Turning Atarifuge's head towards the direction of the strange objects, I begin to ponder them again. What I thought to be a dragon attacked me again so I made a detour from chasing that man to kill it. After all, as a hero of the land, slaying such beasts should be something I am open to fitting into my day. However, I did not come across a dragon, instead, I found myself assailed by things bearing the mark of the Ancients.
Whatever they were, most of them had six legs made up of that mysterious green light. Their sides spewing fire the colour of those who existed before the Great Flood. In my time under the mountain and alone, have the people of the world managed to recover? Surely they must have, there's no way they could have found enough artefacts to cover that many animals.
I have no clue what species those things were, though. In all my travels, no animal other than the aptly named Living Mountain comes close to it in size. I suppose some dragons do as well, but, for all their horn shapes and sizes, their bodies are consistent. Much as the idea is amazing, I doubt the gods have returned to the lands of us mortals.
Though...
I bring Atarifuge to a stop and have his sword plunge into the ground as a ceremonial guard might do. Flexing my hands, I mind the emotions returning to my body. Things I have not felt in a while are all so foreign to me these days. Somewhat, I miss simply being under the mountain, stewing in my endless nightmare of betrayal and abandonment.
My bulbs try to flicker a sentence out but nothing comes of it and only my mind makes noise. Nothing but the dark interior of Atarifuge can be seen, only this divine and ancient machine can be heard. Yet, my mind is so easily recreating that one object I encountered looking for that dragon. Or, perhaps, what I found was what I was looking for.
A bladed form, like a trident or a winged spear existed before me. Only, it didn't end there, at its tail end, much like a snail perhaps was something so incomprehensibly large. That thing's back rose up to the sky and beyond, its scale so grand the world was warped by its presence. All of those creatures I fought, they kept their distance and minded that great being.
What a beast it was, oh, what a beast...
Glancing at the direction I had Atarifuge leap from, I turn my eyes towards the divine machine. Though its power is great, I am uncertain of if it can stand up to such a being on its own. Rather, I do not feel safe enough within Atarifuge to make the attempt to rid the world of such a beast. The head wound I have burns harshly as a reminder.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Wincing and attempting to grab it, I bring myself to a stop and get this machine moving again. That creature will be an adventure for another day, for now, I must focus on dealing with that man. His trail can still be followed, for which I am thankful. I have yet to find him once again and I am beginning to worry that I have lost him.
If such a heart and mind is allowed to fester in the world then it will see great pain and sorrow. I know what it's like, if I could I would like to talk to this man but I am beyond that point. While quite literal in this case, we will never see eye-to-eye while I am piloting Atarifuge. I forgot how to get out of this machine so very long ago and I cannot see...
It's not just the machine, the world around me, it's not at all like it was before my slumber. Were it not for Atarifuge's divine nature, I would not be able to see anything. It's all so blinding, this power in the world. Everything is so bright, it hurts.
For all the suffering I am enduring within this machine, however, I remain optimistic and curious. While I am not confident that people are any different, what I can hope to experience will be so. When the man is gone, I will adventure once again. I want to return to the life I had before I was betrayed.
Betrayal. Ostracisation. Isolation. Solitude.
Gods bless me enough that I get one more chance to find joy in the world around me. Something honest and sincere and a tale that leaves me with a fulfilled soul. The power of Atarifuge has kept me alive long after everything I knew vanished. I know my life is unnatural and I want to see it all.
Whatever those beasts were, I want to see them in their natural lands and lives, detached from war. The great mountain in the east, so brilliant and beautiful with its emerald light. Dirt around my points, my body sinking into the rain-soaked ground and the mud catching on my fingernails. Nourishment from the Orbital-Halo that warms our world despite the vast nothing we find ourselves in!
Once upon a time, I found myself being called a hero though I believe I have lost the right to name myself as such. Maybe, though, just maybe, I will be able to return such a title to my life and have it feel belonging. I will slay the evil-to-be like I did all those ancient years ago and I will save the world from another like me. So caught up in their misery and spite that their vision could not even look beyond the darker shades of our world...
While there is life in me, I will attempt to return to what I was. Though it is not true, I'd much rather live the life I thought I was going to have. With a party at my call and a future entrancing me so much with its pleasurable dream. I will not wallow in the lies of my life anymore... No.
Flickering some life back into my bulbs, I try to recall a prayer though I fear I have forgotten most of it. My mouth starts to imitate what the humans call a smile though as an aelenvari, I am incapable of it. The gods never blessed us with mouthes like most other species have though our heritage is clear. However, what does have a proper mouth is Atarifuge and I let this machine speak on my behalf!