Soulmates

Chapter 9 : Yawn

From there on things changed dramatically, it's kind of hard to explain, but allow me to try my best. After ending that soldier's life, I was left with the slow realization that I had nothing to go off of. If I truly wanted to understand why the soulmate cult framed me, then I'd have to commit to searching for them. A commitment that may very well take up a lot of my time, time that I don't know if I have much of. But, it's not like I have anything else I have to do, and besides I'm sure it shouldn't take too much effort. At least assuming I'm not stupid and end up letting my opportunity to get information pass. I really shouldn't have done that, I'm not going to let myself live that down, am I? So with a small sigh, I turned and slowly walked out of the field. And so, I began my search for any idea as to where I need to go. The only thing I know as of right now is that the leader or leaders aren't anywhere close to me, and that thousands of miles may be between us. But nonetheless, that didn't discourage me, and I held my head high and walked forward. A single fire poker at my side along with whatever my bag could hold, which wasn't much, but hey at least I have a make-shift tent.

I avoided main roads and cities and really stuck to small towns and if I'm lucky hamlets (Though with the ever-increasing amounts of technology those hamlets are becoming few.) Thankfully, I was never confronted. However, I was put into a few situations that sort of tested my lying skills, like why I was in the forest? Why are my clothes covered in blood? And why are you injured? But through and through, I never got myself into a situation I couldn't get myself out of, and I ended up just passing along (Sometimes with additional supplies, sometimes not.) But as I walked, days turned into months, and the glaring heat of the summer reached its peak and slowly fall started to approach. Seasons soon became a new enemy, but through the blazing summers and dreadful winters I continued forward, discipline and strength being my only ally. Well, that and the occasional winter coat and shady tree. Did you know that there's actually a way to insulate a tent with nothing but dirt? I didn't, but now I do, not that I'm going to do that again, but if need be I can. My wits were also tested, and my wounds healed over time; a big milestone for me was finally being able to move without the help of my cast, and I managed to get some good metal out of the materials from it. And overtime, I found myself growing older and older with time passing me by, seasons fading quicker and quicker.

And for a while, everything seemed to be hopeless, no matter where I went, who I talked to, or who I had to fight, no information was given. I must've killed dozens of people from the soulmate cult, with only a small percentage of them having abilities that I could copy, but even then, they weren't anything that really helped me all too much. It's almost like these abilities are useless in comparison, training or simply studying proves to be more beneficial than just relying on the abilities, but I digress. It's better than nothing.

As I traveled through mostly forests, I utilized my past hobbies to help me with my survival: making tents out of simple fabric, hunting a little and surviving with what little manufacturing skills I had. And overtime, I soon found a small open field to call home. It wasn't large by any means, there was probably at most just enough space to hold two or three houses, but it works for me. And with a little work, I managed to make a little make-shift hamlet where I'm the only person who inhabits it. Tents with various supplies around the area and workspaces for different things within the tents. Like a tent that held a make-shift workshop, since I couldn't rely on any electricity, it was filled with a lot of primitive tools which were still beneficial. And as for metal work, I managed to make a small, somewhat uncontained forge. There was also another tent I used for general cartography, which was almost vital if I wanted to live within the forest. And finally, with the land around me I managed to tame it a bit to start a small farm with fast-growing and re-harvestable plants. Stuff like tomatoes, corn, and in a very small section for when I'm in the mood for something sweet, a small grape vine. One of the soulmates I fought happened to be a farmer and I got some knowledge on farming after I killed him, although the benefit of that was kind of short-lived. After I found a small farming book and read a little bit of it, I kind of out-grew the knowledge it gave me, but it was useful to start with. And while it might seem small, with only three or four tents and a small field, it was comfortable. Just me, my tents, and my crops, a place to call home. And all it took to find this place was eighteen years of my life that I could never take back. Eighteen, long, cold, and painful years.