by Eden Redd
“I can’t say. This feels real.”
“One thing at a time. We can…” Kavan stopped mid-sentence when a twig snapped.
The dragonkin stopped walking and turned his head to the right. His senses spread out, listening to the forest and the breeze. His slitted nostrils flared open and a scent touched them. The scent grew with each passing second as Kavan stared at the thick forest beside the road.
Something is approaching. I can smell it.
“We don’t know what’s here in this place. If I was in my body, I could protect you.”
It seems I’ll be protecting both of us.
The scent grew and split. Kavan could detect several similar scents. He turned his body and faced the forest. Leaves rustled in the breeze. Time slowed down as the forest breathed like a living being.
From around thick tree trunks, small humanoid lizard creatures emerged. Kavan stood his ground, watching the lizard people slowly approach with lowered bodies, bent knees and large daggers in their scaled hands. Wide slitted eyes glared as they approached. Haphazard leather armor and torn clothes covered the little lizard people. Their scales were brown and red. Their demeanor spoke of eager violence.
They looked like kobolds.
“They are kobolds. Specifically, southern, low land kobolds.”
Can you tell me anything else?
“No. It seems I gain a tiny piece of knowledge when I see what you see.”
They look like they want to fight. I don’t know if I can talk to them and see if they know if a town or village is close by?
Viz was silent.
The kobolds stepped onto the road. Eight of them formed a semi-circle around Kavan. The dragonkin stood his ground, towering over the little lizard people. Kavan hoped his size would cause them to reconsider the intention in their eyes.
One of the kobolds took a step closer, breaking from their ranks, held up his dagger and pointed it to Kavan’s chest.
“Give us all your coins,” the kobold hissed.
Kavan’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t have any coins. Maybe we can talk and exchange some information?”
The kobold’s eyes flashed with a primal rage. “Liar! Give coin, now.”
“Dragonkin always have coins. So strange seeing one here,” another one hissed.
“He must have coin if travelling this far south,” another one growled.
The leader continued to point his dagger at Kavan. “Our land. Give us coin and you may pass. No coin, we spill your blood.”
“I have no coin,” Kavan said with a hard edge.
The kobold glared in contempt. “Pay in blood. Pay in your blood.”
Kavan’s body tensed as the leader charged. The others to either side of their leader did the same, attacking as one. Daggers flashed as their growls and hisses filled the road.
Kavan’s mind acted first, pushing a mana point into his hand. Sparks appeared before flames engulfed his right hand. The small kobold leader leapt into the air, a rabid determination in its wide eyes. Kavan brought his hand up and swiped it hard across. The back of his flaming hand slammed into the little creature in mid-air and sent it spiraling away, a trail of smoke following it.
Time stopped when a dagger point stabbed into his thigh. Kavan glanced down at the creature, it’s dagger point in his leg. Several daggers were close, ready to drive into his legs and stomach when Kavan made a wide swipe with his flaming hand.
Screeches filled the air as fire exploded against two kobolds, knocking them away. Several more daggers stabbed into his thighs and Kavan grunted.
Kavan Cynder
Species: Dragonkin
Health: Hurt
Mana: 1/3
I have to end this soon or I’ll be dead from a thousand cuts!
Controlled rage blazed as Kavan’s fiery hand clamped onto a kobold head. Flames burned as the creature screeched. A sizzling filled the air as the little creature’s eyes boiled in their tiny head and it went limp. Kavan held onto the dead kobold and used it to smack away two more. Reptilian bodies fell as Kavan kicked at another kobold and knocked it to the dirt road.
The creature let out a defiant hiss as Kavan lifted his boot and stomped on its chest. A sickening wet crunch filled the air as the light died in the creature’s eyes. Kavan’s body slowed as pain radiated up from his legs. The little monsters did some damage and he couldn’t move as effectivity. The dragonkin was surprised he was still standing since such wounds would have sent him crashing to the ground.
Daggers came at Kavan and he used the burning body of the kobold to smack them away. One kobold turned to run and Kavan threw the burning kobold in his hand at him. The flaming body struck the kobold dead on and sent him sprawling to the ground.
A female kobold launched into the air and ended her life from Kavan’s burning grasp. She let out a weak hiss before she burned and wilted in his hand. Kavan was about to throw her away when the flames died around his hand.
Kavan glanced to his hand when one kobold stabbed him in his gut. Pain flared as Kavan growled. He dropped the dead kobold in his hand and instinct took over. Claws stabbed out of his fingertips and the dragonkin slashed hard across.
The kobold with his dagger half buried in Kavan’s gut caught a glimpse of the claws before his head was separated from his neck. The little headless body slumped down as a small fountain of blood spurted from the neck stump.
Kavan heaved as blood leaked from his wounds. He quickly saw that he had dispatched most of them. The burnt leader let out strange hisses as he lay on the ground. Another one was trying to crawl away. The others were dead, some of them still smoking from the flames.
Kavan ignored the pain from his wounds as he stepped over to the burnt leader. He lifted his claws and stabbed down, penetrating its small chest and touching the dirt road underneath. A death rattle filled the air before the creature’s body relaxed and blood dripped into the ground.
Kavan pulled back his hand and turned his attention to the kobold crawling away. A rage boiled under his skin as he stalked the kobold and stood over it. Claws slid back into his fingertips as he reached down and grabbed the little creature by the neck. With minimal effort, he lifted it up and turned it around and looked into his wide eyes.
“Is there a town nearby?” Kavan shouted as rage continued to boil under his skin.
The kobold struggled in the dragonkin’s grasp. It barely nodded and pointed down the road.
Kavan seethed as he stared into the creature’s eyes. A second later, he let go and the kobold fell to its feet.
“Get out of here before…” Kavan didn’t finish as the kobold moved like lightning, snatched a dagger off the ground and stabbed him in the leg.
Pain roared as Kavan’s claws stabbed out and flashed hard across. The top half of the kobold fell in several chunks and blood splattered across the dirt road.
The flame within Kavan died and pain stormed. He looked down at the dagger in his gut and the one in his leg. Dark blood oozed from the other wounds. Scaled hands reached down and grabbed the daggers. With a grunt, he pulled them out and tossed them to the ground.
Weakness filled his muscles and he fell to his knees.
An alert flashed in the corner of his gaze.
Kavan Cynder
Species: Dragonkin
Health: Critically Hurt
Mana: 1/3
Kavan controlled his breathing and pushed back at the pain. Years of experience helped him to mitigate the pain, but it didn’t take away from the fact that he was badly hurt and may not survive.
“Kavan, your regeneration should begin. Don’t move too much and it will help.”
Kavan barely nodded as he stayed on his knees. The putrid smell of burnt kobolds filled his nose as he controlled his breathing. Soon, two alerts filled his gaze.
Regeneration has begun.
Gained 1 degree in Combat Skill! Combat Skill is 1st Degree, Weak.
“That didn’t take long,” Kavan winced as he held his side, blood
dripping between his fingers.
“Early Skill degrees are much easier to gain. As they increase, it will take longer dedication to improve them.”
Kavan nodded. “Nothing like life experiences to make you better.”
The dragonkin looked down and noticed the blood from his wounds had thinned. He stared as the wounds began to pucker. The pain dimmed a degree, but wasn’t gone completely. After a long moment, Kavan tried to stand up and found he could. He slowly made it to his feet. The wording on his character sheet changed.
Kavan Cynder
Species: Dragonkin
Health: Wounded
Mana: 1/3
“You will not fully heal until you rest. Wounds like yours could take a night or two to heal completely.”
“I can’t rest out here. If there are more, they will come looking.”
Kavan turned his attention to the forest the little creatures emerged from. “But, if they have a camp and this was all of them, there might be some loot. Even a few coins might help when we reach the town.”
“I don’t like where this is going. You’re hurt. We can come back and look after your healed.”
“We might not get any help if I don’t have any coin. I can’t rely on the kindness of strangers in this place.”
“Kavan, we should go to the town.”
The dragonkin stared into the deep forest. Slowly, he walked to the edge of the road and into the forest.
Nostrils flared as Kavan took in the many varied scents. Senses remained alert, despite the dull throb of his wounds. Kavan noticed whatever regeneration he had seemed to slow or stop once he started moving. Despite that, his wounds were closed up enough for him to function to a degree.
Low branches and plants parted from his arm and body as he stepped along. It didn’t take long to smell a small campfire. Kavan slowed his approach, looking and listening for other kobolds. He reached the edge of a small clearing and looked past the leaves before him.
A small campfire crackled with a skinned rabbit on a spit over it. Small tents filled the clearing. Some bones and weapons lay scattered about. Small axes, bows and quivers were leaning against a fallen log. The area was still, except for the small cracking fire.
Kavan stepped out from the brush and into the camp. He listened and waited for any other kobolds to come rushing out, but none appeared. The camp was dead as the kobold he left behind.
I think I killed all of them.
Viz was silent.
Kavan stepped in further and looked around. He glanced at the roasting rabbit. He took hold of the stick with the cooked, impaled creature and lifted it up. A sudden hunger filled him and he put the succulent flesh to his mouth and took a bite. Tender flesh ripped easily to his teeth and he began to chew. It tasted incredible and Kavan took another bite.
This is the best rabbit I have ever tasted!
Kavan turned his scaled head around and spotted a small chest by a tent. He made his way over and knelt down. A scaled hand took hold of the lid and opened it. Kavan smirked as he looked down on a chest filled with gold coins. He picked one up and turned it in his hand, a coiled dragon engraved on it.
There must be a few hundred coins in here.
Kavan closed the lid. He looked over to a sheathed dagger on the ground. He took a bite of rabbit as he picked up the dagger. It wasn’t secured and the sheath slid off the dagger. The silver metal glowed in the light. Kavan glanced to his belt and saw he already had a dagger sheath along his belt and a thin hole to sheath a sword. He turned the dagger and slipped it into his sheath.
Kavan ripped off what was left of the rabbit and chewed. He threw away the spit and looked down on the chest. It was roughly the size of his forearm. He picked it up easily and held it to his side with one arm curled around it.
I should be able to carry it, if I keep my pace slow. Worst comes to worst, I’ll drop the chest and stuff as much as I can in my pockets.
Small pains flared along his half-healed wounds. Kavan ignored them. It was useless for him to waste time worrying about his wounds. He had a chest of gold, a new dagger and his life. It was enough for him to keep going before it got dark.
Kavan left the kobold camp and made his way back to the road. When he reached it, he turned right and continued walking at a slow pace.
His wounds ached as time slipped by. Kavan mentally replayed the fight with the kobolds. He realized that despite whatever skills he had back in the real world, they didn’t translate fully here. Before his accident, he had taken several years of martial arts. He quickly noticed that his body didn’t react like when he was younger. Certain knowledge skills would translate, such as camping and surviving, but there was a real possibility that many others would not.
It has been years since I performed any martial arts. Maybe I’ve just slowed down. It’s hard to tell where game stats begin and this reality ends.
The walk along the road was long and tiresome. Kavan noticed at times the sun moving overhead and soon it moved toward the western horizon. He pressed on until he caught a glimpse of towers down the road.
Kavan smiled as he moved on. He picked up the pace and continued along the road. The surrounding forests bled away and he emerged along a massive clearing. Kavan drank it in as he continued.
Short grass rolled along the entire area. Several large trees dotted the area. To Kavan’s left, a wood and stone home stood, surrounded by a wooden fence. A barn stood not too far from the home. A murder of crows was perched on the roof of the barn, looking down at Kavan as he walked by.
Kavan turned his attention to further up the road. A tall, stone wall with towers stood in the middle of the massive clearing. Several trees grew not too far from the gray walls. Beyond the top of the wall, slanted roofs and several towers stood. The roofs to many buildings were blue and almost glowed in the late afternoon light.
Kavan’s gaze lowered until he saw the main gate. Thick, heavy wooden doors stood, but as Kavan approached, they looked odd. His legs moved with purpose as he stepped closer. Details began to sharpen and Kavan’s eyes narrowed.
The fifteen-foot-high doors to the walled town were askew and one of them was barely standing. It hung by one hinge, ready to fall at any moment. The doors were cracked and chunks of wood were missing. Scorch marks dotted the wood and at the base of the doors, jagged holes were apparent.
The holes look big enough for kobolds to fit through. I wonder if they were the cause of this?
Kavan approached the damaged doors. He reached up and took hold of one of them. He gently pulled, ready to dart away if it fell on him. The door moved easily, clearly no longer locked. Kavan opened the door just enough for him to slip in.
The dragonkin took a few steps in and visually drank in what he could see. Buildings and towers stood in the small walled-in town. Some of the buildings had smashed or cracked windows. Scorch marks touched some of the homes by the gate. An eerie silence blanketed the area as Kavan stepped along the cobblestone street.
Kavan looked and listened for any activity.
It’s hard to believe eight kobolds did this kind of damage, if it was them.
Kavan winced as pain flared along his gut and thighs. The ache had grown and a dizziness took root.
“Kavan, you have to stop and rest. You’ve pushed your body too far.”
“I have to find out if… anyone lives here,” Kavan said through the pain.
The dragonkin stepped along, taking in a myriad of strange scents. When he reached an intersection, he could see a statue over a fountain in the town center in the distance. Kavan took another step forward when weakness filled his leg. He stumbled forward, dropping the chest he was carrying. It struck the cobblestone street and opened, gold coins scattering. Kavan let out a grunt as he tried to regain his balance. A boot slipped and he fell to one knee.
Weakness washed over him in waves. Kavan blinked as the world fell in and out of focus. Shadowy figures appeared from around corners. Some of them had small swords. Others had cl
ubs and knives. A fat orc in a regal robe stepped into view, fear coloring his eyes.
Kavan opened his mouth to talk, but no words came out. The world around him spun and the last thing he saw was the cobblestone street rushing up to him before everything turned black.
Three
Kavan stared in horror as he fell through the cloudy sky. Wind whipped at him as his body punctured clouds. A desperate need to scream filled his throat, but never passed beyond his lips. Shock and awe froze every cell in his body as he fell through another thick cloud. Once the wispy tendrils of mists streamed away from his body, his wide eyes grew wider as he stared down at the world.
Blast craters filled the land from horizon to horizon. Beings of light and darkness clashed with immense dragons. The glowing figures shrouded in shadow and brilliance used immensely large swords and spears, no normal person could ever wield. Dragons opened their maws, blasting out torrents of fire, ice, darkness, and mists. Shockwaves caused the air to tremble as some angelic beings fired magical arrows from strange bows. Men and women surrounded in brilliant auras shouted battle cries as they charged into battle.
Kavan watched with unblinking eyes as the glowing beings were outnumbered by the many dragons across the battlefield. Streams of breath weapons crisscrossed the area. Some of the angelic and demonic beings cried out before they were engulfed in dragon breath. Bodies vaporized or turned to ash. The dragons pressed their attack and showed no mercy as they disintegrated any who stood in their way.
Kavan cried out, not in fear, but in defiance. A dragon turned its gaze to the falling dragonkin. It opened its maw and a thick beam of darkness blasted into the air, toward the falling Kavan.
“No!” Kavan shouted with rage before he was consumed by darkness.
“No!” Kavan said as his eyes shot open and sat up.
The room around him was nothing more than light, shadows, bodies, and odd faces. The tendrils of sleep slipped away and reality fell into place. He quickly noticed he was on a bed, fully clothed. Around him, the fat orc he saw before was sitting on a chair beside the bed. His face was majestic with green coloring. A thin white beard lined his jaw. Two lower tusks jutted up from behind his bottom lip. Long white hair covered his head. It formed a widow’s peak and smoothed over his head into a thick braid that lay across his shoulder. He wore the same regal red and blue robe with gold edges. Despite his regal appearance, deep concern filled his small dark eyes.