Fiction:Everlands/Stories/Audio Recording: "The Cold"

[This recording is from a man who lived during the dark centuries after the Dark War. Supposedly It is one of the only firsthand documentations of life during the time.]

“The world is dead. If you're listening to this, you probably already knew that. But by some shred of luck this survives into a better time...I figured that I should at least record something about what happened to me. Or maybe I just have no one else to talk to.”

[He clears his throat, and is silent for a moment]

“I'm a wanderer. Though I used to be a ranger for a little settlement called ‘Shore Town’ down by the east coast. It was ran by good and honest folks, fishers mostly. I hunted animals for meat and furs out in the wilds and sometimes led people through the woods to other settlements. I've heard that people in the Old World used to pay for my type of services using something called ‘Ker-Ehnsi’. Whatever that is, it's not a thing anymore...or so I'm told. Instead people paid me in food, clothes, and sometimes ammunition. Got to live in the village for free too. It was a good gig for a time. The tricky part was getting around Dark Beasts. They're huge, vicious, and won't hesitate to kill you the moment they see you. Some people never really understand how dangerous they can be. That brings us to more recent events.”

“Remember how I said that I'm a wanderer? Well it's the truth. Though not by any real choice of mine. See, you won't find that settlement I mentioned earlier. It's gone. I might be one of the only people still alive who remembers it existed. It got wiped out by a man leading a horde of those beasts. I tried to shoot the bastard from a rooftop with my rifle, but for some reason I couldn't keep my aim steady. It was like he knew I was there and was actively messing with my aim. Needless to say I didn't kill him. I couldn't fire a single bullet. I had no choice but to flee with the others as the settlement burned behind us and the roars of the beasts echoed into the night sky.”

"I knew where another settlement was located. It was bigger, better fortified for sure. Only problem was that the government there ain't the friendliest. But after what happened at Shore Town, I didn't see any other option. I led the few people that survived with me into the woods and down a river in the hopes that we could get to the settlement in a few days time. We didn't make it."

"The Dark Beasts had found us. I tried to kill as many as I could, trying to buy the people enough time to escape. The next thing I knew, something came smashing into the side of my head...and everything went black. I remember waking up to see a mother cradling her lifeless child...her wails of agony still haunt me. I could see the bodies of the townsfolk scattered across the forest floor or face-down in the river. I tried to struggle to my feet, but my legs weren't responding. A woman who looked like she was in league with the man who destroyed Shore Town strode towards the weeping mother, and beheaded her right in front of me."

"Something, I don't know what, but something snapped in me. I sprang to my feet, grabbed my rifle, and shot that bitch in her forehead. She groaned, and slowly met my glare with her own. In an instant, she was right in front of me. She only stared at me with a cold, dead expression as her blade cracked my ribs and pierced my lung. The unbelievable cold that wracked my body was unbearable, and I went limp. I was losing consciousness again, but I remember her muttering some nonsense to me. 'Just Drown. It will be easier,' she said...or at least I think she said that. Anyways, I mustered what strength I could, and grabbed her by her arms. I managed to just barely overpower her. I grabbed her by her hair and drowned her in the river. I killed her. I killed that bitch. She deserved it. I grabbed my rifle, and began making my way to the settlement."

"But...I never went there. See, my chest started turning pitch black around the wound that day. I thought maybe it was just the tissue dying. But no...I could still feel it. The cold. Maybe that sword infected me with something. I don't know. But I've been having dark thoughts ever since. I've been wanting to kill people...good people. I don't know why. It's gotten worse and worse as time goes on. Eventually I probably won't be able to control myself. It's why I wander. I stay away from decent folk. But it's getting hard to cope with these thoughts and the unbearable cold. As the infection spreads throughout my body, everything starts feeling colder...and colder. So cold. So...cold."

[He is silent for a while, then sighs]

"That's...enough. Who I am isn't important. Just know that...Just know that if I do hurt someone...kill someone innocent, I wasn't acting on my own. It was the cold."

[This audio log was recovered by Chosen ]