Notes

“Designates Speech

‘Designates Thoughts

Visit yougots.wordpress.com for a Map of Vilenna. After a few chapters I will post a Character List and Stat Sheets to the website as well. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy.

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[Status Effect: Sickness (Diarrhea) 30 minutes]

Otis leaped from the water and dashed into the forest. A sound of relief could be heard in the surrounding area. Many of the animals skittered away in fear of what was to come.

The excruciating 30 minutes had finely past. Otis stood up looking and feeling five pounds lighter. He walked back to the river to wash himself. As he rinsed himself more text appeared in the upper left of his vision.

[Status Effect: Sickness (Dehydration)]

What shocked Otis was not the text but what stood on the shore eating something familiar.

“Hey goat, stop eating my shorts!” shouting Otis ran towards the goat. The blue goat spit the freshly chewed shorts out to the ground and then ducked down to eat grass.

“Eww they’re covered in spit”, Otis retrieved his shorts and washed them in the river.

“So goat which way should I go from here?” asked Otis while putting his leg into his pants.

“Hmm” the blue goat looked up. “You should go forward always go forward. Going backwards will never get you anywhere.”

“You can speak!” A shock Otis yelped.

“Hmm. Why would I not be able to speak you disrespectful boy? Taking my breakfast then suddenly asking me questions without introducing yourself. In fact it is much more shocking that you can speak. After all this is the first time I have seen your kind here in Vilenna.”

“Breakfast? Its night time the sun just set.”

“Oh is it now. I hadn’t noticed.” the goat said staring at Otis as if expecting something.

‘Something is different about this goat’ Otis thought. ‘It doesn’t have a bar over its head like everything else in this world.’

“Oh, I am sorry. My name is Otis. I don’t really know where I am and how I got here. You’re the first ummm person I have spoken to since I got here, everything has been trying to kill me.”

“Otis huh, so you are the one causing all the commotion. My name is Henry the Blue. It was a pleasure to meet me I am sure. I best be going now.”

“Wait! Where am I? Why does everything want to kill me?”

“Hmm”, Henry looked up to Otis with eye for the first time making eye contact. “Everyone has their own prerogative. Theirs is to guard and yours is to stay alive. From their perspective if you were to just die they wouldn’t have to kill you.”

“But I don’t want to die”, mumbled Otis.

“Tsk. Stubborn child you will not be able to make any friends with that kind of attitude.”

“If I died I wouldn’t be able to make any friends either” Otis smartly answered.

“Hmm, says whom?” Henry questioned through his smirk.

“BOOM!” explosions erupted in the sky.

The grounds shook and wind screamed from the blast.

“Looks like it is time for me to leave” shouted Henry.

“No. Which way do I need to go?” Otis screamed.

“Forward always go forward. There is nothing and no one waiting for you backwards. You must do this on your own. And always watch your footing.” Poof the goat vanished leaving behind a small cloud of blue smoke that scattered into the forest.

“BOOM,” the explosion drew even closer. Otis looked up to the sky.

“Why do you have to save them?! They are weak and corrupt, just a failed experiment.” Screamed a figure in white standing in the sky.

“Unfortunately, you will never understand why I have to do this.” Answered a second figure in white.

They were at a distance in the sky where Otis could not make out their faces only that they were dressed in white and the first figure was male and the other was female.

“You do not have enough power to destroy me! If you use all your power all you can do is imprison me then you will fall and those you have saved will kill you,” the first figure shouted.

“I have seen it you will be betrayed and murdered. That is who you want to save.”

“Well if you have seen it you already know I am going to use all my power to seal you. Why do you even fight me?” The first figure reasoned.

The first figure in the sky, face twisted in anger, glanced down to the surface noticing Otis. “Even now they mock us! You Dare Appear in our Realm!” the figure roared hurling himself towards Otis.

“No! He is just a lost child!” the second figure screamed following the first.

[Title: Lost Child Updated]

Otis stood frozen as the figures approached at frightening speeds. The first figure stretched out his arm to grasp a hold of Otis. Upon the man’s touch the feeling of ice lanced through Otis’s body and Otis’s conscience blacked out due to the overwhelming pain.

…

“Run must run. She said to run.” Otis panted sprinting through the woods. His conscience had awoken just moments ago he had been running along the river but he didn’t know for how long. His first thought when he had woken was a woman’s voice shouting “Run” so he continued to run. His green bar had hit rock bottom and his legs shook as he continued to put one in front of the other.

Otis’s movements could no longer be considered a run. Staggering he tripped on a rock and fell to his knees. “I can’t keep going like this I need to rest.”

He glance down at his watch. “I have been running for at least two hours.” Otis sat back on the ground and decided to rest.

After half an hour Otis was still sitting on the ground. “Looks like my health bar will not fill past 50 percent now and that green bar is stuck at 30 percent. I bet they won’t fill because I haven’t had any water, food or sleep in a while. Maybe I should just sleep here for the night I should be far enough away from them. In the morning I will get some food and water somehow.” Otis moved over to a patch of grass that looked comfortable.

A sound stirred Otis from his sleep. Otis looked up to the sky he couldn’t tell the time it was still dark out but the moon was awfully bright. “Wow the moon is so big but where are all the stars?” Otis wondered before he heard the sound again. “Sounds like someone is crying.” Looking around Otis notices a woman in a yellow dress crying at the edge of the tree line.

“MMMOM! Is that really you?” Otis shouts while getting up from the ground. “MOM!” Otis took a step forward unable to believe his eyes, on his second step a little girl walked out from the forest. She walked up to his mother and pulled the hem of her dress. Otis stood still shocked that his mother has come to save him. His mother looked up, wiped her eyes and then looked down at the pretty little girl. His mother without glancing at Otis took the girl’s hand, turned and walked into the forest.

Otis awoken from his daze immediately ran into the forest chasing after his mother and the little girl. “MOM! Comeback!”

Otis could see his mother's yellow dress off in the distance. “COMEBACK MOM!” Otis yelled running through the forest. Tree branches whip him in the face opening fresh cuts on his skin.

“COMEBACK” echoed in the forest. Trees reached for Otis slowing his progress, his mother was moving further and further away.

“COMEBACK MOM!”

“COMEBACK” echoed the forest. Otis fell to the ground tripping over some roots. While on the ground branches continued to whip at him.

Otis stood up trying to keep moving forward. “Comeback” the wind spoke through the trees.

“Comeback” Otis heard again and again as he ran. He could see his mother and that girl standing on a rock their dresses fluttering in the wind.

Otis jumping the roots that appeared in front of him. He must reach them he thought. “Comeback,” Otis heard again it “Comeback” it was getting more frequent as he moved forward. Tree branches continue to whip him as he got closer to the rock.

Trees and wind began to get more violent. “Comeback” the forest screamed. “Comeback” the sound coming from the forest was so loud that it was deafening. Branches reached out turning into wooden hands grabbing at Otis’s legs tripping him.

“COMEBACK, COMEBACK, ATTACK, ATTACK, “boomed in Otis’s ear blurring his vision. Battered and beaten Otis stumbled forward he was almost at the rock where his mother stood earlier.

Upon reaching the rock the trees and wind stopped. The forest had returned to its silence. His mother had already left the rock but he climbed it anyway. Surveying the area he saw another clearing ahead inside the clearing there was a human shaped shadow.

‘That must be them’ he thought as he climbed down the other side of the rock. From within the forest he could not see the clearing but he knew he was heading the right direction. The forest had calmed down so it was much easier to move through it now.

“What is wrong with this forest?” Otis couldn’t help but be disturbed. His health was down to 10 percent and the green bar was down to 5 percent. Small cuts covered his body from head to toe but he knew he couldn’t rest now his mother was just ahead in the clearing.

Otis crossed the threshold from the forest into the clearing but his mother was not there it was completely empty. “Where did they go?” Otis ran to the other side where he had seen the shadow. “Did they continue deeper into the forest?” Otis wondered as he walked towards the trees. “If I can get to my mom I can go home,” he could barely stand let alone think clearly but he just knew he had to reach them.

Approaching the edge of the clearing Otis hadn’t noticed the pair of bright yellow eyes watching him from the forest. Otis looking up from his daze finally registered the monstrous pair of yellow eyes that appeared shrouded in the trees. Under the eyes the creature revealed its large sharp teeth. The beast leaned forward out of the woods. Otis now clearly saw the lions pitch black fur as it moved closer to him. It bared its fangs dripping saliva and opened its mouth wide.

[Status Effect: Fear]

[Status Effect: Stun]

[Status Effect: Faint]

Otis lost consciousness and fell to the ground the last thing he heard was the beast’s tyrannical laughter.

...

…

“Fool child running around in the forest without food or water.” Otis heard a deep booming voice as he was shook awake.

“AAAHHH,” Otis yelled seeing the lion standing in front of him. “Where is my mother? What did you do to her?”

“Quiet! I am not going to harm you” the lion stated while reaching out to give Otis a bundle of sticks. “Put these in your mouth and chew them but do not swallow.”

“I did not do anything to your mother she did not cross my path. You are the first I have seen in this forest so I am just as confused as you are. I went to sleep last night and woke up here just moments ago when I felt your weak presence.”

“Uhh...does that mean you are not going to eat me?” Otis took the sticks and did as he was told.

“No. You are too thin to even clean my teeth and you smell bad. Now use that water over there and these flowers to wash yourself.” The lion stated while pointing at a large leaf shaped to carry water with one hand and handing Otis a bundle of flowers with the other. “I will go into the forest to get more water and some food. Do not move from here this forest feels strange there is something out there. Whatever it is will not attack while I am around. I always runs when I approach.”

“I don’t blame it” Otis mumbled.

Once Otis received the flowers the lion ran off into the forest. Barely able to stand Otis scrubbed himself with the flowers and rinsed with the water that was in the leaf. “These sticks taste little like cinnamon I wonder where he found them. Ahh I feel so clean now.”

Still tired Otis sat down and waited for the lion to return, his eyes drooping shut until he heard the lion emerge from the forest. Strung over his shoulder were 5 rabbits, around his neck was his makeshift leaf water containers and in his arms he carried a bundle of wood. Arranging the wood and twigs on the ground the lion brought out a rock from its pants pocket.

“What are you doing?” Otis wondered.

“I am starting a fire.”

The lion flicked the rock with his nail and sparks showered the twigs igniting them. Soon after the fire caught to the larger pieces of wood.

Otis reached for the water the lion set on the ground. “Do not drink that! It will make you sick.” The lion stated while pulling out more rocks from its pocket and setting them in and around the fire.

Otis retracted his hand and sat there in a daze watching the lion’s activity. Before he knew it the lion had all the rabbits hanging on a tree over a shallow pit he had created. Those stone he had originally put in the fire he had retrieved them and slowly put them in the leaf pails until the water began to steam.

“You can drink that water now but drink it slowly” the lion said while skinning the rabbits.

Otis slowly poured the hot water into his mouth. ‘The best tasting water I have ever drank’ Otis thought. He couldn’t restrain himself and gulped down the remaining water almost swallowing a stone.

“Greedy child looks like I will have to boil more water for myself.” Otis hadn’t even noticed that the lion was now standing in front of the fire cooking the rabbit.

“Sorry sir, I was so thirsty I haven’t drank any in a few days. My name is Otis, sir. What is yours?”

“I am called Milo. What is this sir you speak of?” Milo asked as he continued to cook.

“OH it’s how you address someone respectfully or if they are older or in charge.”

“Sir huh, I like it. In my tribe we address our leader as Elder, if it is someone who is just older we address them as Elder Brother or Elder Sister. So you should refer to me as Sir Elder Brother and I will address you as Sir little brother.”

Otis didn’t dare correct Milo out of fear. ‘Who knows when he might turn and eat me? It’s best if I just stay quiet and out of the way.’

Stirring Otis from this thoughts Milo approached him. “Here Sir Little Brother eat this.” Otis took the rabbit on a stick that Milo handed him.

“If I eat this are you going to eat me?”

Milo stared at Otis, “Maybe. It will take a lot more rabbit to fatten you up though.” Then the huge lion grabbed two rabbit sticks and shoved them in his mouth rabbit, bones, wood and all. A sickening crunch could be heard as he chewed, swallowing down the rabbits in a matter of seconds leaving nothing but his toothy smile.

Otis could not hold back and dug into his rabbit after that horrific display without giving Milo a second thought. Halfway through Otis’s second rabbit his eyes grew heavy and shut. As Otis fell back Milo leaped into action grabbing the skewer in midair and tossing it into his mouth in one smooth motion before Otis’s head hit the ground.

…

…

The next day Otis woke up the sun was high in the sky and heading west. Sitting next to Otis was a large stone with some berries and rabbit meat on top of it. Otis readily inhaled the food that was in front of him.

His memories from last night were hazy but when his gaze landed on the black lion he knew that everything that happened yesterday was real. He saw Milo pulling on rabbit skin and throwing it into a pile with the others. The black lion sat deep in concentration and with the daylight Otis could fully see the lion’s features. The lion was wearing dark brown pants that came down just past its knees. It was also covered in deep black fur from head to toe but the fur on its chest was a slightly lighter shade of black. Around the lion's neck was a necklace that carried several large and sharp teeth. When he first had seen the lion he imagined that the lion was over 10 feet tall. This morning the Milo looks just over 7 feet. Otis justified the disparity in appearance by thinking he was just really tired last night.

“There must be at least 20 rabbit skins in that pile. Did he eat all those? Is there room in this forest for the both of us?” Otis whispered.

“Sir Elder Brother what are you doing?”

Milo looked up at Otis, “So you have finally awoken little brother it is past mid-day. I am stretching this rabbit hide so it can be stitched into a bag. After I am done here we need to decide which way to go.”

“Oh I had planned to follow the river west to exit the forest.”

Milo raised his furry eyebrow as he looked to Otis. “Why do you head west little brother?”

“Because when I was up the mountain I saw smoke in the sky just past the forest to the west.”

“Interesting if there is smoke there might be a tribe there to. Good idea little brother. Show me where you were on the mountain.

Otis stood and pointed out on the mountain in the distance where the cave might be. “It is there brother where the ground goes from grass to dry dirt and rocks.”

“And you said the smoke was as far as you can see?” Otis nodded in response. “Good. Good. At your pace it will be a several day journey to that place. So little brother why were you on that mountain?”

Otis then proceeded to tell Milo his story of how he was stuck on a cliff, wandered into the cave and fought spiders. Then leaving the cave only to come upon a termite colony, freeing a bird and barely escaping with his life. Unfortunately many events from last night were still a blur so Otis only was able to explain that he was chasing his mother through the haunted forest. Otis’s eyes blazed with excitement as he told his adventure after all he is still an eleven year old boy and all children crave adventure.

“Oh so that’s your bird that keep watching us from a distance. It doesn’t seem to trust me.” Milo point out to the distance where Otis could barely make out its red silhouette.

“I don’t blame him.”

“While your story is impressive it tells me one thing.”

“What is that?” Otis pondered.

“You are too weak to survive.” Milo watched Otis waiting for him to recognize this fact.

After a few minutes of silence Otis nodded in agreement.

“Good. Now shall I teach you how to survive?”