Standing near the cliff, I looked at myself again, "Woah, what's this?"
Magically or how, I had no idea, but now I had some clothes on my body. A green full sleeved shirt with a big collar and closed buttons, inside was a black T shirt, and black jeans with brown belt and black shoes.
"Did it happen when I felt that current right now?" I folded my collar down.
Now that I entered the new world, I had a better look at the distant place.
The sky was covered with purple colour, black clouds were hovering all over. I could sense the chillness in the air, it was scary for a moment, just like the scene that came to me before.
The castle was situated at the peak of a large mountain with a gentle slope which was surrounded by 4 smaller mountains at each corner, each containing a very tall tower at its top. The mountain was horizontally divided into 4 sectors by long walls.
I tried to look clearly. The mountain didn't have a gentle slope. It now looked like it was cut into flat stair-like steps in the top 3 sectors.
The topmost one was reserved by the gigantic castle that stretched above the clouds. It looked black in the purple environment and also had many towers. The ones at the boundary were smaller and the height increased as it went to the Centre. Every tower had black conical roof with a sharp end.
The topmost parts of the castle were hidden due to the dark and black clouds revolving around it. Lightning and thunder clashed with it often. It was truly a horror place.
The bottom most part of the mountain was covered with dense fog. I couldn't see a thing. It was scary, but it looked like the only way to reach the castle.
'Too much blackness.' I thought. Though my eyes were already adjusted to it till now.
I turned around to see a large forest. The trees had long branches and were ten to twelve times longer than me. Most of the leaves had withered off. 'Is it the spring season going on?' I thought.
I entered the forest. As I walked, many things came into my mind.
' Let's see what happened till now.' I revised all the things I knew for now.
'That rabble-rouser selectively took out my memory. Even if I don't know my history, I know the language I am speaking. I also know basic things like what a forest is, what a portal is, what a mountain is. Then why don't I know what a wizard is? I mean, I think I know it somehow, but I'm not able to recall it no matter what. I feel like it's somewhere in my mind, locked up in chains. and that ghost is declaring it as his private property. Does it mean it is somehow connected to my history? Was I this so-called wizard back then?? By the way, forests should be full of animals, right?'
There wasn't a single animal present in that dry forest. Just dry wind whistling through my ears and dry orange and yellow leaves flying around with the wind.
Suddenly, I encountered a desire path. ' Maybe that is the way to the castle!' I planned to follow it.
"When I became conscious for the first time, I remember I felt a huge surge of pain in my right hand… and maybe, just maybe, I didn't feel like I had a right hand before it. So chances are that I somehow lost my right hand in my previous life."
I looked at my hand again. It was intact. " What could have led me to losing a hand? Did I do some sin and get punished? Did I get myself into an accident by any chance? Or did I fight in some kind of war?"
The path took a sharp left and so did I. The appearance of the forest was still the same. On the way I also found a cool stick! It was of perfect height, reaching till my shoulders, completely straight, with a few small branches which I removed from it. I don't know why but it was better to walk with such a stick than walk alone.
"The last option looks more probable if I take into account the scene of that place. Also, I felt a preexisting hate for that ghost. Was he the one because of whom I lost my hand? Yaar... I can't remember a thing!"
After some time again, the path took a sharp right, then again a left, then slight left again, again a right, left again. "Where does this desire path desire me to go??" There were no more turns after that… at least for a while.
"Am I really on the right track?" I doubted myself.
A huge gust of wind blew over my face. I closed my eyes and stopped walking for some time. Then I looked around. I found a small pond at some distance. The small pond gave rise to a little stream. On the other side of the pond was a high brink of land. The water was so clear it reflected the clouds in the sky.
"It looks like the clouds have lessened here. There are just a couple of them. I can see the sky now." I said to myself.
I was really thirsty so I put the stick aside, drank some water and washed my face.
"Maybe there was a waterfall here. But now all that's left is the pond, the stream… and a cave?" I saw a small cave in the base of the high platform, some of the water was lying still in it.
I took my dear stick and went to its entrance to see if I could find something interesting.
" Helloo...…" My voice echoed through the cave. I went to check inside. "How can I expect someone to be in such a place. This place is miles away from the castle. Hehe..."
I kept walking.
…
'Wait, miles…Miles???' Maybe I realized it too late. It seemed it would take days to reach the castle if I went at the present speed. And then, I also had to check for some food to eat. I felt quite hungry because of all the walking. The cave still had a long way before its closing.
"At least there was a trodden path that I found, that must mean there are people living nearby. I should reach there first, later I will think of going to the castle." I convinced myself.
So I stopped at a point where it had become completely dark. The place was made up of dark obsidian rocks. The roof was crowded with stone needles. Water rhythmically dripped from their tips.
"Stalactites, they are called if I am right." I recalled from nowhere. "I may or may not have anything else, but I definitely have my vocabulary."
"Then what enmity does a wizard have with me?"
My stomach was rumbling with hunger.
I came out of the little, long cave and thought to take a small break. I thought to look for some fruits. Luckily, I did find some on a tree just beside the pond.
I rested my back under a big tree nearby, put all the fruits which I had plucked at my side and ate them one by one. 'When you are hungry, everything feels delicious.'
'I wish I could listen to or sing a beautiful song at the moment. Everything is so calm. But the only problem is that I don't remember any song. Can I make one right now?'
I used my lap as a cheap drum and sung,
Hmm…
No one is around, just the wind and me,
Some food nearby and shade under a tree.
The ground feels warm, but the temperature is just right,
I just hope it does not rain tonight.
O-oh…
…
"Yea... I ain't so good at singing… They were just random words that popped in my head. There is really no one around. I wish to find someone to make friends with soon" I said to myself. . Anyways, I had no intentions of being friends with that ghost until he is totally out of suspicion.
A full stomach can make better decisions than a hungry stomach. I thought that all this thinking isn't taking me anywhere, let's just clear my mind.
I closed my eyes and remained in silence, didn't do anything and didn't think anything for sometime. After some time, I opened my eyes and was back with a fresh mind. It was like a quick restart for my brain. It removed all the confusions from my mind.
Nope. I wasn't sleeping! Just a little rest to my eyes.
The sky turned darker. Maybe the dusk was falling.
"So, it wasn't night all along?"
I stretched for a bit and started my journey again. While going I plucked one more fruit from the same tree and ate it on my way. Not that I was hungry, but I had nothing else to do while walking.
After some time, the path joined perpendicularly to a plain, wide road . Standing in the middle, I had two options- either go left or go right. I stood confused again.
"Damn it. Maybe the first days always invite confusions."
While standing there listless, thinking of my next move, I heard a stamping noise from my right side, drawing nearer and nearer.
'Something is coming...'
WN: I am taking a pause right here. After gathering some more experience as a writer, I will be back to this project. After all, this is the greatest of the stories I can narrate, so I need to be skilled to make it more interesting! If someone has actually read the 2 chapters and liked it, sorry to say but you gotta wait for at least a year.