Dragonhood Chronicles

The Scavenger

Tages' armor broke when he landed on the ground. All of the orange dust parted and Tages got up. He swore in anger. Nothing was around him. Just orange, cracked, rocky walls. He swiped at the dust with his hand to clear his view. Still nothing. Tages slumped against a rock. The sounds of war could be heard above. Tages got up once more. 

"Think. Okay. Just think."

My ship was crashed and I have no means of escape and I have no one in the planet and I-

Simple thoughts. 

I am stuck in a canyon.

At that moment a stray bomb flew into the gorge, sending Tages flying backwards. Tages' arm exploded with pain. Tages looked down at his arm and saw bone protruding.

When the dust cleared, he could hear mechanical whirring.

"Those damn air raids! Ye would think that ye would get bit 'o peace an' quiet once an' a while," said a gruff voice.

Tages studied the man. He had a homemade, metal leg, made up of springs and metal supports. His hair was uneven, and his face was scarred all over. His skin was a tanned white.

"Well, wha' do we have 'ere?"

Tages gulped. "Please h-help me."

"Obviously need o' bit o' arm strength," He said."I'll bring ye in my hut."

At that moment, Tages couldn't take the pain as the man stepped on his arm.

"Oops! Sorry lad!" 

That was all Tages heard before he passed out.

~~~

When Tages woke up, the first thing he saw was his metal arm. 

"AAHH!" Tages exclaimed in fright. "MY ARM!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YE THINK YE'RE DOING?! YE ALMOST GAVE ME O HEART 'TACK!" 

Tages didn't respond. He was stunned by his surroundings. The hut was built out of the canyon. The walls were orange rock, and the tables and seats and the workbench was made out of rock as well. Tages was laying on a small, uncomfortable bed. The man walked over to Tages.

"I'm sorry wha' happened to yer arm, lad. When I stepped on it with me metal leg I amputated it. I hope it'd be better when ye get use' to it," the man said. "Well, out ye go."

"Hold on," Tages said. "You didn't tell me your name." 

The man's expression turned to stone. 

"I don't have one. Get out."

Tages apologized and left. Once out of the hut, he became aware that he could move his metal arm like it was his old one. Made of flesh and bone. Only metal and wires, this time. But how? His nerves turned to wires? 

Tages thought of something.

His whole arm was gone.

His arm is metal.

He's stronger than before.

Can he scale the canyon?

Tages exhaled forcefully as he bounded towards the wall and jumped. His arm embedded in the rock easily as Tages let out a surprised laugh. He climbed up with his feet and sunk his arm back into the rock. 

I'm getting pretty good at this.

~~~

Once Tages got to the top he sat on the edge of the canyon. He admired how beautiful the sunset was as he heard the sound of combat boots crunching on the arid ground. Tages turned around and saw the legs of the person.

"Tages." 

Tages looked up to the face of the deep-voiced man.

"Chris?"