Jade's Backstory

Ch 1 - A Farthest Memory

Jade's earliest memory consisted of fire, smoke, and violence. He had only just learned how to walk, but was forced to learn how to run. He was covered in ragged clothes and exhausted from running. Jade remembers looking back at a village. The night was illuminated by the light of burning buildings, the smell of smoke filling the air, and the sounds of screams as people were slaughtered. He was frightened. His world turned upside down, leaving him confused and scared. The small child only knew one thing, and that was to run away from the danger. Deeper, and deeper into the forest he went, tripping on the logs, twigs, and rocks in the brush. Jade's foot got caught and twisted on a branch, causing him to fall face-first into some mud. He didn't get up and instead started quietly crying in the puddle.

The boy opened his eyes. There were beams of sunlight raining down through the trees, along with the strong scent of mushrooms and vegetation filling the air. The air was humid. The sound of birds singing and going along their business was peaceful. It was as if last night was just a dream-- no, a nightmare. As Jade got up, the dried mud stuck to his clothes, making his rags just a little filthier than they already were. He took a look around the forest. There were trees, rocks, mushrooms, bugs, and cobwebs, but there were no people or buildings. The small boy has never strayed so far from his village before. 

Wait, where's his mother? In a panic, he started running off through the trees. The sound of leaves rustling, the restless breathing of a child. All of this noise must've caught the attention of something. The boy stopped as his little legs could only take him so far before exhaustion took over. Even though he had stopped to catch his breath, the rustling of leaves continued. As soon as the boy quieted down, he noticed the noise of leaves that weren't coming from him. Jade quickly turned around. There was something tall, skinny, and pale-ish white walking towards him. That's all he knew before sprinting off yet again, faster than before. 

He could tell that the white object kept up right behind him. Jade was terrified, unable to get away; he would surely be eaten. That's when he realized he was no longer running on the ground. He was going up...? The boy shut his eyes, ready for the worst. "Well now, you're an energetic one." Jade opened his eyes again. He was spun around, and a few moments passed before he realized he was looking at an old man. "What are you doing in this part of the forest?" The man asked. " It's far too dangerous for you to wander here!" The man sighs. "You must be lost. Let's go find your family."