I wrote a little somethin
The blazing sun wasn't Jedediah’s favorite thing, far from it, but he supposed that it's better than the freezing cold, both you can die in, but one is more death defying than the other, the endless desert seemed to stretched on, not a good thing, even in the near-setting sun he could die quickly if he didn't find shelter or water soon. Thankfully, there seemed to be just that a while away “alright boy” Jedediah muttered to his horse, Jericho, “we'll be alright, just a little longer” the stallion huffed, trotting faster, getting there before the sun dipped below the tree lines. Jedediah led him to the water, sighing.
He untied his pack as Jericho drank, moving quickly to set up a tent and fire. He secured Jericho and laid on the ground, it wasnt comfortable, at all, but it was better than sand. Getting up once more he moved to boil some water, the sun and fire light casting a soft glow. What caught his eye, was a glint in the water, he wasn't quite the curious type, better to be content with reality than die over what could have been, but for some odd reason, he felt compelled to reach out, and reach out he did. Prying it out of the mud and shaking it to wash it off, fogging the water with the action, he pulled up.
It was….not what he expected, a double edged blade, like something you would find in one of his little siblings fairy tale stories about knights or whatnot, the engravings on the blade were in a language he couldn't understand, the pattern on the handle worn and faded with weathering. Jedediah felt an odd surge of paranoia, panic, something he could name all at once, he looked around, yet nothing was there, he chalked it up to the handle breaking off the blade, shattering the worn, aged thing into several pieces as it hit the ground “well that was stupid” he muttered, throwing the handle back into the pond with a huff, sitting back over to his boiling water. He heard a noise, figuring it was some type of animal “barbarians! I swear, never treating anything with the respect it deserves”
He snapped his head up, seeing a figure, he was sat cross-legged, back straight with his arms crossed, he was dressed extremely oddly, a chest plate and armor coverings but wearing a skirt as well, an odd helmet with eccentric feathers on the top, he had brown eyes and tanned skin, marked with scars not unlike his own.
“Wh- who the hell are ya?! How'd you get here?!” The figure jumped in surprise, looking around as if he wasn't the one that the traveler was talking to, he then pointed to himself, Jedediah rolled his eyes “yes, you! Who else would I be talkin' to?!” The figure stood up, walking over to him, almost scrutinizing “you…can see me?” Jedediah scoffed “of course I can see ya’, ya' overgrown rooster!” the figure looked slightly offended but more awestruck than anything else “you can see me….” He whispered, holding his hand out carefully, almost touching the other only for Jedediah to scramble away “hey, personal space, guy!” the figure pulled his hand to himself “my apologies” he said
The figure looked at him more curiously, walking and sitting next to the broken shards of the sword “is this better?” He asked, Jedediah rolled his eyes, moving to stir the water, pouring it into his canteen “yeah, that's fine” he hummed, watching his movements. Jedediah pulled out some food, dried meat, it lasts longer, he held out a piece to the other “oh, no, I don't need it” Jedediah raised an eyebrow but shrugged “what kind is it?” he asked “venison” Jedediah asked, the other looked confused “deer, elk, things like that” the other hummed
“I've never had it, fish was much easier to find where I'm from” Jedediah nodded “where ya from?” The figure fidgeted with his skirt “Rome, but I haven't returned in a long, long time” that surprised Jedediah, Rome? That's that big place over in Europe, isn't it? Italy he thinks. “When was the last time you went back?” The other hummed “what year is it?” Jedediah scoffed, but he seemed serious “1827” he answered
“2,000 years, give or take” the traveler choked, coughing up what he tried to swallow, drinking down some of the water that had cooled down a bit by now, he looked wide-eyed at the other “what- how?!” the figure looked at him, shrugged “I died, pretty simple”
A shiver went down his spine, died, dead, he was talking with a dead man, he didn't know why or how but he was talking with a dead man. “You- no- nonono, that can't be true! How am I talkin' to you then?!” The figure glared “why did you think I was so surprised that you could see me?” He didn't know, he didn't have an answer “y-your name, what's your name?” The other sighed heavily “Gaius Augustus Julius Caesar Octavian, Legion of the Roman army”
“What is yours?” The traveler swallowed his nerves, and the urge to throw up. “Uh- J-jedediah, Jedediah Strong Smith…..Jr…” he hummed “Jedediah, that's an….odd name” the traveler gasped, offended “better than you! Octogon or whatever”
“It's Octavian, you can call me Octavius if you need”
Jedediah laughed, a tinge of malice in his tone. When the night fell, he went to bed and got up, packing his things, attempting to ignore the ghost at all chances, pushing Jericho onwards and back into the restless waves of sand. He just told himself that his eyes were seeing things when a flash of red tinted his peripheral vision. But he looked over “what are you doing?!” He muttered as if someone could hear him, Octavius huffed, crossing his arms “I don't like this anymore than you do! Watch” he did as he trotted forward, a good 4 yards away only to get pulled like he was roped in with a lasso, getting sat down before standing up and brushing himself off “I can't get away even if I tried and trust me, I tried”
Jedediah sighed, keeping a steady pace.
Maybe he should just quit.
