Amog woke in the morning to a pounding headache and a groggy mind. It was Oppo rousing him with a gentle shake, even still each shake split his head in two. He checked his hud and found a series of conditions

Dehydrated2

High Blood Pressure2

Drunk1

Shit. He must have gotten wasted last night. He didn’t usually get debuffs when he drank.

He used Sacrificial Vitality and some water to reset his state and cancel the conditions. Sure, he lost just over 100 health but nothing some herbs couldn’t heal. He popped the packet of leaves and roots his herbalist put together and watched his health begin to rise.

Too bad he had to kill the kid’s mom, two herbalists would have been great but the witch shouldn’t have tried to curse him.

Amog stood and observed the passed out drunken bandits and corralled villagers. Most of the villagers stared back, unable to sleep in the tense situation. Whatever.

“Boss,” Oppo started, or maybe it was “Lord,” Amog didn’t really know.

“Boss, there is a man at the gate, he’s killed two of our men and he wants to see you. He calls himself Six and the villagers say he is an enchanter that lives on the mountain.”

Amog grunted, finally, he would collect his hermit crafter master. He left towards the gate while pointing out the villagers to Oppo. “Get them working.”

Oppo nodded and began to wake up the drunken bandits. It was good to have reliable minions who knew how to delegate.

Amog looked out over the palisade and saw a lone figure in half plate armor. The figure stood about two hundred meters away and Amog saw it wave as he poked his head above the palisade.

One man. Amog laughed. This crazy must have balls of steel to come and posture like this. He even had an idea of who Amog was and still he stood there, alone. It was impressive, but idiotic.

Amog gave orders to his rabble to be ready to come and assist with cleaning up this fool, it would be good training for them to take turns dismantling him. Oppo, Nancy and twenty others were to stay back and hold the village, preventing it from running off again.

Amog jumped the distance down from the palisade and landed easily. He walked straight towards the stranger and cracked his neck, the man had already killed two, so Amog readied himself for violence.

As the distance closed something intangible grew in the air, a feeling of weight, a feeling of gravity. There was something pulling Amog to this stranger, a feeling of connection, a vibration between the two.

He could see the wonder in the stranger’s eyes too, he felt this something too. This Six fellow was some kind of black guy but not like the K’gan of the empire. His armor was worn and dented and he wore tattered clothes in earth tones underneath. A small red lump of something sat upon one of his shoulders. He looked tired both in body and mind, deep bags sat under dead beady eyes. A vagrant if Amog had ever seen one.

Amog made it to about thirty meters away before the armored man held up his hand and spoke, “Amog.”

Amog nodded and smiled, he would enjoy making this turd pay for killing his people.

“Why did you do this to them?”

Amog didn’t know how to tell the man that it was his destiny to rise to the top in this world, that these people would provide the infrastructure he needed to support his growth. He couldn’t express himself so precisely, rather he said something truth adjacent. “Because I wanted it.”

Six, who was already cold, seemed to grow even more icy, he muttered a word Amog had not heard for a long time. “Fuck.”

Amog repeated it in shocked surprise. “Fuck?”

Six leaned back in surprise.

Amog tried for the impossible and spoke his birth language. “Do you know english?”

The man quirked a wry smile. “Yes.”

They stood in silence for a moment savouring the discovery of commonality and the realization that something more was happening. But, the moment was short lived as the metaphysical tension between them pulsed for an instant. The vibration almost rippling out into existence but for a lack of power.

This Six glared anew at Amog. This time he spoke in Amog’s language, English. “Why did you do it?”

Amog just laughed, this guy was stupid, still asking him why, there were more important things to learn now. “When did you arrive here?”

“Fuck you.”

Amog felt exhilarated. “You from earth?”

“Well duh.”

Amog attempted an analyze but received an

Analyze failed.

This time the Six shouted. “Why’d you attack the village? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

What the fuck is wrong with him? Oh, that reminded Amog of bad times. Times he never wanted to remember. Times like when his mom… well it didn't matter, that was his old life, the old him.

“Why wouldn’t I? This world is about power and they lacked it. They lacked my will, my drive, and my gift. I deserve to rule these people.”

The man cocked his head in clear disbelief. “You believe that?”

“Does it matter?”

“You think you’re some kind of protagonist, is it? You think these aren’t real fucking people?” Six’s voice had a slight tremble to it when he spoke but fury burned in his flat glare. He had dead eyes, like a shark’s.

“Of course they’re real. You know these people, yeah? Do they feel fake to you? Does any of this? Why do you care? How long have you even been here to care?

The man shrugged. “I bought things from them. They are nice."

“You can talk to them then? Perfect, you can be my translator and my enchanter. Everything’s coming up Amog.”

“Go fuck youself.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“And if I pull a villager out here to gut them in front of you, will you listen then?”

“I won’t become your slave to save them.”

Amog knew with certainty the man meant it.

“It’ll be your fault-” Amog started but the man spoke over him.

“Nah, dude. It’ll be yours. They are people, yes, but there is absolutely zero reason to negotiate with you, you’re fucked in the head.”

Amog didn’t want this to come to violence, he wanted someone to talk to easily. He needed a beta sidekick. “Don’t throw away what we have here, can’t you feel it? This thing between us? Everything that we are, means more here. Don’t make me kill you.”

“If not today, tomorrow.”

Amog sighed, “so now what?”

“Now I make your life a living hell until you go away.”

Amog smiled, he would have to teach this Six to behave. He pounced but a wall of stone grew upwards in an instant to block his way, Amog jumped to the side and saw Six running full tilt towards the mountain treeline. Coward.

Amog blew on his horn and the rabble filed out of the village and rallied up behind him. It would be a good hunt.

Amog led the men after the armor clad man who clanked off in the distance.

They ran hard but it wasn’t until they reached the mountain side slope did they see their quarry.

The man was trudging up the mountainside and heavy deep breaths reached them as he climbed.

“Kill!” bellowed Amog, pointing ahead at their target. His bandits streamed forward from either side of him and rushed towards the enchanter.

They chased him into the forest, Amog led from the fore, for this Six most likely had a gift that could rival his own and he would be the tankiest counter.

But, Six was ahead of them by a fair margin and the armored man picked his way through the forest with practiced ease. Amog could probably chase the man down but he kept pace with his bandits, his immediate presence pushed them harder and he wanted to toughen them up.

One of his men lurched and screamed alongside a wet crunch, his leg had fallen into an obscured pothole and the fall had snapped it, clearly.

As they gathered around their screaming companion Six turned and weaved gestures in the air. A series of stone spikes burst from the ground one after the other, spearing three of the distracted fools. The blood spewing from the bodies of the fallen dead would smarten the rest up.

“Move you idiots!” Amog bellowed, and they obeyed, leaving the moaning man behind.

Six had continued to flee up the mountain and Amog pushed his bandits. Some were falling to tripwires and vicious snares. Amog himself fell prey to a larger pit trap but his Cloud Boot’s allowed him to cancel the fall and leap to his safety, then continuing the chase.

Red flechettes of crystal came flying down and needling the vanguard, they bounced harmlessly off of Amog’s skin but those around him caught the projectiles instead. Six seemed closer now than before and Amog could hear the dry wheezing that marked the enchanter’s eventual surrender.

Then a log came rolling down the hill and Amog could hear the screams of those behind him. No matter. Amog activated his perks and his strength ballooned for a moment and with his half ogre heritage he unleashed a devastating upwards swing with his quarterstaff, the obsidian pole plowing right through the wood and tearing the log asunder.

The two halves of the log continued down hill and impacted those behind. More wet crunches and snaps were heard. More stone spikes rose and more bandits fell.

But Six was so close and Amog wasnt about to let him get away now.

Then the trees began falling, as if the forest conspired to crush his men. Dead and alive, the trees fell at the worst times, during the steepest stretches.

A part of him considered turning back and getting Oppo and Nancy but he didn’t need them for a fucking enchanter. That tension between him and Six pulsed and Amog knew he needed to kill Six now. His instincts screamed for Six’s death. A man tried to turn back but Amog crushed the back of his head with a well placed slap.

Two spears of condensed fractures came sliding out a wand that Six pointed as he ran.

Three golden shields sprang up in sequential defense, the first two shattering as the first spear lanced forward and halted upon the golden defense. The second spear was slowed by the third shield but not enough to stop it completely and Amog felt pain as the weakened spear shot into his shoulder.

It took off a sizable amount of his health but was nothing compared to what he would do to Six. Amog laughed as Six stashed the wand into thin air, good, he needed another spatial item.

Amog was beginning to tire but Six was flagging hard, still the armored man fired off another volley of crimson darts that brought down the last three of his trailing bandits.

Amog spat, good riddance. The chase continued for a few more minutes.

It had been a hectic short while but there were no more distractions. It was just Amog and this asshole.

The terrain leveled out somewhat and Amog chased Six out into a clearing with a small stream running down the mountain from a cave, there was a fucking garden. This was lived in and Amog’s senses became hyper aware.

He chuckled in triumph as Six slowed down and began to list to the left, and Amog searched for what he was being led into. He spotted it, there it was, yet another rather large pit trap. Well covered and hidden but once spotted it jumped to his attention. Six moved to stand on the opposite side of it from Amog.

Amog approached but halted as two more forms came from the tree line and made their way closer.

Amog analyzed them as they approached

Earth Golem

Level 3

Stocky humanoid forms made of stone, they moved with deliberate slowness. Amog wasn’t worried, they were only level 3. His quarterstaff would smash them easily.

He began to slowly walk at Six, he began to chase him around the pit trap. It was time to tear this asshole a new one. Six conjured another stone spike but Amog let it smash harmlessly off his chest.

“Another trap? Can’t fight like a man?”

“Your a fucking ogre dude.”

“Not my fault, you could have picked literally anything and still chose to be black.”

“Wow. At least I didn’t choose to be a complete dick.”

“Oh come on like you haven’t done anything morally questionable since coming here.

Six had nothing to say to that.

“That’s what I thought. That's why I’ve always hated guys like you, you think you’re better than us because you think you know what's right and what's wrong. Who the fuck are you to judge me? Me? You’re- Oh shit!”

A large stone hand that was wrapped in red vines erupted from the ground and grabbed Amog’s leg, pulling him down and towards the pit. Amog was falling toward the veil of leaves and burst through the carefully laid vegetation and down into the fucking deep hole below. The impact was lessened from his massive natural defense but it still hurt. The two earth golems jumping and landing on top of him hurt even more.

They attempted to hold him down but Amog pushed up and lashed about. He only managed to fight for but a moment before the light of the morning went out.

He was in complete darkness but even in darkness Amog was to be reckoned with. He swung wildly with his quarter staff until the prompts assured him he was the only moving thing left in this hole.

Now that the chase and combat was interrupted Amog had to look at his situation and he decided he didn’t like it.

He retrieved his Everlight Coin from his spatial, a small golden coin that had the symbol of the Great Flame emblazoned on both sides. The coin emitted enough light to illuminate the small stone box he found himself in.

The walls were smooth and featureless. The stone ceiling was too high to reach, even for him.

The rubble of two golems lay at his feet but that was useless.

Amog took a pickaxe from his spatial and tested an easy swing on the wall; a small chunk of wall broke off. We’ll get out of here, it would just take an hour or two.

Then a small sliver of light opened up above him. A hole to the outside.

Amog shouted. “Six you bastard. Do you think you’re gonna keep me in here? Do you think I won’t fuck you up the second I get out of here?”

Six’s voice reached him but “I am not going to keep you in there and you are not getting out of there.”

Then a stream of water began to pour from the hole and into the chamber. Amog felt a chill and his rage drained instantly, Six had always intended this. Amog knew what Six was about to do.

Six spoke calmly, “I am going to kill you, Amog. I have to. There is no one else standing before me and the world. Between me and you. I wish we had never met, maybe things could have been different.”

Amog was going through his ring and desperately searching for a solution to the current problem, but he was already wearing the most useful things he had. Even if he could use his Cloud Boots more than once a day they would not be able to get him up there, much less would he fit through the hole that the water and sound passed through. There was no way out of here.

“Things can be different.” Amog started “Things-”

“Are the way they are. I am not saying these words to start a negotiation. I am speaking to a deadman knowing full well the words will only be left with me. These words are meaningless but I find saying them cathartic. While they are for me, I hope they bring you some peace as well.”

This guy was fucking crazy, Amog could hear it in his voice. “Let me go Six, I’ll go and never come back. You don’t have to do this. It’s wrong to kill a man like this.”

The chamber was filling fast, alread it was at Amog’s waist.

“Most would say it was wrong the way you killed Alison. But, it's not about what's wrong or right, bad or good. I’m a transactional person, a gift given freely is free, but nothing is taken without recompense. I started this to help a friend but now, in this moment I realize I feel like you took from me personally. There is nothing objective here.”

Amog knew there was no logic to be had but still he tried to reason. “I can help you, I can be your muscle, there must be something I can do. We're from the same world, that means something! We’re the same, you and I.”

Six laughed something hollow. “That's true, we are the same. We are both just leaves floating along the river. Encountering things as they come. What might be good, could be bad. What might be bad, could be good. We will never really know. You thought taking the village was good, it was actually bad. I think trusting you is bad. I will live to see the outcome of my decision, you will die.”

The water continued to fill and Amog shouted. Six said nothing else but Amog was sure that he was there, he still felt the pull, felt the resonance between the two of them.

Amog had to begin to swim as the water rose above his head, he screamed to be let out and panic caught in his throat.

He was almost at the ceiling when he swung up with his pickaxe clumsily striking with the tool. There was no good leverage to be exploited from the water though. He jammed it into the hole and pulled on the handle but only served to break the tool off in the hole.

Amog’s mind trembled in fear as the water encompassed him and dominated the chamber. His final scream drowned.

Amog panicked in the water for a moment before the light from the ceiling disappeared and all that remained was his glowing coin that he’d dropped at the bottom of this watery darkness.

His mind was trying to force itself to come up with a solution and he froze when he saw the new condition pop up

Hypoxia1

It worsened.

Hypoxia 2

Amog activated Sacrificial Vitality to clear it

It returned.

Hypoxia 1

Hypoxia 2

This couldn’t be happening. He wasn’t supposed to die here. He tried to use Sacrificial Vitality again but the cooldown prevented him from doing so.

Hypoxia 3

He just wished he got to see more, he didn’t think he would get another chance. He didn’t want to go back to nothingness. He was scared.

Hypoxia 4

The light of the coin faded to black.