Alexo

Chapter 6: Familiar Face

Alexo was in a small wooden boat, made from only a few pieces of wood that remained after the destruction of the village.
He had carved oars to row himself, but his thin body was struggling to gather the strength needed to continue forward.

Rowing further and further away while the sky was clear and blue.
No clouds in the sky.

The water is rather still, perfectly reflecting the sky above.

Alexo stopped rowing, his arms burning and becoming weak.
He leaned back, his body drenched in sweat that washed away the dust and ash that became solid and caked to his flesh.

The sun beat down, his body a painfully bright pink hue that only added to his pain.

He stared up at the plain and featureless sky.

Nothing but blue wherever he looked.

He closed his eyes, as if feeling like death was closing in.

Alexo let out a relaxed sigh, a smile beginning to appear on his face.

A smile of contempt and acceptance.

The boat suddenly rocked violently, grinding to a halt as Alexo sighed.

He could hear people shouting, the sounds of feet quickly running across sand filling the air.

Alexo opened his eyes as hands began to grab at his burnt skin.

He tried to shout, but his throat was too dry.

His body was too weak.

No noise could escape as they pulled him out, forcing him to his feet.

Water washed over his feet as he stared forward.

A large city, one much larger than he had ever seen before.

Temples that were larger than his home villages.

Trees everywhere with buildings towering over the people with incredibly complex architecture and art everywhere.

"Where...am...I?" Alexo asked in a rough and dry voice that could barely leave his body.

"You are in Olympia. Come, let us take you back to health." One of the men said.

Alexo wanted to shove them away, yet his body was nearly lifeless in their arms.

They dragged him across the sand, creating trails of lines that followed every movement.

A path being formed and taken to the city, more citizens standing and watching.

Waiting to see who this strange man was.

"Who is that?" One asked.

"What's he doing here?" Another asked.

"Where did he come from?" Another asked.

Alexo looked on, the people speaking a dialect he was not familiar with.

Words he did not understand.

"Where are you from?" One asked while staring right into his eyes.

Alexo couldn't respond, even if he did know what they were saying.

He just stared blankly, his eyes beginning to close as he felt his body going more and more limp.

All of the pain disappeared as he fell unconscious.

Alexo slowly began to feel his body once again.

He felt his fingers twitching. His toes curling. His chest breathing.