Raining Nitre

The Start of a Journey

Darkness, darkness all around me I hear bats and bugs but I see nothing, I feel worms and grubs crawling in my fingers and hair but I see nothing. I wait and I wait but no one comes for me so I just sit there thinking, thinking about the wretched world we live in where people can brutally assault someone as they are sleeping. It feels as though I have been here for days but there is no way to tell if that time was in fact three minutes or twenty hours.

As I am about to give up and slip away into nothingness I hear a voice, it beckons me to look over and gaze upon its savior. A torch shines light upon a grotesque body covered in scraps of cloth and animal skins draped over its large humped back. Its skin is a sick shade of green covered in scabs erupting with blood and puss. I dare to cast my gaze upwards at its face and I see a horrifying sight. Half of its face is made of skin and flesh but the other half is bone connected by metal braces and wires leading towards a robotic eye that darts rapidly up and down my body. The being moves the torch revealing the other half of its large disproportioned body. It is mostly metal and wire with bits of bone on its arm and leg. The arm dangles by its side only inches above the ground making me wonder how the large arm can grab or bend.

His voice is gravely and he has a stutter that sends chills down my spine. "I b-b-bet your w-w-ondering where t-t-t-hose nasty people t-t-t-hat attacked y-y-ou went." He spoke slowly.

"Yes but could you untie me while you speak?" I answered.

He bends over and starts to untie my hands and feet, his gigantic arm surprising me with its swiftness and preciseness. "A-after t-two members of t-t-t-he D-draken found y-y-you they d-decided you were p-p-probably part of the r-r-r-rebellion and they put you in here h-h-hoping you would die. Luckily I watched the whole thing from under some brush were I was spending the night." Spoke the thing as he untied the last knot.

"What is your name?" I asked as I stretched.

" I a-am Agrippa, I t-travel t-t-the world l-l-living off the l-land and I try to c-c-convince Draken t-to s-stop what t-t-they are doing," he seemed to notice me trying to look away and got the hint," Y-you may have n-n-noticed I look d-different, t-that is because I was born from my mothers dead body right after the explosion. Her womb shielded me from death but I was mutated." Explained Agrippa.

"It seems as if we both have similar roles I travel the land as a mercenary, would like to join me?" I asked feeling more comfortable around him.

"I w-will b-but I can't s-stat for too l-long I n-need to g-get to Nyshka." Replied Agrippa.

We walked out in unison and right then I knew our journey wouldn't stop at Nyshka.