Forgotten Promises

Welcomed By The Sand

The harsh wind was the first thing that came to me. Then the bright moon as its white light pierced its way through my eyelids. Then the sand.

As I opened my eyes, I was welcomed by a black sky; then the sand.

The white sand that lay under me; that rode the winds around me, blowing through my hair and filled my senses. All that I touched was sand. The ground was made of it. The air was polluted with it. And it infested everything like a sickness. I could feel it over all of my skin, wrapping around me like a warm blanket.

It felt foreign and strange, yet not unwelcoming. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The sand felt, in a way, like it was welcoming me home.

As I gaze around, I found nothing but the white sky, the white sand, and the trees. And for some reason, I knew those trees were not trees. They were crystal made from the rare things beneath the sand.

And as if to warn me, the sand blew harshly against my face, saying, "not yet, you are not ready for those things beneath the sand". And I listened, for a reason I knew not.

I stood and began to gently dust the sand off my body. With each wipe, I found something new and unseen. My skin was black. The same black as an obsidian stone or the darkness of the night sky. But running all along my black skin were red cracks, ones that look similar to that of when the ground cracks open and angrily spews red magma from deep below. They scatter across my body like how lightning branches in all directions. And they all lead to the top of my chest, just below the collarbone.

When my eyes fell upon where the red lines all connected, my breathe and mind seemed to pause for a mere second. There below my collarbone, was a semi-large hole outlined in the same bright red glow. I tested its bound and decided to touch it. My hand seemingly and painlessly went all the way through the hole.

I touched around only to feel the same touch on my back. I bring my other hand and touch the spot on my back to feel the hand I placed through the hole on my chest. I then pull my hand back out of the hole in wonder.

My wonder pushes me on to continue discovering the new and unforeseen things my body has.

My gaze goes along my arms to find the white horn-like spikes that adorn them. I saw them already as two small ones sat symmetrically below the hole on my chest. But I found more along my shoulders, back, and belly. All had the same color as the sand. The sand of which seemed to blow against my hands in agreement as I touch the spikes.

Then I brought my hands to my face. I can feel the same bone-like texture as the spikes, on my face. It covered my entire face except for my two eyes and some of my cheeks. I open my mouth to find that the mask moves with my gaw. I touch the part on top of my lips to find that the mask has big sharp teeth. I then go past the mask and touch my teeth to find that they were also sharp and pointed like razor blades. Then I move to my ears, finding that they too are pointed, and long.

I trace the carvings in my mask to the top of my head. There, I grab a pair of horns protruding from my skull. They were smooth to the touch and curved upward. I do not know the color as I could not see them. But I do not care.

I feel my hair against my shoulders, so I grab a piece seeing that it is as white as the sand as well. Some of it is also hanging over my eyes under my mask.

I did notice the lack of clothing I wore. I had no shirt and no shoes. The sand had burned my toes as I stood there, the texture was not helping either. The sand gently blew through my hair as an apology. The dark pale brown rope tied around my waist was the only thing keeping my big, baggy pants from falling off me. My pants were also white like the sand and tightened around my ankles.

After I was done observing myself, my hands went back to the mask on my face. I wonder, can it come off? Then I began to pull at it. I pull and pull but no matter how hard I try, it doesn't budge.

But I was not going to give up! I move my head in every direction as I pull harder on the mask. "Arrrrgghhh!"

As I was doing this, I failed to notice a large creature standing in front of me. "Don't do that, little cub."

My head shot up to the sound of a voice, my hands instantly going to my sides as I turned. In front of me stood a tall creature with black fur and white plates and spikes much like mine. The creature was so tall, I had to look up at it. It had a mask similar to mine, completely covering it's face and going up with it's fluffy mane. The mask and the tip of it's tail had bright red on them.

The creature looked around before speaking again. "What are you doing here? Are you all alone, little cub?" The creature stared down at me as if waiting for something. I didn't understand what it wanted. So in response, I only tilted my head. "Do you not understand me, little cub?"

The creature spoke again, but I don't know how I knew that. How could I understand the creature? My face scrunched up at the thought. Maybe if I respond back, the creature would understand me too. So that is what I did. "Ggrraaahhh!"

The creature was the one to tilt it's head this time. It seemed to look at me in confusion. Then it hummed as if thinking about something before a deep and slow chuckle emitted from the creature. "Hahaha." The creature's laugh shook the ground under us. It sounded like thunder during a storm. After that, it lowered it's head to face me at my level. "I'm sorry little cub, I guess it is I who does not understand you."

It then came closer towards me. I didn't sense any ill intent, so I did not move. The creature lowered its head and grabbed the back of the rope on my pants with it's teeth. "You will be coming with me, little cub. I will teach you the ways of the hollow."

~To Be Continued~

Fact Of The Day:

My OC for this story (whose name will not be revealed yet) has no memories. This means he has no idea who he is, what he is, where he is, what he looked like (before this chapter), how to speak, what some words and actions are called, and how to do most things (like greeting someone or eating). He also has no idea what genders or preferred pronouns are. That's why he referred to the creature (who has not been revealed yet) as it instead of he or she.

There is a reason my OC knows what the creature is saying, and it's important to the story. So because of this, I won't be telling or explaining this to you guys yet. Sorry, not sorry!   ;3

He does know how to stand, run, walk, sit, punch, kick, bite, scratch, throw things, climb things, and make noises (no words, just noises like shouted & growling & grunting).