I woke up in the same cell I slept in the other day. I had the key under my bed but I didn't even bother with a locked door. I shifted my way through the bars and moved toward the first person I could see. Typhoon was passed out in a chair down the hall from my cell. I grabbed him and shook him. “WAKEY WAKEY!” I yelled. He screamed and swung at me. He may be a raging body of muscles but even I could dodge this hit.

“Stormlord have mercy don’t do that!” He yelled.

“But I needed to. Come on, let's go find the others. I have great news.” I said already down the hallway looking for the others.

…………

“Edsom it's good to see you so cheerful but slow down. What is happening?” Samson said.

“I can’t explain yet but I had a good dream. As soon as we find Mata and Fetu we can talk,” I said. We were approaching Mata’s room right now according to a guard I had asked earlier. Two guards were posted at his door. “Gentlemen. Is Mata awake we need to see him urgently,” I said. They looked at me like someone had not told me something yet. “What's wrong?” They both said nothing and just opened the door to Mata’s room. There I saw an old and greying tortle lying in his bed. Doctors were tending to him and a few other priests from the numerous churches were here. I rushed to his bed.

“What's wrong? Is he sick?” I asked.

“No. The Marquis is a tortle. Their species is unfortunately short-lived and Mata is older than most tortles will ever see. He doesn’t have much time left now,” the doctor said.

“We are sorry to bother you all. Come on Edsom we can come back later,” Samson said.

I ignored him and moved to the old man. “Hey Mata can you hear me?” The old tortles eyes were greyer than I had ever seen them. He looked at me and the hint of a smile formed on his mouth. “Don’t talk just listen. I have found the hag’s weakness. I know how to tear her entire lair apart and kill her for good. You don’t get to die until it happens you understand. Not until I return and tell you how it happened myself okay.” I said. He looked at me and I could see the last remaining fire in his eyes. It wasn't gone yet. Good. I got up and left the room. A stunned Samson followed.

“What do you mean you know how to beat her?” Samson asked.

“Let's find the others first,” I said.

………..

I brought the group into the basement. We were in a lead-lined interrogation room. “I want to start this off by saying I lied to you all. I did it for my protection because I was honestly afraid of how it would look. But having worked with you all and now knowing you are members of the Claret Orders I can trust you.” I said. They were silent waiting for me to finish before they interrupted. Some were curious, others were worried.

“My powers don’t work like I have said they do. For one, I don’t need to eat a creature to gain its form. I only need to have been the one to kill them. Two, It works on more than just animals I believe. I have not killed anything that wasn’t an animal but I believe it will work. Now for the final difference. When I kill something, I take its soul.” I said in stunned silence.

Klaneste yelled first,” Necromancy! Your power works by violating the natural flow of souls!”

“Not exactly. When I kill a creature they do not go to their intended place of rest. Instead, they become housed in a place of my creation. I did not mean to create this place I simply learned I had this ability when I killed my first living being. Which was a rooster. While there the souls can live in a peaceful world filled with forests, beaches, grassy plains, etc. All of their own collective design. I do mean that. When an animal views memory orbs that naturally exist in this soul dream, they gain the effects of an awaken spell. They become fully sapient beings.” I said.

Klaneste looked raged, confused, and finally, she just listened to me. I do not what is happening in her head but I will probably end up having long talks about philosophy with her later I bet.

Samson was next to ask his question. “What does this have to do with finding out the hag's weakness?”

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“Well, normally it takes a full day of a creature reading my memories to fully awaken. Yesterday I had an exception. The octopus that chased me was not a normal octopus. He was a dwarf named Hardok the hag cursed. He and the alligators we killed the other day told me about how she had been controlling the wildlife for centuries with the help of a powerful magic item. A Vestige of Divergence, but this item is running out of magic. It has before and the hag fixed it by feeding the item the essence of powerful shapeshifters. Which is why she is so desperate to capture me.” I said.

The group asked me a dozen more questions. I answered all but those about me being from another world. Samson wanted to know if I was truly who I said I was. I think he believed me when I said I was 23 and that my mother died but he might suspect something about my arrival in Feolinn. Klaneste asked me about the soul dream. She was probably making sure I was not some evil god in disguise or a corrupt wizard who survived the Calamity. Typhoon eventually brought up the divination and that confirmed I needed to head back to the hag's lair. I think that also calmed down the inquisitor in Klaneste. I might be safe from the inquisition for now. Fetu asked me questions I couldn’t answer. Mostly about missing people whom Hardok or the alligators might know about. I told him I couldn’t hear them right now but they could hear him and could tell me tonight.

“I agree with Klaneste that your abilities sound like necromancy, but I am 80% sure you are not a necromancer. I believe that you just got these powers as well,” Samson said. “We in the Claret Orders have our history of persecution. I would be a hypocrite to not give you the benefit of the doubt about this.”

“Thank you, Samson,” I said.

“I agree with Samson. But honestly, I don't care. You want to kill the hag. Makes you my friend any day,” Typhoon said.

“The Marquis trusts you, so I trust you. And I would like to think I know you well enough,” Fetu said.

I now looked at Klaneste. Everyone else was in and I was ready to drown the hag in the swamp that spawned her. She spoke,” Alright I am in. I can discuss your abilities with other members of the faith later but for now, you have shown you can be trusted.”

Hell yeah. The crew is on board and ready to roll out. I looked at Samson and asked,” What's the plan then? I am ready to head straight into the lair.”

……….

Our boat floated to a stop on a section of land only 100 meters from the edge of the hag's domain. We got off the boat as we wouldn't be needing it for this part. The hag has one section of swamp as completely dry land that leads to her home. She probably left it like this so travelers could come to her and get bad deals. Today we will be using it to run towards her heart. Where I will rip it out and feed it to the crows. I changed into the draft horse. Samson began to fasten ropes to me. He and Klaneste are going to ride on my back while Typhoon and Fetu are going to run behind me. If I needed to outpace them I was told to leave them and get to the hag. The werebear and ranger/rogue combo will do fine.

Samson and Klaneste got ready and jumped on my back. Typhoon tore at his skin and he grew a size larger. A werebear in full he was smiling. The man was really happy about this. Fetu has donned new shadowy armor and twin shortswords. A bow is strung in his back and quivers at his side. I said," I am ready."

"Good. Don't stop until we reach the hut. Typhoon and Fetu will kill those that get in our way. If you get hit, Klaneste will heal you. I have my cantrips so I will slash and blast anything else that remains," Samson said.

"Good luck kid. Bring us her head," Typhoon said.

"We can do this," Fetu said.

Samson looked at Klaneste who only smiled. Nothing more needed to be said so Samson kicked my side. Kinda unnecessary as I wasn't an actual horse but whatever. We ran hard, ready for whatever this bitch had in store.

I was the first to pass into her domain and a roar was let out across the swamp. We did not stop. Birds began to fly towards us from the trees. Fetu switched to his bow and rained arrows into the swarm. Klaneste burned them with holy fire and Samson conjured eldritch magic to blast them. If I needed to I made a tentacle to smack something but that didn’t happen much.

Birds, trees, alligators, weird mutant swamp things, and more stood in our way. We didn’t stop for any of them and a horde was following us now. Samson said he had a magic scroll that would deal with anybody chasing us once we got close to the hut. Man magic is cool. I always thought about what I would do if I had magic like that in ttrpgs. Probably build houses for cheap and flip them. Now that I live in a fantasy world I am probably going to just build castles for myself. I wonder if I will get any spells from the hag. Given her nature, they might be horrible things that I would never want to cast on a living being.

Enough with the distracting thoughts I focused on the battle. I didn’t shift the basic horse form too much because I might mess up the two riding me. I was stuck with using a single tentacle with an alligator jaw for most of the run. It was an effective weapon as I grabbed enemies and dragged them across the ground till they became a pulp. The others were more than effective killing machines. Arrows and steel flew across the road. Most strikes found their targets and left nothing but corpses and blood in their path. Magic was conjured on my back and fired in every direction. Once a wall of trees tried to stop us but Klaneste made a hole in the blockade with a radiant bolt of energy. I had lost track of the amount of things I killed. I will probably find a bunch of new faces tonight.

The hag’s hut was finally in sight and so was the creature that had torn through the forest chasing me. It was massive. A long lizard body with a tail that ended in a spike. 5 long necks sprouted from the body. A snake-like head on each of them. This was a hydra.

Samson turned towards the path behind us and produced the scroll. With a small chant, he ripped the scroll and a massive wall of fire filled the land behind us. The five of us had made it to the hut. The hydra waited in front of the hag's home. Standing on its back was an old crone with pitch-black skin. Four horns curled around her head. She had a pudgy body. Not fat but instead bloated in the wrong way. The others got off my back and formed a line next to each other.

The hag spoke first,” I’ll make you a deal sunny. You stay and sacrifice yourself and I will let your friends leave unharmed. I will even heal the old turtle so he can keep playing the game of leader for a few more years.``

We were not here for anything less than her death. I shifted into the best combination I could think of. A full giant octopus covered in alligator skin of the big head. Added furs to offer more protection. On the ends of four tentacles, I added an alligator head. On two more I placed the draft horse and the dire wolf head. I didn’t give any of them eyes but instead added 3 sets near the octopus’s eyes. I gave a response to the hag,” Eat shit bitch.”