Cain's vision of the city blurred, flailing through the air as he fell faster and faster.
Crash
Cain hit the flowing water.
The water was cold and bitter, knocking the air out of Cain's lungs.
He kicked with all his might, fighting the current pulling him downstream, finally surfacing above the water.
Cain frantically searched for something to pull himself out of the current, but the stones were slick, covered in moss and algae.
Then he noticed an outcrop of cobblestones.
He kicked toward it and pulled himself up onto dry land.
Spitting water from his mouth, he gasped for breath.
Taking in his surroundings, Cain found himself in an alleyway alongside the city's waterline.
Benches and torches lined the streets, while multiple housing units twisted and branched off in every direction.
Cain's nose was overwhelmed by a putrid stink, like rotting leaves in spring, making his eyes water.
Cain heard coughing to his left. The scarred man surfaced, taking large breaths in and out.
Finally, he managed to stumble toward Cain, leaning against a short wall.
"Where's the other guy?" Cain asked.
"I… I don't know," he muttered, his eyes darting around.
He staggered forward slightly, rubbing the back of his head as best he could, the cuffs clinking against his skull.
The streets were filled with a hollow silence. Only the rushing river made any sound.
Cain's gaze settled on his companion.
"Name?" Cain asked.
"Huh… what's that?" the man looked up in a daze.
"What's your name?" Cain asked again, his piercing green eyes shifting around them.
"Roland… Roland Odonague. And yours?" Roland replied.
He quickly straightened his back and bowed slightly.
He had clearly rehearsed that, to do so even in these conditions. Probably from some noble family, Cain silently observed.
Cain nodded in response.
"Cain."
Click. Click.
Roland's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets upon hearing that.
"What was that?" Roland stammered.
His posture returned to the panicked one from earlier.
He moved behind Cain, using him as a shield.
Cain's eyes followed the sound ahead of them.
He looked into the white fog but saw nothing.
Click.
Snort.
It sounded almost like an animal. Cain's thoughts were a mess as he tried to make sense of what lay ahead.
His eyes strained to find the source of the sound in the fog.
Click.
Click.
Click.
A form emerged, taking the shape of a pig.
"What the hell…" Cain's eyes widened as his heart began thumping harder. Roland whimpered behind him.
The right side of the animal's head bulged with a mass of hairy flesh. Numerous cuts and injuries covered its body.
Including a large tear in its leg, blood slowly seeping out.
"Cain, what should we…" Roland started.
Cain felt a gust of wind at his back.
Then nothing.
Cain turned around and spotted Roland's legs hanging lifelessly over the top of the wall as crunching sounds came from behind it.
Click.
Click.
The pig broke into a sprint toward Cain.
Cain bolted forward, kicking at the second pig that was on top of Roland, never breaking his stride.
He rushed down one of the many streets, trying to lose the bloodlusted animal chasing him.
Sprinting through the dirty, narrow street, his shoes slapped hard against the stone.
Snorting and clicking followed close behind.
He hooked a left, stumbling over protruding stones at the edge of the street.
His breath quickened as fear crept up like a hand squeezing his heart.
Making a right, he grabbed the side of a building to propel himself forward.
Continuing his mad dash, Cain vaulted over stones and long-destroyed buildings.
His feet and mind began moving as one, his movements becoming easier as he dodged and weaved through the stone streets of Carcosa.
The sounds tailing him began to fade.
He made another left and stopped.
Cain was faced with a giant wall, a dead end.
He continued breathing hard, his heart beating faster than before.
Cain realized what this meant.
"Sh*t," Cain cursed, his breath visible in the cold air.
Click.
Click.
Snort.
Cain turned, his shackled hands coming up in a defensive boxer's stance.
I don't die here. I won't. I've come here for a reason.
I'll pick where I breathe my last.
Cain's eyes narrowed.
The animal sprinted toward him, and Cain met it head-on, their footsteps echoing off the surrounding buildings.
Remember what he taught me. Find the pattern. How, when, and where it attacks.
Remember how it got Roland.
Cain dropped to his knees as the creature leaped, sailing over him.
Its momentum carried it forward, tumbling down the black stone street and slamming into the wall.
Dazed, it found its footing and let out a shriek at a pitch no normal animal could produce.
Cain covered his ears, keeping his eyes on the pig.
It ground its hoof into the stone as it stood back up.
"Found it."
Cain glanced toward the narrow street behind him, the promise of freedom clear.
Every rational thought screamed for him to take the chance and escape.
But Cain turned his back on it.
A low whisper escaped his cracked lips.
"Who's the prey now?"
His attention returned to the creature.
The pig hyperventilated, releasing an ear-piercing shriek of rage.
It charged once more, and Cain met it, sprinting forward.
Both man and monster leaped, but Cain angled toward the wall.
He pivoted off the stone and brought both fists down on the creature's neck.
The pig slammed into the ground with a visceral crack.
Silence filled the streets once again.
The animal did not move.
Neither did Cain.
He collapsed to his knees, catching his breath as he stared at the corpse before him.
Cain chuckled, looking up at the night sky.
He laughed, tossing his hands into the air in celebration.
Bang. Bang.
Two shots rang out in the bitter night, aimed at Cain.
Thunk.
Cain's shackles fell to the ground.
His eyes followed the source of the shots up to the rooftop.
"Nice fight, kid," the stranger above him yelled down.
A slim sword hung at the figure's hip, and he wore a long, sleek brown trench coat.
Gunsmoke and coat tails billowed in the wind, trailing off into the endless night.
The shadow jumped down in front of Cain, extending a hand.
"Do you wish to become a lord?" the man cloaked in shadow asked.