Blinded by the Dark (Drakon Series, Book 2)

Awake

The man on the ground howled in agony. He was aching all over. He raised his hands towards his face, turned them around, clenched and unclenched them. Long sculpted fingers, broad and strong. Nails clipped but unmanicured. There was dirt underneath them. Why? He didn't have an answer. Had he been attacked? Deserted to die? He touched his fingers one by one. His hands were smooth. The skin stretched around his bones unmarred. There were no scratches, cuts. None of the things you would expect from a fight. He bent them. It hurt. He did it again defying the screaming voice in his head to stop. The voice increased in crescendo so much that now his temples throbbed, too.  He touched his head. It felt heavy. Too heavy. A few threads of long dark hair fell to his fingers. They were soft to the touch. He didn't recognize the color nor the texture. 

Who was he? He didn't remember anything. What had happened to him? He looked around. His eyes narrowed trying to pierce the darkness of the night as it stretched ahead of him. The moonlight helped. He was alone, lying on a cobblestone but he couldn't gauge the dangers of the night beyond the tall oak and pine trees that lined both sides of the street. The street was dirty, looked deserted. The only residents here seemed to be piles of trash, old, new, big, small,  making camp at every corner and crack beneath the stones. His nostrils flared in disgust. 

He was not afraid. But, he had to get out of here. His instincts told him so.  Get up. Leave. Before they come. He lifted himself up pushing back the pain. His large legs protested, he toppled down.

He was his own man. Or he thought so. He would not be defeated by this pain.  He stared at the muscles on his thighs, calves.  They looked large and strong enough. He touched them. They were as hard as boulders. He must be working out. The inside was nothing like the outside. His legs felt stiff, unused. They felt as weak as a newborn baby's. He stretched them harshly, straightening them, bending them. He bit his lips to stifle the scream that rose in his throat. He didn't want to attract predators. Who was he expecting? He didn't know. But, he knew they were out there. 

He kicked the air a few times, punched it ruthlessly and sequentially with his fists.  Damn rusty limbs needed oiling. But, they were not going to get it. He had to conquer them ruthlessly. He was unforgiving in the way he prepared his body as he lay on the ground. He expected nothing than perfection. His body was a machine. It didn't have a voice. Whatever complaints it had, he would crush them. Silence them. He was the sole commander.  He would order. His bones, muscles, limbs would comply. He would accept nothing else.

He spotted something shiny on the ground. It was sticking from the cobblestone. Hands trembling, he reached for it. He grabbed it and tried to pull it but it was stuck. He took a deep breath and tried again. He tugged at it hard. He used all the power he had which was not much. But, it was enough. The force threw him back, he hit his head on the cobblestone. He realized he was now holding the mysterious object in his hand. It was just a dagger. Not worth all this fuss, but still it would come in handy. 

He'd managed to free it. But, his problems were far from over. Now, his head was bleeding. He felt the blood pool around the stones. Head turned sideways, he watched it flow. He cursed. He hoped whoever was haunting him could not scent it. 

He felt dizzy. He had to stop the bleeding. He pressed his hand on the wound. Waited till the bleeding stopped. Precious minutes passed. With the uncertainties of the night looming ahead, it felt like hours to him. Eventually, he managed to get on his knees. Unless he wanted to crawl his way out of here, he needed to get up. Concentrated on it. Sweat piled up on his forehead. He wiped them away with the back of his hand. Commanded his muscles to move. It was hard. His legs were shaking. His arms fared not better. He barely held the knife without letting it fall. The legs felt like they were covered in cement. He didn't let that stop him. He almost made a sound of victory when he felt himself standing. He stood like a stick, afraid to make a move. Taking steps would be hard, but he would do it. He just needed to breathe, if only for a few seconds. He was brittle, he felt even the wind could knock him down. He would allow himself some rest. 

The moon waded through clouds, casting gray shadows across the metal of the dagger. He looked at the dagger in his hand. Something drew him in as if there was a dark pitless universe beneath the shiny surface. It was waiting for him to discover it. It was whispering in his ear. The force dictating him was so strong, so undeniable that he felt like a weakling. 

He refused to be a weakling. He was a leader all the way through. He knew that even if his memories were wiped clean. Everything in him flared into action. His heart beat erratically. His lips opened. His throat convulsed in protest. He took a step without even being aware of it. Yet, he couldn't break the hypnotic stare. He almost fainted. There was a reflection on the metallic surface. Nausea hit his stomach like spoiled food. It was a girl. A beautiful girl. He remembered something. The memory was vague, fleeting. He couldn't hold onto it. He knew her. The hows and whys escaped him. He needed her. Who was she? More importantly, who was she to him? He swore he would find out. 

The pull of the dagger went away. He cut a piece of jeans and wrapped it around the dagger. He put it in his back pocket. He did not want to be tempted by the mysterious force. But, something in him believed it was inevitable.

He took a step forward. And then another. And another. 

He was going to make it out of here.

Hope you enjoyed that. Do you know who he is? I'm sorry it took me so much time to start this book. 

I have not had the chance to look at your entries. So, who is going to be a character in this book?  Well, I decided to make a draw. Otherwise, I will feel guilty of being partial. I will announce the results on my facebook. 

https://www.facebook.com/alenades1

If the winner is no longer interested then I will make another draw and another until I find someone who is. If you are the winner, I will get in touch with you as I will need some details to create your character. Thanks!

Alena