Story dump

Chapter 3

Crow and Knight
(Original date: 4/7/22)

His breathing was heavy, his wounds stinging as he swung his sword at his monstrous enemies. "Rohan..!" He heard, the voice muffled from the sounds of battle. He glanced around, narrowly avoiding a spear being thrown at him. "Rohan!" He heard again, causing him to grow irritated. "WHAT?! Who's there?!" He snapped, a spear grazing his shoulder. He stumbled back, wincing at the pain.

Another spear grazed him, followed by another. He raised his arms, blocking his face and chest as best as he could. He felt several spears pierce his arms and graze his sides, feeling himself grow weak from the pain. He soon felt himself be yanked back, the sounds of battle almost immediately dying down.

He heard the sounds of birds chirping, bringing him confusion as he lowered his arms and opened his eyes. He saw a peaceful field around him, now more confused as to how he had ended up here. Before he was able to question it, however, he felt himself falling backwards. He hit the soft grass beneath him, the stinging of his wounds now numb. A worried face came into his view, their somewhat long, black hair catching his eye.

"You okay there, Rohan..?" They asked, to which Rohan responded with a shake of his head. The stranger's expression grew more worried, beginning to rummage through their satchel. "Oh goodness.. let me see if I can heal you up a bit.." They mumbled, soon taking out a roll of bandages and what Rohan could only assume to be a healing potion. The stranger, who seemed to be wearing an odd coat and half of a beaked mask, handed him the potion.

"Drink this. It'll give you some of your energy back." They said. Rohan sat up, shakily grabbing the potion and drinking some of it. It had a distinctly sweet taste, but as the stranger had said, he felt some of his energy returning. He held out the potion in an attempt to give it back, but they merely shook their head. "Go ahead and drink it all. You'll feel a lot better." They said, beginning to wrap up a few of Rohan's injuries.

He stared at the potion for a moment, shrugging before taking another sip from it. After a moment, he looked towards the stranger, who was still wrapping up his arm. "Who... a... re.. you..?" Rohan asked weakly, the stranger pausing before they spoke. "Ochen... I.. currently don't know my profession.. I'm currently trying to.. mend that issue, however.." Rohan nodded, taking another sip of the healing potion as Ochen returned to wrapping Rohan's wounds.

"I.. somehow know your name.. which is Rohan.. but.. what else should I know about you..?" They asked, moving to Rohan's other side. "Well, as... you s.. aw.. my village... is at war w... with... a r.. race of mo.. nsters..." He responded, Ochen nodding. "Plus... I'm apart of.. the ro.. yal guard..." He once again took another sip, the contents of the potion nearly empty as he felt his strength and energy returning. "Ah.. I see.." Ochen responded, lifting up Rohan's arm to wrap his forearm.

"You know.. you.. give off some sort of important aura.. and.. I had the feeling that.. you'd be able to help me.." It said, causing Rohan to raise an eyebrow. "Help you...? With wh.. at..?" He asked. "Well.. first off.. helping me find my purpose in this world.. and second.. helping me find something I've lost..." Rohan took a final sip of the potion, setting down the bottle in the grass. "I see.. but.. what about the battle..?" He asked. Ochen's eye widened slightly. "O.. oh.. right.. that.." He mumbled, putting away the bandages once he finished. "Uhm.. how about this..? If you help me, I can.. try and find a way to stop the war.." Rohan was silent at their proposal for a moment, thinking it over. He shrugged again after a moment, sighing.

"Fair enough.. I'll help you.." He responded, the uncovered eye of Ochen's lighting up. "Really..?" It asked, Rohan nodding in response.

"Oh, thank you so mu-" Ochen started, cutting off as he froze up. Rohan raised an eyebrow, his expression curious. "... Ca.. lamity.." They mumbled, its eye and expression blank. Rohan, now concerned, gently shook him. "Hey, you okay?" He asked. "World... de.. stroyed... dark.. ness.. dece... nds..." They said, not reacting to Rohan. "'World destroyed?' 'Darkness descends?'" He repeated, bewildered.

Ochen soon snapped out of its trance, shaking his head as confusion fell over their face. "Ochen? What was that all about?" Rohan asked, the half masked man looking at Rohan. "What was.. what..?" He mumbled, raising an eyebrow. "What you just said! About 'calamity' and 'world destruction'!" He cried. Ochen's eye widened in shock. "Wh-what..?" They asked, their voice trembling.

"You didn't know you said that?" Rohan asked, growing more and more confused by the minute. "N.. no..?" Ochen replied before seemingly realizing something. "O-oh w... wait..." He mumbled. "What? What is it?" Rohan asked. "U.. uhm.. I think.. that may have.. been another premonition..." Rohan's eyes widened, even more confused than before. "Another premonition? What do you mean by another?!" He asked. Ochen's eyes darting around as his expression grew nervous.

"This.. this isn't the first time.. I've had a premonition.." They mumbled. "Well, could you see what it was about?" Rohan asked, tilting his head slightly. Ochen shook its head, causing Rohan's expression to turn slightly disappointed. "Oh.. I see.." He said. "So all we have to go off of is the words you spoke..?" Ochen nodded in response. "Even though I... don't.. recall what I.. said..."

Rohan was about to respond, but stopped as he heard a twig break. He stood up, nearly losing his balance before unsheathing sword. Ochen stood up as well, his expression worried. "R.. Rohan.. please don't push yourself.. I.. I can handle it.." Ochen said shakily. Rohan glanced at them. "Nonsense. You have no weapon." He said, his sword at the ready as a small group of monsters jumped out from some bushes. He swung his sword as one monsters lunged at him, hissing in pain as his still fresh wounds began to sting again. He swung again and again, wincing as he pushed through the searing pain.

He felt himself be tugged back, opening his eyes enough to see. Ochen was standing in front of him, mumbling to itself with his hands clasped together. "O... Ochen..! Care.. ful..!" Rohan called, a dark, semi-transparent purple orb surrounding the two of them soon after he spoke. He looked around, bewildered by such sorcery before looking at Ochen. Their visible eye and its mask pulsing with light, the mask showing an odd pattern. A bright light surrounded the shield, soon followed by a muffled explosion.

The monsters, now vanquished, disintegrated to ash as the shield faded. Ochen's expression grew tired, the pulsing light fading along with the shield. "What on earth was that..?" Rohan asked, his wounds still hurting him as he sheathed his sword. "... Magic.." Ochen mumbled, sitting down by a tree. Rohan sat down beside him, looking up. "I didn't.. know magic existed.." He said. Ochen nodded. "Makes... sense..." They said, speaking slowly and as if it were exhausted. ".. Do you need some rest..?" Rohan asked, Ochen looking at him. "Maybe.." He muttered, looking down at the grass.

"I'll keep watch.. you take a nap.." Rohan said, patting their shoulder. Ochen looked down again, shaking its head. "No... need... you.. need the rest.. m-" Rohan cut him off. "Don't give me that. I know what you're doing, since I've done it myself. Get some rest, please." He said, Ochen sighing in response. "Fine.." They mumbled, closing its eyes before taking off his mask. Rohan noticed that the other side of Ochen's face seemed exactly the same as the other side. He wanted to ask Ochen about it, but he decided against it in order to let them rest. He placed his hand on his sword's handle, keeping a vigilant watch over Ochen.