Chapter 1 

Inky darkness surrounded me, no sound, no light. I floated effortlessly through the darkness, a chilling cold permeating every part of my soul. My skin had no feeling, my lungs had no air, yet I did not feel like breathing. My consciousness seemed to be the only thing that anchored me in this shadow world. Who was I, why was I here, I had no answers for myself, my memories fuzzy and thoughts seemed to flit through my head as if they were unimportant. Finally, after what could have been minutes, years, or eons I spoke out into the darkness. “Hello? Is anyone there” The darkness as silent as ever seemed in no hurry to give me a response.

 I waited holding my non-existent breath. Finally, a deep forest green light, shining like a star bloomed in front of my vision. It was such a dark green that it could barely be told differently from the surrounding darkness. A voice spoke out to me, “Finally you wake son of Earth, you have slumbered long and the enemies of the Universe have grown stronger because of it.”

 I couldn't comprehend what the light was saying to me for I assumed it could be the only thing speaking. Not that I didn't understand the words but it was the energy that it spoke with, the power that seemed to boom from such a thing. I couldn't tell the size of the light or even make out what it was but for a voice to carry such magnitude, my soul shook with fear to imagine what it was. Despite my fear, I didn't shrink from the light or its words. Mustering my fool's courage I responded “Who am I, and who are you? What is this place? and what do you want from me?” The questions vomited from my mouth into the darkness. A chuckle that seemed to shake the very shadowy world emanated from the light “So many questions and such large complicated answers, Allow me to answer a few without words.”

 The light seemed to be speaking in riddles as annoying as that was. I couldn't help but want to lose my shit on this light, the one thing that I had been able to speak to in this god-forsaken tar world. As I was preparing to give the tongue lashing of the century the light shot towards me. I didn't realize just how far in space it was from me, a shape was barreling towards me. It flew at speeds I couldn't even imagine sending ripples throughout the space we were in. A massive awe-inspiring god came before me, it was the only word I could use.

 A massive animal began to take shape in front of me. It stood up on its hind legs towering above my small insignificant soul and pushing back the darkness we were in. Its aura boomed out from its core and finally shed light into this world. It was as if the big bang happened right in front of my soul's senses. If I had eyes they would have melted in their sockets, and my skin and muscles would have been reduced to liquid and evaporated in the face of the energy emanating from the god before me. My soul somehow picked up the smell that only the deep dark woods can give off, the smell of life in all of its insignificant and massive forms. Dirt, water, air, sunlight, death and life. All of these smells hammered into my brain. If I had the ability I know I would have voided my bowels uncontrollably.

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 Anger began to boil up from within my soul, I could tell this god wanted to scare and intimidate me, I was too damn stubborn to just give in and keel over. A massive bear stood before me. There was no other way to describe its size and power. When standing on his hind legs his arms and legs wielded immense strength and power it seemed as if with one swipe of his mighty claws he could rend the universe in two. His thick solid black fur was coarse, and lightning bolts of dark green mystical power seemed to shoot randomly through his coat. Old scars covered the bear's hide, I could see them all laid out before my soul’s senses, and an unknown force pulled my soul towards the god's massive maw. The god’s gaze seemed to somehow see straight through me and also pin me in place. One of his massive eyes had 3 vertical scars slashing through his face. Its milky whiteness seemed to make the god that much more intimidating. My brain stuttered at the thought of something that could inflict such a wound. A pure white circle of fur was positioned directly in the center of its chest. The aura and energy that was shielding us from the darkness emanated from the center of the circle.

 The massive bear stared down at my soul floating there in its presence and said “I can tell your anger from the minuscule aura you're giving off. Maybe one of these days it will grow and be able to change the world around you. I will answer you and guide you on your way, for your soul does not have much more time before it is lost to the darkness. Valhalla did not accept you, your Christian god's heaven did not accept you, all of the other gods of the Universe did not accept you, But I Volos have taken pity on you, I am weakening I have but one world yet under my control but it is barely holding on. The gods' war and the darkness are always ready to consume and grow. I have but one world left under my control and it is a dead world in need of a champion. You will be that champion. The world I'm sending you to is dying, its core is almost gone, and nature is destroyed. The dead walk the earth and the eldritch and dark powers have dominion. Your job is to go to this world and bring back nature, bring back my last world, and cement yourself as my champion for now that is all you need to worry about. I will be able to speak to you through a spirit link. It is what will keep us together and allow my and your power to grow. It is a great honor to bond with me for a nature spirit’s bond is forever You will be my first and last champion. I save you now because I chose you for the anger and the resilience that burns within you. Go Forth learn how to wield my power and take back my world. With this action, I will be brought down to nothing, do not expect help from me, and do not expect anyone's help but your own. Go Forth and be born again, I now name you Bjorn, your life before was meaningless. Your past life is meaningless. Your memories were false. I have seen your mind and I know your soul. Good luck my champion..” 

Before I could say anything or even begin to process what this giant fucking bear just said a horrible pain emanated from within my soul it blinded any thought process I could have and I seemed to rip apart from within myself, Volos disappeared and the miniature space he created disappeared, His small green light zoomed directly towards me and all I could do was watch as his soul collided into mine creating a real big ass bang.