Chapter Text
He woke up on a beach. He didn't know how he got there. He didn't have any memories. Or at least they were all faint, and as he tried to grasp them, they left his mind.
Where was he? He knew he was at a beach, but where in relation to anything else? He looked around. There was a rock, just a little bit away. It looked familiar. Why was it familiar? Why did it hurt his head to try and about it? He stopped staring at the rock, and looked behind him.
There were mountains. They went as far as the eye could see, just like the ocean in front of him. On the top of the mountains, there was a large stone structure with a giant tree on top. The tree looked like it was dying or withering away.
I wonder what that structure is? And why is that tree dying? It probably doesn't matter.
He looked back at the sea. The sun was setting. Why did that make him uncomfortable? It was just a sunset. He looked away from the ocean. Down the beach there was a little camp site.
He got up and walked over to it, curious.
Four logs of jungle wood surrounded a campfire. One of the logs had a hole in the sand in front of it. He wondered what the story behind that was. He sat down on that log, carefully stepping over the hole.
What do I do now? I still don't know where I am. Or even who I am. What, what is my name? I… don't know. Maybe I could find someone who could! That's a great idea! …But where would people be?
He looked up from where he was staring at the fire. It was night. There were no buildings in sight besides the one behind him. He doubted that people would live there.
I guess I should get moving. People are bound to be awake right now. People live near water right? So if I follow that river over there I'll find someone? Only one way to find out I suppose.
He jumped off the log, and started running. He slowed down as he reached the rock from before. Looking at it still hurt his head. He turned his head away, and continued running towards the river.
The river went up. Or well, it came from up the mountain. At least this part was less steep!
As he came around a bend, he saw a carnival tent, a jester's stage, and a bridge connecting the two sides. He was tempted to go over there, but he needed to find people first.
Speaking of people, where was everyone? There was not a person in sight. Which was weird. Surely someone should be up. He would have thought them all asleep, but that didn't make sense. Dusk was the time basically everyone was awake!
Maybe they were just all at their houses? They probably weren't always going to be at either a jester's stage or a carnival! Surely people will be up and about as he follows the river!
He continued going up the river, until he saw it. A kingdom off in the distance. It had tall towering walls, blocking anyone from entering. He gasped.
Or well he tried to gasp. No sound came from his lips. It felt like his throat was choked up, and the sound couldn't get out. He tried to say something, anything, but the same thing happened. He couldn't speak.
He stared down at the ground. How could he ask questions if he couldn't speak? How would he tell people he couldn't remember them? Would he have to wait for someone to say his name without him prompting them to?
He couldn't talk. He. Couldn't. Talk. He didn't know what to do with this information. He looked back up at the castle. Maybe he could find people there?
The faintest memory popped up in his head. It was him walking with who he assumed was a female knight through the kingdom in the middle plant area.
There were people there. She probably knows my name right? Hopefully. Maybe she could help me? I don't know how I will explain to her about this, but I can try.
He walked along the river, but it soon split up. One part of the river went right, the other went forwards. He looked towards the right. There was a building, tall, with red and blue colored roofs.
For a moment he wondered who built it, before remembering that he did.
I built that? I… did that? That's… so cool. I wonder why I choose to make the roofs out of blue and red wood? Why not just one color? Why is my head hurting again?
He looked away. There was a bridge right next to the… building he didn't know the name of. It was made of spruce, stone bricks, diorite, and some kind of light source. Sea lanterns, was what his mind told him.
He walked over to the building and the bridge, but before he went across, he looked over to the right again. There was another kingdom. It looked very blue. He looked back at the other kingdom. He now saw it looked red.
Huh. A blue and a red kingdom. I wonder if I belong to either of these kingdoms? Something told him he didn't. He didn't know why that hurt so much.
For once he actually looked in front of him, and saw… the arena? At least that's what he thought it was. The faint memory of fighting in there made him think that.
He looked back at the two kingdoms. Which one did he go to? He had that memory of being the red one, but he didn't know if that interaction was positive or not. But at the same time, looking at the blue kingdom for too long also made his head hurt.
He turned to the red kingdom. He may as well not make his head hurt more. As he thought this, he took a glance at the building next to the bridge, and his head hurt again for a second. He turned and looked away.
As he walked over to the red kingdom he noticed the lack of people. Maybe they're just all in their homes doing things. Maybe they're all anti-social. He tried to excuse how weird it was that no one was up.
It just didn't make sense. Slimes were almost always awake at this time, unless they were of the few that weren't awake at these hours. Maybe it was just a community of slimes like that.
Now that he thought of it, the knight lady he apparently knew wasn't a slime. And he wasn't at the swamps. Were there even any other slimes here?!
…Where was he? Why was he not in the swamps? WHY WAS HE NOT WEARING HIS CLOAK???
… He didn't even have it on him. He didn't know what to do. The only reason he had to come here was to ask someone his name. And it was likely literally no one was even awake.
He went over to the grass area in the middle of the kingdom. He sat down next to one of the trees, and rested his back against it. He closed his eyes.
He didn't know what to do anymore. Did he ever really know what to do? He had a goal, but he only had it because he needed something to do. But now he would have to wait until people woke up.
Maybe he should go explore. That could be fun. Anything for him to not just sit here with nothing to do. He sat there for a few more minutes before trying to sigh, being unable to, and got up.
Maybe I'll just explore the kingdom for now! That way if people wake up I'm there for them to see.
He walked around, looking at all the buildings. They were all quite impressive. He went over to one, the mage school apparently, and went to the door. He went to grab the door handle, and his hand just went through the door.
He stared at his hand that was halfway through the door. He retracted his hand and tried again. Nothing changed. His hand went through the door again. He brought his hand back. He tried his other hand this time. Same thing. He hesitated before trying to walk into the door. He went through it. He looked behind him at the door.
So… I’m intangible? Why? Am I like a ghost or something? That… doesn’t make any sense. I don’t remember dying. Plus aren’t ghosts not real? Ghosts are usually described as see-through right? Aren’t they also described as pale?
He looked down at his hands. The very see-through and pale hands.
Oh. I think I might be a ghost. I wonder how I died? I don’t remember dying, but if I’m a ghost, then I must have died, right? I still want to look around, so I guess I’ll do that instead of thinking about this. …I don’t really want to think about any of this; about me being dead and all.
He went around the building, looking at everything. In one of the rooms there was a sparkly green orb. He went to touch it, but some bad feeling made him stop just before touching it. He looked at it for a second longer before turning away to go look at something else.
The last place he went in the building was the very top. As he got up there, he gasped. Well, yet again, tried to gasp. He still couldn’t make any sound. The view from up at the top was cool.
I bet that the view from the top of the castle will look even better! I should go to that next!
He walked over to the ledge, and jumped off. He bounced off the ground when he hit it. He bounced on over to the castle, and started climbing up it. It was surprisingly easy. He made it all the way up with no problem, and he climbed the flag, just to be at the very top. He looked around; it was beautiful up here. It was like he could see everything.
He stared at the landscape for a couple more seconds before sliding down the flag pole. He went to the edge, but didn’t immediately jump off. He looked around again.
Maybe I should stay up here. It has a great view. I’m kind of getting tired too. He walked back over to the flag pole, and sat down with his back resting against it. He looked at the view one last time before closing his eyes, and falling asleep.