Reborn

I wake with an excruciating pain all throughout my body; I look down to see my flesh and muscle being ripped open, my body being torched by red flames.

I try my hardest to escape these flames by thrashing around; it's weird, although my body looks as if it's being torn apart and torched - I am somehow able to fully function my body.

That is when I get the energy to push forward; I hear rips and tears as if I've just torn my soul out of my own body.

I stay crouched on my knees trying to catch my breath, after a minute or so, I stand, looking down at my hands to see fresh healthy skin, as if I was just born again.

I look back behind me to see a torn open corpse, almost like a snake shedding its skin but a lot more violent, an empty shell.

I stand confused and naked in my graveyard, my clothes from my old body now just pieces of ash from the flames that torched my corpse.

My head is hazy and my memory flickering, I manage to gather myself, and walk towards the path where the travelling merchants trail with their carts.

I stroll along the trail covering as much nudity as I can with my hands; my body feels weak as if I'm not used to being in it yet - I stumble and almost fall to my knees.

I shouldn't be too far from the village, so why can't I see it? how far out did we walk?

I hear trotting from behind me - I turn to see two towering shadowy figures marching towards me carrying a what I'd assume to be a merchant cart. 

As the shadowy figures close the distance between us, I'm met with two muscular horses flowing with confidence as they both stop in my trail with their heads raised high staring only at the path ahead.

"You need a ride young lad" A croaky old voice calls out from the cart

I diverge my attention from the horses to the cart to see an old mans head poking out from a side window, greeting me with a light smile.

"You look like you just clawed yourself out of hell, boyo"

"Not far off" I reply with an awkward laugh

The elderly man no older than 65 and hair rimming around both sides of his head leaving a bald patch at the top wearing a long dark brown clock, looks down at my hands that're covering my manhood.

"I've got some old clothes back here that you can have boyo, not the best kind but it'll do until we reach the village."

"Thank you" I reply with a quivering smile from the cold

The elderly man opens the back doors of the cart inviting me in.

"The name's Bandro, you?"

he then reaches out a hand to help guide me up the high steps of the cart; I feel a bit of guilt flow into my heart, I know I will have to lie to this man even after the kindness he showed me.

"The name's Nixon, I appreciate your generosity"

"Haha, no need for the appreciations boyo, didn't interrupt my daily life in anyway, just doin what anyone else would" He replies with a blushed face

"You'd be surprised" I say with a snort

I walk past the frame of the cart doors as the man swings them shut; I'm met by a younger girl sitting on one of the long benches that're parallel to the one on the left side of the cart.

"That's my nephew Cecilia, boyo - don't get any funny ideas or I'll have to cut ya up" he lets out a comedic laugh

"Just kidding boyo"

The girl glares at me, her eyes bored, Green eyes staring at me without interest, long red hair with a thick braided strand hanging from the left side of her head draping over her shoulder, freckles scattered onto her cheekbones invading the slope of her nose - resting her heart shaped face onto her hand which is supported by her arm rested on a crate of goods on her right.

She flips her head, turning away from me - quiet type I'm guessing.

I take a seat on the left bench, closer to the back doors away from the girl as Bandro tosses me a freshly plucked apple.

"Would give you more but I gotta save it for the buyers" 

"It's all good, thank you" I say with an appreciative tone

He tosses me a batch of clothes and tells me to find ones that'll fit for now, I place down the apple beside me.

rummaging through the clothing until I find a dirtied white, long sleeved, v-neck shirt with laces threading the exposed chest into 2 X shapes.

I scavage through the batch of clothes some more to find a black pair of pants, tightened at the top by a thin strip of string and loose at the bottom.

I quickly put on the pants whilst the Bronco and the girl aren't aiming their eyes towards me and slide the short over my head when I feel something hit my chest and fall to the floor beneath me.

"Knew I had some layin around somewhere, not the best but it'll cover your feet from the mud."

I fix up the shirt and look down to see a pair of leather boots; I crouch down to put them on and tighten the laces to secure them around my feet.

I feel the warmth from the clothing protecting me, no longer need to cover myself with my hands. 

The cart is heated and lit up by six lamps, three hanging from each side of the carts ceiling.

"So boyo, what were you doin out there alone with your pecka hangin out? got a weird fetish or somethin?"

"I was robbed of all I had by bandits" I reply with a sigh

"Bandits? here? You are an unlucky one, aint ya boyo, ahaha; bandits are rare around here; the knights of Messa village are strict; after all, it does surround one of the largest food markets in the Meldova continent."

"Yea, I'm an unlucky one alright" I let out a snort

"You know when we'll reach the village?"

"Shouldn't be too long boyo, 20 minutes at most, probs"

We hear a thump sound from outside the cart as it lifts up and almost tips, Bandro looks out of the carts window and pulls his head back in.

"Ahaha, just a pebble on the trail, nothin to worry about"

Bandro seems to be a clownish old man, reminds me of my friends from the guild.

I turn my attention to the girl to see her gripping a blade half sheathed on her right hip, I didn't see it earlier because it was covered by her loose brown dress; Is she properly trained? She must be the guardian of this cart while her uncle Bandro is the negotiator.

The cart comes to a halt, a guard shouts asking for a proof of passage, Bandro pokes his head out of the window, the guard seems to recognise him as a friendly face; he must trade here often.

I hear the guard shout for the gate to open, I hear the creaks of the latches as the gate opens, they're at least 15ft high gates surrounded by a circular wall formation all the same size as the gate; I bet even an ice giant would have trouble breaking through these walls.

I remember being amazed by the height of it when I came here with my guild, village walls are usually around 10ft tall so it was rare to see them towering over us.

The cart starts to move again as we enter the village, I look out the window to see food markets and village homes scattered around the village, void of life; makes sense, it's too early for people to be up and out.

We continue to move for a few minutes until we come to a stop, these horses have experience and are trained specifically for knowing where to go, It's why most travel horses don't need a rider.

"Alright yungins, hop out, we're here" he says while swinging the doors of the cart open

I step out of the cart closing my eyes and tilting my head up at the sky to take in a deep breath of the freshly night air.

"This is going to be a long journey" I say to myself in a low voice