Hello, I'm writing a fantasy story called "Red Destination"! Summary: The main character of the story, Meritum, is an adolescent male that enrolls in a new highschool. During this highschool experience, students must train their affinities in order to win tournaments to proceed to higher classes. Along this highschool journey, Meritum discovers the secrets of the world and above. Genre(s): fantasy, male lead, school life, drama, horror, psychological trauma, mythology, mythical beasts, other worlds, elemental magic, special abilities, gods, evil organizations, portals Table of Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11
Chapter 1: Awakened My body jolted and my eyes peeled open. All I see is light; now a figure standing over me. Am I dying? Is this really it? I didn't even get to... oh well. "Wake up you fucking rat!" My eyes widened as a burly figure stomped his steel-toed boot onto my left shoulder. "I'm not done kicking your ass, so get the hell up! Who the fuck permitted you to be so weak?" My eyes darted around, filling in the gaps in my memory. A tournament. I was participating in a tournament for the top of my class. What happened to me? My memory is blurry. Blood spurted out of my mouth as he stepped on my chest, "I can't believe they put an elite like myself up against a pathetic tag user, bastards..." he murmured. Elite? This guy is only a D rank... how cocky can someone get when they beat up someone weaker? I managed to squeeze out one last sentence, "...you.. have no talent." before I blacked out. -----12 hours earlier----- "Meritum?" my teacher asked during the affinity check. "Please place your hand over the affinity checker". Shaking nervously to find my affinity, the power I would have for the rest of my life, I placed my hand on the small glowing ball that seemed almost incorporeal. "Red... most likely another fire affinity. I'll write you a slip to talk to the head nurse after school about this." my teacher groaned. Out of all my luck, I get the weakest affinity. Make's sense, I'm not special and neither is my family. The natural order is what they call it. I started to make my way back to my desk when I bumped shoulders with the next person in line. Just my luck, the weakest of all the affinities. First not having a quality, then being a fire user. If only I had at least Water... with Fire being the weakest, then Earth, Water, Wind, and finally Lightning. I could have had a successful path in life if I had at least Water as a tag user. "Ruck, please place your hand over the affinity checker". I glanced back, my eyes widened as the orb glowed an electric yellow. A lightning affinity. "Oh my.." my teacher's mouth gaped. "Ruck, you don't have a bracelet on your left arm, meaning you aren't a tag user. A lightning affinity, with a quality to back it up. The archmage has surely blessed you and your family!". Damn, that's what you call lucky. He could skip school and it wouldn't affect him... that's how much affinities affect your life. Get a good one? You're set forever, but a lightning affinity and he possesses a quality to top it off? His grandchildren will be living lavishly as well. "Friar, please place your hand on the affinity checker... orange, a Fire affinity."A-Are you sure?" he nervously replied, "it looked yellow to m-" "Next!" As I continued to walk towards my desk, a shiver was sent down my spine. I was the only one in the room with a weak affinity paired with a tag. I could feel eyes burn into my very soul with each step I took, when suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, don't let it get to you; not everyone is born equal". I looked back and saw Ruck, the lightning user, staring back at me. The nerve of some people, cocky as soon as they get their hands on more power. "Aw, don't worry about me," I replied as I wiped his hand off of my shoulder, "I'm sure I'll do just fine". I felt an agonizing shock within my body before I blacked out. I awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling. I peeked to the right to see a beautiful woman in a white coat walking towards me. "You've been out for a while now, better hurry up and get out of here before the tournament starts". Fuck, that's right, the tournament for class picking is today. "Where's my phone?" I said after noticing that it was gone from my pockets. "Completely toasted. You can check the tournament brackets for your class on the bulletin board outside the infirmary. Run along now.". Ah, great. Up against a C-rank water user. Since they aren't at E, that automatically means they have a quality. Seriously? They picked a fire affinity to go against a water affinity with a quality to back it up? Talk about harsh. I ran to the arena which was located outside the gymnasium doors, quickly got into the elevator and arrived just in time to watch the match before mine. They're both tag users, which would normally make it a relatively even fight. However, their affinities had a different story. Water against Wind. The wind user has the natural upper-hand, but he's getting his ass beat. That's the difference in combat experience being slapped right in front of your face... no matter how good your affinity is, if you don't know how to use it properly, it's almost as good as useless. The match quickly ended, meaning my time was here. I've never used my affinity before, meaning my loss was already guaranteed, if it wasn't guaranteed enough just by knowing how much higher of a level he is. At that point, combat experience doesn't mean shit. As I walked out onto the stretch of dirt, I noticed how large the arena was. It was like a colosseum from ancient times, but much more modern. I didn't have much time to admire the colossal arena, as my opponent, whose name happened to be Breezer. Fitting name for someone who's going to kick my ass in a bre- "GAH!" an unsuspected punch landed right into my gut. How the hell did he move so fast? Did he propel himself with water? Cheeky bastard... "Pfft, I was in your class today you know. Being so weak must suck. Pull out your fire now, will ya? I want to extinguish your ass in front of everyone and beat you into oblivion.". My god, he must be a shitty comedian as a side job. I regained my balance and put my fists up with my elbows at my side, guarding myself. He propelled himself forward with water, confirming my earlier theory. I pivoted my right foot and leaned my body to the left just in time for his jab to graze my cheek, barely drawing blood. "Huh? Who told you that you could fuckin' move?". Was this guy serious? Did he think I was going to let him kick my ass in front of everyone so easily? Might as well try my hardest. "Huh?" I retorted as I dropped my hands, "You know the guy with the lightning affinity AND a quality? What will you do if you go up against him? Piss yourself and beg for mercy on your knees?" His face turned 50 shades of red before dashing towards me, this time even faster; faster then I could track. I couldn't dodge. A punch? No, he's not throwing a punch. A kick? I didn't even know what happened before I was on the ground, clutching my chest, gasping for air. Before it all went dark, I saw him smirk and whisper "Learn your place, fucker".
Chapter 2: The Relentless Lightning I later found out that my match ended right after I became unconscious, and that Breezer lost to a tag user in the next round he was in. After checking out of the infirmary, I headed down to the gymnasium to check what class I had been placed in before I went to the arena. "Class 10E, the lowest spot available. Pathetic, not even being able to use my own affinity...". Barely catching the elevator for the next arena, I made a mental note to head to the infirmary and ask the head nurse about my affinity. It was the normal color for a fire affinity, but it had a strange red hue to it. I shouldn't get excited, I'll just get let down again... The match in front of me was coming to a close. The wind using quickly blowing away any water sent towards him and propelling his punches with wind made it for a quick match against the inferior water user. The next match, however, strangely excited me. It was the last one, Ruck, who was given a B rank, versus a C rank Earth user. The girl he was up against seemed petite, not very fitting for an Earth user. Wouldn't that normally be some big bulky guy? Well, that only fits for fairy tales I guess. Lightning versus Earth should be over quickly, but she got up to this point somehow. "Let the match begin!" shouted the announcer. Ruck stood still, not even fazed by the spikes of earth headed his way. Lightning quickly tore through them, trailing back towards the small girl. Suddenly, she threw up 3 large pillars of rock, barely keeping the lightning from hitting her. Out of surprise, Ruck parted his lips. Normally, lightning should tear through the earth, but this time it didn't. It must be the ground we're on. Earth controllers use the environment around them, thus they could be strong or weak depending on where they are. The ground here isn't normal, since it's specially made to withstand attacks and not get too damaged. Some might call that a cheat, which I partly agree with, but it's just using their environment to their advantage. A loud thud snapped me out of my thoughts, causing dust and to fly into the crowd and block our view. As the dust subsided, I saw the girl smacked up against the wall, cushioned by the Earth she summoned around her. Bleeding heavily from her head, anyone would expect her to forfeit the match. However, she sent another wave of rocks as she surfed on top of them using what looked to be like a large plate of stone. Ruck evaded the rocks sent towards him, and threw a lightning bolt towards her. Noticing this, she opened a hole in the ground and covered it, negating the blow entirely. Creating a pillar right before Ruck to distract him, she popped up from the ground right behind him, smashing his right side with a large rod made of stone. Losing his balance, Ruck continued to receive blows, until his entire body was encased in electricity. Pivoting on his back leg and raising his left, he kicked right through the stone rod and made contact with her head, causing her to go flying to the side of the arena while continuously getting shocked. I glanced over at Ruck, wondering what he was going to do next, when I saw a smirk appear on his face. Suddenly, he dashed towards where she was, ready to do a flying sidekick. "And that concludes this match! The winner is Ruck!" the announcer yelled, before Ruck could get a finishing blow. The audience was quiet, not sure how to react. My mind was riddled with both curiosity and resentment towards the girl. She was able to put up such a good fight against someone as gifted as Ruck, but in the end, pure strength won over. Heading to the infirmary, I was reciting the material I needed to remember for tomorrow's quiz. What are qualities and where did they come from? Qualities are special abilities that are rarely obtained at birth. Until recently, qualities only had a few powers linked with them: Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, and Lightning. Ever since the population increased, however, new qualities seemed to pop up that were more diverse and unique. For example, some people can turn invisible, but for how long depends on how compatible you are with it. Someone in the E ranks could only turn invisible for around 10 to 15 seconds, but someone in C rank can turn invisible for a few minutes. If you aren't born with a quality, like myself, you are required to have a tag. A tag is a small bracelet around your left arm which can bring out your affinity, but only a weak version, setting it automatically to E rank. What makes up qualities and what powers tags? The power in the very air around us of course, called Quintessence. This allows us to use our qualities and tags. Strangely enough, no one has ever been able to create or destroy quintessence itself, only manipulate it. Opening the door to the infirmary, I headed over to the desk of the head nurse. "Hello ma'am, I have a note here from my teacher. Something about my affinity is wrong." I said, handing her the note. "Hmm, all right. Let me get out my checker." As she was rummaging through her drawers and cabinets, I looked around the room some more. A large painting of the archmage hung above her chair, making the room look larger then it actually is. "Aha, found it!" said the nurse, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Place your hand over the orb and I'll take a look at it." Nervously, I placed my hand over the orb, waiting for something to show. "The orb is orange. You have a normal fire affinity". "Please move out of the way!" someone shouted from behind me. Ah, they're carrying the girl from the tournament into the infirmary. ...She looks really fucked up; completely battered and bruised. Still, she knew damn well what she was getting herself into after she got up from being hit down by Ruck. With the bell signaling the end of the day, it was time to head out. On my way home, I thought back to my fight. What could I have done differently? He was too fast for me to read and my fire didn't even come out. Is there seriously nothing I can do unless I have a stronger affinity? To my surprise, I felt someone tap on my shoulder. "Friar?".
Chapter 3: The Chief "I watched your match. Why didn't you use your affinity?" he asked me this trying to be confident in his own ability, but I could tell that he was nervous. I knew he wanted a fight, to beat someone weaker than him. I know these types. "Ah, well you see, it didn't work. I couldn't use it." I replied. As I turned my head to look at him, I saw a big grin that revealed a set of pearly teeth, ready to devour their prey. At that moment, I saw fire rise from the ground up and completely encase me in a torturous heat. Falling to my knees whilst scratching at my throat, he placed his foot on my head and stepped down. My head is going to get crushed...! "Seriously? You can't even USE your power and you think you can say that to me?" This guy was shaking like a little bitch when he found out how weak he was... he's only doing this because he found someone weaker than himself. "Hey, I'm not done with you ye-". When I looked up, Friar was gone, no traces of him left behind. Thankful to whatever the hell made my head not get crushed into the pavement, I passed out right on the sidewalk. I woke up on the side of the road, my clothes charred from the incident with Friar. Aching all over, I got up and noticed how dark out it was. How long was I out? It has to be past midnight... Walking back to my house, I noticed a faint glow around the corner. Almost instantly, I ran over to investigate. "Seriously? Doesn't this shit only happen in fantasy novels?" Before me, stood a transparent... gateway? No, a portal. Do these even exist? I've never heard of this happening. A once in a lifetime chance? I'll take it, not like I have much to lose anyway. So, without any regrets, I stepped into the portal, hoping that whatever was on the other side was better then what's over here. My eyes adjusted to the blazing light from above to reveal a forest around me, almost shimmering blue. My senses were pushed to the limits, hearing things, and seeing things I normally wouldn't be able to see. It's almost unsettling. A twig broke. Another. Not sure what to do, I started running in a straight line, trying to find some open area. I suddenly started to hear noises. Singing and... drums? Quietly, I peeked over the bushes, and what appeared before me was a large town surrounded by a ring of tall green trees. People of many different shapes and sizes were walking around or working. On the left side of the village was a farm for crops that took up over half the space of the area, whilst on the right side were the homes. They looked to be made out of stone, wood, and clay bricks. Each house has its own yard which overlooks a glistening blue lake. As I sat there in awe, I didn't notice the adolescent boy, about my age, running up to me with a wooden club. As soon as I turned and noticed him, it was too late. I was hit over the head and knocked out. Awoken by a loud bang, I was immediately greeted with the clear sky. "C-Chief, he's awake!" yelled an unfamiliar, hoarse voice. I shot up from the ground I was sitting on, which felt like rough dirt. Regaining my senses, I took notice of where I was; I was in the middle of an open field by the lake across from the village, with tall trees and short grass surrounding me. Further around me were men with swords and shields closing in on me from every side. In the front center of me, an older man yet clearly larger then any of the others was making haste towards me. "Who are you boy? What business do you have spying on us?" the older man asked. "I-I don't know where I am. I suddenly woke up in the middle of the forest and started running until I found this place.". I'll keep the portal a secret, it doesn't seem like that's something normal. Now, for how to get out of this situatio- "Do you take us for fools? You woke up in the forest? That doesn't just happen! Now I'll ask you one more time, who are you?". Of course, this old fool won't believe me, but I do want to confirm one thing... "Sir, have you ever heard of an affinity before?". "What the hell is an affinity?"
Chapter 4: The Darkness "You mean you've never heard of an affinity? Fire, earth, water, wi-" I said before being cut off. "Never heard of that before, but that doesn't matter. Where are you from and what is your name?". This guy... Am I in some sort of primitive country? "My name is Meritum and I'm from North America. Where am I right now?". Figuring out where I am will give me a general idea of what to do next. "Where's North America? Is that some sort of village?" the old man retorted. How does he not know what North America is? There's no way... "Sir, sorry for such a strange question, but what year is it?" I asked, my body shaking and breaking out into a cold sweat. "What kind of question is that? The year is 600 of course." Oh shit, time-traveling is a thing now? Remember the rules of time travel... remember the rules of time travel... That's right, I can't help these guys advance in their technology. "I'm sorry sir but it would appear I'm lost. I don't know where I am or what I'm doing here, I'm being completely honest with you." I said, hoping he would believe me. I know that I have to get back to my timeline, but I'm not sure how. What events led up to that portal? Was it just there by chance? "I hope you understand why I'm doing this boy. You leave me no choice if you won't give me any answers." said the old man, who was now in a distasteful mood. With a rise of his weapon, which appeared to be some sort of metallic rod with a tip at the end, he swung it straight down at my head using the blunt end. Normally, I would have been out cold from such a hit, but I was able to dodge in time. "Hmph, a feisty one indeed." grunted the old man. The other men were closing in on me with what looked to be like swords and shields, suitable enough for their time. Using the tall grass to my advantage and my adolescent nimble body, I got on all fours and scurried away almost like a spider. I was aware that they were chasing me, but we were close enough to the forest that I could slip away inside. "After him! He entered the forest!" shouted an unfamiliar voice. My lips were dry and my throat was burning, but I continued to run. I ran and ran until I couldn't hear the men anymore. Out of breath and worn out, I collapsed on the ground in front of me. As my eyes opened from my rest, I couldn't see anything; only darkness. Trying to stand up, I fumbled back down. I couldn't even see my own body, it was like I was in a void. I tried to speak, hoping someone would hear me; even the aggressive village from earlier. I tried and tried, but nothing came out of my mouth. It felt as if my life force was being sucked out of me. I couldn't even feel my own heartbeat, when suddenly I was being sucked away into the same void I was currently in. Grasping my legs and holding them close to my body, I shut my eyes and waited for the inevitable. One eye open. Now the other, revealing a sight I never saw as beautiful; the sidewalk I fainted on. "What the fuck?" I absent-mindedly said out loud, still regaining my senses. Looking around, it was still dark out. How much time passed, if any at all? Where was I? Questioning came later, first I had to deal with this feeling of drained stamina with a good nights sleep in my comfortable bed. When I woke up, I was determined to find some answers as to what happened to me the other day. My first destination will be the school library during my lunch break. Before that, I have to enroll for next week's tournament and go to my new class. Class 10E, class 10E... oh where could it be? Pfft, I made a rhyme. Ah, there it is! "Now class, please take your seats. Oh, Meritum, nice for you to join us today! Your seat is in the very back left." said the teacher in a rather aggressive tone. Putting down my backpack, I saw Friar in the front center. He looked almost pitiful, even though he beat the living shit out of me the other day. "Listen up class. Today, we'll be training your affinities in the school courtyard. We'll leave in 5 minutes. Make sure to leave your items behind!" said the teacher. Maybe I'll be able to use my fire today...
Chapter 5: Sparring "Okay class, we'll have you each in partners of two to use your affinities on each other. This way, you get a bit of combat experience along with training your affinity." said the teacher. Looking at her closely, she had quite a masculine frame with multiple scars, yet a feminine face. "Would you like to be my partner?" a smaller boy asked me, snapping me out of my pubescent trance. Although he was rather short, he had clear muscles that could've only formed from hard training. "Sure. What's your affinity?" I asked, getting in a position for a counter-attack. "Water." the boy replied. I'm going to have PTSD from water affinities... A stream of water jetted towards my head. It barely drew blood as I shifted my head to the left. Seeing as this was such a weak attack, it must've been a distraction. Unfortunately, I didn't realize in time; a punch was already connecting with my gut. His fist that felt as hard as steel blew me back and knocked the wind out of me. Following up with a wave of water, I could do nothing but get blown around. The water, seeming to drag me towards him, made the right side of my face connect with a spinning hook-kick which sent me spinning into the air. Barely regaining my senses, I tried to use my fire. Never being able to use my affinity was a letdown. I've read so many blogs and read so many books about how to use it, but I never succeeded. With my current streak of continuous failure, I had no hope for this attempt. When I opened my eyes, I was once again met with the seemingly never-ending disappointment of not being able to use my affinity. My opponent rushed over and extended a helping hand to me. I hesitated, but accepted. "I'm sorry, I went overboard. Are you not able to use your affinity or something?" he questioned, a hint of genuine sorrow in his voice. "I haven't been able to activate it yet. I've been trying so hard ever since I received a tag, but it just isn't working." I replied. With a look of confusion on his face quickly turning into a smirk, I got worried. Was I up against another psycho? "Pfft, that's fine. I was able to use mine after continuously sparring with my father. Let's go again." he said. Thankfully, he seemed like a good person. Pushing my body to the limit, I stared right at his eyes. Waiting for any sudden movement, I was met with no water at all. Instead, he started running to me very slowly. Is he tired out? He didn't seem all that exhausted earlier, but affinities do take a toll on your body. Almost getting lost in thought, I dodged a jab to my liver. Putting all my weight on my feet, I tightened my body and loosened my arm, throwing a clean right hook that connected into his cheekbone. As he slid back a bit while maintaining his stance, I followed up by pivoting my left foot and shooting a kick into his stomach. With the wind knocked out of him, I took advantage of the situation and started off another kick. Swiveling until my back was towards him, my left leg shot up into the air and hit straight at his chin. A sudden burst of water shaped like a fork caught my kick. "Hey hey, you might seriously knock me out if you keep going. Where'd you learn to fight like that?" he asked, a bit nervously. "My mother taught me for as long as I remember," I told him. A look of disbelief washed over his face, masking his earlier stress. "W..what? Your mother? You're kidding, right?" he asked. Is it really that difficult to believe? It's just how to fight... anyone can do it. Before I could reply, the bell rang marking the end of the period. "You heard the bell, get to your next class! Remember to pick up your bags back in the classroom." the teacher shouted. Pulling out my phone, I checked what my next class was. History...
Chapter 6: The Librarian With History being over, I let out a sigh of relief. All the teacher talked about was the great archmage. The thought of that just gives me shudders. Such an entitled piece of shit is looked upon by others... He ended Ragnarok, the fight against humans and the gods, by using our lives. After he was ridiculed, all he could do was go into hiding which made the ridicule larger until it died out. Eventually, people saw him as a hero and turned a blind eye to him running away. Next was lunch, meaning I had time to research portals. Hopefully, my lunch won't be wasted and I'll find something useful. I doubt the computer logs will have anything called 'portals', meaning my best bet is to ask the librarian. "Excuse me, Sir, do you have any books on dimensional rifts?" I asked as soon as I reached the desk. "Dimensional rifts? I'm not sure what you mean by that. Something like a portal?" he replied. "Yes, something like that I suppose." Immediately, he started tapping away on his keyboard, giving me time to look at his features. He seemed to have a rather wide build with muscle on him, but he didn't seem like the type to get into a fight. He had round glasses that paired with his bronze eyes. His facial features would make most women fawn over him, making me wonder why he would become a librarian and not some sort of celebrity. "It seems like we have nothing on that subject. Out of pure curiosity, where did you come up with this? Portals are unheard of; they're supernatural and only appear in folklore." the librarian questioned. "Ah, I'm lately into that sort of stuff. Just trying to see if it's something that's actually possible, or if they're really just fairy tales. You never know with all those new qualities coming out!" I replied, masking my true intentions. Turning around to leave, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Wait just a minute." the librarian said with a serious tone. As he stared into my eyes, I felt an immense sense of dread overcome me. Is this what they call an intimidating aura? It feels like it's going to crush my entire body to the floor...! "Admittedly, I'm into the supernatural. If you find anything out about portals, let me know! I'd really appreciate it." he said with a smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes. "Uh, sure. I'll let you know." I replied, starting to walk away. I'm never coming back here again, that's for sure. Doesn't he realize how suspicious that was? Being able to snack a bit after my short trip to the library helped calm my revolting stomach. With the bell signaling the end of lunch, I checked my schedule, only to see that I have mathematics. My favorite subject! After mathematics, I have biology and health. Not exactly my favorite topics, but it didn't seem all that bad. With the bell signaling the end of the day, I started to head home on the same path that I had my strange encounter on. Almost approaching the area where I found the supernatural object, I saw other people walking out from behind the corner. Damn, I guess that means it's not there. When I turned the corner, my eyes told me a different story. Seeing the portal that emitted a white glow, I was shocked. Even more so when people were walking by it and even through it without batting an eye. My first thought is that I was really losing my mind, but giving me the benefit of the doubt, couldn't this mean that only I can see it?
Chapter 7: The Tree After I gathered some food which consisted of dried meats, bread, and granola bars, I set out for the portal at exactly midnight. My cell phone didn't work and I couldn't even use my tag, so I decided to leave them both behind. Reaching the portal, I had no time to waste for my experiment. I wanted to see if time passed by here when I was inside the portal. Setting foot into the portal, I was met with similar scenery as before. The difference, this time, was the dark fog in the air. Checking my surroundings, I decided to go for the same path as I did last time to make it to that village again, this time with offerings for my trust. Running through the thicket proved to be just as difficult as before, giving me some slight scratches along the way. As I made my way towards the village, the fog got thicker. That's when I realized that it wasn't fog at all; it was smoke. As soon as I made it to the village, all that was left were the burning embers of the houses and the yards around them. The farm was destroyed and the lake was dyed a crimson red. Snapping out of my shock, I realized something; there were no sounds besides the faint crackle of the fire. Walking around, I noticed no signs of struggle, but that didn't make much sense to me. The lake clearly had blood in it, so there must have been some sort of battle. How could there be no blood stains or weapons anywhere? Were they all put to sleep by some sort of drug, then dragged into the lake and killed? With nothing left for me to salvage for my expedition, I decided to head out and explore some more. As I headed out, the forest gave me a sense of unease; there were no noises, only the sound of the sticks and leaves snapping under my feet. After what seemed like hours of walking, the sun started to set. With the forest continuously growing darker, I decided to sleep in the largest tree I could find. Walking up to the thickest one in sight, I could only admire it as I stared up and saw no end to it with my limited vision in the darkness. As I started to climb the sparse branches, I noticed small orbs of light appearing around the area randomly. The small areas of light glowed a yellowish-green until they faded out, followed by more appearing then before. As I continued climbing, I noticed that the tree bent in odd shapes. As I found a sort of mossy ledge to sit on, I let the darkness take over and fell asleep. Waking up seemed to be more of a task then it should have been. I can't move. All I saw were the countless trees in front of me. Only able to move my eyes around, I noticed something moving in the corner. A... tree? That... what? As I lay here dumbfounded, the tree kept moving closer to me, it's trunks moving in a way that seemed like clumsy walking. "Boy, do you realize where you're sitting?" the tree asked me, it's 'mouth' seeming to open and close as ours does, except there was nothing inside. Still unable to move, I couldn't even talk back. Not that I would have, I think I almost shat myself. The tree furrowed its brows that were made out of thick bark as it spoke to me again "I'm certain you have a mouth that can speak lad. Why don't you start using it?" the tree questioned. After nearly soiling myself, I was able to move my fingers. Was it something in the forest causing my paralysis? Either way, I was regaining my movement quickly. "I..." is all that I managed to spit out. "Hmm, what's that? Come on boy, I don't have all day." the tree muttered, his patience running thin. Was I a threat to his territory or something? No, he could easily snap me in half if he wanted to. "I... I don't know where I am." I told the tree. The confused look on his face instantly changed into laughter. "Hohoho! You're telling me you don't know that you're in the Forest of Ents?" the tree exclaimed. The Forest of Ents? Then does that mean the tree I'm sitting on is an Ent as well? "I-I apologize Sir... I had no idea. Would you like me to leave? I can head out right away." I frantically explained. "You mean to tell me you ran here at night and you're still alive? If that is true, I will direct you to the next best destination for yourself. Head North East, you should find a river. Past that river, you will find the cliffside where my old friend can help you out. He may give you a startle at first, but you must trust in his judgment. Now, hurry on boy. You mustn't run through here under darkness." the Ent warned. Although I wanted to ask why not, the Ent didn't seem as if he wanted to explain the situation. Running through the forest is proving to be easier the further I head North East. The fact that the trees that I had to weave through were able to walk and talk made this place even more confusing then it was before. My thoughts came to a stop as I approached a river that separated two very different lands. On the side of the Ents was a lush green forest, but on the other side was a rocky plain that seemed to have no life whatsoever. Crossing the river proved to be rather difficult since I was never much of a swimmer, but there were enough large rocks for me to hang onto that helped me make my way across. The ground on the other side seemed like it was once fertile, but some sort of disaster made it into this barren wasteland. As I continued North East, I came across the cliffside. To my surprise, there was still a piece of life left in these badlands; there was a sparkling green tree where golden apples hung from.
Chapter 8: The Cavern The sun felt as if it was tearing apart my skin, so when I noticed a tree I could find shade under my joy was inevitable. Problem is, there was still a ways to go. The barren land became more of an obstacle course as I kept going. The tree was so high up on the cliffside that I felt like I may never reach it. My next obstacle was the rocks that shot up from the ground that seemed like spikes ready to pierce through anything that fell onto them. Although they didn't cover the entire ground, they were tall enough to make me lose my direction a couple of times. As I got closer and closer to the slope that I would be able to climb on in order to make it to the tree, a sense of dread grew stronger and stronger. Suddenly I heard footsteps. Whatever it was, they were moving incredibly fast. Trying to gain some high ground for a better view, I climbed on top of a stone spike, careful not to slip and stab myself. As I looked around, I didn't notice much at first, just the wasteland I treaded through earlier. However, when I strained my eyes and really started to look harder, that's when I saw them. "Men in robes. That couldn't make my day any worse." I muttered under my dry breath. Running for my life, I could hear them not too far behind me. Is this their territory? Is that Ent trying to get me fucking killed? As I started running closer and closer to the cliffside, I noticed a small opening in the wall. Trying to lose them as fast as I could, I decided to make a beeline towards the hole. Once I was inside, I started to walk very quietly in order to not make any noise that could echo to the outside. Walking over to the nearest bunch of stalagmites, I began to notice something strange; there were no noises whatsoever. Whoever was trailing me didn't seem to follow me into the cave. After I waited for what seemed like hours, I decided to move out. As I turned around, I noticed something that made my heart ache. The entrance was blocked off. After checking that it wasn't just my imagination and the entrance was indeed blocked by a huge boulder, I sat and wondered about what to do. Should I hack away at the sides of the boulder with a sharp rock in order to try and loosen it? No, this thing is massive. I'll never be able to move it, leaving me with one option: to go further into the cave. The cave itself opened up into a larger cavern. Without any form of light, I had to use a long rock I picked up as sort of a guiding stick to make sure I don't injure myself. Out of nowhere, I heard liquid dripping slowly. The echo it created gave me an idea as to how large this cavern really is. Cursing myself because I didn't bring my phone that I could have used for a flashlight, I had no choice but to continue on. As I kept going onward, I hit something with my stone rod. At first, it felt sort of slimy, but as I touched it, I figured out what it was. It was the flesh of a person. "Agh! Fuck! What the hell? Disgusting..." I shouted, which created an echo that seemed to last for an entire minute. Wiping my hands off on a nearby rock, I continued down the cavern. Again, my stone rod hit something. This time, it seemed to be a wall. Placing my hands against it, I rubbed the surface until I found another hole that I could go into. This one, being much smaller than the other, gave me a bad feeling. That was until I saw a crack of light at the end. Hurriedly, I crawled through and popped out the other end. Looking up, I saw the crack of sunlight in the hole that was made by dripping water. What scared me is that I couldn't see how far the hole went up. At least it gave me some light, which should prove beneficial. At least, that's what I thought. Checking my surroundings gave me a disgusting shock, to say the least. More bodies. This time, there were at least a hundred.
Chapter 9: Her I dropped to my knees upon the gruesome sight. Some bodies seemed fresh, like they were here yesterday, while some merely left behind skeletons. Then the stench hit me like a rock, which caused me to vomit up my dinner. "W-wha... how..." I mumbled, barely able to contain myself. The putrid scent and the horrifying scene before me made me convulse and vomit again. Out of nowhere, I heard chains rattling. "Shit... shit... where do I go?" I uttered as I backed up against the cavern's wall. I was not prepared to see what the chains were coming from when I turned my head to the right. In the corner of the cavern, I noticed a shimmering light where the chain sounds came from. Then, my eyes got used to the darkness once more and I saw where they came from. A girl had chains binding her to the wall. Careful to be quiet, I crawled over to where she was. Taking a look at her, she seemed a bit older than me. The rags she was wearing were covered in blood and what looked to be... fecal matter. There was a large gash in her right side, and her right leg looked to have been.. bitten off? Fuck, how did this happen? Was it those creepy bastards from before? She seemed to be a lost cause. Although she was still breathing, she seemed to be unconscious from the pain. Should I help her? Seems like she'd die soon anyway; I have nowhere to take her if I ever get out of this hell-hole. I don't even have a way to get the chains off of her wrists. A loud thud snapped me out of my deep thought. Turning to the pile of corpses, I saw a tall, slender figure standing atop them, right below the tunnel of light. She has long, loose, blonde hair, and... wings? An angel? Last week, I would've laughed at the very thought. Now, though, it seems perfectly possible. She must have seen me, as she turned her head right in my direction. Should I be frightened or happy that someone's here? "Hello?" I shouted. I got no reply. Instead, she started walking towards me. Fuck, should I not have said that? The girl in chains next to me must've heard me shout, since she woke up from her slumber. "Ah..." she muttered. The look of extreme fear washed over her face as she noticed the woman walking towards us, giving me a bad feeling of what's to come. Standing up with what confidence I could muster, I decided to speak out again. "Excuse me, do you know where we are?" I asked, the fear in my voice evident. Still, no reply. What the hell do I do? I have no way of getting out of here fast enough to not get caught. Shit. "How come you're different?" the woman said. "Different from who?" I questioned, eager to get some answers from her. "All lust after me. You, you're special." the woman stated, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. How the hell would someone like this psycho? She was standing on a pile of corpses just a minute ago... "Um, ma'am, do you know a way out of here?" I asked, still slightly quivering. "There is always a way out. We call it Death." I didn't like that answer. Not one bit. Will I really be added to that pile of rotting flesh? Come on, at least give me some hope. The only way I can sneak out is if I get her distracted long enough. "P...Please...". The girl in the chains was looking at me, tears streaming down from her eyes. Shit, my karma is going to go down the drain after this... I seriously can't help her, I don't even know if I can help myself. What do I do? How do I escape this inevitable situation? I can't think of anything that I could beat her in physically, seeing that she's some sort of mythical creature. I guess it's time to try and beat her in a mental game. Squaring my shoulders and calming myself, I decided to act more confident and trick her. "Are those corpses behind you your doing?" I asked her. "Why, yes, they are. Each and every one of them obsessed over me until they met their inevitable doom. Their screams of agony as I drained their bodies of blood and disfigured their limbs were so precious...". This isn't good, not one bit. Fuck that damned Ent. Wait. The Ent... his friend. "Do you know the Ents well?" I asked, causing her right brow to raise. "The Ents? Why, of course! Where do you think these men came from?". A sinister smile rose across her face, signifying that I fell into the same trap as the others. "The Ent I met said that I should head North East to meet his friend. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?" A look of shock washed over her. "Ah, if that's true, we need to get you to the tree!". Wait, what? Does she have some sort of multiple personality disorder? I really want to leave, but it seems I can. Then I felt a weak tug at my pant leg. Maybe I can ask- A scream wrang out from the girl. The woman stomped on the girl's knees until they squished under the pressure and caved in on themselves, causing the skin to tear and separate what was left of her legs from the rest of her body. Twitching in pleasure, this freak started to carve away at her thighs with her nails, while the girl's head fell limp. "Please... stop." I begged. I could do nothing but watch as the girl that once asked me for help was being massacred into pieces of bloody meat.
Chapter 10: Slippery Slopes Regaining my composure, I was sent back out of the cave and into the wasteland in order to make it to the tree safely. I had full confidence in myself that I would come back here later and destroy that damned cave. With the sun starting to set, I made haste. Climbing up the steep slope of rocks proved to be easier then I thought, since the jagged edges helped with my footwork. Before the cover of darkness, I was able to make it halfway to the top. Then the idea struck me: if time in this 'dimension' didn't pass the same as time in my world, then wouldn't that mean I age faster the more time I spend in here? Too deep into thought, my left foot slipped. Dragging my hands down on the rocky surface to try and catch something to grab onto tore the skin off of my hands, leaving behind red marks wherever I skid. Frantically trying to find something to grab ahold of, my foot fell onto a large spike. It impaled my foot completely. The pain I felt made me want to leap off the rocks into my easy death. The tearing of my tendons and muscle, whenever I moved even a bit, made the pain shoot up through my entire body. Gritting my teeth, I pulled my foot off the spike and continued onward. The blood loss began to make my body cold, so I sat on the largest rock I could find on the slope and tore part of my pants off, wrapping the cloth around my foot and tying it together. The school doesn't sound so bad right about now. I'd take another beating any day over this shit... With the bleeding a bit under control, I curled into a fetal position and fell asleep. I suddenly woke up with a cold sweat after my nightmares, feeling worse than ever. My foot ached of pain and I was sore all over. Honestly, I feel like giving up right about now and waiting for my death. However, I do want to see what that tree is all about. If it's able to make that mass murderer make a 180 switch in personalities, it must be pretty fucking incredible. Making my way up the slope felt easier than before, probably because my entire body was numb to any pain right now. Making the most of it, I was about two-thirds of the way there. The putrid scent of the cavern kept haunting me, making me convulse and vomit again. I haven't even taken a shit or eaten yet... I just keep throwing everything back up. Finally, from what seemed like forever, my journey has come to an end. I was at the top of the slope and the massive tree was in sight over the edge. The tree itself had to be as tall as a skyscraper, and upon it hung tons of golden apples. Pulling myself over the edge, I began to crawl towards the tree. I'm not sure what I was even here for, but I'm sure the answer would come to me. Making my way towards the tree, the golden apples shone brighter than before. Then the ground started to shake and rumble. An earthquake maybe? No... what the fuck is that... Over the edge of where the tree was, a large claw appeared. Then another. What came over the edge truly answered my question of where I was; another world. A dragon-like creature, nearly as tall as the tree, coiled around it. Its massive figure sent shivers down my spine. Its scales were a golden bronze, each one in perfect symmetry with the others. With a bright white stomach, it seemed as if it was a creature from a fairy tale. It had too many heads for me to count, each baring teeth as sharp as daggers and as white as a cloud. The dragon, completely coiled around the tree, had all of its heads faced towards me. Completely synchronized, each head opened its mouth. Inside, red orbs started to appear. Wait wait wait, am I about to get obliterated into dust? "W-wait! I come from the Forest of Ents!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping the mythical creature would hear me. The dragon must have heard me, as it lowered a head down and stopped the orbs from forming. "From the Forest of Ents? For what reason do you come here today young one?" the dragon asked. "That... I'm not sure. An Ent told me to meet his friend in the North East. I've had... quite a journey. Please, tell me this is the end?" I pleaded towards the dragon. If I have to go through anything more, I might as well quit now and let him destroy my entire being. "Hmph. Very well, if that's the case, you must be the final one." the dragon snorted. "The final one? What does that mean?" I asked the dragon. With a snicker, the dragon answered "The final Fate of course."
Chapter 11: Gemstone "The final Fate? What do you mean by that?" I asked nervously. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. "I suppose you will learn in time. Here, take this golden apple and eat it. You should see the effects with time." the dragon stated. Hesitantly, I took the golden apple. As I held it in my hand, I could admire it up close. The texture felt like a polished glass ball, yet when I bit into it, it was like biting into a normal apple. "Run along now boy, I'm going to destroy the tree and I don't want you caught in the crossfire," he told me, which confused me even more. "Why must you destroy the tree though?" I asked. The dragon paused for a minute, stared at the tree, and back at me. "That is because it has done its last duty. Now, off you go. You should head to the Capital and live there. Wherever you came from, it isn't suited for you. The Capital is North West from here, it shouldn't be a rough journey. There are some small towns on the outskirts that you can stay in on your way there. Now, place this gem on your palm and let it sink into you." the dragon said. Carefully, I placed the gem on my right palm and waited. Suddenly, the glistening item seemed to absorb into my hand, sending a wave of energy into my entire body. "W-what did this do to me?" I questioned nervously. "You have bonded with the child I have left behind. Take good care of him for me. Off you go now! Be safe, and good luck." the old dragon said. Leaving the tree behind, I couldn't help but wonder about the events that unfolded before me this past day. Although I had no family to return to, with my mother going missing 5 years ago, I still wanted to return to my world eventually. However, now was not the time. I had another journey set before me, one that would surely take a while. I heard an explosion, and as I turned around, I saw the tree set aflame. The old dragon, still coiled around the tree, saw me gazing at him. With one last smile, the dragon would turn to ash and be carried off into the wings until the end of time. Heading North West proved to be rather easy. About half a mile past the wastelands was a field of grass that was easy to tread through. Further along my path, I began to notice the increase in clouds. Rain clouds to be exact, just my luck. I can't go any further, the numbness in my foot is starting to fade away, and the pain is starting to rise once more. The open field was no longer a desire of mine, so I started to head towards the dense forest to my left. I had to head there eventually anyway, might as well go now. That's when the rain started pouring, causing me to get wet. Let's look on the bright side here, I can clean the wound on my foot now. As I took off my bandage, I noticed the hole punctured in my foot was completely healed over. After I emptied my bowels, had some dried jerky, and the rain stopped, I continued on my way towards the capital. The ground was wet and muddy, and my boots kept serving their purpose, although the hole created by the spike made me a bit peeved. Suddenly I heard the sound of rushing water. Heading towards the source, I found a waterfall, something I've never been so happy to see before. Stripping down completely nude, I jumped in and started to clean myself off. The filth I've gained through my journey thus far was immense, and quite frankly I wanted to shed my skin off somehow. "I have never been this happy to get into water before," I said aloud. That was when I heard what sounded like someone dropped something. Turning around, I was met face to face with a girl around my age, beet red in the face, hastily picking up the basket she dropped. "I-I'm so sorry!" she said as she ran off. Does this mean I'm close to civilization? Hurrying to get out and put my clothes back on after attempting to dry myself off, I watched the direction the girl went. Northwest; I must be getting closer to my destination. Running in the direction she took, I finally found her a bit ahead of me. "Wait up!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, hoping she'd hear me. To my surprise, she slightly turned around and back again, then bolted towards her original direction. Shit, I didn't think I'd scare her off... Catching my breath, she lost me. The only hope I had now was to continue in that direction. Damn, I can't believe a girl outran me... I haven't worked out in a while. Running through the thicket proved to be rather easy. Looking down, I noticed a distinct path created by lots of traffic through this specific direction I'm taking, making things much easier. I started to hear noises. Not of running water or birds, but of people. Starting to speed up from the sudden motivation of finding other people, I found the source of the noises soon enough, and that's when I saw it; a town bustling with activity.
Hey, I'm a fellow writer and I just wanted to tell you some things you could fix on. For the chapter-length please try to make them a little longer, your newest chapter is barely 900 words. Next thing is please try and separate the dialogue from the descriptions (example: Why must you destroy the tree though?" I asked. The dragon paused for a minute, stared at the tree, and back at me. "That is because it has done its last duty. Now, off you go. You should head to the Capital and live there. Wherever you came from, it isn't suited for you. The Capital is North West from here, it shouldn't be a rough journey. There are some small towns on the outskirts that you can stay in on your way there. Now, place this gem on your palm and let it sink into you." the dragon said Carefully, I placed the gem on my right palm and waited. Suddenly, the glistening item seemed to absorb into my hand, sending a wave of energy into my entire body. "W-what did this do to me?" I questioned nervously. "You have bonded with the child I have left behind. Take good care of him for me. Off you go now! Be safe, and good luck." the old dragon said. ) This makes it MUCH easier for me as a reader to understand what it going on, and it gives the illusion that your chapter is much longer that it may look. cheers and work hard!
UPDATE: So, after I finished chapter 18, I decided to drop this series. I have it posted on multiple websites, and just forgot to post it on this one. If someone actually reads this story and likes it, let me know and I'll post the rest. I've begun working on a new one that I should be posting on this site as soon as chapters are made, but that will be in a long time seeing as I'm planning everything: every chapter, every event, and so on. Thanks for reading. FYI: The cover did change, I just didn't update it. As of right now it's just a red blob and a figure in front of it.