I woke up disoriented and covered in a lot more pain than I was used to. While I tried to remember why I was in so much pain I grabbed onto the ladder to my right so that I could stand up, or at least I tried to. When I couldn’t feel the ladder I looked over and remembered that my arm was missing and how I fell off the ladder. I thought to myself about how I’m going to have to get used to not having an arm so that I don't continue to make mistakes like that.

Using my other hand to pick myself up I checked the blanket over my missing arm to make sure it didn’t come loose before walking down the passageway. It didn’t take long before I reached the room with the desk covered in knives. I decided to take a few more small knives that I could carry so that I wouldn’t be screwed if I happened to lose one. I was going to head down the passageway I haven’t explored in hopes that it led me far enough away from the destroyed village and the wolves that now inhabit it.

Before I left the room I looked towards the pile of debris underneath where the hole in the floorboards used to be. I took a few minutes to dedicate everything that had happened to my memory. I regret that I couldn’t give my mother a proper burial and I regret even more that I wasn’t quicker, stronger, taller, smarter, anything that could have given me the extra minute of time I had needed to save my mother. I realize these regrets are stupid and that even if was better I still might not have been able to save my mother, but I still want to better myself so that I can someday avenge my village. Or at the very least be able to protect anyone I might care about in the future.

After spending too much time wallowing in my regrets I pulled myself together and started walking down the unexplored passageway.

I think it's been a few hours and I still haven't reached the end. I start to wonder how much longer this passageway is and if there even is safety at the end of it. I haven’t eaten or drunk anything since the soldiers kidnapped me so I hope the passage isn’t that long.

I have no idea how long I’ve been walking and I’m starting to think it might have been better if I faced the wolves instead, after all they would have made my death quick. “NO, I CAN’T THINK LIKE THAT.” I shout at myself in order to regain control of my mind. I start to worry about how long my sanity can last if I don’t get out of this tunnel soon. What if I already died and I’m just stuck here in a tunnel that goes on forever? “NO, I NEED TO STAY CALM.” I shout again and give myself a slap on the cheek. Stuff has worked out before when I’ve hoped for stuff to happen so I hope that I reach the end of the passage soon.

I’ve continued to keep walking yet I’m still not out of this damn passage. It all looks the same down here to me and I’m worried that I've accidentally turned around at some point after I take naps between walking. I contemplated sitting down and just sleeping until I died but I already resolved myself to avenge my village and dying here would accomplish nothing. My thoughts are constantly wandering to irrelevant stuff as I become more and more dehydrated.

I think I finally see an end to the passage but it’s too far away to tell if there’s an exit or if it’s just a dead end. Hell it might even be just a direct turn in the passage and it still continues. This is a random passage that started under the Village Chief's room so it may not even lead anywhere but I guess I just have to keep walking and hope it’s not a dead end.

I finally reached the end of the passage and just as I hoped there’s another ladder leading up to a hatch. I would have shouted with joy if I had any energy left in me to do so. I immediately tried to climb up the ladder but I failed to consider how drained of energy I feel and if I would even be able to climb up the ladder with a missing arm in the first place. I decided to put these problems on hold for now as I decided that it would be best for me to sleep and get as much energy as my tired, dehydrated body could get.

When I woke up I started brainstorming ideas on how I could climb up the ladder. I figured I would try to climb up the ladder normally but I could use the cloth tied to my missing arm as a safety net by tying and untying my leg to the ladder as I slowly climbed up. It would be extremely slow going and if the cloth wasn’t tied tight enough and I lost my balance I would still end up falling. I felt confident in my idea though because as long as I tie the knot tight each time it should be able to sustain my weight. I darkly joked to myself about how I am pretty light after all, especially without the second arm weighing me down.

I tried out my idea and the climb started extremely slow at first but it got slightly faster as I got more used to tying the knot. Of course progress was still extremely slow and I did almost fall a few times but the blanket was able to hold my weight. I soon reached the top of the ladder and slowly uncovered the hatch blocking my escape route.

Outside I saw a forest full of various types of greenery that I had never seen before. In my tired mind I struggled to remember why that was a good thing. The knowledge kept avoiding me but after thinking for a minute I finally realized. Father said that if there’s a bunch of greenery that usually means there is a water source nearby.

It didn’t take long before I found a giant lake that had very appealing water to my dehydrated self. I noticed that there seemed to be some animals I’ve never seen before on the shores of the lake far away from me but I didn’t think too long about it because I was extremely thirsty. I rushed towards the lake and started drinking as much water as I could.

I spent a good while just drinking and indulging in the feeling of not having a parched throat. I should have been more cautious because before I realized it, one of those animals I had seen earlier got close to me and it did not seem happy.

I immediately tried to run away but I was exhausted from what had happened the past few days and fell down almost as soon as I started running. The animal got closer and closer while I tried to crawl away from it because I was too weak to get up again. I soon felt too weak to even continue crawling and the animal sensing I was weak made a mad dash towards me.

However, just before It could get close to me a woman with hair like the night sky appeared before me and threw a shadowy ball at the animal. The animal collapsed and I assumed it was dead. I looked towards the woman to try to thank her for saving me but before I could say anything I had already passed out.

Topgun1908

I'm gonna be honest and say that this prologue was originally supposed to be 2-3 chapters and then we get a time skip but I got too invested into developing the main character more. Should only be 1 or 2 more chapters left in the prologue and then maybe a few minor time skips before we get to the main story.