There was a town hall meeting, and it had been decided with little hesitation.

You were being sentenced to death for a crime you didn't commit.

Hell, it wasn't even a crime. The townsfolk all thought that you were connected with the devil, and you were no longer trustworthy. And for what? What went wrong?

Apparently it was because of small things you did. Collect small animal bones, make strange drawings, and dress in a way that would seem unfit for a man.

You didn't want to die. You wanted to have a life, perhaps even fall in love and raise a family. It was far too late for any of those futures to unfold when you slowly treaded through the cave, limping slightly from the weight of the chains on your ankles. Two men in armor dragged you to a large, dark chamber and locked you in there.

You heard something strange when they left. It sounded like... breathing? What was this execution? Was it a large animal you are supposed to duel? No... the breathing wasn't heavy enough to be a large animal like a bear or a cougar. It sounded like a person sleeping. You step forward, slowly, carefully...

"GASP"

You jump back. Oh no. Did you wake it?

A low, deep growl emerged from the dark figure. You could barely see. It was so dark...

"Who's there?" The figure demanded, slowly standing up to it's full height.

It was a tall, pale man. Dark smudged stripes came down from his eyes like a tigers' stripes, but also like tear lines. His eyes were brown and his hair spiky and black. He wore an outfit similar to what you would wear; dark trousers, a sleeveless top, and a hat on his head. Small chains hung from the waistband of his pants.

"I said..." He growled, "Who. Are. You?"