I look at my surroundings, standing at the very tip of a large tree, scanning the landscape for landmarks. I had briefly put my mask on for this very purpose of climbing the tree.

"Alright, where the fuck am I?" God, damn it. God damn it. I was like an old blind man trying to walk his way through the country alone, except that old man could barely hear anything as well.

I catch my foot on a branch and come crashing down the tree, except that old man also had never been outside a modern city before either.

The tree then snags onto my cloak, violently jerking me to the side as I swing back and forth from the tree. I hang there in despair, before looking back down to see a bunch of squirrels circling my bag. Presumably for the food inside.

"Hey! That's mine!" I yell at the squirrels before furiously writhing around. My cloak rips and I fall back down to the ground, scattering all the squirrels away from my bag....

Isn't there supposed to be a path somewhere? I begin thinking as I lay on the ground. Surely the travelers in this world don't go through all this right? I think I was following it for a while but... I probably veered off course by accident. Maybe I missed a road-sign or something, I wouldn't be surprised with just how shit my vision is. Fuck! I knew I shouldn't be traveling without my mask on. But I'll barely make any progress that way! If I try sprinting, I'll just shorten my mask duration.

Over the past couple of days, I discovered a couple more new limitations with my injuries. If I walk without any significant usage of Anku, I'll need to spend 50% of my time recovering. So four hours of my mask on would require four hours of my mask off. However, if I run, it goes from 50% to 70%, and if I run at my full speed, a single hour knocks me out for an entire day.

I sit up and brush the dirt off my clothes, ruffling around my bag, making sure the squirrels didn't manage to take any of the food.

A month of traveling before I supposedly reach Oliviand, that's what Jarso told me. No cars, no bikes, just my very own two feet. I take out my compass and stare at it as it slowly whirls around, before settling in on a direction. Oliviand was directly north of Astrodam, which means...

I comb through my bag for the map. I was either to the east or west of the main path... I can't tell which side I was on though... If I travel east, I'll either rejoin the path, or if I guessed wrong the worst case scenario would be hitting this massive lake, and if I travel west the worst case scenario would be reaching a plain.

I raise my hand to my chin and contemplate. Plain or lake, plain or lake, although further up the lake-side I'll reach a fishing town called Vou where I’ll be able to regain my bearings and continue the journey... No harm in checking that place out before Oliviand, I might even find a doctor there that can help me. If I travel west and hit the plain however, I’m going to have to double back. No civilization for miles in that direction.

I continue thinking.

Alright, screw it. To the east we go then. I hope I rejoin the path, but the lake-side doesn't sound too bad either. Maybe I could catch some fish to eat.

And as you would expect.

Two days later.

I find myself at a sandy beach, standing before an endless expanse of water.

"I hope Jarso packed more than a month's worth of food." I murmur to myself.

The cool breeze ruffles my hair, running through my scalp. I check my map once again. Yep, this is the place. I take a big sigh and slide my mask off my face. My stomach ties itself into a knot as I do this; however, I was used to the feeling at this point.

"I know I shouldn't travel without my mask on, but it's just a long beach right? How hard could it be?" I murmur. It was still pretty early in the day as well.

I begin trudging along the sand, nearly deaf and blind.

I... How did I end up in this situation... My wrists and feet were shackled, and I was blindfolded and gagged, being transported to God knows where. People just go around kidnapping random people in this world? I never even noticed them coming, just came up behind me and knocked me out. Before I knew it I found myself in a horse drawn cart.

Random Dude

“I’d avoid the west side of the Fonian lake at all costs during your travels.” The lecturer pointed to the map of Oliviand.

I nod as I continue to take notes.

“I understand not wanting to pay the travel tolls on the main path, but this path is an absolute hotbed for smuggling, illegal trade, and Iquen activities. It’s almost mandatory to hire at least a dozen bodyguards if traveling through this area. Even that may not be enough if you come across a large enough caravan.”

Mmh, mmh. I nod in unison with the rest of the prospective merchants taking the class.

“The town of Vou might even be worse so don’t be tempted to stop there either, given its proximity to the activities. A lot of smugglers make the town a sort of hub to the point where nearly half of the town’s economy runs on illegal trade.”

Got it. Avoid the lake-side at all costs due to criminal activity. I write down before spacing out to daydream about dinner.

Taiga

My face painfully rubs against the wooden tiles as the cart hits a bump, splinters getting lodged in my cheek.

There was only one thought running through my mind. I have to get out of here right now.

These shackles are made out of pure steel though, there's no way I can break them without my mask, I resist the urge to struggle. Better I play dead than try to resist, I'd rather they don't know that I'm awake, if they do... I don't know, they might hurt me.

My heartrate begins rising, my arms and legs begin going numb. I feel... kinda feverish... Shit... I actually don't know what's about to happen to me. I’m actually kinda helpless here.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

Oh yea, that's right. These are legitimately bad people. None of the people I’ve been fighting with were unreasonable or even trying to kill me.

I might actually be killed, and there’s a very good chance I will never find out anything about Dundee or myself.

I begin breathing heavily as the weight of the world crashes down on me, and for the first time ever, I wanted to go back to New York.

No.

Stop it. Once I get my mask back these guys are toast. I have to be more level headed.

It's all because of my injuries. If I didn't have this nerve damage, I would have been able to notice them coming and beat the shit out of them.

And even with my injuries I’m betting that I’ll be able to defeat them with my mask on, so I just need to wait until my mask returns.

But for now…

...

I wonder if they're going to feed me.

...

Or let me go to the bathroom.

Twenty thousand three hundred eighty one. Twenty thousand two hundred eighty two. Twenty thousand... hold on what number was I on?

As I struggle to keep myself sane, the wooden planks stop jostling around under my back.

We stopped.

I begin to strain my ears as futile as it was, and as I expected, all I could hear were a couple of incomprehensible low droning noises, it was really like everything around me was underwater.

I eventually stop trying; however, I know I can't relax. If an opportunity comes I have to be ready to seize it.

Tense moments pass by. I loosen my arms and legs until my muscles were almost completely slack, ready to explode into action at any moment.

I silently pray for my mask to finally return. I doubt that they held onto it, as I'm sure it would have returned to me by now if it were close by. Prior to today, the longest my mask had been missing was four days and 2 hours, largely depending on the context in which I lost it. Which means soon, I'll be free, although I won't have my compass nor map, which means...

Mmh, I smile underneath my gag. I'm going to have to forcefully take some new ones.

As I daydream every possible way I could break a bone, an unusual but familiar scent takes the air. I rub my right arm in confusion, wondering if I somehow got wounded and didn't feel it; however, my fingers did not come back wet.

Hey... Then... Why do I smell blood?

Suddenly the droning noises I could hear were beginning to sound a lot more audible as they got closer and closer. Yea, I think I should have realized this sooner. I’m just one of many in their kidnapping spree. The sounds were becoming a lot more recognizable, the sounds of screams and groans. A leather flap close to me opens, and the wood next to my feet thuds as I hear a body getting tossed in with me, their screams being muffled by a gag.

And there was nothing more I wanted right now than to destroy these people.

I get up off the ground and sit back up upright. The moment I do this, I feel a surge of Anku through my body, electrifying every single limb. My vision also returns, despite still being blindfolded, as I was now able to see through the cloth. I turn my head to the right, as I suspected, I was inside of a covered wagon. My hearing was also back to normal. I touch my face; my mask had somehow returned to me.

The leather flap opens once more, putting me face to face with a tall lanky man holding a sword covered in blood. His eyes widen in surprise as I immediately lunge out at him, trying to grab his throat, only to be stopped by the chains holding me.

Am I... too weak to break these? Even with my Anku back?

The man doubles back startled for a bit before he smiles at me. "Forgot you had those on huh?" The man laughs, "Keep struggling for me, it’s funny."

My pupils constrict in rage, I grab one chain with my other hand and loosen all my muscles at once, getting ready for a single explosive moment. My vision blurs, the world around me fogs up as all sound is soon erased, all the Anku I was subconsciously using to relieve my nerve damage flows out of my head and into my arms and knees.

The man mouths something and draws his sword, but I don't hear it. At that moment every single one of my muscles tense up. Anku exploding across my body, weaving into every single activated muscle fiber with an almost 100% efficiency. CLANK CLANK. Two of my chains break with that tug; however, my right limbs were still chained up.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I curse out loud. How much strength did I just put in that? Am I really this weak right now?

I look at the man closely as he begins approaching me, his eyes now completely serious. Damn! I won't have another opportunity for another burst of strength like that, I have to stand and fight like this.

I begin swinging around the chain on my left arm threatening his range with a sword with the chain. If I can just wrap this chain around the sword he's mine. The man hesitates and looks away as I do this, hesitant. I immediately yoink my chains violently as he does this, making the message clear to him that if he doesn’t attack right now. I will break free the moment he turns away.

"God fucking... Well, I knew what I was signing up for." The man murmurs before beginning to slowly inch forward…

The two of us engage in a staring contest, neither of us willing to break focus for any moment of time.

He slightly moves his pupils to the side, "Hey! I need some he—" I tear my arms forward once more, snapping the two other chains with a loud clunk. The man yelps before finishing his sentence as I fly out of the wagon. He desperately tries to bring his sword up as a guard, but I slam right through it, guarding my skin from being cut by the metal of my shackles, straight into his stomach. His knees buckle under the strength of my blow.

"That's what happens when you lose your nerve." I say snarkily before driving my fist into his teeth.

Now, where am I? I look around the scene, the sky was red, a fire further off in the distance, being obscured by a forest of trees in the way. It was apparent that we were on a narrow path of some kind.

A whimper comes from beside me. I look down to find a little kid lying on the ground, her face was streaked with tears as she looked at me helplessly. She was presumably the person that kidnapper was going to throw in the wagon next.

Ah shit, I'm not very good at this kind of stuff. I just wanted to beat some guys up. I scratch my head and then undo her blind and gag.

"Um, are you alright?" I say awkwardly.

I see her eyes widen and throat prepared for a scream. In a panic immediately cover her mouth with my hand. "Shhh, I'm on your side, I'm going to help you, I'm going to help you, I'm going to help you." I feel her breath gradually stop hyperventilating as she slowly but surely calms down.

I slowly take my hand off her mouth. "Everybody is being hurt by these strangers. I don’t know why? Why are they doing this?"

"Wait, so you're saying there's a village nearby? People?"

The girl nods her head.

I pat her head. "Alright, stay here. I'm going to go off and drive off the strange people alright? I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Wait! Please stay! They’re going to come back!" The girl begins wailing a bit too loudly. I cover her mouth once again.

"Shh, shh, I'm going to need you to be brave for me. Go off into the forest and hide behind a bush or tree somewhere, carefully, without making much noise alright? It's so dark right now that it'll be impossible to see you. Please, trust me. I'm going to hurt those people badly." I finish off with a hint of anger in my voice.

I hear footsteps from within the forest. "Go, go!" I whisper with a sense of urgency. The girl nods her head and scrambles off into the dark, melding into the shadows.

"Phil? I heard you shouting something, are you alright?" A woman steps out from the forest.

"Who are you?" She tenses up immediately after seeing the man lying on the ground. She then notices the broken chains attached to my limbs and quickly her eyes widen.

"I guess I'll try to get some information out of you before killing you." I whisper to myself but audible enough on purpose so that she could hear me. She immediately turns tail and runs, leaving a cloud of dirt from her feet.

"Wait—" Damn she's fast! I immediately begin running after her, however, I am unable to gain any ground on her.

"Help! Help! He just killed Phil! The teen we took at the lakeside back then! He escaped!" I bite my lip as she alerts everyone to my presence. It’s getting embarrassing at this point to be this slow.

I clench my teeth and smile as I see glimpses of the village past the trees. "Bring it on, fuckin amateurs."