Caves -Young lady.
Besides breath of woman, hiding in the darkness and clicks of bolt on crossbow, you hear nothing. While you think about your answer, some time passes. Finally, you find your answer. It may not be best one, but it always is an answer.
'I'm... Shattered.' you voice is still a bit weak, but she heard it for sure. You hear how she moves a bit closer and you are pretty sure that she still aim at you with crossbow.
'Quit joking, you damn asshole. Answer my question or I will shoo- ' she try to finish, but suddenly you feel how your emotions whirl within you as you cut her sentence with your own. You don't quite control it... or prehaps you do, at least a bit. Yes, those are your emotions. Maybe it is that... you just don't want to admit that you lost your temper.
'Listen to me, you foolish woman. I just woke up on stone altar after thing that I can describe only as surreal dream of madman. I can't move, because my body barely respond to any of my attemps to do it. I don't even know where I'm. And now you aim at me for Gods know why, attempting to intimidate me and force me to say something I don't even remember. So better accept this one or just fucking back off. Because if you would want to kill me, you already would do it!'
As you finish talking, you hear how she gaps and then, you heard click of crossbow. Bolt hit wall next to the altar, flying too high above to even be dangerous for you. She... didn't even aimed? Either that or she have double crossbow. But you don't think so. You hear how she quickly rush to you, breathing faster. Also, silent clack of wood, as it it hits the rock floor.
'Gods! I didn't wanted to! I swear, I didn't wanted to shoot, it is that stupid crossbow!' you look at her, as she try to hold tears. Damn, you feel bad now: she looks bad. Dirt and mud all over her face and hair. Bruises on her hands and legs, at least where you can see those. Her clothes aren't in best shape either - ripped and dirty. Her hands shakes almost like she would be ill. But you saw more then a few shocked and stressed people. This girl is barely holding. You curse yourself - she can snap anytime.
Other then that, she looks even pretty. Young, healthy girl. Around twenty years old or a little bit older. Blue eyes, currently watery as hell. Nice face, even under dirt. Fresh wound on mouth, probably caused by herself - she bites her lips again while you look at her. You take a while to also look at her weapons, but you can't see anything else then crossbow lying somewhere in darkness.
'All right, calm down.' you mutter, trying to move. This time, your muscles listen to you. At least a bit, but you can sit. You grimace as your joints crack as you turn your head, looking around. Girl calms down a bit, but she still sniffle and sob silently.
On wall next to the altar, you see runes, painted with some kind of shining substance. It's light is very weak, not strong enough to even make you blink, despite that your eyes were closed for long time. You can't read those symbols... prehaps it is because your memory problem. Other then that, you see only small "camp" on the other side of room. Few books, two bags and sleeping bag.
You look at the girl again, but she only keep looking at the floor, sobbing. 'Hey.' you say. 'I'm sorry, I didn't wanted to... react like that. All you all right?' As she didn't give you any responce except another sob, you touch her shoulder. Then she looks at you... and almost jumps at your shoulder, crying. "For Hells sake..." you sighs as you pat her head. "Not worst awakening I could imagine, but I didn't expected to meet... well, her."
A while passes, before she finally stop crying and rise from your shoulder. Her watery eyes look into yours, before she speaks, shamed. 'I'm sorry. I didn't wanted to shoot you, I was just scared. You appeared from nowhere. Or I should say, something like shield stopped working and you appeared. I touched this altar before and I'm sure there was no one around.'
You think for a while, before you respond. 'So... you say I just appeared there. Teleportation? Something different?'
She shakes her head. 'First one, prehaps. I don't know too much about teleportation. I'm sure it wasn't illusion. I never heard about illusion that hide something so well that it disappear from material world. At least, I was sure it is impossible.'
'Because it is, unless you use some powerful spells.' you mutter. 'You at least know where we are?'
'Oh, yes.' she smiles and nods. 'Caves under mountain Flor. You know, north of Sarkam.'
As you heard her words, something in your mind crashes again. You grab your head and groans, as your memories strike again. You feel all of those that you gathered, back while you was... well, there. You are sure something happend to you and now you are in place that is important to you, for some reason. You hear silent voice before everything stops. It whispers - "Find the truth hidden in the spear of hero. Seek it in armory of stone soliders.". What is could mean? Who knows. You also feel as your mind pulses inside of you... something good just happend.
(Along with awakening, you came back to real world. Your mind, however, is place where you can always come back, whenever you want. It is important and suggested to do it once in a while, to unlock more memories and find another part of truth about yourself. Be aware, however, that while you are in your mind, your body in real world is in helpless stance of slumber, vulnerable to any direct form of attack. You wake up if anything like that happends to you, but be sure you do that only if you must or in safety)
In meanwhile, the girl touches your shoulder. 'All you all right? You look pale...' she says, looking at you. You nods, looking around again.
'By the way... you are living here?' you says, turning your gaze at her. She giggles.
'No.' she stop laughing and look around. 'I'm hiding here.' she says silently.
Hmm, that would explain why she was so scared. 'Hiding? From who?'
She looks away and sits on the altar. 'Group of thugs from Sarkam... I saw too much and their boss want to dispose off me. Those bastards murdered my mentor!' she suddenly gets angry and his her own legs. 'And now they forced me to run there... they are still searching for me. But those caves are deep, they can look as long as they want.'
You look at the bags and say. 'Or until they will make you go out for a food. I think you can find some water in cave next to us...' you mention, to your own surpise. You remember that? Still, she looks at you, worried.
'I know. But there is a group of them near entrance. As far as I know, there is only one and I don't intend to get lost in those caves. People disappeared here many times.' she mutters. 'By the way, are you hungry?'
You shake your head. To be honest, you feel full and well rested. Also, you don't want to drink. Everything fell... perfect? That is suprising. Only thing that feel different is how your body moves. Almost like you wouldn't move for much time. 'By the way, what is your name?'
'Lilian.' she smiles. 'And your?'
'I already told you.' you smiles. 'Call me Shattered.' as her expression changes, you guickly add. 'I don't remember my name, like I said. I don't remember anything except that I woke up here... so nothing.' you don't like idea of talking about your memories. Better left those to yourself, for now.
'Ah, I see. Amnesia?' Lilian looks at you, suspiciously.
'Something like this.' you nods. 'I can't tell you much more, really. It is mystery for me as it is for you.'
'I see... then, I will call you Shatt. I would feel a bit weird, calling you like this all time.' she smiles and nods again. Shatt... not that bad.
'All right... anyway, you didn't passed by room with statues, by any chance?' you mutter, looking at tunnel infront of the altar.
'Huh? You just said you don't remember anything.' she mutters. 'But, no. There is also other tunnel, but I suggest you to forget about it. It is full of traps. I almost got into one... powerful work. Spikes.' she grimaces and shakes her head. 'Terrible death.'
You stand on your legs and move a bit. Few stretching exercises for your muscles can do a miracles sometimes. Lilian looks at you, while you do that. You wear simple, but comfortable work clothes. Made of some kind of wool. Other then that, simple leather shoes. After a while, you start walking toward entrance.
'Wait! Where are you going? There are those thugs outside, they will sure attack you if you try to walk away. Or force you to tell them about me.' she looks at you, scared. You grin to her.
'I don't intend to get from those caves yet. Let's check this...' you disappear behind the wall and hear how she runs behind you.
'I said, there are traps there.' she points at barely visible holes at ground and walls. 'Spikes come out of here if you try to walk past those.'
You think for a while and suddenly, almost like by some kind of muscle memory, you turn to wall. You start touching it, until you find rock that move under you fingers. You push it into wall and hear silent click. Lilian looks at you, shocked.
'How did you...' she starts, but you speak before she can finish.
'Don't ask me how. I just know that, all right? I don't feel comfortable with it either.' you mutter and start walking down the corridor. She walk next to you, looking at every shadow... damn, how scared is she. How long is she even here?
Finally, you reach the wooden door. You try to remember anything about traps on those, but nothing happends so you just shrughs and push it. Room inside is much bigger then cave with the altar. Inside, you see weak light, but strong enough to make you blink few times before your eyes adjust to it. Ten stone statues stand around the room, in different poses. In their hands, you see weapons. As on the racks. And you are sure there are a few of these in crates. Armors on stands. This is armory, you are sure of it.
At the center of room, you see statue with spear in it's hands... you walk toward it, slowly. As you take spear in your hand, you smile a bit and start touching spear, trying to do something with it. Finally, you found a point where you can pull down part of spear... you do so. This part is empty inside... except few sheets of paper. In meanwhile, Lilian looks around the room, looking at armors and weapons. You walk toward one of light orbs and try to read the letter. You already know that it is letter... for you.
Handwriting is clean and kind of... familiar. Yes, it is very familiar. Nice, but it seems old, as paper. At least... few years? Hard to tell.
"Dear... whoever is reading,
I hope you will forgive me both size and ambiguity of this letter. However, it couldn't be clearer and shorter. I wonder who you may be, if you are reading this. If you are some kind of thief or advenurer - congratulations. You somehow get inside of my small armory. I hope you will like what you find here, but I must ask you to leave both this spear and this letter in this place. It isn't request - it is warning.
If you are one of them and somehow you found this, I must disappoint you. You won't find anything leading you to my secrets there. Only weapons, parts of old plan that probably already failed if you found this place. Feel free to read this letter, but know that you either can't stop me or you already did that, somehow. I wish you luck, whatever happend and I hope you remember me as your friend, not enemy.
And finally, if you are one that I write to, I'm happy to welcome you, my dear... me. Believe me, it feel weird, while I'm writing that letter now, to myself. In future, of course, you are reading it. If everything goes weil, you also happend to be same who wrote that letter... and then you know how we both feel. But there is chance that you aren't. Chance big enough to make me write this message. If it happend, you lost your memories. You are weakened. You are alone.
You wonder what happend, but sadly, I can't give you more details then in this letter. You will soon learn why. Maybe you already know. Anyway, I can say that... if you are here, my plan both failed and succeed. I fell in battle... you may or may not remember it. I don't know how it will look after you wake up from your slumber.
First: I can't give you direct answers. There are several reasons for that, but most important is simple - your mind isn't ready for those. It is weak. It need time to recover. Don't try to discover too much in one time or you may find yourself in big trouble. Or in grave if you pull this too far. Prehaps it isn't so bad as I was thinking it may be, but if it is, you don't remember anything, except few things. Yes, I was important, back in time. Maybe you know. I don't know how it look now, but this isn't thing that you should worry about. Mostly because you look different, it was part of the plan. You don't look like old me, anymore. It is for your own safety - you don't have even small fraction of our real power. Your body was changed in many ways, only to make sure that our both allies and enemies don't find you. (at least don't find you too soon)
Second: You may already know that you... posses certain gift. You are one of Gifted, that is how they call people like us. There are many different types of Gifts, but it isn't my goal to list those there. Our gift allows you to make sure that you don't die from first wound. In other word, we regenerate, much faster then any other human without powerful magic. Still, don't get too cocky. Lost your head, damage your body too much or lost your heart and it is end of us. And we don't want that. Your gift is probably also weakened after you woke up, so try to don't test it too much... I don't want to find ourselves on river Styx.
Last: Seek our Name. This is your goal. If you will find it, you will remember. Mostly everything, I think. It will work on your mind like catalyst, I made sure of that. Now, it is also reason why I spare you so many informations here - you must find out who we are yourself. I know, you think this is retarded and risky as hell, but it is only way we can recover our knowledge and power: learn it again. I learned about it hard way, but I think your will be much, much harder...
For love of Gods, don't try to tell anyone about this letter and about who you are or may be. My old allies, I'm sure you must remember at least one of those, may not be those anymore. I'm not sure how much time passed, but process shouldn't take more then a few months... maybe few years if we aren't lucky. I don't know if the war still is a thing, but get ready for that. I leave you those weapons and armors. Don't worry (or don't be happy), those aren't magical or anything like this. Just really good things. Why? Because magical items are rare and precious. At least magical weapons and armors. You don't want unnecessary attention.
And at least, I give you my final gift. A tip: Find the City. Find about our old allies and what we did in this place. What I did there. Read about War and everything else. If Sarkam is still standing, you should head there first. Under statue legs, you will find bag with money, around thousand coins. Should be enough to buy everything you need. (Buy books and read. Learn)
Good luck, you poor bastard. You will need it.
Me or rather, old you."