Rewriting Seven Years

2. Ranger

Makurow lowered his sword. "What?" He questioned, "Who are you?" Waiting for a response, the green beast turned away from Makurow.

After a few steps, the beast veered its head back and replied with a mellow tone, "I am The Wonderer. I apologies for my late encounter. As you wander alone I suspect there is someone you are looking for, perhaps you may have some questions that need answering." The green beast moved ahead, using its large front arms as its main legs, and dragged its stubby back legs. It has its claws pointing out from the back and bone blades protruding from its shoulders.

Weird, Makurow thought.

The Wonderer heard his loud thoughts. "It is not kind to say those things," The Wonderer angrily responded.

Makurow had forgotten that once he thought, others would be able to hear him. "I'm sorry!" He frantically apologized, "I just have seen some weird things lately." There was a long silence as Makurow followed the being. Makurow stared at long spikes flowing from behind the beast's head. In fear that Makurow would offend the beast again, he merely looked for a second, then glanced away before asking, "So... are you going to answer my questions?"

"No," The Wonderer quickly answered, as if trying to interrupt Makurow.

"But you just said you would answer my questions," Makurow sharply replied, suspecting dishonesty in Wonderer's voice.

"That is incorrect. I said I know you have questions you want answering," The Wonderer responded. Makurow paused and held out his sword again. "I never said I would be the one to answer."

"What is the point in following you, Wonderer?" Makurow demanded.

"Because I know who can answer those questions for you. He has sent me to retrieve you." Wonder saw the impatient gaze on Makurow's face.  "It is your decision to follow me. I do not care." 

Makurow's shocked expression trailed, leading him to catch up with the distant beast, having no other choice in the matter but to follow forward and understand the answers to his questions himself. Makurow followed the beast for a while, coming across a footpath leading to a hollow passage through a raised hill. Makurow recognized the path that they followed similar to one that Makurow had walked before, or perhaps sailed through. At the center of the path lied a long crack stretching to whence the path may have started and ended.

Kicked up pearl rocks scattered beside the path. Makurow passed The Wonderer admiring the rocks between his claws. The Wonderer scratched one of the rocks with his long claws. The Wonderer ditched the durable stone, siding residue from his nail.

After many of what seemed like hours past, the two reached an edge of a biome. The cracked trail they followed, ended feet before the line between new biomes. The dry grey ground, covering the entire new biome, soaked beneath The Wonderer's claws. The ground before them appeared remarkably similar to texture from the plain land Makurow first woke upon, flat like a smoothed clay.

"Wait!" Makurow jolted, stopping himself before a single inch of foot crossed over the biome. "Where are we going?"

"Our journey ends just beyond this land," The Wonderer said, "Why do you ask?"

Makurow squinted at the edge of the horizon, he saw a small structure located far out in the distance. "That's understandable, but I'm not particularly eager on continuing this way."

"Where else are we going to go? Do not trouble yourself. Follow me this way," The Wonderer said.

"I don't feel safe going this way," Makurow cried, "I fear something bad will happen if I follow you now. Please, do not think of this as distrust, rather I have a sour gut feeling surrounding this place." Thinking about stepping onto the grey land caused an eerie feeling to stir in Makurow's stomach. For no apparent reason, Makurow feared that the horrors that appeared to him on the outstretch of that land would appear before him once again.