“&^#%ak*&3! N@# br#*&$ng.” A distant voice echoed in a white void. “T)#$ !@#in!” They sounded distressed.

“Hello?” My voice was weak, what was going on. “Where- Ah!” A strong force struck my chest.

“M^%#!” The voice sounded closer, another blow struck me.

“Mmhg…” I couldn’t breathe. Then a rush of wind forced its way into my lungs, causing my body to react with violent coughs to expel it. “F- cough. Wh-” A sudden head rush feeling made me turn onto my side to cough up water from my lungs.

“@#$^, h#& al(#$.” A hand gently patted my back as I expelled all the water and gulped down all the fresh air I could. I blinked my eyes as they adjusted to a world of color and blurry figures. “S&$^ @&^$ke.” The hand on my back helped me sit up against something hard and cold.

“What happened?” My sight was still all blurry and swimming around, making me dizzy. I felt something being placed against my mouth, sweet refreshing water poured down my desert dry throat. “Thank you.” I sighed after taking my fill.

“&*&^#&#, c&# $o* w(*#?” The speaker seemed to be the closest blurry figure who gave me a drink.

“What language is that?” I was having trouble processing the sounds they made. It was like a combination of a few I knew of, and others that sounded exotic. From the sounds of laughter around me, I could tell it was a small group of people. “Do you understand me?”

“Ye$.” I think I heard a yes from my blurry savior. “I% $3k@s t(^e #o ad$7^*t.” They stand up and walk out of my blurry sight.

“Did a head injury give me brain damage?” I asked with a fear that I had a serious head injury. A roaring laughter caused the blurry figures to bend over and some fell down. “Guess not. Wait, what, sand?” I just noticed that I’m sitting on warm fine sand, I run my hands through it. “It’s so soft.” A flash of realization came to me. “Land?! The boat! The crew!” I tried to force myself to stand, only to collapse back onto the unnaturally soft sands of some strange beach.

“W@#h, %as* th$#@. Y#! w(r* d$@d fo& @w^#le.” A shorter silhouette helped me back against the cool rock to sit down. “R#$t.” It is funny, but for some reason, I can sort of understand some of the words now.

“Where am I?” I tried to look around, but my vision started spinning again. “Dizzy…” Closing my eyes does not help the feeling of spinning go away. I feel my body fall to the side onto the sand, I let out a soft groan before a world of black welcomes me.

A loud trumpeting woke me from my restless sleep, I was still laying on the sand. “Am I blind?” All I can see is darkness still, I reach up to my eye, only to find a damp cloth resting on my face. “Oh.” I slowly sit up removing the cloth, and it’s still very dark. “What time-” A hand covers my mouth with an intense looking glare staring at me to be silent. I just nod my head in understanding.

“Stay quiet, or she’ll hear us.” The dark figure whispered. “Follow me, quietly.” They turned around and began to lay prone on the sand, slowly and quietly crawling away. I follow their lead and do my best to keep up, it feels much more difficult then I remember it being. My body is feeling overtaxed after a few moments of dragging myself along the sand. My breathing grew louder and more labored. “Shh!” The figure turned to shush me.

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“I don’t know what's wrong with me.” I tried to whisper back.

“It’s the island, you are still adapting to it. Just take it slow and steady.” They turn back around and continue to crawl. I start to notice other dark figures crawling along with us.

“Hold up, you knew english this whole time?” I do my best to keep up with the one ahead of me.

“I don’t know what that is, but it sounds annoying.” They picked up the pace after a loud trumpeting sounded from behind us. It was followed by what I could only hope were trees falling down. “Ivy, how close is it?” They whispered to one of the figures next to me.

“Too close for comfort.” Ivy replied from my side, they gave me a glaring look before continuing. “I think this wrecker pissed it off.” She picked up her pace to get away from me.

“Me? What did I do?” I was confused for a moment. A loud thundering rumble followed by the sound of breaking wood drew all the attention. “What is that?” I was staring at a humongous mass in the dark, it sounded like a weird elephant, but the size alone was unnatural.

“Mammorest, hold still!” The leader holds out a signal, everyone freezes, I just stare in disbelief at the behemoth exiting the forest. The size of this thing made the trees seem like skinny bushes compared to itself. A fireball streaked out from behind it, splashing against it, while giving me enough light to see the beast in its full glory.

“Syndicate poachers, those crazy bastards.” One of the others growled with rage at the figures who rushed out after the beast. It looked like they were armed with clubs.

“What is going on?” I am at a loss of words while I watch a group of crazed yelling club wielding people charge a beast whose legs are taller and thicker than a human body. It swung its trunk catching one of the thugs with a sickening crack, he flew into a tree with a wet splat.

“While they have it distracted, run!” The leader stood up and began to sprint along the beach, the others followed while I lagged behind.

“Wait for me, how are y’all finding your way in this darkness?” I struggle to run, there are lots of obstacles trying to trip me up. I fumble around before something wooden catches my foot and I tumble head or heels. “Guys?” I can’t see the figures anymore. “Not cool.” A bright light from behind me causes me to turn.

“Burn it down!” I hear one of those attackers shout out, they are carrying some bright glowing light source. A jet of flame sprays out towards the Mammorest, a powerful flamethrower begins to burn its side. It lets out an angry bellow before standing up on its hind legs. “Move back!” The flamethrower turns to run, but they are too late. Mammorest’s front legs have some kind of aurora-like glow around them, before it slams them on the ground.

“Fu-” My words are cut off as a wave of dirt colored light explodes in a wave along with the ground. Earthen waves roll out from the point of impact like a tsunami. I stare at the on coming wave of boulders, stones, and dirt.

“Run!” A hand grabs me and yanks me in the opposite direction. “Faster!” They scream again as the wave closes in.