Across the Farlands: The Story of Steve      



       About:      
  The world around Steve is different from what it should be. He's awaken to a world completley different from the one he can vaguely remember. Though these memories he has are distant, they take place somewhere else. According to the people--or creatures--around him, he comes from a place called The Farlands. Though to Steve, The Farlands sounds right where he's already at. Here, things are different. Steve is the only human left in this new world. Among the colonies of different creatures comes the Vampires, the Anti-Vampires, the Werewolves, the Skeletons, the Zombies, the Villagers, and many other different kinds of species. And in order to return to the place Steve thinks he might call "Home" he must team up with a few of these monsterous new creatures.
  Though something else is lurking in the shadows, waiting to impede Steve's pathway home. 


Prologue

        It’s early in the morning when the tune of spring’s rhythmic chorus of various species of birds is humming nature’s anthem. The forest floor is rocky and damp. Twigs break under the boy’s weight as he tosses back in forth, unaccustomed to the environment he is about to awake in. Down a small hill a few feet away, an escort yanked along the dirt road tosses clouds of dust in its wake. The soft, nostalgic, shouts of the horses and their hooves clasping over rocks and small clumps of dirt slowly lures the boy out of his morning drink of stubborn sleep. He attempts to allow his eyes to soak in a glimpse of the world outside his shut-in vision, but he hasn’t fully enveloped the urgency in waking. Almost immediately after the escort of horses comes an abrupt, harsh, kick to the boy’s side.


            “And what have we here, Hank?” A man’s voice calls out.


            “Looks like a minor.” Another man answers quietly, but surely mockingly.


            “Looks like he got his own taste of Midnight’s Feast, huh?” The first voice chuckles.


            “You sure, Reed? He looks like one of those animal cleaners.” The second man, who can only be assumed to be called Hank, replies, joining along to the first round of teasing sneers.


            “Hey, kid. Rise or I’ll go ask the long noses to give you a serenade.” Reed says, as he lightly kicks the boy again.


            Still nulled by the warm embrace of sleep, the boy, Steve, takes a first look around. He is not yet ready to pull himself up from the ground, but he can see the world around him quite clearly anyways. A display of sunlight poking through the above canopy paints the forest floor. The wind lightly sways the branches on the tall oak trees, and humanity can be found nowhere in sight accept for the two men towering above Steve.


            “Where…” Steve attempts to speak, but his waking slur is barely audible to the men. “Am I…?” He tries to finish. Fortunately, the two men can actually hear what he is saying.  


            “Where are you?” Hank inquires. “You that drunk?  


            “Drunk? I’m not drunk.” Steve protests.


            “You look like you’re having a hangover.” Reed adds.


            “But…” Steve sits up, leaning unsteadily against the tree. He’s trying desperately to grasp the situation. He cannot remember anything but his age and his name. “I’m only seventeen. I don’t drink.”


            “What the—“ Hank starts, but is interrupted by his friend.


            “All of us drink, whether we’re ‘seventeen’ or not, boy. You really are drunk, aren’t yah. Moonlight feast is feasting on your brain.” Reed says as he bends down and tries to assist the boy in standing.


            “Maybe we should just hand him over to the zombs.” Hank suggests, still teasing the young boy.


            “Don’t speak about those nether freaks.” Reed replies, his words stern and his tone turned to a strict and distempered snarl.


             “Alright, man. Calm down.” Hank backs off, his hands slightly in the air.


            “Just help me get this kid on his feet.” Reed orders. Hank moves to assist, but by the time he shakes off Reed’s previous demand, Steve is standing. “To answer your previous question; you’re right outside the town line of New Denver.” Reed says to the boy.


            “New Denver?”


            “Yah. New Denver.” Hank replies. The boy no longer sounds drunk, but starts to sound distant. As if everything around him is new grounds.


            “Hey kid. Are you alright? You’re acting strange for even a drunkard.” Reed implies.


            “Well that’s because…” Steve begins. He looks around at the quiet forest.  His eyes return to the men. When he locks eyes with them he sees their stern glares. Their returned stares are that of something taken from a horror novel. Their frames are rugged and broken, while their eyes are distorted, crimson beads staring blankly into Steve’s purple colored eyes. Their skin is so pale it matches the lack of color snow wears, and their teeth are yellow and sharp like a set of full grown canines-only. Steve barely finishes his sentence before the men realize that Steve is different from them.  “I can’t remember anything.”


Everything is new grounds.


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To you, one year in the future


 


            I face the two lifeless creatures standing before me. Hank narrows his eyes and licks his slightly blood-painted lips. “Well. Who would of thought we’d run into an omega.” He analyzes. I can’t tell what he means by this.


            “We’re going to show those stupid dogs who they think they’re messin’ with.” Reed spits at the dirt and lungea at me, suddenly.


            “Hey! What are you doing?” I cry out as I almost fall back to the very ground I just woke up on. Just what is he doing? Trying to kill me?! Wait—maybe he is. What did I do? I dodge multiple attacks from my two pursuers. What have I done to anger them? And what are they? They can’t be like me. I’m…I’m human right? Because these things aren’t. One of them manages to claw at my face. Well, if all else fails, run for your life.


            And here I am, running for my life.






1 year later…


 


            “Aha! I told you I’d win! I always win. I’m a champ!” Nadai says as he greedily collects the gold he’s earned from his stupid little game of poker.


            “Can we just go now? If I have to see another drunken brawl between two vamps, I’m going to take my iron sword and arm it against myself.” I sigh and try to convince Nadai that he’s cheated enough random townsfolks out of their gold.


            Nadai sighs heavily. “Alright, Stevey, but next time…you’re going to play.” He says as he slaps one of his bony hands on my shoulder.  Yah right. Like I’d participate in such a waste of time. 


            Nadai asks me to put his gold in my backpack. I begrudgingly agree and he shoves his earnings in my pack. We finally exit the worn down bar and join the rush of different kinds of people. There are a lot of them. One year ago, I couldn’t comprehend how someone could be so skinny and still be able to live—like Nadai—and now the only thing I think when I look at him, is ‘what an idiot’. He’s always spending our gold on random impulses. I bump into a man.


            “Sorry…” I mutter. I look to see who I’ve bumped into. An enderman. He scowls down at me and I uneasily scoot towards Nadai’s side.


            “Rude.” He snorts. Maybe sticking towards Nadai is a good thing. For some reason he’s quite good at navigating crowds. It might be true to the extent that he just pushes anyone out of the way who isn’t walking at his ideal pace.


            A long time ago things were different. I never thought I’d get used to the strange life of The Farlands, but I have. Though many tell me, I’m from the Farlands, I’d like to believe differently.  Either way, both places are quite different and far apart. I’ve made friends though. I’ve adjusted. First there’s Nadai of course who is conceded, but hilarious and he’s one of the closer friends I’ve made since waking up here. Second there’s Jordan. She’s shy, and always sticks close to me. Since she’s half wolf she sometimes acts more like a dog than a human, but she’s also pretty strong like the others. Along with her and Nadai are Twig and Trip. They’re pretty strong, but they got out-casted from their colonies for their inadequate intellect. I’ve got to admit, they’re funny and the life of the party, but they growl a lot in their sleep…Finally there’s Owen. He’s always taking care of things we somehow mess up. He’s strategic and he’s serious. To be honest, he’s the only person I can properly work with. Sometimes he’s extremely intimidating though. Well, pretty much all Endermen are intimidating.


            Sometimes I wonder about where I came from. Was I actually from here, and I just have no memory of it? That can’t be right... I have memories from places without creatures like the ones here. Memories with another person.  A person like me. A girl. I cannot recall her name, but whenever I get pieces of my life before this, she’s in them. Though this entire year, I’ve been unsuccessful in locating her or a proper voyage home. Owen’s always reminded me that it is nearly impossible to reach the Farlands. Which is why me ending up here is such a big mystery.


            Nadai and I are finally out of the crowd of people. Thank the sun we live so far out from the village. If we didn’t, things would be hectic. Especially, with the fact that we’re all friends and all of our species don’t usually get along. That reminds me of Colton—whom I forgot to mention. He’s so protective over Jordan, though her species and his are natural enemies. Wolves and Vamps.


            There’s also been feuds between the Zombs and everyone else, but Twig and Trip are accepted as much as anyone in our group. Mainly it’s just the higher ups versus the lower class folks. No one knows who leads the armies, but they include Zombies, Skeletons, Endermen, Creepers, Spiders, and all kinds of different species. Though they are always at war for who gets the throne. Currently the Vamps and Wolves are living under the control of that collection of species. We call them the Mobs.


            “You guys are back!” My thoughts are interrupted by Jordan who almost tackles me to the ground with a hug.


            “Do you have to always cling on to Steve like that…?” Nadai grunts. He sails his hands through his hair which emits a clacking of bones as his hands meet his skull.


            “Yes I do! I missed him!” Jordan says, hugging my arm protectively, her ears perked up towards the forest roof.


            “Can you all shut up?” Colton says, as he strolls out the door.


            “Oh…sorry Colton, did we wake you up?” I ask as I look down at the smiling wolf girl who is latching on to me.


            “No, but you’re causing me to get a head ache.” He rubs his temples with his pointer and middle fingers and returns to the indoors to shut out the daylight. Though Vamps can survive the sunlight, they’d rather lock it out.


            “Nuh, but yur givin meh a head ache.” Nadai grumbles, mocking Colton. Everyone usually gets along with everyone unless it’s Nadai they have to bear with.


            “Nadai,” I scold.


            “I know, hot shot, but he’s acting like we put priest blood in his breakfast.”


            “They’re not priests, they’re villagers.” Jordan protests. I watch as the two bicker back and forth for a few minutes like always. It always ends the same. “I can’t believe you let this moron consume your precious time.” Jordan sneers and proceeds to follow Colton’s previous actions. Now it’s only me and Nadai standing out in the open spring breeze.







            “Yo, man, why’s everyone got to be so grumpy all the time!? Can’t they take a joke?” He snarls and heads off the opposite way.


            “And where are you going?” I call out to him.


            “I’m going to go shoot some targets or something…” He mutters, half answering me, and half just talking to himself.


            And now it’s just me, and the quiet chirping of birds accompanied by the sound of leaves being pushed around by the gentle wind.
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Author's Note:



Thanks for reading...again! Anways, if you didn't quite catch the hints, here is a list of the characters added to this chapter!


Steve: Main protagonist


Species: Human
Gender: Male


Personality traits: Kind, and serious. Inquisitive and patient.
Back: Can't remember anything about his past since waking up in New Denver one year ago. 

Nadai: Supporting protagonist



Species: Skeleton


Personality traits: Conceded, narcisistic, sarcastic. 
Gender: Male


Back: ?


Jordan: Supporting protagonist
Species: Werewolf


Gender: Female


Personality traits: Shy, quiet, loving, intelligent.


Back: ?


Colton: Supporting protagonist



Species: Anti-Vampire


Gender: Male


Personaltiy traits: Anti-social, serious, dark, spiteful.
Back: ?


Twig and Trip: Supporting protagonists
Species: Zombies


Genders: Both are Male


Personality traits: Clumsy, Strong, dull, comedic, loving.


Back: ?


Owen: Supporting protagonist
Species: Enderman
Gender: Male


Personality traits: Smart, strong, serious.
Back: ?

Well, thanks for reading, and like last time, let me know if you enjoyed. :D