Darkness gathered and the man formerly known as Alexander David Eriksson slept beside a small fire in the middle of the forest. It was a deep sleep, though not a dreamless one. Visions of glory, destruction, intrigue, and betrayal occupied the stage of his subconscious mind. Through every dream, though the only constant was the flash of vermillion at the corner of his awareness, Danu was watching and drawing attention to details. In dreams, he lived multiple lifetimes and experienced premonitions of things that may be, though nothing quite seemed solid enough to be fixed. That was one of the universal truths regarding fate and free will, though key moments were concrete and the rise and fall of nations and even worlds along with the lives of potentially billions rested on the razor edge of a decision. The details, however, were in flux and left to the whim of mortals and chance.
A drop spattered on Xavier’s face, shortly followed by another and another until suddenly there were hundreds of raindrops cascading down through the boughs overhead and soaking the recently sleeping man shocking him into consciousness. Nearby the soft hiss of water hitting hot coals filled the air for a few moments before falling silent as the cool water extinguished what was left of the campfire. As his mind shook off the haze of sleepiness with much more alacrity than ever in his previous life his grip tightened on his makeshift spear, and he looked about the clearing. Other than the rain and the soft light of the early morning nothing had changed from when he had laid to sleep.
Congratulations! – You have earned an Achievement. “Survive a night in the wilds.” Considered the steppingstone for hunters, explorers, and adventurers you have joined their ranks by making it through a night in the wilderness without dying. Look at you!
Xavier shook his head a moment as he mentally read the prompt a second time. Yes, there was some definite snark to these things. He dismissed the prompt and slowly got to his feet, already starting to feel uncomfortable in the soaked and muddy cloth of his clothing.
“I should have looked for a cave or some better shelter,” he thought to himself.
Walking to the edge of the water he knelt and scooped a couple of handfuls up to soak his face and drink his fill then rose and looked up and down the small path he had been following. Remembering the wolflike things back the direction he came from set his decision and he turned and continued further down the path ears straining to pick out any noise besides the soft patter of rain on leaves as he walked.
As he walked, he was struck with how his surroundings felt so much more… vibrant. The colors were more brilliant shades even under the muted light of the rainstorm. In the distance, he could hear more sounds of animals and birds moving through the trees of the forest and scrub of the brushes. Gone was the overwhelming constant hum of electric lights, the rumble of engines, and the overall cacophony of sounds of life in a city. It was peaceful.
It was peaceful... that is until he found the spattering of blood. A heavy coppery tang hung in the air as he came upon the sanguine splash of color across the pathway and trailed off into the woods. His grip tightened on the spear as he stiffened in worry. His mind raced with options as he tried to decide what to do. Should he follow the path or follow the blood? What caused it? He knelt next to the discolored area and noticed that the blood was still sticky, recent but not fresh then. There could still be danger in the area. It was then he noticed that the sounds of the forest he had been reveling in earlier were gone. No more birds or animals seemed to move about the area or cry out. All he could hear was the rustling of the wind in the leaves.
Sighing he came to a decision. He wouldn’t be safe with an unknown danger nearby. Crouching, he started into the undergrowth following the trail of blood. His heart thundered in his ears all but drowning out the noise of the leaves as he strained to hear anything that might give him an idea of what lay ahead.
It was only a few minutes before he came across the first body. A small humanoid with a long pink tail, grubby clothing, and a wooden stick clutched in its grubby claws. Xavier rolled the body over and recoiled as he realized it was as much a rat as it was a person. There was a gash deep into the creature's chest through which it seemed to have bled out. Biting his lip he moved closer to the body once again and his stomach roiled from the stench rising from it. The being was filthy and not just from what was sticking to the drying blood matting its fur.
Tentatively he started searching the body and found only the dirty rags that seemed to make up its clothing and the club-like stick he previously noted it carrying. Deciding it had nothing of worth he took a deep breath and looked about to see if there was more of a trail, it was only a matter of moments before he noted the path continued deeper into the woods, with footprints and more blood, though now down to just droplets, led away from the body and into the brush.
Steeling his resolve he continued after the path, every few minutes he ran into another body of the rat-like creatures. Each one looked like the previous though the state of their rags and filth varied slightly. None carried more than crude wooden weapons.
It was when he came across the fifth body that he finally heard something in the distance and noticed a change in his surroundings. Where previously he only saw natural rocks and stone formations amid the trees, the one just ahead looked like it had been worked. He made his way carefully towards it and brushed away some of the growth covering it. Yes, it had been worked, there were stones cut and stacked deliberately to make the remains of a wall. Remaining low as he had moved closer to the sounds to inspect his discovery he looked about and found more ruins, ruins that were getting larger in the direction of the distant sound.
It was then that he heard the scream. A female voice raised in pain and terror cut through the air. He took off through the ruins heading towards the sound and as he drew closer, he could make out the guttural sounds of the creatures as well. While he ran the broken walls gave way to tumbled-down buildings and more intact walls. Still nothing whole as such but the remains of a long-forgotten settlement.
When he found where the noises were coming from, he leaned against one of the walls and peeked around the corner. His stomach dropped when he saw a collection of the rat-men surrounding a young woman. Her back was pressed against the wall in the corner of one of the broken buildings and she waved a dagger back and forth trying to hold them back. She looked to be in her early twenties, her body covered in cuts and bruises where it showed through her torn clothing. Brunette hair hung loose and crusted around her head waiving and swaying as she tried to parry another swing of a club from one of the creatures. He counted another seven of the creatures around her all with their backs to him as they tormented the girl, clearly intent on capturing or killing her.
Knowing he couldn’t stand by he darted out from his hiding place and drove his spear towards the back of the closest rat-man. The point went through the thin cloth covering its back and deep into its flesh… and then the spear snapped. The creature staggered and dropped to the ground but several of the creatures turned hearing the noise and found him standing over their companion. Anger flashed in their dark beady eyes and four shifted their ire to him leaving three to continue harassing the girl. He backpedaled as quickly as he could, holding his spear's remains as he tried to block their strikes.
Xander was repeatedly battered and bruised by the rat-men’s weapons as blow after blow slipped past his shoddy defense. However, he gave punishment as well. Dancing to the side of a clumsy strike he jabbed the broken end of his spear into the face of the creature tearing its cheek as the jagged wood slipped upwards into its eye.
Ding!
You have slain a level 1 rat-man. +15 Experience.
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One down, only three left on me, he thought. However, those moments of distraction and trying to retrieve his weapon earned him two more blows to his ribs from the creatures on either side of the one he had killed. Yelling in pain from what was sure to be at least cracked ribs he swung his broken shaft into the creature on the right. It caught it in its elongated face and snapped its head to the side dropping it to the ground as well.
Ding!
You have slain a level 2 rat-man. +30 Experience.
He heard another scream from the woman and hazarded a glance in her direction as he jumped back from the last two moving closer to him.
She had managed to stick her dagger into the throat of one of the ones surrounding her, but the blade had stuck and slipped from her blood-coated hands leaving her weaponless as she huddled down into the corner seeking to cover herself as much as possible from the clubs of the remaining creatures harassing her.
Desperation to survive and save the girl from her fate flooded his body with adrenaline and his blows with the makeshift club struck harder and faster upon the creatures surrounding him. One strike crushed the throat of the one on his left and it fell to the ground gurgling as it drowned in its own blood.
Ding!
You have slain a level 3 rat-man. +45 Experience.
The attack had cost him a ringing blow to his head though. His vision swam as he tried to recover his senses. Stumbling he barely managed to get his weapon in the path of another blow the final creature aimed towards his head. Snarling he lunged forward wrapping his arms around the filthy figure, who immediately started trying to bite him, and drove it to the ground. His weight and momentum caused the rat-man to hit its head against a rock momentarily stunning it. Taking advantage of that lapse Xavier clutched the creature's head and started repeatedly bashing it into the rock until he heard and felt the squishing crunching sound of its skull giving way and it stopped moving.
Ding!
You have slain a level 3 rat-man. +45 Experience.
Gasping slightly, he groaned as his damaged ribs reminded him of their presence, he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled towards the backs of the two still driving blows down on the huddled girl. He bent to pull the dagger she had lost from the throat of the dead creature and slammed it into the back of one of the remaining ones. The blade bit true and it collapsed to the ground.
Ding!
You have slain a level 2 rat-man. +30 Experience.
The sound of its demise drew the attention of the last monster. Hissing its ire, it spun towards Xavier, and he desperately blocked its brutal strike. The last creature was slightly larger than the others had been. It stood nearly as tall as Xavier, though it was still wiry and just as filthy as they were. It paced to the side its eyes roving over Xavier as he turned to keep it in front of him. Another hiss escaped the mouth of the rat-man as it raised its club high overhead seemingly trying to crush the human before it for the audacity of interrupting its sport. At the club’s apex, Xavier had a moment of clarity and he drove forward, his borrowed dagger diving deeply into the creature’s chest and twisting. The creature paused and the look of anger on its face changed to one of confusion, and then its features slackened as its body went limp. Dropping the club it fell to the ground, blood soaking Xavier as the blade came free of its chest. It was over. He had won.
Ding!
You have slain a level 5 rat-man brute. +100 Experience.
Congratulations! – You have learned a new skill – Tracking level 1. A footprint, smudged dirt, broken branches, and disturbed leaves now paint a picture of passing to you. These are vital clues that enable you to follow your prey. +2% to tracking prey.
Congratulations! – You have learned a new skill – Spears level 1. Through blood and pain, you have discovered how to wield a spear. Woe to your foes because you now have reach with your weapon. +2% to spear damage. +2% to attack while wielding a spear.
Congratulations! – You have learned a new skill – Clubs level 1. Xavier smash! One of the most basic of weapons you now know how to swing a stick be that a stick of wood, metal, or stone. +2% to club damage. +2% to attack while wielding a club.
Congratulations! – You have learned a new skill – Knives level 1. Pride of thieves, assassins, and just about anyone who sticks small pointy things into bodies, you have discovered the basics of wielding a knife. Go forth and continue to practice your stabby stabby skill. +2% to knife damage. +2% to attack while wielding a knife.
Congratulations! For surviving the battle with the rat-man hunting party and aiding in the death of six of the creatures you have earned +250 Experience.
Congratulations! – You have completed a hidden quest. “Rescue the Lost 1.” Your actions saved an unknown woman from death and danger. Who is she? Where is she from? Can you trust her? +500 Experience.
You have been offered a quest. “Rescue the Lost 2.” Having saved the young woman from certain death or capture you now have the option of leaving her to the wilds or earning her trust. To continue this quest try to get the woman to open up and learn more about her. Potential rewards: A new traveling companion. +300 Experience.
A crescendo of chimes sounded in his ears followed by the following prompt.
Hark and Hear! You have ascended in level. You are now level 2! Humans are granted 4 attribute points to distribute. Blessings of the Gods (Danu) has increased this to 6 attribute points. You will have 3 days to assign these points else they will be randomly assigned for you. Go forth, seek glory, seek love, LIVE!
Standing there he looked at the crimson color soaking the blade, his arm, and his chest. He killed it. With the heat of the battle over his mind stuttered in shock that he had killed something other than a small animal. He dropped the dagger and sunk to his knees trying to wrap his mind around the fact he had committed murder.
“No, not murder,” he thought to himself, “but I still killed people, rat-people, but people still.” He knelt there in stunned silence as his body shook from the sudden stop of exertion and the growing pain from his wounds. It was only a few moments before the ringing in his ears cleared enough that he heard the quiet moans of pain from the girl and he shook off his distractions and rose to move towards her.
She was still huddled in the corner, drawn up into a ball with her arms wrapped around her legs holding them close to her body. Her head was ducked down hiding most of her face behind her knees, all but her eyes, which were focused on him as he drew closer. Their piercing emerald orbs searched him and caught his own in their fierce gaze. Even beaten and hurt her gaze remained defiant and strong. Her moans ceased as he got closer to her and her eyelids narrowed. He paused and held a hand placatingly out towards her, palm up and open trying to show her he meant no harm to her.
“Are you ok?” He asked her quietly. “Are you injured? I’m here to help.”She pressed herself further back against the wall avoiding his touch and he withdrew his hand.
“Im going to look around to make sure there are no more of these creatures,” he told her before turning away from where she sat. He made his way around the small clearing amidst the ruins, pausing to look around each corner and peer into the forest before moving on to the next spot. It seemed the right thing to do. Then seeing nothing of note and not hearing anything else creeping up on them he moved back to the bodies.
Shuddering slightly, he knelt and began searching them for anything of value. As with all of the others of their kind, he had found so far none of them had more than rags and crude clubs. None of them except the larger one that is, it had a small bag tied under its rags. Curling his lips in distaste at the smell and filth of the bag Xavier pulled it off of the body and carefully opened it. Inside was a hodge-podge of items such as string, bones, sticks, and three small copper coins. Xavier tossed the bones and sticks aside but kept the string and coins as he tied the little bag to his belt. He looked over to where the girl still sat. She was cross-legged now watching him and had retrieved her dagger holding it with both hands before her body, silently warning him to keep his distance.
Standing back up he started to drag the corpses off into the forest. She didn’t move from where she sat only watching him as he worked. “My name is Xavier,” He told her during one of the times he passed her. “Who are you?” She remained silent and he sighed.
The exertion of disposing of the bodies made his already bruised and battered body ache and cry out in pain. He held a hand to his ribs feeling that they were not broken but surely cracked. As he dropped the last body in the forest outside of the rubble that signified the edge of the ruins he turned and trudged back towards where the girl sat. He noticed a small stone basin along the side of the path it seemed to be filled with rainwater. Pausing he bent to smell the water. It didn’t seem to smell bad. Hesitantly he bent his lips to it, thirst from the exertion of battle overruling his fear of sickness to take a sip. It tasted clean and clear, and he drank deeply from it before splashing it over his face and body sloughing away the sweat, gore, and blood from the fight. Feeling slightly better he stood back up and looked towards where he had left the girl. Pursing his lips in thought he wondered if he would regret his decision to save her then mentally shrugged. It was time to find out.