Reginald was sorry to inform that he regretted every sordid decision that led up to this point in his life. Lions belonged in the jungle, prancing around, being the kings that they were, roaring every so often to warn anybody who was at risk of forgetting about their royal blood.
But something terrible had happened.
You see, They - whose name should never be uttered - had come upon him like a thief in the night. They had asked him if he wanted a chance to conquer the world in a place far away from the jungle. Reginald had looked upon his adorable cubs and his many- two- wives, playing happily in the field and said “What on God’s good green earth are you talking about? Of course, I would love to leave,” for the noise simply never stopped.
At first, he had seen Them as a welcome relief when They stumbled upon him. But now, he saw Them for who They really were: catnappers, the most dangerous criminals in the game.
They had asked him what class he wanted. They had offended him with measly options like thief, rogue and barbarian. Finally, They had their first bright idea. They offered him the role of a knight, which he reluctantly accepted. Reginald had even tried bargaining to be the king, but unfortunately, that spot had already been taken. A total travesty. He decided then the people shall hear about the injustices he had to face. Hopefully, other lions wouldn’t, or else laughing would commence and never stop.
“You have to complete level one first and then you will be granted the position of a knight.” That was the last thing that Reginald had been told before he was transported to another land. And there started the worst day of his life.
[HIP HIP HOORAY! YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED YOUR FIRST MISSION. COMPLETE IT AND THE POSITION OF KNIGHT IS ALL YOURS!]
The enthusiasm was frankly sickening.
[Level one]
[SAVE A FAIR MAIDEN]
Reginald took a good look at his surroundings. Towering trees created an archway above him as if hailing him as the newfound king. A well-worn road wound through the forest, with weeds and wildflowers growing alongside it as if a red carpet rolled out in front of Reginald. It was clear as day that he was in a forest; one that knew the rules of the jungle, it was not so different to a grassland he once knew.
“Hello! It’s nice to meet you!”
Reginald spun around trying to locate the source of the voice.
“I said, ‘Hello!’ Nice to meet you, kind sir!”
Who dare called Reginald kind? Reginald spun around yet again, and yet again his search was to no avail.
“I knew this could take some time… I said ‘Hello!’”
Reginald held back from looking around again. It was as if the irritating voice wanted him to chase his tail. I am not some mutt I would like to have you know.
“Yes, yes. I know you’re not a mutt. You’re a lion,” replied the voice.
Sorcery! The voice had heard his thoughts and replied. It must be some sort of ghost with telepathic abilities and an eye for greatness.
“I am not a ghost. That would be absurd. For animals who join and know nothing about human life, they are granted a helper. And I am yours.”
“Then I command you to show yourself, servant of mine! I would like to see you,” Reginald said, feeling ashamed that the first sound of his voice in this distant land was higher-pitched than he would deem necessary, not the deep rumble that he knew his voice to be.
“I am inside you,” the voice said.
“Nonsense! I haven’t had lunch today. In fact, you have kindly reminded me of my hunger. I am feeling quite ravenous and so, why don’t you come out to play with me, my little snack?”
The voice sounded unamused. “I am in you. In fact, you can think of me as you. The other half of you.”
Reginald was taken aback. The voice was saying they were one and the same? Blasphemy!
The voice continued, “I don’t think you quite understand what’s happening here. Look down, my friend.”
“You are not my friend. You said you were my help-” Reginald finally looked down and what he saw left him feeling as though he had bitten into a rotten carcass. He gasped in horror, feeling as if his insides were churning like the tumultuous sea. His lion eyes gazed down at his hands and feet, which were no longer his lion paws, but instead, they were human limbs. The type of limbs that he crunched on, not ones that he had ever wanted to use himself.
Reginald’s mind reeled in shock and confusion as he struggled to come to terms with his new form. Was he-he couldn’t even bring himself to think of the word- human?
The voice sneered, “Don’t tell me you thought that you would stay as a lion?” and let out a mocking laugh that echoed all throughout Reginald’s very being.
Reginald ignored the rest of the voice’s utterings, too consumed by his latest tribulations. Gangly arms, gangly legs. Is this hell? How can these feeble appendages pass for a knight among humans? Reginald scoffed, back in the jungle, these arms would have only registered as mere toothpicks, good only for dislodging meat that he had been storing in between his teeth for when he was feeling peckish.
The Voice took advantage of the silence, “My name is Ronald.”
I once ate a man called Ronald. Could it be his vengeful spirit coming back to haunt my days and my nights?
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
The Voice erupted in laughter, “Well, well, who knew that lions had a sense of humour?”
“YOU DARE LAUGH AT MY MISFORTUNE?!” Reginald didn’t know how to let his anger out on this voice creature. He tried lashing out on the creature but let out a yelp when he realised through trial and error that he was the only one who got hurt when he pinched the sorry excuse for a body.
The voice eventually calmed down, “Okay, enough jokes. Your first mission has a time limit. You must save a maiden by noon, or you will fail.”
Lions happened to come with an incredible survival instinct so Reginald at once paid attention to the words of his newfound foe. “What happens if I fail?”
“We’ve never had a case of failure on the first mission. I presume, you’ll die.”
There was a second of silence between them.
For the second time of the day, and of Reginald life, he conceded to something. “Fine. I’ll focus on this little mission. But be silent. I don’t want to hear a word from you.”
-------------
[WELL DONE!]
[Due to your good judgement of the forest area, a new skill [AREA APPRAISAL] has been awarded]
[AREA APPRAISAL BEGINNER 1/5]
[+1 PER]
So easily! Reginald couldn't believe how easily he had earned an award for something as simple as climbing a tree. Take the high ground. The most basic rule of survival in the jungle - and in war, for that matter. The fact that regular knights lacked such knowledge seemed preposterous to him. "My cubs know this," he muttered to himself.
But as he sat atop the tree, Reginald's arms - or the arms that the voice claimed belonged to him - were on fire. He had to use all the muscles in his body to ascend, a far cry from his usual effortless leaps. However, he had gained a better vantage point where he could easily see if a fair maiden in a rut passed by, and that was worth the effort.
[WELL DONE!]
[Due to your climb, a new skill [CLIMBING MACHINE] has been awarded]
[CLIMBING MACHINE BEGINNER 1/5]
[+1 END, +1 STR, +1AGI, +1WIL]
I can climb. Not new information. Boring.
“How sassy! The cat has claws.” The Voice chortled.
Reginald was shocked by the voice’s impertinence calling Reginald, the greatest being in all the Earth who exuded grace, courage and strength and all whilst having with a majestic mane, a mere cat. Mouth agape, Reginald decided he had better things to do anyway than to argue and began to wait silently.
As Reginald cautiously surveyed the area, his senses on high alert, he was suddenly caught off guard by the sight of several figures already perched in the branches, poised and ready to pounce. He noticed that many of them wore black fabric masks, leaving only their eyes visible, imparting a sense of mystery.
Is it that faces get cold in trees? I expect that is what occurs with lower species whose faces are furless. The most terrible plight.
Reginald ignored the derisive snort that he heard from the voice. He had resolved to ignore the Voice until it offered an apology.
----
That’s not a fair maiden. Reginald watched as an old man struggled to hobble across the road. That’s a fair senior citizen, at best. When the man was nearly fully out of Reginald’s line of sight, a masked man leapt out of a nearby tree and accidentally scared the old man causing him to stumble slightly. Reginald let out a disapproving cluck, shaking his head. “Humans really do lose their edge in their old age,” he remarked to no one in particular.
This looks promising. Is this the fair maiden which I should seek to help? A chubby woman with wild auburn hair who looked about the age of twenty and two walked down the same road that the old man had taken. Reginald looked around eagerly to see whether he was fortunate enough for someone to attack her.
“Mummy.”
“Mummy.”
No such luck. Two human cubs ran behind the woman. He was sure they came about as a result of coitus. He tutted miserably. I don’t think she would count as a fair maiden.
This time Reginald saw clear as day as a masked man stopped the women and her children in their tracks. He watched as the masked man raised a sword. What is he doing? Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem good. Reginald contemplated helping the woman, but lions were good at minding their business when food wasn’t involved. It was unfortunate but it was just the way life went. He sighed thinking about the food chain and how sad the very natural cycle of life could be.
The sigh seemed to be loud enough for the masked man to look up and see Reginald staring right back at him. Reginald seemed to scare the man who stated running away with his tail between his legs.
[Congratulations!]
[Due to your ability to put terror in people’s hearts, a new skill [INTIMIDATION] has been awarded]
[INTIMIDATION Beginner 1/5]
[+1 CHA]
Reginald purred gently content with the compliment. I AM EXTREMELY SCARY.
[Well done boy.]
[Due to having a true knight’s heart, a new skill [NOBLE] has been awarded]
[NOBLE Beginner 1/5]
[+1 CHA]
“You are correct,” the lion tittered. “I am extremely noble.”
“Huh,” the voice said, “I can hear your thoughts, so I know for a fact that it is untrue. You got that skill purely accidently.”
SILENCE. Reginald shouted inwardly. That seemed to shut the voice up.
------
Reginald rested in the tree again waiting for his time to shine. Third time’s a charm.
A young woman with a head full of golden blonde hair like straw dressed in a gown of light blue walked down the road. She was dainty and fair. She was pale and a right scare- at least in Reginald’s mind. Rotten luck. This doesn’t seem to be a fair maiden either.
He paid no mind as the woman walked down the road. He paid no mind as a masked man jumped out of a tree and held a sword to her throat. He paid no mind as the masked man began to walk the woman away.
“I know you said I should be silent. But I think she is the fair maiden you were waiting for.” The voice said.
No. It can’t be. Such a poor thing, a timid creature, could not be considered beautiful in the human realm. An impossibility.
Reginald looked at the other people in the tree. Most of the men were watching the woman with their eyes lolled out of their heads. How shameful, they don’t seem to be able to hide their disgust. She was ugly but there was no reason to stare.
“There may be a different reason they are staring.” The voice jumped in again.
….
“Which is…” the lion pressed interested.
“She is a fair maiden.”
“Oh… oh no.”
At once Reginald jumped out of the tree, his poor knees quaking not even being able to hold the weight of their own body. Reginald stumbled over to where the woman was with the masked man as fast as he could.
When he was close enough, he heard the masked man say, “Stand and deliver. Your money or your life.”.
Ah so he is a robber. The masked men did not hide their face simply because they were cold. Mystery solved, Reginald thought merrily.
“Concentrate.” The Voice bit out. “They are getting away.”
Reginald quickly hobbled some more behind them crying out in his impossibly high-pitched voice, “STOP.” Shame washed over Reginald at the sound of his voice, but he had noticed that all the men seemed to be donning the same type of ailment. Apparently, it wasn’t an affliction at all it was quite normal for humans.
The masked man abruptly halted and turned to Reginald, demanding, “WOT DID YOU SAY?”
Reginald gulped nervously, a useless action he wouldn’t typically do. But he happened to be in a body so much smaller than his regular size. It was making him feel a little… shy. “I s-s-said st-STOP.”
He fumbled in his pocket to draw out his sword intending to really threaten the man. He drew it out. And out came… a stick? What is this? Who is the author of this world and why is he turning everything against me?
The masked man laughed. Even the voice let out a little chuckle. The pain. Look at how my enemies mock me, Reginald wanted to cry aloud. But this was no time for dramatics, or else he was afraid it would lead to his demise.
Reginald acted swiftly. He whacked one side of the man’s face with the stick. When nothing happened, he whacked the other side of the man’s face with a stick.
The man flung his sword towards Reginald. In a split second, Reginald feeling extremely faint, noted that the man’s sword happened to be a sword of metal and not of wood. Just my luck