Sinister Minds

Chapter 1 The Slumber

Salah gasped as he opened his eyes to darkness. I'm alive, he thought. Thoughts came slowly to him. It's dark, his brain finally registered the obvious. He lifted his hand and was surprised by how difficult that was to do. He heard his bones crack—in a good way— as he brushed his hands over an hard surface. 

What is this? Salah exhaled, and with wobbling muscles pushed at the stone wall. Pausing for a few moments to catch his breath before managing to topple the stone over the side. Rolling out of what he was certain was a tomb definitely wasn't easy. Babies make rolling look easy. 

Salah frowned or tried to. He took a deep breath and braced himself for agony as he placed his palms on the floor to sit upright. Bones snapped and cracked like woods in a fireplace. He winced and let out a whine, then waited a few gracious breaths before attempting to stand. Go slowly, he thought slowly. 

He braced himself on one knee, before rising from a crouch as slowly as he dared. His back cracked so loudly he feared he broke his spine.

He groaned out loud, daring his bones and trying to take small stretches. He nodded and took a step that almost had him falling face first. He stopped himself on time. 

I can't even walk fast, he thought angrily.

Moments later he walked slowly out of what looked like an abandoned tomb hall. The walls were either broken or outgrown with weeds. 

Salah was alive and that felt good. And... And what in Vanity's blistered backside is that noise? Salah came out of the temple. Oblivious to the fact that he was bare as he was on the day of his birth. Hands on hips and head tilted at a whole juggernaut of strangeness. 

The sky was still blue, of course. The clothes looked different but he had to admit they looked good. For some reason, carriages were now common and not a single palanquin in sight. Salah was sure there was much of it he hadn't seen yet. 

Dark plumes of smoke on the horizon. The briny scent on the air meant he must be close to sea which meant… memory was foggy. How did I get here? 

He caught a glare from a passerby. It was then he noticed that the crowd gave him a wide berth. Some threw bewildered stares at him and he returned a flat one. That's right, he thought. Mind your business. 

A red faced mother struggled between blushing and glaring as she wrapped her hand around her child's eyes. Then it clicked. Bloody gracious! He was naked. 

He clutched his nutz and crouched back into the temple's shade. Head swaying in every direction, he caught sight of a man pointing in his direction. He had no idea what the men were. But if their dressing —which he felt was a uniform— was any indication, they had to be guards or a policing force. He scurried from the temple's porch. 

Salah tried to hide while stealing quick glances over his shoulder. But a nude man was hardly inconspicuous. I'm a bloody fool. 

He cursed softly as he ran into a dead end alley. It was in moments like this, he cursed his ability. No time to blame Virtue. He scrambled with tired fingers and scaled the wall, dropping into the garden of what he assumed was a well to do family on his butt. Them butt cheeks could handle a little ache and bruise. Yes, butt cheeks. He had lodged in a private inn not far from the port. What happened after?

Thankfully, no one saw him except their mad parrot. He shushed at it and sneaked around for clothes. He found the line and made do with his size. 

As he was shrugging into a brown long sleeve lace up shirt and black trousers, a girl of about his age walked right into him. She was quite pretty with freckles. She opened her mouth and he leapt for her. He had a hand over her mouth and placed a hand behind her head.