After being in this warm pitch dark place for what has felt like years I can... Feel around myself? I quickly try to kick and squirm out of this weird place. Only for every attempted escape having me soothed to sleep quickly. Eventually something felt a bit different, I squinted my small eyes at my surroundings, there was a dim light. This time I would NOT allow myself to stay trapped, no-one would stop my great escape this time. So I dived toward the light, it came from such a small hole, but it stretched wide open for me and helped my escape from this dark place. Only, I felt squished in this tiny tunnel, at least it seemed to be getting brighter. I could feel the air rushing on my head for the first time and was pulled out by warm... hands? Where exactly am I? A blurry silhouette gently held my head, and cradled me gently. Relief came rushing in for me, I had escaped from that weird dark place! "Waaaaah!" I cried in happiness to myself, while the woman tried to soothe me, I leaned into her arms and eventually I passed out asleep in her warm hands.
Countless dreams came to me while sleeping, I can't focus on them, and they were slipping from my grasp. They told of an old friend of mine who had always been there, their name was Aaron, but even that was slipping. My mind then was overwhelmed with grief, I know I have to keep these memories, I can't let my last memory be taken... Last? Did I use to have others? I reaffirmed my grip on these memories and held them close to my heart as I floated through my mind and went back to deep sleep...
"Morning sleepy head!" The woman cooed at me, where am I again? She then moved me up close to her letting me finally managed to see her features. Her eyes were a mysterious dark gray filled with excitement and love as she smiled in joy. Her hair shined beautiful gray, and not dead hair but the kind that bewitched the eyes. Her clothes rather normal, rough leather pants, and a cotton shirt with small shoes. Then I noticed something weird, her ears weren't that of a human. Ears just like a wolf's were on her head, and they twitched rapidly in excitement, and a tail wagging back and forth behind her as if to show how happy she was.
"So, what's his name going to be, Aaric?" She asked the man next to her. He had the same ears but brown, but a bulkier body, and his tail seemingly subdued. His hair was short and also a hazel brown. Unlike his tail though, his eyes were sparkling. His clothing wasn't any different from her clothing, he wore boots that almost went all the way to his knees.
"What do YOU want it to be, dear?" Aaric chuckled.
"I'm his name should be Marrok after thinking for weeks, a wolf-kin Knight" She said proudly,
"You know we won't be able to afford anything like knighthood if he asked for it though, Helen..." Aaric says annoyed, but... also happy?
"I know... But it'll at least be a dream to look up to." Helen sighs as she starts to rock me in her harms again, it's oh so comfortable, and I am quickly being sent to sleep, not before hearing his approval though.
"Alright honey..." Aaric sighed.
I went back to the relaxing hold of sleep as I was rocked for hours, and eventually I woke so very hungry, at first I felt I could just deal with it so I didn't try to call for food. But it got worse, and worse, until it was almost like pain. It hurts so bad...
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I scream outward for food and I hear running coming towards me as Helen picked me up quickly rocking me to relax. Then she for some reason took off her shirt and offered up her breast to me. My brain screamed at me to eat, forcing me to eat the food offered, so I instinctively drink the milk. Finally full, I decided to go back to sleep's embrace, especially after exhausting myself screaming, so I quickly passed out in Helen's hands.
Time passed and I would eat my fill every day, still, eventually I realized I was getting bigger, and stronger. I can even feel my own tail move! I love to look back and try to get my tail, only to never actually reach. Then after what felt like years and probably was I was used to Helen and Aaric, so when I heard Helen come I was happy and ready to get my fill of food.
"Try to say Mommy" Helen asks me, maybe that's who she was? Helen is mommy?
"Maammyyy" I try my best to say it properly but couldn't. I pouted in frustration how did mommy make it look so easy?
"Moommmyy" I try again only to fail, at least mommy looked happy about it! Mommy quickly ran off to get Aaric, perhaps to tell him about my first word? I could hear them talk excitedly, too far for me to hear sadly.
"Hey little Mar, could you please say Daddy" He pleaded to me clearly desperate for me to call him daddy, so... He was my daddy?
"D-daaaddy" I'm proud of being able to almost pronounce it perfectly my first try!
Daddy looks super happy about it, overjoyed! They both have bright smiles on their faces and as they cooed to me I passed out to sleep again.
Even more time passed as mommy and daddy taught me how to say more words, now I can at least ask for food. Also, I can ask questions now! I asked them where we lived, and they told me all about the world. "Aes, our planet and Vindex our moon. The world has two super continents and seven continents, but originally there were three super continents. The third was fractured into seven smaller continents after Vindex’s birth, a gargantuan asteroid had smashed into super continent, previously named Omni, from then on we know them as the seven Rarus continents. The first super continent was given the name Eres for the wonders and magic it had. Many adventurers explore Eres, as much of the continent is unknown! The second super continent was given the name Helaeth for it’s plentiful ores and great plains. It has many grand open cities because of the plains, farms can be seen all the way to the horizon! Or so I've heard." They both had lectured to me all about the different continents and all about the wide oceans that supposedly spread as far as the eye could see! They sound so wonderful. Apparently on Aes, there exist a multitude of people, and the major ones being; Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Beast-kin, and Monster-kin. The humans live mostly on the Rarus continents, the elves’ home Eres, and the Dwarves’ home Helaeth, whereas the monster and beast kin live in tribes all over Aes separated. Of course there are always the one’s who decide to leave home for adventure!
We are beast-kin, and to be exact we are a village of wolf-kin near the kingdom of Lucia, our village unnamed. On our continent of Eres, there are all sorts of mythical beasts roaming the land, and monsters bigger than even hills! It all sounded amazing. As they were lecturing me they remarked about something called an Awakening on my 10th birthday, which led me to ask how old I am. Apparently I've been alive for 7 years now... I continued asking questions, my curiosity unending, and mom(mommy was too hard to say every time) answered everything. Aes has 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year, 10 months. March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December, each month had 36 days, except for the last 5 which had 37 days, every 4 years July also had 37 days, I asked mom why they were named like this but she didn't know sadly. Eventually knew I had to get out of the house, so I worked up my will and decided to ask... tomorrow... For now I'll just go back to sleep, I chuckled to myself.
Asleep I heard... something I don't know what.
"Why would you leave me Mar! Why..." I saw someone crying, who were they again, dad? Mom? No... Further back. Aaron, my first memory and the one that was the most important to me for some reason, I'm not sure why exactly...
"You still owe me Mar... for helping you." All the memories of him helping me in my previous life flashed in my eyes.
"I-I have a new life now!" I told him.
"I'm happy again!" I yelled.
"Just when I was starting to forget the blood." I muttered not even understanding what i meant by that, it just felt right.
"Do you know how I felt, no, how all of us felt when we heard you were dead?! Do you know?!" Aaron screams at me in grief.
Suddenly I heard myself running again, what was I running from again? Ah, my thoughts. *SCREEEEEEEEECH* I heard something to my left, it was a truck. 'NOT AGAIN' 'PLEASE' I screamed in my mind, then I woke up sweating buckets and started crying.
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"What... was that..." I mutter to myself and wiped my tears away. I had been planning to ask mom if I could go outside but now... I can only hope that Aaron will forgive me for leaving early. Well, I'll just have to go through the motions and hope no-one asks. So, I struggle quietly as I bring my body out of bed and then force it to walk over to mom's room only to look out through the window, it was still dark out. I think I need to be stronger physically atleast, and I also need something to take my mind off of the nightmare that destroyed my sleep. I did one push-up. Then another, and another, and I just keep going, until eventually I notice the lights of dawn. Now, I can finally go ask mom if to let me outside in the village. So I pick up my feet and walk slowly as calm as I can and focus my thoughts on the how I can convince mom to let me see the outside world. Ultimately, I believe it's going to be up to mom and the best I can do to convince her is to not complain about it.
*Knock, knock, knock* I quickly rap the door and hear mom get up groggily.
"What are you doing up so early.." She opened the door.
"uhmm, can I go outside? Pleeease?" I asked mom pleadingly with extra wide eyes.
"*sigh* I'll go wake up your father" Mom massaged her temples as she woke herself up too.
"Yay!" I exclaimed happily.
"We have to get your father's permission too" Mom reminded me
"I know..." I pouted.
We walked over to dad's bedroom, and when I was about to knock, mom just opened up the door and walked over to the window, unlocked it, and pushed it open.
"Rise and shine, Aaric!" Mom gently shouted in his ears.
"uggh, why are you waking me up so early, dear?" My dad said depressed.
"uhmm, can I go outside dad? please?" I plead again, trying my best to widen my eyes to increase my chances.
"*sigh* Well, you were gonna have to go outside eventually so why not today" Dad remarked to me still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Yayyy!" All thoughts of that nightmare gone, I wondered what the village was like! Ooo, maybe I could make a friend too? This is going to be great!
I run to the front door and push it wide open. The village is surrounded by ginormous trees that seemed to break the clouds! There were leaves everywhere, and a path leading to a central building is to my right as well as several other houses just like ours along the path! I notice other paths cutting through this main path, and there were all sorts of signs on those paths that I couldn't read, but on one of them I saw something that kinda looked like the knife in our kitchen.
"Mom! What is that?" Pointing towards the sign I recognized.
"That's... the weapon store, no need to ponder on it" Mom quickly tried changing the topic.
"Then, what about how these trees got so BIG??" I asked right after.
"Magic." She told me as if there was nothing else to it.
"Surely there's more!" I prod mom for more information about those super big trees.
"*sigh* How about I introduce you to our neighbors" Mom asked.
"Is there anyone my age?? I don't wanna be surrounded by adults talking about all that 'trading' stuff" I sulked, and if there wasn't anyone my age, what was the point?
"Of course, honey" Mom informed me.
"Yay! Lead me to them first?"
"Alrighty" Mom smiled.
So there we were walking to another home near ours, it looked just like our own except for a few ornaments and leathers that covered the house. My mom walked up to the door and knocked hard, you could hear a family getting up to greet us.
"Welcome Helen, do you need anything?" A woman answered the door, she had dark red hair, wolf kin features, and otherwise she was just wearing what I assume to be the normal for our village, a cotton shirt and leather pants.
"I was just coming over to see if I could introduce little Mar to Rene and Sorrel. Mar, this is Cinder my best friend" Mom quickly told the boths of us. Cinder quickly guided us in.
"Who's he?" I heard a feminine voice from someone walking up from behind Cinder.
"Helen's here to introduce her son, Marrok" Cinder told the girl.
"Hey! What's your name?" I quickly ran over, hoping to find friendship.
"Rene, what's it to you?" She said aggressively for whatever reason.
"I just wanted to be nice... and, wanna be friends?" I still tried despite her rapid dismissal of me.
"...Sure." Rene said looking annoyed.
"Can I call you Ren?" Thinking of having nicknames for each other seemed cool.
"No." She turns me down swiftly.
*sigh* Why is she being so mean... I really just want a friend. *Tap... Tap... Tap...* I hear footsteps coming from behind me, why did everyone have to come from behind. I looked around and saw a shy boy with light bluish gray hair and innocent blue eyes, that widened when I looked at them. They looked down, bangs covering his eyes and tried their best to hide their arms from sight. His ears were lowered as if submissive and wanting to escape, the tail lowered almost between the legs... They seemed so afraid.
"uhmm, don't mind Ren... She just doesn't know how to act with you..." he slowly tried to cheer me up.
"Aw. Well, wanna be friends, uh, what's your name? My name is Marrok! You can call me Mar." I excitedly told him, maybe I'd have friends yet!
"I'm Sorrel, always thought it sounded girly." He said sullenly.
"Well, how about I just call you Sor instead?" I said trying to distract him.
"Sure!" Sorrel looks excited about being friends.
"So, you sure you don't wanna let me call you Ren, Ren?" I implored Rene to allow me to use her nickname again.
"No! Don't ask again or we won't be friends!" She yelled at me.
"Pretty please?"
"Never!" She reaffirmed.
"Fine..." I pouted, why couldn't I use her nickname but Sorrel could...
"So, how old are both of you? I'm 7!" I say to them proudly.
"9." Rene says quietly as her eyes gloated, clearly seen by both of us.
"I'm 7 as well!" Sorrel says happily.
'At least Sorrel is my age' I grin to myself.
"Well... any good games we can play?" I ask them.
"I suppose there is one game..." Rene said mysteriously, whatever could it be...?
"Hey mom! Can we go outside to play? I want to show Mar our place." Rene shouted to her mom, Cinder interrupting their conversation.
"Sure honey, just be back before evening!" Cinder told Rene and us.
" Alright, you ready?" Rene asks me.
"Where are we going, Ren?" I probed her wanting answers as to where we were going.
"To our secret hideout! And don't call me Ren." Ren announces while trying her best to make me stop using her nickname.
"Don't worry, it isn't dangerous." Sorrel tells me.
"*sigh* Alright..." I decide to follow my new friends.