My head…
It's splitting.
I forced an eye open, shielding it from the sun with a hand.
"What… happened?"
As my vision cleared Lawrence kneeled over me.
His eyes were blank, almost as if no thoughts laid behind them.
He stared forward, lips slightly open, brows raised.
Complete shock.
"You haven't made a face like that since we were kids."
His eyes slowly dropped to mine, his expression not wavering.
"Where is Ms. Valeria anyway? It should be lunch time." I questioned.
Angela emerged from the forest depths before kneeling to catch her breath.
"Law!"
"I heard screeches! I'm—"
She paused, eyes widening before stumbling back into a fall.
"What the—"
Lawrence quickly glanced at her with a slight head shake.
Looking down at me with a smile Lawrence patted my chest.
"You did good out there."
"Ang! Come help me carry Simon back to Empryeon!"
My brows furrowed.
"Simon? Why you guys getting all formal with me."
Lawrence looked at Angela with a forced smile.
"It seems we forgot, tough battle."
I ran a finger down my scar. "I don't remember much, thanks for taking it down for me."
Angela raised her head in horror as Lawrence shook his head once more before clearing his throat.
"What matters now is that we're safe, let's get you to a bed."
"My eyes… are a little heavy." I mumbled.
Angela smiled. "You can rest now."
Lawrence forced his eyes shut as they passed the Klyzar carcass.
Angela glanced at him with a whisper. "What the hell is going on?"
"I don't know." Lawrence grunted, placing a hand on his back.
"Simon accidentally hit me with an attack. I was tossed into a tree, but things got choppy from there."
"Simon was hunched over… talking to something… then he randomly collapsed."
"I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again…"
"He was a completely different person."
"I'll explain everything to father when we get back to Empryeon, some things are still coming to me."
Angela looked at Lawrence with confusion. "You say you got hurt but there isn't a scratch on you."
Lawrence paused as I muttered in my sleep, him lowering his voice in turn. "This is gonna sound crazy but…"
"I think he healed me."
"But…"
Angela interrupted him. "It doesn't matter, if he did that to a Klyzar then we need to report this to father."
"We absolutely cannot." Lawrence replied.
He leaned closer to Angela. "If Empryeon finds out he did THAT by himself?"
"He's sure to be marked."
"This is what we wanted." Angela whispered, "This is what happens to them—to outsiders!"
Lawrence lowered his head. "I know… I know…"
"I guess I wanted him to be different."
He sighed. "Fine… mark him as a special."
**
Where… am I?
I can't see.
I can't hear.
I can't smell.
There's nothing to touch.
Just… darkness.
A void.
I walked through the seemingly endless darkness until what looked like metal bars slowly came into view.
A prison?
Why—
**
Opening my eyes I stared at a wooden ceiling.
"The Klyzar was unrecognizable… torn down the middle by its jaw… insides ripped out and scrambled around."
"He… was playing with it."
"Huh?" I groaned as I rolled over in bed.
Lawrence stepped aside as an older man approached my bedside.
"What's your name, young man?"
"It's Simon McKay sir… but everyone I know calls me Sy."
The old man's eyes narrowed.
"McKay?"
"What's the matter, gramps?" Lawrence questioned from the corner.
"McKay…"
"Son, would you mind telling us where you're from?"
Where am I from?
"I'm from the Kingdom of Sothen."
The old man's eyes widened as he stepped back from the bed.
"Gramps?" Lawrence questioned.
The old man's boney hand shot into the sky as the air in his palm began to crackle.
Something in me shifted.
I extended my arm as sound of my own whizzed in my palm.
Grampa Yaha flung a distorted ball of sound as the two collided.
A piercing screech followed by small shockwaves pulsed from the bombs as they rippled up my arm.
The boy was pushed into the wall as he collapsed, gripping his ears.
Yellow paint erupted from the numbs of my legs as new, paint-molded legs were formed.
Leaping from the bed I dashed at Yaha, exploding the paint in my legs as I blasted through the air.
Grappling him I quickly pinned his arms above his head.
Yaha widened his mouth.
A massive soundwave blasted me through the roof, stealing the wind from my lungs.
SHIT!
I pressed my hands towards the rushing ground, emitting soundwaves strong enough to break my fall.
Laying in the grass I gasped for air, clutching at my chest with coughs feeling as if they ran through my whole body.
As I tried to get up a black, heavy boot pressed against my chest.
My creativity wont work?
Footsteps crunched through the grass.
"Come to… finish me off Yaha?" I said through coughs.
Grampa Yaha rubbed at his wrists. "You were more trouble than any other outsider you know?"
He tapped the other man's shoulder. "I don't think you two have met."
"This is Empryeon's Warden, rank five of Empyreon's Supreme Command."
"Corvin Daine."
"Take him to the 5th level." Yaha said with a head nod.
Corvin grabbed me by my hair as a knee exploded into my stomach.
My breath caught in my throat.
My vision began to fade as he grabbed my neck, sparks dancing in his palm.
I felt my body rise into the air.
"Sleep now."
**
I awoke to the clashing of wood and steel.
A man stood in front of my cell as he removed his armor piece by piece.
There were huge, deep, ragged scars wrapped around his body.
Everywhere but his back—a clean dark brown.
He removed his helmet, shaking his damp hair.
"Stop staring." The man muttered.
I rustled the chains binding me to the cell wall.
"This has to be a mistake, why am I here? I haven't done anything!"
Using the back of his hand the man wiped his cheek. "Thats the same thing the other outsider said…"
"Before he tried to kill me."
"Another outsider?" I asked.
The man went quiet, grabbing a cloth as he wiped his body down.
"It's not just me?"
The man paused. "Don't worry."
"He's free from his cell now."
"Maybe let me go then?" I asked with a nervous chuckle.
The man neatly folded the cloth, turning as he stepped to the gate.
"I'll let you out."
He gripped the lock, sending creativity through it as it clicked opened.
The man swung the gate open, stepping inside as he snapped the chains binding me to the wall.
"You're free now, yes?"
I didn't respond.
I couldn't.
Even if I was a threat, why believe me?
"Are you confused?" The man asked.
I rubbed my stomach.
"No, I think I understand."
As he turned to leave I called out from my cell.
"What happens now."
The man paused.
He spoke without turning.
"You're probably gonna die."
Exiting the cell he nodded as 2 soldiers entered, holding wooden carved legs.
"He made these for you, be grateful."
The soldier grabbed my nub, strapping the wooden leg on before sealing it with creativity.
"It should feel like new."
I slowly moved the toes of the wooden foot.
"Why?"
"Why do this for me?"
The soldier sealed the other leg.
"Don't get it twisted."
"The Warden just believes everyone deserves a fair shot at living, which means giving you access to the bare minimum."
They helped me stand as I wobbled, using the wall for balance.
"It wouldn't be much of a fight if you couldn't do this much."
The soldiers led me to a room with wooden floors, different from the average concrete.
As we entered, 2 other men held onto levers.
"Try anything and you're dead." A soldier scoffed.
The soldiers pulled, then rowed the levers as the ground beneath us began to rise.
Pulling the ground up?
Sunlight flooded the room as we were raised to surface level.
A soldier wiped his forehead. "That damn Queen Hydralox."
Another one patted me on the back hard enough to sting a little.
"If anything, thanks for killing that filthy animal."
He pushed me forward as I continued towards the light.
I squinted my eyes, covering them from the harsh sun.
My foot stepped into sand as I looked down.
My paintbrush laid in front of me.
Quickly snatching it from the ground I looked around.
This place… I've been here before.
The Queen.
Am I…
My eyes darted to the other side.
A small figure came into view.
A boy?
The boy stabbed a rather large branch into the ground before kneeling and filling his palm with sand.
"Ha, It's real sand!"
What?
"This much of it too, it has to be natural."
What is he talking about?
The boy stood straight, swooping golden hair from his face as he grinned.
His piercing blue eyes had a slight glow to them.
Covering his mouth he poked at a beauty mark above his lip.
"This place keeps getting cooler!"
He gripped his branch, squinting as he looked across the arena.
His eyes widened as he stared at me.
Shock?
From what?
A horn blew as the commentator's voice echoed in the air.
"If you're ready for a fight, make some noise!"
The crowd exploded.
"If you're ready for some blood-shed, let me hear you scream!"
The announcer continued. "On our right… We have an outsider, most recently known for attacking both Yaha, and his grandchildren! The very same outsider who slayed the Queen Hydralox!"
My brows furrowed.
Did I really do all that?
I might've but… damnit. I can't remember.
"And on our left. Another outsider?"
"This one was… was…"
The commentator paused.
"Arrested for… robbing Zytra forbidden ruins, mysteriously killing 6 men, and for scarring our very own Corvin of the Supreme Command."
The crowd went silent.
The commentator stuttered. "L-Lets have ourselves a match!"
I attempted to lift a foot as sand rustled at my feet.
I glanced down.
Chains!?
How!?
Looking up, a blur of gold burst through the air as the point of the boy's branch stuck my neck.
His eyes were wide, hair still flowing with the wind.
"Where did you get that?"
How did he get here so fast!?
His branch pierced my skin, blood trickling down my neck.
The look in his eyes.
I couldn't move.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
The branch suddenly dropped from the boy's hand, scratching my neck as it fell.
He fell into me, the sand crumbling from my ankles.
Breaking his fall, the soft sound of his snore vibrated on my chest.
Is he… sleeping?
My brush rolled from my hand into the sand.
My hand moved on its own as I caressed the
boys hair with a deep breath. "That was close."
Rolling him off of me I rested his head in the sand before standing straight and grabbing my brush.
The commentator basically jumped from his seat.
"I can't believe it! We have a winner by KO!"
"This outsider is now 2-0!"
"Well there you—"
The commentator was snatched by the collar as the man from earlier whispered something in his ear.
He leaped from the ledge, crashing into the sand as dust blew from the impact.
The clanks of his armor rang as his silhouette appeared in the smoke.
The commentator continued.
"Supreme Commands rank five Corvin Daine has just entered the arena!"
"We have a free for all on our hands people!"
Corvin?
The man blitzed from the smoke with a fist full of white lightning.
Before he reached me he planted his foot into the sand, aiming his fist downwards towards the sleeping boy.
I stuck my wooden foot in front of Corvin's fist as it shattered from the impact.
Splinters shot into the boys body as he awoke.
"There he is!" Corvin yelled as he grabbed my face, slamming it into the ground.
"There's the real you!"