WO-01. Shields Of Strathmar, page 2
part #1 of World Over Series
“Aegis.” Oofan adopted a serious tone. “It’s going to hurt when the memories come back, alright? Listening to me now will lessen the pain, sure. But trust me, it will be painful to see all of your origins. Know this. Alright? Remember my words. An unknown past cuts deeper than an unknown future.”
“Alright.”
Oof stared at him for a moment, as if ensuring his statement had sunk in, and then when he was satisfied, nodded. “Okay, laddie.” He resumed his cheerful composure and patted Aegis on the back to walk on ahead of him. “Dawn’s approaching; best time to level for a choochoo.”
Aegis looked back hesitantly, wanting to ask so much more, but then thought better about overstepping his boundaries.
Better shown than told. He repeated the words to himself, looking down at his legs that were now walking without hesitation. The aches plaguing him earlier had disappeared completely. It was a miracle. That elixir… what would’ve happened if the Fat Muse hadn’t shown himself?
Aegis’ stride felt unnatural to him, like he’d never walked in such a tall body before. Well, he probably hadn’t. And the strength flowing through him felt invigorating. He felt he could hurl a boulder at someone if he had to, or punch right through the walls of the tavern.
Don’t do that now.
He walked down the same hallway Oofan had originally come through to find him sprawled out in the corner. The floor creaked and groaned as he stepped, commotion in the main hall growing louder all the way. Ruckus, laughter. Yes, Aegis thought, this could be home.
Small glass lanterns hung overhead, bathing Aegis’ face in amber light after every few paces. Finally, he saw a crowd packed into the snow-lodge of a hall. Mouths open with hearty mirth, arms around shoulders, some even singing out of tune.
Aegis knew what this was, or at least his body did. A party. One that he wanted to run right into and start kicking around the tables with the lot of them. A few heads turned at the sight of him, the newcomer among them, but then two giant hands found his shoulders to push him onward.
“There will be time for all of that, laddie.”
When Oofan passed by, cheers as loud as thunder sounded, and sloshing mead overflowing from mugs splashed to the floor, a declaration that the star of the show had arrived.
“Oof!” More than half of the room barked.
“A round on me for such an entrance!” He shouted back, winking as he walked by.
“You’re popular here.” Aegis spoke over his shoulder, reluctantly walking with the force of a freight train at his back, egging him toward the front door.
“Been comin’ a long time.”
Oof reached over Aegis and lifted the massive barricade to unlock the tavern.
“Go on.” He shoved.
And so, he did. The door flung open, letting in rays of light that speared lofty trees on the horizon. Miles of freshly trimmed flatlands laid out in front of him, with mountainous hills far off on either side to frame his view. Aegis experienced all of it in a moment’s time. It was picturesque. A work of art. And if the scenic paradise didn’t do it, the smell of fresh morning dew whipped him in the face to further wake him.
Wow.
What were those spinning in mid-air not too far on? They were slithering into spirals, flying with no wings.
Oof held his belly as he giggled, watching Aegis’ expression with genuine joy. “Beautiful, ain’t she? Welcome to the Relshed Plains, greatest starting area Strathmar’s got to offer. Hm?” He knocked Aegis hard on the shoulder. “This lovely tavern behind you is called Hearthden on the map. Get it? Hearth den?”
Aegis looked at him blankly.
“Ah, never you mind. Here.” Oof poked his left breast. “Check your pockets and your belt.”
Aegis shook himself free of his daze and did what he was told, rubbing awkwardly over his deplorable armor to see if there were any contents in them. Nothing on the right side. He continued thumbing over his left.
He felt an indent and then yanked out a singular glass lens. “What’s this?” He held it in the palm of his hand, waiting for Oof to explain.
“Why, that’s how I knew your name and your level, of course. This here is a low-level lens, but it should be able to get you through the near term. Here, try it on. Just lift it to your eye.”
Aegis hesitantly raised the lens in front of him.
“Yep, just like that, don’t be afraid.”
He moved it closer until the lens was over his eye. Then he felt a tingling sensation as it dissolved into his skin.
“What the hell is this?” Aegis gasped. “Why do you have question marks all over you?” He was squinting as if that would help make sense of things.
Oof spun him by the shoulders so he would be facing out into the distance. “See anything more meaningful, yet?”
“A… numipole? Level one? What is that bar over its head?”
“A health bar, duh. Well, there you have it. You’ve equipped your first item. A lens.”
“Do I have to leave it on?”
“No. That would be annoying. You can toggle it on and off by pressing the pocket you drew it from.”
Aegis poked his pocket around to test how it worked. “Alright. This is helpful. So now what? I’m supposed to kill that thing?”
“That would be a first step, heh, but be careful. Once in a while you might aggravate a nastrodon, and if you see one of those, run. Okay?”
“Uhh, okay.”
“Good. Now check your belt. No, not there, on your side. There you go.”
Aegis unsheathed an extremely unimpressive dirk. It looked dirty and rusted even though he was almost sure he never touched it. What’s worse, the point was dull. “What in hell am I supposed to do with this?”
Oof couldn’t help but bellow in laughter. “I figured you’d say something like that. Here, you can play around with these.” He reached into his cloak, which seemed to be hoarding an impossible number of items judging by the long sword he dropped, the steel shield, and what looked to be a… wand?
“Am I supposed to take those?” Aegis eyed each item curiously.
“’Less you want to leave ‘em there.” Oofan shrugged. “But that would be a pretty silly choice.”
“I can’t pay you for these.”
“Wasn’t expecting you to. Consider them parting gifts, eh?”
“You’re really going to leave me out here?” Aegis couldn’t believe he sounded so desperate, but the prospect of being alone suddenly frightened him.
Oofan raised an eyebrow to confirm the truth of it. “You’ll be alright, laddie. And I promise, we’ll see each other again.”
Aegis looked from the large man to the spiraling numipole, and back again. “Are they real?”
“Oh ho! Define real.”
Aegis folded his lips into a line.
“Right,” Oofan said. “A tough question. In here they’re ‘real.’ But beyond that, I don’t think you’re hurtin’ anyone in the world over, if that’s what ya mean.” He noticed Aegis considering the weapons at his feet. “Don’t worry, you can shoulder them all. Everyone starts out with a basic sack that can hold a few items. You’ll get the hang of it. Here, take the shield and press it onto your back.”
Aegis did as he was told. He could feel the weight of the sturdy defender in his hand, but it wasn’t as encumbering as it looked.
“Your body is confused, mate. Because you’re likely bigger here, stronger than in your past life.”
Aegis tested the weight a few more times before slapping the shield onto his back like he was told. Then the burden of metal suddenly vanished. “Whoa.”
“Yep. Holsters, bags, sacks, that’s what they do in Strathmar. They neutralize weight. Pretty cool, huh?”
“Very.”
“Alright, laddie. You’re all set.” Oofan wiped his hands like he’d completed a difficult task.
Aegis rolled the wand between his fingertips before looking back up at his friend. “Fat Muse. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Don’t mention it. Don’t forget to pat yourself down. Might be some useful instructions somewhere in those breaches. Never know.” He winked before turning to let himself back into Hearthden.
Oofan lingered for a moment, watching Aegis stand there in awe of all that he was discovering. Aegis could feel his presence, but the sound of the closing door broke his reverie. He was alone, ready to start his adventure.
Chapter 2
Stumbling Through
After every few strides, Aegis looked back at Hearthden. It was shrinking, disappearing in the distance. He felt the elation of a child leaving home for the first time, treading carefully, hesitantly, unaware of what he might encounter. Yet, instead of crossing paths with a deer or a cat, there were creatures twice his length floating mid-air. And instead of flinging rocks or swinging sticks, he had weapons, real ones, and glacial markings to boot.
The grass grew tall as he continued, the blades now swishing around at his shins. An array of bushes loomed ahead. Good. He would need the cover for whatever else lurked beyond in the Relshed Plains.
He knew what he was supposed to do next: slay the numipole that he’d been inching towards for the last ten minutes, somehow, with the tools that Oofan had gifted him.
I can do it, right?
But for some reason he was avoiding their slow spiraling path.
It’s not that he didn’t have the heart. They weren’t living breathing things after all, at least according to Oofan. Though they very much looked like they could be.
C’mon, you can do this.
The closer he got, the more detail was revealed. They weren’t that cute but for their bright tails and compact snouts. A few steps closer revealed sleek skin resembling an eel out of water, and bulbous eyes reflecting the sun’s glare. Maybe they were cute.
Aegis shook his head free of these thoughts and instead focused on the story Oof had told him about Belna, and his family relying on him somewhere beyond, whoever they were. He shouldn’t waste too much time, now should he?
“Okay, here we go.” He took a few steps closer to the nearest numipole, unsheathing the long sword on his back. It was hard to focus, really, with the world still so new to him, so bright and colorful. “C’mon, Aegis.”
He was creeping now, crouched with the sword grasped in both hands, lens toggled on. It read:
Numipole – Level 1
Serpent-type creature
Health: ---------25----------
Armor: -1
Attacks: Bite, poison breath, strangle.
Weakness: Fire.
Aggressiveness: Low.
“Strangle,” Aegis whispered. “Yikes.”
He was within striking distance at this point, and yet the creature remained still. Was it blind or just ignoring him? Did it have something to do with its level? Or maybe its ‘low’ aggressiveness? The thoughts tumbled through his mind, one after the other, until a prevalent one remained: How was the creature floating so effortlessly, defying all physics he thought he knew?
Every instinct said that this was foreign and otherworldly, because it was. Oofan seemed honest about that fact. Seeing it now however, made it real.
I can’t do this. He rose to his feet, abandoning his sneaking stance. The creature was simply too peaceful looking and too mystical to cause it any harm. There must be another way to level.
“Ah!”
A screech penetrated so deeply that Aegis nearly stabbed himself with the sword while trying to cover his ears.
“What the—”
The numipole was swimming through the air more feverishly now, heading straight for him, its head bobbing as if it were galloping.
Uh oh.
The eyes that were once innocently reflecting the sunlight now seemed demonic: reddened, angry. Fanged teeth were bared.
Aegis reeled his sword back awkwardly, more to threaten the thing than anything. But it didn’t work. The numipole was going to tear at his flesh if he didn’t move. Now!
He rolled out of the way at the last second as the creature straightened on a horizontal dive toward his neck.
“This thing is a level one?” he spat while getting to his feet, patting himself to make sure he didn’t slice himself with the sword.
Its head spun like an alerted owl, eyes fixated. Then it uncoiled and lunged again, mist culminating from its mouth.
“Poison breath,” Aegis muttered. “I can see it.”
He then sidestepped the tailed beast and in one swift motion, sliced it right down the middle.
A spark of vibrant blue splashed around him like an exploding firecracker.
That didn’t seem right.
But whatever had happened, the numipole slowed down enough so Aegis could dash backward, outside the radius of its breath.
Green liquid was leaking from it now.
Blood. That must be blood. I wounded it. Adrenaline coursed through his body. He tightened his grip on the sword, noticing again the strength in his arms. That swing he just mustered… it was of a godly strength that he never knew before. It felt good. Really good.
“Alright, asshole.” He raised his weapon again. “Bring it.”
Confidence was surging. Or maybe it was something else. The marks lining his ribcage were pulsing, glacial blue mist seeping through his leather armor. This was the same energy he felt when taking a swig of that elixir. What’s happening?
The numipole dove once more, poisonous breath trailing from either side.
Not good.
Aegis swung with all his might, slicing the sleek skin. Then wham, another firecracker of light.
Whoa, my sword. He looked down at the steel glowing faintly with an icy mist attached to it, before the cloud abruptly dissipated. His eyes darted back to the numipole, as ice rapidly wrapped its body. Aegis took a step back. The creature had become fossilized, encased in a frozen cocoon. Before he could process what had happened, the creature exploded, showering him in ice.
“I—I did that?” He inched closer to the frozen remains gleaming in the grass. I killed it? He checked his lens to be sure. Yep, health is zero.
His eyes roamed over an item laying in a flattened patch of grass.
Aegis sheathed his sword and crouched down, arms over his knees, inspecting whatever it was that lay there. Again, he toggled his lens for some assistance, and saw the words ‘light serpent skin.’
So, this is some kind of reward for the kill? Okay.
He grasped it and stuffed it under his cloak, squinting with uncertainty as he felt the weight of the item melt away in his hands. Should be stored with my weapons, I hope.
He rose feeling infinitely better than he had just minutes ago. Slaying his first beast felt like a rite of passage into Strathmar, something that everyone here goes through, undoubtedly. And Oofan was right, too. Although the numipole appeared to be a living, breathing thing, it certainly didn’t look that way when it perished. No suffering or labored breathing; none of the telltale signs of a true death. That’s what Aegis convinced himself anyway. Now he could move on. Explore without fear. Onwards towards the trees.
The next two hours were full of numipole slayings, and each one was in animated fashion. Wide slashes and deep stabs, testing the limits of his strength and swiftness of his dodges. Aegis was, with every part of him, enjoying this. There was no need to consider that puny wand in his bag, nor the steel shield strapped to his back. Because his sword, it fostered some kind of connection to him, to the marks on his torso, and every time that power activated it felt like being struck by lightning, but in a good way.
Then he noticed patterns. The first swipe of his blade generally was an ordinary one, but for the colorful starburst upon contact with the beast’s skin. Yet, it wasn’t until he’d start wounding beasts did surging power within him begin to rise.
So it, whatever this is, builds up within me, and then I unleash it into my blade. I can feel the ice in my blood, like I’m somehow fused with the element that I chose. I wonder what Oofan experiences with his stone connection.
He shook his head. This is all so strange. Everything seems foreign from wherever it is that I came from, but it also feels… better. Like I belong.
Aegis must have trekked far since he embarked, because before he knew it, he was surrounded by forest instead of plains. He looked up to a high treetop directly above him, and then wiped a finger over some sap dripping down its bark. He played with it in his hand, thinking, wondering how in the world this could be another dimension. It felt like the only dimension. This was real in every respect. Twirling the goo between his fingers proved it. The detail was so fine, so intricate, that he could only imagine the inner workings at a molecular level.
Humanity couldn’t have made this world. It’s too perfect. Perhaps we found it?
Just then, beyond the tree, he noticed a strange stone jutting from the ground, out of place in the middle of greenery, for sure. What’s weirder, there was a blue glow radiating from its center, almost like an eye.
He inched closer, curiosity getting the better of him. He activated his lens and read:
Glyph Ward of Osaya
Activate to summon a challenge.
If satisfied, Osaya’s spirit will grant a reward.
BEWARE: Not for choochoos.
Aegis scoffed and tapped his left breast. Whoever crafted this lens has a sense of humor, I guess. Choochoos. Will I ever escape that label? He looked back at the Glyph. Only one way to find out.
An imprint of a hand formed within the stone as if it were made of liquid marble. Strange. But Aegis didn’t think twice before pressing his palm into it.
“Bring it.” He challenged the stone instead, and it responded in kind. More Glyphs began to form, becoming resplendent with blues and purples. The ward suddenly became reflective. For the first time in this world, Aegis could finally see himself. Black hair was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail, a five-o’clock shadow unevenly framed his face like tiny ants running down to his neck. And was it the stone, or did he have crystal blue eyes?
“How old am I?” He leaned in closer and stretched the skin near the edge of his eye. “Crow’s feet? I feel like a teenager. What is this folly that I look older?” He turned his head either way, inspecting his features, tracing the slightest of jawlines. Not at all boxy, but enough of an indent to give his face shape.
