The forest was filled with the clatter of bones as two skeleton warriors charged toward the group of scouts. The scouts quickly split up, trying to create some distance between themselves and the undead warriors. The skeleton archers hidden in the shadows behind the warriors continued to fire arrows at the scouts, their bony fingers expertly handling their bows.

Two scouts were caught off-guard, and the first warrior lunged at the scout closest to him and swung his sword in a powerful arc. The scout barely managed to block the attack with his shield, the impact jarring his arm. He tried to counterattack, but the skeleton warrior moved too quickly, its bony fingers wrapped around the scout's sword and ripped it from his hand. The skeleton warrior then delivered a swift strike that pierced his heart, leaving the scout lying on the ground motionless.

"No, you Boney Bastards will pay for this!" Tarian yelled in anguish.

Tarian roared with furious rage as he charged recklessly into the skeleton that had just slaughtered one of his scouts. His sword was a blur as he attacked the skeleton with abandon.

The sound of metal hitting bone rang repeatedly through the air as the assault's momentum grew. All of a sudden Tarians momentum stopped as the skeleton bashed him with its shield, knocking Tarian onto his ass, breathless.

The skeleton started thrusting his rust-covered pocked sword at the downed Tarian tormenting him while trying to end his life. Tarian rolled and dodged as if his life depended on it, which in fact it did. His rage, which had cooled due to the knockdown, began to simmer anew.

With a growl, Tarian swept the skeleton off its feet and knocked it on its skeletal ass. Tarian threw himself on top of the prone skeleton and started pummeling its skull with his chain-mailed hands.

Tarians fists of fury rained down upon the skeleton's skull until it cracked, fragmenting into shards and dust.

Tarian smirked through a coughing fit as the dust of a dead man invaded his lungs. The smirk was short-lived, wading through the cloud of bone dust came another skeleton warrior. This one had a spear, which Tarian promptly discovered as its tip burst through his stomach, dripping red.

Valtair watched in horror as his leader collapsed, grasping at the spear jutting out of his abdomen. Without hesitation, Valtair summoned a bolt of lightning and aimed it at the skeleton warrior. The lightning crackled and sizzled through the air, striking the warrior's skull and shattering it into a million pieces. Tarian grasped the spear, gasping for breath as his lifeblood poured out of him.

Valtair rushed to his side, frantically trying to stop the blood loss, it was to no avail. Tarian's lifeless eyes stared up at the sky, his last breath escaping him. Valtair screamed in agony, tears streaming down his face. He had failed to protect his leader, his friend, and his mentor. The weight of his failure was suffocating, crushing him under its weight.

Valtair gently released Tarians corpse, turning toward the remaining skeletons with anger and loss in his eyes, he let loose his rage with the elements.

Lightning fell from the sky with unerring accuracy, striking skeletons in quick succession. Bone-filled explosions marred the forest floor as the electrifying heat set fire to the trees.

Smoke filled the area obscuring Valtairs vision. His lightning strikes became less accurate as the smoke robbed him of his sight. The storm raged on as if it had a life of its own, it wasn't far off as it sucked the mana out of Valtair hungrily. Valtair, in his rage, had lost control of the spell. You see magic is a fickle mistress, without proper control it is dangerous as you can see.

Valtair, mana drained, lost consciousness in the middle of a smokey and burning forest. The skeletons picked him up and started to carry him back to the village. In the confusion of this altercation, the last member of the scouting group managed to flee for his life. Taking the prudent, yet cowardly path, someone had to report this disaster to the Commander.

The skeletons sent a report through the mental link with Karloc, their master. After informing Karloc, the skeletons carried their prisoner to the specified location Karloc had ordered them to.

Upon regaining consciousness, Valtair found himself in a dimly lit room, bound and guarded by a group of skeletons. He could feel the cold, damp ground beneath him and the musty scent of various herbs.

As he struggled to free himself from his restraints, he realized the gravity of his situation. He had been captured by the very creatures he had been sent to investigate. Valtair knew that Karloc, the master of the skeletons, was a powerful necromancer who would not hesitate to use his dark magic against him.

Valtair tried to recall the events that led to his capture, and he realized that he had made a grave mistake by overestimating his mana and control over his magic. His overconfidence and naivety had led to the slaughter of his companions and his defeat and capture.

Karloc the Necromancer stood over his captive, Valtair the mage, with a sneer on his face. "Why were you and your companions in Goblin Lands?" he demanded, his voice laced with malice.

Valtair gritted his teeth, his hands bound behind his back. He knew that he was in deep trouble. "We were on a mission," he said through clenched teeth. "A mission to find out where you are."

Karloc's eyes narrowed. "Why were you tracking me? What business do you have in my affairs?"

Valtair hesitated for a moment, knowing that the truth would likely mean more pain. But he knew that he had no choice but to speak. "We were tracking you because of what you did!"

Karloc's sneer turned into a cold smile. "What I've done? All I've done is break some chains and free some pathetic humans from the burdens of life."

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Valtair took a deep breath. "We were trying to find you because of what you did to the outpost," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You slaughtered everyone there, men, women, and children. We were sent to find you so that the army could stop you from doing it again. You're a goddamn monster!"

Karloc's smile disappeared, replaced by a look of fury. "You dare accuse me of being a monster?" he snarled, stepping closer to Valtair.

Valtair flinched, knowing that the pain was about to begin. But he held his ground, his eyes locked onto Karloc's. "It's the truth," he said, his voice steady. "And you fucking know it."

Karloc raised his hand, and Valtair braced himself for the worst. But to his surprise, Karloc lowered his hand and took a step back. "You aren't wrong there, I did mercilessly slaughter every breathing soul in that hovel you called an Outpost. But you are mistaken, I'm not a monster. You, people, are the fucking monsters! You sit there and claim I'm a monster for taking the lives of your people. You have the nerve to lay these sins at my feet as if your people weren't even worse. Your precious outpost was a Slavers Outpost."

Valtair tried to respond but Karloc quickly walked over and punched him in the mouth. Valtair reeled from the pain and Karloc continued.

"You bastards enslaved goblins. You used forced breeding to develop a renewable slave force for profit and development. Your people kept goblin children in cages. Babies for fucks sake, babies crowded in cages like animals. Your people watched and laughed as goblin younglings ate each other just to survive. Goblins young and old were collared into magically enforced obedience. Every goblin was forced into manual labor until death. I was born into this. Shortly after my eyes first saw light in this world you people turned me into a slave. From birth to the age of five I was doing whatever unsightly task I was ordered to. I throw off the yolk of slavery and slaughter those who forced this fate upon me, and I'm the fucking monster?"

"I'M NOT THE MONSTER HERE!" Karloc roared while striking Valtair again and again in unbridled fury.

Whimpers of pain escaped Valtairs lips as Karloc savagely beat him, letting out pent-up emotions that he wasn't aware he had been suppressing to this degree. The beating slowed down as Valtair stopped moving.

Valtair had gone silent as his shallow breaths barely supported his needs, let alone enough to allow him to cry out. He looked like he was near death, Karloc took a step back with a satisfied smile on his face and a maniacal twinkle in his eyes.

"My rage is undeniable, my fury unquenchable. You, Humans, are the monsters. How can you justify enslaving an entire race? How can you lay claim to righteousness with the blood of children on your hands? Yet you decry we are the monsters? Fuck you, and your entire species!" Karloc spat venomously.

Karloc began to laugh as tears streamed down his face.

"I knew but a fleeting moment of peace before your kind slapped a collar on me. So no, don't you ever try to tell me that you aren't monsters."

Karloc ordered his minions to string Valtair up from a tree, high above the ground. The goblin king stood below, watching with a cruel smile as Valtair dangled helplessly.

"Let this be a warning to all who would dare to enter our lands," Karloc bellowed. "This is what happens to trespassers. We will not tolerate outsiders in our territory. These are Goblin lands, and we will defend them with all our might!"

Valtair struggled and squirmed, but the ropes were too tight. He could barely breathe, and he could feel his strength ebbing away. He knew that he was going to die, and he felt a sense of despair wash over him. Valtair was filled with regret at the events that led up to this moment.

Then he died.

Karloc took one last glance at Valtairs dangling corpse before waltzing off into the forest, minions following obediently behind. Karloc returned to his village and after assuring everyone that everything is fine, decided to call it a day. Oh, and what a splendid day it was.

Valtair hung from the tree, his body limp and lifeless. Karloc had strung him up as a warning to other humans to stay out of their business. It was a cruel death, but Valtair knew the risks when he had decided to search for signs of Karloc deep into goblin territory.

Just after his consciousness began to fade away, a bright light enveloped his corpse. Valtair felt his spirit being lifted out of his body, and he found himself in a strange place he had never seen before. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew that he was in the In-Between, a place where souls go before they pass on to the afterlife.

As he looked around, he saw a figure approaching him. It was Hjurn, the God of Humans. Valtair recognized him immediately from the statues in the churches where he grew up. Valtair had never believed in the gods, but he couldn't deny what he was seeing. This was divinity.

"Hjurn," Valtair said, his voice barely a whisper. "Why am I here? Am I dead?"

Hjurn looked at Valtair with a solemn expression. "Yes, Valtair. Your mortal body has expired, but your spirit still has a purpose."

"A purpose?" Valtair asked, confused.

"Yes. I have selected you, Valtair. You are now my Chosen," Hjurn said, his voice booming. "I have bestowed upon you my blessing, which will allow you to become stronger. You will earn experience points from slaying monsters and level up. I am tasking you with a mission."

"Level up? A mission?" Valtair repeated, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening.

"Yes, I don't have much time to explain, but in time you will come to understand. I wish I could explain in detail but if the Other Gods hear of this, it will be trouble. Trust me, just go to a dungeon and you will discover what I mean. I'm sorry I can't enlighten you as much as I wish, but pray to me once you are returned to the loving and I will give you further details. No more questions, every second you are in the In-Between it becomes more dangerous!"

"You must end Karloc the Necromancer," Hjurn said, his tone serious. "He poses a threat to not only humans but all of the living. End him, and be rewarded!"

Valtair nodded slowly. "I'll do it," he said, determination filling him. He had never backed down from a challenge before in his short life, and he wasn't about to start now.

Hjurn smiled at him. "I know you will, Valtair. But know that the path ahead of you will be difficult. You will face many challenges and obstacles, but I have faith in you."

With that, the bright light surrounded Valtair once again, and he felt himself being pulled back to the world of the living. As he opened his eyes, he knew that his life had changed forever. He had a mission to complete, and he was Hjurn's Chosen.