Legends of Irene (Garroth x Reader) | Aphmau Fanfiction| UNDER IMMENSE EDITING

Distant Shore

'The smell of saltwater is...overbearing.'

That was the first thought that entered Garroth's mind the moment he peeled open his eyes. The second thing he thought of was the sabre light of the sun that shined much-too-brightly into his eyes. Garroth weakly put a hand out in front of him to shield the little that he could.

Then, came the sound of seagulls squawking in the distance, their black shadows dancing across the surface of the...

'...Sand?' Garroth thought dizzily, the grainy substance managing to catch his sight, just before it could fall into his peripheral vision.

And lastly, came the rippling waves of water that crashed against the shore. Garroth sputtered when a current engulfed him with a large 'whoosh', the grips of its unexpected surprise sending Garroth into a pit of shock. He quickly crawled away, clawing desperately at the sand to pull himself from the water.

Once at a safe distance from what he presumed was the ocean shore, Garroth heaved deeply, his body dropping like lead onto the burning sand.

And then, he felt something: a sudden burning sensation at his side. It stung from excess saltwater, pulsing so terribly it almost felt numb. Garroth muttered a string of curses under his breath, quickly bringing his hand to the left side of his waist. He hissed, his face contorting into one of pain. He quickly retracted his hand from the spot to examine the damage.

Blood. Lots of it. And he didn't know where from. His wound was open—about five inches in length—and it allowed drops of red to litter the sand around him. Garroth could feel his heartbeat drum loudly in his ears as he re-covered his wound with his right hand and twisted his body in an attempt to sit up.

His breathing quickened and his head spun as he managed to stay upright, his left arm shaking as it kept him stable. Garroth squinted his eyes in the exuberant light of the sun, trying his best to focus on his surroundings. One thing was for sure: he had most definitely been stabbed. Garroth was unsure of who had done it...or how they had gotten away with doing it. He had absolutely no memory of what had happened to him.

Another thing was for sure: he was most definitely on a beach. The sand, the crashing shore...

The damned sun. Why in Divine's name was there so much sun? Was it not autumn, nearing the winter? Now that he thought about it, this place...it had such a familiar atmosphere. Even in his current state... his heart yielded a disrupted connection and a strong sense of deja vu. And it was very clear to Garroth now; he was no longer on the island with his comrades. No longer with Aphmau or Laurance or Katelyn. No longer with Travis, Lucinda, Aaron or the sisters. No longer with you...

'(Y/n).'

"(Y/n)..." Garroth's eyes widened and he searched frantically along the coastline from his position, as though he'd suddenly spot you along the distant shore in the middle of nowhere. The harsh reality was slowly beginning to settle in. "(Y/n)!" he bellowed through strained heaves. Where were you? Where was he?

How had he gotten here?

"Argh..." Garroth inhaled sharply when the throbbing in his side returned and this time, with full force. It sent him back onto the sand, curling up in agony. No wound he'd ever gotten could compare to the pain of this one.

Even with his eyes squeezed shut, Garroth could tell his consciousness was slipping. His head felt lighter by the minute and his breathing was beginning to slow.

And then...footsteps. Yes, he could hear it! The muffled, yet obvious sounds of footsteps against the sandy ground lessened their distance and at that moment, Garroth felt the urge to reach out his arm; just reach—