[h2][center][b][color=ed1c24]Novak[/color][/b][/center][/h2]
His thoughts slowly returned as he regained consciousness, the first thing on his mind being the seeming dream he had just awakened from, even ignoring the pain of his fall.  The words of the self-styled goddess, or what his mind could recall of them, played in his still-groggy mind.  Being saved from oblivion, being pulled into a new world.  He did not open his eyes, not yet- he wanted to try and recall everything she had said, lest his memory of the dream dissipate before he could commit it to memory.

She had said that she had pulled him from oblivion, brought him back to a new world.  A dead world, one of people fighting for resources and cowering in fear of monsters, and the goddess had wanted him to fix it, and rebuild it.  But why would she choose him, he pondered, straining to figure an answer.  He could not remember why.  In fact, he could not remember anything of who he once was.  Everything from before that seemed to be blank.  Fortunately, he was able to remember why not...

[color=6ecff6][i]"My, how curious. Once I thought memories were a persons greatest treasure. After all, even if nothing else one could content to remember good things, and yet you wanted to forget. You humans continue to baffle me, but that's why I like you. Now, weave me a tale then, one who would forget everything in order to move forward."[/i][/color]

According to her words, it was he who wanted to forget his old life.  He could not recall why he had harbored such a desire, however; it seems that detail had also been forgotten.  All he could remember of himself was a name.

[i]Novak.  My name is Novak[/i]  He was not entirely sure if it was the last vestige of his previous life, or if the goddess had planted it into his mind to give him a new identity.  Perhaps it wasn't important where it came from, what mattered was that it was his name now.

"Nothing can be accomplished by simply remaining here," he heard someone in the room speak. "As such, we should collect this man and make our exit in order to more properly get out bearings."

This voice was not that of the goddess, but it reminded Novak of the goddess' final and most urgent words to him before awakening:

[color=6ecff6][i]Hmph...less time than I would like. I will be putting you in a relatively safe place with others. You can find weapons, knowledge, and other things there that could help you - but do not linger. The guardian of that place will find you, and it will kill you, and I will not help once you are there."[/i][/color]

This warning was enough to compel Novak to open his eyes and turn his attention to his current situation, draped over broken furniture after having lost his footing.  His mishap had been a bit painful, but nothing serious.  Still groggy, he struggled to pull himself to his feet.  The goddess had said that she had made him a new body, didn't she?  He could not muster any recall of his old body, but this one seemed to feel "right".  His benefactor even had the courtesy to provide him with a set of clothes.

The man looked around at where he was.  It was a room with walls and floors of stone, with a broken staircase heading to upper levels.  The room was filled with broken furniture and scattered weapons, suggesting that perhaps there had been a battle or skirmish here.  Lastly, there were several cylinders in the room, some open, some closed.  It seemed that one such cylinder had held him until a few moments ago.  

Sharing this space with him were two women.  One was quite small in stature, with red eyes and black hair.

[i]She looks human, but her appearance seems...off somehow.[/i]

The second woman was even stranger-looking, however, with long white hair and what appeared to be white-furred animal ears atop her head.  Novak found himself reflexively double-checking his own body, curious if he had any sort of unusual features too.  To his relief, he seemed entirely human.

"What's going on?" he asked the women, now fully awake.  "Who are you two?  Did that goddess bring you here?"

[@VitaVitaAR] [@PKMNB0Y]