The Forsaken - Stories From Gaia - R.P. Lauer
The Forsaken - Stories From Gaia
(The following is a story set in the world of Gaia, from my upcoming novel, The Scars Of Gaia. The main character is unique to this story, but some background characters are either in or mentioned in that novel. This story is just a small slice of what will be found within that world upon its release in 2021.
Content Warnings: Mild Language. Please correct me if I missed any.
Dan couldn't believe he landed himself in this situation, but there was no doubt that he was in it. And worst of all, if he wasn't careful, this would lead to his execution. This man - this wealthy man from one of the better sectors, of all things - was talking about him.
If he stays, he'll only draw more attention to himself. If he tries to walk away, however, there's a high probability that this entitled prick will say something stupid like, 'don't leave when I'm talking about you!' or 'why are you walking away?' As if there is any answer to that sort of question, especially when asked of a Forsaken; those who have been abandoned by the spirit of God, and are not allowed to speak to anyone.
At the very least, Dan knew that one option is only taken by those who truly wish to die; look this man straight in the eye.
Fear and panic seemed to decide for him, as he couldn't seem to move at the moment.
"How can you stand this?" the man asked the blacksmith, pointing to Dan. "How do you not go crazy with all of this-," he started waving his index finger in an erratic pattern at the whole of Dan. Then he looked around at the scene, dirty, shabby buildings, peasants dressed in rags. "Hmph, never mind. I guess I already know the answer to that."
The man turned to now face the blacksmith directly. "I swear I would never have thought that the best blacksmith in the Imperium could possibly live in Blue Sector; pathetic. But, your merchandise does speak for itself, doesn't it?" He patted a sword sheathed by his side.
With the man's attention now seemingly on the blacksmith, Dan figured it was as good of a time as any to make his exit. But as he turned and began moving away, what he dreaded came to be.
"Where do you think you're going?" the man said. "Got your fill of dirtying up the place?"
Dan froze. He was now torn between standing still, like a scared animal, and running for the Field of the Forsaken. But he knew that if he ran, guards may chase him if spotted, assuming he had stolen something.
"Turn around and look at me," the man said. "I want to know why you were hanging around here, after First Light."
This was it; this was the no-win scenario that he had always been warned about since he was cast out. When someone is looking to kill, this is how they do it. They put a Forsaken into this exact situation, where no matter what they do, they can be killed with no questions asked. Disobeying a direct order is grounds for death, as is speaking to someone when you're Forsaken, even when specifically addressed.
If only he hadn't been so hungry, he wouldn't have been out in the first place. But it had been days since he had last eaten, and sometimes food gets dropped around town. He hadn't realized just how late it had gotten while he was still trying to find even the smallest scrap. The only choice now would be to try and run, as that at least provided some chance of escape - even if it did open the prospect of being seen and chased by a guard.
He was just about to make a risky, and potentially fatal break, when someone else spoke.
"Why don't you leave him alone?" A young man stepped forward; he had been standing around somewhere in the background, perfectly still and quiet. "He wasn't bothering anyone!"
Even though it was a dumb thing to do, Dan glanced in the direction of this new voice to get a better look; his reflexes often went against his best interests. Fortunately, no one was looking at him anymore, so his movements and actions went unnoticed. And as he got a better look, he recognized this young man; he was a merchant who often drops food and clothing as he pushes his cart through the Field of the Forsaken.
"He's bothering me by being visible," the man responded. "We in Green Sector know how to keep our Forsaken hidden."
Yeah, Dan thought, by dumping us all here. I was from Green Sector, you bastard!
"And you'd do well to mind your own business!" The man was becoming angrier and angrier with every word. "I don't know who you think you are, but you're about to get yourself into serious trouble."
The blacksmith put his hand out and pushed it against the merchant, but the merchant didn't seem deterred. He simply moved to the side and said, "If you are so easily bothered by our pathetic little hole, maybe you should simply do your shopping elsewhere?"
The man pulled out his sword, and the merchant followed suit. He felt bad for causing all of this trouble just because he was hungry, but this was the perfect distraction. With the man's attention focused on the merchant, Dan headed as quickly as he could - without running - towards the closest hiding spot he could find. In fact, not too far from him stood an old, abandoned shed that he's used in the past.
Throughout his journey, he could hear yelling and the sounds of metal clanging; he wanted desperately to look back, but he was too afraid. The only thing he could do, if he wanted to survive, was keep moving and not get distracted.
Finally, he arrived at the shed. With as much care as he could provide, he pushed the door open, stepped in, and closed it behind him. Then he pressed his eye to a crack in the wall and looked out. His immediate concern was whether or not he had been seen or followed. Once he was confident he was safe, he then looked as best he could towards the blacksmith's shop. It was hard to see from this distance, but he was pretty sure he could see the merchant being dragged away by some guards, and the man yelling in their direction.
The way that the guards were dragging the merchant suggested that he wasn't dead, but probably knocked out and on his way to jail; unfortunately, Dan couldn't be certain from this distance. He hoped upon hope that this young man - who put himself in danger over a lousy Forsaken Gaian - would be ok. He also wished that there was some way he could express his gratitude for this sacrifice, though the only way that would happen is if this stunt got the merchant cast out as well; so maybe that wasn't a good wish after all, for this young man's sake.
For now, he just took one final look around until he was satisfied that no one was paying any attention to this abandoned shed. Once he was finished checking the surroundings, he found a spot in the furthest corner and curled up on the ground. All that was left now was to wait until Last Light, then move in the shadows to the field where he belonged.
Two and a half days had passed since the incident; Dan had spent the entire time hiding in a makeshift cave, which had been built by the Forsaken in their field throughout the decades. It wasn't very big, and could only hold a few people at a time, but it was better than nothing.
He was too afraid to be seen, even at night, just in case there was anyone still looking for him. His friend Agota, a Forsaken Mediator who had befriended him shortly after he was cast out, helped him during his time in hiding. While he remained in the cave, she supplied him with enough food and water to survive; survival being the bare minimum and absolute maximum that any Forsaken could hope to obtain. Words could not express his gratitude, even though conversation was allowed between the Forsaken while no others could hear.
He spent most of his time contemplating how he was cast out in the first place. It was stupid; he had been really stupid. He had been sitting through services one day, and the Sire was talking about the Deice Imperium's superiority. To this day he has no idea what made him do it, but he just blurted out for all to hear, "If the Imperium is so superior, if we really were 'mighty' enough to kill God, how is it that we still can't touch the Acumen Empire?"
He also dwelled on his future, which was to say that he didn't have one. Over and over again he replayed the confrontation in his head, and as he did, he wished he had just done it. He should have just spoken, looked that asshole in the eyes, and told him what he thought of him. That would have given the man what they both wanted; the man - who was clearly looking to kill - could have done so, and Dan would have finally found the sweet relief of death.
More and more he began to think that this was his only way out. And he knew exactly how to do it; find a guard, look them right in the eye, and simply say 'hi'. That was all it would take, as long as you picked the right guard.
You cannot go for the tougher, angrier looking ones. No, they like to play with their food; make them suffer as much as possible. Don't go for the weaker, or friendly-looking ones either - as rare as they are. If they do more than scold you, it may simply mean your exile, which is an equally slow death. What you need is someone who is dutiful enough to carry out their orders to the letter, but decent enough to not enjoy murder.
Unfortunately, it's often hard to find such a person in this place.
Now more than ever, Dan needed some fresh air. He was driving himself mad thinking about these things. And at this point, there should be no one looking for him; hopefully. So gradually he got to his feet and moved from his sanctuary. And as soon as he was outside, he took a deep, fulfilling breath; he couldn't remember the last time he was truly happy to be out in the open.
The night air was cool, but not too cold. And after two and a half days of the stale cave, this was quite refreshing.
He found a nice looking spot, laid down on the ground, and looked up to the pitch-black sky. His mind was just starting to relax when he heard a rustling sound, somewhere in the distance.
Quickly he bolted upright and began scanning the scene, looking for the source of the sound. Somewhere towards the southwest side of the field, a figure was moving around in the shadows. Dan began to slowly creep along a path that led to the cave when he found a broken wall, then hid behind it. Then he positioned himself as best as he could to watch, but hopefully not stick out. As the figure moved around, going from shadow to shadow, Dan squinted as best as he could to get a better look.
Once the figure had gotten close enough, he recognized the person; it was the merchant who intervened the other day. He was about to sink further down behind the wall when the merchant spotted him and moved to intercept.
Dan quickly averted his eyes and started to head for the cave when the merchant whispered: "No, please don't go. I'm not going to hurt you, I just wanted to find you, and see if you were alright."
Dan didn't move, but he also didn't look at the merchant; this had to be a trick, after all. No one with good intentions ever addresses a Forsaken; the most decent of people in the Imperium know better than that. He didn't know whether to run, stay still, or give in and look this stranger in the eye; so for now, he decided to simply wait.
"Look, I'm sorry for how you were treated the other day. And I'm sorry I didn't step in sooner, I was hoping the guy would lose interest or something."
Even though he wasn't looking at him, he could feel the merchant's eyes piercing him.
"I tried finding you as soon as I got out of jail," he paused as Dan reacted; without thinking about it, he had committed the most egregious sin in the Imperium and looked the merchant directly in the eye. His concern must have shown in his face because the merchant continued with, "don't worry about me, I have a connection in the military. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that you were ok, and to tell you that you have to be more careful.
"I don't know why you were out past First Light, but you need to be mindful that you don't do it again. That man put you in a situation that very well could have ended your life. I know that this isn't much of a life, but who knows what the future might hold?"
Dan's eyes became glued to his, which is normally a terrible idea; but something about this strange young man reassured him. Though seven years of this life made it impossible not to still feel a small amount of fear.
"Can you tell me your name?"
No, he thought. As nice as this merchant seems, as friendly and calming as his voice sounds, the power of speech was not possible. Instead, he simply continued to stare.
Several moments passed, and the merchant finally realized that he had gotten his answer. "Well, ok. You don't have to say anything. But please do try and be more cautious from now on. Here's some food, take it." He reached into a satchel that was around his shoulder and pulled out a bundle, then handed it to Dan. At first, Dan just stayed still, but eventually, he reached out and grabbed it.
"One last thing before I go. If you ever find yourself in exile - because you do seem to be heading in that direction - don't panic. Take the north road and head west towards Acumen. Somewhere near the middle between us and them, there's an overgrown path that leads south. Search the area well and you'll find some supplies that I've hidden for emergencies. There's some food, a sword, and some clothing. Keep going south for a short while and you should find a safe place.
"They call that area the Hazard Zone, but in reality, it's not that bad. Keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. And if I ever find you out there, I'll do what I can to teach you enough to survive."
The merchant smiled and then headed back in the direction he came. As Dan watched him leave, getting further and further away, he thought, Maybe exile isn't such a bad idea after all.
Content Warnings: Mild Language. Please correct me if I missed any.
Dan couldn't believe he landed himself in this situation, but there was no doubt that he was in it. And worst of all, if he wasn't careful, this would lead to his execution. This man - this wealthy man from one of the better sectors, of all things - was talking about him.
If he stays, he'll only draw more attention to himself. If he tries to walk away, however, there's a high probability that this entitled prick will say something stupid like, 'don't leave when I'm talking about you!' or 'why are you walking away?' As if there is any answer to that sort of question, especially when asked of a Forsaken; those who have been abandoned by the spirit of God, and are not allowed to speak to anyone.
At the very least, Dan knew that one option is only taken by those who truly wish to die; look this man straight in the eye.
Fear and panic seemed to decide for him, as he couldn't seem to move at the moment.
"How can you stand this?" the man asked the blacksmith, pointing to Dan. "How do you not go crazy with all of this-," he started waving his index finger in an erratic pattern at the whole of Dan. Then he looked around at the scene, dirty, shabby buildings, peasants dressed in rags. "Hmph, never mind. I guess I already know the answer to that."
The man turned to now face the blacksmith directly. "I swear I would never have thought that the best blacksmith in the Imperium could possibly live in Blue Sector; pathetic. But, your merchandise does speak for itself, doesn't it?" He patted a sword sheathed by his side.
With the man's attention now seemingly on the blacksmith, Dan figured it was as good of a time as any to make his exit. But as he turned and began moving away, what he dreaded came to be.
"Where do you think you're going?" the man said. "Got your fill of dirtying up the place?"
Dan froze. He was now torn between standing still, like a scared animal, and running for the Field of the Forsaken. But he knew that if he ran, guards may chase him if spotted, assuming he had stolen something.
"Turn around and look at me," the man said. "I want to know why you were hanging around here, after First Light."
This was it; this was the no-win scenario that he had always been warned about since he was cast out. When someone is looking to kill, this is how they do it. They put a Forsaken into this exact situation, where no matter what they do, they can be killed with no questions asked. Disobeying a direct order is grounds for death, as is speaking to someone when you're Forsaken, even when specifically addressed.
If only he hadn't been so hungry, he wouldn't have been out in the first place. But it had been days since he had last eaten, and sometimes food gets dropped around town. He hadn't realized just how late it had gotten while he was still trying to find even the smallest scrap. The only choice now would be to try and run, as that at least provided some chance of escape - even if it did open the prospect of being seen and chased by a guard.
He was just about to make a risky, and potentially fatal break, when someone else spoke.
"Why don't you leave him alone?" A young man stepped forward; he had been standing around somewhere in the background, perfectly still and quiet. "He wasn't bothering anyone!"
Even though it was a dumb thing to do, Dan glanced in the direction of this new voice to get a better look; his reflexes often went against his best interests. Fortunately, no one was looking at him anymore, so his movements and actions went unnoticed. And as he got a better look, he recognized this young man; he was a merchant who often drops food and clothing as he pushes his cart through the Field of the Forsaken.
"He's bothering me by being visible," the man responded. "We in Green Sector know how to keep our Forsaken hidden."
Yeah, Dan thought, by dumping us all here. I was from Green Sector, you bastard!
"And you'd do well to mind your own business!" The man was becoming angrier and angrier with every word. "I don't know who you think you are, but you're about to get yourself into serious trouble."
The blacksmith put his hand out and pushed it against the merchant, but the merchant didn't seem deterred. He simply moved to the side and said, "If you are so easily bothered by our pathetic little hole, maybe you should simply do your shopping elsewhere?"
The man pulled out his sword, and the merchant followed suit. He felt bad for causing all of this trouble just because he was hungry, but this was the perfect distraction. With the man's attention focused on the merchant, Dan headed as quickly as he could - without running - towards the closest hiding spot he could find. In fact, not too far from him stood an old, abandoned shed that he's used in the past.
Throughout his journey, he could hear yelling and the sounds of metal clanging; he wanted desperately to look back, but he was too afraid. The only thing he could do, if he wanted to survive, was keep moving and not get distracted.
Finally, he arrived at the shed. With as much care as he could provide, he pushed the door open, stepped in, and closed it behind him. Then he pressed his eye to a crack in the wall and looked out. His immediate concern was whether or not he had been seen or followed. Once he was confident he was safe, he then looked as best he could towards the blacksmith's shop. It was hard to see from this distance, but he was pretty sure he could see the merchant being dragged away by some guards, and the man yelling in their direction.
The way that the guards were dragging the merchant suggested that he wasn't dead, but probably knocked out and on his way to jail; unfortunately, Dan couldn't be certain from this distance. He hoped upon hope that this young man - who put himself in danger over a lousy Forsaken Gaian - would be ok. He also wished that there was some way he could express his gratitude for this sacrifice, though the only way that would happen is if this stunt got the merchant cast out as well; so maybe that wasn't a good wish after all, for this young man's sake.
For now, he just took one final look around until he was satisfied that no one was paying any attention to this abandoned shed. Once he was finished checking the surroundings, he found a spot in the furthest corner and curled up on the ground. All that was left now was to wait until Last Light, then move in the shadows to the field where he belonged.
***
Two and a half days had passed since the incident; Dan had spent the entire time hiding in a makeshift cave, which had been built by the Forsaken in their field throughout the decades. It wasn't very big, and could only hold a few people at a time, but it was better than nothing.
He was too afraid to be seen, even at night, just in case there was anyone still looking for him. His friend Agota, a Forsaken Mediator who had befriended him shortly after he was cast out, helped him during his time in hiding. While he remained in the cave, she supplied him with enough food and water to survive; survival being the bare minimum and absolute maximum that any Forsaken could hope to obtain. Words could not express his gratitude, even though conversation was allowed between the Forsaken while no others could hear.
He spent most of his time contemplating how he was cast out in the first place. It was stupid; he had been really stupid. He had been sitting through services one day, and the Sire was talking about the Deice Imperium's superiority. To this day he has no idea what made him do it, but he just blurted out for all to hear, "If the Imperium is so superior, if we really were 'mighty' enough to kill God, how is it that we still can't touch the Acumen Empire?"
He also dwelled on his future, which was to say that he didn't have one. Over and over again he replayed the confrontation in his head, and as he did, he wished he had just done it. He should have just spoken, looked that asshole in the eyes, and told him what he thought of him. That would have given the man what they both wanted; the man - who was clearly looking to kill - could have done so, and Dan would have finally found the sweet relief of death.
More and more he began to think that this was his only way out. And he knew exactly how to do it; find a guard, look them right in the eye, and simply say 'hi'. That was all it would take, as long as you picked the right guard.
You cannot go for the tougher, angrier looking ones. No, they like to play with their food; make them suffer as much as possible. Don't go for the weaker, or friendly-looking ones either - as rare as they are. If they do more than scold you, it may simply mean your exile, which is an equally slow death. What you need is someone who is dutiful enough to carry out their orders to the letter, but decent enough to not enjoy murder.
Unfortunately, it's often hard to find such a person in this place.
Now more than ever, Dan needed some fresh air. He was driving himself mad thinking about these things. And at this point, there should be no one looking for him; hopefully. So gradually he got to his feet and moved from his sanctuary. And as soon as he was outside, he took a deep, fulfilling breath; he couldn't remember the last time he was truly happy to be out in the open.
The night air was cool, but not too cold. And after two and a half days of the stale cave, this was quite refreshing.
He found a nice looking spot, laid down on the ground, and looked up to the pitch-black sky. His mind was just starting to relax when he heard a rustling sound, somewhere in the distance.
Quickly he bolted upright and began scanning the scene, looking for the source of the sound. Somewhere towards the southwest side of the field, a figure was moving around in the shadows. Dan began to slowly creep along a path that led to the cave when he found a broken wall, then hid behind it. Then he positioned himself as best as he could to watch, but hopefully not stick out. As the figure moved around, going from shadow to shadow, Dan squinted as best as he could to get a better look.
Once the figure had gotten close enough, he recognized the person; it was the merchant who intervened the other day. He was about to sink further down behind the wall when the merchant spotted him and moved to intercept.
Dan quickly averted his eyes and started to head for the cave when the merchant whispered: "No, please don't go. I'm not going to hurt you, I just wanted to find you, and see if you were alright."
Dan didn't move, but he also didn't look at the merchant; this had to be a trick, after all. No one with good intentions ever addresses a Forsaken; the most decent of people in the Imperium know better than that. He didn't know whether to run, stay still, or give in and look this stranger in the eye; so for now, he decided to simply wait.
"Look, I'm sorry for how you were treated the other day. And I'm sorry I didn't step in sooner, I was hoping the guy would lose interest or something."
Even though he wasn't looking at him, he could feel the merchant's eyes piercing him.
"I tried finding you as soon as I got out of jail," he paused as Dan reacted; without thinking about it, he had committed the most egregious sin in the Imperium and looked the merchant directly in the eye. His concern must have shown in his face because the merchant continued with, "don't worry about me, I have a connection in the military. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that you were ok, and to tell you that you have to be more careful.
"I don't know why you were out past First Light, but you need to be mindful that you don't do it again. That man put you in a situation that very well could have ended your life. I know that this isn't much of a life, but who knows what the future might hold?"
Dan's eyes became glued to his, which is normally a terrible idea; but something about this strange young man reassured him. Though seven years of this life made it impossible not to still feel a small amount of fear.
"Can you tell me your name?"
No, he thought. As nice as this merchant seems, as friendly and calming as his voice sounds, the power of speech was not possible. Instead, he simply continued to stare.
Several moments passed, and the merchant finally realized that he had gotten his answer. "Well, ok. You don't have to say anything. But please do try and be more cautious from now on. Here's some food, take it." He reached into a satchel that was around his shoulder and pulled out a bundle, then handed it to Dan. At first, Dan just stayed still, but eventually, he reached out and grabbed it.
"One last thing before I go. If you ever find yourself in exile - because you do seem to be heading in that direction - don't panic. Take the north road and head west towards Acumen. Somewhere near the middle between us and them, there's an overgrown path that leads south. Search the area well and you'll find some supplies that I've hidden for emergencies. There's some food, a sword, and some clothing. Keep going south for a short while and you should find a safe place.
"They call that area the Hazard Zone, but in reality, it's not that bad. Keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. And if I ever find you out there, I'll do what I can to teach you enough to survive."
The merchant smiled and then headed back in the direction he came. As Dan watched him leave, getting further and further away, he thought, Maybe exile isn't such a bad idea after all.
Thank you for reading my post! Please consider checking out my debut novel, The Scars of Gaia, here on my website! The entire novel can be downloaded for free in multiple digital formats.
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Some icons/graphics used were created by Yusuke Kamiyamane or Smashicons, DinosoftLabs, FreePik from Flaticon
Some icons/graphics used were created by Yusuke Kamiyamane or Smashicons, DinosoftLabs, FreePik from Flaticon
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