《Tellus Stirs (Previously Earth AA)》Chapter 5
Advertisement
Zef grasped his head, avoiding the two new neighbors on top of his head. He tried not to freak out as his heart raced against his chest. Shutting his eyes tight, he decided to calm himself as different emotions circulated inside of him. Mostly it was a spiral of fear, panic and confusion He knew he needed to calm down and bottle his feelings, so he did the only thing that could work.
He changed his seating to a cross-legged position and put his hands on his knees, and started chanting in his native language; Tuareg, “Never panic, a young lion you are, fear is a part of our nature. Panic, and you die quicker, control your breath, and you will control your world”.
The more he chanted, the easier it was to drown those negative thoughts. Zef then started a grueling session of deep breaths, of slow inhales and exhales with his eyes closed. Meditation was an old art taught to him by his uncle to control his PTSD problems. Weirdly enough, it took him only half the time to calm down than ever done before. Once he got his heartbeat in control, he studied his new titan-like body, then sighed and started planning his next move.
Zef's combat training took over and prioritized shelter, defense, and sustenance. the heavy lifting would come later once he secured all three necessities which were to seek answers to his many questions.
He knew that he needed to adjust the idea that he was no longer himself. It wasn't just his body, even his mind, he could feel it. Something was not him entirely. His thoughts felt quicker, sharper, and just somewhat alien.
He looked at his surroundings again and wondered if this was an alien spaceship. He was in a cave that had a circular structure with many crevices. The small pond lay almost at the center of his dwelling.
Advertisement
He then dragged himself to a wall closest to him and put his back against it, slowly he started to massage his legs allowing the blood to circulate efficiently and invigorate his leg muscles.
While doing so, his hearing was picking up distinct sounds both close and far but it felt a bit tuned out. So he closed his eyes and just listened. He caught crickets chirping and focused. His hearing was so sharp that even with his eyes closed he had a clear where they were inside the cave. More surprising was his antennas which moved and he could smell those crickets, they had a distinct metallic smell, like copper.
It was better than GPS when he opened his eyes excitedly he found all the hidden crickets within the grass, the cave walls even the ones hiding in the crevices of those walls.
Zef was blown away, he felt like a superhero and focused outside of the cave. Seconds flew by and he caught the rustling of many trees which he found weird. There weren't many trees in his region and desert trees don't rustle like that. Then the howl of a wolf....then more howls as if calling to each other. He also picked up the gliding and fluttering of bats and last but least was the hoot of an owl.
Forest!!! I'm in a freaking forest. Blessed Heavens!
Suddenly the moonlight entering his cave disappeared. In the darkness, he lay; The red grass no longer glazed due to the cloud that hovered above his dwelling, stopping moonlight from entering. It didn't matter as Zef blinked; his eyes shone brilliantly like two glowing suns. Those were the eyes of a beast, no longer human it looked like it belonged to a massive predator.
Zef did not perceive how he intimidating his eyes looked. His attention was at two tiny insects huddled together hidden between the stalks of grass. So focused was he that his eyes suddenly zoomed in and saw them fighting over a crushed leaf that he must have stepped over earlier. Zed was bewildered by his vision's clarity, and the fact that he could zoom in and zoom out like a sniper's scope, made his heart skip a beat.
Advertisement
Unlike night-vision goggles, his night vision had different shades of grey, blue, and violet. He looked here and there, zooming in and out until a headache intensified in his brain. He stopped before it turned into a throbbing pain.
The cloud covering the moon soon hovered away, and his eyes stopped shining and turned back to their natural golden color as the moonlight entered the cave and lighted up his small abode.
Zef sat there and took all the changes in, and when he felt ready, he checked his legs which now had some strength and used the opportunity to stand up and check his motor movement. He did some stretches, then finally pulled himself up using the fissures on the wall for him to stabilize on. Once he got his body upright, he was shocked at his newfound height.
Brushing his hands, he looked down on his feet and tried to estimate his height, which was about seven feet, he thought to himself.
Astounded, he wondered if he’ll ever get used to this. The new anomalies to his body made Zef want to take a better look at his face again. So he walked in a toddler-like manner towards the pond with his newfound legs, falling several times before finding his balance. Patience rewarded him as he knelt and looked at his reflection at the pond’s surface. He took a quick look at his perfectly symmetrical face and sized himself up again before opening his mouth. His teeth were almost pristine except for the four canines, which looked a bit too sharp if not slightly bigger than average. He closed his mouth and turned his face sideways and touched his ears hiding between his hair and noticed they were a bit longer and extended upwards to a pointy end.
Frowning, he grabbed his hair, which ran down to his heels. It was wavy yet silky smooth, and there were hints of maroon here and there. As he tried to wrap his hair around the waist, a loud rumble echoed from his stomach, which swayed him from his hairdressing plan. Zef looked around for any food but could only find insects. He frowned and then sighed before grabbing several beetles and crickets. The act of eating insects wasn’t new to him. Still, he hoped he’d never repeat that experience, sadly it did, and Zef knew that he needed calories to strengthen himself if he wanted to climb out of the cave since he didn't see a way out earlier he was experimenting with his eyes. That only way of getting out was through that gaping hole on the roof.
So he just kept eating, enduring the horrible taste in his mouth, gagging several times but holding on. Once he ran out of insects, he went to the tiny pool and drank, hoping that the bitter taste in his mouth would disappear.
He burped, then looked at the moonlight reflecting off the lake and prayed to the heavens to keep away any parasites or stomach cramps he might contract from his reckless dinner. Eventually, he slept on his back and used his hair to cover his lower body; although he wasn’t cold, he felt naked without a blanket covering him.
He then smirked at that thought as he was literally naked. Zef turned to his side and extended his arm, his hand towards the clump of grass closest to him, probing its leaves, until sleep caught him for the second time, unaware.
Advertisement
The Dungeon of Potential
there are many legends, some myth and some truth, of dragons and princesses, of demons and hero’s, and granted, many are true, but not everything is as it seems, for when you lift the veil many so called heroes are more demonic then their enemy, many princess more wicked and greedy then any dragon. Within the world of Alesia (formally known as earth), not everything is as it seems, and yet the one topic that can never be agreed upon is dungeons. dungeons, a place of wonder, a place of treasure, a place of love and passion, filled with the most beautiful and mystical creatures and landscapes ever seen. dungeons, a place of horror, a place of death, a place of heartache and despair, filled with the most menicing and soul-destroying creatures and landscapes ever seen. as for an adventurer to seek treasure, is it not fair that they have to be challenged, and should the challenge be to great for them, this is their own fault, no? well, decide now or later, it matters not, but do not view my child with prejudice, as he is only trying to protect himself. So here you go my cruel followers, life’s cruelty, a smart, and yet oh so foolish boy, Here, is The Dungeon of Potential.
8 132Monillas: Human Garbage
The mountain of trash... Some people already spent almost all of their lives living, walking, running on trash. With or without any dreams to have in the future. The family of Monillas is no exception. Trash scavenging every day and night. Will they just accept this horrible fate or strive and struggle to achieve a future for them?
8 351Wolf
She moves in the shadows afraid to run in a pack. She was born a human but created to be something more, known to others as Wolf she craves to be an ordinary girl to feel the love of a man to have a family around her, just as her world starts to crumble she finds an escape but can she take it? He's the Vice President of a ruthless biker club the oldest of three he sits in the shadows alone with his thoughts listening to his siblings bicker he longs to fill the void in his heart to feel more than bitterness his countless kills earning him the name Reaper, instead of finding an angel like he expected he finds someone to sit in the shadows with him but can he fight strong enough for her?
8 218Rob and Jason Tour the Grand Tapestry [DROPPED]
DROPPED A month and a half after landing in a world where magic exists and humans are oddities, the strain of all the changes has led to breaking up the gaming group turned Travelers. Follow Jason and Rob as this pair of former-Army buddies tours Rhofhir's Grand Tapestry. There are sassy gorgons to spar with, Armored Shadow Wolves to train, politicians to dodge, and an entire world to explore! Stand Alone Side Story from Travelers About the cover: I used public domain elements from https://www.glitchthegame.com/ and converted out of SWF format by some nice folks over at https://opengameart.org/. If you want to try your hand at making something niftier, I'd love to see your creations!
8 160End of My Boring Life
On Earth, a boy named Zed Jiyoui leads a typical teenage life, and of course, he is a Sophomore in High School. Like any other average 16-year-old, Zed wakes up early every day; goes to school, likes playing video games, and hangs out with friends. But he had always thought that he is just leading an average boring life, and that's how it will be for the rest of his life. Until one day when he was sleeping a mysterious light appears out of nowhere. What might that light be? Does this mysterious light represent a turning point in Zed's life for better or worse? or is it something else.
8 90An Apprentice's Adventure
Marvin was destined to be a farmer like his entire family before him, but the sparks of dreams flicker within his eyes. Jumping at the chance to leave his house he journeys towards the Elasarin Magic Academy the best place to train young magic users. Unfortunately for him the academy only takes the noble or best and to add to his problems it is on the other side of the Empire. Join him on his journey to the city of Elasarin and to his journey to be such a promising apprentice that they will have no choice but to accept him.
8 123