Alasla: The New Age

Chapter Three- Awakening

Who am I?

That question doesn't matter. It never does. I don't need to know who I am to live and thrive. I'm not interested in exploring the world, venturing into unknowns, or putting my life in danger for anything. All I need is my wealth and skills, Jerron and Forrest.

Blood all over the road. Gunshot echoed through the night. His eyes were dead and blank.

Screaming my name. Giving me the stone. Fighting with Jerron.

He woke up with a gasp. A sharp pain flashed through his wrist. He looked down to find his broken wrist treated and bandaged.

The first thing that caught his attention about his surroundings is the strong brine and salty scent. He instantly recognized it as the smell of the 'sea'. Although he's only seen that once in his life. The next thing that registered in his mind is that he was in a dim, moldy, creaking cabin. And beside him, on the chair, is a ball of feathers.

"Caprison," he muttered. The feathery ball shuffled, and slowly unraveled into a strange-looking person. Feather covers his jaw, neck, and back, where two large, feathery wings had sprouted. His hands and feet are scaly greys, with sharp, hooked claws. Caprison is a fellow agent working for Jerron. He was a harpy rescued by Jerron at a very young age. Harpies are discriminated against in this world. Most were sold and traded as slaves by the Government, and Caprison was no exception. In fact, his gender made him a more valuable commodity, since the chance of getting a male harpy is extremely low. But all the gangsters working under Jerron treated him just like anyone else. He's usually very calm and neutral with everyone, but now, Ralph can't be sure if he's friend or enemy.

With a flutter, Caprison opened his large, hawk-like eyes and fixed them upon Ralph like a predator in the dark. His feathery tail slithered around the pole behind him as he clambered onto Ralph's couch.

"You've angered the Master," he said in a low voice, eyes glowing amber in the dark.

"I'm well aware of that," Ralph replied calmly. "So what will happen to me? Shot? Tortured? You name it."

Caprison blinked, looking a little taken aback at Ralph's reaction. But instead, he shook his feathery head.

"The Master doesn't know I'm with you," as he said this, Ralph noticed a glint of fear flashing across his eyes. And he understands why. What Caprison said meant that he's done something Jerron didn't permit, and in this case, it's something about Ralph.

He held out his hand and opened his long, bony fingers. In the middle of his palm, lies the emerald Forrest's given to Ralph.

With a sharp inhale of surprise, Ralph snatched it out from his hand.

"Why do you have that?" He demanded.

Caprison returned to the chair he was sitting on with a shrug. "It was in your pocket. But I don't recommend you hold it in your hand like that. The curse of it can kill you."

"Curse?" Ralph echoed. "Isn't- Isn't it just a gem?"

Caprison laughed. A bird-like, high-pitched laugh. He hid half of his face away with his wing as he wheezed down to a chuckling stop.

"I couldn't have heard a funnier comment in my whole life," he grinned toothily. "Calling the Stone of Plague 'just a gem'. You're the first."

Ralph's brows skyrocketed. Although he's never seen one in person, he's heard about the Stones. The Stones are the magical objects that store Lasbender's powers after he died.

So this is what Forrest died for... A portion of Lasbender's magic?

"I know you know about the Stones, being so close to Jerron," Caprison said after recovering from his laughing. "Well, the Stone of Plague is one of them," he continues after receiving a nod of confirmation from Ralph. "Each Stone holds a part of his power- A part of nature's power. This one is the disease. It holds death. Utilize it carefully, it'll make you one of the strongest among all the Stone Users. Do it wrong, then death awaits."