Like a leaf in the wind fluttering amidst a storm, I felt myself drift, rising and falling to the whims of fate. The world around me taking its colours and ripping them, they bled into each other saturating my sight. A rush of strength fills me and I push myself higher, only to feel it drain away like day into night and I fall once more, hands reaching out to grasp onto anything but only to come up empty. Washing through an instant the end comes eventually and I fall to not rise again the illation striking me like a hammer.
The sound of water gurgling, leaves whispering, branches clashing, and ever so faintly beasts howling awaken me. A clear stream quiet and gentle contrasted by the windswept trees all around draws me in and I feel an emotion I can’t recognise take seat in my chest. I drag my feet through the bed of leaves the damp smell of decomposition and fresh dirty tainting my nose. I feel rather than see hungry eyes watching me between the trees, tracing my path and observing which way I go. Soft dripping hounds my steps and I grow colder until I press harder on the seeping wound that traverses my shoulder and chest. Grasping my blade until my knuckles whiten I cast it with all my strength into the distance and grind out a runic word. Grasping back onto the hilt of my sword I flung in the far distance I stumble as my feet find purchase on the ground again.
Stumbling forward into a shambling run I dredge more strength from inside and fling my blade again. Another word and I appear next to it once more but my blood soaked hands fumble and it scraps against the ground giving rise to a deep earth smell. Swiping it back up and clutching it as tight as I can I listen for sounds of anything following. Silence. The sound of the stream next to me gone, the clashing leaves move but no sound enters my ears. I reach into my bag only for my hand to pierce out the other side, the ripped leather and cloth briefly entwines my hand as the reality of my items being gone crushes down onto me.
I falter.
Despite myself and what my mind screams at me I halt in shock, all that I had worked to obtain was gone. Scattered somewhere within this forest of saturated colours and bloody hands my plans halted by those I resented. The sounds around me return with the faintest of sounds, the gentle step of a foot upon the fallen leaves. Tearing the remains of the bag from my waist, I plunge myself into the stream the cold water cleansing both mind and body. Determination as cold as the water fills me as I start to dream anew, the familiar weight of the jade necklace reminds me that all is not lost. With the last of my strength I fling my blade again, another runic word bursts free from my mouth. In a flash I appear not next to my blade again but instead in front of the familiar tower, the burn walls, rubble and giant construct.
I will never stop.
