Helpless Drifting

Dragons were beasts of a long forgotten era, I only hearing of them from the tales my mother spoketh so fondly of. Colossal beasts that soared through the air with the mighty force of their wings, and cut the sky with teeth stronger than any blade forged. Now I have stood in the presence of one such dragon of old, not in awe of its significance, but in pity of what it had become. Yet despite this creature's fall from the heavens, they are worth far more now in this crumbling era.

I have heard some stories in passing from travelers bygone, all of them in their exodus of the region, stating that something eerie was afoot. They spoke of folk who gorged upon the rotted corpses of great dragons and the mysterious knights that drag these corpses, and how it gave them feelings of dread. I listened to these tales closely, just as I did with my mother, and heeded the warnings of these passing strangers. Still, despite the look of anxiousness on each of their faces, my yearning for knowledge swept over my doubt. I have heard too much of such dragons yet have never laid mine eyes on one. To think I would not only bear witness to the sights that worried such kind travelers so, but also meet such wretched sights face to face. Now in the presence of what I have long wanted to examine, my body fled, not of my volition, but of the mongrel violator who had taken my place.

I drifted through the floating space of my mind, enveloped by the remembrance of what had transpired. Despite this body being my very own, I had no control over it now, being forced to watch my hand tremble in fear at the sight of a dragon's meat, leaving it to be trampled on rather than keep it for gain. It was a painful watch knowing its worth in these desolate times. Its rotting nature was indeed vile, do not mistake, but in a world that's on its last leg, any sort of meat is worth something, whether eaten, sold, or studied, especially that of a dragon's. Besides, sights like these are not uncommon in these lands, so why acteth like this?

The actions of the one who intrudes my body have been nothing but undesirable from my spectating. Still, despite these actions I was beginning to loathe, this was another mystery that sent waves of curiosity and insight over me. Just from the little this intruder has shown me, it was quite obvious that she was of a place far from this region. Perhaps somewhere much more peaceful, distant from any view of open flesh and the scent of death. Her cluelessness to everything around her, her visceral reactions to the decay of this land, and her will to swiftly disregard such a valuable specimen was proof of mine idea. All of this I could feel as we now shared a body, though I am unsure if she is aware of my presence. There was something more too this as well: that strange dream I had. That place of glowing glass towers with lights that danced across the open sky, peculiar metal carriages that moved all on their own, and hundreds on thousands of people strolling freely with no sense of danger. I have never witnessed, let alone heard of such a place before. It seemeth so far from my reality, yet it was before my very eyes. It had to have been not my dream, but the dream of the intruder of my body. Still, was there really a place out there thriving as such? How have I not heard of it? It was otherworldly to me.

It felt as though this journey was no longer my own. What had I done that was forcing me into this spectator role, idly watching my vision from afar, my body doing things so far detached from what I would have done. Even my memories had began to slip from me. Before my slumber at that mysterious black flamed altar, I was journeying somewhere. A place that I had almost forgotten after I had lost my body, but I had finally remembered what it was. A distant kingdom shrouded in ash and history. A kingdom of legend that was yet another thing I have only ever heard from my mother's tales. It was said this kingdom was in deep faith to some god long forgotten now. It was a place full or wealth and prosperity, but had been stripped of all its riches after the great calamity. That very kingdom was the shade looming in the distance, the same shade my body was moving toward. Despite the unpleasantness I feel toward my body's thief, it was nice to know that we at least have the same destination in mind.

Now, in this shared body, we traveled the dark woods, trampling the ashen waste beneath us. Though I have been separated from my body, hunger still gripped me as I float in my own consciousness. Why had this thief taken my body and not taken care of it? Nothing about what she had done thus far made even the slightest sense to me. Did she not think to explore the settlement for rations? Why had she not asketh the pale girl anymore questions? Now, because of this thief's stupidity, my body might die of starvation before leaving this ashen forest.

In the end, all I could do was struggle helplessly. I have attempted many times to take my body back, but I was not even sure of myself how that is to be done. What I thought was attempting to take my body back was shamefully me squirming through the endless space of my mind, watching my vision from afar of the never ending woods. It seemeth nothing was in my power any longer. I feared the thought of never getting my body back, as this intruder knew not of the ways of this land. Perhaps she will get me killed long before I gain control again. Will I have to watch her get me killed from inside my mind? I struggled on the thought for far too long, but I could not let myself get this way. It was far too soon, and I was far too close to getting where I have been searching for. I watched my vision as I drifted in the empty aether, finally seeing the trees thinning, and the ashen dunes showing themselves once more. This girl has somehow kept me alive thus far, but how long until I perish due to her incompetence I wonder?