Chapter 0 The Sloth

Somewhere in the world, a being was laying on the ground, motionless. His pitch-black hair was scuffed and his clothes were tattered as if he went through a hurricane. One might think he was dead, but with a close look, you could see his breath, slow and steady indicating he was still alive. As the silence triumphed over the plains, he instantly opened his eyes. Sharp blue eyes with navy pupils. How beautiful.

He slowly lifted his arms, feeling the soft touch of the green grass underneath him. The soft spring breeze grazed his cheeks and soon a thunderous sound was heard from a mile away. His gaze was directed at the sky which was slowly being covered with black thunderclouds. The dark clouds were assimilating quickly, a storm was coming.

It wouldn't be long before the afternoon sun disappears behind the clouds and rain. The sound grew louder until suddenly a loud BOOM was heard across the sky followed by a long and continuous rumble of thunder. The sound sent creatures scurrying for cover beneath the trees as the rain came closer. A strong wind blew over the plains, forcing the trees to bend and some even broke off from their roots, flying with the wind.

But still, the being didn't move. Soon, the downpour started and countless thunder was heard throughout the entire flat plain. Every single lifeform took shelter as the rain continued to pound on the ground. The war between the sky and the ground had begun. The storm lasted for hours damaging the colorful flower fields and tree branches was uprooted. Still, the being stayed put.

The storm continued to pour buckets hitting the motionless body, trying to cause a reaction or response. Still, his eyes didn't waver.

Then, the storm started to become more fierce and aggressive, continuously pounding on the being's body. His clothing was drenched and torn. Despite this, the being remained still.

As if the storm gave up trying to make the being move, it disappeared as fast as it came. The storm that could destroy cities didn't faze him.

"HAHAHAHHAHA"

A sound of deranged laughter could be heard.

"Why? Why? why after all this time why? I want you to get out of my mind, but why can I still see you? Why won't you leave me alone?"

It was a sound of despair. His eyes were shaking uncontrollably at a sight of a certain cloud. There was a resemblance to a human face, but whatever the being thought it was, it was just his imagination. His loud remarks soon ended as he turns away and rolls sideways. He tried to force a tear but it wouldn't come. The past has swept his tears away.

"After all this time..."

"Why can't I forget you?"

This time it wasn't loud. It was a silent thought that he accidentally said out loud. The being closed his eyes and continued to stay still.

After the terrible storm, there was a rainbow so bright it could blind, so beautiful as if it was a gateway to heaven, and it showed the glimmer of hope for a new beginning for the life forms in the plain.

As the night rolled around, the being felt something soft and warm touching him. He dreamt that it was someone he remembers all this time touching him as he lay on its lap. He opened his eyes and saw a brown figure licking him. It was a small puppy wagging its tail at him as it licked his face. He could feel that it was trying to wake him up. As he felt the environment, he saw wolves approaching him and the puppy.

"Ah, I see. So you want me to save you from those wolves."

As if the puppy understood its words, he hid behind his back. A group of wolves was coming closer and closer to him with malice. After all, he stole their prey. They continuously growled and approached with caution.

"Go."

A simple word. The man's command was absolute. The wolves froze in place and immediately forgot about the puppy. As if the monarch commanded them, the wolves retreated slowly melting with the shadows of the fallen trees.

The puppy looked at him with its shiny eyes, curious about what he just did. As he slowly closed his eyes again the whole night passed.

***

Sun shone brilliantly, and small animals were rushing out. After the storm, flower buds bloomed as they spread their alluring scent attracting insects. The storm damaged many plants, but this scene shows that nature is at work fixing itself.

In the midst of it, a man and a brown puppy were lying down. Soon the puppy woke up from its slumber and continued to stare at the man with its bright eyes. It circled the man with curiosity, the puppy tilted its head waiting for the man to wake up.

Alas, the man didn't open his eyes even after the sun went down. The puppy soon knew that it was hungry, so it decided to look for food. It wasn't until dawn that the puppy returned. It seemed that it had hurt its paws. A trail of small blood droplets was made behind it as it walked slowly back to the man. The puppy was carrying some wild berry bush in its mouth, which it dropped in front of the man.

Similar days repeated, and soon the cute innocent puppy was gone, and an adult dog was there in its place. It had light brown fur and an eye of a hunter that had already killed dozens. The puppy grew up splendidly. After their first interaction with the man, the man didn't open his eyes once. Even after all that time, the dog stood there waiting patiently for the man to wake up.

***

Temperatures dropped significantly during the past few days. Frost began to form on the grass. Even the trees seemed to be covered with a thin layer of ice that shimmered in the morning sun. As that man's fingers started to freeze, his eyes opened.

"It seems that I have to find another place to lie down."

When he tried to get up, he was surprised to find out that no dirt accumulated on top of him. Usually when he rests on the ground thick layers would stick to his body, sometimes even making him unable to breathe.

As he moved his numb limbs sluggishly, it made a cracking sound.

"So, my right leg is broken beyond repair, huh"

Immediately, he raised his hands and chopped his swollen and bruised leg off. His hand was like a knife tearing through the skin and the bones.

Blood started spilling everywhere, but after a few seconds, a brand new leg was growing out of the stump

It was a strange and surreal experience. His leg slowly but surely regrew, muscle and bone forming before his very eyes. It would seem like it would cause immeasurable pain, but the man was watching as his leg regenerated.

With his new leg, the man was able to stand and walk.

He looked at his surroundings and saw a lot of fruits stacked on top of each other. Most of them however were already rotten. He picked up a fruit that was the size of his palm and immediately took a bite. It was refreshing his dry and hoarse insides as he can feel the juice spilling from the fruit. He continued to munch on the fruit when he spotted a dog looking at him with its grateful eyes.

"Where did you get this?" asked the man. The dog gestured towards a tree and lead him to its trunk where he saw the fruit he ate stacked on top of each other like a pyramid. He bent forward to get another one, but he noticed that all his clothes became tattered and were unrecognizable even exposing a lot of his skin.

The man continued to eat the fruit until only cores were left. Suddenly, his gaze landed on a certain dog.

"So, you must be that little pup I saved."

It was no longer the puppy he saved from the wolves but a full-grown hunter and predator.

As if the dog agreed with it nodded its head. The man got closer and lifted up the dog. Even though the dog was almost as heavy as a full-grown wolf, he easily lifted it. It was a funny sight.

"Hoho, you have good genes, don't you."

He wasn't surprised when a little puppy survived on its own. It was because the dog's genetics were superior. It allowed the dog to develop a predator mindset quickly and build muscles faster and better.

He again noticed his exposed skin, while holding the dog.

"Let's take a temporary measure."

Soon the sound of plants growing can be heard on his body. A black stem slowly crawled its way up to his neck, hiding his exposed stomach and chest. His new cloth was pitch black and durable, but unstylish.

"Hmm, it's not bad, but I'll need something better. I should go to a human city."

His gut was saying he wouldn't regret it.

The man looked at the dog with his blue eyes.

"Do you want to go with me?" he asked.

However, the dog just tilted his head and stared blankly.

"So, you can't decide huh? If it is like that you should stay in this plain and enjoy life. No need to follow me." The man dropped the dog and patted it.

"You shall be Laelaps. I'll bless you with long life and power."

Suddenly, the dog glowed with a bright blue light and it felt a surge of power run through its muscles.

"Enjoy your life, Laelaps", the man said with a smile and then turned around to head towards the large snowy mountain range in the distance.

While walking he saw a worn-down wooden sign, and it read "Arcadian Plain".

He glanced behind him remembering the place where he spent over 50 years lying down.

He started walking, and from his footsteps, massive plants and trees erupted from the ground and spread in a instant.

Instead of the flat grassy land, a large jungle began to circle around the plains.

"I'll protect this place from human interference."

His figure disappeared behind the wave like hills.