Ancient Pasts - Tbate

Alive

A/N: Had to re-upload chapter due to issues with wattpad.

COUGH!! COUGH!"

I opened my eyes again, with towering trees and dangling vines filling my vision as I lay on my back. However, this time, the excruciating pain that I was welcomed by told me I wasn't dead. Where was I? How was I alive?

I tried to get up, but my body doesn't listen. The only thing I was able to manage was to turn my head, and even that involved a series of throbbing pains in my neck. Looking to my right, I spotted my knapsack. I slowly turned my head to my left, gritting my teeth through the pain.

To my left, there were only more tall trees, the only difference between the trees on my right and these trees were that there were dozens of monkey-like creatures, they were all staring down at me as if judging me.

I couldn't help wondering what had happened while I was unconscious. Clearly, anyone in my situation would die upon landing... so what happened to me?

Again, I tried getting up, fighting through my body's protests; the only parts of my body that seem to be listening to me as of now were my right arm and my neck up. I willed mana into my right arm and used my fingers to claw my way, dragging my body, to reach my knapsack. It couldn't have been more than a meter away, but it took over what felt like an hour until I finally managed to reach it. Pulling it closer to me, I rummaged through it with my only able hand until I found what I was looking for: the dried berries and nuts my mother had packed!

I succeeded in pouring a mouthful of the snack that I brought only because of my mother's insistence. My throat, surprised by the sudden flood of food, responded by leaving me in a choking fit of coughs, leading me to another round of agony in my body. Fumbling for the water sack inside my knapsack, I slowly poured a bit of the water into my mouth before placing another handful of the snack into my mouth. Tears rolling down the sides of my face and into my ears, I continued chewing on the dried rations until passing out again, using my knapsack as a makeshift blanket. My eyes fluttered open as I stirred awake from the brisk bite of cold. Looking around, the position of the first rays of light peaking through the mountains me it was dawn.

This time, I was able to get up, but only with the help of mana. I carefully inspected all of my body, making sure everything was in place before allowing myself to relax.

'Oh, you're awake.'

I instantly got into a fighting stance, gritting through the pain from the sudden movement. A melodic chuckle made me look around for the source of the voice.

The voice that seemed to come out of nowhere had a dignified, yet soft quality emanating a sense of sovereignty. It was powerful and resonant, yet silky and soothing sound that made you want to trust it.

Still, on guard, I managed to mutter a less than elegant response. "Who are you? Are you the one that saved me?"

'Yes, to your second question. As for the first, you will soon find out when you arrive at my dwelling.'

This voice seemed awfully sure that I would try and find it. As if reading my thoughts, he continued, "I am the only one that will be able to get you home from this place, so I advise you to make haste."

That jerked some sense into me. That's right! I had to get back home! Mother! Father! The Twin Horns! ARTHUR! Are they alright? Did they reach Xyrus safely?

If the voice could really take me back home, I had no choice but to find it. "Ahem, dear uhh... Mr . Voice. May I ask for the directions to your location so that you may bless me with your presence?"

The voice let out another soft chuckle before replying with, "Yes, I'll show you the way." Immediately, my vision shifted into a bird's-eye view. Zooming out, a location that was roughly around a day's trip to the east came into sight and lit up before my vision shifted back to normal.