“Ugh, what the hell…dammit!”
Seamus clawed his way on to his front in the grass, stumbling as his arms did not reach where they should. Falling back on his face instead of all fours, his face crashed into the violet and bloodied grass illuminated by the full moon. He worked his way to standing up and looking around his surroundings; before promptly falling back on his ass. He could make out the vaguely humanoid shape, and it wasn't breathing.
“Shit shit shit shit shit, why is there a dead guy next to me, and where’s his fucking head!”
He crawled back in fear until he hit a tree, his eyes darted up noticing the pure violet canopy above, and small yellow eyes staring back swaying from the hit. A couple of tense seconds pass as the “eyes” drop down to reveal a pair of dangling yellow nuts clattering in front of Seamus.
“Pffff, Ha…hahaha… “He cradled his head into his hands balling himself up against the tree and muffling his deranged laughter as tears drowned his unfamiliar clothes.
…
10 minutes go by until the laughter and the tears stop. Breathing deeply, he looked at his hands soaked with crusted blood apparently from his own head, he traced his head and found no cuts or felt any pain. He worked up the strength to stand slowly, realising he was at least a head shorter than he remembered, he looked down at himself. Nothing made sense. Even a sharp pinch and a slap was no help here.
“This is crazy, this is f-“
A sharp tortured but undeniably human scream reverberated throughout the forest, an evil looking luminous green light spread out reflecting off the trees nearby, illuminating the metal glint of peeking out from the clothes on the headless adult male corpse.
Seamus noticed the metal glint and dived for it; He was already terrified; the tree was no hiding place and metal meant he could get something to at least defend himself. He landed near the torso of the corpse, shuffling as carefully as he could; hoping nothing was nearby as he tried to rip out his prize from the rough leather armour.
“3 arrows, ok good, sharp stabby thing is good…wait where’s the bow?” he moved slowly, his eyes now adjusted to the dark from his major panic attack, but the bow was nowhere to be seen.
“I’ll have to make do”. He snapped half of one arrow off and tucked it down the side of his heavy leather treasures and holding an arrow in each hand; he knew he looked ridiculous, but it was the best he could do. He stood up, looking in the direction of the dim death-like light pulsing through the forest, he grit his teeth, “To help other people at all times, fuuuck” his voice trilling in unadulterated fear.
And off he ran. Toward the recent screams.
…
Seamus peaked around the final tree, his eyes wincing at the strong green glow, his mouth clutching his mouth hoping that his scream doesn’t reveal his location. The glowing green pulsed out of the hovering orb alongside a set of beast bones and circles of blood drawn runes. A hooded and cloaked figure reading from an old tome, a cloaked skeleton watching behind with a rusty sword in hand.
Seamus turned his back to the tree again out of sight. “I heard a scream… where are the screaming people…”
A younger higher pitch scream ripped through the air. The necromancer flinching back once again cursing “Shit, I knew crossing souls was risky, but did the boy have to scream from here to Haluren?! Ridiculous.”
Seamus listened in as best he could, panting, heart pounding. He couldn’t understand, there was no more bodies just an orb screaming. What people are left to help? He grits his teeth reluctantly, he knew the answer really, despite the scouts, the army camps, and the hunting; he had still been a teenager, and he definitely knew his fantasy worlds. The screams he felt, the word soul crossing that necromancer’s lips. Deep down he knew, and his conscience was not going to let him run away.
“two enemies, but only one can think, skeletons either react or are dumb, but they’re the muscle…” Seamus had to think to himself at light speed trying to balance out not dying stupidly and not letting this tortured soul suffer.
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Nodding to himself repeatedly, willing himself to move without his bladder following suit, “Let’s go”, Seamus took out his spare arrow, faced the ritual circle out of sight of both enemies and threw it across the camp where it landed in the bushes in the skeleton’s no-eye sight.
*Crack* Bones crinkled as the skeleton lumbered forward towards the noise; the necromancer too focused on the spell taking place. As soon as the skeleton rummaged through the hedge with its sword, Seamus snuck forward as fast as possible until….*SNAP*. A twig snapped underfoot; Seamus froze in fear.
Both the muttering necromancer and the skeletal warrior both turned to face Seamus; the necromancer ceased his chanting with his eyes wide as saucers
“Impossible…”
The skeleton started walking back.
Seamus started running towards the necromancer, one arrow in each hand and screaming out in a mixture of fear, adrenaline, and dread.
“I KILLED YOU ALREADY! YOUR SOUL IS HERE! BONE SPI…ARHHHH”
Seamus could just make out what the necromancer was saying over his own screaming and the spurting of blood from the arrow repeatedly stabbed into the neck and upper chest of the robed necromancer. Up close he could see he was young as well. Maybe he had just become a man. He was thin, pale, and covered in strange marks and scars.
Except now it was all blood, blood everywhere.
*CRACK* The nearby skeleton had collapsed completely its hand raised above about to slash at Seamus. Seamus didn’t even flinch – his eyes were focused on the blood pouring out of his…victim.
He had stabbed a man to death.
He had killed, regardless of the circumstances. Trying to save the soul being tormented in agony did not matter right now.
[*DING*]
*GIFT “ARROW” HAS BEEN UNLOCKED.*
*CORE GIFT SKILL “RECALL” HAS BEEN UNLOCKED*
Ability: {Recall} – Level 1
* Upon mapped command, return the “ARROW” to the designated location regardless of arrow current location or entrenchment.
* Default command verbal: “recall”
* Default location “right hand”
Cost: Free
Cooldown: 5 seconds]
[*DING*]
*CHARACTER PANEL HAS BEEN UNLOCKED*
Name Seamus Race Human Age 13 Health
38/70(0.005/s)
Mana 2/110 (0.01/s) Gift Arrow Gift Skills {Select} Class 1 N/A Skill tree {Select} Unspent skill points 7 Unspent status points 35 Strength 5 Dexterity 8 Fortitude 4 Intellect 10 Resillience 12 Sense 8
[*DING*]
You have killed “NECROMANCER APPRENTICE (12). For killing an enemy above your level, you have received bonus experience points. You have earned 658 Experience points.
[*DING*]
You have killed “Skeleton Servant (3). For killing an enemy above your level, you have received bonus experience points. You have earned 195 experience points.
[*DING*]
[*LEVEL UP, YOU ARE NOW LEVEL 2*]
…
[*DING*]
[*LEVEL UP, YOU ARE NOW LEVEL 7*]
“Oh God, I’m completely fucking mad. Pfffahahhaha, A system…”
Seamus couldn’t help it. He just couldn’t help himself laughing. Until….
“Whyyyy, Yooouuuu… Meee.”
The soul orb was calling.