Chapter 3:

Chapter 3 - A Lesson

The Otherworldly Patron of Blood


After an hour of walking, Peter collapsed onto the ground, succumbing to his hunger.

How, in the last two hours, did he not find any single food source? But more importantly, was this going to be how his second chance at life would end? Starving to death because he had the luck to spawn into a forest, and not at a town? He wouldn't die now - he doubt he was out for two weeks - but if this continued...

He pushed himself off the ground and stumbled forward, now properly on the prowl for sustenance. He watched his every step; his legs were weak enough that any wrong step could send him crashing to the ground. His hand clutched at his stomach, which panged with pain with every movement.

Thirty seconds into his search, he sensed something.

He didn't know how. He didn't smell, hear, or see anything, but he knew something, as if his mind was catching some sort of radio wave. He didn't know if it was food, water, or anything necessary to survival, but something in his soul definitely needed whatever it was. With no real plan, he began walking towards what he sensed, hoping it was food.

His journey ended near the base of a tree. He looked down at his feet. A nice patch of grass sat beneath him. He kneeled down and began digging. First he kept a slow pace, but he soon went into a frenzy, throwing dirt all over the place. He paused periodically only to clean his fingernails, and to catch his breath. Despite his hunger, he had the energy needed to keep going.

Eventually, he found it: a bright, scarlet gemstone, buried in the ground.

He picked it up, dusting it off. It was around the height of a fancy smartphone, with the volume of a mug. Shaped like a diamond, it was see-through like a colored windowpane. A black substance nestled inside it; he figured it was some sort of blood. It reflected light like a mirror, and the surface was smooth like glass. He admired the beauty of the stone, before a single thought crossed his mind.

I should eat it.

He stopped himself. What was he thinking? A gemstone would not only mean certain death upon digestion, he would probably break his teeth trying to do so. He put the bottom of it in his mouth to test how big it was. As expected, it was too big, and would break his jaw if he attempted to do so. The thought dissipated soon afterwards, replaced by a different thought.

I should stab myself with it.

He shook his head, trying to shake it from his mind. But no matter what common sense said otherwise, only one conclusion came to mind: stabbing himself with it would, somehow, be beneficiary. He rolled the gem around, poking the bottom with his finger. It definitely was sharp enough to be a stabbing weapon. Unable to deny his feelings any longer, he gripped the gem tightly with both hands.

And, after one deep breath, he plunged the gem into his abdomen.

He keeled over, blood pouring from the wound. He gritted his teeth from the pain, his veins and arteries swelling with the same black substance found in the gem. Pure heat radiated throughout his body, giving him the sensation of burning alive. He spasmed on the ground violently for a few seconds, unable to feel anything else but the gem...

Then, he passed out.

. . .

Voices.

Voices echoed in the darkness he floated in. The pain subsiding, he waved his arms around, trying to move his body. He had nothing to judge his movement on, but he guessed his efforts weren't paying off. Where was he, anyway? Did the gem portal him somewhere away from the world? Was he in space?

The voices became clearer, but not clear enough to distinguish words from each other. Soon, he saw visions flash across his eyes. Visions of battlefields, covered in bodies. Visions of sacrifices, blood covering every inch of the knives' blades. Visions of a legendary figure, one he somehow knew, as if he'd seen it before as a child. The only thing he didn't know was its name. Suddenly, his veins swelled again, this time with an indescribable feeling of power. Somehow, he figured this feeling as magic flowing through him.

The voices merged into one, repeating a single phrase over and over. Before he could decipher the contents, he was sucked below, deeper into the darkness.

. . .

When he came to, he saw a woman stand over him, a concerned look on her face.

He rubbed his eyes as he looked back at his observer. Blue eyes, short blonde hair, and pointy ears... he immediately concluded that whoever she was, she was definitely an elf. But something didn't seem right with him. Somehow, he knew that elf hair was silky smooth, that their skin radiated with magic, and that their eyes were as dazzling as the night sky. Her hair, in comparison, seemed matted and messy. Her skin, although normal, lacked any sort of magic at all. And even though her eyes were a bright blue, they lacked the beauty he instinctively knew they should. 

She gently patted the side of his head with the flat side of her glaive. "Hey, you ok?"

He nodded and got up, the woman giving space for him to do so. He glanced down at his wound, only to find it miraculously healed with no scars or anything to indicate it was there. Except the blood. "How long was I out?"

"No clue, I just found you here. Did something attack you? Your clothes suggest you got attacked, but I couldn't find any injuries on you. Are you sick?"

"No. Just-" His stomach growled loudly, serving as his answer.

"Hungry?"

He nodded again.

"Alright. I don't have much food on me, but..." She fetched a large piece of bread from a pouch tied tightly to her waist and held it in front of him.

"For me?"

"Do you see anyone else?"

After a moment of hesitation, he bowed his head. "Thank you," he said, taking the piece of bread and promptly shoving it in his mouth. As he voraciously chewed the baseball-sized bread, he took the time to look at her more. Her ears were not pointy as he assumed; they were jagged, as if someone hastily and clumsily cut the tips off. Her clothing was nothing special: a worn-out brown cloak, a green and blue tunic, and beige pants. Both the tunic and the pants were secured with a damaged but functional dark brown belt. The belt also held many other items such as pouches and a dagger, resting nicely in its sheath. Her glaive, although well-used, still shone brightly - despite his inexperience, he knew it maintained its sharpness, and could cut him down in an instant. 

Her gaze turned cold, her mouth almost turning into a scowl. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, sorry!" He swallowed the rest of the bread before continuing. "I'm not from around here, so everything is super new to me."

Her expression relaxed. "I can tell. Almost none of the men here have long hair like yours. Gets in the way of basic tasks."

He almost sighed with relief. "Yeah, exactly. Sorry if this is a weird question, but do you know where the next town is? I've been stuck in this forest for a long time."

"That's what happens when you don't use the main roads." She picked up her glaive and pointed slightly to her left. "Go southeast. You'll eventually come across a town called Holdenville. Once there, you can figure out where to go, but it'll be night soon."

"If night's coming, why are you out here?"

"I've got business to take care of. That's all."

Not wanting to push his luck with her more, he thanked her for her time and started walking away, stomach partially satisfied, headed towards the direction she pointed to.