"Arrghh…Fuck…"
Letting out a hoarse, low pained groan I squirm in pain and discomfort while I wake up.
My body burning from inside, feeling every cell of my body being incinerated, only to regenerate from the ashes. An insufferable pain coursing through my nervous system as my body burns, shrinks and heals.
The sun rises over the horizon, painting the cobblestone trail with a warm reddish glow.
The sunlight warms my skin, offering a fleeting sense of comfort.
I crawled towards the stone road, my left hand useless due to the injuries on my forearm.
The edges and insides of the injury knitting together, causing the same type of burning sensation but with an extreme amount of pain
Pebbles, branches and gravel scratching my skin, moist soil sticking to my clothes and arms.
Finally, I came to a stop in the middle of the road, expecting someone to find me, I began to pass out again.
But a sharp, burning pain shot through my left eye, halting me from drifting unconscious.
Covering the burning orb with my working hand I writhe in agony on the road.
After what felt like a millennia, i lost consciousness.
The sound of horses hooves and wooden wheels running through stone echoes in my mind.
I start regaining consciousness.
The floor beneath me seems to sway and lurch with a steady rhythm.
I wasn't in pain anymore. My body feels dull and weak but my injuries have healed.
As my eyes open, I see what appeared to be the ceiling of a cart, made of white fabric, supported by wooden beams.
"Hey young boy! Did you wake up? HAHAHAHA!"
A bear-like man, with a brown bushy beard, and a little to no hair at the top of his hair, boomed, laughing loudly.
"Young boy?"
I repeat incredulously.
How could someone in their right mind refer to me as a young boy?! I could accept 'young man' but boy is pushing it!
He opens his mouth again with confusion.
"You are just a teenager, right? I mean, your hair is white, but then when we picked you up, we saw your face"
Noticing that I indeed had shrunk a little bit, i decide to not push it anymore.
"White?"
I run my hand through my hair, starting at the white locks in disbelief.
"Haven't you seen yourself in a mirror?"
He chuckled at my shock by discovering that my hair was now white as snow.
"But seriously, what happened to you? What were you doing, covered in blood, in the middle of the road? We thought you were hurt but…"
He questioned my situation.
"Nothing"
I replied flatly, cutting all the possibilities of him insisting me to answer.
"Why are you saying 'we'? Is someone else here?"
I ask, changing the subject.
"Oh, right! My daughter Aylit is driving the cart! 'll have to switch with her soon"
He boasts proudly.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Aviel! And you're… little polar bear?"
"I am…Lumin Riven…"
I said, the name feeling strange on my lips.
It's been a while since i used it… I chose to reveal the name that my mother gave me, the one I've kept hidden for so long.
After all, I can't tell people that I share the same name with the just deceased emperor… not when I actually was him.