Karasi of Pelnora

Alone (MythandLegend Prompt)

Cold was the first thing I remembered feeling.

Soon, my body would slowly awake and bring with it startling realizations. Realizations that frightened and confused me in every aspect.

First: I was alone in the icy stone destination. Everyone was gone. Including, I would later find out, the boat.

Second: My body had changed. At first, I only noticed the black char coating it. However, I soon came to find a true physical transformation had occurred, too. I gasped and trembled when I found a pair of furry legs replacing my mangled ones. Even a lion-like tail had sprouted from my backside. I would later learn that, though my upper half had seemed normal, my pupils had elongated as well, giving my eyes a feline-like appearance. My mind raced at the possibilities, but I was at a loss for explanation.

It did not seem likely, but I found myself growing accustomed to the quiet and even started talking to myself, a bit. I spent days examining and testing out my new body. It's ranges of motions, instinctually becoming normal the more I toyed with each new aspect. I stretched to help work through the pains of transition. However, the kinks in my shoulder blades refused to settle in, so I was left with an annoying pain.

The third and final realization: I had no idea how to get out of this place. Being in the middle of the ocean, I could not just swim somewhere. I couldn't fly or boat out. I was stuck. And from the looks of things, the crew had either been destroyed or abandoned me.

For the next few days, I would revel in the mysteries, driving myself crazy. Luckily, some of the gear had remained, and I was able to scavenge food from miscellaneous packs. Being surrounded by ice, I was able to create fresh water over my small campfire.

Within the initial few days, I had stumbled upon a box in my belongings. I could not recall packing the item, but I recognized it immediately. The brown wrapping and shape, it was a sphinx special. My fingers had hesitated to open it for a day, worried about what life-changing item would fall from its interior. However, I was stunned to find another box inside. This one covered in a decorative pattern with a note attached. Inside the note, a gold inscription read "The owner of this box, holds luck in their hands. BUT ONLY, if it remains closed."

Knowing the truth behind the sphinx's warnings, I gently returned the box to its bigger box and pushed it aside.

I soon realized that my only option was to swim. So, I spent the next few weeks documenting everything I could remember and training my body to swim longer and longer distances.

However, one stormy day, I sat next to the fire, trying to stay warm. Journaling next to the light of the fire, I was distraught when I ran out of ink. It was the boredom that followed, that brought my curiosity into play.

Fumbling for something to preoccupy me, I came across the box again. Not sure what else I could do, I set aside the note, and taking a breath, opened the lid.

There was a moment where I was watching a swirling, glowing liquid inside the box. As I stared into it, I noticed the liquid began to lap at the edges. It licked the edge of my finger, and I instantly lurched forward. I could feel my body being compressed, twisted, and knotted. Everything disappeared as every part of me screamed in agony.