Chapter 1:

Chapter 1: Birth

Worldborne


Being lost in the only thing I've known to be home is an odd feeling. Only recently I started to question it, but I don’t know what to ask. Is this life?

Actually, how long have I been awake? I don’t know how many days it’s been, my memory is pretty hazy. This darkness is the only thing I’ve known, there hasn’t been anything else. No feeling, no breath, just existence.

Honestly it isn’t bad, but I feel as though this couldn’t be it. There should be more than just this.

"Hey, I found something here!" a muffled voice exclaimed.

Who is that? Where am I? I can't see anything. I’m trying to move and the more I do, the more I realize, I can actually feel something. It’s exhilarating, this is the first time I’ve really felt anything.

I’m covered in some type of thick goo. Even wiggling my body is difficult, yet it feels comfortable here, warm. Being amazed is something I don’t have the luxury of though, I need to move.

"Good job, Jace. Although as unique as that thing is, I doubt the king sent us here to get a plant." said another voice, deeper than the other. He let out a sigh while I could hear both their footsteps getting closer.

"What else is down here though Boris? We've found nothing but monsters and this so far, Maybe this plant is the next zephyr." Jace chuckled.

"Don't make dumb jokes. The rest of you, come on." Boris ordered.

What are they talking about? Zephyr? The more they talk, the more I'm confused. What do they mean by plant?

Are they talking about me? Am I a plant?

More footsteps are coming, their voices are becoming more clear by the second. I keep trying to move, I can feel the goo around me becoming more malleable. My limbs are…

Wait, I have limbs! After feeling out my body for a few seconds using the goo around me, I try to move my right hand with as much strength as I can.

I finally touch something, it feels like a wall but it's oddly smooth and curved. All of a sudden, the goo around me started to become more fluid as a light started to show above me.

"Get ready, it might be a monster!" Boris yelled while I heard swords being drawn and others cursing at their bad luck. Surprising them as much as surprising me, the plant opened. All the goo that was surrounding me pours out to the ground.

The wall I’m touching turned out to be a thick green petal with a glossy texture, it has light green spots covering it. The petals I wasn't touching looked the same except they fell flat, slightly tilting down, and providing me with what I can only describe as a plant bed.

The petal I’m touching stayed up, acting as a wall. I could finally see the room I was in. It was a big rectangular shape.

About 30 feet by 50 feet, while the roof was about 20 feet from the ground. All the walls and the roof are made of stone bricks with etched lining. The ground around the plant has grass and flowers of every color surrounding it, spreading out with a radius of about 10 feet.

Blue orbs of small but different sizes were floating around the whole room, small yet beautiful. One came close to my face, alluring me to grab it. I reached my left hand out while it started to move a little faster, it went right past the petal that I was touching.

As I followed it with my eyes my head turned, and I could see 5 faces. My droopy eyes widened as their swords slightly lowered, and their faces went from ready to kill, to confused.

“The fuck?” a blonde lady hit Jace upside the head as he slightly yelped.

“Damn Fae, what was that for?”

I quickly sit up with my back against the standing petal to hide. Are they gonna kill me? Looking at my body I can tell I’m a lot smaller than them, I can’t fight them, not to mention I don’t even have any clothes. In a panic I try to look for a way to escape, but the only way out is the way these people came in.

“That’s a kid, mind your manners. Boris what do we do?”

“I have no clue.” He grits his teeth as he sheaths his sword.

“Weapons down, not away. If it is a kid then I’ll try to talk to him, but the rest of you stay ready until I say otherwise.”

Boris’ footsteps are getting closer to me as my breath starts to panic.

“Stay away!” I screamed, all those that were bickering fell silent. The fear in my voice echoed through the room, making Boris stop in his tracks.

“He can talk?” a new feminine voice muttered with surprise.

“Hey kid, we’re not gonna hurt you.” Boris spoke softly.

“Are you okay? How did you end up here?”

I take a peek from behind the petal, showing one of my eyes and only part of my face. Boris was a burly but fit man with red hair and blue eyes, and what looked like a yellow scar on his face from a distance.

He was about 5’11, wearing a black and gray outfit with a steel plate covering his chest, and leather guards on his arms and legs. A sword was hanging on the right side of his waist in its sheath mostly hidden in his hooded cape.

“What do you want?” My voice was wavering. My breath was still in a panic, while I forced myself to talk. They’ll definitely think I’m a monster if I don’t talk, they’re already skeptical enough as it is.

“Nothing, I’m just confused on how a kid is down here. Can you come out? We won’t hurt you.” Boris turned and signaled to his companions to put their weapons away.

There isn’t any other option besides doing what they say at this point, but I'm still afraid. I don’t trust them, I’ll just follow along for now. There’s no other way out than the opening where the others are standing anyway.

“Okay I’ll come out, but stay back.” Boris nodded. I started to inch myself out from my cover. As I came out, the looks from all of them became even more confused.

I stood up on the plant bed and took my hand off the petal I was using as a wall. It started to slowly droop down with the rest of the petals, revealing the rest of myself. Everyone's expressions went from confused to completely shocked.

“He has a black tattoo.” Jace whispered in disbelief. I looked at myself again, noticing something I didn’t before while I was panicking. Black markings enveloped my entire left arm and shoulder, even extending to part of my chest and back.

“That’s not possible.” A short brown haired woman muttered.

“I guess it’s not a joke anymore huh, Boris.” Jace was smiling but I could see it was more out of shock than anything else.

Boris kept a more unfazed look than the rest, but I can tell he didn't understand what was happening. In spite of that fact he took off his cape and put his sheathed sword on the floor, and started walking towards me again with his cape in hand.

“Use this to cover yourself, we won’t hurt you kid.” Boris said.

Once he got close enough, he reached out his hand to give me the cape. After hesitating for a second, I grabbed it and wrapped myself in it. The others behind Boris started to walk closer to us.

“Where am I?” I asked, still feeling a bit panicked.

“You are in some underground ruins, pretty ancient ruins at that. No one has been here for hundreds of years at the very least.” Boris turned to show his companions.

“Let me introduce you. This blue haired idiot is Jace our archer, the blonde there is Fae, the brunette with the staff is Amy, and the black hair with a mask there is Tristen. My name is Boris, do you know what your name is?”

Everyone either gave a small wave or nodded awkwardly to me while they were introduced. They’re all wearing outfits similar to Boris, some with less armor though.

“I don’t think I have one.” I say while looking down. My heart is beating quickly, but I can tell that everyone there is oddly more freaked out than I am. Either way they don’t seem like they want to attack.

“That’s okay kid. Look this is confusing for all of us, would you mind coming down from the plant? I think it would be best if you follow us, there’s a lot of monsters here. It’s no place for someone your age.”

“Where are you gonna take me?”

“There is a kingdom called Elaria. We serve the king, we’ll take you to his castle. Don’t worry he isn’t a bad man, he will take care of you.” Boris promised with a light smile.

After gripping the cape covering me for a second, I decided to follow along. At least for now I don't have any other options. I slid down one of the petals until I reached the grass floor.

“I’ll follow.”