Memory Shards (Book#1 of Malachi)

Chapter 1: The Island

His body felt weak, like a beaten animal. He was floating, or at least his lower half was.

His chest was on a sandy shore. His back was exposed to the cool air.

He braved a glance up. The sky had already set. It was night, yet somehow he could see perfectly.

The boy arose and felt a pain that shot up his chest.

How had he gotten here? Who, or what was he?

He had a faint remembrance of water, reaching out to the surface, but soon that faded away.

Confused, the youth looked forward to see a tree; it appeared a mixture between a Palm and a pine tree. It was large, the base appearing more of a pine, the top more like a Palm. The branches were that of a Palm. They appeared to be the color red. There was a small ball the size of a baseball on top. It was red, the skin appearing glossy.

Was it a fruit?

There was a whole forest of these trees. He arose and walked forward, disappearing amidst them.

°°°°°°°°°°°

Do I have amnesia? He thought as he sat on a log. He had started a small fire, the embers from the flame turning a bright white before the color faded to black.

I have knowledge of this world, the boy thought. I know right from wrong in a sense. I'm on earth. I awoke on an ocean. But... The knowledge concerning me... Memories; that's what they're called. I can't remember.

He heard a noise, something stepping over fallen Palm leaves.

It came from the dark behind him. He looked over his shoulder and the noise stopped.

Perhaps I am lonely, he thought. Just my mind playing tricks on me. I'll have to explore the rest of the island tomorrow. Day would be best.

He heard the crunch, closer this time.

He turned around and fell off the log.

A creature of some sort stood before him. Its body was nothing but darkness, the head only solid.

Its face was pale and elongated. Long, black hair was plastered against its face. Only one, red eye showed, but that was enough to run his heart rapid.

What have we here? A voice whispered into his head.

That whisper? Where was it coming from?

"Look up here, boy," the creature commanded.

The boy felt his body begin to shake.

What looked like talons moved from the dark body.

They were sharp and scaled, appearing like elongated knives.

The creature grabbed its own head by the side and ripped it off. Blood splattered onto the boy and he fainted.

¤¤¤¤¤¤

What? What happened? The boy thought as he awoke, the fire still going beside him. He lay on the floor, his head aching for some odd reason.

"Was it a nightmare?" He thought aloud, rising to his feet.

"No." A voice responded. The boy jumped and saw a different creature sitting on the log this time. It had a full, scaled body, resembling that of a humanoid lizard. His head was oval and he had only one eye, placed on the right side. The creature's mouth was on the left side where the other eye should have been; it was vertical, running from top of his head to the bottom, height wise. Razor teeth lined the mouth.

It creeped him out, tingling running up the boy's spine.

"What..." He could barely respond, his eyes wide.

"Be not surprised, boy." The creature said, its sideways mouth sending another shiver down the boy's spine. "You accepted me, accepted the consequences. You gave me everything, all your memories. I currently posses your body."

"...Who are you?" The boy managed to say.

The creature grinned. "I am the same as you saw before, only changing my appearance. I am Agredon. Before, people have only asked what I am. To know the demon's name is the greater knowledge."

"My name? Do you know it?" The boy asked, his mind buzzing. This was so much to take in. Possessed? What had he done?

"You gave it to me," the demon responded. "Your last name as well. All that remains is the middle. Remember that and it will be yours."

The boy thought hard. Middle name?

"Mal," the boy said.

The demon cackled, its eye widening. "You are going on the right path, boy. You shall be that until you can remember."

Mal nodded.

"Where am I?" Mal inquired.

Agredon stood up and changed form before the boy's eyes. He was now all dark red. His head twisting into a more triangular shape, the mouth moved to the top of the face, the eye now near the bottom. Long, spiny limbs stretched out from his body. Its neck extend a couple feet. A more spider like form.

"The island of glass," Agredon responded.

Mal backed away as Agredon looked at him.

"Why have you changed form?"

Agredon gave a wicked smiled. "You need to be strong. Do you wish to obtain your memories once more?"

Mal frowned. "If I gave them to you, I doubt they're worth having. I most likely lived a terrible life."

"Indeed," Agredon said. "But how will you fulfill your revenge? They murdered the people you loved. Someone betrayed you. Will you let them do that to others? I saved your body. You were dead already."

Mal felt an emptiness. He was missing something. And he was angry for some odd reason. What exactly had happened?

"Why me? I was dying. Wouldn't a demon posses someone with a strong body and a weak mind? Why have you chosen the opposite?"

Agredon lowered his body, nearing his face beside Mal's. "They believe you dead," he said, his sulfuric breath burning Mal's ear. "They don't know of my plotting. You are a risk, boy. Strong bodies will there always be out there, but a strong mind, one with revenge not always. You are already corrupted."

Mal looked down at his hands, his right was normal. His left hand was burned, the skin scarred. His fingernails appeared flattened, bruising showing underneath.

He had no shirt on and looked down at his chest. The left side of his chest was burned immensely. It looked purple. He touched his face, the same.

"I salvaged what was necessary. Your right side is nearly flawless," the demon said. "Those scars on your left may be redeemable. But first you need might. You need to fight. You must desire all of it back. You need to conquest for your revenge."

"Does it all begin on this island?" Mal asked.

Agredon pulled away, towering over him.

"Yes. You have perceived this. That is the sign of a thinking mind. But not all can be seen coming."

"What-" but Mal never finished his sentence. Agredon came down with his left arm, slicing across Mal's chest.

Mal saw blood flow out, then thing he hated most, darkness.

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