The Woods

After we settled the campsite, Optius Lucilius sent Flavius with an order for me to explore the nearby parts of the woods and to watch and patrol the area. I gear up before I go and now I have sandals and a leather body armor with shoulder plates over the tunic. I went to the woods with two pieces of bread, a water bottle, a short sword, a bow and twenty five arrows in a quiver. I step in hoping that nothing troublesome happens.

I keep thinking about the "you have to fill these barren pages" thing that I heard when I woke up in this world. This is the perfect opportunity to try and see if it's like what I'm thinking.

—Status— I said out loud —Status window! System!—. Nothing happens, I keep saying words. —Book. Book of Sand—. Nothing.

I continue walking the woods, barely losing sight of the campsite. I sit against the three. Everything hurts, my feet, my back. I want to be in my house drinking a beer and watching something stupid on the TV.

I bite a piece of bread. What am I missing? I hear the thing about the pages, maybe I'm imagining the whole thing, maybe I'm in a coma or something, but this sure hurts like it is real.

I have the feeling that this has something to do with the Book of Sand. It's the only thing that makes sense. But how do I fill those pages?

God, I just want to sleep. I think about what I just said... God. I have nothing to lose so I decide to try. I pray.

I said, Thot if you are there please help me, I need some guide, I need something whatever, please. And against my true expectations something happens, I heard a voice, a satisfied voice that said "congratulations you are a contractor", and at the same time in front of me appeared the book with the half silver moon and the egyptian bird.

—I have a good taste for symbols, don't I? —Said the voice— Anyway, you can make the book appear or disappear at will now, just wish for it. I don't feel like explaining much right now, maybe next time if you make things interestings—.

—Wait, what do you mean? Why am I here? — I get no answer.

I stare at the book for a minute and decide to open it, almost every page it's blank, but in the middle of the first page my name was written.

NAME: Augustus.

FAMILY NAME: None (Lost).

TITLE: Rookie.

AFILIATION: Peral Empire, Iron Legion.

BLOODLINE: *******

TALENT: None.

SPECIAL SKILLS: Reader Lvl 4, Writer/Narrator Lvl 3, Martial Arts Lvl 2.

Ok, that's a poor status window. Where are my stats?, and what does everything do? I have what bloodline? I hope it's a dragon or a godly one or something that makes my life easier. Anyway, I have three skills. I did nothing more in my past life than reading and writing, and just to make a living and pass time, so the low level makes sense. What should I do now?

Let's try to put away the book.

When I think about it, the book it's gone. I think of bringing it back and it's here again. I do that a few more times and then remember that I am on patrol duty or something, I should not get carried away.

I get up and walk a little more into the woods, I see the light of the campsite bonfire but I don't see the campsite anymore. I think of going closer to my group, I was never a fan of open nature and things like that, but I suddenly hear a faint melody.

It was a sweet music, a female voice, like a soft humming. I went deeper into the woods trying to hear better and looking for what it is. I walk low, slowly, after a few moments I find something, I get behind some bushes and in the darkness I see a circle of torches. In the middle many men and women, all naked wearing all kinds of masks and bodypainting with various patterns. Some women were singing, though I did not understand what they were saying. Others were on the floor touching each other's bodies. Everyone was touching and pleasing everybody. Little by little the singing mixed with the moaning, but when the situation was in the climax, something changed. The men lay down on the dirt and the women sit down on them. Then they grabbed a dagger and stabbed them on the chest and neck. I was frozen. They took out their mask half way and while moaning drinked the pouring blood. They scrubbed the red liquid against their bodies like bathing on it and the patterns of the bodypaint started to glow up. They were in ecstasy, while the corpses under their legs whitered at a visible pace. The moaning grew louder and louder until the men turned to dust, then they got up. All of them looked in my way.

I get down on the floor afraid of breathing too loud choking by the bloodlust, and then I hear the running, like and stampede. Tens or bloodstained legs passed me, until there was silence.