WHOOO....
WHOOOOO...
Dry gusts of wind and drier air greeted Arken's face the moment he removed his hands and stared into bright blue sky.
Pleasant.
His smile dropped suddenly upon introspection.
"Wait, why am I seeing the sky?"
Befuddled he turned and cursed at forgetting about his wounds before realizing he was missing any sort of pain in his body.
"What? How?!"
[Your injuries and any afflictions are removed in a deleted chapter.]
"That's mighty nice of you author," he clapped the sandy texture in his hands away, "but what is this new stupidity?"
[Author has penalized you for acting...crazy]
He should have shouted. Should've broken down but deep inside he was just tired.
"I did go too far there."
He bent down, resting his hands on his knees as he stared down.
Why did I go too far?
"Wait," he knelt and touched the ground which resembled a sand dune, "is this sand? No," he could almost make out a plain piece of what felt like sandy paper, "this is paperish."
"Where the hell am I?"
KITAKIT TAK TAK TAK
KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT
Clicking sounds accompanied the shifting of the weird grounds, making Arken sway around with it.
In a distance he could make out what looked like a serpentine slithering shape but from underneath the hard papery ground.
"Don't tell me..."
The ground parted as particles of sand wisped around to reveal a giant, towering cylindrical creature with loud clicking gears grinding and shifting a path in midair, straight up like a missile before turning to him.
It was a ghastly sight. A wide open blackness that was littered with sharp objects, probably its teeth and a playfully menacing face without eyes staring right at him.
[You have encountered Bookworm]
God is cruel today.
☆
It hovered in midair, like it was studying him.
"It must be what, at least fifty feet in diameter?"
He noticed it's body widened at the beginning and thinned out at the end to form a tail which worked just like one. Except it used it to attack him now and then.
"Damn it, what the—"
He rolled down a dune and kept running, but it's strides were easy in the air and caught up to him almost easily enough.
[Exile duration: 1 Day]
"Oh fuckoff! I'm supposed to keep fleeing from it for a day!"
[Your skills are activated. Author has no influence here. Nor any observable authority]
He panted and sighed in relief, "nice, act extra."
[Extra activated]
He didn't stop running nonetheless, wanting to put more distance between it and him but was horrified to see it still following up somehow.
"Is it the tracks in the sand?"
He gambled on it, removing his boots and plotting a dummy path before running back on his own footprints.
He could feel its breathing and unnatural grinding right above him but he waited. Hoped it would be fooled.
POP! POPOP! POP!
A distant but unmistakable sound of popping air somewhere further down the dune reached where he was.
The creature seemed to pick it up too and turned.
There in the distance, another one popped out like a bubble in the sky and the worm drifted to it.
"Hey! You're still alive?"
Arken heard a shout and saw a figure rushing in his direction, eyes squinting to make out where he was.
[Extra dissolved]
He ran to the figure.
It was a short man, a little plump but it felt like he used to be even more some time ago.
The clothes he wore left him almost bare with how flowy and crude they were, merely hanging by his shoulders and ending at a triangle between his knees.
And he seemed way too excited to see Arken.
"Where did you come from?" Arken flitted around trying to find a spot where he might have sprung from.
The short man crooked his glasses and grinned, "I'll show you. Come with me first before it comes back here, quick!"
Not having much choice he followed him in a hurried pace.
"You have a name? Or do I just call you half-naked baldy."
The sudden laugh from the man's mouth stunned him.
"You can call me Rutma."
Arken felt he was safe from any persecution wherever the hell he was. So he said, "I'm Arken."
Rutma merely nodded and pushed on, "just over here."
Rutma led him to down a steep dune that ended at a couple of rocky surfaces and between them a gap. Through which they passed and entered a small cave.
Arken stared at the assortment of scribblings on the rock walls, diagrams, and incoherent words while a makeshift table stretched long with a lot of scrap.
"Was that you with the popping air?"
Rutma twisted his nose, "aye. Impressive no?"
Proud geezer.
"What was that?"
"Raw mana." Rutma turned to face him, "in certain conditions is good enough to explode."
"But that aside first come to our abode," Rutma lifted a leafy covering and Arken stepped through there, his mindblown by what he was seeing in front of him.
It was a cavernous space full of lush greenery and people who were so small from where he was, they seemed like moving dots.
They carefully trekked downwards and by the time Arken had reached solid ground he finally had a grasp on what was happening.
"So this is like a penalty or a punishment I suppose?"
Rutma grinned and trotted to a more wise looking man with a straight back and long facial hair. He turned with a broad smile, dressed in the same attire.
"Oh what's this?"
Rutma spoke, "he calls himself Arken. I found him above barely escaping the devourer."
The other man shook his head in pity and walked to Arken. "Such a shame for you to be witness to that nightmare on your first day, I'm Vizer."
Arken almost extended a hand befor realizing that custom didn't exist here or above.
He sighed, scratching his head and looking far at what seemed to be like a throne, "so who or what are you people?"
Both of them smiled and said together, "we don't know."
☆
They had made space for him next to a small stream away from the small pores of lights filtering down from the rocky ceiling above as he took stock of his situation.
"We found ourselves here one fine day, just existing. Alongside that creature you saw and some residual knowledge about a world that is our own but has seemingly pushed us out. Like denying our existence."
Rutma said, "for instance I seem to know a lot about magic, mana, powers, abilities, utilities but beyond studying them," he seemed sorrowful, "I can't apply it here."
"What's the reason?"
Rutma sighed, "mana here is present but not as dense as my memory persists. Therefore I nor anyone with magic can use it. Only tools to harness, store and unleash it."
Arken turned to Vizer, "and you?"
The man wiped his brow, "I know a lot about kingdoms, nobles, statecraft, management. Which is what I used to help us all here but I believe I had a very senior position somewhere. Once."
Suddenly the people began to rise up, their usual calm demeanor replaced by a tense feeling.
The three of them also got up.
"Hey what's going on?"
Vizer whispered, "it's the king. He's arrived."
A king?!
☆
Hoza had always felt he was born to be a ruler. As someone who rightfully deserved power and had this intense harboring of hatred against the world for having denied him it.
He didn't know under what circumstance, on whose authority and in which world but when he had found himself in the sandy dunes of nowhere, right by the staff longer than his height, he felt redeemed.
He felt like the world had finally treated him right.
So when he walked in a huff, bare chested and still a child with a loincloth around his slender waist he cracked his staff on the ground as he walked up to the throne and sat on it with grandeur.
"Where are the maids?" He hissed and immediately four tall women appeared from the crowd reluctantly. Heads hanging low but not daring to disobey.
"Y–yyour Highness!"
"Stand next to me. I want two of you to sit on the armrests."
The smile that came on him sickened the crowd but they didn't do anything.
"How are the crops coming up?" He asked as he palmed one of the maid's ass without hesitation.
From a bit afar, Arken snickered at the display, "what a shameless brat. Why doesn't anyone oppose this? Surely he's no saint or savior?"
Vizer pointed to the staff Hoza was holding, "Hoza's staff isn't something ordinary. It actually controls the impulses of everyone around him. Including any hurting intent." His eyes perked up as he noticed something.
"So basically hostages?" Arken's comment stayed ignored as Vizer ushered him forward.
"Come. He's noticed you. Better you make his acquaintance before he develops hate for you."
Hoza chuckled low as the maids tickled his body and he sighed.
"Your highness," he heard a voice before sitting up then mutter, "of course you have to bow!"
"Pardon me. This is Arken. He came today."
Hoza sized him up with a tilted head and resting it on an elbow.
He looked ordinary to him, except for the attire and his eyes which spoke a thousand words at once.
Arken wasn't impressed at all. To him, the kid looked like a cosplayer taking his turn seriously.
"Hey, remind me what happens if I disobey him?"
"You'll die. Don't go for his childlike—"
"No dammit. I meant what would physically happen when he exerts his staff to disobeying people."
"You'll feel a pull and a drag, then choke."
"Hey!!" Hoza's shout rang out and made everyone shudder, "what are you muttering about?"
"He was asking about your name, your highness. That's all," Vizer bent low.
Hoza waved his fist, "that's all fine. Listen, new boy."
Arken's eye twitched.
I'm fucking older than you.
"Vizer would have told you about this place and who I am." Hoza sat up straight with a raised chin, "I'm the rightful ruler and God here. My will is absolute. Got it?"
Silence. Slow water running.
Hoza sat forward, fingers whitening around the staff, "are you hard of hearing??"
Vizer nudged Arken who stood staring at the boy, "what are you doing?"
Seeing him mutter something low, Hoza hissed, "hey old man, what's he saying?"
Vizer leaned in and his eyes immediately widened before turning his face away for a moment.
"Do you want a beating old man? What did he say?"
"Are you sure you want to hear it your—"
"Spit, it, out for all our sakes," Hoza stamped his feet.
Vizer cleared his throat and said, "he said, 'fuck you,' your highness."
☆
Arken had to admit he enjoyed the look of rage on the boy's face and the spittle coming from him as he stood straight with his staff.
"You dare to besmirch my good name, uncouth fool!"
Arken eased his way through the crowd who gasped at his boldness.
"Such big words don't suit your potty mouth, great douchebag," he grinned and regretted it immediately.
So this is what it's like.
He felt an immediate pull and landed face first on the floor, "ow."
"I was going to just take your undeserving robe from your lowly body and allow you the pleasure of serving me, but no. You want this?"
The boy ran up and placed his foot on Arken's head with glee, "you see? You belong here, right at my feet. Where? Right. At my feet!"
KICK! KICK!
SPLAT!
Ugh! Fuck that hurt.
He saw Vizer step forward and look on with pity, "your highness he's probably confused, let's not–"
FAAAARTTTT!
All of them stared at Arken in the ground who was amidst a giggling fit and rolled over onto his back, "that was from my mouth."
Vizer threw his hands up and gave up on Arken's defense as another blow landed on Arken's face.
"What's wrong with you?! You want to die, is that it? I'll give you death then," Hoza sneered but also felt a bit of panic as he saw some murmuring and a few of them laughing even.
He threw a rock at one of them who immediately collapsed to the ground with a gushing wound and Hoza's laughter echoed, "what? You suddenly grew balls? Shut up and stay subservient. You all know what this does," he pointed his staff then looked down at Arken who was rising up with a split lip, "in fact I think I ought to remind you of it."
Arken's bloody grin unsettled him but Hoza shook himself, confident in his stance, "in my name, I smite you with divine force!"
The people huddled together waiting for the inevitable but nothing seemed to happen.
Arken who had twisted his head, eyes closed in anticipation of a fearsome attack, turned slowly to look right into the boy's eyes which were widening with a lot of emotions.
Fear. Uncertainty. Confusion. Danger.
"Smite! Smite! Smite!"
Arken grabbed the staff with one hand, grin widening before spitting blood on his face, "eat shit!"
Then delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen which sent the boy flying and rolling hard on the ground, scratches covering his body as he screamed in agony.
Arken struck the staff on the ground and looked at it before turning back to the people who were watching him with open mouths.
"He's all yours."