Cold Dark Ch.01
Chapter 1: The Other Half
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Cold... So cold... It's dark as well, and I can't see anything. But... I hear it. I hear the wind. I can't feel it, or smell it, but I can hear it. It sounds like the song of Deathsayer, calling for Death to claim the souls that have been lost. It sounds louder for a second, as if a gust swept by, and now... It's gone... And it's just... So cold... So dark...
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I fell asleep... I didn't think I would, but I'm awake again. It's still so cold and so dark... I'm not afraid anymore, I'm just used to it. I remember the light, and what it looked like. Why is it so dark? Why is it so cold? The Eternal Night isn't for a few months yet... Why is it so lonely?
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Sleep? Again? In this cold? It feels like daggers slipping into my skin. They tear at me... This cold. This dark. This quiet... I can't feel. I can't see, and there is nothing to listen to... My mouth is dry. I think it tastes like metal. Can't be sure. What is it? Is it blood? What is that taste?
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I'm getting used to sleeping now... The taste is even stronger. Can't even taste flesh anymore. Just sickly metal... Where did it come from? The taste... Where is it that is so dark and cold all the time? Where did the wind go? Where is that rumbling coming from? Rumbling? Yes... Rumbling in the ground. I feel it. Where is it coming from? Where is it going?
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When did I fall asleep again... I can't remember... When was the last time I saw the light... Light so bright that I had to squint. When will I see it again? When will I get out of this place? When will I stop feeling so tired...
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It... It feels different... No... It's cold... There is metal. Blood? I am supposed to be warm... Who could help me? Will anyone help? I hear it again... There's that sound. Wind... Racing through the trees. The branches are groaning... I can feel it in my bones. Still dark... Still cold... Footsteps? Who?
Crunch? It sounds like leaves... Or snow. I can't tell... It's louder. But dark... And cold... The wind is there... I hear singing. It's light... Mixed in with the wind... A breath that no longer breaths... Who could the be...
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It is silent. I hear no more footsteps... There's no more wind. It's co-... Warm... And light... I see it. With my eyes closed... Why is it warm? Why is it light? Can I see it again?
Gathering my energy, I open my eyes. They can't focus, though, and all there is is color. It mixes in shades, but it isn't bright. I quite like it actually. Brown and warm, like a pelt. It feels close, but I don't mind one bit. Looking slowly around, I try to see something.
There is light. It flickers on and off gently, like a flame. I hear crackling and smile, my skin stretching uncomfortably. I'm still cold, but all around me it is warm. I don't want to move... If I could, that is. I breath deep. Earth and fur mingle here, as well as water. It smells wet and damp, wherever I may be.
I also smell herbs. Dry and fresh cut alike wriggle against my nose, making it twitch. My eyes flickered for a second as I took a deep breath before sneezing. It was loud, forceful, and with it came a little bit of blue flame. I watched in my frozen state as the embers landed on the brown in front of me, clinging tight.
I sighed in relief a moment too soon. What I had thought was earth twitched, the cold flames starting. Suddenly there wasn't brown in front of me. Noise filled the small space, dampened by earth walls. My eyes widened at what was in front of me. He looked like an otter. Face rounded and a mouth that looked like smiling etched into a grimace. I saw dull fangs to either side of his mouth and white whiskers that twitched madly. He spun himself around, head shooting back and forth. Then he was gone.
I blinked, wondering what had happened. Ears twitching, I realized what. There was a light sloshing of water. Then, a big spray shooting into the air along with the otter's head bobbing back into view. Cold droplets rained down on me, making the skin it touched colder. I stared back at the otter, who now had a towel and was shivering slightly.
"Sth," I winced as my lips cracked, "Sorry..." My voice was hoarse and my throat ached, but I had to say it.
The otter blinked at me funny, his head tilting slightly before he smiled. "Don't worry about it, no harm done!" He then leaned forward and gave me a sly look, "But you should cover your mouth when ya sneeze."
I grinned, heat flowing to the scales that covered my face. Slowly I moved my hand up and covered my maw.
"Oh! Silly me, I almost forgot." The otter scrounged around then was next to me again. He was a quick little thing. He put an arm behind my back and pulled me up. It was all I could do to keep my head from lolling back. A glass was pressed to my lips and water tilted against them. "Don't worry, it's clean." he said, encouraging me to let the sweet liquid flow down my throat.
Setting the cup down with a 'tink', the otter layed me back. My breath came easier and I was starting to feel a bit warmer. His fur against my scales was soft and comforting.
"Just a bit of honey and warmth added to it. Not enough on the latter to hurt you Mister Ice Woofy." he grinned, hand resting against my shoulder. "Oh! My name is Ottrosin, but please, call me Tross. My parents had a bit of a mental breakdown when naming me."
I nodded lightly, "My name is Eventide, call me Tide." My voice was still soft, though it no longer scratched and grated. "But I do not understand. Why not use Ottrosin?"
"Wow, you have a beautiful name, and a voice to go with it." the otter, Tross, said, staring into space. "In my native language Ottrosin means 'The Other Sin'. Me and my siblings all use nicknames." Grinning, he looked back to me and layed back into the bed.
"So, Tross would mean-" "Nonsensical, in my language at least. Closest it would mean is 'Other Half'."
"Ah, so you're the other half." I said, yawning and closing my eyes. He was the other half of the problem. Who he was was the other half, at least. Now, I just needed to know the question. And sleep.