Water filled my lungs as I fought tirelessly to stay afloat. The fast moving water and poor visibility made it almost impossible to see, but somehow I spotted a group of rocks up ahead which was only adding to my panic.
I tried to swim faster against the water, but it only seemed to make me more tired yet I still didn’t give up. At this speed, if I was going it hit any of the rocks it was going to hurt if not kill me outright. The river was too wide for me to make it over to land in time, my best bet was to use the rocks stop me. “Fuck” this was going to hurt.
The first rock approached faster than I anticipated which caused my timing to be off. I was rewarded with a cracking sound and a visit from cousin pain.
“Ahhh! Fuck!”
You Have Suffered A Serious Injury
Cracked Rib
Health: 86%
Energy: 54%
A transparent message floated across my vision. That was new, but it was also a new momentary distraction that caused me to miss the timing for the next rock as well. However this time I was able to brace myself and let my shoulder take the force of the blow.
You Have Suffered A Minor Injury
Bruised Shoulder
Health: 77%
Energy: 39%
The force of the impact was lessened due to my first collision but it still hurt because it jostled my ribs. I was beginning to regret my pinball strategy to get to safety but I didn't have much of a choice. I could now see what was waiting for me ahead.
I calmed myself so I could get my timing right this go around. “Wait for it. Wait for it.” I pushed off the rock with my open hands with just enough force to negate the damage to my chest when I hugged it.
I let a breath of relief escape my lips, in appreciation to the fate I just mostly avoided. At the other side of the rock that I was holding on to like a naked supermodel, was a beautiful red moon. In between the rock and the moon was an abrupt end to the raging waters. A waterfall, bigger than anything I ever saw on the internet, but the fact that I might fall off of it, might have of made me a little bias. Besides, it was hard to tell how big it was from this angle.
I took the time to slow my breathing and calm down. I couldn't afford to mess this up. There were only three rocks left before the fall. Why does that sound like the name of a rockstar’s documentary? No, focus Ammon. Everyone in my squad hated how I told jokes in situations like this. I had to be perfect, especially since only the first two rocks will help me… only the first two handholds will help me get back on land.
I pushed of off the rock with my rock with my right hand. The water quickly took hold of my body and started to propel me forward. I couldn't afford to miss this rock so I embraced it with open arms and using my hands for protection.
You Have Suffered A Minor Injury
Bruised chest
Health: 69%
Energy: 16%
A little heartache wasn't going to kill me. I counted my cousin pain presence as a blessing. However, my exhaustion was visible but I only had to do this one more time to be home free. The energy meter had me worried. I never got a chance to ask Nia what happens when my energy hits zero, but whatever it was I knew I couldn't afford for it to happen to me right now.
I readied myself for this last maneuver. I had to do this fast, I could feel the strength in my body fading. With my lungs burning I reached for that final rock… I ignored my own nervous quirk and reach for that rock with all I had and hope that nobody will ever be able to hear the thoughts that go through my mind so that the horrible drug references dies with me.
I reached with all my might for that rock only to find bittersweet relief when I only managed to barely get on hand on it. Luckily my fingers found purchase, but with only one hand holding on and the river constantly assaulting me, I didn't know how long I could hold on. I really didn’t want to die like this after everything I just survived. My fingers were gradually losing ground on the rock.
Health: 69%
Energy: 5%
Fuck. Well, I hope that the kids are having better luck. Hell, I hope that the lizards are having better luck. As soon as those thoughts entered my mind, I noticed a black puppy-like creature splashing in the water. I might as well try to save one more animal before I die.
As the odd puppy passed me, I reached out with my free hand to grab him. At the same time my, other had slipped so I hurriedly pulled the puppy into my chest with both hands to shield him from the drop, but I forgot about that last rock. The sudden stop caused my head to jerk back. I heard the cracking noise as my head hit the rock behind me.
You Have Suffered A Serious Injury
Cracked Skull
Health: 43%
Energy: 2%
You Have Suffered A Serious Injury
Bruised Brain
Health: 21%
Energy: 1%
I closed my eyes as the feeling of weightlessness took me and the sounds of rushing water faded. No more jokes about rocks. Although I wondered how high I was before the fall?
I woke up next to the river with someone over me yelling, which didn't help my headache. My ribs protested as I tried to stand up. When I did he continued yelling. Yet still, there was no comprehension on my part which must have shown on my face, because he reached for the biggest knife that I ever saw. No wait, that's a fucking sword. Why the fuck does he have a sword? Where the hell am I?
When I stood up I notice that the man was a few inches shorter than me. He must have been somewhere around 5’9. He wore all black except for his metal chest plate which was gold in color, and over his heart was an emblem of a black sun with red at its core.
I held my head do to my headache while he continued to yell at me.
Translation Completed
Langue learned
What the hell is that? I asked myself trying to touch the words as they floated across my vision.
That cause him to jump and end his tirade, so I put my hands in the air so I wouldn't provoke him.
“Who are you, and what are you doing savage?” he asked with obvious hostility.
I had a strange feeling that I could take him, but I didn't want to stake my life on a feeling. So I prepared to tell him my name.
“…” my mind drew blanks, and my silence only further irritated the what? Soldier?
He placed the blade to my throat. “What is your name savage? Or is one of the famed warriors from the red dessert scared of a little steel?” He threatened.
I didn't want him to think I was ignoring him so I tried to answer. “Yes?… Or no? Can you reword your question? Please?
I believe my confusion only made things worse. I could see his face turn red, and I could even imagine the ways he planned to kill me in his eyes. I don’t know what caused me to move, but I felt if I didn’t I would be cut down.
My left hand moved up quickly to direct the blade up while slightly ducking away from it. I directed the blade over me while moving back to the right as I took hold of his wrist. I maneuvered behind him while never letting go of his wrist. Before I knew it I had complete control over the soldier with a wrist lock.
Proficiency Increased
Special Forces Combat Training
+.1%
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
How in the hell did I just do that? And where am I for that matter? I tried my hardest to remember what happen before now but I was interrupted from my thoughts.
“What are you doing to one of my men?” a new arrival asked from behind me. He wore the same uniform as the soldier but he had a boots helm and armbraces to match the chest piece, all gold with that strange symbol.
I turned my head to see who it was, to discover that he was not alone. The man who spoke wore the same uniform as the soldier but he had a boots helm and armbraces to match the chest piece, all gold with that strange symbol. I also notice he came with archers wearing the same black and gold.
I took a moment to examine their longbows. I knew that my wrist lock wasn't going to stop an archer at least ten yards away, so I wanted to answer the question, but that proved to be too difficult a question for me. Who am I? I asked myself seriously.
Who am I? [Inquiry Made]
Ammon Ra
Whatever it was, I was beginning to really appreciate it, but before I could answer my captive spoke up.
“He is a warrior from the red desert, and he attacked me while I was relieving myself, sir.” He said with a little discomfort.
“My name is Ammon Ra, and I thought I was a savage? So when did I become a warrior?” it's funny how people opinions change when they're on the wrong side of a wrist lock. Odd, somehow I felt like I said that before.
“That doesn’t matter right now. Right now, I need for you to let go of soldier before I have to put you down. He said while watching me intently.
I released my grip from the soldier. He picked up is sword while glaring daggers at me. “Now what?” I knew by my treatment so far that they wouldn’t care to hear my side of the story.
“Nothing, recruit Smith will dig holes all night for relieving himself of his weapon, and I will take you to see Lord Simeon. Men, chain him.”
For some reason I didn’t think I will like this Lord Simeon, but what choice did I have without my rifle. My rifle? I had a rifle?
After I was chained the leader of the group grabbed me by the arm and started pushing me towards the tree line. I noticed that none of the other men wore as much armour as him which made me believe that it was rank related.
“Men! Tighten security along the river bank there might be more of them out them trying to rescue their comrades.” He ordered.
“Yes sir!” the men stood at attention fist to chest.
“Recruit Smith.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Before you start your excavation meet me at the training grounds. We need to make sure that you relearn how not to drop the precious gifts that the empire has bestowed upon you.”
“Yes Sir,” the recruits said sounding deflated.
The captain didn’t respond. I didn’t know that he was a captain, but the scene felt familiar to me like I have seen in a hundred times before, and I knew that you generally only saluted officers so it seemed like a good guess.
“Captain, don’t I have a right to know who you are and why I am being detained?”
“How did you know my rank? Never mind I guess the saluting gave it away. I am Captain Connor of the Primorian Empire and as an officer, I don’t need a reason to detain you even if you were a citizen of the empire.”
“And even if I wasn’t an officer I could arrest you for assault, espionage, and indecent exposure.” he added.
Skill Acquired
Profiling
I ignored the message to verify his statement about exposure, sure enough, I wasn’t wearing anything. “Would you look at that?” I said to myself out loud.
“I would rather not my wife wouldn’t approve” he deadpanned.
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
“Then who were you talking to,” he asked.
Knowing that there was no right answer I chose my right to remain quiet. Which he didn’t seem to mind.
After about five minutes of walking a clearing revealed itself containing hundreds of tents. They were all black with gold trim and I could see larger ones toward the center, but it wasn’t the tents that caught my eye but the prisoners. Some were nude like me only with chainless collars, and there were a few that wore sheer robes. They tended to be cleaner and had a confusing amount of freedom. I notice a group of them carry laundry in buckets and heading towards the river unescorted. That made me think that there was more to the collars than I thought.
“Captain what’s with the collars,” I asked as we made our way towards the center.
He looked at me for a second like I asked a stupid question. “Those are slave collars. Nobles and distinguished soldiers are allowed to take any unmarried woman as slaves and in rare cases even men.”
I knew that this place is more primitive of the one I vaguely remember, but for some reason, the thought of slavery started to fill me with burning anger, and every time I spotted a collar on a young woman it only fanned the flames.
The captain noticed my internal conflict. “Why does that bother you? These aren’t even your people.”
He’s right I need to keep my emotions in check if I am going to get out of here. “You right. Isn’t that the place that you’re taking me to?” I said nodding towards one of the larger tents that we were headed towards.
He stared at me for a moment. “Yes, it is. Wait right here. I trust you will do the honorable thing.” He stated before disappearing inside the tent.
Honorable? I immediately thought about running but I doubted that I could get far with the chains around my ankles. Besides I was hungry and even prisoners ate.
Conner came back outside to wave me in. I followed behind him with no small feeling of foreboding. At the center of the tent was a man sitting in a gaudy chair on a raised dais that overlooks a table with a map on it.
Two gorgeous women stood on both sides of the dais wearing the collars I saw earlier. The younger looking one of the two wore a white sheer robe that exposed dark nipples that contrasted nicely with her pale skin. She also had tattoos that covered her arms and a portion of her neck. Her black hair flow around her athletic build stopping just past her perky breast.
Although the one on the left demanded attention, the one on the right stood out the most. The robe she wore was black yet still sheer enough to notice she had more definition to her body. Her face was feminine yet sharp with a regal beauty, but her posture screamed violence. It was just her bearing that stood out, but she literally had otherworldly features. Like violet eyes stared at me while I appraised her unmarred skin whose only irregularity consisted of some white tribal markings on her face. She also had slim elongated ears…
“Holy shit! She’s a fucking elf” I exclaimed which caused the elf to smile seductively.
Proficiency Increased
Profiling
+1%
The younger one who seemed to be in her early twenties looked askance at the elf who never broke eye contact with me. She then turned back to me, to appraise me. It looked as if she was searching for something but just couldn’t see it.
The man in the chair wore a golden robe with the emblem I saw earlier on the soldier, and he wore his dark hair in a ponytail. He just screamed douche in my opinion.
“Captain, why did you bring this ignorant and naked savage into my tent? And if I don't like your answer I trust that you will see yourself to being whipped” the man stated.
Yep, douche it is.
Proficiency Increased
Profiling
+.1%
Now that made me smile. I probably would have laughed but I had a feeling that lord douche would have had me whipped for it, and oddly enough it almost seemed like someone else found it humorous. That or she was just smiling back at me.
The elf’s smile suddenly grew wider, and a moment later the dark haired women adopted a smirk. Odd.
Lord Douche wore a golden robe with the emblem I saw earlier on the soldier, and he wore his dark hair in a ponytail. He also continued to look down on us in a condescending manner and like we were interrupting his important schedule of doing nothing important.
“Lord this warrior is from the red desert of Kalar, yet he didn't have any weapons on him when we captured him, and he even allowed himself to be taken without bloodshed. This is an opportunity to question him and gain the location of the capital in the red desert.”
“Idiot no savage has ever given up the location to their capital, besides we have two more in the cages”
“True but he is clearly not like the other Kalar, I'm sure you can use your mind mage to get the information for you. He isn’t as disciplined as the others, and if it works it will surely put you in good graces with the emperor.” He replied ignoring the insult.
I didn't know whatever it is they thought I knew, but I wouldn’t tell this clown even if I did know. Hopefully, I have the endurance for a little interrogation.
Energy: 53%
That was oddly convenient although those numbers weren't the best, I prepared myself mentally for what's to come. I didn't owe any loyalty to this red desert but I figured they wouldn’t believe me when I told them that I didn’t know anyways.
“We shall begin the interrogation in the morning until then put him in the cage and bring in the newest batch of females it’s time for me to break them in.”
For a micro second, I could see the disgust in Connors blue eyes, but he recovered quickly. “Yes my lord.” He replied for leading me out.
“Tomorrow I will see what type of man you truly are? Do not give them any useful information even if it is false, and perhaps we can help each other.” an almost hypnotic voice entered my mind. I jerked around to see where the voice came from. When I did, I also saw Simeon leering and the dark haired woman while she seemed to struggle with her obvious hatred of the man, but the elf was still looking at me.
“Hurry it up!” Connor pulled my chains leading me out of the tent.
After we made some distance to the tent, the captain spoke. “What did the dark elf say to you?”
“She never said a word to me, you were there.” I thought it was best to keep it to myself. Captain Conner did work for the bad guys. Well at, least the guys that put me in chains.
“Despite what he said I’m not stupid, she said something to you telepathically I could tell by the look you had on your face. Let me give you some advice, don’t let Lord Simeon see you have any interaction with those two. He is extremely protective of those two.” He replied.
It was no point in denying that I reacted, even an idiot could see that I reacted to something, and the captain didn't seem like an idiot.
“She told me she wanted to have my babies, and that she liked my outfit.” I lied.
“First off no one would touch a dark elf much less have a child with one even if they could have children. Besides you're literally wearing nothing but chains just like the rest of them.” He said pointing to the cage filled with people. The cage where I assume I will be staying at.
“I would touch the hell out of her if she lets me and the other one too, and the difference between me and them is that I make this look good,” I said while making the coolest pose my restraints will allow.
He gave me an appraising look. “You are and odd one, let us hope your humor survives the blood interrogation”
“Wait, blood interrogation?” the captain just closed the cage door in my face. He then released my shackles before walking away. “Good luck warrior”
“Great” I mumbled.
I turned around to see over a dozen eyes staring at me, men and women. Most look defeated or scared, but a few looked like they were ready for a fight. At the center of the cage was a huge bulking figure with green skin. He looked similar to what I would think a male elf would look like but much taller with an unnecessary amount of muscles. Plus the overbite or under bite? Meant that he had to be an orc.
Proficiency Increased
Profiling
+1%
Ignoring the message, I walked over and sat next to him, but made sure to be just out of his reach. Just in case the stereotypes about them being battle crazy monsters were true. Everyone in the cage looked shocked by my social decision. Even the ones who look broken gave me a wide-eyed look.
He then spoke to me in some langue that I couldn't understand. His voice was deep and grating. I just watched him just in case he attacked me because he thought I was ignored him. He ended one of his statements while pointing to another group in the corner. There sat were women and man staring back at me, and they had the same skin complexion as me. They must be from the members of the Kalar that everyone thinks I'm from. I noticed that the other prisoners gave them some distance as well, just not as much as they did for the orc. I didn’t look at the long because I needed to stay focused on the orc not make sure he didn’t attack.
Translation Completed
Langue learned
That brought my attention back to the orc. “Why not with own kind you sit? Is human mind broken?
“No human mind is just fine, there is more space here.” What surprised me was my voice. My words were now scratchy like I was trying to emulate his voice. Maybe I was speaking his langue.
His reply answered my thoughts. “I surprise you speak langue but you make sound bad.” His voice was still deep but it was no longer grating.
“I could only imagine, but you don't do this langue any justice either.” My voice returned to normal.
So I seem to speak the last langue that was spoken to me. That was good to know.
“Are you scared not that I will attack you? He asked.
“Then I will just attack you back,” I answered like it was the simplest thing in the world.
He just grunted and closed his eyes, but I could almost see a smile on his lips. So I just did the same, while I just kept asking myself what I did to deserve this situation. Well at least no one else is crazy enough to approach the orc, I should sleep in peace as long as the orc stays calm.
----------------------------------------
Sagittarius A 3030 AD
Flashback
“Ammon wake up!” I heard a voice yelling at me while I laid on the steel floor, but I paid no heed to the androgynous voice. “Ammon you have to get up” the voice called out once more, in a more elevated tone. Sparks violently flew from the ceiling, slowly causing me to stir. “Please, I urgently require your assistance.”
“Where am I? And who is Ammon?” as I started to regain focus, pain steadily replaced the drowsiness in my head as migraines. When I finally stood, it felt like my entire spinal column was lit on fire.
“You are at a secret research facility in space called Sagittarius A, and you are Ammon Ra. Unfortunately, there isn't much time left, you must make your way to the science department in the eastern part of the station.
Somehow I knew that the three laws of robotics should prevent an AI from causing me harm, and it's not like I had a plan of my own. I stepped over the debris in the med bay and headed east. As I limped through the corridors, I noticed the dead bodies that littered the deck. “What happened?” I barely managed to say.
“Two improbable incidents occurred almost simultaneously. The partial failure of the anti-gravity fields, and a containment breach in the bio-lab, that is one of the reasons you're headed to the science labs, to get inoculated for some of the more deadly viruses that escaped.”
“Great,” I muttered to himself.
“Statistically it is. The virus terminated most of the larger experiments that have been fatal to 63% of the station.” The AI dutiful replied. The station started to shake and groan.
“What the hell was that?” I asked while dodging debris.
“That ‘is’ the anti-gravity fields failing, we are getting closer to the event horizon, I suggest you hurry Ammon Ra."