A warm touch.
Similar to a lobbed stone that breaks the stillness of the pond, it is the catalyst from which the lifeless form responds.
The first ripple, weariness.
Second resonates in pain.
And by the third, memory.
At last, I weakly open my eyes and already, I make my first discovery. The warm embrace that stirred me into consciousness reveals itself to be a massive pool of crimson ichor that reeks horrendously of an acrid tang. Lifting my head from the slick fluid I am beholden to the source. Lanced by stone spears fit for a giant, my adversary lay upon his side, taking deep, labored breathes. The display awakens dormant emotions of sickening discomfort. While he might be my adversary, here is a king among creatures, making his last struggles to cling to the dregs of a fading mortality. Somehow, I feel as if I have committed grave fraudulent act. By every account, the natural order of things demands that I should have failed. Never shall the mouse fell the lion. Yet betwixt by fate, I remain victorious.
I try to stand but a surging pain in my chest brings me back towards the blood soaked floor. Only now am I made aware of how sharply every breath stings. I try to carefully conduct an investigation of the rest of my body, but my aching body denies my request. The gesture awakens a tenderness and distinct soreness spread throughout my entire body. It would appear that I did not make it out as unscathed as I was first made to believe. Guessing by the collection of splintered stones that mars the battlefield, I should consider myself fortunate.
For now I resign myself to my fate. As I lay in this pool of blood, I turn to face the only other source of sound in these chambers. The period between his breaths grow longer, each made with far more effort than the last. I watched his chest strain to inhale one final time, and even as he lay dying, I see him in my mind's eye, delivering a deafening roar, proof of his undefeatable will.
However, that vision would never come to pass.
Silence weighed heavily upon the destroyed cavern. More so it weighs upon my spirit like a thousand iron chains. Ironic considering this is, in part what I wanted. No longer would I be held captive in these underground halls, yet I am wracked with an unquenchable guilt. I can't even argue that my choices solely had their roots in survival, and maybe that's why I feel so conflicted.
Just think Alistair, you had your reasons. You defended yourself. And despite all odds, you survived. And you're going to sit there and wallow instead of claiming that which you worked so hard for?
Part me wants to debate and rebuttal each of these points, for there is a certain unique comfort that comes with self-born negativity. But I am now starting to understand that I would be missing the forest for the trees. Awful things happen, and they will continue to happen. Especially now so that my life is tied so precariously to the fickle whims of the dangerous wilderness.
What a morbid lesson…
Feeling that enough time has passed, I try to raise myself off the ground once more. This time my body follows my wishes, causing a macabre display of viscous blood to drip off my body and into the pool below.
Even with that simple act, my chest strains painfully. Just have to… take it easy.
The cloud of obscuring debris still lingers over the entire area, making it exceptionally difficult to navigate through the desolate maze. Unsure of exactly where I'm heading, I decide to follow the wall for now and see where it takes me.
After several labored minutes of travel, I come upon the mouth of the tunnel that leads deeper in the underground world.
Ha. Couldn't even get to the exit…
But perhaps this is for the best. My thoughts drift off towards the companion I left behind. With how this battle turned out, there's no reason I can't go back and collect the little creature, but who is to say if he will even stick by my side once we get outside? The likely reality of that scenario stings a bit more than I would like it to. One way to find out I suppose.
The trip back to the lake takes several times longer, and the sound of my approach causes Koko to run excitedly up the hill to greet me. Only when he sees my disheveled form, caked in layers of dust and blood, he hisses harshly. To add insult to injury, he starts aggressively hopping in a circle around me, making the same threatening sound from before. Thanks Koko, really appreciate it.
For now I ignore the brat and continue my trip down to the lake. At a quarter of the pace I would normally travel thanks to what I would guess are broken ribs, the journey has been frustratingly long. Never have I wanted to rest as much as I do now, but I know if I surrender to entropy, that my life will be miserable later, if I don't get all this blood and dusty sand off now.
At long last I reach the smooth pebbled shore of the lake and wade into the cool waters. Without any desire to head to the deeper sections, I lay down in the shallows instead, letting the gentle waves lap over my feathered frame. Beyond that, I do no further work to get myself clean. Rather I rest my head on a smooth stone that sticks out just above the surface and close my eyes. Slowly I feel the layers of built-up grime clinging to my feathers wash away with the ebb and flow of the tide. For now, this is good enough, and I allow the staggering amount of weariness that I have accumulated to finally collect its toll.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
---
When I awaken, rays of sunlight illuminate the lakeside cavern, heralding a brand new day. Remembering the events that transpired the day before, I find myself reluctant to rise. Instead I decide to turn upon my side and in doing so, notice the dull red reflection in lake.
Red? Why is the surface- My feathers?
Holding up a waterlogged wing shows that just about every feather is now a dark shade of vermilion. There are a few that have retained my original white coat, namely some of the underside feathers, but the rest? A combination of scarlet and black feathers. As for the black edges that decorate choice sections of my plumage, it looks a bit darker? Maybe its just the water, but it appears relatively the same.
Is this seriously because I didn't make any effort to clean off the blood? Forgive me fate for being battered and broken after surviving a cave in and a giant monster and not having the energy to take a proper bath!
Despite the soreness, I get to preening the feathers on my wing first, as they are the easiest to reach currently. But even after several strokes through my beak, the scarlet hue refuses to depart.
Great…
Chi-Chi-Chiiiii!!!
Afflicted with minor annoyance, I look up towards to Koko who is far to eager to get my attention. Just as quick, I turn my head away again when I glimpse him bouncing around with seemingly endless energy.
Perhaps in protest, the energetic little bastard splashes into the water and claims his self proclaimed throne on top of my back. Once there, I can feel him pulling my feathers closer to his face, his sniffing quite audible in this otherwise quite space.
Suddenly he leaps from my back, making his "Oh so terrifying, please spare me" hissing display. Normally I would care less and filter it out, but his little stunt bring fresh waves of pain throughout my chest as it presses against the hard floor of the lake bed. It forces me to curl up and wince from the pain.
Seeing my display of weakness must have stirred him from his crazed state, as now he once more wades into the water with delicate splashes and starts sniffing me again. This time he doesn't get into a hissing, spitting, fit. Rather he begins to make an almost pleading chittering sound.
That's fine, you can stay Koko, but please, no more bouncing on me. I'm sore you blasted dork.
In a rare moment of understanding, Koko seems to comprehend what I'm trying to express. Joining me at my side, he clambers onto my back and makes a soft bed out of my feathers.
If only you could be this tolerable all the time, I think wistfully.
Again I almost return to the inviting realm of dreams, but I need to get up. I can already feel the chill of the lake water permeating through me, and the last thing I need is to add a cold to my preexisting mangled wing, broken ribs, and bruised body.
Thankfully, most of the soreness has already begun to subside, making my trek back up the hill far less tedious. And as long as I don't push myself too hard, the chest pains aren't too bad. I really should count my lucky stars that I managed to make it out alive with manageable injuries. Would rather not imagine another timeline where I'm flattened by the collapsing rubble.
As to not startle the surprisingly relaxed Koko, I approach the passageway on the right with deliberate slowness. However, I notice that the harsh scent that used to linger in this direction has disappeared. Curious. I manage to cross the threshold without objection from my passenger, so I press on.
Arriving to the other end of the tunnel, I am reminded of just how violently the field reacted to the battle between Big Jonas and I. The entire expanse is a hellscape of wreckage wrought by the careless thrashing of my foe. No longer did the underground space bare the visage of a pair of mountainous jaws lined with stone teeth that could rival the greatest of trees. None of the previous majesty remained, forever ruined by our actions.
There's little that can be done about it now, so instead I set my eyes towards the glittering mossy hill that finally leads outside this underground world. Just one thing stands between me and my freedom at this point. The remains of Big Jonas, entangled by a mass of bio-luminescent roots. Whatever was going on, it would appear that the roots have breached the walls and ceilings to claim the fallen king. And all that these carrion roots leave behind are bones, scales, and sinew.
Just how much of a wealth of essence was Big Jonas to justify such drastic growth from this... thing? Taking it all in reminds me of the fungal creepers and their strange nightly ritual to form their fairy rings around me. Makes me think that this mysterious essence that is far more of a driving force than I initially imagined.
Before I leave, there is one last thing I wish to collect while I still have the ability to. Carefully, I navigate my way around the rocky wasteland towards my adversary's remains. As I approach, the vine-like roots respond with alarmingly lifelike and quick reaction speed, reaching greedily towards my direction. I keep my eye on the prize, sprinting towards a broken fang on the ground and scooping it up with my beak.
All the while, Koko yanks on my feathers repeatedly, screaming in the mean time right next to my head.
I know, I know! I don't want to be here any longer than you do!
Call me sentimental, but I really wanted to take a piece of him with me. Enough that I would risk this dangerous little heist right next to this unsettling gob of roots. Thankfully they can't hold a candle to me when it comes to speed, even in my battered state, and I race off towards the exit.
Feeling warm sunlight on my still slightly wet feathers brings about such pleasant feelings that I didn't know I was missing out on until now. Beginning my ascent, I can barely see the likes of a forest with a charming blue sky in the background! Gradually, the rough stone that I have tread upon this entire time changes into soft dirt, and as I get closer, I can feel moss and grass tickle the bottom of my feet. Just a few more steps!
Excitement wells within me, and I prepare myself to cross the blinding curtain of light.
All at once, I am barraged with an overwhelming assault of sensations. Before my eyes can adjust, the once quiet world is now bursting loudly with life. The trees sway and creak, birds cry their song far above, and bugs buzz lively all around. Rich fragrances carried upon wild breezes ruffles my feathers, meshing wonderfully with the warm basking light that now wholly envelops me. Dropping my trophy, I let my beak hang open, allowing myself to experience the myriad of foreign scents to overwhelm me. Lastly I open my eyes and behold a world full of vibrant colors, more than just a swathe of endless, lifeless, shades of gray.
We finally made it!