It all started with the voices. I remember the darkness, the cold, and the inhumanly low, unintelligible voices echoing in my mind. I was unable to understand their asynchronous speech, nor could I see or feel anyone, surrounded only by darkness and noise.
Gradually, their sound began to gather into a single choral pronunciation of one word:
"Aren… Aren… AREN… AREN!"
The volume intensified with each repetition until, finally, all the voices merged into a single, multi-layered scream.
Suddenly, a brief silence fell, which was sharply replaced by a blinding flash of light. A moment later, I felt myself choking, drowning in seawater, until I finally felt the wind enveloping my face. At that same instant, I reflexively began coughing up all the water, feeling the air gradually begin to enter my lungs. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I could barely make out that I was on an unknown shore.
The sun's rays, breaking through thin clouds, seemed unnaturally bright, making my eyes water after the recent stay in darkness.
Lying on my back, I was completely exhausted, able only to lift my head with great effort and inspect myself, seeing that im wearing only black, wet, and torn pants, and my fingers dug into the wet sand while the cold water still licked my feet.
I was terribly frightened, confused, and remembered nothing except what had happened just now.
Suddenly, against the background of the seagulls' cries, I heard an unfamiliar female voice rapidly approaching me to the sound of feet running across the wet sand. The female voice became clearer and clearer. The heavy breathing of a running person mixed with the splashes of water underfoot.
The stranger, out of breath, fell to her knees beside me, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and relief.
"Hey! Can you hear me? Oh Gods, I thought it was just a piece of driftwood washed ashore"
She cautiously touched my shoulder but immediately recoiled, noticing the black weave of runes snaking across my neck and disappearing beneath my shoulder blades. A shadow of superstitious fear, characteristic of the inhabitants of these lands when encountering incomprehensible magic, flashed in her green eyes. However, compassion prevailed and she reached out again, helping me lift my torso.
Her name is Elara Greenfield. A resident of a small village nearby.
"Looks like you've swallowed a lot of water. I need to turn you on your side, don't move."
Elara quickly realized what first aid she needed to provide, turning my body on its side to clear my airways. My vision was blurring, and Elara's voice echoed in my mind until, eventually, everything went completely dark and I lost consciousness.
---
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a wooden ceiling. Then my attention shifted to the distant sounds of birds and the village street drifting in through a slightly ajar window. Turning my head slightly, I saw a small table cluttered with various objects I didn't recognize, which were actually parts from various broken or disassembled devices and mechanisms.
Looking around, I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position and looked down at my arm, examining the strange marks that covered my entire body. After a few moments, I winced in fright as I heard the sound of hurried running behind the closed door of the room and an energetic, youthful voice.
"Coming, coming! I left it in my room, wait!"
The door burst open, and a young boy flew into the room. He quickly grabbed a gear from the table and came to a dead stop just before running back out. Standing with his back to me right in the doorway, he slowly turned his head toward me.
"No way..."
The boy was clearly stunned, staring at me with eyes wide with surprise.
"Leo! I told you to take your outdoor shoes off before coming into the house!"
The now-familiar female voice called out from the other room.
"E-Elara… you have to see this," - the boy replied anxiously, his eyes never leaving mine.
"What is it?"
Elara walked up behind Leo and, looking up, saw me sitting on the bed with eyes just as worried and confused as theirs. Staring at me with equal astonishment, she froze behind the boy, whose name, as it turned out, was Leo.
With a sigh of relief, Elara spoke:
"You're alive... Praise the Mother Goddess, you're finally awake."
She gently pushed Leo aside and entered the room. A hint of concern lingered on her face, even as she felt relief at seeing me conscious.
"You've been asleep for nearly a day and a night. Bernard, the local blacksmith, helped me carry you here. You are safe; this is our home in Waldruhm…"
Elara took a careful step closer, her hand rising slightly to her chest in agitation.
"Tell me… what is your name? And where are you from?.."
My blurred consciousness tried to organize the flood of information and focus on Elara's words. Although I remembered practically nothing, for a reason unknown to me at the time, I understood what she was saying, as the meaning of every word flashed instantly in my mind.
"Aka… I…"
I struggled to formulate speech, like a child learning to talk. As soon as I decided to answer her question, the information about the words I needed began to materialize in my memory, triggering a sharp headache that made me clutch my head.
Elara leaned forward immediately, seeing me wince in pain. Her face reflected genuine alarm.
"Hey, easy. You don't have to answer me right now if you're in pain."
She turned to Leo, who was still standing in the doorway watching my struggle.
"Leo, bring herbal infusion number four and some clean water. Fast. And don't forget a cool towel."
The boy nodded and vanished toward the kitchen like a whirlwind, pausing for only a split second to glance at my arms, covered in unknown runes.
Meanwhile, a storm raged in my mind: images of letters, the sounds of words, and the names of objects around me - "table," "window," "wall," "what's your name," "where from" - flashed like bright sparks, gaining meaning but demanding an exorbitant price in the form of pulsating pain in my temples.
Elara cautiously moved even closer and sat on the edge of the bed, slowly reaching out and placing her hand on my shoulder.
"Try to breathe deeper. Focus only on my voice… You are in the Greenfield house, on the outskirts of the Waldruhm plains. Whatever happened to you, you are safe now."
She looked at me with even greater concern, suspecting what was happening to me.
"Just like them... you probably can't remember anything yet either..."
She muttered quietly, speaking her thoughts aloud. Finally, as I began to feel the thoughts and knowledge in my head starting to order themselves, the noise in my mind began to subside. It became easier for me to listen to Elara and understand what she was saying.
A few moments later, Leo returned with the decoction. I, in turn, watched them silently and distrustfully, still not fully understanding what was happening. The boy froze by the bed, holding a glass of water and a clay mug emitting a sharp aroma of mixed meadow and forest herbs. For me, these scents were the first clear anchors in reality, separating this world from the viscous darkness I had escaped.
Elara sensed my distrust. She slowly moved back, showing empty palms - a universal gesture signifying the absence of weapons or ill intentions. She nodded quietly to Leo and looked at me again:
"Take it, it will help. This infusion will help clear and refresh your mind."
Leo, despite my heavy gaze, took a step forward and held out the mug. The boy was clearly struggling with the desire to learn more about my tattoos, which seemed even more incredible to him up close.
Leo addressed me in a quiet whisper, with a hint of apprehension and burning curiosity:
"Do you... remember anything? How you ended up on the shore or how you fell into the water?
Silence finally settled in my head. Words no longer caused pain, smoothly gaining meaning alongside their speech. Slowly taking the mug, I glanced twice at Elara and Leo as they watched me intently. This definitely caused me slight discomfort, but at the same time, I felt no threat from them.
Despite the sharp smell, I took one sip and, grimacing, immediately handed the mug back to Leo. He at once offered me the glass of water, which I instinctively grabbed from his hands and drank immediately. A bitter, herbal aftertaste still lingered in my mouth, making me wince, at which Leo couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"I understand you, nobody likes this decoction, but it always helps and is as reliable as an Aisengard clock" — Leo said, placing the mug on the table.
The boy's childish laughter along with Elara's light and warm smile only added even more to the feeling of awkwardness, but a moment later my attention was caught by something, or rather someone, behind Elara's back.
Behind her, holding onto the doorframe, a little girl was peeking out carefully, looking right at me. My frozen gaze made Elara turn around. A pale little face with large eyes full of childish curiosity was looking right at me.
This was Mia - the youngest of the Greenfields. She was clutching the hem of her simple little dress in her hands and was barely breathing, examining the "guest" her older brother and sister had been whispering about all morning. Elara reached out a hand toward her, inviting her into the room with a softened and even warmer voice.
"Mia, honey, don't be afraid. Come in. This person... he just slept for a very long time."
The girl didn't budge, continuing to closely study my tattoos. For her, having grown up among the golden fields and quiet sounds of the village, my appearance was clearly unusual. At that same moment, Leo, standing behind Elara, was silently beckoning Mia with a gesture of his hand.
Mia took a tiny step forward, still not letting go of the doorpost. Recalling that morning, it is still surprising to me that in her eyes I mostly saw not fear or shyness, but pure childish curiosity. Then Elara turned back to me and asked carefully, tilting her head slightly and looking me straight in the eyes:
"Do you feel better?"
Pondering her words for a couple of seconds, I nodded carefully, thereby making it clear that the decoction known to everyone in the area was as effective as ever, and also that I understood her speech. Elara sighed quietly with relief, shifting her gaze from me to Leo with a warm smile.
"Leo, please go to Grandma Martha and tell her that the bread preps are already done, help her light the oven, and take Mia with you."
It would seem that a very energetic and excited boy, who clearly would not want to leave this room right now, should object to his sister, but not at all - his smile immediately changed to a slightly serious, but at the same time caring and understanding expression. Nodding with a clear "Mm-hmm," he immediately went toward the exit of the room, while simultaneously extending a hand that Mia instantly took, after which the children promptly left the room.