The two traveled for several more hours, only stopping to alleviate their thirst. By the time the sun was getting low in the sky the two had slowed their pace. Soren and Skadi went to hunt for their dinner before setting up camp. "Let me get this straight, you used to be a human and died by betrayal," Skadi said summarizing the whole story.
"That's correct."
"You were then reborn as a wingless fairy, then evolved into a lesser astrabi, then a trollkin variant?
"That about sums it up."
"You're not normal, but if it were me, I'd be out for revenge too. The strangest thing to me is why you're telling me all this, we haven't known each other long."
"Truth be told, it is very questionable for me to be telling you these things, however, I've been alone for so long that I am just tired of being by myself, so I told you in hopes that you'd trust me."
"This changes nothing, I honor what I say, but you're a freak you know that," Skadi said with a smile that Soren could not help but chuckle himself. He knew it was insane, and if he was not living it himself, would not of believed it. They were sitting around a fire eating the meals they got while they were hunting, Soren had found some wild berries and managed to catch some fish. Skadi who apparently was in a one sided competition in everything she did manage to catch a fowl and wild mushrooms. After the long day of fighting and traveling they were famished, so they gorged themselves on everything collectively.
With the sun set, and stars beginning to twinkle into existence, the two of them were preparing for bed. Skadi had set up a bedroll and Soren simply found a place on the ground to get comfortable. .
Soren and Skadi cleaned up their campsite and continued on to Pine Grove, and Soren and Skadi were able to notice the village early morning the next day.
They make major modifications to the village in the last few weeks since I have been gone?
Soren had come to Pine Grove with the expectation that despite dying, not a ton of time had passed . His village had almost completely been upgraded to a town, which is now entirely enveloped by a thirty foot fence. Approaching from the northern mountain range they were coming up to the towns main entrance with two soldiers standing guard. These soldiers were not your conventional armed guards with heavy armor and pikes, they seemed to be much more freelanced. Skadi and Soren approached the guards for entry. The first guard was a fairly built red headed man that sported half plate mail and five o'clock shadow. He stood roughly six feet tall while having a longsword sheathed on his belt and a reed in his mouth which actively chewed. The second appeared to be a useless second generation, one whose parents or grandparents were hard working and wealthy but they themselves had no claim to fame or glory. He was probably sent to guard the gate because he got in trouble for something, this was a common practice. You could tell that this was the case because of the man's posture and his particular outfit. This man was much shorter than the first only five and a half feet tall, long blonde hair that seemed to wave with the breeze. Also very unlike the first man, this one did not have a single speck of dirt on him, he wore gloves on his hands, his cloak was far too ornate for guard duty and the man's rapier seemed to be inlaid with gold and silver.
Very quietly Soren had whispered to Skadi, "Hey, just let me do all the talking." Skadi just nodded as they got within distance for a comfortable conversation. The prissy guard started to complain immediately, "Ugh, Why...."
"We've come to enter Pine's Grove. I'm afraid I haven't been here for quite a while so I was not expecting a gate or guards," replied Soren. The other red headed guard took over, "That must be quite the long time then, we've had guards here ever since a guild branch opened up here and that was about five years ago." Soren's mind was sent into a panic.
Just how long have I been gone???!
"What guild branch just opened here? I'm part of the Twilight Dragons Guild," Soren inquired.
The prissy guard began to laugh boisterously, "Bwahahahaha!!! You call that sorry excuse for a building a guild!!? We have THE Dominating Titans guild here. The number one guild in Atticux." The prissy looking guard took on a tone as if he was superior just because there is a guild branch from a renowned guild in this remote town and he had some merit within it. Soren and Skadi looked at each other in a way that asked "Is he for real".
red headed guard shook his head while chastising the other guard, "Doesn't matter what guild is here ya dolt. If they are guild members we allow them entry."
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Soren smiled politely as he pulled out his guild card for the soldier to inspect. He nodded and allowed them to pass. Once the two of them had gotten through the gates Soren was expecting to experience a burst of nostalgia upon seeing visiting his home again, however, as he traversed the town he noticed that far too many changes had taken place since he was last home. Before there was a single well and the dozen or so houses in the village had been built within a stones throw from it. The only thing from his old village was the church, which housed shrines of different deities that one could go and worship. Although, it being a smaller village there were only a few godly shrines residing in that church. Now Soren walked past blacksmiths, leather workers, inns, apothecary, and trading outposts. The original homes were still around the well, but families seemed to live there that Soren didn't recognize. He was almost overwhelmed with all the new buildings that he almost missed his turn, directly in between the blacksmith and the apothecary building was a trail that led to the outskirts of the village he used to know. This was the only other building this far away from the well other than the church, and he used to call it home.
Ness, I hope you're ok. I haven't seen you in a long time.
Soren continued up the path and after a ten minute walk, saw what he was looking for. Tucked away in the corner, directly in front of the erected wall surrounded by other huts, was Soren's home. Soren almost ran to the door but resisted those urges, instead he power walked. He burst through the door like a maniac, he just couldn't contain himself, "Ness! I'm home! Ness where are you!
Soren had shouted and his eyes were frantically scanning the area. His eyes settling on a small family of three sitting at the table. They were beast-folk; the father a white wolf, the mother a red fox, and the child who seemed to be a mixture which made it hard to tell which was dominate and they were of the more human variety. Soren had cast his gaze downward his heart feeling heavy.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOME," shouted a wolf beastman. "This was my home, I had just been away for a while...my brother Ness...do you know what happened to him," responded Soren dejectedly. The wolf had activated one of his skills turning the nails and his hands razor sharp as they extended, ready to retaliate at a moments notice. The fox woman rose from her seat and wrapped her fingers around her husbands hand and pulled them down to his waist. The gesture seemed to calm the man as he relaxed his guard and was no longer posturing for a fight.
"We moved into this home three years ago. The young man said that his brother had died and now that he received his blessing for becoming a man that he'd get stronger and explore the world. He said it had been a rough seven years. I apologize we don't know where he had gone to," the woman explained.
Soren holding back his emotions sighed, "Its not your fault, I had hoped he still lived here, the changes are far greater than I imagined. I apologize for barging in. By the way do you happen to know Greg who kinda resembles a bear, Evan, and James who kinda resembles a rodent but they are all human?
The wolfs beastman's ears perked up at the mention of them, "Well of course we do, they are the founders of this town. James is the mayor, but I do not know where the other two are we haven't seen them in ages." The moment the man had mentioned James being mayor his eye involuntarily twitched. {thump thump} went his heart in quick succession and his breathing rate increased almost as if he was hyperventilating.
This revenge of mine has become quite the hassle, now it seems I'll have to go to two other locations.
"Is there a way I am able to meet with the mayor," asked Soren.
"He usually isn't too busy at the present so it shouldn't be too difficult to get an audience with him. I can show you where to go if you'd like."
"Oh, yes please sir."
__________________________________________________________________
Soren
Race: Trollkin Variant: Herculean
Level: 10/25
Health: 500/500
Str: 87
Dex:63
Def: 63
Int:48
Vitality:100
Charisma:60
Magic: 80
Luck:100
Bloodline: Royal
$%* ^$ &#(@!
Blessing:???????
skill points (SP) available:33, 28 shop currency (SC), free upgrade skill box x2, random skill box x1, random ability box x1, skill level up x2
abilities: [25% Magic Resistance-C] [Reciprocated Helper-C] [Charm Immunity-B] [Poison Immunity-A] [Indomitable Will-B] [Iron Hide-c] [Assassins Vision-B] [Troll Libido-D] [Hydra Regeneration-S] [Trolls Musk-D] [Omnispecies Reproduction-F] [Magic Amp-A] [Mana Cost Reduction-B]
skills: [Swordsmanship lvl 3] [Polearm Mastery lvl 2] [Clawed Slash lvl 2] [Inspect lvl 3] [Unarmed Combat lvl 2] [Spike Bombardment lvl 3] [Concealment lvl 1] [Hunters Stride lvl 1] [Sonic Blast lvl 3] [Dash lvl 2] [Haste Strike lvl 2] [Sunder lvl 2]
Magic:
[light-D] [Radiant-B] [Holy-A] [Lightning-A] [Gravity-A] [Space/Time-B+] [Shadow- A]
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Inventory
-Advanced Ice magic tome
-1100 gold pieces
-black blade sword (midnight)
-lunar lance
-3 health potions
-2 mana potions
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Level: 28/30
Health: 600
Str: 105
Dex:70
Def: 90
Int:60
Vit: 120
Cha: 100
Magic: 80