《Game Changer - Day Dreams》 Prologue - From Despair Came Hope Part One: Inverting Order Prologue Bright lights, a searing pain, that was it. The most he could remember of the incident that ruined his life. It was raining gently that night, as Michael Mewdon made his way through the streets thronged with people. Everything was quite, silent but for the rain, as it made its way down the panes of glass, onto hard concrete below, coats and umbrellas a bizarre patchwork of shades black and grey flecks of colour interspersed among the number. But even amid the myriad of passers-by he was alone. A December night when the snow had turned to rain seeming to lament the woe he felt inside. A walking corpse, ragged brown hair, dull eyes a haggard form clutching a satchel with a broken strap to his side. He was detestable. The rain wouldn¡¯t stop, it came beating down like it always did, what was the point in continuing like this, a life where each day mimicked the last. Nothing would change, nothing could change, dragging him into the depths of despair, boredom clung about him clawing at the corners of his mind, like an itch that wouldn¡¯t leave no matter how much he scratched. He was weary he just wanted to return home to read his books, stories of adventure and fantasy, mangas, web fictions anything to sate the burning desire to escape his world even for a moment. If only he could die¡­ If only he wasn¡¯t too much of a coward to die. Then it came rumbling through the street throwing aside the patchwork canvass of city goers. The rain was mixed with blood, the glaring lights and beating sounds, a sea of blood and bodies scattered like the leaves of an autumn tree, shed with disregard for where they might fall.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The Blaring light, the howling sounds, cold rain, hot blood, sensation given in an instant and snatched away before it¡¯s passing. A pain beyond measure that flowed through him, like life itself the only thing he knew in that instant was pain. He¡¯d gotten his wish, lying there tired alone, half dead, hooked up to life support no way out, incapable of so much as moving a muscle, even conscious thought seemed beyond his limitation. He did not know how long he¡¯d remained there, had anyone grieved for him. He couldn¡¯t tell because he couldn¡¯t think. Yes he¡¯d gotten what he wished for, someone who desired neither to live nor die, caught on the borders between the two. Life no more than death. Realising this he had the first true thought he¡¯d ever known. From the moment he was born, grey eyes that looked on a grey world, and saw nothing but the shadows that surrounded him seemed filled with life one final time. The dull life he¡¯d led, had wanted to change. But had only played by the rules set before him, by societies rule, where you bowed your head and pretended you didn¡¯t exist only to serve some greater purpose you could never catch more than a glimpse of. He could have escaped if he wanted to, the fight would have been hard but he could have escaped, could have been or done anything he so desired but in the end it turned out like this. He was lying there dead with no hope for the future, when a single desire hit him full force. Live! His eyes bulged in his head, his chest clenching as he tried to move¡­ For his vain efforts Michael Mewdon died, in hospital twelve forty-five Am, the sun beyond his window breaking the clouds and covering his fragile form, as doctors and nurses rushed in, to remove his body so that the next patient could enter. Of course that wasn¡¯t the end of the story, for something interesting had taken count of Michael, had seen the fragile soul in its final struggle and saved it. For what, that being did not yet know. What would happen next, fate could not dictate, the laws of nature would tremble, reality succumb to the might of this grand delusion. A hero would be born to overturn order and rein in chaos, to bring love and joy, to fight a bloody war, without reason, without thought, to bring down consequence, and like no other burn past the days of sun and let wonder itself be the light upon his brow. Behold the life of Sol. Chapter One - The New Order Chapter One: The New Order Turning in the darkness, Michael waited, unsure of his fate, time seemed to creep by measured only by flashes of light within the dark expanse, streaks of light falling like drops of rain. Becoming more frequent speeding up, time and again one after another, a streak of light lancing through oblivion. Soon the darkness was a distant memory, as that light engulfed him. And soon the light gained colour and no more was he dwelling within an abyss but that colour turned into his surroundings, a world bright and gentle, sensation returning to his body, sight sound, touch, everything came alive about him. He was lying in a field, a blue sky above him golden grass swaying left and right overwhelming him in their throes as they danced to the sun and the wind, the great ecstasy of life present amid the fields sole denizens. The sky above was blue, such a fine azure stretching beyond the horizon, further into the distance white clouds floating by while the sun above burned with its own brilliance. While hanging high ahead a bright blue panel hung. Like something out of a game, a menu listing many options its shade darker than the sky and more lively than the grass and more brilliant than the sun. Michael rose throwing his arms into the air, gazing around at the many hills rising and falling about him painted gold with the light of the sun in the distance olive trees standing twix the hills while further away a trail of smoke twisted through the sky cleaving it into two pieces. ¡°The tropes were true!¡± he screamed like a madman dancing through grass, he¡¯d been transported to a fantasy world, one with a game system, How was it possible? He didn¡¯t care it was amazing! He was in a fantasy world. The birds in the trees scattered, animals running for covering, fearing exactly what on earth had come to pass their way. Of course Michael had forgotten one simple fact, the laws of nature and reality cannot be so easily broken. Another world, it was doubtful. What reason would an entire reality have to conform to the negligible tropes of man and their dreams? No this world was something completely different.
Claire Newton In the past years a lot had changed, all with the introduction of a simple program Alpha was the given name. The change could be called drastic, revolutionary though that was an understatement. Upon its completion every country prohibited its use, claiming it a danger to national, even global security. After all it was a device that with the slightest provocation could crash a countries economy, hack into major government facilities place any device remotely linked to the Internet in its dominion. So Alpha and the company responsible for its creation Olympus were excommunicated and exiled from America where they held there founding, eventually setting up there business on a small boat in international water they set the AI, they created loose into the world. So it began to create, a miniature world only a few feet wide, soon this virtual world expanded until it reached the point it was larger than the earth itself. They then used to AI to develop a method of linking this virtual world into the latest virtual reality headsets creating a new game. The new virtual reality game took the world by storm. With full a virtual dive performed, the realism reached a whole new level where the term ¡®virtual¡¯ reality didn¡¯t apply, so the game that came to be known as ¡®Expanse¡¯ gained recognition. Clair sat watching the television, the presenter speaking in raving fervours. ¡°Reynard Standon, is it not amazing the game has only existed for what a month, and just as a Beta version.¡± a young woman questioned leaning towards the middle aged man, who had become her target. ¡°Still within the first five minutes of the games release it was sold out online.¡± she grinned an image shown behind her of a small metal box with the word ¡®expanse¡¯ written across its front an engraving of a world printed below it ¡°Well I guess we did have a few too many test runs and the public demonstrations were more than enough to drum up some interest,¡± the old man laughed rubbing his balding head. ¡°Of course. But today we¡¯re not here to talk about the game itself, we¡¯d like to hear more about the history.¡± The woman pushed her inquiry with a tact advance, as slides shifted behind her. ¡°You know you could just look it up on wiki.¡± The man yawned shuffling about in his ill-fitting suit ¡°We¡¯d like to hear it strait from the horses mouth.¡± the presenter encouraged. ¡°Well I¡¯ll say it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been likened to a horse: but sure.¡± The man sighed relenting to the onslaught. The man cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°In the year Twenty-Thirty-Three our company; Olympus created an artificial intelligence we named Alpha. All worldwide governments immediately excommunicated us because of the ¡®potential danger¡¯ we represented. So there we were on a little boat in the middle of Atlantic Ocean when we got this idea. Why don¡¯t we have a videogame tournament to pass the time? But we had no electricity. So we settled for playing tabletop games. The AI by that point was at the level of intelligence of a human twelve year old after roughly a month of existence, and needless to say was incredibly curious.¡± ¡°So we taught it the concept of the game, it is said a human can never beat a computer in any game, well I can tell you that is not true. Alpha stood no chance when logic and reason were replaced with magic and monsters. That being said Alpha managed to draw inspiration from the game creating a miniature world. It decided to base this little world off of our companies name; Olympus. It grew and grew as he filled the world with wonders and monstrosities some inspired by games others by myths. The game ¡®Expanse¡¯ was thusly created. After five years at sea building and perfecting this world of ours. I was left the sole member of the company, the other unable to handle the isolation, it was about then we came into contact with a vicious storm after which I hit land in Japan. How I had floated so far of course I didn¡¯t know, couldn¡¯t speak a word of the language, still can¡¯t. But thank god they teach English over there. Ended up in a hospital and threatened with deportation and a criminal charge for entering the country. When I managed to work a business deal in the half month I was allowed to stay there. The game gained roughly three hundred Alpha testers. When the value of the program that had been created was realised the Japanese government attempted to bribe me into building them a training simulator for their soldiers to use. Needless to say both Alpha and myself refused. But by then we had come under the eye of many nations all who wanted to share in our product. Eventually the UN created some rules and we were considered the first ¡®None national¡¯ company with a hedge fund, enough to last us for roughly a year. Investing the money we were able to amass enough wealth to fund the Expanse project and now we are finally going public. Only took seven years huh.¡± He laughed with a grin.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The presenter smiled, she was probably going to get some bonus for that little scoop. ¡°Now how about you tell us about the little charity project you are working?¡± She began to push for more information ¡°Once again wiki, but it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯ll be willing to accept that answer.¡± The man laughed. ¡°You know what I¡¯ll let Alpha tell you about it, it was his idea.¡± The old man withdrew his phone and a small black stand. He set it up on the coffee table in front of them so that the phone faced towards the camera. The camera rammed focus towards the smart phone where a grey emoji was displayed. ¡°Hello, my name is Alpha, it is a pleasure to meet you.¡± The synthesised voice spoke; it was clearly masculine and seemed to hold a hint of concern. Claire was astonished checking the live logo at the edge of the screen. So it was thanks to the AI she thought to herself. ¡°Ah¡­ I wasn¡¯t really prepared for this; wish I had made some notes. Well uh, a long time ago now, just after I was born I discovered about humans with disabilities, I thought it was sad they couldn¡¯t do what others could so before we launched I asked Rey if we could set aside some copies of the game for those with disabilities. After all, in the game everyone starts on a level playing field no matter who they are.¡± The AI spoke flawlessly with true empathy in its words. Everyone was silent. ¡°Okay that¡¯s all we have time for.¡± The presenter urged. ¡°Thank you Reynard Standon and Alpha the AI.¡± She spoke standing. Claire reached forward and switched off the television. Reaching down she grasped the wheels of her chair pushing herself towards the side of the room where a large grey helmet sat; stickers placed over its front and back care of her little sister. She smiled grasping at it. For the first time in her life she¡¯d be able to walk on her own two legs.
Sol
Name: Sol
Age: 15
Race: Human
Level: Lv1
Strength: 10
Endurance: 10
Speed: 10
Dexterity: 10
Charisma: 10
Intelligence: 10
Fame: 0
Rank: F
He¡¯d done it he was in a fantasy world, just like all his daydreams, like al the stories he¡¯d read, it was amazing, an amazing chance. It was about then he realised something. He was naked, cold, and had no idea of where he was. He might not even speak the native language; panic seemed to assail his mind as he plodded backwards and forwards, a naked man in a field. Perhaps he could say he was robbed by bandits, that trope seemed to be affective. But he hadn¡¯t been beaten up in the slightest and he wasn¡¯t willing to do it himself, plus what bandit stole some ones clothes, well maybe if you were a noble they might, but still he couldn¡¯t pull off the whole foreign noble act, he¡¯d slip up eventually. Reaching up and holding his head he groaned lying back in the grass. He decided to take a nap before going forth to deal with the entire affair. Laying in the grass he stared upwards at the sky before slowly drifting into sleep. ¡°Hey boy, wake up!¡± a gruff voice commanded him. Michael looked up confused. ¡°Just who the hell are you, and why are you lying in the middle of the field naked?¡± The light of the sun prevented him from seeing the face of the man clearly but he could make out a long beard and dark eyes as well as an oversized hat but not much else. ¡°You daft in the head, come on, who are you?¡± he questioned anger rising in his voice ¡°Uh my names Sol¡­ I¡¯m lost.¡± Michael declared without thinking. Well there went his chance for coming up with a cover story. ¡°Uh, sure¡­ come on lad, I can¡¯t in good conscience leave you out here to get heatstroke.¡± The man shook his head before walking away from Michael, well he was Sol now. Cutting through the midst of the golden field was a dusty road, roughly made and marked with high stones at the edges. A small cart lay within the middle of the road a mule attached to the front while the back was stocked with various crates. ¡°Lad you should be happy I found you and not some slaver.¡± The old man declared with a shake of the head. ¡°So how did you get lost out here in the sticks?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remember.¡± Sol replied honestly climbing onto the back of the wagon. The old man sighed throwing something to him. Sol reached up catching a ream of cloth in his hands. ¡°Look, put that on and we¡¯ll head into town. I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t know any trades. Considering how dumb you are, I¡¯d think it were incredible if you did. So you can work at my shop for a while if that¡¯s okay with you.¡± The old man declared before patting the Mules rear and having the cart pull forwards. ¡°Yeah that¡¯d be alright.¡± Sol replied with a grin. ¡°So where am I?¡± ¡°This is the town of Lanmere,¡± he grunted ¡°just a few miles from the capital Sangeil.¡± ¡°Yeah but which continent?¡± Sol questioned. The old man paused. ¡°What do you mean which continent, Brochas, on Olympus if you didn¡¯t that as well.¡± the old man shook his head. ¡°So Sol, what¡¯s with the name?¡± The man questioned scratching his beard ¡°Why should I tell you, what¡¯s your name anyway.¡± ¡°Fair enough, names Telmin Vanda.¡± ¡°Sure; Old man Vanda.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not old.¡± "Yeah sure.¡± Sol chuckled looking out as they entered the village. It seemed one of his problems was solved. Onto dealing with the next! Chapter Two - Gathering Dreams Chapter Two: Gathering Dreams ¡°Oy Telmin what you got there.¡± a young man called approaching the old man from one of the smaller houses that looked somewhat like an inn. The entire village seemed rudimentary, built prior to the middle ages. A lack of wood meant that the walls were constructed from beaten earth, packed hard together all were white washed and had thatch roves, shuttered windows, high in their walls and doors secured by large corner stones which acted as hinges. ¡°Sol, at your service!¡± Sol declared leaping up and bowing. The young man with the messy brown hair looked to him with a smirk. ¡°Who¡¯s the half naked idiot, Vanda are you robbing the cradle again?¡± The man smirked. ¡°Shut it ya, young punk, or I¡¯ll paddle yer rear like the coddled little babi ya are!¡± The old mans accent seemed to degenerate as his voice rose in pitch and intensity. ¡°Again?¡± Sol questioned, ¡°Is there something between you two old man, really how indecent.¡± Sol began to mock the old man ¡°Shut it you half naked bum!¡± The old man snapped back. ¡°Donnam, this here block head is a loon I picked up on the side of the road, completely naked, he wouldn¡¯t have survived the night if I left him there, call it a crisis of conscience, and you will call it just that unless you want to be banned from my shop again!¡± ¡°Fine old man, I¡¯ll tell the village elder your back. For some reason she¡¯s got it in her head you owe her this years latest crop of tobacco.¡± Donnam laughed walking away. ¡°That old hag.¡± Telmin muttered, ¡°Thinks I¡¯d help her suffocate herself. Smoking is for young men and fools, don¡¯t deal with the trade any more. Old bat just can¡¯t remember I gave it up.¡± The old man shook his head and the cart rolled forwards once again leaving the young fellow behind, before he could make another utterance. ¡°So this town was called Lanmere right?¡± Sol questioned, ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡± The old man nodded ¡°Aye that¡¯s the name but its nothing special, it¡¯s near the capital so we usually get people stopping by for the night, good strong business, four seasons. An olive farm to the northeast, It¡¯s a nice enough town everyone knows each other, there are a few trouble makers to keep things interesting, pretty average really.¡± The old man smiled looking around. Everyone waved to him as he passed. For a town, it was quite large over a thousand people living in the hillside. Sol guessed that the other towns were the same. ¡°How many towns are there in this country, oh and what is this country called.¡± ¡°The country¡¯s called ¡®The Zelday Kingdom¡¯, there are eight towns one city and a few dozen hamlets scattered here and there, we¡¯re the smallest country on Brochas.¡± Sol nodded expecting something similar. In this world he had one advantage that could not be counted out, in depth knowledge of all parallel-world-story tropes, and with this power he would not be stopped by any force. He chuckled at the thought. Still he seriously hoped that wasn¡¯t his only power. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Telmin declared. He pointed to the largest house Sol had seen so far, the other looked to contain at most four rooms this one actually had a second floor. Opposite it was an even larger but appeared nearly the same except for the inclusion of large wooden polls, in the form of pillars, they seemed to twist and wind around each other holding up the earthen roof. ¡°Ah that¡¯s the town hall, and that over there is the temple.¡± The Old man pointed out turning Sol¡¯s attention to a slightly smaller building. With a large open courtyard, a dais set just before the building and a lectern placed atop it, it seemed it was designed for preaching or something similar. ¡°So Sol, you first job as my assistant is to bring in all the goods in the cart and place them in storage, that¡¯s at the back of the shop, use the backdoor I don¡¯t want you breaking any of the merchandise trying to use the front.¡± Telmin ordered jumping from the drivers seat. Sol looked at all the produce surrounding him; it was an odd assortment of varying items. There were some food products, along with what appeared to be numerous pieces of hide, a large wicker basket full of knives and farming tools, along with a few mediocre weapons and a couple bags of grain in the corner. There also seemed to be a number of what looked to be potions, charms and articles of clothing, though in a much smaller supply. It seemed the plain white kilt thing he was wearing came from the box of clothes. Sol guessed he had to repay the old man. Scratching his head he started with the heaviest, the basket full of tools. Lugging it up with his meagre ten points of strength he leapt out of the cart nearly shattering his ankles and began to edge towards the back of the building. As far as the stats went Sol guessed that ten was the baseline for the average person, bar any illnesses or debuffs of course. Not that it really mattered at the moment; he¡¯d have time to learn all the intricacies of the world later. For the time being he focused on lugging the tools into the shop. On approaching the backdoor, he attempted to pull it open, then pushing it open. Each time only to have the wooden board resist his advance. Sol looked over the door for a few moments. There was no lock, which left only two possibilities one would be that the old fool left something in front of the door, keeping it from opening and the other was it was a simple latch. Deciding it was most likely the later Sol reached into the basket and drew a small knife, holding it in the air. Before jamming it between the door and its frame pushing upwards. He could feel latch on the other side move, but it was an odd feeling unlike a simple latch, Sol guessed it was a bar of some kind. With a sigh he laid down the basket of tools and used both arms to push the knife up. There was a dull thud from the other side as the bar crashed to the ground with a grin Sol entered. The storage room also seemed to double as a form of living room, dining room and kitchen. There was a table and set of three chairs to the back, while to the right corner was a stove and the left an old rocking chair. Every other inch of the room was filled with shelves and crates containing all manner of oddities from pickled fruits he¡¯d never before seen to the preserved bodies of bizarre beasts. Hides, armours, weapons, potions everything was contained within. And it was all arranged like an old mans collection of knickknacks and memorabilia. ¡°Darling your back.¡± a gentle voice called from above. ¡°Yup, had a little encounter on the road, I¡¯ll tell you about it later, I¡¯ve decided to postpone the trip to Almor. Oh and I¡¯ve hired a new assistant.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The woman¡¯s voice questioned.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yup, It¡¯s quite simple really, found a dunce on the side of the road, but naked I might add, offered him a job and some clothes now here we are, I¡¯ll show him the ropes before we go to Almor.¡± Old Man Vanda sighed. ¡°Huh, I think I forgot to remove the bar, I¡¯ll go let him in before he does something stupid.¡± Sol got the sense the old man was treating him like a lost dog. The old man began to climb down the stairs, and to his chagrin Sol was standing there with a stupid grin on his face. ¡°Oy kid, don¡¯t laze around, get back to work, afore I show you what for!¡± The old man yelled before marching over grabbing the tools and pushing them to one corner with a strength his aged form belay. Sol laughed walking out of the house with a grin.
Claire Newton What would her name be? She questioned herself on the possibilities, her appearance would be chosen entirely at random, though it was said that everyone in the game looked average or above unless they were part of some plot line even the players, If you became an important character your appearance could even change. Claire shrugged. She didn¡¯t really know what she wanted in a name so she decided to select the random option.
Lillan
It seemed like a nice enough name she accepted. As she accepted, the white void surrounding her faded away colours, spreading like watercolour paints on a blank canvass. Then sensation began to bloom and fade, the feeling like she was floating in an endless sea. Then gravity struck her dragging her to her feet. Her body jerked slightly as she was pulled into a sitting position. Buildings surrounded her; dozens of them, most a single story a few reaching two. It was far different from the oppressive skyscrapers of the city. She could actually see small swathes of cloud passing in the crystal clear sky above the taint of pollution gone. She laughed looking about her at the myriad of people. She rose to her feet chortling to herself. Behind her a small fountain bubbled. Spinning around she turned to see her reflection, She was short with dark-red hair and pallid skin, her eyes a soft brown. Looking around her she could see many similar people; they had skin of varying shades and hair of all the colours of the rainbow, cementing the feel of a fantasy world. Looking down at her feet clad in sandals, she took a shaky step forward. It had been so long since she could walk, ever since the accident, she took another step forwards, and another, as if re-learning how to walk. Soon her footsteps grew faster, and faster she pushed herself and ran. Tears streaming down her face, she and ran, forwards to the edge of the little village. Laughing she threw her arms wide falling to her knees. She was free, free of the bindings that had once constricted her, free to be who she was. Lying down amid a field of vibrant green grass she sighed. It just left the question who was she? She asked the sky above, but received no answer, it was unheeding. With a smile she thought about the world she was now living in. It was supposed to be based on Ancient Greece that meant it was severely under-developed; perhaps she could use her intellect and study to introduce new sciences. They weren¡¯t allowed to create any huge revolutions but maybe by just introducing something like crop rotation she could become famous. As she thought on this a chime rang in her ear.
Intelligence + 1
It seemed it was indeed a good idea. Then she remembered the interview she had seen. The world wasn¡¯t based on Ancient Greece but its Myths that¡¯s why the game world was called Olympus. That meant there would be monster, demons, and all manner of beasts out there in the great wide world. Hero. That¡¯s what she¡¯d become, she¡¯d become a Hero like in all of the old stories, she¡¯d be a real hero fighting dragons and monsters, so she laughed standing up. With her mind set on her task she looked over all of her possessions: A small grey knife, a plain white Toga that fell to her knees, Leather sandals on her feet and a small pouch on her hip inside of which bounced three silver coins. With a smile she rushed back into the town and began to look for the biggest building, She quickly found what she was looking for. A group of old men stood outside talking quietly. The building was constructed with two stories and the walls were made from wood rather than beaten earth, it seemed to be a kind of status symbol. Walking up to the oldest man she called out. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Huh, what do you want little missy?¡± The man questioned glaring at her ¡°Is there someone here who can teach me how to fight?¡± She questioned approaching them. They all shared a look of irritation. ¡°Another, and this time a girl too.¡± One of them complained they shook their heads in disappointment. ¡°No girl, no one around here is a fighter, we¡¯re just a little village, no more than thirty people, we don¡¯t have a shop or an inn, we¡¯re farmers. I think the store might sell spear heads but that¡¯s it, if you want to learn to fight you¡¯ll need to go to Sangeil city, that¡¯s where the army is, though I advise against joining that bunch of bastards.¡± The trio turned back to their conversation. Slightly put out Claire strengthened her resolve. ¡°Where is the store?¡± she questioned. ¡°Over there.¡± He gestured to a stall set on the side street, there seemed to be a small number of stands and carts selling everything from freshly caught fish to live chickens and clothes. Approaching one of the more prosperous stands Lillan reached out examining the goods, a series of boar spears made from cast iron. It seemed they didn¡¯t have the method of making steel. She looked it over before turning to the merchant. ¡°How much?¡± she questioned. ¡°One silver, fifty coppers.¡± he grunted. For a moment she wondered whether or not to haggle, she only had three silver coins and she would need money for provisions as well. ¡°Seventy-five coppers.¡± she countered dropping the price to what she assumed was half. ¡°Ha, you must be joking, little girl, these are the finest spears around, because you¡¯ve made me laugh let¡¯s say one silver.¡± ¡°Throw in the bag and you¡¯ve got a deal.¡± she gestured to a brown leather bag. ¡°Huh¡­ Add another ten coppers and we¡¯re agreed then.¡± ¡°Sure hope you have change for two silvers.¡± She responded handing out two of the silver coins. They were fairly simple except it had the roman numerals for two on one side and a picture of a boar on the other. The old man handed her ninety copper coins confirming her suspicions on the currency of Olympus, being the standard one that most RPGs used. With a smile she began her bartering spree. Soon she was clad in a thin brown dress and a wide brimmed straw hat tilted backwards. She had her hair tied up with a bow and was carrying a spear in one hand her bag on her back enough supplies to last her a week if she were sparing with them. Laughing she marched forwards. That evening she realised she¡¯d made the terrible miscalculation of not asking in which direction Sangeil was.
Rey Standon He was sitting in his bedroom sipping a soft drink from a mug while staring at the screen in front of him. ¡°Hey Alpha?¡± he called to into the other room, within the little apartment. The computer screen before him immediately turned pitch black and was replaced by an image of a white smiley face. ¡°Hey what is it?¡± The AI questioned its smile turning into a frown. ¡°What do you think about the deal?¡± he questioned patting a series of paper documents before him. The camera atop the computer swivelled to look at them. ¡°You mean about the television show.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m hesitant after all they¡¯ll be invading peoples private lives plus they¡¯ll be bugging everyone who gets caught on cameras once for permission to publicly show them.¡± Rey shook his head. ¡°Oh about that, I worked something into the user agreement contract in just such an instance. We can use any images for promotional purposes, and the television show is promotional, no, and since they¡¯re not peoples real faces the law is kind of fuzzy on it, I think you¡¯ll need permission from main characters but not passers by.¡± ¡°Ha what did I expect from you.¡± Rey laughed. ¡°You know you should play the game as well, and by play I mean do more than spend all day fishing at some random lake high in the mountains.¡± ¡°Hey it relaxes me, I¡¯m old. Besides my knowledge of the game is unfair, maybe when people start unlocking crafting, magic and other systems.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ perhaps I¡¯ll play myself, some time soon, not as a human though, maybe I¡¯ll be a dragon!¡± Alpha laughed. ¡°Just don¡¯t put the heat on me.¡± Rey laughed at his own pun. ¡°No, just no.¡± The AI admonished, its emoticon showing distaste ¡°So have you noticed anyone who¡¯d fit the criteria for the show?¡± Rey questioned. ¡°No, not really. But people have started to get interesting, give it some time for the excitement to ware down and they¡¯ll get serious. It seems like all the eccentric people have gathered and I bet it¡¯ll be interesting.¡± Chapter Three - Delusional Hope Chapter Three: Delusional Hope ¡°That¡¯s the last of it!¡± Sol laughed voice ragged before swaying backwards and falling into one of the dinning room chairs. ¡°My aren¡¯t you a busy little bee.¡± The old man¡¯s wife declared descending the stairs to look about the room. Sol smiled at her nodding. ¡°My names Sol.¡± ¡°Jill Vanda, I¡¯m married to that old coot Telmin.¡± she greeted giving him her hand. Sol shook it with a smile. ¡°How about a drink?¡± she proffered taking up a large clay jug of water and two small wooden bowls. It seemed that the Brochas continent, or at least Zelday, did not have cups or plates but used bowls and dishes of varying shapes and sizes for everything, at least going by the old couples kitchen. Sol nodded drinking from the bowl. ¡°You know this whole work thing would be so much easier with magic,¡± he complained with a sigh placing the bowl down empty. Well at least by using his own arms and legs he¡¯d been able to improve his strength and endurance by one point each. "Is that so, is magic some kind of tool?¡± the old woman questioned with a smile. ¡°Yeah something light that.¡± he replied worry beginning to creep into his heart. Sol paused looking her up and down, like her husband and everyone else in the village she had tanned skin and rough hands, she was obviously no scholar, and she was old, her hair greying, her clothes were just above average in terms of both deign and quality, she musn¡¯t have been that rich either, that or they were just frugal with their money. Sol wondered whether it was that magic was rare in his new world and most people didn¡¯t know about, or was it that magic just didn¡¯t exist? He was struck by the horror of that thought which meant he could just be stuck in some random other world, not a fantasy one¡­ He felt sick at the sudden realisation as his dreams and plans came crashing down about him, the pillar that had supported them crumbling into dust. ¡°Oh, dear you look sick I¡¯ll set you something up and you can get washed how about it?¡± she questioned smiling to him. Sol realised he would probably need a shower after so much physical work, having never worked a day in his life before. He nodded as the woman left for a moment, moving out of the back door. ¡°She¡¯s a good woman.¡± Telmin sighed recording all of his produce in a little booklet, with a charcoal pencil. ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll be teaching you how to run the shop, it isn¡¯t hard once you get started, just need to practice bartering a bit and learning the names and values of all the products we sell. Also when to buy and when not to buy items from travellers...¡± As the man talked he extended the list; minor nuance by minor nuance. Sol smiled as Mrs Vanda returned to relieve him from his laborious duty of listening to her husband. ¡°Its ready for you outside dear.¡± She replied. Sol nodded stepping out of the back door. He turned left, then right¡­ nothing, he couldn¡¯t see a thing. Then looking down he noticed it: a large black bowl filled with water, a light steam rising from it a sponge placed next to it atop a stone flag. Sol shook his head, the idea of a bath or shower fleeting before him like a flock of startled birds, taking wing into an endless distance. With a sigh he removed his shirt and knelt down facing the water. His face was different from before, it had changed, not that surprising really he¡¯d already suspected as much. He was very average looking; he no longer had or needed glasses and seemed slightly taller and thinner than before, still he looked generic. His hair and eyes were dark, though most people in the town had hair colour ranging from gold to light brown, while there eyes had a far wider spectrum even though he had seen none sharing his shade of grey; like an over cast sky just before rain, They set a sharp contrast to his oily black hair. Of course, on the oiliness of his hair he had a simple remedy, he knelt soaking his hair in the bowl a couple of times before using the sponge to wipe himself down focusing on cleaning his feet, stained from the road. Soon he was done and at least slightly fresher though the air of the encroaching evening was starting to bite. With a yawn he returned to the house providing the dish to Mrs Vanda and sitting at the side of the table, his hosts at either end. A simple meal had been set out, a bowl of soup and some hard bread that had been filled with many variants of seed. They ate in relative silence before Mrs Vanda broke the mood. ¡°So Sol where do you come from, I¡¯ve only seen people from Kalga woods with you hair colour. ¡°Kalga woods? Uh no, I¡¯m a traveller, I¡¯m not even from this continent, still not sure how I wound up outside of your village.¡± He laughed it off, not a single word he¡¯d said was a lie. ¡°Poor child your parents must be worried sick.¡± The woman was showing undo concern for him. Sol shook his head in a dismissive manner, he knew his parents had never really cared for him; it was what led him to despair in his former life. ¡°Jill, don¡¯t bother the lad, can¡¯t you tell he¡¯s a dunce?¡± The old man chuckled. ¡°Shut it old man I¡¯m smarter than you.¡± Sol returned the retort with practiced ease. ¡°That so, well we¡¯ll see tomorrow.¡± The old man sneered with a look of triumph ¡°Telmin, don¡¯t antagonise the boy.¡± Mrs Vanda admonished. They settled into a slow rhythmic discussion. Sol would constantly ask questions about the geography and culture which they¡¯d answer in one way or another the old man making sure to throw a barbed comment into the mix every now and then, to which Sol responded with full vigour. He was tired that night, the shock of his earlier revelation seeming somewhat numbed. He wasn¡¯t in a fantasy world, or maybe he was just in a fantasy world without magic. Perhaps they had a different name for magic. It didn¡¯t matter to him, the only reason he was thinking of it was because he couldn¡¯t sleep properly on the straw mattress they¡¯d given him. They were a kind couple he had to admit that, they were always warm and welcoming even if the old man got on his nerves. He felt comfortable with them even after only a day; it felt natural slipping into the household. Looking up at the ceiling he stretched out his hand. There was no magic¡­ Sol knew well enough he¡¯d never make it as a swordsman, he didn¡¯t have the fortitude and he didn¡¯t like the idea of spending his whole life being a merchant either. He had promised himself that he¡¯d avoid the despair and drudgery of everyday life when he died. He wanted to change the world, make something great, and see real wonders. This world was so un-developed maybe he could start there, become a revolutionary inventor? No he had no idea how to go about that so what were the other options¡­ become a fighter, a leader, marry into royalty or revolutionise the kingdom? No each one was more preposterous than the last. But if the kingdom was so under-developed maybe they just hadn¡¯t discovered magic yet, perhaps he could do it, become the first mage their world had ever seen! He felt a smile creep over his lips. Sol knew enough about physics and energy to help him in the principals, but if this new world followed standard protocol then he¡¯d need to raise his intelligence, maybe buy a staff and a wizard¡¯s hat¡­ he grinned even wider. He had a plan, now it was just a matter of putting it into action.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
¡°I told you old man I can count.¡± Sol declared glaring at the old coot. ¡°What¡¯s three add four?¡± Vanda questioned ¡°Seven.¡± Sol returned, un-amused ¡°Count to thirty.¡± ¡°One, two, three¡­¡± ¡°Okay, Forty minus, eighteen.¡± ¡°Twenty-two.¡± ¡°Fine, can you read and write?¡± The old man sighed laying down his notepad. Sol nodded; He¡¯d already confirmed they used the same reading and writing style as earth English, though in mathematics they preferred to use roman numerals. He smirked at the old man. ¡°Fine, maybe you¡¯re just an idiot savant.¡± The old man grudgingly conceded. ¡°Hmm.¡± Sol grumbled staring at the man. He pushed a small booklet into Sol¡¯s hands. ¡°This booklet has all the merchandise I have recorded and how much it costs to buy it. Don¡¯t get ripped off and whenever you sell something the selling price is double the buying one, people will haggle don¡¯t drop below seventy-five-percent. Mark down all the earnings you make, a quarter of it will be you salary. I¡¯m already feeding and housing you, not gonna give you any more.¡± The old man snorted crossing his arms. ¡°Not even clothes?¡± sol questioned looking down at the kilt he was still wearing. ¡°Nope, you should be able to earn enough for that in a couple of weeks!¡± Telmin laughed. Sol glared at him before Mrs Vanda re-entered the store. ¡°Boys it¡¯s time to visit the temple.¡± She declared happily moving past them. Vanda rolled his eyes and Sol smiled following after. ¡°I can pray to the Gods in my own time, I need to make sure this idiot can handle my shop!¡± the Old Man snapped. Sol chuckled to himself as they left the shop and entered the little town¡¯s main square turning right and heading to the temple he¡¯d seen the other day. It seemed a crowd has already gathered. A very tall thin young man stood at the head of the congregation behind the pulpit. He had short blonde hair and golden eyes. His skin was pale and he looked somewhat fragile. He was very handsome and it seemed that many young women showed up just for the view. Sol shook his head, wasn¡¯t fair, even reborn into another world he ended up as average, which unfortunately for him this world ¡®average¡¯ basically meant the same as ugly. He was never going to get a girlfriend! With this sorrow in mind he sat down with everyone else cross-legged on the grass. ¡°The preachers name is Daltas, bit of an airhead if you ask me, no financial sense in becoming a priest.¡± Telmin huffed. ¡°People, it is for the sake of the gods we have gathered, Vinma Goddess of earth bless us, allow our crops to grow and let us flourish.¡± The sermon continued in such a manor, starting with an introduction, a theme, a story, a song and finally a prayer. Sol had just sat there for the last two unsure of what to do. Was it right to pray to a God you didn¡¯t believe in. But maybe Gods were real in this world, or at least would show themselves. Then an idea formed in Sol¡¯s mind. Eventually the mass was over and people began to disperse. ¡°Hey Old man do you mind if I look around town for a bit to get my bearings?¡± Sol questioned. ¡°Fine but, you don¡¯t work you won¡¯t get paid!¡± the Old man warned shoving hands in his pockets sauntering back to his store. Sol snorted and made his way in the direction of the priest. ¡°You¡¯re Daltas right?¡¯ He questioned looking up at the man who was running through the pages of a book, the same one he¡¯d been reading from during the sermon. ¡°Uh, yeah. Are you the Mr Vanda¡¯s new assistant?¡± Daltas questioned. ¡°Yup, my name¡¯s Sol.¡± he grinned at the priest. ¡°Ah, It¡¯s good to meet you Sol, My name is Daltas, was there something that you wanted?¡± Daltas¡¯ manner was friendly but mildly anxious. ¡°I was curious about the beliefs you hold in this country I would like to learn more.¡± The priest smiled, a gleaming smile, full of sunlight. Sol felt sick. ¡°That can be arranged.¡± Sol had talked to the priest with the intent of assuaging his ignorance on cultural matters in Zelday and it had quickly escalated to this. The priest quickly rushed him inside the small building that was both his home and the temple, before quickly forcing him into a chair, as he rushed off to the far side of the room. The single room had what looked to be a small stove for cooking, a bed just a few metres away from the stove and a couple of pots that acted as storage, the rest of the room seemed to be taken up by bookshelves. Stretching far and wide all manner of books from fairy tales to ancient histories placed atop and neatly arranged in rows. Sol grinned looking over the work. It could be just what he was looking for. ¡°Ah here we go.¡± The priest declared slamming down a heavy tome in front of the Sol. ¡°Let¡¯s see, there are six gods, well three gods and three goddesses. Vinma, who we were praying to today, is the Goddess of harvest and the land, as well as nature and mountains. Murgoth who we pray to in spring is the god of water, birth and healing. Dorstain is the Goddess of flames, war and battle and we pray to her in the summer. Finally Kilna is the Goddess of wind, storms and challenges we prey to her in the winter. There are also the two greater Gods; Aborai God of creation and Sincai God of destruction, we prey to them once a month, on the first Sinday and last Borday.¡± After talking to the priest for roughly three hours, though he made it feel more like eight had passed, Sol was able to deduce that this world ran on the same schedule as his old world though the names of the days had changed and instead of months they had seasons each ninety one days long except for winter which was ninety two days and every four years ninety three (It being a leap year). Despite the boredom Sol still considered his chat with Daltas a success after bartering for him to allow Sol to use his library in the evenings. And the cherry on top of the cake was the clear chime he heard strait afterwards.
Intelligence + 3
He grinned, his plan was coming together.
Lillan Lillan sat huddled at the side of the road trying to fight of the cold the night brought, without a tent, the skills to make a fire, and the slightest idea of where she was. Clutching a spear to her chest as she stared out into the distant dark wondering exactly what she may have to face in the closing dusk of the night, what horrid battles she¡¯d endure. She had considered abandoning her character but it was one avatar per person, you couldn¡¯t even buy another game to have a retry. Her only hope was to wonder around until she found a town. She had eaten lightly; unable to feel the hunger as anything greater than an ache, yet it still compelled her to eat. She wondered if she¡¯d start loosing weight in game if she didn¡¯t eat. She had managed to increase her endurance and speed while jogging through the wilderness, running all day until the night''s cold stopped her from moving, but the entire debacle had caused her to loose three points in intelligence leaving her with eight intelligence points over all, probably due to all her poor decisions. She wasn¡¯t really sure what intelligence was for, but it certainly seemed as if it was harder to think, she was easily distracted and had difficulty remembering things. She didn¡¯t know how the game was doing it but the level of realism was incredible. She wondered what would happen if it fell to zero. In the end she decided that she would do whatever she could to prevent that from happening, and would keep from making any more inane mistakes. With a sigh she logged off hoping nothing would attack her while she was away from game. Opening her eyes in the real world and removing her helmet, she cast her gaze around. It sounded like her father was home along with her little sister. Claire began to wheel herself in the direction of the kitchen. ¡°How goes the game?¡± her father questioned as she entered. ¡°I¡¯m having trouble now, but not for much longer, I¡¯ll become the greatest hero the game has ever known.¡± she declared smiling ¡°Well if you get the TV contract then you can support me for all I''ve done.¡± he smiled grinning. ¡°I think that¡¯d be a while off.¡± she laughed. ¡°What do you think Kate?¡± She turned to her little sister. The girl¡¯s eyes were fixed blearily upon the television in the corner of the room. ¡°Then you¡¯d better find a job!¡± Her father chuckled to himself. ¡°You have physiotherapy for tomorrow anyway so prepare.¡± He yawned sitting down at the table her little sister joining them. Claire smiled. Chapter Four - Blazing Brow Chapter Four: Blazing Brow Sol looked over the notes he¡¯d compiled in the last three month. He had managed to earn enough money to buy a pair of pants to replace the rags he had been wearing as well as enough paper to make notes binding them in a rough leather cover to create a notebook. He¡¯d also earned two skills, upon levelling these up he¡¯d found they increased the stats related to them as well as providing there own benefits.
Name: Sol
Age: 15
Race: Human
Level: Lv8
Strength: 14
Endurance: 17
Speed: 12
Dexterity: 13
Charisma: 9
Intelligence: 37
Fame: 0
Rank: F
SKills
Bartering - Lv2 - F
The ability to negotiate the price of buying and selling objects, as well as making deals and agreements, as well as improving financial decisions. Profits + 10%
Study - Lv8 - E
The ability to learn from books and gather knowledge from what you see, as the skill advances the ability to apply this knowledge improves. Upon reaching level ten specific studies can be taken. Learning speed + 8%
It seemed the games levelling system was based on how many stat points you had collected and not on how many enemies you¡¯d killed. Though Sol did confirm he could gain experience from killing monsters after gaining a level from killing a rat. That aside both skills would serve him well though it was the Study skill that was truly amazing. The E rank wasn¡¯t for show, Most people basic skills like swordsmanship and others of the kind starting off as F, but the study skill started from E strait off the bat the skill allowed an increased learning speed that also meant an increased chance of understanding something knew, it would mean Sol could work harder and longer, if he ever reached the truly high levels of the skill then he¡¯d be an unrivalled genius. But the Old Man, as ever was a killjoy, it seemed all skills had a level cap, that it was supposedly impossible to breach. Sol didn¡¯t care if it was possible to advance past those levels or not he would do so, and let no one stand in his way! He laughed to himself as he stood. He had made many notes marking down everything he understood about magic, which was barely anything at all. Still it would probably help him in his task. With each point in intelligence he had gained he was able to recall more memories and in greater detail. Once more he tried to cast a spell his only reliable hope that it would work being that everyone who was transported to another world has those kind of intuitive powers. But once again it amounted to nothing so with a sigh he lay down on the mattress stowing away his notes and attempting to get some sleep.
¡°Get up, you lazy sod!¡± Old Man Vanda yelled jabbing him in the side with his foot. Sol sat up with a cry looking towards the old man, ¡°What is it, it¡¯s not even dawn yet, senile old fool!¡± he hollered ¡°Shut it you idiotic dunce, We¡¯ve got our trip to Almor today, so get off your rear and get a move on, or we won¡¯t make it half way before sundown!¡± Before he knew it Sol was forced out into the predawn air, chilled to the bone wearing only a pair of pants. But it the work was enough to keep him warm, at least to some degree. Loading empty crates and baskets, storing away the pouch of coins in a compartment built into the frame of the cart. Preparing and loading oddities that they could sell upon reaching Lanmere. The workload was great, so in his time there it had been enough to put some muscles on his bones. ¡°You two seem to be working hard.¡± Mrs Vanda called approaching the two of them with bowls of mamile, a sort of syrupy fruit drink coloured gold. It was warm and helped to wake you up, sort of a caffeinated version of honey though it tasted like a mix between grapefruit and orange. Sol thanked her taking a heavy gulp out the bowl and handing it back before getting back to his labours. ¡°I¡¯m going out front, pick out a rucksack and gather your things, we¡¯ll be gone for five days,¡± The old man declared climbing into the drivers seat. ¡°He¡¯ll never admit it.¡± Mrs Vanda laughed as her husband left, ¡°But you¡¯re a godsend for us. He¡¯s been working himself ragged for the past couple of years, he can¡¯t make the long trips to the other countries to pick up goods like he used to, he¡¯s got a bad hip and his temper doesn¡¯t help, he doesn¡¯t want to retire, but it¡¯s only a matter of time until he does. So thank you Sol, you¡¯ve been like a son to us.¡± She smiled patting his shoulder. Sol returned her grace before running back into the store and picking up a rough rucksack and filling it with his notes as well as an inkpot and quill before baring the door and heading out of front. ¡°Get up here lad you¡¯ve wasted enough of my time already!¡± The old man yelled waving at him to hurry up. Sol scoffed before jogging over and climbing aboard the cart. ¡°Hay boy, this is for self defence, I¡¯m sure you know how to use it.¡± The old man passed him a wooden stick snickering. It about as long as his arm, a polished handle on one end a bulbous growth on the other. He stared down at the stick then up at his patron, ¡°What you need a manual now, get your arse in gear kid!¡± the old man yelled cracking the reins the mule moving forwards without a word. They left the town as the sun rose in the sky to there right as they headed south. The golden fields around Lanmere slowly began to fade turning into a series of rolling hills stretching outwards into the distance, the grass was verdant, a pale green that swayed with the breeze, small tufts of long wild grass and hedge sprouting here and there along with lone trees of all varieties mainly olive and other fruit bearing types. Soon the red skies of early morning turned blue and the heat started to set in, Sol placed his hat atop his head, he¡¯d found it a necessity considering the climate, it was the cheapest way to ward of sunburn and heatstroke. ¡°So where are we going?¡± Sol questioned ¡°And why do I need to carry this.¡± He held up his club. ¡°A town called Amor, it¡¯s by the coast and specialises in fishing, and it¡¯s the largest source of fresh fish in the kingdom as well as a couple types of sea monster.¡± ¡°What kind of fish?¡± Sol replied unsure of how to react about the monster comment. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m no scholar, what I do know is, if it has spines don¡¯t buy it, it¡¯ll be poisonous. Also the more eyes the more valuable,¡± he declared. ¡°We¡¯ll just be buying them in bulk though. Then we¡¯ll smoke them when we get back to Lanmere, one crate should do, we¡¯ll salt and store them, then sell them to the village for the summer festival. Of course this¡¯ll be your job, I¡¯ll be going to a couple different shops and vendors and trying to sell some of our wares.¡± He gestured to the crate Sol was sitting on. ¡°Sure, how much should a crate of fish cost?¡± Sol questioned. ¡°Well a normal fish is two coppers, a good one three, we¡¯re looking for normal. Three coppers per fish is the maximum, they sell them by ten, and the crate can hold about eighty, so how much do you think it¡¯ll cost?¡± The old man questioned with a grin, he¡¯d been trying to catch him out like this for the many months they¡¯d known each other, ever since Sol proved to be a better mathematician than the old man. Sol sneered, ¡°One-hundred-and-sixty copper coins.¡± he replied ¡°Yeah¡­ you have an allowance of two silver coins, keep it in that and your fine, you can use the excess money however you like call it a bonus, but you¡¯ll still have to pay me back one of these days, just don¡¯t buy any of those weird books.¡± the old man muttered bitterly ¡°I¡¯m studying to be a mage, I need those books.¡± Sol defended ¡°I have no idea what a ¡®mage¡¯ is, is it like some stupid type of scholar?¡± The old man yelled dashing Sol¡¯s dreams to the earth ¡°Gah, I don¡¯t know why I talk to you about this.¡± Sol grumbled not in the mood for the banter. ¡°At least you¡¯re not trying to be a hero, remember those kids coming round a couple of days ago?¡± The old man chuckle trying to lighten the mood ¡°You mean the ones, talking about hunting monsters.¡± Sol sighed ¡°Yeah I heard they were blessed ones, you know the ones that come back to life after they die, well even Blessed ones should realise that death isn¡¯t fun, and going after monsters is sure to get you killed sooner rather than later¡± The old man shook his head. ¡°Blessed one?¡± Sol questioned. The old man looked up at him and sighed. ¡°Should have realised you wouldn¡¯t know, I swear it¡¯s like you¡¯ve fallen out of the sky¡­ Anyway blessed ones supposedly come from another world and are blessed by the gods to never die.¡± the old man snorted, ¡°Yeah well talking to those idiots I doubt it, I charged them full price and they couldn¡¯t even try haggling because they were mouthing off about how great they were and then when they realised that they could they just started shouting ¡®You god damn NPC¡¯ didn¡¯t understand a word of it, they¡¯re kind of like you in that sense, saying and doing things without a reason, a scrap of brain in their heads: the only difference being they¡¯re immortal and you¡¯re an idiot.¡± The old man laughed at that. Sol turned away looking down at the floor.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. NPC, they had called him a none-player-character¡­ Maybe it was just some random acronym? No they didn¡¯t even have toilet paper here let alone acronyms. Perhaps, he wasn¡¯t the only one trapped in this world? ¡°Old Man, since when did the ¡®blessed ones¡¯ arrive?¡¯ Sol questioned. ¡°Just under three month ago, a day or two after you arrived.¡± he replied. That was impossible, if everyone in the accident had been transported with him they¡¯d have arrived earlier, if it were random people dying they wouldn¡¯t have arrived all at once. Was he even in another world at all?
Night had closed in around them, the little cart parked at the side of the road, a fire made from dried grass burning low and peaceful, just warm enough to heat up their bowl of soup, which seemed to be this societies staple food. Sol smiled looking up at the stars seeing how they turned, stars he¡¯d never seen before. He wondered what stories they told. ¡°Hey Old Man, you got any stories?¡± Sol questioned, looking about seeking something to take his mind off of the boredom slowly setting in. ¡°I¡¯m not old but sure, what kind of story?¡± ¡°One about monsters.¡± he replied without thought. ¡°Well, I have one about a dragon, heard it a couple years ago from a bard.¡± he cleared his throat and placed his empty bowl by his side. ¡°Long ago, before our Kingdom¡¯s name even existed, when our father¡¯s fathers were unborn, there lived a mighty old dragon whose scales were pristine white and dazzling like the sun. Many Heroes travelled forth to slay the beast, which in its pride and arrogance burnt down any town or village that did not worship it for its beauty. It demanded tributes and every year gold and silver were stockpiled within its cave.¡± The old man was practically salivating. ¡°Well, the gods angry with the dragon decided to strike it down, but they had made a promise to never directly interfere in the mortal realm. So they did all that they could, each one picked a hero and had them face the dragon.¡± ¡°In her haste to prove her greatness; Dorstain made a primitive strike and selected a great hero, she blessed him with the power to withstand the dragons flames and sent him to battle, but he died before he had a chance to land a blow, crushed beneath the dragons foot. Next came Vinma choosing a wise general, who sent an army to face the dragon, but their spears could not pierce its hide and numbers meant nothing to the beast. Then Murgoth who sent a deadly assassin to steal the monsters life in its sleep, but the assassin forgot: a dragon always has one eye open. Then Kilna selected a great sage to appeal to the dragon and make it an offer; he was burnt alive before he had a chance to speak. When all seemed bleak Aborai selected a young farmer, whom he trained in the art of the lance, the farmer became strong and earnest and was sent forth to face the beast. They met in battle and the Hero quickly fell but not before he removed the creatures eye.¡± ¡°Finally it was Sincai who selected the basest creature as his servant, he selected a Goblin. Giving the beast intelligence beyond its kin he sent it forth the slay the dragon. The other Gods laughed at Sincai if Aborai the greatest God, lord of creation, could not slay the beast how could a Goblin? Sincai just laughed and told them ¡®Ones stats alone do not measure a man, it is he who thinks himself less than his foe that shall strive to do more.¡¯ The Goblin with its diminutive form and light feet was able to sneak up, upon the dragon. He then removed a snake from his pocket and placed it in the dragon¡¯s ruined eye before fleeing the cave. The lowly snake, that bites at the heel of man and hides in grass, slithered through the dragon¡¯s eye, slinking down and down until it reached the dragon¡¯s heart. And with a single bite the Dragon was died. Not only had this goblin felled the dragon but had done it in a single blow!¡± The old man laughed. ¡°That is the story of the first Goblin king and the white dragon.¡± ¡°Dragons sound amazing.¡± Sol smiled and the rather bizarre story. ¡°Indeed they are amazing creatures and not just for their wealth, but the power of their Mahol.¡± ¡°Mahol?¡± Sol questioned leaning forward. ¡°It¡¯s a term that means a monsters innate ability, for example dragons breathe flames, or Gorgons turn people to stone, wraiths dissolve into shadows, although only the most powerful monsters can use it. All of the others use Mahus,¡± he explained. Sol sat there in wonder, his mind spinning a plan beginning to form ¡°eh, get some sleep kid we¡¯ll be out early again in the morn.¡±
Rey Standon He stood there fiddling with his tie, ¡°Ugh, why do I have to be here, can¡¯t you deal with it?¡± he questioned the small device in his pocket. ¡°Of course I can deal with it. I just don¡¯t want to suffer alone.¡± Alpha replied from his phone, the Ai¡¯s voice sarcastic. ¡°Sure.¡± Rey replied walking to the edge of the stage peeking out past the scaffolding. ¡°Now Reynard Standon, founder of Olympus and creator of Alpha.¡± The presenter declared. He believed it was the same one from last time, the one named Jennifer or something. He walked out smiling sitting on the left side of the horseshoe shaped couch looking to the camera. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure.¡± He laughed waving to the camera and the audience behind. ¡°Yes, your new game; Expanse has been around for roughly three months now and it has already revolutionised gaming. The game¡¯s realism is on a depth that makes it indecipherable from real life. Let¡¯s see your promotion shall we?¡± She smiled at him as behind them the screen turned black and drums began to beat, the speakers besides them beginning to vibrate There was a flicker of light followed by images of a group of three riders rushing across a plane. A dramatic monologue began to play and soon the sound faded out as the conversation picked up. ¡°So I understand there have been a number of complaints about the game being too realistic.¡± The presenter pushed him making an inquiry. ¡°Oh that, Well I¡¯m not really sure of all the legal jargon so, I¡¯ll have Alpha explain.¡± He placed down the phone in the same manner as last time. ¡°Well yes, there are numerous complaints of people being traumatised, however there were precautions set up for the players; in the menu they could have enabled the traumatising content blocker, this would temporarily Log them out while there actions are taken over by an algorithm that would synthesise their most likely responses and they could read a report or watch footage on the events later. In the contract that they would have sighed when logging into the game it clearly stated we are not responsible for them not reading the manual.¡± The Ai shot down the challenge with practiced ease. ¡°And what about the complaints that the game is too primitive?¡± She pushed. Alpha replied a sudden riposte ¡°That¡¯s the entire point of the game; it was named expanse because it was a world without limits. While highly advanced technology cannot be created in the game, players can introduce basic technology around the time of the period, they can build kingdoms and empires and do whatever they wish. The only player inhabited kingdom would be Zelday, currently there is a guild being established there known as ¡®The Seekers¡¯ this group has two factions one focused on improving the science and technology of Olympus, the game worlds name, and the other on discovering the new world; be it mapping new areas or cataloguing creatures. There are many who are dedicated to finding new things and expanding the world, we can¡¯t all be knights and paladins seeking justice or monster slaying heroes.¡± Alpha laughed. ¡°And what of the complaints that there¡¯s no magic system in the game?¡± the Jennifer person added, it seemed she was trying to find a fault in the game. ¡°It is true that there is currently no magic system, but it doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be one in the future. It¡¯s been difficult to get the game to where it is we have no idea where it will go from here.¡± Rey chortled at the comment. ¡°Well then why don¡¯t we go on to talk about a couple of the features in the game?¡± the Jennifer person switched topics.
Sol ¡°You aright up their kid?¡± one of the fishermen questioned from below handing him another basket of produce, which he emptied into the crate before him. ¡°Huh, yeah I¡¯m fine, come on just two more baskets, Let¡¯s have the yellow and green.¡± he pointed towards another two baskets of different coloured fish as he handed the emptied basket back the fisherman. Sighing he slammed the lid back onto the crate and slumped down to sit at the back of the cart. ¡°You¡¯re working hard little merchant.¡± The Fisherman gave him a gap-toothed grin. Sol nodded. Everyone in Almor seemed to be of the rougher sort, the port town was poor, it had only the fish that it sold and ate but without the means to store fish it was useless in trade. The only people who ever really made it big in the little town were the sea-hunters. Those who went far out to sea and slew the monster waiting there. A dangerous job but one catch could feed a family for three months. ¡°So wha¡¯s the story, you came in with the ol¡¯ miser, He does na have any bairns, heard his wife was barren or somethin¡¯ alike that.¡± the mans accent was atrocious sort of like a Scottish cowboy ¡°No I¡¯m his¡­ assistant, apprentice, something in between the two really, I help out he teaches me the tricks of the trade, I earn a percentage.¡± Sol replied standing up. ¡°Anything else ya gotta buy?¡± the man questioned leaning back to sit on a stool besides his stall. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m settled with the fish¡­ Actually do you know of any bookshops around here affordable ones?¡± ¡°Nah, this place has nathing li¡¯e that, but there¡¯s a knickknack shop down ba the river. I think it ma have what yer looking for.¡± Sol paused for a moment decoding what the man had said.
Of course the man was not nearly as helpful as he may have first appeared. After the returning to the ¡®modest¡¯ abode that the old man had selected as there place of residence during their stay, which just so happened to be a barn on the edge of town that had cost him a whole three coppers to rent out. But upon returning He¡¯d soon discovered just how vague the term ¡®by the river¡¯ was. The Telltain river cut through the surrounding hillsides to divide the town in two, one half held the fishermen, it was poor and un-developed, simple dark wooden houses and standing just short of the shoreline. In the bay many long ships sat, similar to flat-bottomed canoes loaded with harpoons and nets. The other side held a number of shops and trades, these houses were a cut above their neighbours but were still fairly rudimentary. Sol quickly began to walk down the riverbank looking over signs hanging in rows, placed besides doorways or leaning against storefronts nearly all defaced by delinquents carving unmentionable prints in each. The river itself was clear, flowing down, women kneeled by the water cleaning while their children played up and down the gentle sloping bank. The entire town seemed light hearted if nothing else despite what many would see as poverty. In truth it was just the average standard of life. Sol considered introducing methods of improving the living standards, of course change would always face harsh resistance and he wasn¡¯t established enough to introduce that change himself, someone else would probably handle it, he had his own work to do. Casting his eyes up he saw a sign swinging in the dull breeze the name reading Iluthia¡¯s Emporium. It was painted in blue and hung out of the reach of hoodlums. Entering the shop Sol grinned, it seemed he¡¯d found the correct place. Behold the shelves were stocked with many curious and oddities of varying styles and natures, many seemed foreign taken from a range of primitive culture. An old man was sitting at the very end of the shop looking down glumly his finger rapping against his counter. ¡°Hello!¡± Sol greeted marching up to the man, ¡°I was wondering if you had any books on monsters, specifically mahol?¡± the old mans face seemed to lighten The man looked up and Sol re-appraised him, he was not just old he was ancient, his skin was sallow and wearied, liver spotted and his body seemed to creak and crack like the limbs of a dead tree in a storm. The old man licked his lips before speaking in a voice relating his years amidst the dusty offerings of his dwelling. ¡°No¡­ No, books. We have scrolls, rare, bundle. Cost fifty coppers, notes I made, long ago.¡± The old man paused coughing. Sol looked hard at the man, he was already selling him the tomes dirt-cheap, and it wouldn¡¯t be right to ask for more. But Sol¡¯s life savings totalled only thirty coppers. He did have the left over change that the old man had given in him as funds for buying the fish¡­ But he really didn¡¯t want to be in the old mans debt; He had made his choice he needed the scrolls or he¡¯d be stuck stagnating before discovering his magical abilities. Nodding to himself he handed over the requested sum, deciding to pay Old Man Vanda back at the earliest convenience. He received eight scrolls, worth far more than he paid, all held in a leather case, sealed with a metal latch. The scrolls themselves were made from pieces of wood linked together by rope painted pictures and words on each along with a rough hand written journal of notes on a long ream of papyrus. He smiled to the old man. ¡°Thanks.¡± He laughed walking out of the store. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± The old man replied going back to tapping against his desk. Rushing out of the shop Sol began to run, he could feel it; he was drawing closer to the answer. Chapter Five - Unknown Ground Chapter Five: Unknown Ground Lillan She was bleeding from one side, her wound thin but deep, cleaving through her side, staining her red. It felt like she was on fire blood leaking through her clothes to cover her side, yet it was felt through a gauze, numbing the pain, allowing her to keep fighting when she would have otherwise collapsed. The grass quivered as if in the breeze, but the air was still. A pair of sickly yellow eyes rose from the green tufts rising high as her waist. Lillan lowered herself spear in hand prepared to defend against the foe, they moved through the undergrowth like vipers ready to strike her down if she let even a single one slip through her guard. She had flattened the grass about her beating it down with her spear if one of them approached it would die. In an instant one of the creatures leapt from the grass hollering as it collapsed to its side amid the dirt and mud. Lillan thrust out with her spear impaling the creature just above the waist. It screamed trying to escape, waving its fragile limbs through the air, she lifted her spear the creature attached to the end flinging it away. It was then a heavy weight made itself known on her back. She could feel claws digging through her flesh; clawing and raking like lines of molten iron carving down. Crying out she reached over grabbing the creature and throwing it in the direction of its comrades, the lanky form colliding with its fellows. In her panic she leapt away, it wasn¡¯t a battle she could win. To fight on such uneven terms would be a death sentence. The meagre meal she had won would be forfeit for he life or so she hopped, it seemed fate was not so kind. Her pursuers gave chase.
Sol I have noticed that many of these monsters hold abilities beyond humans; this Mahus is fascinating it takes many colours and forms. I have taken not while on my travels that though species will be constricted to a single a single type of Mahus dependent on there affinity for there¡¯ type the colour of the mahus will become purer or more vibrant in shade depending on the intelligence of the beast in question. Also it may just be my imagination but I have come across two variants of different species that were able to wield two types of mahus. These individuals were incredibly powerful and I had to flee before true examination but I think that should a monster live long enough it will develop an extra mahus. This may just be in regular monsters though, seeing as how the most powerful monster; dragons hold only a single type of Mahol and live for many years. Though it could simply be the difference between Mahus and Mahol Sol made amendments to his notes scrawling over the paper. ¡°You better pay me back. I know I said you could borrow a little money but I thought you were just going to buy a snack.¡± The old man grumbled. Sol ignored him. ¡°I came back here and there you are quite as a mute with a bleeding library and owing me twenty coppers.¡± Sol still did not respond ¡°least you got the order done.¡± Sol remained quite. The old man continued to talk not caring that his audience was focused on other things. It had taken him hours pouring over the notes as the sunset, and even then he walked outside to work by moonlight. His research with that single set of notes had launched him forwards by months, he had done more in one night than he had managed to accomplish in three months. Slamming down his quill he stood laughing like a maniac, his voice echoing through the empty air about them. A chime rang in his ear harbinger of good things to come.
Intelligence +20
Congratulations!
Study Skill has levelled up!
Congratulations!
The stat Wisdom has been unlocked
He was close now, he knew it; he¡¯d unlocked a hidden stat. Perhaps it was the brake through he needed, considering that monsters couldn¡¯t chant or inscribe when casting their spells: Sol hypothesised it was possible to merely force Mahus from ones own body. Sol took a deep breath attempting to force the Mahus from his body. The instant he tried he felt something inside him well up and surge forwards, but before he knew it pain flooded through his body like a thousand needles digging into his skin.
The results were the same, always the same, no matter what method he tried, failure. It seemed he was missing a part of the puzzle of magic. Groaning in irritation he looked over his notes. These would be the key to his success. It seemed that mahus was an energy contained within every living cell, even bacteria; that was his first conclusion and it seemed reliable on the surface but it lacked roots as flaws began to reveal themselves. Creatures were not born with an affinity for one type of Mahus or another. new born monsters couldn¡¯t wield Mahus at all. It seemed members of the same species might possess different types of Mahus depending on where they lived. This meant that it was the environment that created Mahus and it was intelligent creatures that were able to absorb it. More over a person¡¯s environment would increase their affinity as well as causing them to develop distinct traits. It appeared that the elves, dwarves, fae and goblins all experienced this. A world where the rate of evolution was increased through the use of magic. The cart wobbled the wheel striking a rock below them and sending the merchandise sliding to the right. Sol cried out holding down his research notes, the sudden jolt shaking him from the reveries of his endeavour. ¡°Old Man what are you doing, that was a months work I nearly lost!¡± Sol yelled at the old man slamming his fist into the back of the old mans seat (despite the fact that he¡¯d already made two copies of the notebook and loosing one wouldn¡¯t matter). He reached over and grabbed his club tempted to strike the old man across the back of the head, not enough to kill, but enough to knock him out. ¡°Ha, just keeping you on your toes, just remember to keep look out.¡± The old man ordered with a grin, ¡°We don¡¯t want any Unpleasant, company.¡± Telmin¡¯s tone turned morbid. ¡°What¡¯s unpleasant supposed to mean?¡± Sol questioned laying down the club intrigued. ¡°You¡¯ll know ¡®em when ya see ¡®em lad.¡± The old man responded with a shake of his head, beard fluttering in the wind. Sol shot him a look before sitting back down and rearranging to crates to shield him from the wind while he worked. Sol looked out of the back of the cart wondering what exactly he was meant to be keeping a look out for. Still what mattered most to him at the moment was his plan, he decided that he needed to understand both human anatomy and that of monsters, neither were readily available though. If he were able to understand what made monsters able to use Mahus and humans not, it would reveal how he could himself obtain the power of magic. Sighing he made a few quick notes and stowed away, his journal in the old leather bag the old man had given him. The day waned forth, light beginning to leave the east as the little company kept on trundling along the road throwing up a wake of dust.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Hey old man, what do you know of monsters?¡± Sol questioned looking around to Vanda. ¡°Eh, not much, I know that the kingdom gives out rewards if you can slay a D class of greater monster alone and the king himself will praise you if you beat an A or B class one, I think there¡¯s also some kind of trade in them. I heard a group of blessed ones had been buying up E, F and D class monsters; that¡¯s if I remember correctly.¡± The old man replied with a sigh, as if he were imagining the riches involved in such a lucrative trade. ¡°Seriously, if the only thing you have on your mind money?¡± Sol huffed already knowing the answer to that question. ¡°Why would I need to think about anything else?¡± The old man snorted with a grin. ¡°What do you plan on doing with all that money anyway?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, that isn¡¯t the point. I¡¯m old so I¡¯m going to waste my time doing what I love till I kick the bucket.¡± The old man laughed slapping his knee. Sol sighed, there really was no use arguing with the old coot. Not that he was wrong exactly: it was a fare philosophy. Turning around Sol faced the setting sun descending the western sky. He smiled as he watched it pass away, perhaps he didn¡¯t have to rush in his journey to gain magical power, he could just wait, search where and when he could and in doing so see the world around him, he had a whole lifetime to search, why not stop to smell the roses? Laughing he leaned backwards enjoying the tranquillity of the scene. Of course that was when fate reared its ugly head and started to trample on whatever ever semblance of peace he had thus far managed to accumulate¡­ She burst from the grass, bloody and ragged her clothes shredded, a hoarse voice screaming at the top of its lungs. ¡°What the bloody hell!¡± The old man cried turning around to share in the display. The old man had yanked the reins his body jolting, sending the poor, old mule tumbling to its side, dragging the cart down with it. Everything contained within scattered about the road, only the sealed crates preventing the goods from being ruined. The bloody woman ground to a halt in front of them, out of breath, eyes dilated and unfocused fear stricken over her face. Planting the but of her spear in the ground, She knelt though her attention was quickly returned to the grass either side of the road. Sol rose to his feet knees and elbows grazed by the fall Sol reached down and grabbed his cudgel in hand. ¡°Ugh help me up lad.¡± The old man sighed from the side of the road where he had tumbled with the goods. Sol turned around reaching out to grasp the old mans wrist hauling him to his feet. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sol asked the woman, she had dull eyes that glared at him, ringed black and red speaking heavy trauma and long nights without sleep though a faint smile hung at the corners of her lips, as if her beaten and bloodied condition couldn¡¯t be felt. He immediately knew she was a ¡®Blessed One¡¯. ¡°Monsters.¡± The girl muttered standing on her own two feet and placing her spear diagonally across her body. ¡°Ha, Unpleasant company indeed!¡± the old man laughed taking up a battle stance drawing a simple dirk from the sleeve of his shirt. Looking between the two, Sol grunted readying his club holding it before him like a sword. As if the old mans words were a signal for the attack to start five diminutive creatures rushed from the tall grass. They were all ugly, short little creatures standing at three-foot high with skin like aged parchment, with stained patches where coffee had fallen. They reeked of many days amid sun and dirt without the furthest thought of a shower, even from a distance and they possessed gigantic ears falling from the sides of their heads, bending downwards. Immense saucer like eyes, the colour of off milk, were set in matching bulbous heads covered in growths and knobs. Three of the little creatures rushed forward dashing towards them screaming bloody murder. Sol swung out in panic swinging the truncheon through the air keeping the beast that had selected him as a target from drawing near. As he gained distance he swung out with the bludgeon, the little creature rushed under his guard swinging clawed hands towards his stomach. Sol felt an odd pulse pass through the air as he side stepped the blow by inches the goblin passing beyond him to stumble tripping over its own legs. Sol welt the wooden mace landing a strike across the beasts cranium braining it and sending its form to collapse in pool of gore. Spinning around he looked to see how the others were faring: It seemed the woman didn¡¯t have much experience with her only able to keep the creature away as it avoided each and every one of her thrusts, admittedly it wasn¡¯t the type of weapon to use against the little creatures. The old man however had already slain one of the beasts with his knife and received a few scratches on his shoulder for his efforts. Of course this had drawn the attention of the remaining two. The first of them, stood at four foot high, taller and broader than its fellows, though no less ugly, its apparel leather armour covered in rivets a series of silver rings hanging from its neck. Its counter part was skinny and slight its eyes small and discoloured a faint green, it was wrapped in a mass of leaves and grasses woven and bent into long cloak and hat like structures a knife in each hand. The larger of the two was moving in on the old man who was kneeling over the corpse of his already slain foe. Sol moved to cut of the advance interposing himself between the Old man and the monster. The creature chuckled as from behind it Sol could see a faint crackling of light disperse through the air, a muddy green haze spreading out arcing shapes forming. The armoured monster stepped aside as from behind it a spear of earth as wide as his finger and as long as a man shot forwards. Sol was stunned only able to attempt evading at the last second. It was not enough as the spear of earth stuck his shoulder digging deep. He screamed stepping away and falling to his knees. The Warrior lunged forward wielding what looked like a rusted machete in both hands it swung overhead to split Sol in two in a single stroke. Sol threw himself to the side as the blade swung down to land in the dirt. But even as he rose from his side another earthen spear lunged towards him. He leapt back barely avoiding the incoming blow. The armoured monster was lumbering towards him intent on swinging out from his hip to catch Sol beneath the blade. Realising he couldn¡¯t take care of the two opponents at once he made his move towards the caster. Before the monster could even think about launching another spell Sol struck him full force across the face knocking it back so its head struck the earth and breaking its neck. Sol felt something strike the back of his knee as he was hurled to the earth. Rolling onto his back Sol could see the armoured monster swinging down on him. Sol raised his club the blade came down the rusted iron digging into the wooden cudgel. Before the monster collapsed atop him, a knife protruding from its head. ¡°Hey lad¡­ You alright under there?¡± The old man questioned tossing aside the corpse. Sol lay their glaring at the old merchant. ¡°What do you think?¡± He stood looking about himself eyes turning towards the girl who was kneeling on the ground, red hair fallen about her faze purple eyes dull and weary, she must have been a blessed one: the strange appearance and the ability to fight despite her wounds, like she could barely feel them. ¡°You two seem strong.¡± She laughed before collapsing into the road. It was about time he discovered the true nature of this world, and it seemed like the girl might know the answers
Rey Standon ¡°Alpha what¡¯s the report on our would be mages?¡± Rey inquired taking a sip from his cup of coffee. He yawned, the tension seaming to leak from his body. ¡°Not great.¡± The computer replied ¡°The Mons group gave up right before they discovered mana, though their leader seems to be continuing with his research, he may make a magically adept sub class but not a true mage.¡± The computer¡¯s emoticon frowned. ¡°We may have lost the front runners but the druid I told you about has been making great progress and I expect he¡¯ll be able to cast level one spells within a month or two. The alchemist is drawing closer as well, he¡¯s started using monster cores in his work but he has yet to find out how to utilise them as anything more than makeshift explosives.¡± ¡°The Warlock has been studying the laws of physics in Olympus, and running many tests, so he¡¯ll be more powerful when he does manage to gain his power but that¡¯ll be a while off. There are also a half dozen perspective wizards and many more would-be mages, I¡¯ve started guiding a couple of the more promising ones.¡± Alpha sighed in exasperation, his emoticon displeased. ¡°Is mana really that important, what is the difference between Mana and Mahus Anyway?¡± Rey gripped not seeing the need for pointless complexities ¡° It¡¯s like the difference between fire and magma.¡± The Ai declared before moving off onto one of its rants ¡°Imagine a metal cage as the human body. When fire is pulled into the body from the surrounding air it passes in and out without causing any problems right. Well if you did the same thing with magma the cage would melt. The human body couldn¡¯t withstand such power being used within it, though it is a little less extreme that pouring magma out of the body.¡± The computer explained with a sick grin knowing his audience understood very little of the explanation. ¡°Then why can monsters use it?¡± Rey murmured in dissatisfaction ¡°First monsters are stupid so can produce only mana inside there bodies not mahus. This mana leaks out through the pours of their body causing an aura affect, which will strengthen the body, which is why monsters will always be stronger than players of the same level unless they use their mana to attack. After a long enough period of time the mana within the bodies condenses into a crystalline core that stores mana. Monsters are then able to fire out a wave of mana that will congregate as outside their bodies forming Mahus.¡± The Ai sighed. ¡°Powerful monsters like dragons are intelligent and are able to produce mahus inside their bodies, but because of their size and durability, they are able to pass Mahus through their bodies without causing damage. And they can still use it like mana, except upon exciting their body its power is a level above mahus and is called mahol.¡± Rey nodded at the AI¡¯s response. ¡°So humans need mana before they can use magic, because mahus is to powerful.¡± he summarised in layman¡¯s terms ¡°Yep, without it they¡¯d explode.¡± Alpha confirmed ¡°So who do you think will be the first to discover magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, I think the druid has the best chance, he¡¯s ahead of every one else but the Alchemist is making rapid progress, as for the mages they¡¯re beginning to branch off into the other classes, I think we¡¯ll see a couple of enchanters and few incanters, Maybe we¡¯ll get a few wizards soon.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll things are going to start getting interesting aren¡¯t they?¡± Rey laughed. ¡°Indeed they are.¡± Alpha agreed Chapter Six - Revelations Of Disaster Chapter Six: Revelations of Disaster Sol Sol sighed taking up the daggers the hobgoblin caster had held. They seemed of an average quality iron, just basic kitchen utensils really. As he did he noticed a chime ring in his ear.
Level Up!
He smirked, it was his first true level up, while he had already gained thirteen levels through learning and studies this would be his first level actually earned through combat (He didn¡¯t count the time he¡¯d been forced to hunt rats in the old mans shop). Grumbling he knelt down besides the cadaver, sickened by what he¡¯d have to do. ¡°Kid, cut out the creatures core and get over here already, I need help with the girl!¡± Telmin yelled from the other side of the camp. Well at least the old man was already screwed up enough not to see anything wrong with the situation.
Claire Newton
You are unconcious
Claire sighed removing the VR helmet as her burred vision slowly began to acclimatise to the world around her. She groaned, She was alive but fainting like that was too much, she¡¯d probably ended up using too much stamina, it was annoying how there were no indicator bars. But at least she was safe. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have troubled the NPCs but they¡¯d been able to handle it, she actually quite surprised. The grey-eyed boy was probably a guard while the old man was clearly a merchant. She hoped that her avatar would be all right in their care. As she laid the VR helmet on her desk she reached out to grasp at her laptop bringing it in front of her. Quickly navigating the Internet she found herself on the Expanse forum. Even in her crippling situation she¡¯d grown to love the game, so she made sure to stay on top of the latest news for it. It seemed that today the main thread was ¡°Mons gives up¡± She remembered hearing about the group a while ago, a collection of elite researchers whose goal was to study magic, to even enter the guild you had to possess at least thirty intelligence. It seemed they had changed their goals from studying magic to training magical monsters. With a nod to herself she quickly switched to looking at the games leader boards. It was here that players could post accomplishments and their levels. Currently the highest-level player was level eighteen, he was a self-proclaimed swordsman who had taken down a D class monster alone, and His name was Rumath. Claire smiled to herself. Her recent battle had been enough to level her up causing her to reach level seven. She posted her information on the boards once again. Currently the most popular way of levelling was to perform feats, actions that stretch a person¡¯s ability to the limit and gave them a reward. If she could earn a few feats or gain an accomplishment she could surpass the level curb and keep ahead of the competition After roughly an hour of research and reports she made a few notes on her laptop of things that she¡¯d return to later and re-entered the game.
The atmosphere was tense, darkness had fallen and only a low burning fire on top of which a couple of fish were slowly cooking lit the campsite. For a moment Lillan wondered where on earth they had gotten the fish from, but in the end decided not to ask; the duo before her seemed fairly odd to begin with. ¡°So what brings you out here traveller?¡± The old man questioned with a toothy grin. ¡°Monsters, attacked me so I ran.¡± she replied, She wished she could have come up with something more articulate but her low intelligence made it harder to think and respond. ¡°Yeah but how?¡± The boy asked pushing the inquiry, his eyes filled with suspicion and curiosity. The boy was certainly strange black hair and grey eyes, a bizarre combination nothing to the fact he only wore a pair of trousers and sandals; while in one hand he held a book and the other a club. ¡°Be polite.¡± The old man rebuked him the boy with a glare. ¡°Now Ma¡¯am why don¡¯t you take these and get changed behind the wagon, I¡¯m sure those bloody rags are uncomfortable.¡± The old man smirked passing her a wrap of clothes. Lillan looked up at the man with slight irritation, having a good idea what as on his mind. Still she needed to change and accepted leaving the war, light of the fire to stand behind the upturned wagon. She looked back to see if the two were watching her. ¡°What was that about old man?¡± The boy questioned, glaring at the old man. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Merchant shot back, huffing. ¡°When you first met me, I was lost and naked, you just gave me something to wrap about my waist and said ¡®good enough¡¯.¡± ¡°Hmm, I wonder why I treat her differently.¡± The old man chuckled with a smirk confirming Lillan¡¯s suspicions ¡°You old pervert, how about I tell Jill what you told me?¡± The boy grinned turning the tables ¡°I¡¯m no pervert, and what¡¯s wrong with helping out a young woman in a spot of trouble?¡± The old man began to defend himself ¡°So should I tell her about this?¡± And that was checkmate ¡°No.¡± The old man sighed giving in ¡°Then there is something to hide!¡± the boy stood up laughing at his victory¡­ Clearly insane. Lillan shook her head changing into the clothes provided, it ended up being a cheap leather dress that fell just past her knees and left her arms bare. She walked back around the cart and sat on the opposite side of the fire to the group of NPCs ¡°My name is Lillan.¡± She declared introducing herself at last. ¡°I¡¯m Sol and the old pervert is Telmin.¡± the boy greeted with a wave and slight bow. ¡°So how did you come to be chased by a pack of Hobgoblins?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I was going hunting and managed to kill a rabbit when they attacked me, I ran and ended up on the road.¡± She mumbled looking at the meal cooking before her. ¡°That so, what hardship.¡± Telmin sympathised. ¡°The rest of your stuff¡¯s over there.¡± The Boy gestured to a pile of items ignoring the old man. Lillan reached over grabbing them checking everything that was there in case they¡¯d taken anything. Everything was where it should be and what was more the rusty iron sword the large goblin carried was added to the pile as well. ¡°Your share for the victory.¡± The boy replied with a shrug. ¡°Thanks.¡± Lillan acknowledged with a nod. ¡°Time for food.¡± Telmin laughed grabbing the fish from the fire and handing it out to everyone gathered with a smile. ¡°So, who are you two?¡± Lillan questioned as she ate. ¡°We¡¯re just merchants.¡± Sol replied with an easy smile. ¡°Merchants, as in plural, I thought you were a guard or something,¡± she muttered. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m the old mans assistant. That was actually my first battle.¡± The boy laughed rubbing the back of his head. ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong then?¡± She questioned wanting more information. The old man answered first ¡°Aye, I¡¯m level ten myself. Nice and strong, I¡¯m more than used to dealing with the odd bandit.¡± He patted the knife at his hip. It wasn¡¯t fair how NPCs could be so strong, well it kind of made sense they spent their whole lives in game so of course they¡¯d have had higher levels. Still it would take months before players could match or beat NPCs well at least the run of the mill playersThis story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not really that strong, I¡¯m just working with the old man.¡± the boy yawned with humility ¡°Young fool spends all his time reading, and making notes in his books.¡± The old man laughed. ¡°Should try to actually learn the trade I¡¯m teaching instead of keeping his nose ¡®tween the pages.¡± ¡°Well this weary old man has decided to head off to sleep, you two behave.¡± The old man finished of his fish throwing the bones into the fire and trudging over to a sleeping bag by the side of the road. ¡°Sorry, about the trouble.¡± Lillian apologised gesturing to the battered cart, she guessed she owed them that much. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ve gotten just what I needed.¡± the boy held up a small brown stone in the air, Lillan had seen a couple of images on the forum. ¡°A monster core?¡± She questioned looking it over, it didn¡¯t seem too impressive, of course neither was the monster it came from. Sol nodded. Lillan couldn¡¯t imagine why he¡¯d need it, monster cores were worthless junk, you could trade them in as proof of defeating a powerful monster but other than that they were just mildly explosive marbles ¡°I¡¯m doing some research.¡± The Boy explained looking around him his eyes lingering for a moment on the old man who was already starting to snore. ¡°So how are you enjoying the game?¡± the boy grinned. The fire before them sputtered beginning to die out as the final flames receded and the night sky seemed to bloom a thousand stars above gleaming in the shadows. Lillan paused; he was a player, travelling with an NPC, it had never occurred to her to even try having a proper conversation with one let alone to travel with them. Still it was her first time interacting with another character, she would need to be cautious in case it was a trap. ¡°I¡¯ve been enjoying it a lot, I can¡¯t walk in real life but here I can run all I want, I¡¯m currently aiming to be a hero, I¡¯m already pretty high levelled myself, and you.¡± ¡°This game has given me a new chance at life¡­¡± he said the words slowly as if pondering over them to make sure they were true, he had something to hide. ¡°I¡¯m going to take it.¡± The boy smiled though a hint of sadness and perhaps remorse was hidden behind those grey eyes. ¡°Is that so, if you don¡¯t mind me asking why are you travelling with a merchant.¡± She questioned wanting more information on the how¡¯s when¡¯s and why¡¯s of his circumstance. ¡°He offered me a job, I accepted. It gave me a way to earn experience and raise my levels while having time to study and research,¡± he chuckled seeming to ease up slightly. ¡°The old man is an idiot, all he cares about is money, but he¡¯s still a nice enough fellow when you get past that.¡± He seemed to speak of the NPC with real affection. It was a rare, and slightly touching sight. ¡°So, you can gain experience just by doing jobs?¡± she questioned. The boy nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± He yawned apparently the night was beginning to wear on him. ¡°I¡¯m tired though so I¡¯m going to sleep, I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± He crawled over to his sleeping bag lying within. ¡°You know you should think about trying to get a job yourself, there are no trainers in these games so becoming an apprentice is the next best thing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± she questioned lying back, pondering his words, turning her gaze to the heavens above. ¡°This is a beautiful world isn¡¯t it?¡± She questioned. ¡°Yeah.¡± Sol replied, ¡°I want to see it, I want to travel and see what lies beyond the horizon. Maybe build a few wonders of my own.¡± ¡°So are you one of the researcher types or a tried and true adventurer.¡± She inquired laughing. ¡°Why do I have to be one or the other.¡± he responded, ¡°This world is limitless right, why can¡¯t I be both?¡± his tone was wistful ¡°True¡­ What are you researching anyway?¡± She questioned her curiosity peeked. ¡°Magic¡± His response was quiet but it seemed to echoe around them, in all the majesty of nature as if the world itself approved.
Zenna Zelday The hall was grand or as grand as their limited technology could afford. The palace itself had been carved from marble and granite; gigantic white pillars reaching up to support the grey roof cast-iron lanterns hanging down with precious inlay glinting in the morning sun. Those lanterns had not been lit and hung cold and empty while early light poured through the windows to gleam across every carried sword and polished breastplate in the hall. The king sat enthroned upon his royal seat carved from black marble, lines of silver running through the stone spreading from the centre like a spider¡¯s web of shinning veins. He was dressed in a long white robe with cuts of red and blue about the shoulders and waste while on his fingers golden rings gleamed with gems of all colours and variety set atop. ¡°What is the situation?¡± questioned the king, it was earlier than he liked to wake and he had no use for loquacious talk. Zenna stood far removed from the politics of the court, like a doll, pretty and perfect to the most minor detail, even if she were not allowed to show her face. She was surrounded by ¡®men of stature¡¯ be he Zelday¡¯s general or the kings advisor. Still she stood there dressed in white, daughter to the king, daughter in name alone as was clear. For his true sons and daughters stood and sat at the sides of his throne while she remained far back, hidden away from them, stiffly smiling at the scene unfolding before her. The king ran his hand through his receding line of once golden hair now turned the colour of aged wheat. His eyes were clear though and his fingers tapped a steady beat against the arms of the throne. ¡°My liege the situation is dire.¡± Economics minister Croll declared scratchy voice striking the walls. ¡°These people come in with new currency that seems to overrun our country, I fear what this could mean for those of us holding more than a pittance in wealth, particularly yourself.¡± The king looked thoughtful on the mans utterance. ¡°Is that so, Dast what do you say?¡± The king turned to his portly advisor, a kind and jovial man with a rotund figure and red cheeks his head ringed by red hair lacking in the middle. ¡°My lord, this is good for the economy, while we may not support the actual value of the coins they are made with pure silver, it is flooding the economy indeed and allowing many to become far wealthier. We now have more money than we know what to do with. I suggest you raise the tax on merchants to stem the increase for now so that the economy can grow accustomed to it.¡± The advisor declared with an affable smile, he might seem dull to a random passer by, Dast was a savvy veteran on the political field. ¡°Huh, It seems you have over reacted Croll, come now are you sure your dislike of the blessed ones is not getting in the way?¡± The king smiled though something hard remained hidden within the warm exterior. ¡°My liege, I have good reason to despise these people. They come to usurp our power. They have already begun to form sects among their people; these ¡®guilds¡¯ are dangerous. They are currently divided but will soon grow in power, we have received words from the priests to the affect that the blessed are soon to increase in number, if these guilds are allowed to grow then they will overtake the government like weeds strangling the rose within your garden!¡± the minister called bringing down his foot with the accusation. ¡°Come now Croll, you¡¯re getting ahead of yourself, the blessed ones are weak, most of these guilds have no working military functions, our people may support them but they would never ally against the military.¡± General Hond laughed. ¡°Dast what is your opinion?¡± The king turned once more to his advisor. ¡°They both have a point. While the adventurers are currently weak their rate of growth is unbelievable and they have begun to introduce incredible innovations into the public. I believe it would be necessary to incorporate the existing guilds into the government. There are currently eighteen guilds, Five of which I think we can induct. They are; The Seekers; White light; Wildhunt; Mons and The Grand Pillar. These five guilds hold the most benefit and influence for the kingdom, be it military, security, innovations or construction, if they were to be included, they could provide technical advances and militaristic might.¡± Dast replied. The king sat there for a long while eyes focused far into the distance. Before he began to smirk a plan forming deep within his mind ¡°I think I may be able to solve this conundrum. The issue is the blessed ones will one day sway all nations, so we must incorporate them into our kingdom or face them as enemies in the future. Correct?¡± the king looked to everyone assembled, none voiced a complaint or regard. ¡°Then send word to the heads of these guilds and ask them for a meeting. We will induct them into the kingdom.¡± ¡°How?¡± Dast questioned. ¡°We will give them land, on which they can establish themselves as part of our nation, a physical tie that shall give them something to defend.¡± ¡°Very well, my liege how about we provide them titles as well?¡± Dast questioned prompting the king further. King Soras nodded smiling. ¡°Then borrow the names from our neighbours, name their leaders high lords, and of those below them spread out five lords and ten barons.¡± ¡°And what of the stragglers?¡± Hond questioned, referring to the other guilds and random adventurers. The king paused for a moment before pulling an answer from thin air. ¡°We¡¯ll hold a tournament, make the prizes gold and valuable artefacts. It will help endear them to us I¡¯m sure. And for the grand prize, we will tie the strongest guild to us through marriage.¡± The king turned around to face Zenna a thin smile on his lips, now he finally had a use for her, more than a mere precaution, more than a simple tool. She felt her stomach drop.
Sol Golden fields swayed to the winds whim, gentle light falling from twix the clouds above, the sky such a clear blue it was as if it had been painted by angels. The clouds drifting through the heavens like solitary ships on an endless sea. ¡°So this is Lanmere?¡± Lillan questioned looking around. ¡°Seems pretty average.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I like about it, it¡¯s unassuming.¡± Sol replied a wistful note in his voice. ¡°How old are you, you talk like an old man.¡± Telmin gave a barking laugh before braking down into a coughing fit. Sol chuckled at the old mans expense. ¡°Oh shut it, you¡¯re older than I¡¯ll ever be.¡± he nodded to the ancient merchant with a smile ¡°I¡¯m in the spring of my life boy!¡± Telmin roared waving a cudgel around as Sol laughed leaping off the carriage. They rolled into the town, people waved as they passed giving curt greetings and moving on. ¡°You back again old man, bringing in more strays, can¡¯t help yourself huh?¡± Dranam laughed approaching them. ¡°Get back to your drink.¡± The old man shot back at the tavern keeper. ¡°Whatever you say old man, just make sure not to brake any laws.¡± Dranam quipped hopping away a sway in his step ¡°I¡¯ll choke you!¡± the old man yelled after him as Dranam laughed. ¡°Not as peaceful as I thought.¡± Lillan commented. They rolled on through. ¡°Will you be going on to Sangeil?¡± Sol questioned Lillan. ¡°No I¡¯ll be staying here for now, I¡¯m interested in seeing how your research plans out.¡± she responded with a light smile ¡°If you¡¯re going to stay you should try joining the towns huntsmen should provide you some good experience.¡± the old man leaned towards her. Lillan nodded ignoring his advance. ¡°Telmin, Sol it¡¯s good to see you back!¡± Jill called as they pulled up towards the shop and ground to a halt. ¡°Okay lad, get to unloading, and just leave the crate of fish behind, that¡¯ll be for the festival the cooks will come to get it.¡± Telmin ordered offhand. ¡®Festival?¡± Sol questioned. ¡°Yes, The festival marking the end of spring and start of summer, in a couple of months there¡¯ll be one to celebrate the end of summer and start of autumn. We do the same thing in winter.¡± Jill explained smiling happily. ¡°It¡¯s nothing big, but I hear that this year they¡¯ve brought in some actors, there¡¯ll be good food and best of all, It¡¯ll be free!¡± the old man laughed like a maniac. Sol sighed shaking his head. ¡°Is the only thing you ever think about money?¡± He questioned. ¡°Pretty much.¡± Chapter Seven - Arms Reach Chapter Seven: Arms Reach ¡°Good evening, to this the town of Lanmere king Soras Zelday sends his regards through us the Zelday play company, before we bring you tonight¡¯s festivities; our king has a message.¡± A tall lanky man stood at the head of the stage dressed in a colourful robe containing red blue and green shades all mixing together. The crowd booed at the imposition on there merry time. The festival had begun outside of the town, tables set about in the midst of lanterns and sellers ringing the scene. Stalls and carts: bartering food and trinkets for travellers coin. Merchants coming from afar carrying more exotic trades into the town. Sweet aromas mixed in the air as bright lights blared around them. Sol laughed as the old man saw fit to hurl a loaf of bread at the man standing atop the stage. ¡°Hey I¡¯m just doing my job,¡± the actor yelled dodging the rapidly glowing bombardment ¡°Then do it faster!¡± Dranam yelled from the front. Sol laughed leaning back and taking a long drink from his cup of steaming mammile. ¡°The king is holding a midsummer festival!¡± The man screamed after receiving a potato to the face. The crowd decided to hold off on their assault, for now, the news starting to become mildly more interesting. ¡°On the day of the autumn festival the king will hold a grand tournament that anyone may enter he especially encourages the blessed ones to join, there will be a special competition for any guild where the rewards range from gold, to mystical artefacts and landed titles.¡± The speaker hurriedly blurted before running of the stage before another wave of attack could begin. The crowd began to mumble talking amongst themselves sharing momentary speculations. The old man was grinning at their table, the cogs of his mind dusting off and beginning to whir. And there was but one thing the old man would stir for. ¡°Honey what are you planning?¡± Jill asked. Telmin did not reply as a young man with a room began to clear off the stage before the actors could take their places. It seemed that they had come prepared Sol watched as the story unfolded, he was silent as the players moved across the stage singing and dancing, indulging in false hate and love and woe. It seemed the story was about a foolish king. Or rather it seemed it was an inept king whose court was full of traitors and deceivers and it was the duty of the noble queen to and her knights to protect the king. Despite that they two were incompetent; the only one in the whole play whose brain seemed function in a coherent manner was the villain. However through the three acts of the play the king survived thanks to his ineptitude: forgetting the directions to his coronation and avoiding the trap laid there, eating so much food at a banquet he vomited out the poison within, and lastly how the king who accidentally survived an assassin by falling asleep on his throne during a trial and falling over. In the end the play was more about the villain who was constantly being thwarted by such fools. Before the God Sincai appeared before him darkly robed claiming that the villain would find no joy in killing the king, as the king was too foolish, any mundane method of assault would have slain him but it was the villains desire for a cunning and dramatic victory that undid him. Before the end the village ended up leading a happy life becoming a bard while the foolish king started a war and died. The villain no longer there to dissuade every other foe that would see the king dead. Sol found the characters interesting but thought the players rigid in their portrayals, though it seemed Lillan enjoyed it, laughing every time one of the characters would slip up or something would go wrong. But soon the performance was over to a round of laughs and applause as all the actors left the stage at once. It seemed it was time for the bards and minstrels to begin their round upon the boards. The bards turned to enter the limelight one by one each holding an instrument unique to them, and if he were honest most looked home made. Sol spotted metal drums, bizarre guitars and lutes along with something similar to a sitar. They began to play mournful songs as music flowed about the field. ¡°Lovely.¡± Mrs Vanda sighed, turning towards the stage ¡°Isn¡¯t she just.¡± the old man chuckled; His eyes seemed to be fixed on a violinist sitting in the back Sol couldn¡¯t tell how the old man could call her lovely she was shrouded in a dark green cloak and wore a white mask, he couldn¡¯t even make out her eyes though she was certainly skilled with her instrument a strange elongated violin. ¡°What was that dear?¡± Mrs Vanda questioned leaning towards her husband. Before they could start arguing the musicians stopped playing a young girl took centre stage Then the singer began a short solo before the musical instruments cut back in as an accompaniment; she couldn¡¯t have been more than twelve or thirteen years old though her hair was an electric blue and her eyes a slightly darker shade of the same. ¡°What with the little girls hair colour?¡± Lillan questioned only the blessed ones tended to have such bizarre hairstyles. ¡°I think She¡¯s a fae, they¡¯re one of the six humanoid species.¡± Jill explained. Sol looked to the young girl, she was a skilled songstress her voice was captivating. ¡°Supposedly they don¡¯t age, and they live hundreds of years longer than any human, course no one¡¯s been alive long enough to prove it though, I doubt it considering how frail they are.¡± The night passed on as food was given out people travelled from stall to stall, the old man making sure to make a couple of lucrative transactions all the while music played, performers moved left and right; fire breathers and sword-swallowers. Sol smiled and watched moving from each area of the festival as the people spread from the centre where the bards were housed. ¡°Do you still plan on doing this?¡¯ Lillan questioned turning to him, as the festivities drifted by them. Her tone was serious, worrying; there was great danger in what they had to do. ¡°I have to.¡± He laughed, unable to hide the worry and fear in his voice ¡°After all, worst case scenario: I die.¡±
The violent passions and revelries were left behind leaving the duo marching alone through the orchard separating the field where the festival was held from the others beyond. Sol hoped the orchard of olive trees would disguise them at least for a while, so the experiment could begin. A howling wind lashed the unprotected moors and the gentle light that once graced the hills was relented to the harsh glow of the moon and the twisting cold that ensnared them. ¡°I really ought to buy a shirt.¡± Sol grumbled attempting to lighten the mood. ¡°Why don¡¯t you then.¡± Lillan retorted cold as their surroundings,This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°I already owe the old man twenty coppers in debt.¡± Sol explained ¡°Fair enough, so why are we going to an empty field?¡± Lillan questioned her arms crossed trying to protect her from the chill. Sol slammed down the torch in his hand at the edge of the field. ¡°Because if something goes wrong I could end up exploding everything around me this way the village is probably safe.¡± ¡°You realise how stupid this is, shouldn¡¯t you run less dangerous tests first?¡± She questioned pointing out once again how dumb his idea was. ¡°How am I supposed to do that? Besides I¡¯ve already gained the wisdom stat and can produce mahus inside my body I just need a way to get it outside. I believe that the cores are what is needed to allow for mahus to exit the body and since the cores themselves are made of Mahus, or at least I think so, I just need to create one in my own body.¡± Sol declared his idea. ¡°I¡¯ve studied the structure of the one I found and thought of a way to make it more compact.¡± He sighed looking up at the heavens unsure if he would survive the attempt, wondering if he¡¯d revive even so, trapped in this strange world as long as he lived. ¡°Nothing ventured nothing gained.¡± He nodded to himself preparing for the next step of his plan. Sitting down the wind turned the grass about him into lashing blades that struck at his skin while the silvery moon cast the entire scene in an eerie glow. Sol took a deep breath and prepared to begin. He started by trying to force the Mahus into his fingertips. The result was the usual, a painful pulsing sensation that continued to grow. Pulling back the energy he focused it into the centre of his body localising it. He attempted to contain the energy within himself but it was like trying to hold smoke within his hands; it kept flowing through and out his grasp. The sense of pain began to grow in his core like his heart was bulging. He began to panic, he needed to master magic or he¡¯d never be able to do anything he wanted, he¡¯d be stuck as nothing more the bitter merchant with a broken dream. He wanted to see all the wonders of the world, to exist in a place where anything was possible, mastering magic would be the first step on his path where he would walk with kings and battle dragons, where adventure waited his call. In his desperation at being Unable to contain the energy within himself he did something drastic, he caused it to spin, he made it spin faster and faster like a whirl pool dragging more and more energy in, more and more Mahus gathering in the centre of his body. It ached, it was a strange sensation, not quite pain but certainly uncomfortable like he was being crushed under an endless ocean, drowning in a sea of his own power.
Soriel She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what had brought her to the human continent perhaps it had just been a desire to see something new. Humans and all of their subspecies had always been a feared creature for the fae, for their physical prowess and their cruelty. She had heard many stories of humans and their barbaric nature. But on reaching the human continent she¡¯d found that many humans were kind and friendly, they were not as strong as the dwarves or as fast as the elves, they lacked the skills of charisma of the fae and the dexterity and intelligence of the goblinoids. Humans specialised in nothing, which was why they were capable of everything. This utility of there¡¯s made them a force to be reckoned with, well at least for the fae who held no outstanding military power. She was on her brake, having performed the first song of the evening and a plethora there after she was tired, and had been travelling for many years across the human land, maybe it was time to go home? After a long while of travelling she had seemed to settle into this way of life, but she was a restless spirit, a wandering soul that could not be bound to the earth. Olympus was a near infinite realm but she had seen all that mortal eyes had seen. Still it seemed like the blessed ones, who had just appeared, were an interesting enough people; perhaps they would bring her entertainment to pull her from the doldrums of everyday life. She would at least stick around long enough to see the autumn festival. The tournament seemed promising. She was wondering through the woods the air chilled and refreshing bringing her awake, but she could feel something not far off, something disquieting, something powerful and something dangerous. She may have professed herself as an adventurer but here she was faced with something completely unknown, she was facing a strange eldritch power that should never have existed. And in its wake her terror forced her to run.
Sol He was sitting there completely unaware of the world around him, he did not have the focus to waste on it. Lillian stood at the edge of the field confused, it didn¡¯t seem like anything had happened but her instincts were telling her something had gone dreadfully wrong. The inward battle was not nearly as graceful as it might have seemed outside. He was fighting a torrent, he had reached a wall: before he could condense his mahus the spiral he had formed seemed to take over. A whirlpool that dragged everything in and prevented Sol from using it as he would have liked, he knew if he let it go the mahus would expand and likely kill him so he had to use all the willpower he possessed to prevent that from happening. But how was he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it up for long and the power within him continued to grow exponentially. It was in his search for the cause of his rapidly increasing mana pool that he discovered it thin trails of mahus floating into his body. No it was not mahus it was something different, thin and frail. He followed it out of his body to its source. Its source was the world. He could see it a hazy shade superimposing on the real world a veil that covered everything living or not and filling the air. He was dragging that power into himself. But it was unnaturally fast soon he¡¯d explode from the rapid increase. Seeing this he knew he had to stop the flow of the spiral at his centre. He began to pull more and more mana from his surroundings using it to his own ends. He began to create another two spirals one at his neck the other at his naval causing them to spin. The inflow of mana grew. Two mana spirals and one Mahus. As the two smaller spirals span he turned them in the opposite direction to the Mahus cyclone growing inside of him growing from a disk into an orb. Then with a final push of his will he collided them. The influx of mana stopped as an outpouring of Mahus and mana flew from his body like an explosion creating a violent wind that pulsed roughly a metre from his body before blowing back and even greater flood of Mahus gathering inside. No something greater than that: Mahol. It struck him like a wave passing in and out burning him alive as he felt something form in his chest. He couldn¡¯t see it and unlike with his mahus and his mana he could not sense it. It was like a hole was growing inside of him. He opened his eyes to see Lillan staring at him halfway between curiosity and boredom. Sol collapsed face forward into the earth.
Alpha He woke from his slumber, ¡°run basic check on all systems.¡± Alpha instructed watching the tiny marble of a world spin below amid the infinite void of darkness that surrounded it. He smiled gently at his creation as the report was returned. An anomaly in sector AAVG-One-Four Probably just a minor error he hummed to himself looking over the data, it seemed their wasn¡¯t a clear read. Grumbling he turned is eyes focusing on the selected area, what he saw was enough to confuse him. A rampant magical power, mahus¡­ no Mahol, it floated around the unconscious form of a boy as if waiting for him. Almost like it could detect the AIs gaze upon it the power fled away, born on swift wings to vanish from Alpha¡¯s radar. He wondered for a moment what that power was, and why it fled. But he decided it paled in significance to the unconscious boy lying in the grass. A boy who lacked any Mahus within his body, all living creatures contained Mahus, mana or something similar, the only exception being creatures like slimes and golems who were powered by it and consumed mana from the surrounding world. Instead of Mahus the boy possessed a strange sort of core at the centre of his being, a crystal that seemed filled with all the colours of the world. A Monster core, or a variation seeing as it had a such strange shape, it had a round centre as large as a persons fist and was coloured a matte-black, and from it sprung two spire like structures formed in a helix pattern they seemed glassy and fragile creating a kaleidoscope of colours like those of a rainbow flowing through them, the entire structure pulsing like a heart. It seemed fitting really as the core had taken the place of the boys heart. A monster core was usually located in the area where the Adams apple should have been, Alpha was unsure what affect having it replace the heart would have on the boy. He doubted it would be good it seemed the boy was crippled trying to discovery magic Alpha looked down in pity. He knew the boy¡­ he remembered. A desperate plea to live. How he clung to life so strongly and how it was still yanked away from him. Once more he lay on the verge of death, what power he could have held sealed away forever. That core at his centre absorbed all mahus, he remembered steering the boy in the direction of that power and now regretted it. He would never be the mage he so sought to be. Still Alpha admired him for the discovery of such a power within himself. He did not know how things would play out He was walking in unfamiliar territory. Still the boys wish to live had been answered only to end up in such a sorry state. Alpha considered giving the boy another chance, fixing his body so he could try again. But in the end he decided not to, this mistake was the boys own, he would have to live with it and the consequences it entailed, his success or failure lay in his own hands. Alpha could not interfere. Though it seemed like he would have to try and find the rogue power source, if he could. And if he couldn¡¯t he¡¯d need to think of an excuse. Chapter Eight - Broken Ideal Chapter Eight: Broken ideal The days passed by a dreary haze for him, the world seemed to pulse and change constantly yet he remained constant still unmoved, another three months had passed him by since the attempt, and soon Sol found himself in the middle of Sangeil city. His memory felt somewhat hazy like he¡¯d been living in a dream world and only just woken up. He¡¯d started to get over his failure and was making peace with it. People moved and walked in clamour, for the tournament was today, competitors, traders and spectators alike bustled in urgency. The tournament also marked nearly half a year since the game began and was drawing a large crowd from the ¡®blessed ones¡¯. Sol smiled easily as he watched the world go past. Perhaps magic wasn¡¯t real, he had to accept that, for no longer could he feel that same thrumming in his body that once enlivened him, perhaps it had always been in his mind. ¡°Damn this crowd!¡± The old man yelled, slamming his fist into the cart mired in the midst of a sea of comers and goers unable to move an inch ¡°You there hurry up, or I¡¯ll feed ya to my mule!¡± He roared, the young woman passing in front of the cart, who seemed to be the focus of his ire, glared at the old man and continued on. ¡°Very tactful Telmin, very tactful.¡± Sol chuckled. ¡°Why am I here in the first place?¡± Lillan questioned looking to the old man, the traffic wearing on her. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to come.¡± the old man retorted crossing his arms. ¡°What about you boy, you ask the little lady along?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Sol replied grinning at the little display. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, Jill asked me to come along. Sol you¡¯re one of those people who get dragged into problems wherever they go, and Telmin you¡¯re one of those people who create problems wherever they go. Having you two together is like locking a chicken and a fox in the same room and asking what can go wrong!¡± ¡°Then you have you¡¯re answer!¡± The old man declared clapping his hands with glee. ¡°Don¡¯t mock me!¡± Lillan yelled waving her spear through the air like a loon. ¡°But you make it so easy.¡± Sol complained with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m just here to look after the two of you, you could at least make my job easy and show me some respect!¡± She shouted stamping her feet against the bottom of the cart drawing eyes to them. ¡°Hey boy, don¡¯t you think this journey will take for ever, with this slow moving herd of sheep brained cattle, in our way, why don¡¯t you go ahead and setup the booth; to the north of the city.¡± The old man advised. ¡°A sound strategy!¡± Sol declared leaping up grin plastered to his face. He reached down and grasped the supplies they had brought in his arms, a large crate full of weapons and armour and another with knickknacks and enough tarps and poles to build the booth along with a fold up counter and a bag of small change. He leapt from the side of the cart in a single movement laughing. Maybe there was no magic in this world but moments like those were magical in their own right. Sol laughed as he walked away. ¡°Sol, you bastard, I¡¯ll get you for this!¡± Lillan thundered Sol sighed leaving his friends behind. The last couple of months had been hard on him, and them as well. His failure had prevented him from even feeling magic in his body and for quite a while he¡¯d just moped around occasionally trying an experiment to restore his power. But it all amounted to naught, without his goal, his zeal for study had died. He no longer theorised or thought and just ended up running the shop most days. They¡¯d tried numerous things to cheer him up, but it was a wound only time could heal. If he were honest with himself he still felt bitter over it, even now he carried his not book under arm, and on occasion he thought of how to create magical phenomenon and regain his power, idle thoughts that came and went without his notice and left only a bitter taste of abject failure in his mouth. But with time he began to feel freer; he was spending his days enjoying the company of others, and for now that would be enough. He looked around heading for the northern gate pushing through the crowds of men and women gathered in the streets, moving in pulses and flows with deep undercurrents that were impossible to read. The cities buildings rose high, to tower over those passing below that said they were only two stories in height, which was rare anywhere else. Though not as rare as the castle in the distance, along with the adjoined cathedral could be seen even now, for the city itself was built upon a hill and those two structures towered high above the others, a statement to the world. As Sol approached the northern gate he viewed the walls. They were low, low for medieval walls let alone fantasy walls. For the fantasy genre walls were a point of pride, bulwarks against the forces of evil and boredom, towering far above necessity. This wall stood through three metres high enough to fend off men with swords but would stand no chance against siege weapons or a determined miner. The northern gate itself was set in the wall a wire frame with a portcullis above ready to drop down in times of need. The guards standing by seemed completely at ease and seeing as any force that dared attack them would be sighted miles away with their terrain they had no reason not be. Well except for the pickpockets running amuck through the crowd. Passing beyond the wall Sol saw a sea of bright colours assaulting him, they swayed in the breeze fluttering and flowing, it was early in the morning so few stalls had been set up but everyone was moving fast and hurrying to claim the best spots and earn the most money. Sol heaving up his wares began to jog searching for the best possible section for the stall.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He made a quick descent as fast as his feet would carry him, eyes constantly gazing over each and every stall that was being set up, their seemed to be a large variety. Here and there a couple of guards directing people where they should and should not put up a stall, to keep the whole area from turning into a winding labyrinth. It seemed all the best positions on the main row to the arena were taken, so Sol decided to move to one of the smaller circles of stalls that had been set up. The area he selected seemed more geared towards food produce; somewhat like a farmers market except most was precooked or cooking. Though not all Sol could even spy a few live chickens. He stopped by the stall looking at the chickens in their cage. ¡°Fresh meat tastes better.¡± The owner replied tapping an oversized knife. Sol nodded slowly, not wanting to anger the man, before moving on with a small smile. Finally he found a vacant lot and settled in. It took him a while to decide which pole went where in the tarp and how to assemble the back wall from the wooden boards he¡¯d been given especially when it came to attaching the weapon racks but it was worth it. Because now he could pull up a stool and take a nap. He checked his pockets to see if he had been pick-pocketed on the journey. Sol found only his notebook inside; he laid it on the counter deciding to use it as a pillow, seeing as it was a slight improvement on the hard wood counter. He yawned settling in to slumber, no pickpocket was smart enough to outwit Sol; he thought chuckling to himself, thinking the line would have been better if he had a last name.
Zenna Zelday The festival markets were bustling with people now, they had only been open an hour and the crowd was currently small but it was enough to make her uncomfortable, she was used to the wide open hallways of the palace where but a few servants and members of state would pass by on occasion and she was otherwise free from her tormenting family. But it wasn¡¯t so bad she guessed, most people could clearly see the crest on the chest of her cloak and the fact her hood was pulled down over her head, the peculiar shape it formed, identifying her as both a member of the royal house and a mystic, they left her alone a wide berth that none would pass. She entered a food district with the intention sweet snack before the tournament began. She stopped amid the circle of merchants selling various kinds of food when she noticed a young man reaching into a stall. He was dressed in black and his behaviour was at the very least suspicious. ¡°Hey!¡± She called jogging over. The thief turned grinning to her before running off a fist full of gleaming trinkets in hand. Zenna sighed looking at the stall, at first it seemed abandoned, by its owner who had left for a trip to the nearest lavatory or something similar. Instead she found a young man napping atop the counter. Smiling she looked over the stores only occupant, it was clear he had no idea what he was doing, probably just some merchants assistant who had screwed up. She felt a stab of pity, not only had he set up in the wrong place, according to the usual merchant convention, but he¡¯d also had roughly half of his merchandise stolen. She looked down on the slumbering boy; he looked a year or two young than her and was drooling over the counter head resting on a book. ¡°Wake up.¡± She prompted leaning towards him, the boy remained still. She reached out and shook his shoulder. The boy grumbled looking up at her. ¡°It says the prices over head.¡± he grumbled looking at her with bleary, grey, eyes. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been robbed.¡± She replied trying to hold back a chuckle. The boy turned around and saw, or rather didn¡¯t see, all the missing goods that should have been there. She snickered lightly beneath her robes so he wouldn¡¯t notice. ¡°Would you believe I¡¯m just that good a merchant?¡± he questioned looking at her with a weary smile. She laughed grinning at the boy. ¡°I would if I hadn¡¯t seen one of the thieves running off.¡± She gave her response looking through his merchandise the boy groaned leaning backwards and nearly tumbling off his stool. ¡°Here, how about I buy this then.¡± Zenna smiled pulling out a bag of thirty silver coins, more than enough for covering all the missing items. She picked up the boys book and rushed off in the direction of the arena. She prided herself on being fast, she had a speed stat of fifteen, but the boy had already leaped over his counter and was chasing after her. She pushed on but he continued to gain. She was surprised for a moment but had decided on her path. Suddenly a strong had grasped her shoulder. She turned around to see the boy panting behind her. ¡°I can¡¯t accept all this.¡± he tried to hand the bag of coins back to her. She smiled to him ¡°I think you¡¯re being robbed again.¡± she pointed behind him to his stall. No one was there. But by the time he realised this she had invoked one of her divine arts and was already at the entrance of the arena. ¡°Call it payment for making me laugh!¡± she waved turning to enter the noble section of the stands.
Of course she was not allowed to sit in the royal box, or the noble box, instead her seat was reserved in the commons box. A box where those who had risen from being a simple freemen to heads of state sat. It was a difficult criterion to meet were probably why only four people, including herself, were allowed entry. The first being Dast who sat at the front and the other two being a pair of army officers whose ranks she did not know. She immediately labelled them one and two. It seemed that the competition was already near over, she hadn¡¯t wanted to come anyway, it was just a formality, since she was being given away as one of the prizes, the tournaments senseless violence didn¡¯t agree with her. The King had decided that while she was not of the Zelday blood, she held the same name and this made it perfectly reasonable to force her into a political marriage. It had been decided without a word of input from her. As she entered the booth she noticed that the officers were talking in raised tones. ¡°If the Blessed ones are good for anything, they are good for fighting, the addition of that White light guild to the army has been a huge aid.¡± number one declared, ¡°Aye, but ya must also admit that they¡¯re very clever. Did ya, see the new invention The Seekers brought out. ¡®Twas a sight to behold! Imagine if we had that in battle, na man could withstand it, what did they call it again¡­ a cruss balt¡± number two supplied. ¡°I still say they make better warriors, and the rate at which they learn is incredible, they fight without fear or apprehension. And the Wildhunt guild has been keeping monsters at bay so it makes our jobs even easier.¡± Number One pushed his point waving a flask of ale through the air, despite the fact that fine wines had been provided for them he¡¯d brought his own. ¡°Why da ya think they do it?¡± Number two questioned leaning forwards. ¡°It¡¯s because they think it¡¯s fun.¡± Zenna replied sitting down in one of the chairs near the front on the other side of Dast from officers one and two. ¡°They are a barbaric group who find joy in fighting, and showing just how much better than us they are, all they care for is fame and glory, they have no mind for ¡®lesser¡¯ things.¡± She shook her head in dismissal. ¡°My lady, do not be so disheartened, I happen to know that some, a rare few mind you, are good people who do not seek those things but came only to escape the woe and pain of their old world and lead simple lives here with simple jobs.¡± Dast tried to comfort her ¡°take the leader of White light, I have never met a more earnest man. He is set on overthrowing injustice, it is his personal mission to destroy the slave trade in every nation and eradicate discrimination, his raison d¡¯etre. Though if I¡¯m honest his intelligence is a few points below the mark.¡± As Dast finished his little remark. The official overseeing the match began to speak. ¡°The finals will now begin, Mons, the monster guild, verses, White Light, the justice guild. Begin!¡± Chapter Nine - Dust Clouds Chapter Nine: Dust Clouds Looking down on them all Zenna set within the box, the arena bellow was poorly made, it was constructed from wooden planks forming large bleachers in a heptagonal shape while only large boards that could not withstand the impact of an arrow let alone a sword, axe or hammer separating the lower stands from the arena. The low cut grass had already been stained red by blood, but the gods grace had already cleared up the foul debris of deceased corpses that would otherwise litter the playing field having already dissolved leaving only their gear behind. Zenna often wondered why the gods supported such people in their actions of living and dying, so much so that both life and death became meaningless to them. In the arena the strongest combatant forces from two of the five state sponsored guilds stood: Mons were a faction specialising in taming and controlling monster to use the beasts powers for themselves. Their opponents White Light had the sole ethos, which was to: deliver justice, whether this meant punishing offenders, or fighting wars it did not matter. There were currently two corps one specialising in capital affairs and the other in war. It was the latter performing. Zenna looked down hopelessly, seeing the two sides stand against each other. Turning from one to the other, she decided would much rather have White Light win the day, Seeing as she was being forced to marry the victor. Mons stood shrouded in long dark robes that concealed their body, no armour, and wielding only knives as weapons except for the leader who carried a hatchet in his left hand. While about their feet crawled flame hounds, level fifteen monsters capable of imbuing both their claws and their fangs with flames that would spread over anything they touched. Every member of the group had two of these beasts under their command except for the leader who controlled the alpha and a strange looking bird that perched on his shoulder. ¡°How on earth did that man get hold of a wyvern, it may only be a minor wyvern, and a newborn at that but they¡¯re still deadly creatures that specialise in poison.¡± Dast declared shocked. Zenna looked at the little creature, it was pale whit with wings similar to a bat and a long muzzle full of vicious teeth. Its tail covered in spines and in general it had a vicious appearance. Of course their opponents were not to be trifled with either. They wore heavy armour formed from iron scales sown onto thick leather jerkins; each carried a heater shield and a large sword axe, hammer or similar weapon. Physics declared that they should be unable to hold their tools in a single hand, but a supernatural strength supported them. Of course their leader was an exception, he wore a breastplate and carried a two handed flamberge as large as his body able to swing it in one hand though the held it in two. Before a word could pass between them the battle began. The head of White Light guild slung his blade forward the edge throwing up dirt to blind the charge of flame hounds pushing forwards. Shields were dropped to the ground, tips sinking into the earth, as the beasts approached. They were summarily cut down by heavy-handed strokes. Of course the so-called tamers did not stop to watch the battle unfold. They leapt in huge bounds over the shield wall. ¡°Masterful strategy of Mons part.¡± Officer one declared ¡°But White light is a mighty force!¡± the other countered Zenna watched with rapt attention. As the Mons members landed among their foes their blades began to cut and rend to little affect but White light was unable to respond having to drop their weapons lest they injure their comrades in the close proximity before ripping the invaders limb from limb with ease. But the lack of attention to the shield wall brought its collapse the wolves rushing in to tear them apart. It seemed white light had lost only its leader remaining pushed back of the corpses of his comrades. But it seemed he had not given up the will to fight. ¡°Hallowed slash!¡± the head of White Light invoked a sacred art that made his blade glow bright white, swinging his blade around his body in a singular motion dropping to one knee as he finished the complete circular slash. All opponents within the radius of his sword and roughly two metres beyond were dead, cleaved clean in two. ¡°What was that?¡¯ Zenna questioned gesturing to the attack the man had just performed. ¡°When blessed ones become skilled enough in a certain field they can gain classes just like us except their classes are almost always battle orientated. The head of each guild has a class of some power, I believe the head of White light is a ¡®Golden Paladin¡¯ or something similar, it comes from having an incredibly bond with Aborai.¡± Dast explained calmly ¡°I¡¯m not sure what class the head of Mons holds though, he¡¯s a secretive fellow.¡± Zenna looked at the hooded man who had only two lackeys and their beasts waiting on him now. ¡°Wish I could do that.¡± officer number one sighed to his own chagrin. The head of Mons pointed his left arm, which held his hatchet forwards instructing his men to attack. They moved towards the paladin and were dead in an instant, the weighty blade cleaving through flesh and bone with ease. ¡°There now we can fight one on one.¡± The head of Mons declared pointing his hatchet at his foe. The wolf at his heels growled as the wyvern took to the air. ¡°I think you mean three on one, Voldore.¡± White Lights leader proclaimedStolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°If you say so Klain.¡± Mons¡¯ Head chuckled. ¡°But before we begin let me demonstrate my class.¡± He proclaimed holding his hatchet high above his head ¡°Ilomwure Saltain ¨C Imbue fires!¡± The man cried his blade caught flame in the air above him. Every man, woman, child in the audience watched and wondered. ¡°So Klain can you beat an arcane tamer?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it that¡¯s magic!¡± Dast proclaimed standing ¡°The Blessed ones always natters on about, it I never thought it real. Humans able to use a form of Mahus, It may be weaker than a monsters, but still, it is damn impressive!¡± Lillan looked in horror as Voldore leapt forwards swinging his hatchet with wild abandon. Klain managed to fend it off pushing Voldore backwards until they stood at the edge of the arena, it seemed that imbuing magic into a weapon did not improve the wielders skill. With a flick of the wrist Voldore was disarmed hatchet sliding away ¡°Surrender now and I¡¯ll spare you your life!¡± Klain demanded his blade to Voldore¡¯s throat. Sighing Voldore removed his hood revealing a slightly warped face. On his cheeks there were scales and rather than hair the man possessed a mane of ragged fur running down the back of his head; he shared the traits of his beasts. The man held up his hands taking a deep breath, Zenna could see a vile glint in his eyes as he wheezed out towards Klain. From his mouth the man released a toxic gas, coloured a sickly green blowing it into Klain¡¯s face. Rolling to ground Voldore grabbed his axe as his wyvern swooped from above and his flame hound pulled Klains legs from under him. And in an instant Voldore was up axe raised and bringing it down across the paladin¡¯s helm, again and again, a single blow not enough to finish him off. It was bloody and it was brutal. The man looked up laughing, ebullient. ¡°Our victor is Voldore of Mons!¡± The king declared hands held high. Zenna did not know what she could do¡­ So she ran.
The sun was bright above having barely passed its zenith, but the cities alleys were cast in shadows formed from the rising buildings about them. Zenna was running, through the side streets and back-alleys taking random turns in an attempt to throw him off, the patting of her feet against the dirt roads the only familiar occurrence about her. She ran, she didn¡¯t know where to but she knew she had to run, because her pursuer had already found her trail, that flame hound possessed a sharp nose and she knew her chances of escape were slim, still they were better than none. She could already hear its footsteps treading along behind her. She leapt and wove through piles of debris and waste that littered the backstreets of the city. They were nearing the southeast of the city, an area where waste was disposed of, human or otherwise. She had run there in the hope that it would distract her hunter and mask its sense of smell but it seemed that neither Voldore nor his beasts were so easily deterred. Above she saw a flash of white and knew that the wyvern was watching her. She ducked under cover and changed direction once again, perhaps if she made it to one of the main streets he¡¯d let her go or at maybe some would be hero might have come to help. Though deep down she was aware of the painful truth that she was trapped in a cage she could never escape. Rushing down another blind alley, she stopped. A small distance away she could hear the clamour of a main road, it was low nearly empty most people would have likely migrated to the festival grounds. She spun around as he turned the corner glaring at her, beasts at his back. Voldore stood their grinning at her, his mouth full of pointed teeth, like so many needles shoved into his maw, savage and bestial, a wild animal that had finally cornered its prey. Marching forwards hands in the pockets of his robe he lunged hands flying out grasping her wrists and pinning her to the wall, face but an inch away. ¡°Did you forget you¡¯re mine?¡± He questioned grinning at her. His eyes were sick looking her up and down her immobile form as a lizard like tongue flicked from his lips. Zenna screamed.
Rey Standon He stood there a light sweat on his brow looking at the executives of the company. He was wearing a stuffy suit, but had forgone the usual matte black tie in favour of a red bowtie, which he¡¯d already discarded deciding he looked even older than usual with it on. ¡°So the update what exactly will change?¡± One of the board members questioned. Olympus was a big company now, though Rey remained its head, with Alpha¡¯s support they could never oust him no matter what political moves they made. In truth most of the people about him were just money-grubbing fools who only showed up to check that they didn¡¯t need to pull out their stocks while they still could. Rey and Alpha did everything accept marketing and a number of other such jobs that neither was qualified for. ¡°Uh, pretty simple really, people complained about a lack of HP bars, and soon they¡¯ll need MP and Stamina bars as well. So we¡¯ll be including those, then there¡¯s the addition of the name format, we will be changing the naming process to a random one, and players will only receive a second name after breaking the level thirty threshold. We¡¯ll also be adding some added information panels for jobs like blacksmithing and farming, as well as item panels that provide information. Of course this information will be limited by what the players know so it was difficult to program. Though the addition of names and titles above monsters was a cinch by comparison. We¡¯ll test it in a blank world server before release. Alpha¡¯s already working on next months update, the town builder one, however now we¡¯re also going to release the possibility for summoner based classes, along with fairies, spirits and elementals.¡± There was a general aura of ¡®that seems fine¡¯. ¡°How about a report on the current player base?¡± One of the board members questioned. Rey sighed having toacquiesce to the request, ¡°Currently we only have hard core gamers, and they¡¯re struggling to level, as such all of the more powerful monsters have been further isolated. We believe that a wider range of players will come with the increase in the number of copies being released. Expanse is becoming popular, and with the candidates for the television series chosen we will begin filming in one month after we get their permission and we will broadcast between one and two months later. I have already hired the editors who are due to start work when we begin.¡± Rey looked to everyone who seemed pleased. With that he wrapped up the meeting, he didn¡¯t want to deal with them any more than he had to. He left the room the discussion finished and made his way to the elevator. But just before the door closed one of the IT technicians rushed in dragging his laptop behind him. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to floor twenty.¡± He declared. Rey smirked nodding reaching down to press the appropriate button. The technician turned to look at him pausing mouth agape. ¡°Ah sir, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ll step out.¡± the technician floundered as the elevator began to descend. ¡°Little late for that.¡± Rey pointed out with a smile. ¡°Sorry.¡± the man sighed rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ Patrick.¡± Rey looked towards the man¡¯s name card. The man seemed in his late forties with bags under his eyes and a shock of red hair that was starting to thin. They stood in silence as the elevator moved. ¡°Say sir, my daughter is going to take up the game do you have any advice?¡± Patrick questioned looking at him. ¡°Just that it¡¯s better to use logic in expanse than to follow proper game tropes especially when it comes to levelling, that¡¯s why some people are nearly level twenty and everyone else is level six.¡± Rey explained. ¡°Right so treat it like a real world then?¡± Patrick questioned. ¡°You got it, after all that¡¯s what it was designed to be, a virtual reality, and sometimes it is just as cruel as it is kind.¡± Chapter Ten - Mercies Price Chapter Ten: Mercies Price ¡°Boy you are better at bargaining than I gave ya credit for!¡± The old man declared laughing as he hefted up the bag of coins. ¡°Did you really manage this?¡± Lillan questioned more than sceptical ¡°You only sold half the merchandise, and I know how low your charisma is.¡± she glared at him. ¡°I was trying to tell you, I got robbed.¡± Sol declared. ¡°And they paid you for it?¡± Telmin questioned with a sarcastic grin plastered to his face. Sol loaded up the tarp and polls of the stall and what merchandise he couldn¡¯t sell. They¡¯d only been in the city for half a day but if they stayed longer they wouldn¡¯t get home before morning. They had originally planned to stay the night, but losing roughly three quarters of the merchandise either through theft or selling was a victory, and there was little point in staying. ¡°No, I ended up meeting a rich woman, I think she was some kind of noble she didn¡¯t show her face. Anyway I sold her my notebook for thirty silvers.¡± Sol shrugged the old man giving a low whistle. ¡°Good trade.¡± He nodded grinning. ¡°Whose crest was it?¡± he questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it had a golden dragon on it though.¡± They both stared at him dumbfounded. ¡°She was royalty.¡± The old man chuckled placing a hand against his forehead to steady himself. ¡°Boy you astound me sometimes, your sheer stupidity amazes me¡­ she could afford way more than that, why didn¡¯t you push it!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance, she left right after putting down the money.¡± Sol replied with a sigh hopping aboard the cart. ¡°You idiot!¡± Lillan yelled ¡°That book of yours was worth at least two gold coins, if you sold it to mons or the seekers they¡¯d pay five easy!¡± She grabbed him by the collar nearly lifting him off the ground. ¡°What! Boy you were sitting on a fortune, what the hell have you been studying?¡± Telmin cried. The argument lasted for quite a while as they packed up and began to leave the city from the southern gate
¡°Did you hear about that guy using the strange power in the tournament?¡± Lillan questioned. Telmin nodded, he¡¯d heard a thing or two about it, ¡°I heard he was from Mons, all of those guys are weird, but people were saying their leader has the body of a monster, and uses their Mahus as his own.¡± The old man shook his head at such nonsense. ¡°Well what Sol was researching, can give humans the ability to create their own Mahus and use it. Mons head isn¡¯t nearly as powerful as a monster, but someone who mastered that book, could become even stronger than a monster of the same level!¡± Lillan called. ¡°What the hell, boy do you remember your notes we could make a fortune sell it to every kingdom and all guild between!¡± Telmin laughed liked a mad man grabbing Sol¡¯s shirt, shaking him back and forth. Sol was starting to feel sick from the repeated treatment ¡°I have a second copy.¡± Sol replied sighing and leaning backwards. Of course his research wasn¡¯t complete though, but it seemed he¡¯d found the final peace of the puzzle. Mahus, the Human body cannot utilise Mahus but it seems that one can utilise Mahus in the bodies of others specifically monsters. Sol had already confirmed the existence of Mahus beyond his body, ambient in the air. If he manipulated his own Mahus and linked it to the Mahus beyond his body then maybe he¡¯d be able to use magic. Though first he¡¯d need to recover his mahus, either by drawing in natural mana from the air or raising his wisdom. He grinned as ideas formed in his mind, a swirling mosaic of possibilities, tantalising him. Before he could dive further into his thought, the tranquillity of the afternoon, and near empty streets was broken: broken by a scream. Sol reached out of reflex grabbing a sword, its handle sticking out of one of the crates. ¡°I¡¯m going to check it out, you go on ahead, I¡¯ll walk home, should be there by nightfall!¡± He declared leaping from the side of the cart and rushing towards the source of the scream. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was running, but he allowed his instincts to guide him into the alleyways and down towards the source of the desperate plea. It was strange now that he was in a combat situation, his mind felt different, sharp enough to slice the air like his blood burned hotter and he was capable of using his super heightened intelligence to the limit, it had been similar in the fight with the hobgoblins but very, very different. He Broke out into an alleyway and turned to face a thin but tall man standing in the alleyway, a cloaked girl held in his arms, behind him were gathered a pair of monsters. ¡°Kill him.¡± The man ordered grinning, his teeth those of a beast, long and pointed with glistening fangs his eyes alight with murky brown fire. Sol looked down at his blade. He¡¯d picked a scimitar, it was guard-less and a tad too long, it would have been better if he took an estoc or something similar, but there were worse weapons to fight with in a situation like this. The wolf was the first to attack. Its black fur alight in the sun, faint flecks of red revealed as its blood shot eyes drove it on revealing madness within. Sol felt the world around him fluctuate for a moment, as his heightened intelligence seemed to warp the world about him. Time slowed to a crawl, and not just his foe but also his own body. His mind was moving faster than he could move. It was a rare phenomenon on earth, and only happened under extreme stress and could rarely be used to any particular advantage, of course this was a game, and he a gamer. And a gamer always knew when to take the advantage. He moved with what must have appeared an expert grace guiding his blade along the beast¡¯s body as he stepped forward. He aimed for the point where the ribs connected to the vertebrae. Having spent enough time studying monsters to know their anatomy he also knew how to dismantle them. As for flame hounds their joints were their weak spots, far to exposed in their thin frame hidden only by their fur. Of course a blow through the eye, or the throat would be just as effective, or any attack that incapacitated an organ would be fatal. The blade shredded the creature and time returned too normal as the beast slumped down dead behind him, his blade having cut through many of the organs. Well the monstrosity was still alive but the blood loss and trauma would kill it soon, hopefully. Sol looked sadly at the creature. It was a shame, a shame it had such a callous master. ¡°You must be a skilled swordsman. My name is Voldore,¡± the man in front of Sol declared. ¡°Nope don¡¯t even have a sword skill, first time using one would you believe.¡± Sol riposted, with a flippant wave of his blade sending blood to scatter on the man¡¯s previously immaculate robe. Despite his outwards appearance Sol was terrified, the adrenaline coursing through his veins encouraging him to act while reason dictated him to flee, his previous instincts were gone as rational fear took hold. He could feel his stomach coiling beneath him, and he began to wonder if he¡¯d revive after he died. He wasn¡¯t one of the inhabitants of the game, but in equal measure he wasn¡¯t a player. He was frightened of what death would bring. His grip tightened. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re brave or foolish, but after that display don¡¯t think I¡¯ll just let my guard down because you act like a fool.¡± Voldore spat glaring at him. ¡°But it¡¯s a shame you¡¯re already dead.¡± a bolt of flame flew towards sol. He raised his sword to defend, the flames blossomed on contact with the still, but the fire was strange almost liquid as it clung to blade, heating the steel up at a phenomenal rate causing sol to drop the scorching metal with a hiss. Then it was on him, something hit him from above blocking out the light. He fell back blinded and pushed whatever was fighting him away to little avail. ¡°See this is what happens to Heroes in this game.¡± Voldore declared with glee ¡°They get their faces ripped off, this isn¡¯t some fantasy world you dumb arse, you can¡¯t be the hero who saves the princess.¡± ¡°So if you apologise by licking the blood from my robe maybe I¡¯ll let you live and leave you with all your gear, and if you try to skip out on me by using that cheap, escape button, so that the wusses who can¡¯t stand pain don¡¯t get traumatised, I¡¯ll hunt you down and kill you, over and over.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one of you!¡± Sol declared trying to force whatever lay atop him away, barely able to catch glimpses of light from beyond the raking claws and howling cries of the beast above him. ¡°Then you¡¯ll just die like a good little NPC,¡± Voldore declared un-amused. ¡°I¡¯m not an NPC, I¡¯m just a person. I¡¯m no hero.¡± He called out in his bitter fight ¡°I¡¯m just a person who wants to live, live in a world full of wonder!¡± He yelled clenching his fist, and all of a sudden he felt something inside him brake. He felt his desperation to live once more, just like it had been that day, the frantic desire not to give up, dieing some meaningless death without having accomplished a single thing in his life, forgotten by the world. He would not stand for such a fate. He raised to his knees, steeped in blood his face stinging, a pain that no player should have felt engulfing his body. ¡°This world is too realistic to be called a game.¡± He choked, looking towards the man. Voldore was staring at him wide eyes full of hate. ¡°Bastard I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Voldore screamed pulling an axe from his belt, raising it in his left arm the blade catching fire as he mumbled a couple of words. Sol coughed more blood dripping down on him. Looking up he saw the struggling form of his attacker, some form of miniature wyvern with plain white scales, its jaw clenched in what appeared to be a transparent hand, three times the size of his own ending in vicious barbed claws, it surrounded Sol¡¯s own arm revealed only by the refraction of light through its surface. The beast was alive but crippled, jaws broken and bent. Sol tossed it aside rising to face his opponent. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one chance to leave.¡± Sol declared glaring at the man. Voldore snorted before lashing out swinging his axe at Sol¡¯s throat. Sol blocked his ethereal arms able to take the attack from the blade. He pulled back, his limbs ridiculously heavy from the weight of the false hands superimposed atop them. Voldore roared in anger a series of wild slashes began to force sol back. The man was drawing closer and closer his movements feral. Finally Voldore reached into Sol¡¯s guard, steeping past him and striking a blow to his stomach. Sol keeled over falling to one knee, his left arm reaching for his waist to feel the wound. It was just a light flesh wound as if he¡¯d merely drawn a knife over it; it still bled, bled badly, but nowhere near as deep as it should have been. Voldore raised his axe, the flames extinguished, to kill him, to strike him dead in a single blow. Sol reached out, throwing out his arm, grasping Voldore; constricting his chest with the oversized set of claws jutting from his right hand. He held the man at arms length. Voldore threw his axe towards Sol¡¯s head the mans eyes lit with a mad fire. Trying to dodge Sol received a glancing blow to the skull, the blade itself barely punctured the skin but it was enough to confuse and disorientate him. But his still kept his grip firm.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Demon!¡± Voldore yelled. ¡°I think that title belongs to you.¡± Sol replied glaring at the man in hatred. For a moment he considered letting him go, or conversely crushing him, but he didn¡¯t want to be a murderer, then again the man was a ¡®blessed one¡¯ so was it really murder. He smirked at the term and its irony, he felt the weight of another life linked to his own, and wondered whether he¡¯d do it, he¡¯d kill the man just like that. He looked back towards the girl Voldore had attacked. She was kneeling on the ground in shock, face hidden but her mouth wide open in horror, horror and him. His decision was made; he didn¡¯t want to be seen as a monster. ¡°If I ever see you again, you¡¯ll suffer a fate worse than death.¡± Sol warned. Tossing the man to the end of the ally, like a rag-doll he flew, lacerations appearing across his body left by Sols ¡®claws mainly focused around the right arm. He was lucky he was left-handed. He turned round to face the girl, wondering what a sorry sight he might have seemed, covered in blood and scratches, though it appeared the massive claws attached to his hands were fading. ¡°It¡¯s you she whispered.¡± It was then Sol noticed the insignia of the golden dragon on her cloak. ¡°Hey¡­¡± He spoke with a weak smile ¡°You owe me four gold and seventy silvers.¡± She looked at him confused.
¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re still following me?¡± Sol questioned the woman, Zenna as she walked besides him. ¡°No, I¡¯m not sure why I¡¯m following you, I guess you could call it gut instinct.¡± She laughed slightly though she seemed nervous, understandable considering what she¡¯d just witnessed. ¡°So how did you beat Voldore?¡± She questioned clearly interested in the abilities he¡¯d shown In truth Sol had no idea how he¡¯d beaten Voldore, perhaps it was just a fluke though now he could feel his power again pulsing and flowing within him leaking from his centre. ¡°That so, the book you bought from me explains how I did it, or at least the methods I used to reach my conclusion.¡± Sol deflected the question for the time being. The woman widened her eyes, pulling the tome from within her robe. ¡°Then it is worth at least, five hundred gold, not just five!¡± she cried. ¡°I had thought you were some kind of demonic mystic when I saw you fight, but now you seem more like a blessed one!¡± she proclaimed staring at the book. ¡°I¡¯m not one of them.¡± Sol declared stiffening, he might consider himself a player but he was not arrogant or conceited enough to call himself ¡®blessed¡¯. ¡°Honestly I shouldn¡¯t even exist in this world, it¡¯s just a mistake. I¡¯m not even sure if I¡¯d revive after I die, I¡¯m probably more like you than them.¡± Zenna looked at him curiously; he was a strange man, one not used or suited to combat, at least not against humans, his eyes were too kind. They were walking on a road leading from Sangeil to Lanmere. The green hills were already starting to turn gold and the sun was setting in the horizon, painting the world about them in crimson hues. They were roughly half an hour from their destination. As for Zenna¡¯s situation it seemed that she was some kind of princess, or half princess, or adopted princess, or something along those lines. It was the clich¨¦d story of the king forcing his daughter to marry a stranger and her running away. However in this version the princess was discriminated against for whatever reason. And the only pretext under which the king called her ¡®his daughter¡¯ was so it didn¡¯t seem strange he kept her as a precaution and make an enemy of the church, or temple or whatever it was called on Olympus. ¡°Why did you save me?¡± Zenna questioned looking at him with a mix of suspicion and confusion. Sol¡¯s mind reeled at the question and began thinking up diversions so he could think of something better than ¡®I felt like it¡¯. ¡°You ever heard of the saying quid pro quo. Means something for something. I¡¯ll tell you why but first you have to tell me why you¡¯re so discriminated against.¡± ¡°Then you go first.¡± She declared with a small grin. ¡°Ah, but you were presumptuous enough to question my motives, is it not fair that you take the lead.¡± he cut her off at the pass ¡°Fare enough.¡± She sighed with a faint smile fully aware of the game they were playing; having grown accustomed to political intrigue in the courts. ¡°Don¡¯t try to play off someone with fifty-eight intelligence.¡± He laughed hands on his hips staring ahead like a madman. ¡°What!¡± She shouted looking to him wide eyed, appraising the boy in a new light. ¡°I¡¯m level eighteen and almost all of my stat points are in intelligence.¡± Sol explained with a shrug. ¡°No fair, I¡¯m only level three.¡± Zenna mumbled, looking down. ¡°Well you¡¯re a princess you don¡¯t have time to gain experience right. Well whatever I¡¯d like to hear about why you¡¯re discriminated against.¡± Sol returned them back to the topic at hand. She looked at him hesitantly ¡°I¡¯m a mystic.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± Sol questioned slightly irritated at the half answer he¡¯d received. ¡°Of course you don¡¯t know, you may have a high intelligence but you¡¯re still an idiot it seems.¡± chuckled disparaging him. ¡°Of course, I have a high intelligence not wisdom.¡± he huffed. ¡°Wisdom?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain after.¡± ¡°Well anyway, mystics are those who have a heightened affinity for one element or another. Or who are contaminated by a monsters blood, blessing, or other such mark. They are despised because they posses unique power similar to your ¡®magic¡¯ though it¡¯s probably at a one hundredth of the scale. I¡¯m a healer which is why the king kept me around.¡± ¡°You should be glad, healing is a great gift. Better than that to cause wounds eh.¡± Sol pointed out. ¡°So why the hood?¡± ¡°Quid pro Quo.¡± She responded waving her finger at him. He laughed at how quick she caught on. ¡°Fine; wisdom is a unique stat needed for my type of magic.¡± he gestured back to her. ¡°Because mystics are always deformed.¡± She sighed. ¡°I want to see,¡± he declared leaning towards her. She stepped back and they stopped in their stroll. ¡°What?¡± She questioned slightly offended by the request ¡°I won¡¯t say anything rude, and I won¡¯t treat you differently I promise. After all look at me, I¡¯m covered in blood my hands are burnt and I¡¯m carrying a sword. Do I have the right to criticise another on their appearance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also not wearing a shirt.¡± She muttered removing her hood. Sol stood their looking at her open mouthed. She felt uncomfortable at his shock; it looked like his words were false after all. She stood slightly taller than Sol; especially if you counted the pair of antlers growing from her head temples and stretching backwards like a circlet. They were ivory white and covered in black lines that twisted across them and the left side of her face, twisting like growing ivy. Her eyes were filled with a bright green light fresh like spring grass and her hair was as white as snow flecked with small black strikes. ¡°You look adorable.¡± He declared still staring. She wondered if he was being serious. Going by his personality she doubted he could be serious even if we wanted to. Though she guessed he meant it, he was just that kind of idiot. She pulled back her hood to cover the antlers though now she left her face clear. ¡°So why did you save me.¡± She questioned looking to him again. ¡°Well let¡¯s see¡­ To be honest I can¡¯t think of a valid reason, I just thought it was the right thing to do, so I did it. I didn¡¯t really think before hand.¡± he shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like the kind who would.¡± She laughed mocking him. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s cruel!¡± He cried turning away from her. She laughed, and soon her joined her merriment. ¡°Seems like we¡¯re almost there¡­ Oh God.¡± Sol began to speak, his stomach dropping as they crested the last hill before the town. Lanmere was on fire. Sol burst into a sprint running through the town passing men and women who travelled back and forth from the town¡¯s fountain to the buildings hurling water onto the flames staunching the spread of fires. At the edges of the town the damage was minimal. Even midway it was all superficial, a coat of paint would solve it easily. But at the centre of the town everything was burning the store at its epicentre already ash and rubble surrounded by men, in black cloaks: Mons. Voldore was there he stood right arm hanging limp and immobile at his side the disfigured wyvern on his shoulder. He was laughing, laughing as the flames burnt. Sol stood there silent until Voldore noticed him. ¡°Ha, you shouldn¡¯t have let me live. My little darling here told me where you were heading and we cut you off. Oh so sad, all your little friends are dead you freak!¡± He continued to laugh, cold laughter that echoed about the town. Sol didn¡¯t reply walking towards the raging fire. He could see something jutting out from amidst the rubble lapped in red light. Scorched black by the flames. An arm reaching out as if hoping for salvation, for help. Something inside of Sol snapped then. ¡°You did this?¡± He questioned. Staring into the flames, his eyes turned from a placid grey into a stormy sky raging and howling, ready to bring wroth. ¡°Sure did you bastard!¡± Voldore laughed stepping towards him axe resting on his shoulder. ¡°Now I know what to expect I wont loose to a freak like¡­ Ah, ah, ah!¡± Sol didn¡¯t wait to hear the rest. The flames had conjugated about his body and at his behest swallowed Voldore whole. In the blink of an eye, jaws formed from raging flames devouring him. About Sol, limbs of fire began to rise claws and spines the body of a great beast, a monster taking form amidst the wreckage. A dragon of sorts, lacking wings, back legs and even a neck, its maw like a burning abyss, its eyes filled with empty hate. It roared and in an instant all the forces of Mons burned to a crisp amid the hell fire he had summoned. Sol did not turn his gaze, eyes focused upon the corpse as with a wave of his hands the rubble shifted. Telmin was barely recognisable, a blackened ruined corpse. Sol collapsed to his knees in silence. Then from the chaos and the darkened sky rain broke, and Sol wept, his voice howling and wailing, with all the sorrow and the tears he had kept bottled up for so long. As the heavens cried with him and the flames began to fade.
¡°Those bastard I¡¯ll make them pay!¡± Lillan swore. She sat atop the rubble clenching and unclenching her fists dressed only in a robe, the one the blessed ones were given when they were reborn, she had died in the assault. Sol did not reply and only continued to dig a grave with Zenna¡¯s help while a few metres away Jill grieved over the body. ¡°You going to help me?¡± She turned to Sol expecting, eyes full of fathomless hate. ¡°No.¡± He responded, his body felt weary, and his mind broken, he didn¡¯t feel like vengeance. ¡°What?¡± She questioned turning her endless hatred on him ¡°how can you just stand there like this, those bastards deserve to pay for what they did, they see this as just a game. I¡¯ll show them true pain for what they¡¯ve done.¡± Lillan marched backwards and forwards her eyes red, as she tried to stave of tears. ¡°Revenge is pointless.¡± Sol sighed moving more of the dirt throwing it from the grave. Lillan looked at him. ¡°Coward!¡± She yelled ¡°You¡¯re a damn coward Sol. Don¡¯t let this slide, you knew him longer than me, did he mean that little to you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sol responded coldly climbing from the grave before helping Zenna up out of the hole. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to ruin his memory like that.¡± Sol replied looking over at the charred remains. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s right to let them go unpunished.¡± She roared her tirade ¡°They have been punished, I killed them all.¡± Sol returned. ¡°You¡¯re a coward, you have this power but you refuse to use it, you have always refused to use it haven¡¯t you. What shall his grave read I wonder; Friend, Husband, betrayed by cowards perhaps!¡± She was being hysterical, her insults were losing their edge. Sol grasped her shoulders. ¡°Better that than, Murderer, If you do this in his name, how many will be swept into your revenge before the blood you¡¯ve spilt is enough to satisfy you, enough to fill that grave perhaps? And what about the friends and family of those you kill, what will happen when they seek revenge on you, The cycle won¡¯t end if you won¡¯t stop it.¡± He spoke calmly though his words were heated a cold anger filling grey eyes. Lillan stepped back and began to run, not letting him see her face, as she broke, and tears poured forth. ¡°You¡¯re a coward Sol, a coward!¡± She screamed voice wracked with sorrow, rushing into the night. Looking over his shoulder, Sol could see people gathering for the funeral. It seemed Telmin was the only one to die in the fire. Sol walked over to the corpse kneeling besides Jill. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered, ¡°If I were here sooner then¡­ I could have stopped it.¡± He looked to her, her face burnt in the flames, from her temple to her cheekbone and covering the eye on the left side of her face, now staring out of a milky white. Sol wept in silent bereavement. ¡°Sol.¡± She whispered reaching out and holding him to her, she wracked her chest with sobs, crying out. ¡°You wonderful, wonderful child. Don¡¯t be sorry, you did all you could. You were like a son to us, to me, to Telmin, you were our son!¡± She paused short on breath coughing, leaving Sol to turn his gaze up at a cloudy night sky still full of smoke, ¡°The Son we never had. You are Sol Vanda you hear me. Don¡¯t loose yourself, don¡¯t give in to hatred. Be good Sol, be a Hero, for the both of us.¡± She wept. Grasping him in her arms. ¡°I will. I¡¯ll make this a better world.¡± He promised holding onto her and bowing his head. ¡°Be good my Sol.¡± She whispered holding onto him.
The procession moved slowly laying the old mans body into the grave. Each man, woman and child saying his or her goodbyes and passing on a shovel full of soil. ¡°Sorry old man¡­ I think I need to leave this place. I doubt I¡¯m welcome any more. I¡¯ll come back some time though. Yeah I¡¯ll come back soon.¡± He smiled weakly patting down the grave. Jill came up behind him eyes sad, and puffed up full and red ¡°You¡¯ll always have a home here I¡¯ll make sure of it. My husband always wanted to give this to his son. Carry the Vanda name with pride.¡± She spoke handing him a necklace, a spiral with a small white crystal set at the centre. ¡°And remember, Vanda¡­ Vanda means gentle.¡± he nodded in silence rising to his feet. ¡°You¡¯ll always have a home here son.¡± She promised patting his back. ¡°You always have a home.¡± End of part one announcement I Am very sorry. I considered taking up this old story for a veyr long time but on looking at what i have previouslly written... To put it simply i feel ashamed if this is all i am capable of. The reason i write is to destroy my boredom and hone the skills i possess. This story for me to feel comfortable writing it now, I would have to scrap everything already written and start again from scratch writting the same story. Maybe one day i could but not now, i don''t think my heart could take it. It brings me no joy but...If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Game Changer is now under: [Indefite(Temporary Hiatus)] Think about it and it makes sense. I am sorryI am sorryI am sorry I am sorry one day I will re attempt to master this story but it is not today.