size of Erwin, a drake. Any bravery he felt quickly flea’s as the scaled beast lunged at Erwin biting into his left arm. He could feel his bones breaking the instant the monster sunk its teeth into him.

"Aaahh!" Erwin screams in pain. He stabs the monster repeatedly in the neck, but with every stab it becomes clearer that he wouldn’t even be able to break the monster's scales, let alone draw blood. The Drake twists it's head tearing away the flesh on Erwin's arm.

"AAAHHH!" Erwin screams again even louder than the first time, his forearm severing at the elbow leaving a bloody bone. Erwin had lost his arm, but is now free. Clawing at the ground he frees himself from under the drake, getting up to his feet and running.

Erwin runs without care, without direction. He doesn't know if the drake is fallowing, but it doesn't matter he needs to keep running. The only desire in his head is to run in a singular direction, without care for anything else, not for survival, not to get revenge, no bravery, no fear. Just run this way, with an impulsive desire that could only be described as lunacy. His eyes begin to darken. His body twice as heavy than the moment before. He slows until he can barely be carried by his own legs. Erwin drops to the floor his consciousness fading once again.