Chronicles of Reisevy (Preview)

Part II: A Crumbling Utopia

All I can remember is feeling a sharp, agonizing pain in my back and my vision getting blurry as I slowly lost consciousness. I open my eyes halfway and find myself lying in the darkness. It is then I notice a small light a few yards away. I get up off the floor and prance toward the light then extend my hand out to reach it. The moment I reach it, the white light flashes brightly, making the light disperse and I shield my eyes with both hands.

A few seconds pass before I take my hands away from my face and letting them gradually fall down to my sides the same time I open my eyes. I find myself standing in the middle of a vast field of tall, emerald green grass that reached past my ankles and the cheerful blue sky over my head. "Strange. How'd I get here?" I look down at myself to discover I'm wearing a long, ivory white dress with bell sleeves. How'd I get in this? Regardless of how weird this began, I stroll across the field, looking high and low for anyone else who could be here. I walk up to the bottom of a hill after about 5 minutes and when I glance up to the top of the hill, what, or in this case, who I see completely left me in shock.

It is the same hooded warrior I encountered back on the train standing at the very top of the hill with his back to me. I stand motionless in place but also in awe as I watch his tattered cape flowing in the wind. Why is he here, I ponder as I begin to get a reading of his energy again, but this time, it's more inviting, safe, and benevolent rather than intimidating. I inhale deeply before I grab and lift the skirt of my dress a bit to keep myself from tripping and I walk up the hill toward him. I stop next to him on his left and glimpse at him through the corner of my eye, although I almost forgot how tall he is.

"Who are you," I ask, but he just stands there in silence looking out at the grassy landscape. His lack of a response was slightly irritating to me so I furrow my brow and bark, "Fine, don't talk then." Suddenly, I feel a warm sensation in my hand so I glance down to discover him holding my hand and locking fingers. I turn my gaze back up to the shadows hiding his face, feeling a warm blush on my cheeks and my heart skip a beat. He abruptly spins me around once then pulls me close to him with his other hand on my hip and I stare up into the shadows of his hood; he lets go of my hand and presents me with a beautiful pink camellia. I couldn't help but smile for he seems to be the sweetest man I've encountered. I lean in close to kiss him until I hear a low growl echoing.

I wake up to watch obsidian black eyes accompanied with walnut brown fur staring at me. "Oh shit!" I scream and jump backwards against a wall that is unusually cold and almost smooth like a cave wall but shut my eyes tightly and wince in agony from a pain in my back. I open my eyes again to see a large brown bear sitting in front of me and I scream out of fear he's going to attack me.

"I see you woke up," a brunette woman states unflustered, walking up next to the bear and pets his head. She looks young, likely in her twenties, and is wearing a gypsy style blouse with long sleeves under a brown leather halter corset under her breasts. Her charcoal grey pants look aesthetically pleasing with her brown heeled boots and dark teal cape that reaches down to shoulder length. I also notice there's a clip with two crossed arrows holding her cape together.

"I know, but why am I here?" I was still shaken from waking up to the bear staring at me in the eye. It's until I look down at my bandaged palms and feel around my shoulder, that is bandaged as well, she likely took me in. I glance back up at her instructing the bear to go to the next room and he does so. She kneels down in front of me and answers as she removes the bandages off my palms to examine the scrapes. "A friend of mine found you in a puddle of blood last night and he carried you here to my home so I can take care of you." Her voice is sweet natured like the energy radiating from her, and not just because of her Australian accent. "And just in time." I ask her what she meant from that seemingly random remark. She releases my palm after examining it and sits next to me before beginning to explain the events last night. And I react in horror and disbelief when she explained what had happened last night.