It took him way longer to return to the city. Mainly cause of his ankle which had already turned purple from walking.
"What's wrong with her....argggh..... And why does she go berserk after seeing Aidan's mantel, about moms betrayal..ugh..i-i don't know anymore!" cursing quickly he dragged his broken leg along the obsidian surface.
Today was not a good day for him, to say the least.
First, he got to an unknown location, gets attacked by a sneaky civil, barely survived and almost drowned to death, got questioned without his consent then after all that, got beaten again. Nameless was simply exhausted. Though for some strange reason his body still retained the skeletal-structure and not a single scratch was on it.
But it didn't matter, he was at home.
Infront of him, three radiant silver strings falling from above the valley, and their droplets mixed with the early twilight created a misty golden hue around the valley.
At the eye of this hue stood a humongous temple as a sentinel of its time. Its broken spire reached higher than anyother layer combined and was the closest to reaching the peak of the valley. Its outer shell was entirely covered by gigantic vibrant Vine, as if protecting it from this tarnished world. On it ancient sculpture whispers forgotten tales of lost civilization.
And surrounding this ethereal view lay dormant the city of Mirage. In both sides of the slope, Mirage was divided into three layers -
Upper, middle, lower or trash and his house was at the bottom of all this, right at the outskirt.
His gaze scanned all the layers then landed right outside his house. He stopped limping, his eyes widened and breathing became even harder.
Right in front of his house three red figures stood looking right at him.
"Why now of all daysss?" cursing quietly, he limped his way forward.
Reaching his house, he bowed deeply and added with a hint of hesitation "Glory to our king, wh..what can i do for you?"
The one in the middle said after carefully admiring his ankle, "I had no idea Dogs could learn this fast, it hasn't even been a week since you mocked us."
'Mocked us - i just looked at you.!' since he was still searching for his fathers killer.
Nameless slowly lifted his head, in front of him a grotesque creature with reddish skin was looking right at him. Its facial features were deformed beyond belief with one eye almost popping out of the socket and, the other so far gone that it's hard to see with the naked eye.
His right hand was bulging with red muscle while the left lacked any muscle at all, instead the scythe-like arm had one big obsidian nail protruding downward.
But the most notable thing about him was his hunched back. Even while talking to nameless he had to look up.
And, nameless soon regretted looking up,
His head was violently slammed against the ground by its bulging right arm for the third time.
"Ughhh!"
"Heyyy hey, now you can't just look up at your master, can you?. Ahhh! i know what you all think when you look at me."
" 'A disgusting monster' yes that's what you think, but guess what? you all are living under the king's grace like a Dog, and since you have been a good boy why don't we give you a treat?" with that he gestured to the remaining two humanoid creatures.
They slowly took out a large piece of Civil with its head and fins missing. And threw it in front of nameless.
"Now, what would a good Dog says to it's master?"
"Yo...y..you are too ki..k.kind, sir!" choosing his word carefully, he repeated in his mind,
'It's okay, it's okay, it's.... okay!'
He smiled pleasant-fully which made him look even more gruesome. He pursed his lips together and uttered a single word that made nameless-s whole world shudder.
"BARK!!!"
"Wha..what???" nameless asked with bewilderment clearly written in his eyes.
"I said Bark!!" he scoffed, while tightening his grip around the head.
'ughhh....th..there is noway, he is letting me go if i don't do as he says,' with that he clenched his fist even tighter, closed his eyes shut, just one thing repeated in his mind 'IT'S OKAY.... IT'S OkAY!'
His head sunk Deeper into the obsidian surface and, two mourn-ful whisper came out of his mouth.
"Woof..woof!"
"Louder!!" he added with a vindictive grin.
No answer came from him.
"I said LOUDER!!!!" gripping his skull even tighter than before.
By then many of the lower layer citizens had gathered up there. Some minded their own business while some started laughing, mocking or even throwing stuff at him.
In all this chaos a disheveled voice came out of the skeletal boy.
"WOOF, WOOF, WOO...WOOF!!"
"Ahhh now that's a good boy!!! don't go wondering around to Rogue again." his bellowing voice echoed throughout the lower layer, letting people know the show was over
The Monsters left, the humans left, only he was left on the ground defeated, humiliated, stripped of his pride, anxiety and hope.
He wanted to sink deeper into the ground,
he wanted to end it all,
he wanted to let it go,
But he couldn't, so he did what he knew best.
he walked,
Walked,
And Walked, along into the darkness.
He and his empty self.
****
The night embraced the valley in its icy depth.
But Strangely enough, not a single house lit up. Instead the temple luminated in a golden radiance, then it rippled as if coming alive by some strange force, then it spread.
First in the upper layer, then it slowly made its way to the middle layer, then to the city hall. It even brightened some parts of the lower layer.
When it's luminous light landed on the hanged corpse, it made them look even more harrowing.
All in all the city came alive again, Rustling with people, children playing, people selling goods.
This strange kind of peace looked like a Mirage in this long forgotten valley.
But the brightest light, creates the darkest shadows.
At the bottom of the valley lay a primitive hut which was luminated by only one fire. At the furthest corner of the room where light was barely reaching, a boy lay still hugging his knees tightly.
Nameless was looking at the floor, his murky dark eyes not betraying a sense of life. his tears had long been dried up to leave a mark.
Slowly he looked up at the golden light above him, a wishful smile appeared on his face.
Sometimes he wondered, 'If this is all the world there is, is there nothing outside?'
'if so, isn't it wonderful that some people still gets to live a 'Normal life' in this monster infested land while, others couldn't even hope to be Normal!!'
His eyes wonder towards the misty Vail covering the valley,
' if that is true, isn't the mist protecting us from outside forces, like a mother's womb while the golden ray gives us hope, hope for a better future!!!'
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips, 'Haa! i don't know, all i know is that there is no hope for a guy like me!'
His gaze fell down becoming lifeless again.
Several hours later, the fire slowly dimmed down revealing a huge piece of meat just above the hearth. The meat was roasted with ember brown and Black patches all over it.
After cooling it down, nameless slowly took the first bite and immediately grimaced.
'Ahh! why is it salty?'
He didn't know if this was because of his mixed emotions or he is just a bad cook in general. What he did know,
'In the face of hunger pride, humiliation, fear, everything becomes useless. It's just you and your hungry self.'
Piece by piece he started devouring it, no matter how salty it got he never stopped. While he was eating he put some civil lipid and fur on the hearth to keep the fire going.
***
In the cold embrace of night, he shifted uncomfortably in his makeshift bed.
Opening his eyes to the same solace darkness. He sat up, drank some water from his rusty wooden flask.
His body felt sore, his mouth parched, his mind was racing with unwanted thought.
Amid this, a pale mocking voice resounded in his mind.
"What's this! our baby can't sleep, still missing his mommy and daddy ayyy?!"
"Shut up!!" he shouted, clenching his head as hard as he could. He didn't wanna deal with him right now, not now not ever. Yes he saved his life once, but that doesn't mean he gets to run his mouth all day.
"Why are you still so adamant about not accepting the truth?" the melodious voice scoffed.
"What truth?" He added, by then his ear already started ringing.
For a few seconds no answer came, only the silence ruling over the hut. Making nameless even more anxious.
Then a mischievous almost playful voice resounded, not only to his mind but to the hut itself.
"Tell me boy, do you remember your mother and fathers name?"
"What kind of weird question is that, of course i d....!!" his word hung in the air, a silent almost ominous feeling clenching his heart.
"I mean isn't it natural for a child to know their parents'name??" he added, with no emotion.
"I...i know, i just don't remember it now, yes that's it, Yes!!" his breathing became even ragged then before.
"Hmmm if you say so, but boy do you even know what they looklike?!"
Nameless stopped, his body becoming stiff. Closing his eyes, his tried to recall all the happy memories of them being together to the feverish ones of them leaving him alone.
"No the..they have to be real, they have to....
These memories are the only thing i have left, i still have to find my fathers killer. I still have to avenge my mother. And a lot more!"
But the more desperately he tried to recall them, the more vague they became.
Slowly their face, their voice, the way they moved, talked all began to turn blurry until, there was nothing left.
Noticing his silence, the voice spoke with no particular emotion behind it.
"Boy! if you ask me. You can't remember their names, can't remember their face, you can't even remember their memories, then do they really exist, are they even your real parents?"
"No...no..NO.!!" his head was wreathing in pain as if it was about to split open. His eyes started bulging out, his ear bled profusely as if hearing an sinister prophecy.
"NO, NO..NO...NO...NOOOOOOO!!!"
nameless started bashing his head left and right, even scratching the wooden wall.
"The Pain, MAKE IT STOOOOOP!!!!!"
Amid this beastial rampage, a quiet chuckle resounded across the world.
"Ahhh, now you are acting like yourself. Now on to our last question!"
He couldn't hear any of that all he could think, feel and see were PAIN, PAIN and PAIN.
"So boy tell me, just WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?"
For a few seconds everything stopped, the sound of creaking wooden wall, the smell of the fresh blood spilling on the obsidian surface, even nameless halted.
Only the oppressive weight of silence remained.
The nameless boy lifted his head in an unhurried manner. His curiously glistening dark eyes scanned the whole hut and paused on a wooden slate, with seven crossed markings on it.
Slowly his eyes received some semblance of life.
He frantically looked around him.
The solemn darkness felt unknown to the touch.
The golden radiance felt eerie and promised falls hope.
But most of all the mist, that looked like a mother's womb protecting him from outside forces, now it felt like a cage trapping him for all eternity until he withers away.
He looked at the valley above him, then said in a muffled tone.
"I...i fell..frm..above, i ne..need to ..get out, bu...but ....WHO THE FUCK AM I?!!!" he shouted, not understanding himself or who he was.
But that didn't matter to him now, what he did understand in this brief period, was that he needed to get out off this wretched place immediately.
He slowly began to stand up. One step at a time, he moved closer and closer to the gate.
But to no avail, suddenly his mind became foggy, he lost all strength in his legs and fell on the ground. Still he persisted, stretching his hand as far as he could.
"I NEED TO GET OUT, I NEED.... BEFORE I... FA..FALL ... ASL...!!!" he's beastial growl echoed throughout the valley, but know one to answer it.
In the end, he fell lifelessly on the ground.
Forever stuck in a maze of his own creation.
Another day came, bringing with it the misty light of dawn that shone upon the valley, and, ---
THE CYCLE BEGAN.
_______________