[Bee Blueglade][Session 3 - Level 1][Part 1]

[Bee Blueglade] shot up in bed, he clutched at his heart, and screamed out for his friends. Quickly a pair of hands clasped on either shoulder as two nurses tried to hold him down. A familiar face quickly rushed to his bedside.

“You’re okay. Bee, we’re safe.” Alerias Raytheon said.

“What!” Bee looked around the room, panicked, and drenched in sweat.

He was in some sort of hospital, there were four other beds, each with someone from their village. Bee’s memories were pounding at his skull; an explosion, slit throats, orcs, and flaming arrows.

“You were pulled out of the river by two militiamen. They had to give you chest compressions, but you came back. They said it was like all your wounds disappeared.”

“Hmph.” A disapproving huff came from the side of Bee.

He turned his head to see two people watching. A large furred man, a catfolk from the southern savannahs, dressed in the heavy armor of the Light Guard. He must be a royal knight of the kingdom. Next to him was a blonde woman, a human, holding a book and a piece of charcoal.

“What’s going on?” Bee looked towards Alerias.

Whatever the elf's answer was going to be, he knew that there was no escaping it, as the two nurses were holding him down. And even if he did escape, no one could outrun a Light Guard.

“Only fourteen of us from the village survived. The orc war party is still traveling the countryside. They want to know what you saw when you confronted them.” Alerias nodded to Bee. “And then they might have some questions about you.”

“About me?” Bee looked over at them again.

“You did regenerate from death twice now.” Alerias said. “It’s a miraculous feat unheard of before.”

“How do you do it?” The Light Guard spoke up.

“How? I don’t know. I guess when I die, I stay relatively conscious, and feel excruciating pain as everything resets.” Bee looked down at the bed sheets that were on him. “I think I can do it once for myself and once for someone else before I need some sort of reset.”

“Once for someone else?” Alerias cocked an eyebrow.

“Do you mean you make the dead come back to life?” The Light Guard’s tail swished slightly.

“No, more like I can go back a few seconds, and try to save them myself.” Bee explained. “Although, I didn’t have any control over it when it happened.”

“Maybe we can teach you control.” The knight elbowed the human scribe.

“Would you be interested in an impromptu examination for the Light’s Hero Academy?” She asked. “We would send you with a team to hunt the orcs. And upon your success you would be admitted into the Academy and receive training for your abilities.”

“How do you expect me to hunt the orcs? I thought I could save my village with my abilities and I failed. Everyone I care about is dead.” Bee slumped back on the bed.

“I expect you to fight and win anyway you can. Even if that means being a meat shield for the heroes in my squad.” The Light Guard flicked his tail again.

“I’m not your guy.” Bee turned his head away from the knight as the nurses stepped away.

Muscular furry paws clamped down on Bee’s arms, twisting them behind his back, as manacles were slapped onto his wrists. Bee struggled, but was pulled right off the bed and thrown on the ground like a ragdoll by the surprisingly muscular lion-like catfolk.

“What in the hells.” Bee wheezed.

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“If you do not train under us then you will be registered as an illegal Rat Catcher for the actions taken against monsters without a proper Guild License.” The catfolk stepped over him and bent down.

“Who are you?” Bee asked through strained breaths as he tried to sit up.

“Brion Moonward, leader of the Radiant Dawn, veteran of the Light’s Guard, and council member of the Obsidian Seers. Do you need further explanation?” Brion scowled.

“So you’re a fancy soldier, a legendary hero, and a high ranking guild member. Yet you need my help killing Orcs?” Bee glared at Brion.

“I need your abilities. You just happen to be attached.” Brion grabbed Bee’s shirt collar and dragged him to his feet. “Let’s go.”

“Thank you for your information.” The scribe said to Alerias as she dropped a small bag of coins in his hands.

“Thanks.” Alerias turned towards Bee. “Stay safe my friend.”

Bee glared at him as he was dragged away. He knew his real friends were dead and that Alerias never lifted a finger for anything unless it directly benefited him.

He turned back as he was dragged through a doorway onto the cobbled streets of a grand city. He looked around seeing the town he was in was built by a cliffside that had buildings running up the side of it. At the top was a large academy, an observatory, and guard towers all run by the guild known as The Obsidian Seers.

“Keep moving.” Brion pushed Bee forward through the streets and they walked towards a flight of stairs that winded back and forth up the cliff face.

The scribe stepped ahead of the two and looked back at Bee with a beaming smile. The smile though, seemed to hold devilish intent that made Bee shutter.

“My name is Opal Citalia. It is nice to meet you.” She said while walking up the steps backwards.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Bee’s sentence dripped with sarcasm.

Her smile faded quickly and she turned back around.

“I wouldn’t test her. She’s really starting to master Astral sorcery. Could create a mini blackhole in your lungs.” Brion whispered.

“Noted.” Bee said.

The three of them reached the top of the stairs and entered a courtyard. It was a circular space with many benches, curbed hedge bushes scattered and snaking around a central pillar. Bee let out a huff as he looked towards the center. He figured a courtyard would be built with a fountain at their heart.

At the center of this place was a large pillar of metal. He stopped and stared at it for a second as he forgot about his current predicament. The pillar made a low humming noise that didn’t seem to bother anybody walking by.

“You’ve never been to the city, have you?” Brion asked.

“No, never left my village.” Bee muttered.

“Well the Iron Waystone before you was left by the thirteen Champions of Light. It’s said they could use it to teleport across the world to any number of other waystones they had made.” Brion said. “Though, no one has ever been able to use them since the old champions disappeared.”

“Waystone?” Bee thought the name was fitting for some reason.

“The Iron Waystones. They were made with the combined efforts of The Smith and The Mystic. You really never left your village? Do you know where you are?” Brion asked.

“I have a few guesses.” Bee said as Brion grabbed his shoulders and spun him around.

Below the cliff was a sprawling city. It spread out to the left and right curling around the shores of a massive lake. There were dozens of boats out on the water and birds circling the skies as if it were the ocean itself.

“You are in the city of Lightholme!” Brion smacked a paw on Bee’s back. “It is the home of all true adventurers and the most heroic guild in all of Enthadar.”

“The whole world? The greatest guild in the whole world?” Bee cocked an eyebrow as he gave some side-eye to Brion.

But Bee couldn't help but be impressed by the view. It was a magnificent place that left Bee wondering why his village seemed so destitute.

“Come on boys.” Opal called out.

“You heard the lady.” Brion started to direct Bee through the courtyard.

Bee’s head started to swim as they walked, the ringing of the waystone grew louder as they passed it, and the only thing keeping him going was the gentle push from Brion. Bee started to see black spots in his vision, his mind turned to thoughts of darkness as he stumbled, and caught himself.

He rested a hand against the waystone. Brion still had a guiding paw on him. There was a blinding light, similar to the glow when he would regenerate, as everyone in the courtyard turned to look their way.

Opal turned around, her eyes grew wide, and she opened her mouth to say something. Then she was gone. The whole courtyard was gone. Instead of being under the beating sun, suddenly Bee was in the blistering cold, as snow whipped around him in the wind.

The ground was scarred black, snow melted as it touched the ground, but did not turn to water. Instead it seemed to be erased from existence entirely. Bee could feel something in the ground threatening to erase him, like his will was contesting with reality itself, and a pressure suddenly released from Bee’s back.

Bee turned and looked up at Brion. The knight’s teeth were chattering in the cold, his tail hung close to his body, and his arms moved upwards. He clasped either shoulder of Bee as he looked him dead in the eyes. Brion had a look of terror and curiosity.

“What are you?”