Ch 2

The land was coal and rocks. I could taste the burned ashes in the air and the rotten smell of decay and corpses. When I opened my eyes, the world was on fire.

The sky above my head was dried red. Massive suns were floating. I could see nothing for miles on end. It was barren. I sniffed my nose.

"Bleh!" I was assaulted my the rotten smell. I felt like vomiting.

It was at this moment that I saw my hands.

They were long and red. So, red that I thought someone had peeled my skin of and left the bloody flesh. My fingers were long and sharp. My nails were missing. I was naked. No piece of clothing adorned my body.

I tried standing.

"Fuck!" I cursed. My legs too were red, long and slender. I had difficulty standing up. Clearly not used to this body.

It took a few tries but I finally stood up. Moving slowly. After some moments I finally started to become familiar with this body. It was way strong. I could jump dozens of meters without much effort. I could feel enormous strength coursing through my veins. It was intoxicating. I felt like I was a being of great might.

And to top it off, a large flame was burning on my head. It came off as a scare but I adjusted.

Then from the barren land I began my journey.

The land was hot. The massive suns burning the ground below. It seems I had some sort of resistance to heat. My vigor diminished on the first day.

The day felt longer than of Earth. I felt like I had walked for hours yet could see no civilization; not even a small hut.

The days were scorching but my body didn't feel unbearable heat. It was tolerable. I don't know if it was just my imagination but I could smell stronger scent of decay. My every step brought a crunching sound as if I had stepped on a broken clay.

The nights were worse. While my body could tolerate the heat it couldn't do the same with cold. The cold I felt was strange. It was not freezing but I still shivered on the chill. The shivering brought memories of Joshua and my death. Every passing second my bone chilled harder and my memories became harder.

It was probably the first time I felt the severity of my situation. I may have been preoccupied at getting familiar with the body but I had a suspicion that this was a dream. As if it all is brought by some state of coma but now I could sense how real this was. And it felt more real than my life on Earth.

"Clank!" I gritted my teeth, fighting the shivering coldness.

I could barely open my eyes. The sky seemed to have changed. Something I only noticed when it neared dawn and my cold began to weaken. It was dark and filled with glittering stars. I could see some moons far away. My sight could see farther in the dark and the moons were very far. They seemed more of massive planets floating on the edges of the sky rather than small moons.

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I walked when it was dawn. The heat came back in a wave. During this I began to feel hunger. Night came and so did the cold and pain. I didn't stop at night. The walking distracted my mind fron the coldness that the night brought. It was still there, eating at my soul, but I distracted myself with the journey.

By third day I was closed to giving up. My throat had begun to ache with thirst and my body with fatigue. I had jumped with all my strength, crossing thousands of meters, several times. I ran at speeds only achievable by cars at the extreme. For hours and hours I did. Running, jumping, walking and starting over. It felt I had crossed thousands of kilometers if not more by now. I ran again. Not stopping even as my legs ached and broke or as the day turned night.

As seven days and six nights passed I saw the end of barren. Mountains stood at the end of my vision. Tall and steady. Thousands of them if not millions. Life came to my dull eyes. For the first time in a week I smiled. A vigor filled my body replacing the aching. I could feel my body getting stronger as I walked for these past days. Each day and night only improving myself. Though I didn't feel that at the moment.

As I neared these mountains I could see the end of their tip with my sight. Stretching past the clouds they were bigger than any mountains I had seen on Earth. Reaching many thousands of meters if not dozens. There were roads between the mountains.

It took me a night or two to pass the massive mountains.

After nine days and nine nights I saw what seemed to be walls. Bigger than entire mountains.

After ten days of walking I came close to a large gate. Two demonic looking beings stood there; their figure massive. Even my new tall and slender form looked tiny compared to them. The flowing fire from my hand only coming as high as their chest.

"Halt!" They bellowed. Their voice booming. Both of them looked quite similar. Their small and pointy horns along with their massive body reminded me of the Ogres.

"What business do you have in here, little demon?" The one in the right asked. It was the first time I had heard the word demon. As such I was taken back.

"I- I am Takahara." I said. Ten days of hunger and fatigue showing on my voice.

"Then demon of the name Takahara. I ask ag-"

"So, you are a new born?" The one in the left asked interrupting the guard of the right.

At the tenth day of walking I came close to a large gate. Two demonic looking beings stood there; their figure massive. Even my new tall and slender form looked tiny compared to them. The flowing fire from my hand only coming as high as their chest.

"Halt!" They bellowed. Their voice booming. Both of them looked quite similar. Their small and pointy horns along with their massive body reminded me of the Ogres.

"What business do you have in here, little demon?" The one in the right asked. It was the first time I had heard the word demon. As such I was taken back.

"I- I am Takahara." I said. Ten days of hunger and fatigue showing on my voice.

"Then demon of the name Takahara. I ask ag-"

"So, you are a new born?" The one in the left asked interrupting the guard of the right.

"Eh?" Was all that came out.

The ogre on the right huffed.

"Why do you wish to enter Wine County?"

"I need water." I croaked.

"Let him enter." The one in the left pitied.

I was in no state to refuse. I dragged myself in before the voice of the guard stopped me.

"Demon of the name Takahara, Wine County is a peaceful county. Do not cause any ruckus in here. Rest here. You may even ask the chief to live here." The ogre in the right said not even turning from his post. "If you harm the County then we will throw you back to the valley beyond the mountains."

My head hastily nodded at the warning.

I took the steps beyond the gates as it closed in itself. Thump.

The scenary I saw was quite different than I had ever expected.

The land was big and beautiful. The streets were filled with masses. I could see huge mountains in the background. Lushed forests. Clean air.

"Wine County." I took a breath.