I wake to Pain. Pain so terrible that I can scarcely conceive its existence, had I not been experiencing it. Through the red haze I can see very little, but I feel I am lying on the ground. Yes. That seemed right, as right as anything could feel in this state. I reach haltingly for my spear, hoping to use it as a crutch, but my hand closes around nothing. I reach again and again find nothing.
Through the blur of the agony, a memory rises, haltingly. An image of my spear, as it flew gracefully through the air. A flash of it lodging itself in the flank of a terrible horned animal. I remembered that animal, I remember thinking that it could feed me for days, I remember the absurd confidence I had that it could not hurt me. I remember its horns goring me, I remember its hooves crushing my bones. And then nothing.
With what seems an impossible effort, I turn myself over. The pain fades. Or my ability to feel the pain fades. Or reality fades. I am not sure which. I drag myself, inch by inch, foot by foot. Finally, under my hand, I feel the rough bark of a tree. I do not know whether it is my tree, the tree which has been my haven at night for the past few days, but I do not care.
It is safer in the tree. That is the thought that is keeping my going. Slowly, I pull myself up. With sheer will, I climb the tree, pushing through the agony. I can scarcely feel my right arm. I am not even sure I am using it. Every motion is punctuated by a wave of black in the my vision, but, as night falls, I realize I have reached the knot of branches I have been sleeping in.
I collapse into it, and the pain makes me lose all knowledge of the world. I wake to the sound of a soft drip, drip, drip. I cannot see what makes the sound, but I know what it is. My life dripping out. Repetitive, mind-numbing. I feel cold. I resolve to see the sun rise. I WILL see the sun. I... Will.
How long has it been? The black is all encompassing, washing over me, receding, like a wave of the ocean.
The pain has mostly faded by now. Faded, to be replaced by a numb cold. I can scarcely move.
A sound. A flutter of wings. I try to raise my hand to swat away at whatever comes to make a mockery of me. I can scarcely move my hand, and something settles onto the branch close to my head. I try to speak. Try to send it away, scare it away. Nothing but a faint rasp.
How long has it been? Will the sun rise? I will it. I muster my strength, and weakly throw my arm at the creature. It squawks, and flaps away. I am sure it has not gone far, is simply waiting for me to be too weak to properly fight it off, but for now I am satisfied by my small victory.
Is that a glow on the horizon? The drip, drip, drip, has slowed, becoming a drip... drip... drip. I find myself inordinately focused on the sound. It is how I know I am still alive. I count the seconds between each drip. I am certain, now. There is a glow on the horizon. I made it through the night. I try to force a smile onto my face, but... the drips have stopped. I feel nothing but lightness. everything else has faded, the dull ache of my broken body is gone.
Slowly I stand up. I feel stronger then ever. I feel my arms, my legs, my body. No sign of the injuries I received the previous day. I shout a vigorous challenge to the Sun, to the World. I beat it. I challenged death itself, and death was found wanting. I swear to take advantage of this second chance. I look down, ready to climb out of the tree, and look into my eyes. My own eyes, sitting in a broken and bloody face. A face which is attached to what is without a doubt my shattered body.
Despair grabs at my soul. I realize what I am now. A ghast, destined to wander the world without agency, wander for centuries, wander until I am chosen to be born again.
. Gotsa start mapping some stuff soon... Would we be required to find papyrus or something of the like to create primitive maps?
but I think most people already sent. Get your orders in by Thursday and I will attempt to update then.
