《The Pride Of A Talentless Nobody》Chapter 1: A Resurrected Echo
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"It's t-too cold... " I muttered to myself and as my senses were disappearing slowly, the sound of heavy winds engulfed me.
Slowly I made my way forwards every couple of seconds my body got more and more sluggish.
The winds were getting more and more aggressive, and due to that, the downpour of snow made me desperate.
Haaa haaa-
Damn it why did this happen to me... As I was questioning my luck I fell onto the thick snow.
I lifted my body off the ground with great effort, It felt as if I was lifting 10tons.
I have no winter clothes, not even my supplies are for winter.
My sword that's on my left, some gold coins, this damn small box...
Out of desperation, and not wanting to give up I kept walking.
The crunch of me stepping on the snow was getting quieter and quieter.
"Swoosh Swooosh"
The storm was getting more and more dangerous I kept going forward.
One... Two... Thre-
Damn it my legs are failing me, I can barely move forward-
The white snow is getting darker and blurry... I can't go on much more...
I'll just... give in...
I kneeled and closed my eyes. The whirring of the blizzard around me was getting quieter, but I could also hear a faint sound, the sound of sobbing, which disappeared a few seconds after hearing it.
. . .
. . .
. . .
After a while, the sound of a blizzard seemed to have stopped.
It's dark and quiet...
The stillness makes it like I'm in another reality... no a void. I can't feel a thing but it's unusually calming I'll just let myself get embraced by this, Nothing can bother me here.
I went into a trance.
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
W-where am I...
I try to move, try to open my eyes but nothing, it's pitch black there is no sound, no smell, no sensation of touch, no taste.
I'm just stuck in darkness...
. . .
. . .
It feels like time has stopped entirely I can hardly think at all, and weird images of things that I can't remember start appearing...
Where am I, what is this-
Wait the void is becoming less and less dark...
. . .
. . .
Sound?
I can faintly hear something...
The quietness is slowly fading and the sound of water running is replacing it.
This Dark void is becoming lighter in color, and I can feel something cool running alongside my back...
Suddenly out of nowhere, I received my 5 senses spontaneously, I opened my eyes and out of shock I took a deep breath.
I sat up quickly and inhaled the air-
"SNIFFFFFFFFF"
"COUGH COUGH"
I placed my hands onto my chest since this cough was really potent, but my attention shifted elsewhere as I put my hands down.
I could feel and hear the stream of water.
My back and legs feel weird, sure enough, when I looked down I see my legs submerged in water.
Out of nowhere, a sudden burst of coldness swept me, my legs were completely freezing!
"OHHHH THAT'S COLD!"
I exclaimed as I jumped up from what seems to be a little water hole that was the right size for me not to drown. I started to dance, and I spontaneously tried to heat myself by rubbing my hands on my arms and body quickly, due to the shock the wind gave me.
The trickling water going down my hair meeting with other parts of my body that are not as wet made me forget about heating myself and start going around trying to dispatch the cold, plus the sudden gusts of wind that hit me are not HELPING ME!
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. . .
After a bit of shaking off water and rubbing myself for warmth, and using some broken off the cloth to plug some holes in my clothes (majorly pants) had I looked at my surroundings?
I'm in a cave and the entrance is sprinting length... what was I doing before all of this?
Wait who even am I?
I stood still as I asked that question, trying to check if It was plausible that repeating this would make them suddenly appear, but no.
Wait where even was I?
I slowly shifted my weight and turned around heading back where I was.
From what it looks like... Did I come out of a water puddle that was big enough to fit me and then some?
When I say water puddle it's honestly more like a water hole...
I crouched down and I saw my reflection.
Fair skin, curly black hair, a mustache, Dark Brown Eyes...
Suddenly a strong burst of heat struck my head.
. . .
"Why John... why are you leaving us..."
"Sorry but I have to find The Holy Light... I have to bring him this, I promise I'll be back"
"You... I..I-"
"I know I know... but sorry but I can't stay longer or I'll be walking at night, count on me being back next month you know I-"
Huh, am I crying?
Why am I crying...
That girl, I...
I started sobbing, I fell to the floor and laid there crying.
It felt like my whole life shattered...
Something in my body is telling me that she needs me...
I feel like I should be doing something... this burning in my chest... It feels like I have to take action... something.
I used some parts of my broken shirt to wipe my tears my mood now being not the happiest, plus my head hurts now...
"J-John"
I touched my face and kept repeating that name...
Am I this John? Who was she?
Questions arose left and right that had no answers...
. . .
After some deep breaths, I calmed myself down to a point where I was feeling ok.
The only thing that did not subside is the headache I got, I can deal with it but it's not pleasant.
I stood up from the floor.
That vision... no memory made me drop down to the floor, due to that my pants are dealing with some dirt.
I shook off the dirt from my pants, and I tilted my head to the cave's wall I reached out and...
I can feel...
Before today all I can remember is... black everything was black...
I can see... Touch... I can speak...
I can't recall what I was doing before all of this nor my past it's weird...
I know that this wall is made of stone, I know the floor is dirt...
Hell I can even describe the surface of the stone it has a rough texture and it's cold not a bad cold but it feels kind of nice, but I can't remember who I am...
The strange beauty of the stone is odd, I could rub it for countless hours even with this weird rough texture...
The sound of running water, I could also smell what is wet grass? I feel alive... I FEEL at ease... I feel a lot better now.
I stared more intensely at the cave's wall...
I am trying to focus with the sound of running water, plus random wind gusts. Is it concentration I need to try to remember my past and who I once was?
. . .
. . .
It's pointless I'm trying too hard, the outcome is not going to change even if I try my best. I think it's best If I stop.
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My options now are really slim the only thing I can do is leave...
As I turned my head back to the hole I "awoke" in I saw something shine in the water thanks to the sun striking it...
Slowly approaching it, I crouched down and put my hands in the now not-so-cold water.
I sift around a bit making the water dirty and brown.
I feel an object, I grab it pulling it close.
It must be something important. Wait a box? but it's tiny...
"The... the... Superbia box..."
Another rush of heat hit my head
Superbia box?
As soon as I mentioned that name my body started to shake, my heart dropped as if I was in fear.
I got goosebumps.
Huh, what the?
So I pulled out a tiny black box, it has the size of one of those boxes you give someone a ring.
It also has a piece of tape falling off and when I look at it the "tape" has black markings and I am shaking out of fear?
That's so odd, Well everything is odd to this point for me at least.
I went back into the water and tried to feel for any other objects, I found nothing else well a rusty knife? Some leather scraps, Coins I guess, a swords hilt, and a necklace-
"Here I bou-bought it for you..."
The girl who I once saw extended her arms.
"Oh what a pretty necklace!"
I said in a good mood smiling.
"I... saw you eyeing it at the village square so I thought you'd like it..." The girl said sheepishly her face turning red out of embracement.
"I love it!"
My heart is beating quickly and my head...
Too many random scenarios are playing when I remember her face.
I dropped the necklace and held my head due to the excess thinking making my head hurt, due to my previous crying session my head hurt way more.
I'm starting to tear up but I have to be strong for whoever this is so I got to...
hold... it...
I couldn't hold it...
I cried, I cried my lungs out...
My heart, I miss this person.
. . .
. . .
A few (what seems to be minutes) passed, and I'm staring at the necklace well just the bit of the necklace that remained.
I feel calmer but that experience... I never want to feel that ever again.
I kept looking down at the necklace and admired its beauty.
The Dark Blue J-shaped material but no strap...
I'll just put whatever I found in my pockets.
I grabbed the Coins, rusty knife, swords Hilt, and the necklace piece. I stored all of them in my left pocket since the right had a big hole...
Now about that box...
It would probably be a lot easier if I used it to store the stuff I acquired!
I reached out my hand and leaned over where I was sitting to grab it since the water "hole" wasn't that far away...
Now let's open this up. I got the piece of tape, paper? and decided to rip it off.
One, Two, GRRAAAH...
...
uh ok?
That was not what I expected, time for ANOTHEFAFG GGRAAH...
...
Why can't I pull it off...
Maybe the lighting is making me not be able to see this well, but it is not that bad...
I stood up from the ground and shook the dirt out of my pants behind...
I really wish I had shoes it feels so muddy walking alongside this little water stream...
The brightness of the sun was being more prominent each step I took towards the cave's entrance, I had to have my arm above my forehead to make out where I was heading, and finally, there it was the last step to the exit.
A strong gust of wind came and it felt good, by the time another gust of wind came by as my eyes were getting adjusted to the brightness so I lowered my arm, and what I am seeing right now is an absolutely breathtaking view!
The cave was on top of a hill so I can see a whole bunch.
A cloudless baby blue sky.
I can see a variety of flowers, different tree types.
The birds are singing.
Plus breathing in the air feels so good.
The chillness is not that bad (unless you were soaked in water), honestly, you have to be here to understand how I feel never the less it is absolutely beautiful. I honestly got lucky with this view its worthy of a proposal, this big hill makes it 10x better!
As I looked around the floor I spotted bits of snow, there were spots of snow melting...
THAT explains the water running down in the cave.
. . .
While walking out I thought of the weird memories I had.
It's a tad bit odd, I can't remember anything before suddenly waking up...
It is weird knowing that you once were something but suddenly your past isn't there...
. . .
"WHO AM I?!"
I shouted with everything I had onto the vast forest, some birds got scared and flew away there was also a tiny echo that came out of that.
Well, it's not like I'm going to remember anything in an instant but it was worth a shot nonetheless.
I looked down to the box, and since well I need a little space so suddenly none of the coins, and the necklace piece falls.
So it's box opening time!
I moved the box around my hands to try and see the whole thing.
The piece of paper that is hanging I think if I pull it with all my might I can get it!
One, Two, AGHHHHHG!
...
What all that and just a tiny peel back???
Ok one, TWO, AGGHSGH!-
. . .
. . .
I've been on this for what feels like an eternity, my arms are tired but I am so close to finishing it so I will keep on going, I think a couple more pushes will do... well peels.
One Two and AGGGGHHH!
Rip-
I did it I removed THE TAPE! Finally, i was starting to just nap on the spot aha!
Now open up little box?
As soon as I opened it out a thick black fog of smoke came out of the box.
" COUGH COUGH, Wh-a the hell is- COUGH"
The smoke was really messing with me why am I coughing so much, I'm getting dizzy... my head, I...
This was the beginning of the end...
. . .
"AHAHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAHAH!"
"AFTER 1096 YEARS! I'M FINALLY FREE!"
"I, THE ALL-POWERFUL TURPIS WILL WREK HAVOC ON ALL THE LOWLY PEASANTS WHO ASSOCIATED WITH MY IMPRISONMENT"
What my body is being controlled? I can see and all but? Wait was that black smoke that lead to this I can't see it anywhere...
"Stop goofing around in my body..."
I stopped this "Turpis" from walking any further from the cave.
"Oh? Do you dare speak to me as if you are on my level? Sate your identity at once, knave! "
Turpis responded as if irritated
"Uh, John, I think?"
I hesitated a bit but I think that's me.
"You have the Gall to order me around? A lowly person has no sort of power!"
Turpis said acting all high and mighty, he is walking on the downward slope that is used to get up to the hill the cave was.
"This is my body"
I stopped Turpuis walking again.
I am confused, I'm in my body...
"You ha-"
"I have all the right to confiscate this vessel... you were the one as foolish to open the prison cell of the King of Hexes and Counters..."
He does have a point but it's still invalid
"Since I got you out shouldn't you be grateful?"
I asked hoping I can de-escalate-
"ME?! GRATEFUL TO SOMEONE AS LOWLY AS YOU! You jest..."
"How about this..."
Suddenly I feel full control of my body, what the hell? I wonder who the-
"Care for a wager, for the wager match with an ultimate being such as me?"
Turpis calmly stated as his voice gets quieter and quieter.
"For my body?"
Who even is this Turpis person and why I just got back from having a mental breakdown and this guy... WHY IS HE IN MY HEAD!
Turpis: Stop talking as if I was a pest peasant I can make out what you are thinking, If I wish upon something I will get it understood, you should feel honored for such an opportunity to be with a great being such as myself. Actually how about this since you have no chance of winning I will gladly make the outcome a little less favorable for me.
Turpis: I am in your mind but you are not in mine, I can affect you physically by moving and do as I please... accept my wager now or you shall see the world painted red...
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