A Writing Blog

There was once a time when the Earth was barren and dead; a worldwide desert. However, life still persisted. Humans. They were spawned from the depths of the deepest oceans, born from the dark and cold. Their birth had robbed from them the warmth of love. Incapable of it, they sought a way to grasp the most essential part of life.

An ancient god of the sky heard their pleas, and guided them, for he too lacked love. He told them that the only way was to abandon one of their own.

The people chose a girl. She was thrown into a mountain of fire, left alone with her own thoughts, fighting the monsters of her mind. She was transformed; now a great deity, she roamed the Earth bringing life and love to all. But the ones she loved the most were humans: the ones she could empathize with the most. She gave them all the gifts imaginable: the ability to heal, grow their own food, the intellect to make logical decisions, and travel faster than any other animal. She wasn’t one of them anymore, and most didn’t even remember her, too drunk on the glee of living.

One day she started coughing up petals, dry and wilted. Then one day she started coughing up buds. Another day she coughed up a whole flower. Daffodils. Through the ages her love for humanity grew, but so did the flowers until she was finally choked by them: growing in her lungs, their roots sucking out her very life force. Nature was a harsh thing, turning on its own mother.

Then a snake came along, jealous that their mother cared for humans more than them, they proposed an idea. The snake could remove the flowers and save her, but she would have to give up her love for mankind. She accepted, desperate to continue living. It was a slow and painful process, to lose a long love. When the final sprouts had been removed, so had all her fondness for humans. She no longer saw her fellow people, but ones who only lived to hurt her and her children, pumping out her blood to fuel their machines.

So she sent wave after wave of disasters, hoping to be rid of them. But no hurricane, forest fire, nor plague could destroy them. They crawled back like roaches, saved by the intellect that she had given them.

Every night before bed she took a stroll by the water’s edge. She loved these islands with all of her heart. The docks looked out onto a vast lagoon, which anyone would consider a paradise. She did too. At first.

Then she saw the bubbles. Rising up from the depths like startled birds from the underbrush, free, and their music so sweet. Words praising all of her achievements, all of her pleasant features, drifted to her ears. She sat there on the docks for a while, before reluctantly turning in for bed.

Every night before bed she took a stroll by the water’s edge. It’s a paradise, those lagoons, with their teeming waters and bright teal colors. She sat there on the dock, watching the stars twinkle against a moonless sky. Bubbles drifted up and brought voices singing of riches beyond imagination, land so vast and plentiful that Mother Nature herself was jealous, seemingly came from the water itself. It beckoned her closer with its promises, but a stern voice knocked her back into reality. Her mother stood by the doorway reprimanding her for staying out so long. She went back inside, bubbles floating past the window as she slept, not remembering her own name.

Every night before bed she took a stroll by the water’s edge. Bubbling to the surface of the water we’re thoughts of all of the things she never had, that others did, kept her awake. Writhing with jealousy she again accepted the invitation of the lovely voices. They told her that one day they’d be in her shoes one day. Told her that she’d be laughing at them then. She drifted off unable to recall her birthday.

Every night before bed she took a stroll by the water’s edge. It pulled her mind away from the horrors of mankind. The water bubbled with the smells of spices and home cooked meals wafted up from the ocean, the sea’s salty undertones penetrating the pleasant smells. Memories of that day when she shoplifted a candy bar drifted to the front of her consciousness. She fell asleep on the cold dock, not realizing that her family had a warm bed for her.

Every night before bed she took a stroll by the water’s edge. The bubbles carried bloodlust for all those who ever wronged her and plans for revenge. They whispered their cold suggestions as the bubbles drifted into her ears; Into her brain as they extracted every lie she’d ever told and dangled it before her mind's eye. There were no faces but her own, but flaming hot guilt still coursed through her veins. She lay down in the shallows with the waves lapping against her knees, forgetting to text her friend.

Every night before bed she took a stroll by the water’s edge. She lay lazily on the floorboards of the dock, trailing her fingers atop the waves. The water churned with bubbles, and she could’ve sworn she’d seen shapes moving beneath the water. As she closed her eyes she dreamt of a world where she could lay about, not a care in the world. Rooms made out of mattresses and filled to the brim with pillows and fluffy comforters. She bolted awake as a splash yanked her into consciousness. She glanced at her watch. The hands seemed to swirl and swiftly move back and forth with no rhyme or reason. She lay back down and continued her dreams of splendor.

Every night before bed she took a stroll by the water’s edge. She sat curled up in a ball, waiting for the voices. Nothing else mattered. When they came, she was ready. They projected images of her with someone. Boy, girl, or neither? It didn’t matter. Nothing did but the voices. She scooted up to the edge of the dock and dangled her legs into the water as she sung along with the voices.

They tell of them all each night,

One

By

One.

With voices of honey

Pride,

Greed,

Envy,

Gluttony,

Wrath,

Sloth,

Lust.

They take all your memories

One

By

One.

With whispers of silk

Your name,

Birthday,

Family,

Friends,

Time,

Your own sense of self.

They tell of every little secret,

One

By

One.

With one little kiss

They take you away

And drown you in bliss.

“Don’t even think about touching that weapon of yours missy. If you do, my men will kill that feeble little girl over there, got it?” A rough voice whispered in my ear, his breath smelling like rancid meat. I nodded dumbly. Ah shit I’m injured too.

“That’s a good girl. Now just give us all your valuables without a fuss and you’ll get away with nothing more than a scratch missy.” He paused to lick his lips. “Well, maybe something….more too.” I shuddered as sweat ran down my back. If I just stall long enough, then maybe Yoon could run away and Hak could come and save us. Although he’s probably in worse shape than I am.

I shrunk as I looked him in the eyes. “The-the bags are this way.” You can do this Ōkami. You’re definitely not actually scared or anything. Yep, yep, just pretending to be scared so that they lower their guard.

I led them away from the clearing and towards our bags. There were men all around me, many hidden in the shadows and not even bothering to be silent.

Leaves and twigs cracked underfoot as I glanced around me for Hak.Where is that idiot when you need him? And where’s Sora?!

“Whatcha lookin’ around for? Keep moving!” There was a quick push from behind me and I tripped. My face burned as I lay on the ground, laughter echoing all around me. I struggled to my feet as the snickers died down, wishing that they’d die too.

“Yeah, yeah I’m getting up.” I muttered. I’m getting the same feeling as back then….. Who’ll die this time? SNAP OUT OF IT ŌKAMI!!!! You’re better than this. Keep your head and stay strong.

There was a quiet growl, barely perceptible to any ears other than mine. I know what my dog sounds like. Suddenly Yona’s clear and utterly oblivious voice cut through my thoughts.

“Who are you people!? Umf!! Let go of me!!” She screeched.

The bandit muttered something that sounded a lot like,”Oh good, she found us..”

“Yon-“ He seized my arm and snarled,”Don’t.” I shook him off like the flea he was. There was a rustling in the bushes, followed by a shuffling gait.

“Who’s there!?” One of the men shouted. “Show yourself!” A slinking animal strode out of the underbrush, showing its dagger-like teeth. Hak came beside her, twirling his glaive. There was an animalistic gleam in his eyes. He tore through the crowd like lightning; the mens’ screams were abruptly cut off as Sora closed their windpipes in her jaws.

“D-Don’t come near me!!” A man had a small dagger pressed against Yona’s neck. “I’ll k-kill her!! Stay back!”

The brute beside me began to retreat, but I punched him before he could. Hard. My shoulder zinged.

“Bastard.” I muttered, stepping away from his limp body. I picked a sword off of him and slashed my way to where Hak was. I need to end this quickly or else my wounds will never heal. He looked…..off. There was something in his stance-his eyes, that I couldn’t pinpoint. Something in the way how he fought without any care for his own well-being. He didn’t even notice when I pressed my back against his. He must really love that girl, huh? Or he’s an idiot.

I took a glance at where Yona was, still at the mercy of the bandit. He was the last of the men left.

There was no fear in Yona’s eyes, strangely. It was as if she knew that her Thunder Beast would save her. Hak, however wasn’t sure. To be honest, I was as scared as he was-maybe even more so. I could feel his trembling through my back, although his face stayed as hard as stone. He definitely didn’t look in the state to think properly let alone talk, so I made the next move.

“Release her!! You won’t like the consequences.” I grinned at him toothily, purposefully showing him my canines. He squeaked, but still refused to stand down. I narrowed my eyes. If talking wouldn’t work, then I’d have to use force. I whispered to Hak,”You and me walk towards him while Sora goes around from behind, ok?” His nod was barely perceptible and we both made a hesitant step forward.

The man pulled Yona closer to him and whimpered.

My body moved another step closer. And another. He was shaking by the time I was a mere 15 feet away. I pulled my eyes away from where Sora was approaching and looked him dead in the eye.

“Give. Her. To. Me. Now.” After a slight pause I tilted my head. “I promise I won’t hurt you if you give her back.” His stance started to relax as he loosened his grip on Yona. I glanced at Sora.

“Come!” I called. She came barreling towards him and abruptly knocked him down. Man, it was great having a dog. Yona jabbed the man with her elbow before running up to us with Sora in toe. I patted Sora on the head while Hak was busy worrying over her and grumbling about how he’d kill them.

“Oi, Yoon!” I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled. “Where are ya?” I left Yona in Hak and Sora’s care as I searched for my brother. I searched around the woods for a while, struggling to get through the tangled undergrowth. I parted a particularly dense cluster of branches and my eyes settled on the crouching form of Yoon.

“C’mon Hak and Yona are waiting for us back there.” I held out both hands and hoisted him up. His eyes were focused somewhere behind me. “Hey, what’re you looking at, my face is righ-“

There was something cold in my lower back. I looked down to find the end of my blade sticking through my abdomen. “Oh for the love of-“ There was an excruciating shock as it twisted and pulled out. The last thing I remember was Yoon’s wide eyes and the heavy footsteps of my assailant fleeing.

I grabbed my bags and halberd and called for Sora. We figured she’d be useful for hunting and whatnot.

Hak and I set the pace, stumbling around, sore from the match yesterday. We hobbled along, and I risked a glance back at the house. The only thing I’d ever known except for my old village. It was home, I had grown up there, learned, and been loved there. But all birds have to leave the nest at some point.

Iksu stood on the doorstep, simply watching as we continued down the path. As I turned away, I could’ve sworn a stubborn tear ran down an otherwise smiling face.

We soon arrived at a village, and I helped Hak stuff Yona into a bag, although not unscathed. Who would’ve thought such a sweet little princess could be so vicious? I thought. We passed by an old farmer pulling a cart behind him. My face became damp from sweat as we drew near. Yoon stopped by to have a little chat, and I felt something poke my rib cage.

“Stop hiding your face in your cloak, it’s suspicious!” Hak hissed. I’ve been doing that? Hm. Must be a nervous habit.

“Says the man with a big hat to hide his face and a body-shaped bag over his shoulder!” I snapped back.

“Touché.”

“Stop bickering like an old married couple you two! Let’s go!” They all exchanged some words while I kept quiet.

Yoon led the way and we soon arrived at a forest. I helped Yona out of the bag and she immediately stomped off.

“Priiiiiiiiincess. Priiiiiiiincess.” Hak called in a monotone voice. “What are you mad about? Is it because I packed you in a bag and carried you over my shoulders? Is it because I said there were clothes in the bag and I treated you roughly? Or is it because I felt up the good stuff in the bag?”

Yona clenched her fist and growled, ”Everything.”

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Yona practically chase Hak up a tree and shrugged. I’m gonna have to get used to them eventually. Which reminds me, I still have to clear things up with Hak and his little ‘test’.

Yoon mumbled,”The bag that was supposed to have clothes in it started squirming around…...and I was really nervous that the old man had found us out.” He paused and eyed them. “Are you two alright?” I glanced at them in amusement. They were still at it.

He pointed at us consecutively. “Red-haired princess!” He pointed at Hak. “Ex-general beast Raijuu!” And lastly, me. “Stunningly terrify-I mean-beautiful sister! You guys stick out like a sore thumb! Especially you two, quiet it down, you’ll attract too much attention!”

They both nodded meekly. “Yes.” Ah, they’re already becoming obedient!

“Now then,” Yoon pulled out a map and continued,”The village of the Dragon Warrior should be right about...here.” He pointed at a set of mountain ranges. Finding a Dragon Warrior? What’s he talking about?

“Um, sorry, but what are you guys talking about?” I looked at them in confusion.

“Oh yeah, you weren’t there when Iksu explained.” Hak replied. “He spouted this weird prophecy which claimed that I would die if we didn’t find one of these warriors. I don’t buy it, but Yona seems pretty hard set on it.”

“You’re telling me the Dragon Warriors are real? I thought they were just made up.”

Yona gasped,”But your father is a priest, how could you not believe in them?”

“Er, I guess it doesn’t really make sense to me?” I fidgeted with the hem of my cloak.”I mean, this god person comes down and turns regular people into half-gods? It just doesn’t really seem possible to me.” Nobody spoke after that, but Yoon saved me when he said,

“Well anyways, one of them lives in these mountains right here.” He pointed on the map again.”It’s near the capital and the Fire Tribe though, so we should be careful.”

“It’s near the border too, huh?” Hak smirked,”Near Kaitei and the capital….” I half heartedly stroked Sora’s fur as I contemplated our problem. If we got too close to Kaitei, the capital, or the Fire Tribe, we’ll be in serious trouble. We need to find a safe route that isn't too hard to travel on. Yona could have some trouble getting up a steep path, not to mention Hak and I. I vaguely heard Yoon yelling at Hak for something, and snatched the map out of Yoon’s bag as he ran by.

I unrolled it and pointed a section of the map that showed a small valley. It was a little too close to the capital than I would’ve liked, but if we were careful it might work. “Hak! Stop messing around with my brother!” I jabbed him in the gut.”You know the area around Kuuto pretty well, right? Is this place safe to go through?” I pointed to the valley.

“It should be. Heh, unless they built a castle while I was resting.” He joked.”But yeah, it’s safe. Good eye Ōkami!” For a guy that will attack you in the woods as a ‘test’, he’s actually quite likable… But I still have to keep my guard up around him. Something about him just doesn’t sit right with me.

“Thanks….we have to head Northwest right?”

“Yeah. While we still have daylight, let’s get moving.”

We started to head down the trail when the footsteps behind me suddenly ceased.

“Will the soldiers attack us again?” Yona had a slight quiver in her voice, and was covering part of her face with her cloak. This poor girl. What exactly did they do to her? I wasn’t really listening when they explained, although I wish I had.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” He said it with a smile, but I could tell he was worried about her.

Yoon quipped,”While you’re at it, protect me too, I’m weak.”

“I need to learn swordsmanship. You can teach me on the road Hak.” Coming from that small weak girl, it would’ve been ridiculous, if not for her circumstances. Hak’s eyes went from wide in surprise to narrow slits.

“Could you kill a person?” Hak’s voice was low and cold.”Even if you repel them, you can’t give enemies the chance to flee. You need to hurt them to the point where they’re beyond recovery and kill them. Could you do that?” Yona stood as still as a tree on a windless day.

I attempted to lighten the mood.

“Heh, no need for that Yona. You saw me fight Raiju right? Us together provide more than enough protection.” But they ignored me.

“At that time, even though you had a sword you didn’t use it at all.”

Yona’s face was scrunched up with unease as she replied,”Even if I can’t match up against them, or kill them, I want to at least create an opening for you and I to get away.”

Hak rubbed his chin.”Swordsmanship for self defense… Surely you’ll need that.”

Yona’s face brightened as she asked,”Does that mean you’ll teach me?”

“You’re upper body strength isn’t the greatest and I don’t want you to be on the front lines, so here.” He chucked the bow and quiver from his back to Yona. It landed in her arms with a dull thud and her arms struggled to hold it. A bow, huh? I suppose it would be easier for her to carry.

“Princess, I’m going against your father's wishes. King Il hated weapons. Think about why his majesty hated weapons.” Yona clutched the bow tightly.”But you might as well practice while we’re heading to the village.”

We walked along for a bit before Yoon asked,”I wonder if you can kill birds and rabbits with that. Sure, Sora can hunt a lot of things, but she would never be able to catch a bird. Would you be able to?” Yoon paused for a moment and continued.”I-if you don’t mind, of course.”

“If you don’t wanna, then I could go hunt with Sora. But I really think that it would give you great practice though.” I said. We walked for about an hour, Yona trying to shoot a bird the whole way. It was getting kind of annoying; the fwoosh and whack of the arrows creating an unsteady beat that drove me insane.

Hak, must’ve felt the same way, he grabbed the bow and arrow from her hands and shot an arrow straight at a bird. In three seconds it fell to the ground, the arrow directly piercing the heart. Show off. But it was pretty cool.

“How did you do that?!” Yona exclaimed. “I can’t even hit one!”

“I aimed.”

“I don’t get it Hak.”

“You’re a terrible teacher Hak! I can barely shoot an arrow fifteen feet, but I bet I could teach her better than you!” I was exasperated. How did the soldiers he trained ever learn anything?!

“I can! Look, I’ll show you!”He turned to face Yona.”Ok, so basically you don’t have enough strength. Your arms shake when you aim, and that’s why you’re missing. Draw the bow with full strength and aim on instinct. Some of the best archers close their eyes when they shoot, so they aren’t fooled by their eyes. For now though, focus on shooting the arrow straight.” Yona nodded.

“Alright, you might be able to teach her. But when you’re finished, I want lessons too.” I admitted begrudgingly.

He smirked at me and said,”I doubt I’d be able to teach you much, you’re as clumsy as a toad!” He chuckled, and as I lunged to tackle him, I tripped over my own feet, and his laugh turned into full on guffawing.

Night soon fell, and I let the sound of crickets lure me into sleep as I snuggled against Yoon to keep him warm. Well, maybe I was the one that needed the warmth. We usually slept like that at home too, the walls of the house sometimes let in a draft.

I was asleep for maybe four hours when I was roused by a noise. Fwap. Fwap. Fwap. What is that irksome noise?! It almost sounds like….arrows? Shit, are we under attack!? I threw the blanket off of me, much to the discomfort of Yoon, who curled in on himself as I prodded him to get him to wake up.

“Ugh, what-what is it Ōkami? It’s like three in the morning, sis!”

“Yoon, I think we’re under attack!”

“Hungh? Whaddya say?”

I lightly slapped him on the face.”Wake up Yoon! I think we’re under attack!” It took him a second to process my words, but his eyes soon widened in fear.

“Stay here while I check it out, okay?” I crept out of our makeshift bed and ruffled his hair in reassurance as I tiptoed around him. I rummaged through our stuff and took out my halberd. Every rustle if fabric as I unwrapped it grated against my ears.

I felt a disturbance behind me and whipped around with my weapon in hand, ready to fight. Hak held up his hands and my shoulders relaxed.

“Do you know what that noise is? It sounds like arrows, are we being attacked?!” My hands were shaking as I faced him.

“Hey, hey, calm down. It’s just Yona practicing her bow and arrows. Why are you so panicked? Did you see something?”

“It’s nothing…it just reminds me of something that happened in the past.”

He regarded me with a somewhat worried look, but went on,”Well, since you’re already up I need you watch over Yona for a bit. I need to go pee.”

“Um, okay. But I gotta go tell Yoon that everything’s ok.” Why did he even tell me that? I could understand if he said it if I asked. What a weird guy.

“Don’t worry about that, when I passed by him he was panicking like a little bird, and he told me that you thought we were being attacked, so I told him that it was just Yona.”

I looked at him.”You better not be lying. When I come back Yoon better be calm. The stress isn’t good for him.”

“Don’t worry, he’s fine. She’s over there by the way.” He pointed to a patch of undergrowth. “Keep her safe.”

I walked over to where Hak told me she was, and settled down in the bushes to watch. There was definitely some improvement from where she was the previous afternoon. Her arrows flew straighter, and she hit the tree about seven times out of ten, which was pretty amazing progress compared to her not even being able to shoot without her arms shaking. She must really love this country if she’s willing to take up the bow like this. She could’ve just given up and stayed in Fuuga, or let Hak protect her. I judged her wrong when we first met. I always thought that she was a lazy princess. But look at her. She’s becoming stronger, and I feel a strange sense of pride and an urge to protect her whenever I look at her.

I was so enthralled with her that I failed to notice the footsteps behind me. I only realized my mistake as I felt the cold edge of a blade against my throat.

The Fall of a King

He was dying, anyone could tell. The servants whispered about it in the halls. His queen knew that he was getting old, and as a servant came huffing up to her saying that he’d collapsed she rushed to his room without a second thought.

The door burst open and Hiryuu smiled weakly at her as she fell into him.

“You IDIOT of a king how dare you!!! I told you not to push yourself anymore!” She pressed her face against a pillow and screamed. “I hate you…”

Hiryuu stroked her hair tenderly and leaned his head against hers.

“I hate myself too, for leaving you and Yakshi.”

“YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT!!!!” Kaori yelled at him.”Ughhh.” He gave her a bewildered look.

“Even after all these years I still don’t know how humans work.” Hiryuu scratched his head.

“Nobody really does, most of the time I can’t even understand myself.”

“That’s why I love humans so much. And that’s why I love you.” A servant walked into the room reminding Kaori that she had to leave, lest she get sick as well. As she was walking out the door she turned around.

“This better not be our last conversation you idiot king!” As she rounded a corner she finally broke. As she lay slumped against the stone wall she muttered,”What about Yakshi?”

“Um…..Queen Kaori?” A servant was fidgeting by the doorway.

“What is it, can’t you see that I’m working?” Kaori scribbled down a few more words before setting down her quill to look at him. She noticed that his hands were trembling and a shiver of dread crawled up her spine.

“King Hiryuu…...he-he’s dead.”

Kaori had been restricted from visiting Hiryuu. Ever since she was a child she’s been very frail. What would happen to the kingdom if both rulers became bedridden?

She feigned a calm look as she set her hands in her lap. “D-Did I hear you right? Is my-my husband de-“ The last word was choked off by a sob.

Why couldn’t you be healthier? You should’ve been there for him! It’s all your fault. Are you going to leave Yakshi alone too?!

The shock kicked in when she actually saw his body. She threw herself at Zeno with a burning passion.

“WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HIM! YOU WERE THERE WHEN HE DIED!!” She had already turned on the doctors before Zeno stammered our his,”I’m sorry. Please forgive me. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry.”

Guen cut her off before she could harass anyone else. “Go rest. I’m sure Yakshi needs you.”

Yakshi…..Our son. What will become of him and this country?

She lived the rest of her life blaming herself and wishing that she could see her beloved just one. More. Time.

The steps. The door. The crumbling brick. It begged me to enter. My trembling hands grasped the rusty doorknob and turned it with a click. The smell of iron filled the air as rust particles fell off the handle. The door opened with a creak as my legs dragged me inside.

The door was no more. No walls, no ceiling, no floor. Empty. Just like me.

A spiral of thoughts and things I never did cascaded into the nothingness. Monsters of my own likeness crawled among the nooks of my thoughts, fangs dripping with bloodlust.

Sitting on the middle of it all was one being-The Truth. With a grin of all the people on Earth, it skipped over to face me.

“Persistence or acceptance, it’s all the same. We all return to stardust from which we came.” It leered over me, it’s grin giving nothing away. Tapped me on the shoulder, gone as fast as it had appeared.

A staircase of sorts led out of the nothingness and sunlight spilled out onto me. I staggered towards it, desperate for relief, but with each step, memories of every mistake I’ve ever made flashed through my mind. It seemed like years had passed when I stepped out into a deceptively sunny alleyway. I stumbled onto the cobblestone and stared at my worst fear.

The steps. The door. The crumbling brick. It begged me to enter.

DISCLAIMER: this idea is based off of @sirens-song-of-the-seas dream that they submitted to @one-time-i-dreamt

WARNING: GORE

He hated that boy more than anything, but on they went. Deeper and deeper into the maze-like forest. The trek was slow. But not as slow as the years it took to lull the other into a false sense of security with honeyed words and tempting lies. He made sure to never tell the truth. The truth is too bitter for many to bear.

Time was an illusion in those woods. An hour may feel like only a few minutes, or the complete opposite. They reached a clearing. He was an unwatched and unattended to boiling pot of water just waiting until the moment when he could overflow and burn everything in his path. No one could hear them that far the wilderness, he was sure. He picked up a rock and crept up behind him, in a mock game of hide-and-seek.

Down went the stone, unflinchingly, over and over. Never even giving him a chance to see the eyes of his killer. He left him there, a mangled, bloody lump of what one could only assume used to be a human. A rush of feathery tingles flowed through his body, a feeling he hadn’t experienced for years. Finally, he could find peace. He didn’t know which way was east or west. It didn't matter anymore.

The emotion didn’t last long; he sat there next to the corpse until hunger blurred his vision and he relished in the silence, not realizing what was so utterly wrong with it.

The gossip of the birds no longer filled the air. The trees no longer spoke of the years gone by. And in the silence the rustling of fabric was as loud as thunder.

Cloaks of ebony swirled around him, forming a wall of hooded figures. Hands, not his own, shoved chunks of flesh into his mouth, forcing it down his gullet. They knew what would happen, and so did he. It would've been better if he had died of starvation.

They knew what would happen, and so did he. The only difference was that they could run. He’d been running away from himself for years, and now it seemed like he’d finally reached a spot where he couldn't.

They were long gone before the first stump broke through his matted hair. Long gone before the skin from his face peeled off, leaving a barren skull that stretched into a snout. Long gone before the crows pecked out his eyes and his nails grew into knives. They were long gone when he staggered upright, sniffing for flesh to devour.

His friend’s bloodied bones were all that was left, and he swallowed them without hesitation. Already sniffing for more as an arm went down his throat, he continued to eat for years, never satiating his hunger.

The local people turned him into a legend-naming him “The Wendigo of Ashwood Forest”. Some believed that he was simply a story to caution the children, nothing more. Most knew better.

Travelers dwindled down to almost nothing. Even the locals left, unsettled by a forest devoid of birdsong.

They call him the dreamwalker now. A strange twist of fate, him becoming one of the very monsters that tormented him in his sleep. He drifts through the consciences of the weary, bringing both wisdom and misfortune, more often than not both.

In a poor soul’s dream, or rather nightmare, they imagined him under a tree. Snow appeared, soon followed by an entire forest. The mortal approached him, craning their head to ask,”Are you going to kill me?” He chuckled, a low rumbling sound.

“No, this is a dream.” They waded through the snow and sat next to him.