Chapter 2: Chapter 1: Unbound
What was this estranged entity staring back at me? It wasn't human, let alone flesh and blood. The ripples in the pond's water distorted my perception. It was as clear as the night sky, however it was already daylight. Some wrinkles in the water glowed, just like the strange grounded stars from the night before. I put the helm back on, hearing it click into something on my head and neck as a slight surge of electricity notified me it was placed correct. 2 vague holes for eyes, red and bright with a disturbing face that looked to be abandoned in a grave for several hundred years. I'd already cleansed the dust and overgrown vines that defiled my inexplicable body. The anterograde armor I donned was oddly smooth to clean. I wondered if there were similarly bulky weapons that matched my theme.
It looked as if I weighed several hundred pounds with the density and oddly geometric style of the uniform. Something about it felt lost---something odd, just like this thing I'd become didn't belong. The sun shone upon the visor and I felt I had to get a move on. I dug around my burial site and my intuition served right. There was something else here that resembled me; I thought it was a large metal door at first, but came to realize there wasn't anything like a bunker hidden behind it. In fact, I just ripped it out of the ground without much effort as if it's misfortunes were shared between us.
A better look after dipping it into the pond and scrubbing off what hardened soil I could with a strange sponge-like plant growing on the bank, it looked to be nothing more than just a large sheet of metal. It was curved and carved like it was meant to be a shield. On it, I found tools and weapons of sorts: an axe that resembled a modern tomahawk, some ammo joined with a firearm that resembled a revolver, and some application in the center that had some more cartridges inside for the gun. Lots of individual rounds spread around, but I realized I had a few speed loaders on my person. I just had to refill them manually.
"So the future still uses the same old weaponry, huh?" That's what I thought jokingly to myself as I examined both weapons. I didn't really need to worry about the survival of the average living organism. In fact, sleep may've been only a temporary thing as this body regained energy. It seemed all it needed was the sun to live, rather the equivalent of immortal in some aspects, wondering how this body still hasn't rusted. Where did I even come from, and where was this fantasy of a forest was located? Something of excitement brewed within my chest. "So this body has the ability to imitate emotions too?"
Words bled from my mind, but no sound to be heard. I guess that's where the imitations would end. I decided to take the large shield with me as it's design implied it would be a good backpack substitute for the while. Slinging it around myself and arming the speed loaders as I walked a path through the woods, I would begin an aimless journey. Whatever direction looked most interesting, I thought I'd take.
Though, I had to reform that thought instantly. It quickly became apparent every direction looked appealing. I climbed a tree near effortlessly, getting a feel of my body's strength and began to survey my surroundings; from fogged mountains that stretched far along the horizon, to the seemingly endless forest opposite its direction. I spotted something large flying amongst the clouds, far beyond the skyline. They looked like winged lizards, then I remembered that they were called wyverns, or were they dragons? Two legs, a tail, sharp talons on the tips of its wings, and it's scales were a reddish pigment. What a classic.
I decided I'd avoid the creatures and head deeper into the forest. Hopping down and shaking the ground with the sound of an earthquake. Birds were scared out of their nests and the scurrying of several animals caught my eyes. I should try to be a little more careful the next time. If I wanted to find any signs of civilization in this vast fantasy of a land, I would have to find a river or a path. From the earlier mountains I'd seen, there was a route of water cutting through to the far left of the forest. There, I'd follow it.
Without a compass to guide me, this discovery made it much easier to find my way. I thought I'd test the axe as I went along. Each stroke felt as smooth as silk. Though, that was likely just the strength talking. It was overall an average tool, doubling as a source of reliable ammo conservation and a path clearer, the dense branches wouldn't annoy me as much as if I were to walk through normally. I could get some practice in too. Never know what I'd encounter after seeing those wyverns scouring the skies.
After a while I finally reached the river. It was as clear as the bright blue sky, shimmering like the smoothed rocks on the banks in the sunlight. Along its path the ground dipped and it became a waterfall. From the cliffside view, I could already see something out of place in the greenery. A worn dirt path, about usable for carriages and the like. It lead onward somewhere I couldn't quite tell. I just knew I wanted to see what this world had in store.
I climbed down the cliff using the hilt of the axe as leverage, and it proved to be reliable despite that not being its intended use. However, it was already getting dark and I would rather take in the scenery during the day. I had no light source either. Maybe it came built in? I hopped down from the last few meters of cliff and spotted a cave to my side, like a crack within a wall---I approached it. This would be a decent place to settle for the evening as I gathered my thoughts.
I should've had some sort of maximum amount of energy I could store, and from there I could count how long I could stay awake for without sunlight. A sudden ping in my head, and I saw a gauge begin to fill a miniscule amount in the peripherals of my vision. "3%," a terrifying number to say the least. Some sort of system then came up and offered the "Power Saving Mode" option. It would've been great if this showed up when I first awoke, but I'd take what I could get.
Scaling the mountain again, I stopped and hopped down to see how high I could jump before needing to climb again. A good test of my abilities, I crouched and stretched my alloyed legs across. I felt the air caress my open joints as the wind invited the dawn of the night. The sun finally setting, I leaped with impressive power all the way to the top, though just barely. I caught my hand on the ledge and pulled myself up, accidentally crushing the edge like tinfoil.
This would be a good place to rest now. I found a good spot where the sun would reach me, in the middle-ground of a clearing of trees atop the cliff. I sat and put the shield with my belongings aside, leaning it against a tree in front of me. I just hoped this "power saving mode" would knock me out like I thought it would. So, I imagined the words in my mind and suddenly the familiar feeling of drowsiness took over. My head slumped down into my lap and my consciousness began to fade. I never knew a greater feeling, somehow euphoric in ways. Though euphoria is a tiring thing. Best not to exhaust such a special feeling. I thought setting a timer for 12 hours would do the trick. Tomorrow would be another day, I could explore the cave or the path then.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
SageChanged
SageChanged Just who is this skeletal machine?
Your guess is just as good as mine.
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