Thud.
After trying to turn and get out of there, I felt all the strength leave my body, causing me to stumble and fall after only one step. A wave of lethargy hit me and my stomach growled. My hands were visibly shaking. I pulled the half-empty bottle of water from my backpack and drained it, hoping that at least getting something in my stomach would help. It did—at least for now—and I pushed myself to my feet.
I need to find civilization, fast. I looked around, realizing I was completely lost in an unfamiliar forest, but… Water flows to lower elevations, right? It may only be a slight incline, but I can see one. Where there was water, there might be people; where there were people, there should be food. I had expected to eat during the game, so it had been at least six or seven hours since my last meal, and that was assuming that I had arrived here almost immediately after the… incident.
For all I knew, it had been days since I last ate, and casting that spell took a lot out of me. I began walking slowly, carefully avoiding roots and underbrush that might trip me up and praying I wouldn’t run into any more danger.
The forest was surprisingly serene and beautiful, even if being in it did set me on edge. Maybe if I hadn’t been attacked by a savage, starving animal almost immediately, I would have enjoyed my trip through it. Instead, I was on high alert. Every rustling branch or shadow shifting across the sun-dappled ground nearly made me jump out of my skin.
After a while I came upon a clearing and finally had to stop to take a breather. Leaning against a tree at the edge, I looked up at the sky, seeing it clearly for the first time since I had woken up in this place. My heart sank.
I lived in the city, and had only gone a little way out into the suburbs to visit Dave, so the fact that I was in a forest already told me I was somewhere far from home. But it could have been a park, or even somewhere within the same state. As long as I ignored the body I was in that wasn’t mine, I was still able to at least somewhat delude myself into thinking that maybe this was all something that would blow over quickly and I’d find my way back home.
But… my home state didn’t have any mountain ranges. The great looming things looked like jagged teeth rising up from the earth and consumed any hope I had that I was anywhere close to home.
I sat and rested for a time, exhaustion overcoming my fear and anxiety. I think I even dozed off at one point. Eventually, I noticed that the sun had moved from near the horizon to the middle of the sky—at least I knew it was noon, now. Or not. I’m in the body of a fictional character I created, fighting wolves with fire that I made with magic. Who knows if anything works the way I used to know.
I sighed and pulled out the parchment from my backpack once more. Surprisingly, it was blank again, only filling in as I looked at it.
COLRANTH FIREBREATH
Species:
Human
Class:
Dragon-Blooded Mage
Level:
1
Stats
Combat
Skills
Rank
Powers/Spells
MP Cost
Duration
Strength
15
Leadership
1
Dragon Claws
(Ignite)
N/A
(1)
Permanent
(1 minute)
Agility
12
Evasion:
13
Bluff
1
Dragon Scales
(Spread)
N/A
(2)
Permanent
(Instant)
Resilience
15
HP: 14/14
Sneaking
1
Mote of Flame
1
Instant
Presence
19
Fire Breath
3
Instant
Wit
12
Arcane Shield
3
Instant
Willpower
14
MP: 9/12
“MP… nine out of twelve. I guess this thing updates and tracks my status, then? Just like a real character sheet? Glad to see my hit points are full, at least.”
I sat for a few more moments, staring at the sheet, before glancing up and looking around. The forest still seemed peaceful, the rustling of small animals in the underbrush complimenting the chorus of birds up above. One bird—a bright green one that I didn’t recognize, not that I was an expert on birds—sat and stared at me for a time, so I stared back. Eventually it lost interest and looked away.
“Okay, guess I should get goi…” I trailed off as I looked back down to put the parchment away. It was different than it had been when I looked at it before.
EMERALD STARLING
Species:
Bird
Class:
Animal
Level:
0
Stats
Combat
Skills
Rank
Powers/Spells
MP Cost
Duration
Strength
2
Flight
1
Agility
20
Evasion:
15
Foraging
1
Resilience
4
HP: 1/1
Presence
9
Wit
8
Willpower
6
MP: N/A
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“It’s not just me?” I looked around for more animals to stare at, and though those on the ground did an admirable job hiding from sight, I saw plenty of different birds enjoying the relative safety of tree branches and the easy escape route of flight. Each one’s stats were reflected on my sheet after a few moments of observation.
“Damn. This would’ve been useful to have while playing.” It was always hard to gauge the strength of an enemy in the game Rob ran. Sure, you could usually count on a big dragon being stronger than a tiny mouse, but especially when it came to humanoid enemies, it was nearly impossible to tell just by looking at them.
That warrior clad in shining armor with a glowing sword? He could either be the hero of the realm, or a weak, rich noble boy whose allowance let him buy good equipment. With this, though, I’d be able to tell if I was picking a fight I could possibly win. My spirits slightly lifted by my discovery, I took out one of the textbooks in my backpack, placed the small piece of parchment inside of it, and placed it back into the bag.
“Alright, I should keep moving while I’ve still got light, I guess. And while I can still move in the first place.”
My walk through the forest continued to be uneventful. I was worried there would be more wolves, but the one that attacked me was obviously starving and in bad shape. It must have gotten separated from its pack, or something like that. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any promising signs for quite some time, either. Thankfully the shallow but consistent incline helped me be sure that I wasn’t just walking in circles, but I was beginning to worry that I’d run out of energy before I found anyone who could actually help me.
I paused for a moment, considering my options. I wasn’t a survivalist, so I knew better than to try eating unfamiliar berries or mushrooms. I think I’ll just avoid any plants if I can help it. Better safe than sorry.
But I also didn’t really have any way to catch any animals. Except…
I pulled out the parchment and looked at it once more, this time staring at the spells available to me. As I did—and stared at one spell in particular—I was pleasantly surprised to discover a new property. The character sheet faded away, and in its place was written:
Mote of Flame
Cost: 1 MP
Duration: Instant
Range: 50 feet
Incantation: Dance, embers
Hurl a mote of flame at a target creature. Deals damage based on your Presence stat.
That… might work. There were plenty of birds in the trees. None would make a particularly big meal, but just getting some meat in my stomach might be enough to keep me going. I scanned the branches above me, looking for the biggest bird I could find, before settling on a fat brown one about twenty feet away.
“Dance, embers!”
As I spoke the short incantation—one of the benefits of the Dragon-Blooded Mage class, compared to the longer, more involved incantations of the others—a small magic circle appeared, hovering above my palm and glowing a bright orange. A small flame sprouted from it, hovering in the air above my hand, which I pulled back as I took careful aim at my next meal.
Thankfully, it seemed this body was used to aiming this sort of attack. Muscle memory was the only explanation for the ease with which I launched the small burning ember, which collided with the bird. The poor creature screeched in pain and surprise, flapping its wings in panic, but it only had a single hit point. There was no way for it to survive the spell, and it fell, smoldering, to the forest floor below.
All the other birds in the area, naturally, took offense to the idea that their space was no longer safe, and I was greeted with the sound of dozens of wings beating a hasty retreat.
Still, I’d done it! I hurried forward, kneeling down to pick up my prize. It… didn’t look particularly appetizing. The spot I’d hit was charred black, and most of the feathers on that side of its body were singed as well. I had never plucked feathers from a bird before, but my hunger drove me to attempt the tedious task, made all the more difficult by the long, sharp claws on the tips of my fingers.
Eventually, I had succeeded in removing all of the feathers, and gathered up some twigs to place on the ground. One more point of mana spent gave me a small flame which, when applied to the bird I had skewered with a sturdy stick while averting my gaze from the blood, soon filled the air with a delicious smell.
I mean… This probably isn’t well prepared. I think you’re supposed to drain all the blood first, but this is an emergency. I’m sure one poorly prepared bird won’t hurt a hero like Colranth.
I cooked it until it was a little bit blackened on the outside. Much better to eat a slightly burnt bird than have it undercooked. The experience was distinctly unpleasant, and I had to force down the few bites I was able to get from the small bird, but after sitting for a while, my stomach managed to settle.
And I felt better. Not good, of course. Not yet. I was still hungry, and felt a little bit sick from my poorly prepared meal, but my hands were no longer shaking.
Okay, let’s get moving again!
* - * - *
My excitement had quickly waned. I did manage to find water after a time, though only a small trickling brook. Not at all the river or creek I had hoped to find, and my lingering hunger, assuaged though it was, made my mood spiral downwards again until it rested somewhere just north of “cranky.” I had also developed a headache, which I was pretty sure was from the lack of food.
Still, flowing water was flowing water. It might eventually join up with a bigger stream, and if I kept following that, I might reach a river and people living by it. I strode purposefully now, spurred onward by the thought of finally finding food, water, and shelter. The sun was moving towards the horizon and soon I would be without light to travel by.
I kept a close eye on the brook, worried that I would somehow lose it if I looked away for too long. Maybe that was why I almost didn’t notice the bridge that had been built over the steadily widening stream—a bridge that, naturally, was accessory to a road.
It wasn’t a large road. Barely more than a path through the underbrush, it was still an undeniable sign of civilization. I broke into a smile for the first time since I woke up.
“Yes! Hell yes! Finally!”
I looked left, then right. It was hard to tell, but it seemed like going right would keep taking me to lower elevations. That was my path, then. I was too tired to jog, but I set off at the most brisk walk I could manage.
I was already imagining the meal I’d be able to enjoy if I found a town when, suddenly, a sharp cry rang out just up ahead. I froze.
Danger. People. Should I avoid it? Or run towards it?
There wasn’t really a choice, though. I needed help, and if that meant helping someone else, then that’s just what I would have to do. I hurried, keeping as low and quiet as I could, as sounds of distress and agitation became more and more clear. Coming to a bend in the path, I peeked around a tree.
Before me was a terrifying sight. Two men, wearing polished breastplates with matching helmets, bracers, and boots each held a spear in one hand and a round, wooden shield in the other. They faced away from each other, a small man in sturdy traveling clothes cowering between them, and they shouted and stabbed at…
Goblins?!
They certainly looked like all the drawings of goblins I’d seen while playing with Rob and the others. Short little green men, gangly and dirty, with massive, wide mouths full of sharp, crooked teeth. They were poorly equipped—though with ten of them against two armed guards they had the numbers advantage—with no armor to speak of and only small knives, clubs, or other makeshift implements of battle, and so the armored men were able to keep them at bay for now.
But the goblins were confident. They danced around, circling their prey and… singing?
Cry and plead and hunker down,
Better keep watch all around,
Goblins’ll notice if you fail,
Sneak in and poke you with a nail!
Hide behind your big strong men,
Hope they’ll fight and hope they’ll win,
But goblins don’t fight fair, you see
We hide and wait within the trees.
I listened in morbid fascination. Why would they sing like that? I supposed it could just be an intimidation tactic, but…
I pulled out my sheet of parchment and stared at the guards protecting the man, then at the goblin who seemed to be leading the singing.
WERNER BROWN
Species:
Human
Class:
Warrior
Level:
1
Stats
Combat
Skills
Rank
Powers/Spells
MP Cost
Duration
Strength
13
Basket weaving
1
Shield Wall
1
Special
Agility
14
Evasion:
18
Lightning Thrust
2
Instant
Resilience
15
HP: 12/12
Presence
12
Wit
12
Willpower
11
MP: 4/4
ALVAR HARRISON
Species:
Human
Class:
Warrior
Level:
1
Stats
Combat
Skills
Rank
Powers/Spells
MP Cost
Duration
Strength
15
Smithing
1
Shield Wall
1
Special
Agility
11
Evasion:
15
Lightning Thrust
2
Instant
Resilience
16
HP: 13/13
Presence
11
Wit
10
Willpower
13
MP: 5/5
LITTLE BOSS
Species:
Goblin
Class:
Goblin
Level:
1
Stats
Combat
Skills
Rank
Powers/Spells
MP Cost
Duration
Strength
8
Song writing
1
Filthy Coating
1
1 minute
Agility
16
Evasion:
15
Distraction
1
Resilience
12
HP: 7/7
Presence
16
Wit
7
MP: 2/2
Willpower
6
MP: N/A
So if the one named “Little Boss” is really the boss here, and his skills include Distraction… I looked around from my hiding spot, trying to find why he might be distracting them, when I saw it.
Movement in the tree above the guards. A goblin with a dagger clenched between its teeth was crawling quietly along a sturdy branch that extended over the path. In just a moment, it would be directly over top of them.
It is a distraction! That one’s gonna drop in and kill someone!