Hunter, Juggernaut, Assassin, Warrior (DNF)

Invitation

It wasn't that he was hurting or in any amount of pain, he just wasn't feeling... well... anything! He didn't feel dead, but he didn't feel quite alive either. It was like his sense of existing had been stripped away from him, gone like a leaf on the wind.

George's eyes slowly opened, permanently squinting as they adjusted to the light of dawn. He was under a small overhang. His team must've dragged him under when the weather turned sour in the night.

He remembered now. Two of the sisters attacked him. But George could've sworn there were more people there. He thought he remembered seeing Clay. Huh. George slowly sat up, hair all his energy to do so.

"Hey, you, you're finally awake." George turned to see Sapnap sitting by an empty fire pit. He also looked exhausted but far livelier than George. "To be honest, I thought we lost you."

George gave a weak chuckle. "Takes more than that to put me down..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Where's Dog? And the others?"

"Hunting. They thought Dog should go for a walk, get her blood flowing or whatever." Sapnap explained as he picked at his nails our of boredom.

"Ah." He sat straight, leaning his head back and closed his eyes.

"Hey... uhm... George...?" Sapnap asked nervously.

"Yeah?" George looked up at his friend.

"I've been wanting to ask you... but I didn't want to in front of the others in case you were uncomfortable with it..." He sucked in a deep breathe, gathering his courage. "You were a soldier... Right? I-in the war?" Said Sapnap. George looked down at his chest, his medal was still displayed with false pride. George nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I was a Grounded Archer. Why?" George shifted, sitting in crisscross how. He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.

"Who was your commander?"

"Oh uh... What was his name...?" George thought. "I think it was Commander Sky Gold. Could be wrong. We were positioned in the town of Rutabagaville near the end." George explained.

Sapnap nodded, thinking.

"Why...?"

"I was in the Special Elite. We were stationed in the City of Mists at the end. I was just curious. I saw your medal, so I guessed." He had an awkward smile. He was lying.

"Yuh-huh." George narrowed his eyes at Sapnap. "You don't remember anything other than your ranking... Do you...?"

"George-" Sapnap huffed out. "No soldier I've ever spoken too remembers... anything! No civilians either. It's like it never happened. But it did."

George sighed. "I know... But there's nothing we can do. We lost our memories for whatever reason... I doubt we'll ever get them back."

"That's grim..."

"But true..."

Sapnap looked down. "I don't... How can you be okay just losing that part of your life?!"

George froze. Irritation pricked his skin like needles. He scoffed. He wanted to lose that part of his life. Near each night George was haunted by that bloody battle. Rutabagaville costed the life of many. He squeezed his eyes shut.

But before another word could even be spoken, the brush along the forest shuttered and moved. Both boys looked towards the sound, relieved when they saw it was the other members of their party.

Bad was holding a small cloth full of berries and nuts, Dog just beside him. Curiously, Ant was trailing behind Bad, with a large black hawk resting on his shoulder.