Forsaken

Chapter 0 - Prologue

        Death. Death is a sensitive subject for many as it represents an end to something that can be amazing. Something that has the potential to change an entire world, something that could change just one thing, and that one thing can spiral into a sequence of other things that continue to change even more things. Why are people afraid of death? Why are others satisfied with an eventual end? Why are people afraid of the deaths of others around them? Is it selfish intents? Loneliness and sorrow? Pain and a lengthy recovery? This is something this soldier of the kingdom of Marletti thought about during his daily patrols across the gravel roads throughout the beautiful green land and oceans of trees so tall you couldn't see the surrounding areas even from watchtowers. Marletti is known as the green kingdom because of its natural beauty that surrounds the vast walls that hides a sprawling city, one where you can hear the chatter and laughter from miles outside, if the walls weren't there of course. These walls are about 30 meters tall, reinforced with the most durable and believed to be impenetrable steel you can find within the empire. Danger surrounded these vast areas constantly, from small wolf-like beasts that can be taken down with a few arrows, to a giant cyclops that can drain someone's sanity by just being in its presence. These walls were what kept them safe.

        This soldier is used to these miles long walks, often encountered beasts he could handle with his straight sword like it wasn't even a challenge at all. He's dressed in normal soldier attire, leather sleeves and gauntlets, light mail sewn throughout. A small cape that fell down his back, revealing a black and red sigil of a dragon peering over massive walls, representing Marletti of course. He was nearing the Marley house, a family of nine people who decided to live outside the walls with highly trained military guards because they can afford it, no one really knows why. The 4 children were considered the most disrespectful and misbehaved kids throughout Marletti, often getting into places that were cut off to civilians, damaging property within the walls, even injuring people at times. "Little shits" the soldier liked to call them. He scuffed as he came closer to the house, knowing he will have to deal with the parents of those little shits, when he heard a loud echoing slam from the forest to his left. It startled him, the sound was so loud the guards at the walls probably heard it, and he considered returning for backup. He didn't though. He felt as if he himself had to find what caused it, almost like a feeling of fate or destiny. So he starts towards the sound.

        He's making his way through the trees, stepping on dead animals, getting slight cuts from overhanging branches, he even slipped into a puddle that smelled so awful he almost threw up. Eventually though he came to an odd hedge of bushes that lined up almost perfectly with each other. What an odd place for a hedge, why have i never heard of this before? he thought to himself. His stomach started to feel queasy, a bit of nauseousness crept up on him. He pushed through the bushes, and as he emerges he sees a small square shaped field with a run down barn in the middle. Run down is an understatement. The barn was clearly painted red before but it was mostly chipped away revealing an ugly dark brown color. There was an enormous gash on the side of the barn, like someone lost control of an explosion spell and tore a hole right through it. I haven't heard of this barn either, odd. As he walked towards the barn, his head started to pound like someone was inside his head beating on his brain like a drum. His heart was tightening, it felt like it was going to implode on itself. He wanted to just head back and leave, but he couldn't. Again, he felt as if he needed to see what was inside this barn, as if he was the only one. The closer he got to the barn the headaches and heartaches were intensifying. He kept going working through the pain, until he reached the side door of the barn, well the half that was left. He then kicks it open, the door swings open with a subtle creak and he walks in.

        He makes it to about the middle of the rundown barn, the aches so bad he felt like his entire body was just going to explode. He looked around at the beaten down horse stables until he saw what looked like a shoe in one of them. He walks up to it and sees something that no horror story could represent. Two of the Marley kids, Thomas and Ryder, laid there, with skin white and veiny, their eyes protruding out of their heads, one even hanging to the left a little bit. Their lips open and chapped, hair that was falling out, it looked as if the soul was sucked right out of them. But there was no blood. The soldier was frozen in terror, as he has seen things that most people wouldn't be able to handle, but this was something else. This has to be some sort of prank. How the fuck do eyes fall out like that? What is with their skin? Were they murdered, was it an accident? Was it some sort of magic? Is that why there is no blood? Why is my god damned head beating so hard? Thoughts were rushing to his mind as he tried to piece together what he is witnessing. He calms himself slightly, and turns his head back with the intention to sprint out of the barn. He starts running and stops dead in his tracks at the door he came through. What? Why am I not moving? Why aren't my legs working? I'm in control of my body but im choosing to not move? What in the holy spirit of Dhadite ( the god of honor ) is going on? He then turns his head willingly but not at the same time.

        What he sees is a body, almost transparent, hunched over and disfigured. Its body is pure black and had glowing red eyes that seemed to stare directly into the soldiers soul. The aches and pains throughout his body are now at their peak. He doesn't notice his pounding head and aching heart because the feeling of what seems like hot metal flowing through his veins. His flesh feels as if it was being torn off over and over, and over, and over, and over, and over... The back of his eyes feel as if something was clawing at them, piercing through his cornea and his eyelids feel like they were being torn off. As all of these feelings went throughout his body, his mind was starting to break down, he forgot his name, he forgot who he was, what he was doing there. Slowly his life was being broken down. After what seemed like ages, but really it was only about a minute, his mind broke. The only thing he knew, the only thing his entire mind could dwell on, was the fact that he was going to die. Eventually his lifeless body collapsed on the floor. White and veiny skin, protruding eyes, his hair falling out. But no blood. No sign that a normal person or beast could do this. He and the Marley kids laid there. Could they even be called by their names anymore? Three lives gone in an instant. Three lives that could have changed the world. No one will ever know at this point. The creature disappears into the shadows leaving the soldier and two kids with no trace left.

END OF PROLOGUE