Toothless

I found myself in a forested area running for my life. Nature is always good for the mind, but in the current situation, nothing was good.

The fresh and heavy air flew by me but I had neither the time nor the mood to stop and enjoy it. Everything across my field of view was rich in its elemental essence. And though it was best if one could stop and enjoy the scenery, I had more pressing matters as I couldn't help but think that my life is on the line.

My clothes were drenched as I have been running for god knows how long now. Though I was tired and felt a little lightheaded, I couldn't even stop to look at what was making me run like a deer.

As time went by, my body struggled to keep up with my demand for running and I started to take notice of my surroundings in great detail.

The trees were as thick as four meters in diameter. Looking at the immediate ground area, I noticed for the first time that it was all covered with fallen leaves and twigs and small undergrowth that I guessed to be there for at least a thousand or so years as they probably were at least two feet in depth from the actual grounded.

I guess that was also one of the factors that were limiting me from just giving it my all in the chase.

As I continued to move with jagged breaths and a tired visage, I couldn't help but frown. Then I continued to frown until I could feel my facial features to be causing a certain amount of straining as a muscle pull took form.

With my limited knowledge of what I was aware, this wasn't the world that I used to live in. For the first time, what I could remember was, from the clothes that I was wearing to the environment that I was in, it wasn't something that I could comprehend just like that.

I was wearing a black, long sleeve, tattered, and worn-out robe that reached to my ankles. With the knowledge of what I had just known, I couldn't even grasp the meaning of it all.

It was alright for me to say that before I appeared in this forest, I was... Well, maybe my mind is a bit jumbled from the intensity of the situation that I was currently in. But I can be sure that the kind of trees that were in my peripheral vision wasn't from where I was from.

And as that thought crossed my mind, different kinds of possibilities crossed my mind in the little time that I had. I couldn't believe it, but maybe I can be sure of it if I knew more about the place that I currently was.

With that, I stopped in my tracks and hid at the trunk of an enormous tree. My heart couldn't take it in anymore as I started to lose my vision.

But before that, I could hear the sounds of several dogs barking in the distance. And followed closely by, were several voices of people that seemed to be after me.

I tried my best to lift my body and resume my marathon, but to my greatest surprise I went numb all over and I cursed myself for deciding to hide rather than continue running.

And as consciousness drifted by me, I saw the first glimpse of a dog. An enormous dog to be precise.

Puff!

I finally let out a sigh as I knew that the dog will just devour me wholly if it wanted to, and finally, my eyes shut off.

...

I slowly awoke from my slumber and I couldn't help but notice the agony that I was going through. After struggling to sit straight, I started to take in the surrounding area that I was currently in.

Hay was spread over unavoidably. It smelled like shit and also the whole room that I was in smelled like it.

My head was still a little light but that didn't make me not notice the bars that were just a few feet from my position.

I stood up in a jiffy as I noticed where I was. Groaning at the same time as I bit my lower lip just to get my mind off the unbearable pain that every fiber of my body was comprising.

In just three but dragged steps, I reached the bars and started yelling at least for anyone who was near the area to come to my rescue.

Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang!

"Hello, is anyone there?"

"Hello, somebody help me."

I banged on the bars as I kept screaming at the top of my voice, at least at the pitch that I was able to shout at.

"I thought that they did a bit on your body, but seeing you in that situation, I guess they also banged your head pretty bad." A childish voice suddenly spoke from a corner in the same room that I was in.

Hearing that, I abruptly turned to see what was behind me as I knew that I was all alone in that room.

And there he was, a child probably as he looked to be eight years old or so.

I didn't know what to say as I was left dumbfounded. I couldn't believe that he was just there the whole time and I didn't even take notice.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Before our conversation could progress, the sounds of wood coming into contact with the wall were heard as two squires approached with solemn faces.

My heartbeat increased as the squires didn't give out the warm affection that everyone should be having. In any case, I knew that I was doomed.

Clank!

The bars opened as one of them turned the key. At this time, I was back on the wall praying that it could open and just swallow me up wholly.

"You couldn't keep your mouth shut boy, could you?" One of them asked as he kept approaching me.

"Look at how Toothless is, just quiet and minding his own business." The other added as they still kept approaching.

"I guess we'll have to increase his dosage." The first one said as he brought down the bat that he was holding upon my body.

Bam! Crack!

Bam! Crack!

Bam! Crack!

Blow after blow landed on my unprotected and fragile body leaving a cracking sound behind.

'How am I this fragile?' I couldn't help but ask myself as I thought that although the blows weren't brought down with a massive force, they seemed to leave my bones cracking after every hit. Then it hit me that he called me 'boy!'

What did he mean by that? I couldn't concentrate anymore as the screams that I have been holding in, escaped my mouth and they were followed by the sounds of laughter as the two squires stopped to laugh.

I dropped down like a sack of potatoes as unbearable pain took over my whole being and my consciousness faded again for the second time.

"I think we broke him again. Let's go, he isn't worth our lives if we kill him." The two squires left after closing the bars shut.

After some hours, I woke up to find myself in the same small cell. But this time I took notice of 'Toothless' who was watching me closely.

"You weren't always this dumb... Look at what state you are in now?.. I hope it taught you a lesson if you somehow survive her wrath." Toothless said as he scooted closer to me to look at the wounds that I suffered at the hands of the two squires.

"You are lucky as you'll live through this, but I hope you are lucky enough to keep your head intact." He added after checking me over.

"You... you know me?" Of all the questions, that's the one that came out of my mouth.

"We are besties, man. I fear to say that maybe they might have broken your skull in the process." He answered as he kept looking at me in the eyes.

'How can I be friends with such a boy his age? Am I that kind of a loner that I don't have anyone of my age as a friend?' I thought that the heavens have played some tricks on me as I just couldn't believe what I am hearing.

"What did we do for us to end up here, in this situation?" I asked again hoping to get the answers that would at least make sense.

"Even that you don't remember? My goodness, what did they do to you?" Toothless asked again in shock rather than answering my question.

"Okay, I guess I should tell you in case you lose your head tomorrow. But... are you sure that you don't remember anything?" He asked a bit suspicious as if I was playing games with him.

"No, nothing comes to mind. I just remember running for my life in a forest. Just that." I answered sincerely as I wanted to know what brought me to this situation in the first place.

"So... You don't know anything before you were caught?.. Okay, this is how it was. But after I tell you, I'll have to break another bone in your body as you are the reason that we are both here." I cursed myself after Toothless said that.