Ray heads Northeast

Ray takes the first few steps into the world outside of Marotropolis. He is greeted by a snarling monster that is a lot like a ferocious rabid wolf.

It pins him to the ground, and he's taken a bit aback by the sudden attack. But he uses his protective gauntlets to punch the wolf creature square in the jaw. The wolf yelps and Ray manages to push the wolf off of him. He reached into his pocket and stabbed the wolf in its chest.

The wolf collapses to the ground... Ray's hand and clothes are completely bloodied.

Ray: ".... Ew.... Gross...." Ray gags a bit after looking at the big mess, but he then takes cloak and rubs that and his pocket knife into a patch of grass nearby to clean it all off.

Ray looked around him and noticed a trail that led through a large crack in the ground. The cliffs on either side of the crack eventually rose at points across the horizon. As far as he could see the earth was mainly dry with little vegetation.

Ray: "Is this a definition of a wasteland? Or a mini GrandCanyon?" Either way, Ray smiled with the excitement of beginning his adventure.

Ray begins to walk towards this crack in the ground. He looked at his watch and made note of his time.

It was 8:30am. Ray didn't know what a good pace would be to keep, or if there was any point to a pace. He knew himself that he was probaly not fully equipped to be outside for long so he figured that the faster he walked, maybe the faster he could make it to another town.

He was already at the start of the crack which eventually split into a black abyss. On either side was a trail that held close to the wall of the crack. He started down carefully, as getting down into the crack and onto the trail proved challenging. It was very steep and rocky.

When he got down onto the trail, Ray's heart was pumping. He didn't like heights. But nonetheless, the excitment of danger pushed him forward. He then decided who cared about his pace, who cares about if he struggles, who cares when the next town was? He was ready for this adventure! And if things got bad, he could push a button on his watch and teleport back to Marotropolis!

He was about to walk around a sharp curve in the trail when all of a sudden the earth started to move. Ray hugged the wall of the crack's cliffs to keep his balance.

At the very edge of the curve he was about to walk around came out a monster made out of rocks. It looked a lot like a human, but made out of rocks. It had dark black wholly eyes.

Rock Monster: HALT! Who goes there!?

Ray blinked for a few minutes and stared at the Rock Monster in amazement.

RM(RockMonster): HALT! Who goes there!?

Ray wondered if he should answer or not...but the RM was getting impatient b4 he could decide.

RM: WHO GOES THERE!?

The earth shook again at his mighty voice, and Ray decided to answer.

Ray: "My name is Ray Shirim." -Ray decided to keep his answer straight to the point. Always best in situations like this.

RM: And Ray Shirim, where are you going!? The RM took a step closer.

Ray smiled as he happily answered the RM's question.
Ray: "Wherever this road may lead me."

The RM nodded at the answer, but his hallow eyes squinted.

RM: A good answer, but an unlikely answer from someone so young

Ray's face dropped and his eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't believe that the RM disbelieved his very truthful answer! He protested to the RM.

Ray: "I'm being honest!" Ray crossed his arms to prove his point.

the RM gave a big bellowing laugh. The earth shook more than usual and Ray fell to the ground.

RM: "If you are being honest, you have guts kid. A time like this isn't a time to be going wherever the road may lead."

Ray: "Then again, what better time is a place to be wandering? Less traffic!" Ray smiled at his own joke.

The RM gave another hearty laugh.
RM: "Hoho! A sense of humor! I like that! Ray Shirim, you have a Rock Guardian's permission to pass this point. Please continue on your journey! Hahaha!" The RM laughed again and shook the earth. Then he went back to the cliff and rested in his place.

Ray smiled and waved goodbye to the rock monster and continued on his journey.

Ray left the rock monster and soon after he came to a portion of the trail where it clung so close to the wall, that one could only walk on their tiptoes while hugging the wall to avoid falling.

Ray stared at this and looked at how far he had to go. He had to go a good 3 meters of this trial. He gulped and did some deep breathing techniques to calm his nerves. He did not like heights, not one bit.

Gotta keep on moving he thought to himself. Ray hugged the wall and spread his legs and arms a part. His feet were sideways pressed up against the wall like the rest of his body, allowing him to shuffle bit by bit. He had his balance well maintained, but with every shuffle he started to grow conscientious of the weight of his bag. His bulky cloak didn't help at all either.

It was only because he wasn't picking up his feet that he didn't snag his cloak and trip to his doom. Halfway through Ray gained some confidence, but he fought it back, because he wanted to keep from rushing.

In no time at all he was on the other side, ready to keep moving on the main trail. He gave a biiiiiiiig sigh of relief!

Ray: WOoo! That >< was kinda scary!" But I did it! Smiling at his small accomplishment, he walked on.

Ray walks on cautiously, trying to keep his footing steady. The path remains straightforward, minus the rockyness. Nothing too exciting happens as Ray walks a long the path.

Ray looks out over the edge from time to time, scared to death that he might fall. At the same time, he continously looks over the edge because of the thrill. He looks out across the massive abyss. The other side of the canyon was sooooo far away. A good kilometer away.

Ray found a place where the path widened a great deal, and the cliff stretched overhead. The scene was that of a large amphitheater. Ray sat down and decided to eat some lunch. He takes out some trail mix and some bread and eats a very small piece of both.

He decides to sit for 20minutes, something he learned to do on long hikes back in his old world. He couldn't remember the reason why it was important, but he did it anyways.

As he sat he looked out at the other side of the cliff, still amazed by the grand view. But he was dissapointed that the sun didn't shine. It was dark, with dark clouds in the sky.

If this world is dying... I wonder what it would take to save it... Ray thought to himself.

When Ray stood up after his 20 minute break he heard large thunderclaps. He looked up to the sky and saw the clouds start to grow thicker and darker. It was strange how fast the sky was changing, and in no time at all a downpour began.

Ray was disappointed and didn't want to stay where he was. But he knew he couldn't afford to get wet. It would be the last thing he would want to do to spoil his food, get sick, dry his clothes, or worse: slip into the abyss.

Ray headed to the back of the cavern he was in and took off his cloak and his bedroll and sat comfortably with his hands behind his head. He watched the flashes of lightning and listened to the large claps of thunder. It was quite the show. It was exhilarating for Ray to watch.

A strange creature limped into the cavern. It had three long furry legs, but a body like a fish.

It collapsed to the ground. Ray ran to the creature and knelt down beside it. It had a large bloody gash down its side. Ray quickly looked up, and around. He grabbed his bow n arrow and notched an arrow.

He figured that there was something nearby that caused such damage. Sure enough a wolf, a lot like the one Ray faced earlier that day, ran into the cavern. It jumped towards Ray, but Ray let loose his arrow.

The beast continued down on Ray, but Ray dodged out of the way. He had hit the wolf in its stomach, and as it landed, the arrow pressed farther into itself. Ray had another arrow notched and aimed for the beast's neck. He was close enough that he hit his target.

The wolf laid still as it died. Ray retrieved his arrows, quivering at the flesh the arrows brought out. He took the arrows and laid them outside where it was still raining. He let the rain wash away the disgusting pieces of blood and flesh from the arrows.

Ray took a look at the wolf, questioning if he could skin it. Looking out at the rain, and realizing that the rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon, he took out his pocket knife.

He flipped the switch blade and started to skin the wolf's fur. Ray had never done this before, so his fingers slipped the fur occasionally, and his knife was inaccurate as to where to puncture and slice.

Eventually Ray cut a patch of fur on the wolf's back.

Ray continued to slice away at the fur. He worked slowly until eventually he got the hang of skinning the fur. He managed to get a lot of the fur off of the Wolf's back and sides. The legs were a lot tougher, and the toughest portion was the head. It was hard enough to work the knife where there even was fur, but to look at those sad, dead eyes! It killed Ray.

He couldn't stand it. He had to even get up and walk around a bit so he didn't puke. He didn't know why he felt so bad just because of something so petite. He eventually recovered and got back to his work.

Ray had a wolf skin for himself and he soon had a fire going to eat the meat. He stopped thinking about the sad face of the wolf to rid himself of the guilt. Feeling the warmth of the fur had him thanking the wolf quietly. While eating the meal of the wolf, he thanked it again. The wolf was now a part of him.

To Ray, it was a strange thing. To become a part of death. But it definitely seemed respectable.

The rain had ceased, and he started his way again. He found a trail that finally led him out of the canyon.

He looked over the canyon, and realized that the dark clouds still loomed overhead. He looked at his watch and sighed. He could've seen a sunset if it wasn't for this darkness.

He turned around and saw that there was a giant field with hills in the distance. The field was covered in dead grass and a few spots with dead shrubbery.

"Whoa." Ray looked around, looking at what was in the distance. He could see mountains up north, and to the south he could see the looming city of Marotropolis.

He turned back around to his direction: The east. He put a foot out in front of him and started walking across the dead grassy plains.

He walked across the grassy plains and up ahead on a hill he could see a shadow. The shadow noticed Ray and sped towards him, flying above the grass. Ray notched an arrow and let it loose, but it simply just flew through the shadow.

As the shadow came closer to Ray, his mind was racing with thoughts about what he should do.

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE SHADOW!" He yelled at it as it entered his body. Defying it with his voice was the only thing he could think of to do, he couldn't outrun this shadow.

But the shadow payed no attention to this shouting human. It had a host and now it would destroy it from the inside out. Ray could feel his insides begin to feel an immense pressure. Then a rib snapped, two ribs, three ribs, 8 ribs. His bones throughout his entire body broke one by one. His body shriveled up, bending in ways it should not. Then, his blood flow shifted. It all went back towards his heart but into his lungs. He was breathing blood, and soon vomiting it all onto the ground. Then he could feel his muscles begin to be eaten from the inside. Something was gnawing on them. Right before he died from the pain he reached his hand into his chest with enough strength to break through the skin and take his own heart. He ate his heart and remember feeling even more pain as he chewed upon it. He soon fell to the ground as an inanimate object.





He was shaking uncontrollably, sweating profusely, felt nothing but cold and terror, and his only thought was where is it? He looked around and noticed he was right where he had been before.

Then he noticed a man in armor on top of the hill. His armor glinted in the sunlight and when he caught sight of Ray his voice boomed across the plains.

"Come here boy!" The man sounded friendly, so Ray got up and walked, still feeling fearful, towards the hill. He climbed to the top and met the man, but payed little attention as he looked at the other side of the hill.

On the other side of the hill it sloped steeply into a valley. The valley was covered with dead bodies all dressed for battle.

"This is where the Battle of One took place."

"The battle of...one?" I asked.

"One man single-handedly took out all of these soldiers."

Ray gasped, wondering how anyone could have the power to do something like that. The man, dressed in a dirty full suit of silver armor, a red scarf tucked around his neck, his helmet under one arm, a large red hilted long sword at his hip, and a shield on his back. He had no standard on any of his gear, which Ray thought was curious. The man's face looked worn and tired, large black bags underneath his eyes. His hair was long and black, but tied in a ponytail. His beard haphazardly shaven, as in a rush.
He looked at Ray and asked him in his deep toned voice that was a little scratchy due to maybe a lack of liquid.

"My name is Neon. Who are you?"
"My name is Ray." Ray stepped back a bit, "It wasn't you who single-handedly took out all of these men, was it?" Ray remembered the shadow, and what it did to him. How am I still alive? He was beginning to fear the man, for this man was standing on the exact spot when he saw the shadow. When ray asked the question, the man laughed.
"No, no no. This happened years ago. This battlefield was frozen by the man to serve as a reminder that he is all powerful. I am simply...." He paused for a moment to think, "...a traveller." The man looked out across the battlefield, and then turned again to face Ray, "And what of you?"
"That's what I am. I just came from Marotropolis and made my way through that canyon over there." He pointed back at the canyon.
"Very good. But then you came to a site that could chill the heart of many and you found yourself at the mercy of a Terror. Will you continue on from here?"
"A Terror?"
"Yes, they feed off of fear, thus showing you the most gruesome of images when they possess you. But otherwise, they are completely harmless."
Ray shivered, he wasn't sure harmless was the right word. The pain he felt in those moments of the Terror's possession were excruciating. The man noticed this and apologized for his inaccurate diction.
"Are you heading anywhere in particular?" Ray asked Neon.
"Yes, in fact I am."
"Where to, if you don't mind me asking."
"To a city North west of here."
Ray thought about joining this knight. He sounded friendly, so he decided to follow him.
"Do you think I could join you?"
The man chuckled again, but hesitated with his answer. After a few moments Ray took back what he said.
"No... no....no, no. I think... I think you'll be the right person for the job." The man nodded his head while giving his answer to Ray, "But if you come with me, you have to understand that I give the orders. Understood?"
Freedom and loneliness, or companionship and subjugation? Ray thought for a moment and decided to go with the man.
"Good! It will be nice to have someone to talk to. Let us be off then. Away from this forsaken battlefield!"

They went down the hill retraced Ray's steps to the direction of the large canyon until Neon took a turn to his right and headed what Ray had figured was a northernly direction. Up ahead of them was nothing but the continuation of the dead plains. But, as what little light there was shifted, Ray could see a large structure in the distance. Wanting to break the silence that they had been in for a few hours, he asked Neon his current burning question, which interrupted Ray from several other questions he had about Neon himself.

"Hey Neon. What is that all the way in the distance?"

"That?" Neon squinted his eyes and then looked at Ray, "That, I believe, is a communications tower of some sort."

"Huh. It looks weird from here. It looks like maybe it's broken in half."

"So it does. Huh. I wonder if that belongs to the city we're trying to go to."

Ray thought about home, thinking of the technology back there like power lines and cell phone towers. But it didn't look like any of those which were usually just made out of vertical metal poles. This looked larger, it looked enclosed, it also wasn't shiny when the light hit it. Ray shrugged and decided that he stop wondering and just wait until they go see it up close.

"Get down. It hasn't noticed us yet, but it will." Neon crouched to the ground, pulling Ray down a single tug on his sleeve. Neon pointed up ahead to another Terror. But this Terror, as opposed to the last, was fat and sluggish, "Ah. This one has already been fed. Most likely by you. They are harmless when they are fat and slow. Let us continue."

Neon and Ray eventually came across a giant circle where there was no grass, but a giant ditch in the ground. Ray looked at Neon, and Neon looked at Ray. The ground trembled, and the two were sent rolling into the ditch, down to its bottom.

Once there, the earth opened as the shaking grew worse. The two fell down below, deep into darkness.

When they landed painfully on solid ground, something happened that prevented the pieces of earth from falling upon Ray and Neon. Then, a large blast of rocks was shot upwards and Ray could see the sky from where they were.

They were surrounded by the debris of the earthquake, and up above was a giant alien worm.

"Prepare yourself Ray. These creatures are a deadly sort." Neon started to climb up the rocks, leaving Ray to draw his bow.

The worm went to strike Neon, but Ray had an arrow inside its head before it could strike. The worm reacted by attempting to attack Ray, but Ray quickly had another arrow inside of the worm while Neon took his blade and sliced upwards along its mouth as it went to attack Ray.

The worm could barely fit inside the tunnel Ray was at the bottom of, so he was safe from the worm, but not safe from its dripping blood and its dripping mouth. Ray cringed as some of it landed on him.

"Climb up here Ray!" Neon yelled from above. Ray felt a bit disgusted, for he had to somehow get around the worm to make it to the top...

ew...Ray thought to himself as he started his climb.

Ray managed to make it past the worm, squeezing himself between the wall of earth and the wall of worm. He made it to the top to find Neon waiting for him with an outstretched hand. But with one look at Ray, Neon took a step back and used the outstretched hand to plug his nose, leaving Ray to get up by himself.

"Thanks...." Ray said, looking at Neon.

"I'm sorry. But you smell terrible! HA!" Neon gave a hearty laugh and motioned for Ray to follow him. They climbed up and out of the ditch they were in and back onto the grassy plains. When they climbed over this hill however, they saw that there were several other ditches. Each one bordered by grass.

"Do you think there is a worm for every ditch?" Ray asked Neon. Neon put a finger to his mouth to signal for silence. Ray watched Neon, who put his hand up into the sky. Half a second later Ray felt something like a pulse pass through his body. Neon put his hand down and looked at Ray.

"There is a worm in every ditch."
"How did you find that out?" Ray asked Neon.
"By asking the universe."
"Asking the universe?"
"The universe will grant you what you wish, if you know how to ask it." Neon started walking again, leaving Ray looking perplexed.
"I don't understand."
"It is not for you to understand, but to accept."
"Could I ask the universe for understanding?"
"You could."
"There has to be more to it than that." Ray crossed his arms. There has to be...

"There is. Are you willing to learn?" Neon kept walking, staring out in the distance, while his question seemed to be addressed to someone other than Ray. Ray hesitantly replied with a yes, but Neon noticed the hesitation and pointed it out.
"The universe may allow hesitation, but I will not. Are you willing to learn?"
"Yes." Ray said it this time with more conviction.

"Good. The first lesson will be one of courage. I will watch as you defeat a worm by yourself. But you won't really be alone, the universe will be with you. It will be with you and against you at the same time. Ask it for the means to survive and you shall be granted with such means."

Ray felt a small fear coil up inside of him, but another greater force of excitement overpowered that fear. Ray took out his bow, notched an arrow and started walking towards the nearest ditch. He focused on the idea of courage, not allowing any other thoughts to burden his determination.

He put one foot onto the circle of dirt and the earth began to tremble. A giant worm came out of the ground and attempted to devour Ray. Ray let loose an arrow into the worm's gaping mouth. As the mouth was enclosing around Ray's body, the arrow struck into the back of the worm's throat. The worm reared its head back into the sky. Ray stood his ground and notched another arrow, letting it fly at the worm. The worm looked at Ray and with much anger jumped out of the ground and towards Ray.

Ray didn't have time to think, but luckily his body told him to move, so he ran as fast as he could to avoid the worm. The worm landed onto the ground, making a large dent into the earth, but then it thrashed around, attempting to crush Ray into the ground. Ray did his best to avoid the giant worm by running away, but he wasn't fast enough.

Universe, I wish that physical matter would pass right through me. Better yet, I wish I could run like the wind. Ray was still running at the same pace when he notched an arrow and shot it at the worm's head. Ask the universe? blah.