OC Oneshots

10

TT

Her sense of hearing came back to her first, and a voice sounded above her.

"...dehydrated, starving, sleep-deprived...what was she doing in the jungle all by herself?"

Then came her sense of touch. She was laying on a something surreal soft, comfortable...thing that felt oddly familiar, but also strange.

This environment was strange, and unfamiliar.

Her eyes shot open, and she tried to sit up. Once again, she didn't get far before her weak limbs gave out, and she collapsed back in the bed...right, it was called a bed.

"Ah, you're awake," the same voice said. "Quite a state you are in. Just what were you doing out there by yourself?"

She flinched, startled at the voice, and focused on the person standing in the room with her. Odd, brown and green eyes stared right back at her, framed by neat raven-black hair with light green strands. On the top of his head, a large pair of ears—similar to a fox's—stood. He wore colorful clothes, mostly dark blue, green, and white, but with other colors mixed in. In one of his gloved hands, he held something she recognized as a waterskin.

It felt so weird, actually somewhat interacting with a fellow humanoid being. Even weirder to be in an actual house again.

He held out the waterskin, and when she took it, he backed away to give her room. She noticed that he also had a tail. "Drink up—you need to hydrate yourself. Archons know why you were trying to kill yourself in the rainforest."

She sat up stiffly, hesitant, and brought the waterskin to her lip. When she tilted it back, and the water hit her throat, she resisted the temptation to gulp it all down at once. Instead, she took small sips, again and again, until she felt slightly better, and her head wasn't spinning anymore.

She looked at the stranger, surprised by the kindness, and also grateful. She nodded in thanks, her voice still not quite there.

"The name's Tighnari, Forest Watcher. Would you mind answering the question I've asked several times now?"

She hadn't spoken a single human word since that fateful day, when she left society, but she tried anyway—it would simply be wrong for Tighnari to help her so generously and refuse to answer his simple questions. She coughed, and cleared her throat a few times, and managed to say in a hoarse voice:

"I was...traveling..."

She coughed several times, as if trying to get the weirdness of speaking out of her mouth.

And it was the truth, at least. She was traveling, even with no destination. He hadn't asked why or where she came from yet.

Tighnari frowned slightly, as he took in her appearance. Ah, right, her clothing. It was from her home nation—the name of which was on the tip of her tongue, but had forsaken her—and she knew that this was not her homeland. Added in with the fact that it was centuries old, it must've looked odd to him.

"Mind if I ask for your name?"

Right. The question she was dreading.

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She didn't know, of course. No one had used her name, nor had she spoken it herself in such a long time. She was afraid it might be lost to time forever.

Not that it mattered.

She simply shook her head. She didn't want to lie. There was no reason to. "I do not remember."

Tighnari looked at her, his expression displaying his surprise. "You...don't remember your name?"

She nodded, glad that he didn't accuse her of lying or joking around. "I have been traveling for...a very long time. I do not even know where I am."

He looked a little awkward, but she saw him give her a small warm smile. His voice was softer as he spoke. "Hey, that's alright. We can figure it out. You're not in the best shape to be traveling again, especially in the Sumeru rainforest, and you very clearly need some help, so why don't you stay here, in Gandharva Ville for a while? I will gladly help you with your situation."

She was puzzled at this suggestion. Why would he be so willing to help a random stranger? She searched his eyes but saw nothing that suggested he had any hidden agendas.

"...It would be wrong of me to accept help without repaying the favor," she finally said. Her grasp on speaking was slowly coming back, faster than she would've thought. "What can I do in return?"

"Simply helping out with the forest patrols would be enough for now," Tighnari answered. "Don't worry about anything else—you don't seem to be too accustomed to society life. I'll help you in any way that I can. Alright?"

She nodded again, almost unable to believe it. A feeling she hadn't felt in such a long time—the feeling of belonging, of having a purpose, of having someone else with her—settled within her. She felt her tear ducts burn. She wasn't used to this feeling anymore. She felt like crying.

"Th-thank you..."

Tighnari smiled. He reached out, and took the empty waterskin from her, then producing anotherr one, full, and handed it to her. "Since you don't remember your name, how about I call you...Cylene? With a C. An unusual name, perhaps, but I think it suits you."

"I...thank you, Master Tighnari." Cylene. She could work with that.

Tighnari let out a small laugh, then reached out to put a warm hand on her shoulder. "No need to call me that, Cylene. Just Tighnari will do. And you don't have to thank me."

It was that moment she vowed to herself that she would not fail Tighnari like she did her former master. She would never fail him, and leave him to fend for himself.

She promised herself, once again, after all these years, she would repay the kindness and new purpose given to her however she can.