Time seemed to stand still as panicking, Mitsuyo tried shuffling backwards away from whatever 'they' were in the hope that 'they' were asleep. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to work as 'they' moved at the same time as that he did...
Although, now that he thought about it, 'they' obviously had no intention of harming him, because 'they' could already have done that while he was asleep.
Gathering his courage Mitsuyo turned his head looking for them.
There was nothing there.
The golden sandy beach was almost empty, except for the nearby wading birds picking through the beach litter and the occasional crab that helplessly ran away from the said birds when it was discovered outsides its burrow.
Surprised, still seeing the paws on the edge of his vision Mitsuyo checked again.
'No, nothing had changed and the beach was still deserted.' He thought to himself
Confused, that he'd actually been frightened by a game Mitsuyo tried removing his headset, only to feel the touch of soft fur against his face.
That was when he finally realised that he wasn't playing a game anymore, that this was all real.
The feel of the sand under his body, the morning breeze brushing his face, the warm sun glinting off the ocean.
It was all real.
Quarter of candle later: The hour of the Cat.
Quarter of a candle later and Mitsuyo had finally settled down enough begin investigating his condition, having discovered that, if he raised his paw (hand) in front of his nose or clearly thought about it, a menu screen appeared in front of his eyes which read like this.
Player Name: Toyokada Mitsuyo
Avatar Name: Mitsu
Sex: Male
Race: Demi- Human Species: Dark Wolf
Class: Vampire (Lesser) Sub Species: Vampirus Noctis
Negative Traits: Information currently unavailable.
Positive Traits: Stats Breaker, Level Breaker.
Weapons: Claws, Teeth, Howl, Bark, Growl Dark Breath
STATS:
Level: 0
Strength: 17
Dexterity 17
Stamina: 22
Intelligence: 17
Agility: 21
Charisma 12
Luck: 12
Mana: 19
HP: 20
Skills Active: Enhanced sight 25, Enhanced smell 25, Hide in shadows 25. Telepathy*, Transform.*
Skills Passive: Dark Res 30%. Curse Res 20%. Poison Res 30%'
XP: 0
Which would quickly fade away, leaving only a small Health, Stamina and Mana bar seen available to be seem
Investigating the menu Mitsuyo, raised his paw (hand) in the stereotypical manner used to access a games 'Menu' tab, only to see the menu list slowly reappeared line by line as me moved his paw downwards.
Name: Mitsu Sex: Male
Race: Demi-human Species: Dark Wolf
Class: Vampire (Lesser) Type: Vampirus Noctis
'So, my name's Mitsu,' Mitsuyo sighed 'Well that was my gaming name, so I suppose I better use it and I'm a Dark wolf Lesser Vampire. Interesting, I don't remember that combination in the manual.' He realised as he thought back to what had been the game, as he moved his paw, scrolling down a now visible list until the words 'Weapons: Claws, Teeth, Howl, Bark, Growl Dark Breath. appeared followed by the message.
Howl/Bark/Growl: Incompatible: Communications interface-Vocal...(any)...further information currently unavailable.
'What the – does that mean?' Mitsu thought to himself angrily as he reread the message for the fourth time, the reality of his situation finally striking home filling him with a deep sense of dread and despair.
Having read the message, and testing out his theory Mitsu first tried to bark then howl with no success. So, unable to do either he tried growling which, unfortunately, once again was a bust.
Realising that he couldn't use his voice frustratedly, Mitsu quickly quietened his mind, calming his emotions, closing his eyes, imagined himself sitting in his school's** rock garden, watching the rock waves break against the rock islands, meditating just as his 'sensei'*** had taught him.
Calmed, settled and centered, Mitsu once again open his eyes, examining the beaches vista and his surroundings, taking mental notes as he went.
Currently he was standing in the middle of a reasonably sized beach, sheltered on both side by its horse-shoe shaped ocean inlet, with a rocky peninsular forming the boundary on one side and a forest/ledge/cliff view on the other.
The beach sand almost pristine surface had recently been freshly broken by something heavy that had left a set of widely spaced track leading up from the beach, across the high-tide mark into the darkness of undergrowth where it had disappeared distance away. And the putrid smell of slowly rotting fish was wafting up from the rotting remains of the fish scattered along the high-tide mark, the smell of which was wafting past his nose making him both sick and hungry at the same time.
The sounds from the nearby forest that had been assailing his sensitive ears had suddenly grown silent leaving him in no doubt that something was nearby given that it was suspiciously quiet.
Recognising he was near a free source of rotting, smelly food, all alone fully exposed just below the high-tide mark on an almost pristine stretch of sand, a stone's throw from the both the undergrowth and the nearby blue green sea, he realised something important.
It defiantly wasn't safe to be here, trapped between the sea and the underbrush if whatever it was that left the track across the beach was returning. Worried Mitsu instantly made his decision, he'd follow the disappearing trail into the undergrowth, then, once there he'd leave the track hiding his body in the darkness until he could identify the cause of forests silence.
Moving quickly Mitsu trotted up the beach following his nose into the semi dark of the undergrowth, his eyes instantly adjusted to its half-light. Then once undercover Mitsu moved some distance off the track before sitting down near a rather large bush. Then, as a strange cold shiver assaulted his nose, passing through his bones, Mitsu gazed back towards the beach not sure what these feelings meant.
<<<<<<<
An underline means that a skill is currently unavailable, sealed until certain conditions are met.
*Current: Could change with Level growth.
**Mitsuyo was a student at the Japanese language International School in Sydney.
***Teacher
YOU ARE READING
Tomorrow the Stars (I have no Voice)
FantasySeventeen-year-old Japanese Australian student Toyokada Mitsuyo who's Japanese father died in a tragic motor cycle accident six years ago now lives with his had working Australian mother in Sydney. For his Seventeenth birthday Mitsuyo receiv...
