TUF: PREVIEW/DRAFT 0-10 (Patreon)

CAUTION:

This is a very rough draft of the first third or so of the novel, and is not entirely indicative of the quality you might expect of the edited draft.

You can expect the edited draft on the 31st of August in 2025.

Thank you for reading and if you wish to comment your thoughts please use the appropriate Patreon post.

PROLOGUE

It had begun a normal day for the fellow, tall, thick, built as though he had spent most of his time indoors, settled at a desk. As the gentle breeze floated towards the fellow, he jolted away, his brows furrowed in confusion as he awoke in the middle of the wood, raising his arm to over shield his eyes from the piercing sun which illuminated the world around him.

‘I didn’t realise my cardio was that bad,’ Daniel thought, rolling onto his side, groaning as the dirt clung to him as a babe would to their mother’s teet, doing his best to quickly stand, his elbow scraping against the harsh bark of the tree he had so rudely napped upon.

“Engwyn,” called a voice through the wood, and standing opposite the young man was a tall, lean figure, adorned in a poncho that revealed his abs, and loose trousers with sandal boots. His jaw was as though it had been cut out of a statue, though feline ears on the sides of his head caught Daniel’s eyes, it was the long spear the stranger held that caused him to raise a brow. “You are trespassing upon our land.”

“Alright, bro, I get it,” Daniel said, nodding his head approvingly, though holding a hint of cringe within his eyes. “Nice cosplay. I like the spear, but you got a license for those ears?”

The stranger narrowed his eyes, standing casually opposite Daniel, his ears twitching lightly. “You Engwyn and your licenses.”

“I’m just saying, it is a really nice cosplay,” Daniel said, nodding his head towards the guy, before glancing around, trying to find the pathway he followed, only to find the land was far hillier and far woodier than he recalled.

“What is your name, Engwyn?”

“It’s rather rude to not say your own name when asking for someone else’s,” Daniel replied, his eyes scanning around the wood to try and find where he had come from. “Also stop calling me that, you’re saying it like it’s a slur, bro.”

“I am Shiva of the Stripes.”

“Daniel of the I finally go out for a hike, take a nap, and then get lost in the woods. Christ, man, what a day. Mate, you know where the Asda is?”

“Azdah?”

“Alright, bro, I get it, you’re roleplaying and everything, but seriously. I just want to get a meal deal and call it a day.” Daniel reached down to his trousers to tap his wallet, but decided against it, realising it was probably a bad idea since there was a weirdo with a really big stick opposite him.

Shiva eyed him up, his dark eyes curiously taking in his form, before his eyes scanned the wood nearby. “It is dangerous for you to trek in these woods alone. You are thick like a boar, to grow tired with ease, and you dress queerly, even for an Engwyn, perhaps you are a Frune, but you must be a Wizard, a scholar perhaps? I see no companions with you.”

“Alright, man, well, uh… blessed be thy chief, or whatever. Death to Engwyn, woo!” Daniel held up his fist, before turning, stumbling away from the weirdo, before stopping in his tracks. ‘Why’s he acting like he didn’t call me fat?’

Shiva narrowed his eyes upon the figure, before he slammed his spear into the earth. “Careful, Engwyn! I hear the pitter patter of a duvulf!”

‘Just my luck! I walked into a damn freak!’ Daniel’s shambling swiftly turned into a quicker fleeing, wanting to get away from the weirdo, but he crashed up against a tree, his heart beat pounding violently, for from the corner of his eye he saw a large shadow, only to find a giant two headed wolf staring at him. “What the fu-,”

The wolf snarled towards him as Shiva leapt up in front of the hairless stranger, spear grasped tightly in hand as he squatted low, the wolf pouncing over him, a wild flurry as taut muscles rippled, one of a beast ready to tear its meal apart, and another of a beastly hunter, eager to slay for sport.

Daniel’s heart pounded harder, for in front of him were the heads of three beasts, two wolf heads, and the head of a tiger, grinning with violent glee, eyes shimmering with the soon to be delight of death, the wolf’s, or the beastman’s.

The wolf’s teeth clamped tight against Shiva’s shoulders, but its teeth, like daggers, tore into the poncho and drew blood, but did not sink into the bone as the red hot rage fuelled Shiva’s lust for battle. The beastman’s spear sunk deep into the wolf, which cried, unlatching itself from the beastman, who panted and snarled, looming over the beast. The wolf made to turn, only for one head to see a spear plunge into the other’s depths, and as it made to flee, the spear sung the song of death as it flew through the air, pinning the second head to a nearby tree.

Shiva roared, flexing his powerful muscles, his laughter echoing through the woods, all the while Daniel remained standing behind him, glued to the tree, his entire body drenched with the cold sweat of fear. Shiva’s laughter continued for a short while, the young man stomping his feet, throwing out his arms as he roared once more, before instantly calming himself, his face shifting from tiger to mostly human. His eyes slowly scanned towards Daniel.

‘What the fuck?’ Daniel thought, still hugging the tree, his heart thundering within his chest, his head pulsing, his vision blurry.

“Do not fear, Engwyn,” Shiva said, a wide smile encroaching upon his lips. “It is dead now.”

Daniel remained frozen in shock, staring at Shiva as though he were a ghost, or a beastman that could shift partly into a tiger and kill a two headed wolf.

[Rolling 4D6D1 for Statistics.]

1, 1, 2, 3 - [6]

1, 1, 3, 5 - [9]

2, 2, 3, 4 - [9]

1, 2, 3, 5 - [10]

3, 3, 4, 4 - [11]

2, 3, 6, 6 - [15]

‘Oh no,’ Damien thought, his chest tightening as he saw the numbers within his sight. ‘I’m going to die.’

‘He must be a fool of a scholar,’ Shiva thought, noting how Daniel’s eyes seemed to peer through him.

CHAPTER ONE

“You are not from this land?” Shiva asked, the pair making their way through the hilly woods, Daniel following the tigerman, his calves already beginning to burn, though it was Daniel who carried the large wolf upon his back.

“No,” Daniel admitted, for though Shiva was a queer chap, he hadn’t stuck his spear within Daniel yet, so he was happy to consider him his closest friend in the whole world, as the only person who he had met, and as the one who had saved him from the two headed olf.

“Where are you from?”

“You know when you see the night sky and it has all those stars?” Daniel asked.

A long moment of silence.

“Yes?” Shiva replied.

“I’m from a planet orbiting one of those,” Daniel replied, glad that at least stars existed in this world. “Although, I might not be…”

“Ah! You are Skyfallen!”

“Excuse me?”

“You are someone who fell from the sky, from the sky, a Skyfallen,” Shiva said, his voice trembling with excitement, his grin wild with joy. “Skyfallen.”

“I guess so,” Daniel admitted, raising a brow. ‘If they have a name for it… does that mean there are others?’

“You must be powerful!”

“Apparently not,” Daniel said, glancing aside towards his Stats, which were atrocious.

7, 11, 12, 10, 10, 16

‘So I’m just a basic Human then, am I?’ Daniel noted how his Stats had increased slightly, and there was only one particular way, in the system he was familiar with, that made his Stats go up across the board. ‘Damn.’

“We must keep it a secret for now, Danyal. You do not need to worry, for I shall be your Secret Keeper!” Shiva hummed quietly to himself with excitement, Daniel’s eyes falling to the swaying tail, like that of a tiger’s, stripes and all, and the black tied to the young man’s back. He also noted the bandages across the young man’s shoulders, the tight rags keeping his blood from leaking too profusely.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take a… Short Rest?” Daniel asked, wondering if Shiva would pick up on the terminology.

“I am fine,” Shiva replied, flexing his muscles. “We are approaching safer lands. Beasts grow weary drawing close to our lands, and if another attacks, we will fight it together, or die together.”

“How romantic,” Daniel replied dryly, his eyes darting around, noting figure far in the distant, working along fields that he could barely spot through the woods, but they left the pair be, and the pair left them be.

They walked across from another village, one which was far more closer to the trail, and there Daniel spotted a few Maline children waving towards them, their eyes glued to the two headed wolf, as well as the stranger in ridiculous clothing. Daniel just bowed his head, just in case waving meant they needed to duel.

“Hey, uh… Shiva?”

“Yes, Danyal?”

“Thanks for saving my life. I appreciate it.”

“Thank you for not being an Engwyn, otherwise my family would harass me until I slit your throat,” Shiva replied.

Daniel cleared his throat, reaching up towards it. “Yeah, well, I appreciate not being Engwyn either…”

Shiva glanced back over his shoulder, before his lips turned into a playful smile. “A joke. You are too tense, Danyal.”

“What are the Engwyn anyhow?”

“Beasts who lost their furs due to treachery,” Shiva snarled, a low growl emanating from his throat. “They dishonoured our people and killed them. They desecrated and destroyed our holy monuments. They stole our wealth and our lands.”

‘I better not tell him I’m British,’ Daniel thought, swallowing nervously. ‘I guess he wouldn’t understand, but just in case…’

“The Frune are furless too, but they are less dishonourable, and less vile than the Engwyn, they who hide behind masks of smiles and courtesy.”

“They speak of civility as they gut you, huh?”

“So you have met them?”

“No, I just…” Daniel cleared his throat. “I’m familiar with the type.”

“They have tried to war upon us for generations, but we beat them back each time, and with-,” Shiva froze in place, ears twitching, his eyes darting to the side. He glared towards the thick woods, the forest all around them filled with the noise of life, but for a moment, the noise stopped.

Daniel held his breath.

The life returned once more, and Shiva stepped forward, as though nothing had happened. He cracked his neck, stepping forth within his sandal boots, passing through the terrain with ease.

It wasn’t long before they came across a field, an extremely large field at that, easily a half mile long, and circular. There were many Malinefolk all about, each tending to the field, upturning the earth, readying for the first planting. They spotted Shiva and nodded towards him, and then the stranger who followed behind, who nodded his head towards them, causing them to narrow their eyes.

The village was small, the barely a dozen or so buildings, though each was rather large, surrounded by a wooden fence that kept the village separated from the fields. Within the centre of the village was a long monument, almost an obelisk, starting wide from the base, growing slightly thinner towards the tip, until half way through when its width halved. It was made of… sandstone? Daniel wasn’t certain, his eyes focusing upon the engravings within, intricate and detailed, far more than he would have ever expected, as those engraving held their own engravings, and those engraving also held their own.

A handful of figures stepped towards them, calling out to Shiva, growling and snarling towards him in conversation. Daniel’s eyes darted about towards them, the figure that was tall and wide, arms crossed as he glared at Daniel, while barking towards Shiva, while another was a small woman, curiously eyeing up the stranger, her face lightly wrinkled, her near amber eyes curious.

Danie’s eyes darted to the side as he had a moment to himself, focusing upon it.

Name: Daniel

Class: Chaos

Level: 0

Background: Fate

‘I didn’t realise there was a Level 0, but I would have appreciated it if you were a little more vague, eh?’ Daniel grumbled within his mind.

Class: Chaos

You wield Chaos itself.

You may progress independently of typical Class progression, and may bypass Class, Race, and Background restrictions.

You may spend XP to gain additional Abilities not typically available.

Your Health is 8 + CON per Level regardless of the Class you choose.

Daniel blinked.

Daniel inhaled deeply, his brows raised, his eyes fluttering as he tried to process this information. ‘Holy! You’ve got to be kidding me! This is so busted! I take back everything bad I said about you.’

Daniel’s heart ached with hope, for though he had rolled poorly, so poorly that typically he would have killed this character off through death by farming. However, if he could manage to live through the first few Levels and farmed up enough XP, his potential would be limitless.

‘It’s 8 + CON? So that means it’s not a D8, but an actual 8? It’s pretty bad for the first Level, but from the second Level onwards, isn’t that even Barbarian Health? No, wait, isn’t it better? Damn…’

Background: Fate

You gain any two Skills, any two tools, and any two languages.

You may also pick any Background Feature.

‘There are a lot of great options, but for the sake of not dying…’

Background: Fate (Outlander)

You are able to recall the general layout of terrain, settlements and other features around you. You can find fresh food and water for yourself and five additional people each day provided the land is not barren.

‘My Stats are dog, and I might die if I don’t take this, but everything else is utterly busted. Holy! Since I’ve got only one good Stat, I should probably go Charisma or Wisdom, maybe Intelligence if I want to be a Wizard? Wizardry is a bit expensive though. No, I should stick with Charisma, and talk my way out of things, plus there are so many Classes that key off of it. Since I’ve got an extra language from being Human, give me whatever they’re speaking.’

Languages: Engwyn, Malin

“We should string him up and tear him apart!” the large tigerman snarled, his entire body flexing, the man, built like a brickhouse, clenched his fists tight, ready to rumble.

CHAPTER TWO

“It is obvious he is Engwyn, sent to spy upon us,” the tigerman snarled, baring his teeth, eager to tear into Daniel.

“He is too fat,” the old woman said, causing Daniel to frown.

‘It’s bad enough I got that from the rest of my world, I don’t need to…’ Daniel’s eyes scanned across the villagers, spotting none who were quite as large as the huge tigerman wanting to kill him.

“That is what they want you to think! He is too fat, so he is worthless, but scholars, Wizards, even their heathen Clerics, they all grow fat from our land, but their minds, clouded as they are by treachery and wickedness, still can he speak the words, to speak of our secrets and our ways.”

Shiva slowly nodded his head, understanding what the older Malin was saying, but he glanced aside to Daniel, who motioned with his head, and the young man stepped away, allowing the vicious Malin to continue ranting and raving.

“You uh… told them about… you know…”

“No,” Shiva admitted.

“Alright, well…” Daniel, glanced aside to the tigerman, who met his eyes, and his heart thundered as he caught Shiva’s curious eyes. “Look… I’m not strong right now, but I have the potential to be powerful. I’m talking… you have no idea. Right now, I’m nothing, I’m a nobody, but you asked if I was powerful, I wasn’t, but give me a few years, and like, you know how there’s an apple tree that gives the most delicious apples?”

A moment passed and Shiva nodded, allowing him to continue.

“It took years, and years, for that apple tree to grow, and now you can eat delicious apples. That’s me. I’m an apple tree ready to grow. You just need to cultivate me. In a few year’s time, you’re going to be glad that you accepted me, I promise you that.”

“You wish to join us?”

“Yeah.”

“It is difficult to accept someone who looks so much like an Engwyn. Even if you were a Frune, you are more welcome, but…”

“I’m not anything, though.”

“That is why it is difficult.”

“If I had some kind of skill, say… herbalism? If I could make health potions, do you think it could help?”

“It would, but who could trust the potions made from your fleshy hands?”

“How much do health potions sell for normally?”

“Fifty gold.”

“I think, what is it, one a day, right? I can make one a day, five days a week, and then on the weekends I can take a break.”

“You are definitely not Engwyn,” Shiva said. “Engwyn work nine days a week.”

“Excuse me? How many days are there in a week here?” Daniel asked.

“Ten.”

“Oh…” Daniel furrowed his brows. “How many weeks?”

“Three.”

“Months?”

“Twelve.”

“Oh, okay. Not far off, then. That’s fine by me. I’ll work every other day and workout the days I’m not working.”

“Workout? Where would you work out of our village?”

“Wherever I need to in order to lose weight,” Daniel said, since the first three people he met all commented on him being fat. He looked down, annoyed that the world at least hadn’t given him a decent physique. “Since it’s a new chance at life, I have to do at least that much, right?”

Shiva reached up to rub his chin in thought, his eyes darting to the quietened Malin who listened patiently to the Chief.

“If this world has two headed wolves, then I should at least have an eight pack,” Daniel joked.

“Hmm?”

“Are there many alchemists about these parts?” Daniel asked, chewing on his lip nervously.

“Few. The Druids, they know, but they have important roles elsewhere, especially during the beginning of the year.”

“Then… I’ll make health potions for the village. You get the materials, I’ll make five a week, one can be paid in tax, the other four we’ll sell and we’ll split the profits half and half. Twenty five gold split two ways is a lot of gold, and it’ll help take money from the Engwyn that belongs to you. Plus, I’ll pay a gold to you daily too, Shiva, for letting me stay with you.”

“You do not have to pay gold to me, Danyal.”

“Then… when I’m more powerful, I’ll help you out. You already saved my life, so I owe you that much at least, and I’m hoping you’ll protect me going forward, and then one day, when I show you all that I’ll be useful to you, you won’t have to protect me any more, and you can tell all the villagers that you were the first one to see the potential in me.”

Shiva reached out a hand in front of himself and Daniel reached over, the pair clasping hands, Shiva bowing his head. “I will speak with them.”

“Thanks, Shiva,” Daniel replied, his heart pounding hard within his chest, hoping that his logic was sound. If he estimated a gold to be worth roughly a hundred quid, maybe fifty or so, then he’d be drowning in money. If nothing else, health potions in a place dripping with militaristic culture would give him some time to ingratiate himself with the villagers. The only issue was…

‘I need to get fucking jacked,’ Daniel thought, his eyes darting about all the figures, who would respect him less for being so thickly built.

CORE INFO

Name: Daniel

Race: Human

Background: Fate

Class: Chaos

Level: 0

XP: 0

STATS

Strength: 6 (-2)

Dexterity: 12 (+1)

Constitution: 11 (+0)

Intelligence: 10 (+0)

Wisdom: 10 (+0)

Charisma: 16 (+3)

‘I probably need to take Warlock first, since it’s pretty stacked for the first Level,’ Daniel thought, feeling the heat beat down upon him. He could feel the sweat stick to his clothing as the sun beat down upon him, the chilly wind doing little to cool him down. He wore a hoodie over a tee, some tracksuit bottoms, and some trainers, not exactly the most formal clothing, and though he looked ridiculous, at least he was mostly comfortable.

‘I spent five whole years not leaving home, and then the first day I step out I get transported to another world? Seriously, man…’

Yet, his heart stirred with the boyish longing for adventure.

CHAPTER THREE

The longhouse was as its name, long and a house, made of wood, logs stacked together, with patches of moss and nature all along its outside, and within, it was covered in rugs and furs, tools and blades, and more importantly, grand and terrible company.

‘He’s your dad?’ Daniel thought, feeling the oppressive gaze upon his shoulders as he took interest within the porridge in front of him. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’

“I still do not like it,” Riva said. The middle aged tigerman had long hair which fell down his shoulders, and rather than a tiger, he was built like a bear. His muscles bulged, only kept at bay by a light layer of thickness which hid away his abs, but each bicep was almost as big as a head, his neck thicker than the bowl of oatmeal before them, and the glare in his eyes almost killing Daniel.

“You may speak with the Chief,” Shiva replied, eating the oatmeal, along with the large platter of eggs, the young man raising a brow towards his father with such cheek, one might have though he held a death wish.

Daniel decided to ignore them as best as he could, for as much as Riva wanted to kill him, Layla, the Malin who was less of a tiger and more of a leopard, smiled warmly towards the young man. Her hair was cut short, revealing her furry ears far more prominently, and she was not quite as lean as the others within the village, but that was only because her stomach was bulging with child.

However, Daniel was unable to congratulate her and Shiva on their child, not wanting to upset the father. His eyes drifted to the side, where he noted all the text.

Recommended Classes: Warlock, Sorcerer, Bard

‘Take away Bard before you get me killed.’

Recommended Classes: Warlock, Sorcerer

‘Thank you.’ Daniel’s eyes continued to drift away, noting the most important block of text.

Special Quest: Working Out

Steps: 1 000 000

Squats: 10 000

Push Ups: 5 000

Curls: 5 000

Press: 5 000

Rows: 5 000

Time Limit: Festival of Freedom (End of Spring)

Reward: Level 1

It was the reward which enticed him the most. Starting at Level 0 was a serious bane in a place where he met a two headed wolf within minutes of coming to. He wasn’t sure what day it was, he’d have to ask Shiva in a short while, but if he had roughly ninety days as he suspected, then he’d need to spend hours each day on his workout. However, it didn’t say he had to do them cumulatively, so if he could, he could complete one set each hour, or a few sets over the course of many hours, and as the days passed, he’d be able to do more and more.

The bland porridge drew him out for a moment, his eyes falling down towards the thick white slop which stuck to the wooden spoon. He inhaled sharply for a long moment. He stared at it long and hard, noting the texture, the colour of the grain, the almost grey tinge since they had used water. He forced the oatmeal down, bite after bite, finding the others were eating entire bowls of food, far too much food, though he supposed they lived quite the active lifestyle.

The eggs, thankfully, were salted and spiced well, and he devoured them hungrily, the young man having skipped breakfast as he usually did.

“Thank you for the food and for allowing me to stay,” Daniel eventually said, barely working up the courage to look Riva within his eyes. The man snorted, standing up and flexing, before leaving the longhouse. Daniel threw a look to Shiva, who smiled innocently.

“For now, you may stay to one end,” Shiva said, guiding Daniel to the end of the longhouse, furthest away from the door. The longhouse was much larger than it had any right to be, easily a hundred steps from end to end, and thirty side to side, with various beams which supported the loghouse, and wooden walls which separated the various rooms, save for the main hallway and entrance, which acted as a place to host others, kept mostly clear, with no rooms even set up on the floor above. “If I give you mother’s old room, I will be unable to stop father from killing you.”

“Thanks,” Daniel replied, deciding against asking why Riva hated the Engwyn so much, and considering he didn’t see Shiva’s mother about…

The room was fairly bare, with a large crate with furs stapled to the lid, along with an open space beside for him to fill with whatever effects he possessed. “Shiva, uh, what’s the… bathing and clothing situation around these parts?”

“You may bathe within the river, there is soap within the crate, and for clothing… you may wear the large cloth and fur to cover yourself,” Shiva said. “Do you know how to wrap yourself from the elements?”

“No,” Daniel admitted.

“I will show you,” Shiva said, opening up the crate to reveal it was fairly empty, save for the cloth, furs, and soap. Shiva unravelled the cloth, wrapping it around himself a few times like it was a makeshift toga, before allowing Daniel to do the same after he was done.

“One more thing, two more things actually, I uh… I have an artefact from home that I need you to keep safe,” Daniel said, reaching down into his pocket, before pausing. He tapped his pockets and furrowed his brows. “Never mind. I guess that would have been too lucky. The last thing, do you have any… weights?”

“Weights?”

“Yeah like… you lift them to grow stronger.”

“Ah! Strongrocks, yes.”

“Yes! Strongrocks! I need to borrow them so I can workout.”

“You with to exercise?”

Daniel looked down to his stomach and then back to up Shiva, smiling awkwardly, in the way that was not a smile, but an acceptance of his position. “Yeah. I’m going to get jacked.”

“Jacked?”

“Lean, and to show off my muscle,” the young man said.

Shiva let out an approving grunt, nodding his head. “You may borrow them from the shared warehouse.”

“I’m not sure I’m allowed in the shared warehouse.”

Shiva thought for a moment before nodding. “I will take a set for you.”

“Thanks. Also, congratulations on the pregnancy.”

Shiva smiled, nodding his head. “One day, when you are not so fat, you will find someone as good to you as Layla.”

Daniel smiled awkwardly once more. ‘Okay, bro! I get it! Jeez!’

The day was still young, so Daniel began his workout, taking a long walk around the village, smiling and nodding towards them all, awkwardly, as one might expect. He found a small spot away from the village, and Shiva appeared a short while later with the strongrocks, kettlebells made of rock with a handle, which he began to lift.

Over the course of the next few hours he completed the first set of many for his workouts, his entire body sweaty, his arms and legs aching profusely, and though the system was rather mean to him, he was glad that bodyweight squats counted.

‘Just you all wait! I’m going to get lean and cut and then once I’m a Warlock…’ Daniel allowed the annoyance to fuel another walk.

The yelp which echoed through the village as he stepped into the stream revealed he was probably Engwyn.

CHAPTER FOUR

Daniel began his routine, at first beginning with his push ups and squats, only to realise what a bad idea that was, instead switching that to the evenings, whereas the morning were for his other exercises. Throughout the day he walked fairly often, and he noted walking upon the spot counted for his steps, so he walked upon the spot often.

The Chief allowed him to work in the small hut, in which he was allowed to remain rather than the longhouse, the woman afraid for his life, allowing him to work in peace. They brought him various herbs, one particular plant providing the base for the health potions, allowing him to dilute it into ten, different potions, so he decided to not waste any of it, working ten days on, ten days off.

Without the internet, he found himself bored often, keeping to himself mostly, not wanting to aggravate the villagers. In the evenings he joined them in eating around the central fire, about half of the villagers spending their evenings around the fire, the other half completing other tasks or eating at home.

“What did you work as previously?” Layla asked.

“I… worked here and there. I cooked a little, I worked as a teacher’s assistant for children, special children.”

“Special children?”

“Those with uh… some difficulties in life.”

“Ah!” Layla nodded her head, returning back to her meat stew, sipping the hot salty soup. “Did you hunt?”

“No. Didn’t need to.”

“You did not need to?”

“I lived a very different life.”

“You did not work as an alchemist?”

“I learnt it recently.”

Layla nodded her head lightly, noting how uncomfortable he was, the young woman smiling towards him sweetly, before returning to her meal.

“I’ve noticed everyone here speaks Engwyn.”

“We studied it so that we could understand them, to speak their words, to hear of their treachery,” Layla replied simply.

‘Damn! Engwyns, what the hell did you do to these guys?’ Daniel continued to eat his own soup, noting just how much food everyone was eating, including the children. He ate as much as the children, eating a whole bowl less than everyone else.

Thus was Daniel’s life. He worked hard, and on the off days, he completed more and more of his workout. He had not started by splitting everything so he needed to complete the same amount each day, instead beginning with half as much as he needed to, but adding a little more each day. Instead of fifty push ups, he completed roughly twenty five. Instead of one hundred squats, fifty, but each day he added an additional repetition to each.

He was chipping away at it daily, though his anxieties about his work grew, realising that they had not taken the health potions away yet.

“Soon there will be war between the Engwyn and the Frune, and then we will sell the potions, for they will sell easier,” Shiva assured.

One day, with the rain gently falling, he watched the villagers. Groups of them went out to hunt, and they brought back beasts they had slain, often boars, which they cooked. However, they also raised small goats and pigs, fattening them up for the winter. Many others left to gather, finding nuts and berries, while others went to deal with the farm. He had spotted the Shaman, the Druid who dealt with natural matters. He was a man in his fifties or so, tall and lean, not quite as impressive as the rest of the figures here, spending most of his days studying his books, studying the earth around them, or completing the various rites and rituals.

Then there was the Marshal, an old man, almost as large as Riva, who wielded a large blade, that was more like a giant slab of iron than a sword, but outside of him training with his blade, Daniel rarely saw him.

“No! No! I did not pick up the shell, so I am not out!” the child complained.

“You picked up the shell with your tail!”

“I forced it away by accident!”

“It is within the rules!”

“It is not!”

Daniel watched the children play, each tossing the shells of nuts about, darting and leaping as they played their various games. He wasn’t sure exactly what the rules were, but since they were having fun, he didn’t seem to pay much mind to it. He let out a soft sigh, his eyes taking in the sight of the entire village, and for a moment he thought he was not so different after all.

Daniel noted the looks he received from the adults nearby, some approaching their children, and as they did, he stood, stretching his back from side to side. ‘Right, I guess they must think I’m a creep.’

That was an issue, though it wasn’t as though he could blame them. However, he needed to find a way to earn their trust.

‘There’s only one way to do that…’

Daniel approached the Chief, the old woman knitting a scarf using her thread, pausing as she acknowledged the fellow who was not an Engwyn, apparently. “I’d like to help out with farming during my days off.”

“To allow you near our farms…” the Chief began, but she paused, considering his request. “I will allow it, but you may only work upon a single farm, towards the north east.”

“Alright, thank you,” Daniel replied, pausing a moment. “The north east one is…”

The woman pointed, and Daniel pulled away, making his way, with the Chief following a moment later, leaving her scarf behind.

“Darro,” the Chief called, towards a young man who was shorter, lean, adorned in the typical attire of the village, which revealed his stomach to the world, and a pair of blades at his side, one slightly longer than the other. “He will assist you in farming.”

“If he continues to push himself, he will sick upon the crops,” Darro complained.

“Then we will eat hardier vegetables,” the Chief replied, unsheathing her cloth bracelet to strike the young man atop his head, a feather touch to warn him of his place. “You will watch over him.”

Darro sighed, but nodded. “Engwyn, you will stay with me.”

“Thanks, Engwyn,” Daniel replied.

Darro furrowed his brows, but smirked playfully. “At least you have some bite to you, Danyal.”

Daniel nodded, smiling slightly, following Darro to assist in farming. He would craft potions for a whole ten days, followed by working within the fields, which allowed him to complete more of his exercises as the hours passed.

The aches in his body flared throughout each day, though during his alchemy he felt softer aches, but he knew these aches would bear fruit soon. ‘Just focus on each day, Danny boy. Just do what you need to today. Then tomorrow you can figure things out.’

One night, Daniel gazed upon the twinkling stars across the sky. He had yet to notice the results of his efforts, but looking all across the sky, to the stars that he once saw in another formation, he wondered if this was still the same universe he was from.

‘It doesn’t much matter now, I suppose…’ His eyes drifted to the side, focusing on the text, noting how well he was keeping up with his workouts. ‘I wonder if it rewards me more if I do more than the bare minimum…’

CHAPTER FIVE

Once he was done with his alchemy for that day, Daniel approached the central fire, finding many gathered all around in heated discussion.

“So soon?” Shiva asked.

“The Princess of Frune was treated poorly while in Engwyn,” Riva said.

“Did they feed her grainwine?” Dorra joked, causing another to elbow his side lightly, though even that young woman laughed.

“The skirmishes will begin soon,” Riva said. “Do we wish to enter the fray as hired spears?”

“It is a troubled time this year,” Tarra, a young woman still yet to turn thirty, yet was considered among the best of the warriors in the village, said. Her hear was darker than the others, her eyes clear, darting towards Daniel for a moment, before returning back to the rest. Her thighs could crush trees in half, Daniel assumed, but if nothing else, she was quicker than any other when it came to leaping, or so he had been told.

“Do we gather our grain and sell to the armies nearby?” Shiva asked.

“We could sell it to the Frunish armies, since it is hard to forage near the Silvers River,” Riva stated firmly, while Shiva smiled innocently.

“Which company makes its way through the southern border?” Dorra asked, wondering just how much trouble he could get into.

“Sixth Sword Company,” Riva said.

“The Silver Swords?” Shiva asked, his father nodding.

“Ack!” Dorra grumbled, realising he couldn’t cause much of a mess at all, since they were far too serious of a company. ‘Snake Lord take them.’

The Chief approached the young man, who had spent a few weeks with them, and had lost quite some weight, to the point that some of their clothing began to fit upon him, though he preferred to keep most of himself covered still. “Good fortune, Danyal. The war had begun, and so the potions will sell for greater gold.”

“Oh?” Daniel replied, smiling slightly. “How much are we talking?”

“They will sell for sixty gold at least, but if we are fortunate, seventy or eighty may be considered.”

“Alright, well, more gold in our pockets then. I’ll keep my quarter, and you can keep the rest.”

The Chief bowed her head, allowing the young man to dream of his coin. They had yet to sell any of the potions, though he had crafted twenty already, and the Chief had already sent others out to procure more of the ten year old panaxa which could be diluted into the various potions. If she could get her hands on any which were fifty year old or one hundred year old panaxa, they could craft even grander versions of the health potions, but alas, they would need to head much further north, and she was uncertain if he was so skilled.

Daniel hadn’t noted much of a difference after hearing the war had begun between the two nations, the villagers acting as though it were any other day.

As Shiva and Daniel trekked across the outskirts of the village, checking for tracks and evidence of anything peculiar, Daniel glanced aside, towards where Shiva looked when everything went quiet.

“Hey, Shiva…”

“Yes?”

Daniel remained quiet for a long moment, before turning to face Shiva. “Thanks again. For everything.”

Shiva smiled, nodding his head. “You will prove me right, or I will kill you, and I will earn great favour from my village.”

“Charming.” Daniel swallowed, continuing to walk with Shiva, who now wore a shield. He thought about grabbing his own shield, but he wasn’t yet Trained with them, and as a Warlock, he would not gain it unless he went a specific path, not one he was interested in since his physical Attributes were so weak.

“In the summer, we may leave to fight within the war,” Shiva said. “Would you wish to join us?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll have to wait and see once the Festival of Freedom is over,” Daniel admitted, staring out through the wood, looking through to another time.

Shiva noted the lonely expression on Daniel’s face and left him be, the pair returning back to the village, the smell of the food coaxing them forward.

‘I thought it would be more boring without the internet, but… it’s still pretty boring.’ However, he glanced down at his hands, noting how much thinner they had become, and then down to his front, finally able to see beyond his stomach. ‘At least I’m getting shredded.’

The days passed by, the gentle rains of spring like music to his ears, though the villagers themselves preferred to make their own, with their various drums, rattles, and even their wind instruments, their voices much more gentle during their songs.

Once Daniel was done with a bath during one evening, he raised his brows to Shiva. “What’s this?”

“It is for you,” Shiva said, holding up the cuirass, grey furred, made of the duvulf he had slain when they first met, the two heads each facing outwards over the shoulder, which the rest of the fur falling down like a short cape.

“For me?”

“It will protect you better than what you typically wear,” Shiva said. “In case you walk too far out, or you are unfortunate to come across a beast too close to the village.”

Daniel reached out for it tentatively, before holding it up, feeling just how heavy the wolf heads were. “Thanks. I’ll wear it with pride.”

“We have noticed, Danyal. You are working hard. Our Chief is finding it difficult to keep all the potions you have made, each worth their weight in silver.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got a roof over my head, and food my in stomach, and soon I’ll have so much coin it’ll weight me down, and it’s only because of you all. I’ll make sure to repay the favour, that much I promise.”

Shiva pat the young man’s shoulder, smiling towards him with a joyful glee, glad he had made the right decision all those weeks ago.

“You know…” Daniel began, pausing a moment, unsure if he should speak of it. “I lived a very different life. If I told you the life I lived, you’d think I was a prince, or a very wealthy merchant. You probably wouldn’t even believe the luxuries that were afforded to me. Daily hot baths. Nice soap, no offence to you, but you ever tried Imperial Leather? It melts in your hands like butter.”

“Why would leather melt?” Shiva asked.

“It’s the name of the company, but don’t worry about it. I had… delicious food, I’m sure you noticed what that did to me. Central heating. A fan. The ability to communicate instantly with people thousands of miles away from me. To order food that I didn’t make for very little money, that quickly became too much money, especially after the pandemic! Though, that’s just what the lizard people want you to believe! It was actually a scam, a hoax, for some reason. I don’t quite remember why, but you need to do your own research.”

“The Lyzin are decent folk.”

“There are lizard people in this world?” Daniel asked, as though that was the most surprising thing.

“Yes. Near the swamps to the north. They live near Guardian Lake too.”

Daniel raised his brow, but shrugged. “Now… I live like a pauper in your village. I’ve gotten used to it, though I would like a nice hot bath, a shower would be even better, and I miss my computer, my phone, which I thought I had with me. I miss my video games, my movies, my shows, though I didn’t really watch many, my books, which I didn’t read much either in all fairness…”

Shiva had no idea what he was talking about. “What of your family?”

Daniel scoffed. “Your father reminds me of them daily, so...”

Shiva frowned, furrowing his brows. He hadn’t heard of anyone treating their child as Riva had treated Daniel.

“It’s worse for me here in almost every way, but… I have to admit, I prefer it here by a long shot.”

“Why?”

“I've never had anyone fight for me like the way you have,” Daniel admitted. “So I feel like I need to do my best, and to repay your favour in kind.”

Shiva smiled, patting his shoulder, slowly nodding his head. He stepped away from the young man, leaving him in his cabin, returning back to his home.

“What is it that makes you smile so?” Layla asked, slowly knitting together a small outfit for their child.

“It is nothing,” Shiva replied simply, his cheeks flushing red, the young man assisting his wife in preparing the clothing. CHAPTER SIX

“Birds made of metal which can fly in the sky?” Shiva whispered, his brows raised in surprise.

“Yeah,” Daniel said, smiling slightly. “Giant birds of metal which can fly in the sky, travelling in one hour, a week’s worth of travel.”

“How?”

“I don’t know how it works. I don’t know anything about computers or the internet either, so don’t ask. Might as well call it a miracle as far as I am concerned.”

“Curious. You say your nation once conquered a quarter of the entire world?”

“If you see what land it once held, yes.”

“Amazing…”

“Yeah, not for most of them,” Daniel replied with a light chuckle. “I mean, even when we got rid of slavery, it was only after the Industrial Revolution, and let the rich line their pockets from a loan that wasn’t paid off until after I was born, and the navy ended up forcefully conscripting many of the slaves to-,”

Daniel followed Shiva’s eyes to the skyline, noting the darkness beginning to rise, and the Malin quickly darted forward, Daniel following quickly after, used to the boots they had made for him, which were more like giant thick leather socks around his feet. He could feel the ground beneath with each step, his feet sore, aching, but dared not to allow Shiva to leave him behind.

Shiva charged towards the village, passing the fields, which held a handful of people still, watching as the fire engulfed their village, however, they had a duty to protect the fields, for houses could be rebuilt in days, but precious food would take a while to replant.

“Khal!” Shiva called out, while the smoke continued to smother the sky, though the flames had been mostly dealt with, leaving one longhouse entirely in embers.

A handsome, tall figure, who wore a long fur cloak, that of a duvulf, its heads on either of his shoulders, similar to Daniel’s own. His hair was lighter, blonde, his eyes resolute with fury, hand tightly clasped around a spear as he watched the longhouse burn, while the others piled up the dirt around it and tossed water around to make sure to contain the fire and smoke.

“What happened here?” Shiva asked.

“Angyr.”

“Angyr?”

“It was an accident, but…”

“Did you pick a fight with them, brother?”

“They picked a fight with me!” Khal sneered, though his eyes turned far more playful, before he turned to greet Shiva properly, the pair clasping forearms and embracing tight in a hug.

“Brother?”

“This is Layla’s brother, Khal,” Shiva informed, while the Malin, who took more after a leopard, eyed up the rumoured figure.

“You are Danyal?”

“Daniel, yes,” Daniel replied, reaching out a hand.

Khal looked at the hand, causing Daniel to withdraw it, and Khal exchanged a glance with Shiva, who raised his brows pointedly, and Khal placed a strong hand upon Daniel’s shoulder. “Blessings to you, Danyal. I heard you were thick like a boar, but you are barely as thick as a pig.”

Daniel closed his eyes, shaking his head, taking a few points of psychic damage from the constant comments about his weight. He was still heavy set, but it wasn’t that bad any more…

‘The one thing he’s heard about me is that I’m fat? Come on, man…’

“Why do you look so weak?” Khal asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

“He is weak.”

“A Wizard?”

“No.”

Khal shook his head, the pity within his eyes for the man evident, even though he had just fought the fire which had burnt down his home.

“So, uh…” Daniel motioned his head to the burnt building. “You going to be okay?”

“We will need to build another longhouse in the week, but it is that we were unable to spill the Angyr’s blood which wounds my heart so,” Khal admitted.

“What are the Angyr anyway?” Daniel whispered into Shiva’s ear.

“They are descended from the Divine Lords,” Shiva replied, whispering back, since they would consider him stupid if he didn’t know such an obvious thing. “They each take after various elements of the Divine.”

“Oh,” Daniel replied. “Cool.”

“…”

“What were they doing here?” Daniel asked.

“They came looking for… something, though they did not share what,” Khal admitted, growing ever more annoyed by the thought of the foolish Angyr. “I asked them to leave, they did not wish to until they confirmed the matter. They must be children of Ember, for we clashed a moment, and their flames spread out. Accidental, I am certain for they are not so cowardly to flee after clashing blades.”

“How strong?” Shiva asked.

“Experts,” Khal admitted, huffing even louder, since they were stronger than him, but he was unable to face them as much as he wanted.

Shiva groaned in understanding, since he had been a short moment away from clashing with a decent warrior too, apparently.

“The Angyr, they came onto our lands, caused a mess…” Khal grit his teeth, facing twitching into a beastly scowl, though he fought it off.

“We will inform the Supreme Elder,” Shiva assured.

Khal huffed once more, but nodded. His eyes darted between the pair, and he bowed his head. “You should return to your village, and if the Angyr come, send for me, and keep them busy. I should take at least an eye for the annoyance.”

“An eye for an eye turns the whole world blind,” Daniel said.

“What?” the pair asked.

“Nothing.” Daniel cleared his throat, following Shiva, who began to lead him away, back to their village, which was a fifteen minute trek away at most. “Who is the Supreme Elder?”

“Lord Kamashell, daughter of Lord Gamashell,” Shiva replied, his voice full of reverence.

“Oh, cool,” Daniel replied, taking more from Shiva’s tone than his words. “What is she like?”

“She sleeps for many weeks of the month, leaves us to our own business, but she is sworn to defend us if the situation is dire, and we repay such kindness with fealty, silver, crops, and faith.”

“How strong is she?”

“She once destroyed a village with an accidental sneeze.”

“Oh.”

“A joke,” Shiva assured. “It was not accidental.”

“Oh…”

“Also a joke.”

“Ah.”

“It was her father, but she was her age when he did so,” Shiva said, chuckling.

Daniel blinked, waiting for Shiva to say he was joking. They passed by the Shaman, who continued to chant and complete their rituals for the beginning of the year, and from what Daniel had seen, it was a fairly important matter, to the point even the Marshal would often walk nearby, keeping an eye upon the Shaman to make sure he was able to complete the prayers and vows and dances.

‘The Shaman for faith, the Marshal for defence, the Chief for guidance,’ Daniel thought, noting the appearance of the old woman, who bowed her head towards the pair as they stepped into the village, and Daniel replied with a bow of his own head.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“It is impressive how much weight you have lost,” Sal admitted, the Malin’s tail swaying behind him curiously as he eyed up the fellow who looked so much like an Engwyn, but they could not call an Engwyn, for such were fighting words.

“Thank you,” Daniel replied, flashing a smile towards the fellow, who was shorter, but from what he knew, equally as capable of killing him as Shiva. His hair was cut rather short, freckled scattered across is nose.

Thankfully, Sal, like his twin brother, the unfreckled Zal, were far more relaxed than most of the other villagers.

“Truly impressive,” Zal confirmed, slipping his brother a silver coin, which the twin pocketed. “Sal bet you would be able to lose an impressive sum of weight.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

“Are you sure you are not an Engwyn?” Sal asked, daring to provoke Daniel, though his tone was genuine. “You are as polite.”

“He is not hiding a dagger behind his back,” Zal said, only to pause, and then shuffled around Daniel, nodding his head to confirm his words.

“Yeah, yeah,” Daniel grumbled. “You going to join me for my evening run, or are you going to talk about how I’ve been outrunning you for weeks?”

“You may outrun us daily, but if we were to sprint, we would outrun you,” Sal said, smiling wide.

“Your tongue has grown sharper,” Zal noted, patting Daniel on the shoulder. “Our village may yet to welcome you.”

“Moonkeeper Daniel,” Sal joked in Malin to Zal, who snorted, slapping his knee, wagging his finger at his brother as though he were a rapscallion, which, certainly, he was.

Daniel went to bathe after his morning workout, noting his face within the water. He had appeared at the beginning of the year, almost three months ago, and in that time, his weight had melted off. As often the case, he had only noted within the last month, but with how he could finally see the clear line which defined his biceps, and could look straight down to his various appendages beyond his stomach, he could not deny it. However, upon his torso, he could pull along his skin, and there was still quite a handful of fat about his torso, though his face and arms were slim.

‘I’ll need to workout for at least another three months if I want to be as lean as any of them,’ Daniel thought. ‘I’ve already noticed how much better they all treat me, probably not because I’m skinny, but because I managed to lose a lot of weight.’

Daniel did not even think about how much he assisted with farming in general, harvesting much of the fruits and vegetables, leaving the oats to continue growing, though they were almost ripe for harvesting.

Most days, the Shaman led a ritual of prayer in the morning for a few minutes, though sometimes this would extend to hours, though the group would only wait for a few minutes before going about their farming. As Daniel glanced around, he noted each of the fields were about a mile in diameter, split into four.

‘I wonder why they don’t-,’ Daniel raised his brows in shock, for it was only then he realised. ‘He’s Level 5? Damn! He’s got a wooden staff, a wooden shield, he’s probably a Druid too? A Level 5 Druid? No, no, hold on…’

Daniel eyed up the figure as the Shaman walked across the land, heading into the forest, with such swiftness, not at all impeded by the terrain. ‘He’s at least Level 6, then? I dare the Angyr to come around and piss about in this village, I bet they’d go running home.’

The Shaman, an older man, stopped, feeling a particular gaze upon him, and as he turned to find the source of the gaze, he noted the young man was already deep in thought. ‘Just what are you thinking, Chief?’

“Hey, Shiva, how many villages are there around this place?” Daniel asked.

“Many hundreds.”

“Hundreds?”

“At least hundreds all across the hills to the north,” Shiva confirmed.

“What about around this particular village?”

“Within a half hour walk? Dozens. Some are a single family, perhaps two or three, others are larger, some even larger than Piar.”

“Piar…” ‘What a weird name.’

As evening approached, Daniel continued to train, feeling the gentle firstfall rain upon his skin, the young man lifting his weights, forging a body that would be able to survive this world, or so he prayed deep in his heart. As he returned back to the village, he heard the shouting of a familiar voice, slipping behind Sal and Zal, while Khal continued to roar and cry.

“Will you stand here while the Engwyn and Frune enjoy their days sharpening their blades, or will you wet your spear tips with the most beautiful of sanguine?” Khal asked, finishing his speech, most of which Daniel had missed.

‘This time it’s gotten so much more brutal…’ Daniel thought, doing his best not to involve himself within the politics as of yet, though he noted many were beginning to nod at Khal’s words, Shiva already standing beside him and conversing in a hushed tone.

“Will you go fight?” Sal asked.

“Not yet,” Daniel admitted. “Once the Festival of Freedom passes, I’ll consider it.”

“A wise decision, the skirmishes shall be best at sunfall,” Sal confirmed, keeping a straight face, all the while Daniel slunk away into the shadows.

‘Festival of Freedom, don’t betray me,’ Daniel thought, having already finished all of his required workouts, doing his best to overachieve, and even if it didn’t give him any additional benefits, he was happy enough for the health benefits.

It wasn’t long until the festival would be soon upon them, Daniel working on crafting potions until a few days before, in which he could continue his workouts, and push himself a little more, resting the day before. It was during the last of his workouts when a flash of heat struck the young man, causing him to pant, and as his head filled with a lightness, Daniel stumbles his way towards a tree, quickly sitting, laying against it. He panted for air, not in the way after a good workout, but in the way that he had just completed a marathon.

‘What…’ He panted harder, breaking even his thoughts as his head pulsed. ‘Am I dying? What the hell is going on?’

Daniel let out a groan, a half cry, though he paused. ‘No, no, I shouldn’t worry them about nothing. I just need a minute or two, and I’ll be fine.’

A moment turned into a minute, a minute fell to minutes, and Daniel continued to pant for air, his entire body switching between flashing hot and cold, his head light, almost empty.

“Danyal,” called a voice, one he had heard a few times before, of a young Malin woman, even younger than himself. She squatted before him, eyeing him curiously, the girl’s eyes twinkling with curiosity. She placed a hand upon his head. “You are hot?”

“Cold,” Daniel admitted, flexing his body, but he began to shiver uncontrollably.

“You have a fever,” the teen said, glancing to the side, pulling up her string necklace to reveal her whistle, blowing into it, one, twice, thrice. A whistle returned, and she whistled twice in return, and after a few moments, a figure jogged towards them, Tumal, Sal’s cousin, whose face was as though he had swallowed a lemon whole.

“What is wrong?” Tumal asked.

“Fever,” the teen said, the girl’s name escaping Daniel’s mind.

“I’m fine,” Daniel replied, though Tumal’s rough hand pressed against his forehead.

“Do you feel cold?” Tumal asked.

“Yeah, pretty cold, but it has been a bit chilly.”

“Fever,” Tumal confirmed, assisting the young man to his feet, before guiding him back towards the village.

“Sorry,” Daniel said.

“It is the season,” Tumal replied.

“Chala’s fever just passed,” the teen said. “She must have passed it to you.”

“Now I’m passing it to you both?” Daniel joked.

“No,” Tumal replied, as though he could refuse the infection which the fever would fight off.

Daniel awoke to seeing the old face staring at him, the young man blinking, having not realised he had fallen asleep. “Hey doc. Give it to me straight.”

“Shaman,” the Shaman replied. “Of course I will give it to you, do you think I am Engwyn?”

Daniel blinked, chuckling. “No, no. You’re a Malin, I know that much. You’re…”

Though Daniel’s mind felt empty, he understood he needed to shut up before he said anything he would regret, even if it was inconsequential. He closed his eyes, though the Shaman guided him to sit up against the wall, holding a bowl of murky looking liquid.

“Eyuck!” Daniel coughed, almost spitting out the bitter liquid.

“If it tasted good, it would not work,” the Shaman joked.

“That’s a thing here too?” Daniel groaned. “Come on, man! Isn’t there magic to make this taste good?”

“We should pray for such,” the Shaman joked again, before allowing Daniel to lay back down, leaving him to nap.

Daniel awoke again, his eyes peering to the side, where he noticed Layla in the middle of cooking porridge for him, right as Shiva stepped into the cabin.

“Daniel, how are you feeling?”

“Like someone punched the side of my head.”

“Which side?”

“The left right now, but my right is thinking it might have been punched too.”

“Did you punch his head?” Shiva asked.

“I did not hear you, come closer,” Layla replied, tapping the wooden spoon against the side of the pot.

Shiva was unsure if he should step closer, since it would be inappropriate to flirt so overtly in front of a sick man, especially Daniel, who hadn’t noticed any of the flirting from the various women within the village.

Daniel stared at the ceiling, narrowing his eyes. ‘Seriously, how could you both flirt in front of me when I’m still a kissless virgin?’

CHAPTER EIGHT

The child glared at Daniel, her hair cut into a bob freshly that morning, a touch of paint atop her forehead. That day she wore a patterned sash over her shoulder and waist, a burnt orange with golden swirls and suns and stars repeated, the same sash Shiva had gifted to him to wear that particular day. The girl held up a cup towards him threateningly, before wailing a question in babbled Malin.

“Kid, you got the wrong guy,” Daniel replied, shrugging his shoulders apologetically towards the girl.

“Haya?” The girl furrowed her brows, an accusatory glare within her eyes.

“Yeah, sorry.”

“Ahn,” the girl replied, understandingly, turning towards her mother, who was only barely older than Daniel, holding up her cup, babbling much more politely towards her, the woman pouring her in fruit the girl letting out a satisfied sigh after each noisy slurp.

The drumming filled the air, all from the hands of strangers from other villages, a pair even playing a flute, one playing hard for moments at a time, before taking a break as the other continued, while the flames flickered and illuminated those dancing, shadows jumping across the world. The lanterns around flowed out towards the forest, though instead of flames, the leaves within seemed to react to starlight, a gentle glow of blue and silver coating the trees.

As Daniel sipped on his cup, he eyed up the various villagers all around him, most too busy celebrating the festivities to spend much time upon him. He was thankful for it, though all of a sudden, the music stopped, his heart dropped, half sure they were about to sacrifice him to the Divine Lords.

The teens who hadn’t spent any time dancing approached the Shaman, who tossed a mysterious powder into the fire, causing it to flash larger, almost engulfing the world, before it finally abated, the flames crackling a deeper golden. The Shaman’s murmurings filled the air, almost threateningly, as he prayed to the world, the Divine Lords, and to his people. He tossed petals around, those plucked from the prettiest of flowers which had bloomed within firstfall.

The teens awaited until the Shaman tossed the petals upon them, murmuring loudly, before blowing air all over them, flicking out a mysterious liquid from his drenched free hand. After completing a circle around the fire, he stopped, his eyes reflecting wisdom as the flames illuminated his face.

“Saffron,” the Shaman called. “Saffron, how can this be? These children, yet born days ago, have grown so tall?”

“Saffron! Oh! Saffron!” the villagers each shouted.

“Saffron, Saffron, how can this be? These children, yet born days ago, have grown so strong?”

“Saffron! Oh! Saffron!”

The Shaman paused, waiting a long while. He stood beside the flame, which threatened to jump out and engulf him whole, sweating pouring down from his face, hiding his tears, for these teens, children today, would soon become adults, if he dared speak the words.

“Saffron, Saffron, how can this be? These children, yet born days ago, have grown so proud?”

“Saffron! Oh! Saffron!”

The Shaman wiped his face, his tears, and flicked the mysterious liquid into the flames, turning it red, muttering a prayer under his breath, beseeching Saffron to accept his words.

“Shani, come,” the Shaman called, towards the oldest of the teens.

Shani’s face was sharp, like a hawk, her eyes narrowed, her hair cut short, curled as it reached her ears, her feline ears twitching constantly, with each shift of the flames, as though leading the flames. The girl approached, dropping to her knees before the Shaman.

The Shaman placed his wet hand upon her head, kneeling in front of her upon a knee, praying once more over her. The prayers did not last long, though every word felt like a lifetime.

“What is your name?”

“Shani?”

“Is this the name you wish to take?”

“Yes.”

“Do you swear, upon your heart, upon your soul, upon the love you hold for your family, that which makes your community, by the faith you have for the Divine Lords, the Shadow Lords, the Lords Unknown, those who were born yesterday, those will bear upon the world tomorrow, from time long forgotten, for time long forgotten, to uphold the honour, integrity, and the will of our people?”

“I swear.”

The Shaman began to repeat the same words once more, except the ending changed, this time making her vow to take a partner and to have children.

‘What a crazy vow, you aren’t allowed to be an incel?’

“I swear.”

The third vow almost stunned Daniel.

“To fight back our enemies, to regain our lands, to break the chains which have shackled us to these hills for generations passed?”

“I swear.”

‘Yeah, I guess that makes sense…’

“Who do you wish to take your first blood.”

“My brother.”

A large, tall, strong figure stepped forward, flexing his muscles, drawing his dagger, while the Shaman reached into his cloak, revealing another for Shani to take. The teen clutched it tight in hand, squatting down slightly, and the pair circled one another. In the blink of an eye, her brother had managed to cut across her side, while the knife had almost slipped out of her own hand. The girl’s eyes grew wide, in utter shock, since she had practised for so long, only to be defeated so easily. Her elder brother, however, bowed his head, knowing she was better than her display, but that was how it was.

‘Very different to the other festivals where they just ate and drank a little,’ Daniel admitted to himself, sipping away at the liquid within his bowl, some kind of juice, the flavours dancing along his tongue.

Birds fluttered overhead, landing upon the trees, and as he turned, he noted more beasts, each approaching the outskirts of the village, lazing about near the trees. A few villagers tossed strips of meat towards them, with one particular child hoisting the meat so high within the air, it struck a tree on the way down and fell top a snoozing wolf, which shuddered away, baffled by what could have possibly awoken it.

A particularly large white tiger approached the village, the size of an elephant, causing Daniel’s heart to pound wildly within his chest, his eyes darting all around. ‘Am I the only one who sees it?’

It was only when the children went to go feed it that he realised it was real, and that everyone else could see it, though no one was doing anything about the creature which could swallow them whole.

‘I’m not sure I like this place as much as I thought…’

“If we are lucky, we will see something magical,” Shiva said, approaching Daniel, while Layla snoozed off to one side, unable to drink, though she had eaten her fill. Shiva held a small cup of watered down grainwine, though he had drunk so much of it already, the warmth of the alcohol fuelled his limbs, which floated after his thoughts.

“When you say magical, do you mean magic, or something fantastic?”

“That is right,” Shiva confirmed.

“Like what?”

Shiva held out a hand, flipping it from side to side, settling himself beside Daniel.

“Alright, fair enough.” However, Daniel’s hair began to stand on end, and he glanced around.

“What is wrong?” Shiva asked.

“You don’t feel that?”

“Feel what?”

Daniel wasn’t quite sure how to explain it, but he could feel the electricity in the air for a long while before the villagers each finally noticed the pink sky approaching. All waited with bated breaths until, finally, it happened.

A giant storm of pink butterflies swarmed the sky, blotting it out, flying all across the sky. Handfuls dropped down towards them, bursting into pink dust, which fell upon them, before disappearing. Daniel stood, and a mass charged towards him, a mountain of pink falling upon him, bursting across him.

It fels like rain, until it felt like needles, as each butterfly exploded upon his skin, causing him to wince. He gasped, dropping down onto the earth as the butterflies exploded across him, and it was as though he had dove into the fire.

However.

Finally.

Special Quest Complete!

Level Up!

CHAPTER NINE

Level Up!

Level: 0 -> 1

Trained Bonus: +1 -> +2

Additional Rewards Unlocked!

STR: 7 -> 8

CON: 11 -> 12

DEX: 12

INT: 10

WIS: 10 [+2]

CHA: 16 [+5]

Health: 8 -> 9

Skills: Arcana, Intimidation

Trained: Light Armour, Simple Weapons

Tricks

Eldritch Blast, Tricks

Spells

Armour of Azar

Hex

Important!

You are already assigned a Patron.

You may choose which bonuses they grant.

Patron - ??? [Genie]

Additional Spells Unlocked!

Detect Evil and Good

Sanctuary

Additional Abilities Granted!

Patron’s Vessel.

Respite.

Wrath.

The distraction of the System allowed Daniel to deal with the deep pain, his entire body flexing and twitching under the abuse of the butterflies made of light, each exploding against his skin, until finally the last hundred burst into dust, whisked away by the wind, leaving the form of Daniel behind.

A groan pierced the air, Daniel panting for air as he tried to stand, though he was like a newborn doe, scrambling up to stand, revealing his half nude form to the world, though, whatever had happened to him, it had at least left him with a scrap of dignity, the scrap around his waist trailing down towards his knees.

Daniel’s lungs burned with effort, seeing through blurry eyes as the world returned to him, vague shapes, familiar in their design, approaching him.

“Danyal!” Shiva called, out, placing a strong hand upon Daniel’s shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Daniel replied, feeling the world return to him, his senses returning to the world. “I think.”

Shiva helped Daniel to his feet, who tensed up and relaxed, trying to gather his bearings. “Do you wish to sit?”

“It just feels like…” Daniel stood, still inhaling deeply, his heart thundering in his chest, though with every breath, his heart calmed. “I don’t know, it feels like I don’t know how to move.”

“Your body is different.”

“What?” Daniel asked, before looking down to notice how lean he had become. Too lean, his bones almost sticking out through his skin, as though he had starved himself for another month. ‘What the?’

“You should eat,” Shiva said, for though they were indeed lean, they were not skinny, not like this. Shiva himself was lean, like a panther, his father more like a tiger, whereas Daniel was lean like a starved kitten.

“I should, but first, I’ve got something to show you,” Daniel admitted, the young man taking tentative steps, working his way to the side, where he grabbed his cup of water. He concentrated, wondering how it would work, and he called forth towards the world around him, waving a hand over the cup. “Chill the water.”

He felt it, the gentle tingle running through him, then the coolness within the water. With that, he called forth for the water to taste like apple, and raised it for Shiva.

Shiva sipped it, his brows raising in surprise. “Apple?”

“It’s the apple juice I used to drink,” Daniel admitted, while chilling his own water, and making it taste like apple juice, sipping it slowly. The sharp flavour cut through his tongue, the memories flooding back of a boy who went to the nearby amusement park, eating his cheese and tomato sandwiches, drinking his apple juice, and had a cup of strawberry yoghurt for dessert. Sometimes others would trade the sandwiches they did not like to him, for they liked tuna and sweetcorn, and though he enjoyed it too, cheese and tomato was a poor man’s pizza. “I drank probably hundreds of them as I grew up.”

It had been a while since Shiva had heard such a tone from Daniel, the young Malin nodding his head in understanding. He pushed away the fact that Daniel was using magic to the back, for it was not the time, the Malin placing a hand upon his friend’s shoulder. “It is delicious.”

“You haven’t tasted anything yet! There’s orange juice, mango, watermelon, though I’m not that much of a fan of it, raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant, and then there’s different versions of each, and I haven’t even mentioned cola yet!”

Shiva sipped through each flavour, each varied in their sweetness and flavour, but all he enjoyed, with new flavours dancing on his tongue. The magically flavoured water was more than enough to prove Daniel’s usefulness, especially since it was a Trick, small magic which could be cast infinitely.

“What is this flavour?” Shiva asked.

“Cola, but it’s much better when the water is fizzier.”

“Fizzy ear?”

“Bubblier,” Daniel replied, waving with his hand vaguely. “The bubbles dance on your tongue, really refreshes you, especially when it’s summer.”

“Summer?”

“Summer, yeah. The hot season, uh, what do you call it? Rayfall?”

“Sunfall.”

“Rayfall sounds much cooler, though.”

“It is the hot season.”

Daniel laughed, only to stop, realising Shiva didn’t get the joke he had made. “Never mind.”

“Hmm,” Shiva replied, bowing his head lightly. “You know of magic?”

“I know it now.”

Shiva continued to nod his head, still not understanding how the young man had suddenly gathered the ability to use magic, though it was the Festival of Freedom, and stranger things had happened.

“I’ll be useful on hunts, or rather, more useful on hunts now. I can wear armour properly now, though I’m better at range than I am up front, though, I think, looking at my body, you probably already knew that.”

“It is no shame to know your limitations,” Shiva pat his shoulder once more, nodding his head approvingly. “There are many who use a bow as well as I use a blade.”

“Better,” a particular Foxlin shouted, the tiny woman shaking her head gently.

It was then Daniel realised all the attention had been placed upon him, causing him to flush. “Right, well, either way, I’m better on hunts now.”

“Today is not the day to speak of such. Today, it is to drink and to eat and to breed!”

“I’m good with the first two,” Daniel replied, flushing once more, returning back to his seat, finding how awkward each step was.

As the festival continued, with little as alarming as Daniels transformation, the Chief settled herself beside Shiva, Daniel having retired for the night. The Marshal and Shaman each also sat with

“He knows of magic?” the Marshal whispered.

“He is too dangerous,” the Shaman agreed.

“Today is not the day to speak of such,” Shiva replied simply.

The Marshal and Shaman both glanced towards the Chief, who nodded, since today was not the day to speak of such. The Marshal and Shaman both retreated. Shiva gave the Chief a knowing look, but what could anyone say? Today was the Festival of Freedom, where even the Mountain Lord came down to eat and drink with them, here, at Paragon’s Rest.

CHAPTER TEN

“Shiva, would you like a son or a daughter?” Daniel asked, as the heat from the sun bore down upon them., the pair trekking through the forest together.

“I do not care.”

“Do you have a name for them?”

“When I see the child, I will know of their name.”

“What about Layla? Does she have a name for the child she’s carrying?” Daniel teased.

“I do not know.”

“Huh.” Daniel furrowed his brows, since the pair were so tender, affectionate, and attentive towards one another. ‘Huh.’

Shiva wore his typical attire, while Daniel wore his wolf cuirass, which provided him some protection, and carried a dagger at his side.

“What are you doing with your hand?” Shiva asked, as Daniel held out two fingers ahead of him, scanning the area with his curiously pointed fingers.

“I’m preparing to shoot.”

“Shoot?”

“My magic,” Daniel replied.

“Which spell?”

“You’ll see.” Daniel grinned wide, for he had yet to cast the Trick, and as the pair stepped over a log, circling around, they spotted it in the distance. A wolf with two heads.

Battle Order:

D20 + 1 = 20 (19)

Mana: 1 -> 0

Spell: Hex

Attribute: Strength

Trick: Eldritch Blast

D20 + 3 (Charisma) + 2 (Trained) = 17 (12)

Hit!

1D10 (Eldritch Blast) + 1D6 (Hex) + 2 (Patron’s Wrath) = 10 (5)(3)

10 damage!

Daniel’s heart skipped a beat. However, Shiva stood right beside him, the Malin’s body flexing, shifting from the face of a typical human, mostly, to that of a tiger. Daniel held out his hand, in the form of a fingergun, as one might have expected of him. He held up his free hand, focusing upon the ring upon his finger, made of smooth sandstone.

“A curse upon you, duvulf,” Daniel called, deciding to cast with such simple, yet effective, words. If he had spoken in the way of a man born from this world, it would have felt far too uncomfortable, so he only channelled that lightly, while feeling the heat spread from his heart, through his fingers, towards the tips of his fingers, cursing the beast ahead of him. Then he closed his free fist, cocking his fingerguns to the side. “Bam!”

Once more the heat spread through his veins, lightly this time, bursting from his fingertips as a spearhead of purple short forth, slashing across the leaping duvulf’s form, cutting across its shoulder, a confused, frightened yelp filling the air as the magic tore across it. Shiva shifted aside, his eyes wide at the purple magic which almost killed the creature, the duvulf stopping ahead of the Malin, who thrust his spear where the duvulf once stood, the creature bounding away into the forest.

Shiva turned, sans spear, eyeing up Daniel, who watched as the spear plunged through the duvulf’s back, eyes full of shock, and if Daniel had been looking, betrayal.

Victory!

XP Gained: +25

XP: 0 -> 25

“Nice shot!”

“You cannot return to the village, Danyal,” Shiva said, his voice grave.

Daniel blinked, jerking as though the spear had struck him. “Why not?”

“The magic you wield, it is taboo.”

“Taboo?”

“You serve a Master, one that is unknown, shadowed, and not ours.”

“Ah,” Daniel replied, swallowing nervously. “Would you believe me if I said that…”

A pause filled the air as Daniel forced away his pounding heartbeat, and Shiva wallowed in the grief of losing such an interesting friend.

“It’s not like that, I think. I don’t serve that kind of Master. How do I say this? I’m not bound to the Master in the way you think. They’re…” Daniel looked up towards the open sky, so clear, so bright. “That Master is probably greater than you or I could even imagine, greater than this world, perhaps.”

“Greater than the world itself?”

Daniel shrugged his shoulders.

“Then it is more dangerous.”

“Yeah, but… I don’t serve it, not in the way you think. I’m not bound to it in that way. My powers are… different.”

“Different?”

“It’s hard to explain, because the language that I’m speaking is a language that I understand. If I told you I possess a System, you don’t know what a System is, and I don’t know how to describe it, because you don’t know what it signifies. It’s like if you explained to someone what… I don’t know, what porridge was, but that being has never had the need to eat, to drink, or even to breathe air, it has no stomach, right?”

“I see.”

“I think, so, for example, you fight with your rage, right? You get angry, it’s harder to hurt you, you strike harder and heavier. That’s the way you fight. The way someone else fights, they wear chain, they wield a spear, but they don’t use their rage, they just fight. Then, you have a Druid, right? Magic, but not in the same way as me. Everyone follows their own path, but me? I’m different. Even when you think I wield this magic, I think, I’m pretty sure, I don’t have to follow just this path. I could learn to rage like you, and I don’t mean the way you think, where one could learn to rage, but they have to forgo the opportunity to perhaps reach the Peak, that of rage. I have a more… limitless potential.”

Shiva narrowed his eyes, unsure of what Daniel was saying, but what he did know was…

Dangerous.

Whatever Daniel was talking about, it was dangerous beyond even his comprehension. It would have been best to kill him, that much was certain.

“Shiva,” Daniel said, not realising Shiva’s thoughts. “If whatever Master grants me these powers asks me to do something weird, to hurt you or the village, I won’t. I’ll give up my powers before I do that.”

“How can you be so certain?” Shiva asked, narrowing his eyes further.

“Magic is nice and all, but there are more important things than shooting out beams of magic, even if it is really, really, really cool.” Daniel sighed.

Shiva clasped Daniel’s shoulder. “Okay. I will will speak with the Chief.”

“Thanks.” Daniel swallowed nervously as Shiva reached for his spear, the pair meeting their gazes, and Shiva smiled, resting the spear over his shoulder.

“Let us return.” The Malin lifted the duvulf up, escorting Daniel back, who let out a sigh of relief.