FSE

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My story begins, in a hospital bed. I was sick, deathly so. Honestly I didn't really care at this point the pain racking my body having long swept away my urge to get better. I just wanted to it to end. I knew my time had come and yet I wished for a chance to live again. I was twenty seven and my life hadn't been good or bad, just mediocre. I'd had a few lovers, friends, family, but nothing that stuck. Honestly I was always too obsessed with the idea of other worlds to believe in the one I lived in I'd grown to regret that attitude in my last days but that's really all life is about, Live as long as you can and learn from your mistakes. It took me to long to learn and the disease was eating away at my body. I would be dead by dawn if not sooner but that is just the beginning of our story. As I fell asleep for the last time, I found myself floating in a void of darkness.

I listened to the voice as it asked me “Kind child, would you be willing to help a land beyond your own find peace?” I thought that sounded interesting so I nodded despite feeling as though I had no body. The voice chuckled and said “The land I have in mind has been changed by a cruel goddess. A creature known as the true god, but is really just a young deity. She has been around for thousands of years, setting monsters on humans, and human heroes to destroy the monsters. The old gods are all in different places scattered throughout the worlds connected by the world tree of this dimension. You will be tasked with finding them, killing some, freeing others, and more. Will you still become the champion of this world?”

I coughed and nodded then said “I won't let a world of magic die.” The voice laughed and I said “I'm serious, I'm a man of creativity, I need to keep the worlds alive. Even if it's only this one world that I can save I will fight for it. What world is it though?”

The voice chuckled and said “The land of Sherothania. A world where monsters and men constantly clash, where the old gods of earth retired to, and where you can find peace as well as adventure. You will face adversity. You will be praised by some, reviled by others, and others still will find your very presence a balm on their souls while some will feel as if they are being harmed by your mere presence. Is this acceptable?”

I sighed and said “I guess, if it's what must be. I will try to heal those I harm, fight for what is right, and more. Honestly I just want a chance at happiness.” The voice giggled and I said “Yes it's always funny for men to want happiness as their lives are meant to be a tragedy for the gods to enjoy.” Her giggles stopped and she sighed sadly. I raised an eyebrow and asked “Is this not true?”

She said “Once all gods saw heroes and champions as those we should honor. However in your world that changed. Heroes became toys and playthings. Even more you need to worry about the dark gods in this new world. They will try to destroy, use, or corrupt you to their cause. The other gods will all want you to follow their rules, but you are not a paladin, I can see that in your heart. The words of the gods hold no sway over you. My name is Annora. I am an older deity, one that was lost to your world long before the new gods were born. In my time champions of gods were the protectors of the people, guardians of the world, and masters of light and dark. Even the dark gods' champions were not reviled. Now the world's all feel the gods should be at war with one another. I wish to stop this but for that there must be a return of the old kings.”

I blinked and asked “The old kings?”

The voice said “Yes the old kings and Queens. The ones who started everything, the ones who sided with neither god nor man and instead ruled with both wrath and restraint. Justice and Vengeance upon their enemies. Trust of the people and the gods. When the old kings died their line was cast out by the chief god, as she is now known, and sent back to your world from the world I'm taking you too. They were warriors of life and death, chaos and void, and, spirit and the elements.

“When they were cast back to your world they lost all their power and their bloodline was thought lost. It took millennia of searching, but I found you, the last of the line of both heroes and villains, just and tyrannical leaders, and monster and man. You are their descendant, however you have none of their power. I can unlock your bloodline when you return to Sherothania. However you will need a new body, as your current would not survive even with magic and medicine, what say you, Jacob Shadow Wolf, descendant of the last line of Chaotic kings and Lawful Queens?”

I sighed feeling the weight of the multiverse settling on my shoulders and said “I am no king. I am merely a ranger. A man of the people. And I wasn't even that in life. I was merely a burden upon the world. However if I can save the world I will. IF I can prove this chief god is not the rightful ruler of all, I will. If I can conquer monster and man for a better tomorrow, I will. So I say thusly ALLOW ME TO FIGHT!!! ALLOW ME TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT, REDEEM THE GUILTY, AND EVEN SAVE THE WORLDS!!!!! ALLOW ME TO DO WHAT MUST BE DONE!!!!!!!”

She laughed softly and said “Then thus is our pact. So long as thou shall live thee shall fight for the good of the world. To only rest once thou feels that thou's job is complete and the gods are all allies once more. To fight for the innocent and punish the wicked! To live for thyself and the world! RISE UP WOLF KING OF SHADOWS!!! RISE RANGER OF CHAOS!!! PROVE WHAT KIND OF MAN THOU ART BY STARTING FROM NOTHING AND RISING TO GREATNESS!!! You will have few allies to start, and enemies will be around every corner, but still you shall rise up and fight! Still you shall be a beacon of hope!!! Prove that man and monster can live in peace!!! SO SAY I ANNORA CHAOSINA!!! GODDESS OF CHAOS AND ORDER!!! PROTECTOR OF MAN AND MONSTER, GUARDIAN OF LIFE AND DEATH!!!! I NAME THEE CHAMPION OF ALL AND NONE!!! NO GOD MAY LAY CLAIM TO THEE BUT THOU CAN CALL UPON ALL GODS EQUALLY WHEN IN NEED OF THEIR HELP!!!”

She continued “Free the gods, protect the mortals, stop the ones who want to destroy everything, and finally live a full life. These are your quests. Once done only then can you choose if you would like to be lose your immortality and become a mortal man!”

I blinked and said “Immortality?”

She sighed and said “Yes a special kind of immortality. Instead of dying when a death blow strikes true, you are revived a few years younger. Eventually if you die to much and are too young you will cease to exist. I know you may wish to be able to die but the world needs your bloodline too much to let you die on a battlefield all alone. When your mission is complete the gods can all collectively remove the immortality or fill any request you make of them. Is this to acceptable to you or do you wish to just move onto the afterlife?”

I sighed and said “I refuse to give this world anything but a fighting chance thus I accept. What will I look like in this new world and what skills will I have?”

She giggled and said “You call yourself a ranger thus you will have the skills of woodcraft, archery, fire arms, and the sword. You will have an affinity for nature, a purifying touch for plants and animals, and most importantly all of your bloodline skills. As for your form, that will be up for you to create.”

I nodded slowly and started visualizing what I wanted to look like. I made myself just under six feet tall, with blonde hair, black tips, gray eyes, tiger stripes up my arms as tattoos, a tattoo of my crest on my back, a red tunic and black leather breeches, a mottled red and black cloak, a pair of well fitting leather boots, a sword-belt over my left shoulder with the scabbards lying across my back, a quiver on my left hip and a pair of knives on my right, a pair of leather bracers on my wrists, a pair of bastard swords in the sword-belt over my left shoulder, a bow over my right, a pair of pistols on both hips, and a rifle over my back next to my bow. I knew I would look strange but that was fine. My face had some stubble on it that looked black in the current light. My eyes almost appeared silver when the light shined on them, and I had a black watch on my right hand.

The figure said “I see you have made your body. Now to bestow upon it your bloodline.” I felt myself entering the body I made and something surging through my veins. I held back a scream s it went from molten fire to freezing ice then did scream when it felt like darkness and light settled in my eyes. I let out a scream holding nothing back as she said “Almost done hero hold on a little longer!” It slowly was replace by peace and serenity as my screams died off. She said “You now have magic, divinity, and immortality of a sort. Good luck hero and welcome to your new world.”

I found myself falling as she said that and called out “ANNORA I WILL SAVE YOU FROM YOUR PRISON ALONG WITH BOTH THE GODS OF LIGHT AND DARK!!” She giggled and I smiled then felt my falling slow until my feet touched the ground and I stood there woozily. I took a step forward and placed my hand against a tree. I stretched slowly and started following the sounds of battle. After about an hour of walking I came upon a scene of carnage. Human men were fighting against demons. The demons looked like ogres, goblins, and hobgoblins, all of which were evil to the core to my senses. I pulled my bow off my back and pulled out an arrow from the quiver on my hip then started firing into the monsters looking for their general.

I finally spotted a fierce ogre taking all challengers and throwing them aside or roaring for someone to meet him in battle. I climbed a tree, not releasing my bow, and started firing at him, dealing small cuts to his shoulders with each near miss. He roared and called me a coward while I kept hidden knowing that I was angering him but even the humans, who were defending a forest town, didn't know I was there yet.

I felt inspiration strike me as I nocked an arrow to the string and let it loose. It flew true as the wind blew from behind me and hit the ogre in the eye. He fell back with a crash and the leader of the human forces rushed forward then sliced off his head holding it up in the air as their enemy retreated cursing and shouting threats with every step. I snorted and muttered “Cowards. I should have figured the only reason they were still fighting was fear of their leader. Ah well.” I climbed down from the tree as the military headed back to town then followed them from a safe distance. I saw them enter the town then slowly approached as the guards manned the gate again. They studied me and said “Lo Stranger, where do you hail from?”

I blinked and said “I don't quite remember. I was in a fight and hit my head. I took care of myself a while but I can't remember what town I'm from.” The guards nodded and opened a small sally port for me to enter through. I did so and they surrounded me. I blinked and held my hands out to show I wasn't currently wielding any weapons even though they were on my person. They started casting magic on me trying to figure out if I was actually human or not.

I yawned and when they said “You may put your hands down,” I did so. I stretched and put my hands behind my head as the guard captain said “So stranger what brings you to our lands?” I shrugged and he said “Well do you have any currency on you?” I shook my head and he sighed then said “Well if you're looking for work there are a few bounties on the bounty board, some people need help throughout town, and the local bar is looking for a bouncer.” I nodded in thanks and he said “What's your name stranger?”

I shrugged and said “Jake.” He nodded making note of it then gave me leave to enter the town. I left the guard post and headed to the notice board. I grabbed three bounties, one on wolves that were attacking the city's livestock, one on a group of bandits, and the last was on a rogue soldier who was said to be gathering up monsters to attack the town. The objectives were to kill the bandit leader, subdue the wolves, and kill the former soldier. I walked to the town hall and told them I was taking the bounties under the name Jake Shadows. They thanked me and gave me a token for each job which I put in my pocket then left town to hunt the wolves first.

I didn't realize it but my new body was better than my old one. I had more control over it, it didn't suffer schizophrenia, and it could see in the twilight better. I also didn't need glasses. I noticed all of this as I jogged deeper into the forest until I found the wolves dens. I drew my knives and howled to get the wolves attention. They howled back and came out looking for a fight. I growled and they stared me down. One said in its native tongue “What do you want two legs?”

I smirked and said “You have three options. I can kill you, you can stop hunting the other two leg's livestock, or I can relocate you.” They barked with laughter at the thought that I could take them all on. I growled in anger and got into a crouched stance my knives in a reverse grip then rushed forward and gutted one of the wolves while they were still laughing. I said “I will kill one of you every time you doubt me.” They growled and snarled basically saying to try it.

I sighed and said “I guess you leave me no choice.” They nodded and rushed me. I jumped out of the middle of their circle. They quickly followed me lunging at my ankles to bring me down. I slice the leader's flank as he gets too close. He howls and jumps back licking the wound. The two betas lunged at me from either side and I duck under them causing them to slam into each other then push upward with my knifes hitting both of them in the chest.

They let out howls of pain then collapse as I stretch and pop my neck growling. The Alpha calls out you “You will pay two legs. I don't understand why you attack us for stealing a few sheep but I won't let this slide.” I realized these wolves were actually monsters not normal wolves as there fur started to change red and they started to absorb the blood of their fellows. I swore and jumped back, then cleaned the blood off my daggers which were starting to smoke. The wolf snarled “You killed three of mine. Now I will kill you.” I snorted and growled at him then sheathed my daggers and drew my twin bastard swords. He snorted and said “That will not protect you two legs.”

I snorted and said “It doesn't matter what you call me. I will win.” They growled and a few of them lunged at me only to be knocked back by the flat of my blade. I knew the demonic essence was infused from the alpha so I had to stop him first. I slashed and cut a few of them with glancing blows then they surrounded me and the alpha in a circle, each and every wolf covered in nicks, cuts, and bruises. I was getting tired but I knew I just had to beat the alpha. He snarled at me and I said “BRING IT!”

He lunged at me and I shoved my right blade into his mouth sideways holding him off my throat as he pinned me to the ground. My blade glowed with arcane power as he tried to bite down on me and I blasted him back. I sheathed my left blade and too the right in both hands. I would need the additional power from the second hand to truly pierce the wolf's flesh. As I got up I got to close to the edge of the circle and one of the wolves bit my calf tearing a bloody hole into it. I growled and swung cutting it across the muzzle and making it release me. It whimpered and backed up, but not before I learned my lesson about getting to close to the edge of the circle.

I watched the alpha circle around me warily and said “I thought this was one on on one you arrogant bitch.” He snarled at me but didn't lunge making me chuckle and say “Hit a nerve did I?” He growled and I lunged at him making him jump back. The wolves merely let him into their fold as he lunged at me from the side after moving around the circle. I twisted away, my cloak getting caught in his teeth, then sliced across his left eye. He returned the favor by clawing me across my right eye and cheek. I yelped in pain and closed my eye then opened it lucky I could see out of it.

He smirked and I sliced off the tip of his tail as he lunged at me again. He howled in pain and I held up my left arm, which he gladly bit down on before slicing off his head with my right. His head teeth were stuck in my arm as his body started to heal and grow a new head from the blood of his dead comrades. I swore and swung cutting off a foreleg before the head had fully formed diverting some of the blood flow. I removed the head again as it finished forming. The wolf howled in pain and I lunged piercing its heart.

I sighed thinking “It's too fucking bad not everything dies without a head, but at least I have finished you off. ANY OF THE REST O FYOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?” As it's body turned to dust and the head in my arm disintegrated and was absorbed by my blood. The rest of the wolves shrank to regular size and yelped running away. I growled and followed them to their dens my wounds closing from the blood my body had absorbed from the wolf. I didn't know this at the time but I had gained the blood controlling ability of a blood wolf from that fight. It was the first time, and it was only because it's blood had entered my body that I gained this ability, but it wouldn't be the last time I gained a slain foe's abilities.

I sheathed my blade after wiping it clean and stretched then popped my back and said “I would speak to your new leader.” A larger female wolf approached me and I bowed saying “I'm sorry for the fight but your alpha wouldn't listen to reason. I would like to start over.” She barked in laughter and I said “What?”

She smirked and said “You smell both of wolf and stronger than the alpha. You are the alpha. Your commands are law. We females were guarding the pups but that fool took our mates and used them as fodder. From what I hear he didn't even fight honorably when he had you in a circle which is against the laws of our kind. So that begets the question, what do you want from us?” I

thought about it a while and said “I wish for you to leave the town's folk alone. If they attack you tell me and I'll deal with it, but don't attack their livestock. There is plenty of game in the forest for you to hunt, no reason to eat the meat raised by humans.”

The wolfess nodded and said “As you command sire. Anything else?” I thought long and hard then shook my head and she said “Then I will go back to my pups and let the others hunt.” I nodded and limped my way back to town. On the way I was assaulted by the bandits who were torn into by the wolves that had been following me. I killed the leader in single combat as the rest attacked my wolves who, were to quick and nimble for his followers. Most of them were just farmers who'd picked up swords and other weapons because they were tired of honest work. The leader was an actual former guard but he had nothing on me in skills. It was at this point I realized that all my skills came from my body not my mind. I would have to learn how to wield a blade mentally as well as physically because my mind was steps behind my blade even if it did just work by me thinking what I wanted and my body responding.

I thanked the wolves, taking the head of the bandit leader in a bag I found on his cohorts, then jogged to town. When I arrived I waved at the town garrison and threw the head down in front of the captain of the guard. He looked inside and said “Yep that's the bandit who has been terrorizing these parts. Thanks mighty kindly stranger.” he signed both my tokens when I told him I dealt with the wolves then I limped to city hall where I got paid before limping to the tavern and getting food. I sighed in pleasure as I ate deciding the soldier I took on the task of locating could wait until the next day. I ordered a bath, a room, and a mug of ale then took my key and headed to my room where the bath was waiting. I entered the room and stripped down then climbed into the tub and sighed in pleasure. After a while I stretched and got out emptying the tub and collapsing on my bed. I'd finished my ale in the tub and was very relaxed.

That night I dreamed about a beautiful succubus who seemed to be planning something. I couldn't hear her plans or anything but I knew she was in my future. I had the feeling that this wouldn't happen for at least another ten years while the current demon lord was in power. I knew a party was forming but first they would have to fight through enemy lines. I planned on doing just that myself but first I needed to get money, gear, and better armor. I slipped into a dreamless sleep after that, not knowing what the next day held or any day thereafter.