Prelude

“Life is short, don’t forget to live it.”

                                                       -Mateo Ryusane

Lightning crackles across the sky as thunder roars sending vibrations through the night air. Droplets of rain pound against the earth as if trying to force their way into it. An unremarkable man of middle age exits a large factory rushing to his vehicle through the heavy downpour. The rear tires to his vehicle slide in the rain as he peels out of the parking lot.

In a rush to escape the perils of his servitude the vehicle hydroplanes on the freeway sending it careening into opposing traffic. The last thing the man sees is the blinding lights of a lifted pickup as it drives over his black coupe popping his head like a cherry and sending his final thoughts spraying into the trunk of the now crushed vehicle.

Chapter 1 Stranger Danger 

Existence is a dark numb thoughtless pit for a time. Devoid of sense or emotion a consciousness drifts through the void searching for a vessel to inhabit. An   immeasurable amount of time passes as the consciousness meanders aimlessly before stumbling upon anything.

By wag of chance the consciousness stumbles upon a small light about to be snuffed out by the darkness. The light makes its presence known acknowledging the existence of the consciousness. It shutters in the dark void as if pleading for help. The consciousness in dire need to regain any sense of self seeks refuge within it.

As it impregnates the light with its existence the light grows brighter pushing back the darkness as it gleams through the void. It begins to move rupturing the endless darkness as it takes shape. At first, it’s little more than a perfect sphere. The sphere deforms forming the rough outline of a humanoid figure. Arms and legs sprout from a squared torso as another spherical figure protrudes from the top of it. Lines form giving tone to muscles as the small sphere on top shapes into a face.  

The figure begins to convulse violently as it shapes into the body of a tall slender man. Hairless and bare it curls into a fetal position as the darkness rips open around it giving birth to new light. The aroma of a gentle breeze seems familiar as the figure begins to gain sensory perception. The humanoid mass reaches through the ruptured darkness toward this new light.

Pain shoots through the figure’s entire being as tissue grows covering the muscle and organs grow filling the empty space inside. Hair erupts in patches before filling over the surface of the dermis. Light reaches through the ruptured darkness taking the now formed figure’s hand and ripping it from the darkness.

The figure peers around a room with eyes of hazel as it takes in its surroundings. There’s a quant framed bed seemingly constructed of oak beside which rests a nightstand of the same craft. Penetrating sunlight pierces the room from a large window across it. The figure holds its hand out shielding its eyes from the intensity of the sun.

Another figure turns stricken by the sudden intrusion of the first. The form of a slender young woman covering her large chest with a towel let’s out a loud shriek.

Consciousness comes screaming into the figure and they both scream at one another. The figure unable to form words stands in a panic. The girl cries out in an unknown but strangely familiar language.  

“By Gottes, what are you doing in my room you pervert!”

She’s short with long dark hair and blue eyes. For some reason the figure can sense something strange radiating from her body. It doesn’t seem strong.

Suddenly thoughts pour into the figures mind and it falls to its knees pressing its palms to its head. Where am I? Who am I? Why am I naked? The figure questions mentally, but not words exit its open mouth.

The girl seems to freeze as a small humanoid creature with the wings of a butterfly floats up to the figures face.

“My name is Natalia, what’s your name realm traveler?” it asks.

“Realm traveler,” it chokes out with a strained voice.

“That’s a title, what’s your name dumbass.”

“My name is Mateo Ryusane,” the figure replies almost instinctually.  

“Not the coolest name I’ve heard, you can call me Nat, I’ll be buzzing around while you complete your first quest,” she says with a smile before disappearing into a puff of glittering smoke.

“My first quest?” He says aloud with a scratchy unpracticed voice.

Words appear at the top of his peripheral as a solemn voice reads them aloud in his head.

Main Quest 1: You have incurred the wrath of a beautiful young maiden’s father, escape her room without dying.

“Without dying, what the hell does that mean?”

The sound of heavy boots pounds the air as Mateo looks to the door of the young girl’s room. He bolts to the other side of the room toward the window as the door swings open. To his relief the window isn’t locked. He vaults through it as the young lady’s father forces his way into her room.

His exposed figure rolls off the roof of the porch making a thud as it lands in thick mud. To his dismay he finds himself in a summer storm. The sun may be shining, but that isn’t stopping the rain. His bare feet slip as he runs naked through the rain toward the woods. The front door swings open, but a furious father doesn’t give chase.  

After fleeing for his life without looking back for what seems like a quarter mile. Mateo reaches a small waterfall and stops washing mud from his naked body.  

Main Quest 1: Escape the beautiful young maiden’s room without dying complete.

Reward: your life

Main Quest 2: Find shelter before you die.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

After cleaning himself in the creek below the waterfall Mateo staggers around aimlessly looking for something to cover his dangling jewels. To his dismay his search for apparel is fruitless.

“Uhm Mateo?”

“What is it strange flying tiny person?” He asks as Natalia reappears seemingly out of thin air.

He takes a moment to look her over, something he didn’t have time to do before. Natalia is a thin framed pixie with brilliantly colored wings and silver hair. Her eyes a calm cerulean ocean twinkle in the sunlight. Strips of crimson fabric wrap artfully around her soft caramel skin.

“Mateo, this isn’t the time to stare at me hungrily,” Natalia yells.

“What is it?” He asks.

“Do you have a weapon?”

“Nat I’m completely naked, where would I put a weapon,” he replies.

“You should run then,” she says.

“Why?” He questions.

“Wolves,” she replies disappearing.

Glowing eyes fill the woods around the small stream. Dark clouds have moved in obscuring the warm glow of the sun which already seemed low in the sky.  Mateo finds himself wet, naked, and confused. So, he starts running. The wolves give chase.

His bare feet slip through wet grass as he hurtles himself though the woods like a mad man. The howl of wolves grows closer as he notices the glow of a lantern. He crosses his fingers bolting in that direction in hopes that it’s a nudist colony.

Gnashing jaws are near on his ankles as he slips through the mud toward a small cabin. There’s a strange sign outside with a mug on it. A tavern? The wolves circle the woods around the structure as he forces open the door in a panic. He leans down breathing heavily as the patrons all stare at him awkwardly, or rather the bits of him dangling between his legs uncovered.   

“Excuse me, I’m a little lost,” he says collapsing to one knee.

“Is he fuckin’ naked?” a voice with an english accent asks.

“Might be fun, why don’t you let me examine him,” a stern female voice says.

“Terror says don’t touch him, Terror senses a pixie,” a loud booming voice says.

Subtle torches light the tavern in a warm apricot glow as his senses begin to fail him. His eyes meet a small trio, but his vision is too blurry to make them out. He falls face first onto the hard wood floor. Naked and exhausted in the middle of a tavern full of strangers.

Mateo wakes in a room naked and surrounded by strangers. There’s a large man with wolflike features covered in fur. A young woman with violet skin beside him siting cross-legged holding a book. She has long pointy ears and a scowl on her thin lips. The authoritarian voice rings through the air approaching him.

It’s a large muscular green man with short tusks protruding from his bottom lip. He’s got a bit of an underbite, but his face seems otherwise appealing to the opposite sex. His fingers run under Mateo’s chin lifting his gaze to two near glowing crimson eyes.

New Quest: You have been captured by several unknown humanoid strangers, learn their intentions, and don’t die.

“Terror wants know where is pixie?”

“Who’s asking,” Mateo coughs.

“Terror is asking, no play games with Terror, where is pixie,” he says his crimson eyes growing slender.

“Sounds like the name of a stripper, so she’s probably at the brothel,” he replies.

A stern muscular hand seeks to slap some sense into him, but it has the opposite effect. Mateo spits blood as it runs through his teeth with a grin.

“Maybe I know her, maybe I don’t, if you’re looking for a girl that small your dick must be laughable.”

The violet skinned girl chuckles and another muscular open palm slams against his face. Hoping this was a dream, or maybe a nightmare Mateo begins to realize he’s not waking up.

“Calm down Terror, this obviously needs a woman’s touch,” the violet skinned woman says standing.

She’s rather tall, and very slender. Her athletic build gives her a subtle, but firm bust. Something Mateo seems to find very alluring. Every step she makes is graceful like a model walking across a stage. Soft fingertips run across his cheek sending goosebumps down his spine. Mateo gazes up into her bright pink eyes and a seductive grin spreads across her thin lips.

“What’s the pixie to you strange naked man,” she looks down at his crotch then back up at him, “you’d make a pleasant toy, maybe she saw the same in you.”

Mateo’s cheeks turn blood red as he realizes that he is sitting naked in a chair with a raging hard on. Unable to hide his strange attraction to her aggressive nature without pants he tries his best to keep up his façade of ignorance.

“I don’t know a pixie,” he replies.

She sits in his lap sighing as she presses her firm breasts together seductively. The silky groin of her undergarments rubs against his exposed crotch. She’s wearing a long cloak that seems well made for mobility and poorly made for defense. Her fighting style must involve speed and agility. The ability to move in and make quick strikes without taking a hit. She doesn’t get penetrated unless she wants to.

The wolfman sighs crossing his furry arms.

“This again Serenity, no one wants your frail frame and narrow hips, they aren’t good for rearing children.”

“Hey Fido, shut the fuck up she was just about to seduce the location of the pixie out of me,” Mateo yells.

Mateo moves his wrists, but they’re bound by some kind of fuzzy rope. Something he concludes is less for detaining prisoners, and more for playing in the bedroom. Though he is unsure of any thoughts he makes having nearly no memory of who he is. By point of example, he barely learned to speak but a few hours ago. Strange memories are coming to him in short bursts. They often leave him confused though. Raising more questions than they answer.  

The wolfman rolls his moonlit eyes irritably before stomping off. Serenity looks down at Mateo placing her soft hand on his cheek.

“So, you’ve decided to speak, tell me where your pixie is, and I might make you my pet,” she says leaning into him with a lustful grin.

Her breath presses hot against his lips seeking to make its way inside them. Subtle hints of mint and cherry invade his nostrils driving a lustful hunger inside him. One he is very nearly ready to give into, but he can’t well give up the pixie without knowing who she is. He feels a strange connection to her as if he needs to protect her.

Mateo gives off a sigh swallowing a mouthful of blood, so he doesn’t spit it on her perky bosom and ruin her expensive looking corset.

“I ate her,” he replies.

“You what!” she yells angrily.

“I ate her, I was so hungry, and she looked so delicious, so I ate her,” he replies.

“You wouldn’t,” she says grabbing his throat in a somewhat enticing way.

“Terror can kill him now?” the green man asks.

Serenity holds out her hand and a dagger appears in it. It’s a short obsidian blade with a bone handle. Probably better for hunting than execution. She doesn’t seem concern about that though as she presses it to his throat.

“Tell me where the pixie is or I will take your last breath from you,” she says gripping the blade firmly.

Mateo stares into her eyes as the razor-sharp blade cuts into his neck. Small slivers of blood run over his shoulder blades and he smiles.

“You might as well kill me, because I’m not going to let you hurt her,” he replies.

A strong wind forces its way through the trees ruffling the leaves violently and Serenity climbs off his lap. Looking around Mateo finds he is now in the middle of a clearing surrounded by forest. He lets out a sigh of relief at not having a dagger pressed to his throat.

“It’s her Okami, prepare for an attack,” Serenity yells to the wolf man.

“I told you this was a bad idea,” he replies.

Violent winds rip leaves from the trees sending them through the air like razors. My captors evade or cut through them until Natalia appears in-front of me.

“Natalia, you shouldn’t have come, they’re looking for you,” he says as she cuts his bindings.

Mateo’s captors encroach on him, and he holds up his fists ready for battle, naked as the day he was born.

“I know, they’re my friends,” Natalia says with a smile.

“Your friends, that green guy almost knocked my teeth out!” Mateo yells.

“Terror hit you for free, Terror usually gets paid to hit people,” he says with a sense of pride.

“That sexy elf lady was going to kill me,” he protests.

Natalia crosses her arms looking over at Serenity with a scowl on her face.

“Is that true,” she says squinting her eyes.

“I would have played with him first, he’s not lacking in my area of desire,” she says biting her lip.

“You’re a psychopath, you’re a pervert, and you,” Natalia says pointy at Okami, “you’re a bad boy.”

Mateo taps Natalia on the shoulder seeming confused.

“Excuse me, what the hell is going on?”

Natalia smiles.

“You just found your party, adventurer.”

Quest complete: You have been captured by several unknown humanoid strangers, learn their intentions, and don’t die.  

Reward- ability to converse telepathically through Natalia with a party.

By gaining the trust of Natalia Starbreaker you are now able to converse telepathically with your fellow party members. Current party includes: Okami Moonfang, Terror Darklove, and Serenity Everbold.