A Million Steps To Freedom

Chapter 1: Goliath

"I said... everything..."

I let my 2 fingers glide through his skull and out the other end, cutting upwards he was dead on the spot. The others backed off as I slowly ascended upward, they scattered. With a simple hand motion they sunk into the sand below. Silence. Perfect. The only sound now was the wind blowing up sand. I couldn't bother picking up my mess, leaving the body and weapons for others. 

"Where should I go."

Am I... talking to myself? There's something wrong with me, what is happening? Is this... humanity?! No.. shut up. I need to get going. I walked again, now having a destination in mind. A city with almost no laws known as "Detroit". I've heard others laugh at the name, but I don't understand it. I began my journey, well more of a side quest. Hope I made some.. friends? That's the word right?

It was far away, it would take a long time to even get close. But even in the distance, the night made it easy to see the lights from the tall buildings. The land it resided it was called "No Man's Land." That part of the desert has no leader or government, nobody uses magic... everyone has gone back to machines. Upgrading themselves with metal and steel enhancements, what they need to mimic a fraction of my power. Ha! 

Though it keeps crossing my mind. Am I human? After all these years on the hunt, I've never stopped to think on who I am now. I looked at my hands. Soft, scarred, dried blood covering them... Hmpf. I snapped my fingers and summoned some fingerless gloves i pocketed a while back, black leather fitted my hands now.  Comfortable to some extent, though I'll have a throne one day. It started to get cold, the moon highlighted my figure and the sand gleamed with blue specks. This place is eerily beautiful at night, would've been better a while back. Though I guess it doesn't matter anymore. I kept walking, I don't seem to get tired after all the stuff I've seen. 

Sometimes I wonder if I'll meet someone else. Maybe one day I won't be alone on these walks, though maybe the reason I'm alone is the exact reason I'm writing in this journal. Perhaps when all said is done, this can be some historical document. Would be cool... just like me. Ha ha. Is this what comedy feels like? 

It's been hours... I feel so bored. The sun will come up soon, and I'm feeling murderous, it happens sometimes. Is that a town?! Let's go. Took long enough.... Let's see how they act

I walked to the gate. Guards stood at the entrance, spears in their hands. I emerged from the darkness into the lanterns light, my eye being the only colorful thing sticking out in the night. My breath being visible from my mask in the cold, the men shook at my very presence. 

"You! Halt! What do you want?"

This one wasn't scared, looked stronger than the rest. A strange metal contraption on his right arm going down to his fingers. Like a second skeleton it shifted gears time to time, I could hear its whirrs and sounds. He asked again, I lifted my head a bit to look at him from afar.

"Let me in. Or let me through. I don't want to walk around this place."

"The gates close at night, we can't let anyone in."

"Did I stutter? Obey me."

He scoffed at me, ignoring me.

"Last chance..."

"Boss. Just let her.. or him.. just let them in, better not to mess with this one."

"Fine. I better not get fired for this."

The gate opened, the metal clanged and shot sparks into the sand as I walked inside. The door slammed back down scattering sand and dust, the town was empty at night. I could ask for information... Tch. Better not to talk with lowly creatures.

The town was silent, the wind blowing the sand and gravel beneath my feet around. It wasn't laid out well, and I eventually got lost in the maze of housing and markets. Starting to piss me off...  flight is something not all can achieve, I saw it as unfair to use against any foe that stands against me. So I did was any sensible and reasonable person would, I lifted my hand and destroyed half the town in front of me. The path forward now clear as day, as I began to walk. But I was stopped by the guards from before.

"I knew we shouldn't have let you in! Devil!"

I turned, the wind blowing harshly now against them. I sought fairness in battle, sometimes. They raised their spears, and I raised a single sword. One strike. Dodged. One down. In a flash I already cut one down, the others too scared to even move. I liked the way I did that to people. 

"Back! Stay back!"

He slashed at me, his axe being deflected and my sword cutting though his armored body. The captain remained, the strange apparatus on his arm glowed a green color as he ditched his weapon for his fist. He ran up... and read me. He knew that I would try to dodge him to the right, but he struck to the right. His fist hit my chest. The strange device on his arm shot something into me, I felt my mind nearly reset itself my heart skip a beat. The lights turned back red and I was stunned back. I breathed heavy, my eyes flooded with water.. was I crying? I fell to my knees gasping for air, my vision blurry and disoriented. He walked up to me.

"I made this for you. Devil."

I summoned ice from the ground to pierce his chin shooting blood through the top of his head, I stumbled up and ran. I ran away falling over, I fell into the sand looking at my shaking hands. What did he do? My body was falling apart, images flashed in my head from a life I don't remember. I passed out... 

Hours passed, when I woke up I was buried in sand. I seemed to be fine now, but I felt different. I looked behind me... the town I was at wasn't there. I must've ran far. No matter... I have a destination anyway. I looked to the horizon, the tall buildings of "Detroit" beckoned me. Either I destroy that city. Or I rule it.