Ryoko found herself frozen in shock, eyes shut tight as she braced for impact, but she never felt one. She heard screams and shouts around her and quickly opened her eyes, turning to the horrified crowd who were running towards her. "I'm fine!" she shouted back, trying to reassure them, before one of them ran right through her. Ryoko felt dread well up in her stomach. Part of her already knew what this mean, but she turned round to see a crowd gathering round something, and there was blood on the floor. She could make out glimpses of her own bloodstained clothing through gaps in the crowd and she snatched her gaze away. She didn't want to see any more. She didn't want to see her own mangled body.

She was so close. There was so much she wanted to live for, and she had her whole life ahead of her. She never got to enjoy any of the fruits of her suffering. What was the point? If she had known she would die this young, she'd have said 'screw college' and just went and had fun and enjoyed her life. Before she could cry, there was a blinding flash and an Angel appeared before Ryoko. So, Angels did exist then.

"My poor child..." The Angel spoke, as it it embraced her in its wings. "Do not despair, for this not your time. My name is Morganna and today you've been granted a rare gift. You won't be able to return to this life, but you can take on another. You'll be in a new world and far removed from the struggles of your old life. We'll use these to start."

Ryoko hugged the Angel back, just needing a shoulder to lean on more than anything else right now. And she listened. But as she listened, she noticed that this spiel didn't sound like she was being taken to an afterlife. It sounded like...isekai? Her mind raced. Was isekai real?! Would she be reincarnated into a fantasy world?!

Images started spinning round the two of them. Images of Ryoko working from home, or studying from home, or writing her papers, or chatting on forums, or watching anime, or playing games. She remembered all these events as separate entities. They were her work, rest, play, and social life. But all together, they all just looked like a sad, overweight girl sitting in her room, at her desk. This is all her life had managed to amount to before it ended? Ryoko wanted to look away but couldn't. It was upsetting on an existential level.

"This is... unfortunate. I sense a great desire for freedom within you, yet your life seems to have bound you to these strange contraptions. Trapped in a cycle with no escape and only the promise of freedom. I think we can fix that. What do you think?"

"Yeah..." Ryoko replied in a small, voice, befire she turned back to the angel. "I mean, yes! Please give me another chance to make the most out of life this time!" she responded with much more conviction.

A screen floated past her, showing a scene from one of her favourite fantasy anime. It wasn't an anime with a particularly rich or complex story. It was just an anime about a fairy going about her dad to day life. Most critics called it boring, but it always soothed Ryoko's soul after a stressful day of trying to balance a busy day at work with a due assignment, so see a carefree fairy taking her time to do what she wanted, in a serene setting with a soothing soundtrack. She'd sometimes wished she was that fairy.

Everything suddenly went completely white, and all the surrounding people and noises vanished. She looked down and even her own body was gone.

"Soul Transfer Initiated! Suitable Race selected! Scanning soul...Skills Selected! Desire for Love detected - Charm Unlocked! Desire to Escape detected - Camouflage Unlocked! Powerful desire to become strong - Atlas Unlocked! Atlas combined with Fey Ancestry - Legendary Skill Nature's Might Unlocked! Racial Traits - Nature Bound Unlocked!

Skills, huh? So it was just like an Isekai after all! Everything started getting hazy and blurry as if she was suddenly losing consciousness.

"My name is Morganna. You'll awake in my temple. Welcome to your new life, Little One."

---

She awoke, and everything immediately felt off. The sensations in her body were different. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was on one side of a raised platform, in some kind of temple. There were three other people on the dias with her. Two humans and an elf. There was a figure further into the altar but her eyes couldn't make them out yet. She was still adjusting to how bright her surroundings were.

She looked down at her own body and could immediately tell how short she was. So she wasn't human. She reached up and helt the antenna on her head. Her wings twitched and she was suddenly aware of the wings on her back. She had no idea how to use them. She tried to move them and they performed a spasm that could barely be called a proper flap. She'd need more practice with them. They were an entire body part she'd never had before. She wondered how she could check her skills but had no idea. She'd try to open her menu later when she was on her own. She didn't want people watching her as she tried to figure that out. It'd be embarrasing. She subconsciously put her hand to her face to adjust her glasses. That's right. She didn't wear glasses anymore, did she?

"It's not your time yet. Rise, humans!" The deep voice boomed in the heads of all three women. Despite their various injuries, all three quickly realized they weren't feeling pain anymore. As they each steadily pulled themselves to their feet, the women were quick to notice their out of body experiences. Before any of them could question it, a hole in reality appeared before them with the dark god Drasil appearing on the other side. He gestured individually to all three, "Step through, humans. I assure you I'm no threat to you."

Feeling something pulling them towards the rift, Kyouka, Petra, and Samantha all complied with Drasil's command. Upon stepping through, the ladies found themselves standing in front of the deity. He addressed each of them in turn as they took in their surroundings. "My apologies for bringing you all here at once, but my time on this plane is limited right now. You ladies may have all died, but you are receiving a blessing today. You are being reborn into my world. The world of Vecta. Now... Let's see what we can do with you three." Without waiting for any rebuttal from his latest victims candidates, Drasil first approached Sam. Images of her life began to float through the air"

"Hmm... Wise, cunning, and rather deadly with weapons I see." The god smirked as he watched scenes of Sam's kills float by. "There may be a place for you to truly hone your skills as an assassin." With a wave of his hand, Samantha's eyes glassed over as a voice rang through her head. A voice only she and Drasil could hear.

"Soul Transfer Initiated! Suitable Race selected! Scanning soul..." The magic began to comb through Sam's mind, dredging up her memories from her military years. "Skills Selected! Experience in Battle- Combat Sense Unlocked! Desire to Lead - Pack Leader Unlocked! High Knowledge of Weaponry Detected - Weaponsmith Unlocked! Racial Traits - Enhanced Evolution!

As the voice faded in her ears, Sam looked up to see Drasil towering over her. "Not a bad spread you've got there. When you next wake up, you'll find yourself in the goblin tunnels. Come to Sombros when you're ready. Welcome to my world." With that, Drasil placed a hand on Sam's head. Her eyes glowed briefly before the light overtook her form and she vanished; leaving only Kyouka and Petra. Drasil turned his attention to the hostess next.

Upon his approach, Kyouka's life began to appear around her. The god studied several of the scenes in detail, noting her strained relationship with her family, her work as a hostess, and her relationship with 'him'. A smirk slowly crept across his face as Drasil turned to face the young woman. He seemed unusually excited about this prospect which only served to heighten the lady's apprehension. "You're an interesting one, human. You possess wit, charm, and you seem to be a skilled manipulator. You'll thrive in this new world." Drasil waved his hand again and Kyouka's eyes glassed over this time.

"Soul Transfer Initiated! Suitable Race selected! Scanning soul..." This time, it felt almost comforting for the subject of the magic. As though her body were being molded like warm butter while the magic took effect. "Skills Selected! Desire to Control - Charm Unlocked! Desire for the Future - Foresight Unlocked! Desire to Burn - Fire Magic Unlocked! Fire Magic combined with Dragon Ancestry - LEGENDARY Skill Solar Power Unlocked! Racial Traits - Dragonskin!

Kyouka slumped to the ground when the Soul magic concluded. Above her, Drasil just nodded as though he'd expected these results. "It seems I was correct in my suspicions. Welcome to my world, young dragon." As soon as those words fell from his lips, Kyouka began to glow and vanished from the pocket dimension. Finally, it was just Drasil and Petra.

"As for you." He turned his golden eyes towards the young girl. With another wave of his sword, Petra's memories began to play out around them. All her years of study and asking questions spelled out in front of her. Not the most exciting life by any stretch of the imagination, but it was hers. Drasil watched several of these memories float past before he found himself being barraged by Petra's own questions to him. "Slow down. All will be revealed soon enough. For now, it seems a race with insatiable hunger like yours is in order." Petra felt a tingle in the back of her mind as the Soul magic washed over her.

"Soul Transfer Initiated! Suitable Race selected! Scanning soul..." Petra felt her memories being scanned. So this was what all those books felt like when she used the copy machine frequently. "Skills Selected! Desire for Knowledge - Archivist Unlocked! Desire for No Pain and Survival - Ragdoll Unlocked! Desire to Amass - Absorbtion Unlocked! Powerful Desire to Change - LEGENDARY Skill Form Shift Unlocked! Racial Traits - Magic Sense!

The last of the group to undergo the Soul magic, Petra came to just in time to see Drasil place a hand on her head. "There is a brand new world waiting for you. Now, you'll have all time time in the world to learn everything you desire. Welcome to the World of Vecta, Human." With that, Petra glowed briefly for a moment before she finally vanished from the pocket dimension.

Each of the three ladies slowly came to, realizing they were now in different spaces (and different bodies). As the darkness cleared from Sam's eyes, she found herself sitting in a small tunnel. Her body was noticeably smaller than before and she could hear the sounds of cackling coming from deeper within the tunnel. Kyouka awoke to find herself lounging on a mountainside. A long, muscular, and snakelike tail was coiled beneath her, granting her a place to sit. As she looked around, the sun was just starting to rise over the horizon. A large city could be seen in the distance and there appeared to be a mansion of sorts at the base of the mountain. Finally, Petra blinked her 'eyes' - or lack thereof - as she came to in a cavern. While she couldn't see like before, she had full knowledge of the large cavern she was sitting in and could see the whole room as though she had three hundred and sixty degree vision!

Drasil meanwhile felt himself being pulled back into Vecta. His last batch of Otherworlders chosen for now, he could relax and watch how they performed. It seemed as though a few of them were already getting to experience the rigors of Vecta firsthand. Now it was time to see if he'd chosen correctly.

"...Come to Sombros when you're ready. Welcome to my world."

Once again, the world vanished before Samantha could utter a word. What in the world....

....is a goblin?!

Of course, that strange man was nowhere to be seen. Not that she could see much in this gloom. She seemed to be in a tunnel of hard-packed earth, she didn't want to know how many hands and feet had pounded it. Did her eyes need time to adjust? Or were they just used to living in the dark?

"He didn't even tell me his name," she grumbled - and touched her throat in surprised. "Was that... me?"

Her voice was gruff and husky, not her usual contralto. What other changes had been forced on her, she wondered?

Carefully, she began moving forward. There were likely to be many traps, so she needed to be careful.

BELO
At first, it seemed as though the little runt was dead as Belo removed the arrow. There was a considerable amount of blood staining his back, and the child hadn't moved for several minutes. However, the body suddenly began to twitch! The child was alive! The sound of it preparing to cry however was a clear sign that it was in pain. What Belo couldn't have known was that Orcs in Vecta were considerably quick healers. A part of the reason why the elves attacked so savagely was because they had to cut the orcs down before they had time to heal and return to the fight. It would take a bit more than a single arrow to fell even a baby orc with their hides. Despite the healing process starting, the wound still oozed blood. Medical treatment would be needed if the child was to be spared more pain.

Outside the cave, the elves had begun to tally the dead and recover their weapons and arrows. They had seen the lone orc escape with a baby into the cave, but none volunteered to follow it. Elves were creatures of the forest and not suited for traveling underground. Without proper preparations, a small army of elves could be defeated were they to engage in subterranean combat. One elf in particular however, couldn't help but keep his silver eyes focused on the cave. Something about THAT orc in particular. It hadn't been a leader, yet it had somehow managed to best and kill one of their own and wasn't stupid enough to keep running into the forest. The situation was unusual if anything. For a moment he wondered if someone else was in control of the orc before scoffing at the thought. "What god - even DRASIL of all beings - would put anyone in a form such as that?" The Elf muttered some choice curses for the orc before returning his attention to his companions.

DALTON
"Grr... If I were going to kill you, Da-ru-tun, I would have done so already." Inara attempted to get into a pouncing position to intimidate the newcomer, but it just looked 'off' and 'clumsy'. It was as if - from the moment he shouted - she'd lost her instincts briefly and found herself... intimidated by him? "E-even if I were to help you, I have more questions for you. Just what ARE you? You smell like a Merrick, but you should have pelts based on the size of you. I already had three when I was half your size."

It was at this point Dalton took notice of Inara's attire. What had seemed like a long flowing cloak and clothing was in fact various animal pelts stitched together on her body to form primitive looking garments. The wolf girl pointed to the grass skirt he was wearing and continued, "If that's all you have on you, you should have died three times over. Especially if you've been living here in the Penrithe Forest! This is Silverclaw territory, and we're known for being the strongest pack!" Looking down at himself, Dalton remembered the status screen said he was a "Merrick" now. Seeing as Inara had transformed from a wolf, this race apparently had some transformation capabilities. Did it have something to do with the animal furs they wore?

While Dalton was left trying to think of how to explain his situation, Inara could feel her anxiousness wearing off. Whatever it was that came over her after this Dar-ru-tun had shouted at her was beginning to wane. She began to slowly move herself into an attacking position. While this stranger didn't seem capable of transforming, he definitely had some sort of strange magic that Inara had never seen before. She would have to be ready.

Meanwhile, what Dalton didn't see was the change to his status screen. The moment he introduced himself as "Dalton" to Inara, the blank spot on his name became filled in. In this new world, his name was officially set as "Dalton".

MINAMI
No sooner had Minami mentioned seeing a black-winged man than the color drained from Rowena's face. She cautiously took a few steps back before a new voice echoed through the gathering hall.

"A Black-winged man in golden armor?! My goodness, milady, do you mean to say you've met the Lord of Black himself?" This new figure appeared from the beneath the staircase this time. He was a tall figure, with pale white skin and curly black hair. A set of black and gold plate armor over a silk tunic covered his lanky frame, and a thick black cloak draped over his shoulders. Minami didn't even register where he had appeared. From her perspective, it looked as though he'd just stepped out of the wall! "If you've met the Lord of Black, that means you must be an..." He was about to continue before a tiny sliver of morning sun creeped through a window and touched Minami's face. Almost immediately, a burning sensation overcame her and she could feel her strength slipping away. The man responded by rushing up to break her fall and covering her with his cloak.

"Damn it, Rowena! Cover those windows! The maid hurriedly apologized as she rushed to readjust the heavy curtains. Minami could feel her strength returning as she sunk into the folds of the cloak. As the stranger helped her back to her feet, he offered a bow. "Forgive my maid; she's getting on in years. Allow me to apologize. My name is Lord Romero von Dragomir. Ruler of the Southern Hills and Mt. Ender which you saw before you. And you..." He offered Minami a smile while his eyes gave off a sense of wonder, intrigue and Minami detected a hint of... was that hunger? "You, are an Otherworlder!"

TEMPLE OF MORGANNA

The city of Ilios was abuzz with activity this morning as the sun began to rise over the horizon. In the middle of the city rose the beautiful temple to the goddess Morganna. As the clergy began to rise from their cells and prepare for the morning devotions, one member in particular was already deep in prayer: Mirielle Whiterose the High Priestess. Having only been the tender age of eighteen when she'd accepted the most coveted role in the temple, Mirielle was the youngest high priestess in the temple's history. That particular morning, she'd awoken to a sudden surge of divine energy flowing through the air which could only mean one thing. Morganna had brought new Otherworlders to Vecta.

"We are bathed in the divine light of the goddess. In that light we are made pure..." Mirielle was deep in prayer inside the Summoning Chamber. Having taken her place before the dais, she felt the air charge with electricity as the ritual began. Despite her seven year tenure as high priestess, she had never seen so many spots on the dais light up before. It seemed Morganna had acquired a large batch this time. Mirielle watched in amazement as the lights slowly began to take shape. From the looks of things, there were an elf, a hamadryad, and two Sun Morai to round out the group. The light that brought them into existence faded as quickly as it came and the new Otherworlders began to wake from their slumber. Stepping onto the dais, Morganna greeted them with a smile.

"Greetings, Otherworlders! Welcome to Vecta. Today, your lives begin anew.

@TheNoCoKid

---

---

When the maid had stepped back, and all the color had drained from her face, Minami got an expression of both concern and surprise. Was the older woman suddenly not feeling well? Did she need to sit down or something? But there was no time to consider that, as another voice - unfamiliar - suddenly cut through the entry hall. This one belonging to a man. And just where the heck had he come from!? There was no door there! No dtapes! No curtain! Had he just... slipped through the cracks in the masonry or something!? Minami could do not but stand dumbfounded and confused at this new arrival.

But at least he was polite. He didn't yell at her to get out of his home or anything. Alas, before she could fully listen to his spiel, something surprising happened - again. As a thin sliver of the morning sunlight filtered in through a tiny gap in the window's curtains, Minami let out a pained gasp. She felt... Weak...? And the burning sensation that had struck her face... What was that? Why was that? It felt like her face had just been brushed with a searing hot iron for a brief moment, and all the stamina and strenght in her limbs and body had just... Left... Which reminded her, she'd felt similarly sluggish and drowsy when she'd been outside in the sunrise... But that feeling of lethargy had vanished as soon as she stepped into the caslte, out of dawn... Was... Was she somehow developing some kind of allergy or aversion to the sun?

Thankfully, before her drained and instantly fatigued self could hit the cold and hard floor beneath her feet, the Dark Knight in shiny gold armor swooped in and caught her, just like a prince catching a princess in one of those cheesy fantasy novels. Equally cheesy was his gentlemanly gesture of draping the damsel in his cloak, but less gentlemanly was his barking orders at the old maid for not doing her job... Still, Minami appreciated his efforts, and once she'd regained her strength, and stood back up on her own, the fellow continued speaking.

He was apparently called Dragomir... So, he was the master tahat Rowena the Maid had mentioned earlier then? He looked... Fine? He was a bit lanky and tall, but he had this trange... Ageless disheveled handsome vibe going on... It was hard to describe. The best comparison Minami could make in her head was that he man looked as if he'd stepped out of painting. Which he might have, considering he appeared out of god damn nowhere! Still... He then made the fatal mistake of leaning in closer to look at Minami.

While the woman, in her past human life, would''ve immediately stepped back and averted her head in order to break eye contact, her new form was... Not so inclined. She felt no need to look somewhere else, no fear or anxiety at staring into the eyes of another... And it was precisely because of that that she noticed... His eyes... They weren't the eyes of a kind or generous person... There was something dangerous about them. Something... Wrong... The way he looked at her was like that of someone both wanting to dissect and eat her... In possibly more ways then one. It was... Unnerving, to say the least.

She stepped back from Lord Dragomir's person, though only a few steps. She then finally donned the cloak that Rowena had provided her with earlier, allowing the castle's master to retrieve the cape he had offered his latest guest. Minami steeled her composure, taking a small breath, processing everything that had just happened and that had been said up until now, and spoke - clear and without reservation.

"Thank you, Mr. Dragomir." Of course, she provided him with the same traditional japanese bow as she'd given Rowena. "I... don't know if this Lord Black you speak of is the same man I met. Honestly, all of it felt like a dream, and now seems like a ... Distant memory, even though I'm sure it happened not long ago." She paused. Looking at her own hands, curling them up into balls, then releasing her grip. "... You say I'm an... Otherworlder? I guess... That means this isn't Japan then? The man I met before said something like... Vecta? Is that where we are now?" She paused again, looking over at the window and then back at Dragomir. "... If you don't mind me asking... What does it mean, being an otherworlder? And why... Why do I feel like I want to avoid the sun? When I was outside earlier, I felt... Tired...And weary, even though I was just standing. And just now, before you helped me, I felt my face burn and the strength leave my body when that sliver of light landed on me..."

Minami still had many questions, but these were the most pressing ones. It'd be a huge inconvenience if she couldn't go out in the daylight anymore. And what was an otherworlder? Or rather, she understood what it was, but what did it mean specifically? Did all people who came to this new world become suddenly photosensitive or something? While she was hoping to get answers to her inquries, she also made sure to keep an eye on this Dragomir-fellow. For some reason, she was fairly certain that letting him be too close to her was a bad idea...

---

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---

Okay so Primal Rage apparently had some kind of intimidation effect? It didn't last long... Analytical Dalton rubbed his metaphysical chin.

Don't check the status box! We don't know if she can see it too, it might give away our weakness! blurted out Emotional Dalton. The real Dalton twitched his finger a few times, until he found that swiping it to the right dismissed the glowing screen.

"Just what ARE you? You smell like a Merrick, but you should have pelts based on the size of you. I already had three when I was half your size."

She wore several pelts sewn together and he'd already seen the wolf transformation. So a "Merrick" was a creature that could use animal hides to shapeshift? He racked his brain for various fantasy creatures--werewolves, Norse berserkers, and a few witches in folklore were supposed to be able to become animals by using a magical belt or cloak made from fur, but he wasn't sure he knew of any that could use more than one pelt at a time.

Buy time to think by repeating back what she said. Right, that was something he'd learned both from self-help books and from working in customer service. But--

Remember, no more Mr. Nice Guy! We play by OUR rules now! She already thinks we're a wimp! That still smoldering anger in his guts was stoked again. Maybe it was wrong to take it out on this girl--but then again, she was about to attack him before, wasn't she? She hadn't even attempted to talk until he'd forced her to rethink the aggressive tactic!

So Dalton shrugged as he gave the girl a smug smirk.



"Oh, wow--by the time you were half my size you only had three pelts? Well, I suppose that's understandable..." But Inara countered by pointing out his near-naked state. Dalton crossed his arms, maintaining his fake arrogant countenance while his eyes roamed the pelts she'd used to make her outfit--the outermost cloak seemed to be her wolf fur, but what animals had been used to make the rest?

"If that's all you have on you, you should have died three times over. Especially if you've been living here in the Penrithe Forest! This is Silverclaw territory, and we're known for being the strongest pack!"

Good. One thing Dalton had learned in his attempts to be less socially awkward was that he actually didn't have to talk much more than he usually did. He just had to be better at listening. People loved to talk about themselves, and with all her bragging about her clan, Inara was giving him good information about the area. And the whole time she spoke, his fast-thinking brain was working overtime to process and counter that information.

So this place is dangerous by this world's standards, and her pack is its ruling faction or at least one of such. His analytical side pushed their glasses up yet again. Why did anime characters do that so much? Yet, she was affected by our Primal Rage's apparent intimidation affect, even if for only a short time...that's the skill that the voice told us was "Legendary," correct?

Yeah! So what if we don't have pelts, we have badass skills!

"...And yet, you're the one who got scared?" Dalton chuckled as he uncrossed his arms, placing one hand on his hip and loosely gesticulating with the other. "What, are you the Silverclaw's Omega or something?" He tried his best to put on a confident grin and clenched his fist. "Or, maybe...I'm just that strong?" Then he shook his head dismissively. But, on the inside he could feel panic raising the pulse of his heartbeat. Could she hear something like that? Or sense weakness, somehow? How would she read his body language?

She was moving into an aggressive stance again. Whatever intimidation effect Primal Rage had, it was wearing off--was it always that short in duration? For a Legendary Skill that didn't seem right. So...if she had to metaphysically pass some kind of Saving Throw to resist it, that would probably mean her stats were higher than his, right? In reality, he was the weaker one here--

But does she know that? A rapid heart beat could mean excitement or anger too. Trembling in the limbs could be tension and anticipation of bloodlust, not just fear. If the animal kingdom was all about displays, then he needed to display dominance!

"I'm not wearing any pelts, because I didn't need any." He furrowed his eyebrows, wrinkled his nose, and changed his expression from one of smugness to one that he hoped screamed make my day, punk, as he faced Inara head on. "You already saw it yourself--all I needed to throw you off was my own Skill. And I've got more where that came from."

He gestured out towards the forest around them.

"You said the Penrithe Forest is dangerous? That the Silverclaws are the strongest? Good!" He suddenly smiled. His mother, rest her soul, had often told him something whenever he had trouble with aggressive people in life. She had always said, Just smile, and make them wonder what you're thinking about. Of course, she meant it in a non threatening way--be nice to people, even when they're rude to you, and throw them off because they're not getting the reactions they want. He still hadn't understood that until much later in life.

But now, in this new life, he would use it in another way. He wouldn't live under anyone else's rules--if people weren't going to treat him with decency, then he was going to treat them the way they deserved to be treated!

So he smiled. A wild, madman's smile. A malicious grin.

"That's why I came here! I wanted to find worthy prey! If it doesn't have a chance to kill me, then its skin isn't worth wearing!" He actually felt like he was hyping himself up now, and starting to genuinely feel excited.

Whoa there bud can we not volunteer to get ourselves killed here?!

I am in agreement! We're veering a little into the overdramatic, yes?

Shaddap and let me cook!

Dalton stared straight at Inara's forehead. He'd read once that when two dogs were about to fight, the one who looked away first would be acknowledged as the weaker. He'd also read that when humans looked each other in the eyes, there were a lot of subtle cues that could be picked up on. But, by staring at someone's forehead instead of their actual eyes, it created the appearance of eye contact. He didn't have to worry about Inara's cues triggering fear in him or making him lose his focus--and as a result, the only cue she'd read from him was a contrasting, intense focus, like a laser sight from a sniper rifle being placed directly between her eyes, unwavering and constant.

"I saw you coming a mile away." he said in a voice that he tried to make low and growly. He was referring to how his [Combat Sense] had detected her, even though he'd literally only learned that himself in the same moment. "So I decided I'd offer to let you help me, since I'm not here to invade the Silverclaw's territory. I don't care who rules the area--I'm just doing my own thing. Surely, if they're so great, they won't care about one guy keeping to himself, huh?" He snorted by blowing air through his nose, then--at a risk, but knowing he had to take those in this new life if he wanted to get anywhere--he released the tension in his stance. Instead of crouching with fingers curled into claws, he stood up, and let his arms hang in a relaxed gesture.

Once again, he put out his hand--as if he were asking a dog to perform the "shake" command. He allowed his facial expression to soften towards Inara.

"So, what do you say? Show me around a bit--local watering hole, maybe a good hunting ground? No harm, no foul?"

If this doesn't work, we're gonna die again. His intellectual side sighed.

One step at a time. All we have to do right now is make her non aggressive. We can't waste time worrying about what might happen next until we get there!

Godspeed, you magnificent bastard. His more emotional self bid them all a farewell salute.

---

What?

As he pulled the arrow out, leaving only a gaping hole where the bulb-shaped point had been, Belo’s eyes widened at what exactly he was seeing. The child, despite having shed so much blood, was still moving about. In real time, he watched as a scab formed within the gloom of the tunnel system, watched as the loss of blood from the open wound slowed, watched as they cried meekly, having wrested their mind away from unconsciousness. It was entirely inconceivable to him. There were grown men who would’ve keeled over from less than a quarter-sized hole in their body, but this gangly creature held on.

For a bit longer, at the very least.

Belo took in a deep breath, steadying himself. Even with the cries of the child, the ones that pursued them did not find them out yet. And, strangely enough, even without the sky and stars above him, even after being turned around so many times within the dense foliage, he had a clear sense of where they were, relative to the beach. Those pale-skinned soldiers had come from the sea, their vessels too grand, too well-built to belong to the ones that he shared a similar visage to. He would have to go further in-land then, away from the coast. And as for the one that was with him…

With his sword, he cut strips of bandages off the sleeves and the hem, tying it best he could around the child. The length of rope that he had with him was turned into a harness. It wouldn’t be comfortable, but with it, he could secure the child on his back, or swap them to his front. Whichever the situation needed. Whichever would be better for letting his own body be a shield, rather than the child. There were strange fortunes afoot, regardless. He was tired, but he recovered quickly. He was in pitch-black, and yet could still see well enough to navigate. He knew nothing about this new world that the spirit had deposited him in, and yet he still somehow knew where he was. If he closed his eyes, if he calmed his mind, he even gained awareness of something else.

He was gripped by a certainty. A certainty that a storm was brewing.

Putting on the child-carrying harness and ignoring the sticky dampness of blood and urine, Belo took in another deep breath, drew his sword, and continued into the darkness of the tunnels, his pace entering that of a light jog as he searched for…

For what?

An underground community with medical supplies and friendly inhabitants would be good, but an exit from the tunnels back to the surface would be acceptable too. If there were fishing villages and pirate-murderers, there would be civilization too. There would be forges for smithing steel, there would be lumber mills for processing wood, there would be farmers and butchers, craftsmen and doctors.

Other tribes, he could hope, who could foster a child.

Other tribes, he could hope, who would be willing to join him in his counterattack.

"Greetings, Otherworlders! Welcome to Vecta. Today, your lives begin anew.

The Hamadryad turned to look at the very pretty lady approaching them. She gave her wings some more flaps, and managed to hover slightly, but floated back down to the ground again. She was still not used to having wings. Guess she'd talk from down here, then.

"What were we summoned here for?" she asked the woman. "Is there anything we need to do? Where are we?"

She couldn't shaken the growing discomfort and unease she was feeling. Something was very off. There was something she had to do. Was there a way she could find out? She had been isekai'd to fantasy world, right? Maybe there was a menu or stat screen? She concentrated, and tried really hard to summon a menu. Mo luck. She swiped up and down with her left and right hands. Still nothing. Maybe it needed a verbal command. "Menu. Stats. Status. Menu, open. Open menu. Open status. Status, open." Suddenly, one popped up in front of her eyes. Success! She looked through every window with the goal of trying to learn as much as she could.

>> [SUMMARY] | SKILLS | MAP | INVENTORY
Name: __________
Race: Hamadryad
Level: 1
Stats:
[*]Strength
[*]Magic
[*]Defense
[*]Resistance
[*]Luck
Active Effects: ALL STATS AND ABILITIES LOCKED UNTIL RACIAL CRITERIA ARE FULFILLED; NATURE BOUND

>> [SKILLS] | MAP | INVENTORY | SUMMARY
[*][RACIAL TRAIT - Nature Bound]
As a Hamadryad, your soul is bound to a a singular tree. As the tree grows, so do you. The bigger and stronger the tree becomes, your power too will grow. Should you or the tree be cut down and die, the other will fall soon after.
[*][Charm (Passive)] - LOCKED
You possess a unique gift to win over others. People are naturally drawn to you and are more likely to agree to your requests.
[*][Camouflage (Active)] - LOCKED
Being nature spirit, nature is like a second skin to you. When activated, you can naturally blend into the terrain around you. Try this in a forest! :)
[*][Atlas (Passive)] - LOCKED
Your desire to become strong has manifested itself! You have increased strength in comparison to other members of your race.
[*][Nature’s Might (Active/Legendary)] - LOCKED
Your incredible strength mixes with your Hamadryad ancestry to create a powerful combo. When in the presence of nature (I.e. Grass, Trees, Flowers, etc) you can draw upon their strength to briefly enhance your own strength and magic!

>> [MAP] | INVENTORY | SUMMARY | SKILLS
LOCKED

>> [INVENTORY] | SUMMARY | SKILLS | MAP
[*]
[*]
[*]

So that was it, huh? As a Hamadryad, she needed to bond to a tree. She thought about this. Her life energy would be bonded to that tree, so it couldn't be a tree that might get cut down. But it was a fair assumption that she'd get this same feeling of unease if she ventured too far away from it, so it couldn't be too remote. Also, that tree would likely serve as her home, and a lengthy commute to and from civilization sounded tedious. But she didn't want to pick a tree in the city as those likely already belong to people, and she'd never get peace or quiet anyway. And it definitely needed to be a young tree to maximize her lifespan. She had no intention of dying young a second time. She would search the outskirts her her perfect tree after this business was rapped up, whatever they had been summoned for. Then again, it didn't need to be besides this city. Getting the perfect tree was important. While it was a priority, she definitely shouldn't rush the choice.

She also needed a name. She thought her ability to name characters was pretty good, so let's see. She was a small fairy, in a fantasy world...let's go with 'Oriel'. She selected her name field, and a keyboard came up, letting her type in her name.

>> [SUMMARY] | SKILLS | MAP | INVENTORY
Name: Oriel
Race: Hamadryad
Level: 1
Stats:
[*]Strength
[*]Magic
[*]Defense
[*]Resistance
[*]Luck
Active Effects: ALL STATS AND ABILITIES LOCKED UNTIL RACIAL CRITERIA ARE FULFILLED; NATURE BOUND

---

Disorienting. That was the only word Petra could think of to describe the sudden influx of alien sensations she was experiencing. Actually, that wasn’t quite true; disconcerting also worked… and so did overwhelming or jarring… Okay, so maybe she could think of quite a few words to describe what she was experiencing, but regardless, most of them were bad and more importantly, it wasn’t something she was even remotely prepared or able to deal with quite yet.

Forcing her attention inwards Petra managed to find some small measure of reprieve from her senses by focusing instead on her recollection of the past few minutes. A lot had happened in that time – much of which she wouldn't have considered possible just a few hours beforehand – and Petra wanted to make sure she remembered it all, desperately willing her hippocampus to permanently burn every last detail into her long-term memory.

She recalled an ambulance ride – the product of her own stupidity – and then she’d been hit by a truck in an accident that had definitely resulted in her death. Except somehow she’d survived… or rather she didn’t? Nondead? Un-died? Pseudo-killed? Petra struggled to find words to properly describe an event so thoroughly incongruous with her prior perceptions of how reality was supposed to function. Was this what those people who got annoyed when she tried to teach them something new felt like?

Right, she was getting distracted…

After she “died” she’d ended up having some sort of out-of-body experience, one in which time was apparently frozen and she could somehow move through walls. She’d been able to confirm the nature of her death during the time stop, literally seen the wreckage and her own mangled corpse within – well at least what bits of it were recognisably her amongst those of the paramedics that’d been trying to help her. Petra tried not to think about that last part.

She’d have liked to have exploited the out-of-body state some more – just thinking about all the things she could have potentially learned like that if only she’d had the time to explore left her feeling a profound sense of regret – but for some reason, the moment a disembodied voice spoke into her mind and commanded her to step through a portal, she’d complied without even thinking about it.

There had been two other women on the other side of the portal – supposedly an assassin and some manner of manipulator from what she’d been able to gather, both having also died recently from the sounds of things – not to mention the apparent cause of all the seemingly supernatural occurrences, a man seemingly pulled straight off the set of some kind of fantasy film, who could apparently in addition to the telepathy, mental compulsion, time stopping, and portals, create floating manifestations of people’s memories. In hindsight, the whole memory-viewing thing seemed like a pretty massive invasion of privacy, and it was probably for the best that Petra had at the time been more interested in observing the effect itself rather than analysing the contents of the memories themselves.

Perhaps more important than the apparent magic the fantasy man could perform, however, were the things he said. Apparently, they’d all been reborn in a world called Vecta, his world he’d referred to it a couple of times – Petra supposed the implication was that he was a god then, though he’d said something about his time in this plane being limited and had needed to physically view their memories, which didn’t exactly suggest any kind of omniscience or omnipotence, so at least he probably wasn’t a god in the Abrahamic sense. Or maybe he was just saying he was from a civilization capable of terraforming planets? Either way that was probably good information to have.

He’d also mentioned things like dragons, goblin tunnels, and races with insatiable hunger, which along with the several demonstrations of magic, pretty clearly pointed towards Vecta being a world with supernatural elements. No wait; fantasy elements not supernatural. Supernatural would imply that it was something fundamentally incapable of being understood, and magic or no, Petra refused to believe that anything could both exist and simultaneously be impossible to understand.

On the other hand, magic potentially existing was a pretty exciting thought actually! Petra had hardly even begun to scratch the surface of the knowledge science had to offer back on Earth and had certainly never had even the slightest hope of being able to learn everything there was to learn there, but with magic on the table perhaps it would be all that farfetched to grant herself infinite time with which to learn? Did magic have to obey entropy? Actually, now that she thought about it, Petra had already seen firsthand that magic could be used to read memories, would it be possible for her to find a way to learn everything from everyone forever!?

Hmm… that last one might be a little ethically dubious and, in any case, she was getting side-tracked again.

What else had been said? The possibly a god had mentioned something to the assassin about going to a place, though Petra couldn’t recall what he’d called it. And… Oh right! There had also been that other disembodied voice that spoke about scanning her soul and unlocking skills, that was probably important, even if Petra didn’t really understand what any of it meant.

Perhaps she’d have known more if the fantasy man hadn’t refused to answer Petra’s questions, saying something about all being revealed “soon enough”, which considering she still didn’t have any answers, had clearly been a massive fucking lie – not that she was surprised, vague statements like that always seemed to more or less translate to “shut up, you’re annoying” rather than ever actually being a promise for answers. Petra decided she didn’t like the fantasy man very much…

Having gone over her memories of the recent past, Petra was left with one obvious conclusion; none of this was real. It was in all likelihood some kind of hallucination brought on by traumatic brain injury or near-death experience. As far as medicine was concerned, out-of-body experiences had never turned out to be anything but hallucinations, and had she really seen anything that her mind wasn’t capable of making up? Hell, perhaps the ambulance bit never happened at all and was purely a fabrication of her mind – the result of her hitting her head too hard when she fell out that window. What were the chances of an ambulance getting into a crash that severe after all?

If the question was which made more sense between the existence of magic that casually defied Petra’s understanding of both biology and physics or all of it being the result of a hallucination, then Occam’s razor pointed pretty clearly to the latter being true. Except, maybe that wasn’t the question she should be asking… Petra could accept that her current perceptions probably weren’t rooted in reality, but at the same time, fundamentally the only things she could possibly act on were her perceptions. That being the case, would acting as though her experiences were real not be the most sensible course of action?

Having resolved herself towards a particular course of action Petra finally turned her attention back outwards towards the daunting task of making sense of her senses. Thankfully, she found that in the time she’d spent thinking, she’d already managed to adjust somewhat to the foreign sensations. While they still felt uncanny and wholly off-putting to her human mind, at least now the experience wasn’t overwhelming to the point of distress. In fact, now that she could properly get a feel for her new senses, Petra found growing more and more fascinated by the second.

Usually, when someone thought of senses, it was the five main senses they thought of; sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Someone more familiar with the senses or who thought about it a little more might add on some of the more obscure ones, things like balance, temperature, proprioception, or hunger. Humans actually, had a whole lot of senses with which to interpret the world, some more obvious or developed than others. Petra’s new body by contrast had only a few senses but made up for it by having those it did possess be far more developed and multifaceted than anything she’d had as a human.

Petra no longer possessed a sense of touch or hearing, but instead, had a sense of proprioception so refined that she could “hear” and “feel” just by the way the way her environment distorted her body. Her senses of temperature, gravity, and moisture were also somehow rolled into this proprioception, her mind somehow intuitively interpreting the subtle changes to her shape brought about by these factors.

The roles of smell and taste had similarly been replaced, merged into a single new form of chemoreception, one spread along and throughout Petra’s entire body. Some part of Petra felt the fact that she could constantly taste the ground, air, and even her own body should probably have been at least a little disconcerting to her though thankfully, there was enough of a disconnect between how a human experienced these things and how she was now, enough that she was more or less able to just avoid thinking about it.

Perhaps the most notable of all her senses however was the one that doubled for sight. The strange sense had fed Petra nothing but incomprehensible information right up until the point she’d first tried focusing on it, then as if by some miracle, the information had resolved into something that not just fulfilled the function of sight but which was literally experienced as sight. Admittedly, the mechanics behind this sight clearly weren’t even remotely close to how human sight worked – Petra was pretty certain it wasn’t even light-based – but regardless, even the little familiarity gave her something to latch onto.

Through this “sight” Petra could perceive countless particles moving throughout her surroundings, tiny motes of impossible colour that upon contact with Petra’s body fed her a wealth of information on the path they’d travelled, creating a sort of 3D map of her surroundings.

As Petra observed, new particles seemed to constantly pop into or fade out of existence, seemingly at random – or at least in response to stimulus beyond Petra’s ability to perceive. It took Petra a bit to realise what the particles probably were; at first, she’d thought she might be observing radioactive decay or something along those lines – though the behaviour and speeds seemed wrong for that and it wouldn’t have explained how the particles could seemingly collect information on their path travelled – then Petra remembered one of the things the second voice had said. Magic Sense. She was probably seeing magic. What she’d give to see some of the tricks the fantasy man had pulled now that she could see like this.

Thankfully, the magic particles were numerous enough and moved fast enough that Petra was able to receive essentially constant updates to her visual field, enough that she could more or less see in real-time, at least out to a certain range, though the further away she looked the spottier her vision became, with patches that hadn’t been updated in a while or else which she hadn’t observed in the first place becoming more and more common the further out she tried to look, by simple nature of probability.

That brought Petra to the elephant in the room. Her body, or perhaps, her lack thereof. Now that she actually bothered to focus on it, as far as Petra could tell, she was more or less shaped like a smallish puddle on the ground.

Was she some kind of terrestrial cnidaria? A giant amoeba? A slime mould? No wonder her senses were all so weird, she wasn’t a mammal or even a vertebrate at all, hell, even being an arthropod would almost certainly be closer to human than whatever it was she was. So far as she could tell she was firmly on the opposite side of the animal kingdom from anything even close to resembling a primate, and that was assuming she was actually an animal at all and not a sapient algae or something like that.

Right. Freaking out wasn’t going to help her right now. She needed to calm down and figure out what she could, and from there she could work out a plan. Her first priority should probably be to figure out if and how she could move, and after that, what kinds of things this body could eat – while Petra didn’t feel hunger in the human sense anymore, what she could sense indicated that whatever she was, not actively eating something wasn’t something her new species was meant to do for any extended period, and she’d already burned through a lot of her energy just sitting there thinking.

Moving first. Petra was almost certain that whatever kind of creature it was she was it could move. The rate at which it got hungry and the acuity of its senses wouldn’t make a lot of sense for an immobile creature. That still left the question of how to move? Clearly, it wasn’t anywhere near as intuitive as moving as a human had been, and focusing on parts of her body and simply willing them to move with all her might failed to make it so much as twitch.

After who knows how long of frustratingly fruitless efforts, Petra finally managed to achieve something; a pseudopod stretching itself out as far as her body would allow, then straining to reach further still. As with seemingly every other aspect of this new body, moving was weird.

Rather than her body simply following her will in an intuitive manner as it had when she’d been human, Petra’s new form operated in a manner that more or less couldn’t be directly controlled. In short, Petra’s body could only act reflexively in response to various stimuli. The one small mercy, saving Petra from being condemnation to a life spent trapped on autopilot, was that while she couldn’t control her body directly, she could create and modify the reactions it moved to with some effort – it was a frustratingly finicky process and she didn’t have any such reactions to begin with so she’d have to build them from the ground up, but it was something.

Petra’s first success at moving was in using a pseudopod to drag herself along the ground, though this method was hard to control and agonizingly slow. Her next attempt involved forming numerous tiny projections beneath her body and “crawling” on them, which was admittedly faster, but coordinating the projections proved beyond Petra’s skill level, so the movement was more or less random. She had an idea for forming herself into a ball and rotating her interior – Cytoplasm? Mesoglea? Something else? – to roll around the place, but unfortunately getting her body to properly form into a sphere and more importantly to stay as a sphere while rolling, was a far more complex puzzle than she’d initially expected. Rippling her body like the foot of a snail similarly proved too complex for Petra to crack in any reasonable period. Petra would have liked to spend the time to crack all of these methods, but she simply didn’t have the time.

Finally, Petra found success in a variation of amoeboid movement – which in hindsight, probably should have been the first thing she tried given her body plan. By extending a pair of pseudopods in the direction she wanted to travel, Petra was then able to slide her body mass along the pseudopods like rails, reabsorbing them into her central mass as she went. With some tweaking, Petra was able to get the next pseudopods to form even before the previous had been entirely absorbed, allowing for almost continuous movement. It wasn’t fast by any means – probably substantially slower than the average human walking speed, though an exact frame of reference was kind of hard to gain without anything to use as a measuring stick – but it was at least fast enough, and more importantly controllable enough, that she could explore and look for food.

That led Petra to finally observe her surroundings properly. She was pretty clearly in a cave of some sort, or more specifically a large cavern, one that had been thoroughly mapped out, in the time she’d spent thinking and figuring out how to move. Petra didn’t need light to see anymore, but nonetheless, she could tell the cavern had some amount of light filtering in through cracks in the ceiling, enough for the occasional patch of moss or lichen to grow where the light was most concentrated. Petra also spotted the odd insect scuttling around, presumably searching for food – either in the form of other bugs or the moss and lichen that presumably acted as the primary producers of this ecosystem.

Petra set her sights on a centipede, dragging her body towards it with the intent of making it a meal. Perhaps unsurprisingly the centipede reacted to Petra’s approach by scuttling under a small patch of moss, though that was fine, she could try eating that as well. The tiny patch of moss was easily blanketed by Petra’s body and after some fiddling Petra managed to engulf the entire mass and draw it into her body. Did she need to set something up to digest it like she did to move her body or…

>> [Adsorption] activated!

Accompanied by a voice she'd already heard once before announcing the activation of one of Petra's skills, the moss simply vanished. Frustratingly, Petra couldn’t actually see the point at which the moss vanished – her interior wasn’t visible to Magic Sense any more than the inside of a wall was – but she certainly felt it, the space it had occupied only a moment earlier suddenly empty causing her mass to collapse inwards upon the newly created cavity with a wet pop.

More importantly, when Petra tried to figure out just what had happened to the moss she was suddenly hit with a wealth of information. Well, maybe hit by wouldn’t be the best way to put it, the effect was far more subtle than that – a simple awareness of the answers to almost any question she could think of regarding the moss that had vanished, and even the centipede and other tiny invertebrates that had gotten carried along with it, subtle enough that if not for the dissonance between what Petra knew she should know and what she now knew, she doubted she’d have noticed at all – though at the rate Petra ran through questions in her mind, the difference may as well have been academic.

Like that Petra’s priorities were flipped on their head, she’d still be looking for food of course, but suddenly the goal of simply surviving was secondary to trying to gain as much knowledge as possible as quickly as possible. Any and all anxiety as to her new life as a blob was forgotten as Petra set about trying to engulf anything and everything that she possibly could while searching for interesting things to consume.

Interaction: @Xaltwind

No sooner had Tiffany's vision cut to black than she suddenly found herself standing beside the fountain once again. Only this time, she could see a totaled truck and a screaming crowd gathered around something on the pavement. On further inspection, she recognized the screams as coming from Marco. He was screaming about... the death of his model. It was all the young girl could do to keep from looking at the massacred corpse of what had once been her body.

If the day couldn't get any weirder, Tiffany suddenly found herself being cloaked in a strange white light. Time began to slow down around her as the colors of the world faded to a dull grayscale. The sound of approaching footsteps could be heard and the young girl whipped her head to see what she could only describe as an ANGEL approaching her. The lady offered Tiffany a gentle smile as she approached. It was a warm, welcoming smile, but there seemed to be a hint of melancholy as well. The being was happy to see her, but also lamented the fact that Tiffany was dead. Sensing the young girl's discomfort, Morganna embraced her, wrapping her wings around Tiffany for comfort.

"Poor, child. It saddens me to see one as beautiful as yourself meet such a fate. However, you shouldn't wallow in your despair. You are to receive a rare blessing today. It wasn't your time to die. You are to be reborn." Morganna gestured to herself as she continued, "My name is Morganna. Goddess of Light in Vecta. You've been chosen to be reincarnated in my world. I'm sure you have questions, but they'll be answered in due time. Now... You'll need a new body."

With a wave of her hand, Morganna began to project images from Tiffany's life onto the air around them. The girl watched, stunned as her life was spelled out for the goddess to see. As Morganna looked into the various images, she lamented how it was a pity for one to die as young as Tiffany. Her sadness soon turned into a cheerful smile as she touched Tiffany on the forehead "I think it's time to begin your life anew!" Tiffany felt a tingling sensation as her mind was scrubbed from top to bottom.

"Soul Transfer Initiated! Suitable Race selected! Scanning soul..." A voice rang out in a strong yet soothing tone. "Skills Selected! Desire for Beauty detected - Mirage Unlocked! Desire for Fame detected - Charm Unlocked! Powerful desire for Changing Fate - Gambler's Hand Unlocked! Desire to LIVE detected - Legendary Skill Eternity Unlocked! Racial Traits - Anti-Charm and Ageless Unlocked!

"Quite the combination you have there, Little One," said Morganna with a slight chuckle. "I wonder just how you'll put that to good use. No matter... It's time to sleep now. When you wake, you'll be in a new world with some possible new friends at your side." Morganna pressed a hand over Tiffany's eyelids and the former model tumbled off into a deep slumber. When she next came to, Tiffany was lying upon a large dias in what looked like some kind of temple. A young blond woman clad in flowing white robes stood over her, a warm smile on her face as she welcomed Tiffany and the others to Vecta.

@TheNoCoKid

---

---

As the colors of the world began to drain and make wait to a dull, lifeless grey, Tiffany couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding dread. She was dead, yes. She was able to make out her own mangled body, sure. But what happened now? Was she just going to fade into the endless void? Was she going to be forever frozen in this horrible moment in time? Stuck forever in a greyscale photo depicting her ultimate fate on this world? Locked forever to see the horrified screaming faces of her colelagues and co-workers? An eternity of silent, colorless, cold and forever unmoving misery? That... That just seemed so unfair and cruel...

But, that was not her fate it would seem, for something, or someone, had either heard her frustration, or witnessed her unjust demise. As if opening a window into a gloomy, unlit room with the blinds down, a radiant stream of golden sunlight, rays of warmth and radiance, began to seep into the greyscale picture that was her surroundings. And as the deceased girl turned her ghostly form to look in the direction of the newly arriving light, there she saw it. Saw her.

To describe the beautiful form of this angelic figure as anyhting other than a goddes would've been a crime. Tiffany had always been confident and assured of her own looks, but compared to this avatar of grace and beauty, well, she may as well have been a common chicken next to a peacock. For lack of a better analogy. Needless to say, the young woman could do nothing but stare in awe and wonder as the winged angel approached.

Then, as she finally stood infront of Tiffany, the being spread its arms and wings... And embraced the poor girl. A warmth that transcended the physical limits of mind, body and soul seemed to slowly envelope the young woman. She could feel her eyes water, evne though she no longer had eyes - not in the physical sense at least. She cried, tears streaming down her face, even though they weren't actually there. She wailed, even though she no longer had a voice. She held onto the angel, even though she didn't have either hands or a sense of touch anymore. But despite all this, she could still feel it. The warmth of the other woman, the gentle warmth she exuded. It was like... The gentle embrace that only a loving mother could give, the kind of being held which made you feel safe and secure, with th feeling that everything would be alright in the end. So, in this comforting and gentle embrace, the girl once known as Tiffany cried, for she had nobody else and nowhere else to do so.

The woman spoke soft and gently, using some kind of strange power to conjure forth memories and thoughts from Tiffany's very mind. At first, the young girl didn't even notice, but once she had calmed down and seperated a bit from the divine mother, she turned around to witness the strange spectacle. It was... Bizarre... To see snippets and fragments of her own life played out before her, like multiple holograms or TV screens each showing different bits and pieces of her collective experiences up until this point. It was simultaneously jarring and amazing.

But the show couldn't, nor did it, last forever. Eventually, all of the memories culminated in her untimely death. A stinging reminder to the girl. Yet, the angleic lady spoke, calm and clear. Words that were both true and kind. It was unfair. It wasn't her time. It was a waste. Yes. That was true. This Goddess really understood and agreed. She knew this was wrong, and unlike that oh-so-great other God that her mother and brother was so keen on, at least this Goddess had bothered to show up. To do something. To come to her aid when she needed it. This. This what was a God was supposed to be. Not some pacifist who never did anything but sit and watch crap unfold. But one that took action and actually did somehting.

Tiffany then heard a voice... A strange, disembodied voice. It spoke of transferal and souls and... Skills? To be honest, it was all a bit overwhelming and it didn't fully make sense to the young girl. Yet, there was something that she understood. This Goddess wasn't from her world, but was offering a second chance in the place she'd come from. A place called Vecta.

She would miss her father, and her sister... And well, she would miss her mother and brother too... But if the alternative was to end up as a ghost frozen forever in time, abandoned by that no-show of a God, then this was clearly the better fate no matter what awaited her.

And then, there was only light...

---

---

@TheNoCoKid, @Silver Carrot, @Crimson Flame, @Kero

---

---

Waking with a slight startle from what seemed like an eternal dream, steeped in nothing but golden luminence, the girl stirred. Sitting up, she felt a bit wobbly momentarily, before fully coming to her senses. Rubbing one eye with a balled up fist, she took in her surroundings and immediate area. This... Clearly wasn't where she'd been a moment ago. Wait. Had it been a moment? Everything had faded to.. Well, light, so perhaps she'd been asleep for awhile? Still, it was an obviously unfamiliar place.

For starters, she was indoors. In a rather opulent and lavish place, no less. The ceiling was high and vaulted, there were large, gorgeous windows from which light filtered in an almost surreally beautiful fashion. She was... Sitting... On some kind of... Platform? Altar? Raised disc? Tiffany didn't know the proper name for it, but it sure looked impressive. It was a big thing, with smaller things ontop of it, and she was ontop of one of those smaller things. Looking around, she also noticed that there were others present. Three of which were sitting or lying ontop of the same raised thigymywutsit as herself. But... Something wasn't quite right about them...

One of them looked normal enough, just a young girl from the looks of it. But the other two... Well... One was a midget... A discolored midget... With... Pointy ears... Who was like, two feet tall... And did she mention that it was a midget!? The other one was a man.... boy... young gentleman? .... He was very pretty, had dark hair... But... He... He also had pointy ears... Kinda like those elf-people in fantasy worlds, right? Tiffany remembered having seen them in ads and in art and stuff. They were supposed to be really pretty, right? Well, it sure seemed accurate as far as this guy was concerned at least.

Standing up, she only just then noticed another figure. A yuong woman with golden hair, dressed in a white robe... Or dres...? She looked kind of like a nun, but also not quite. Regardless, this female then began to speak - and thankfully, Tiffany could totally understand her. She remembered the Goddess having said that she'd be reincarnated in a world called Vecta, and for whatever reason, she'd imagined that they'd be speaking some kind of strange, foreign language - certainly not plain english. Still, it was a welcome surprise.

Looking around once again, after the priestess had introduced herself, Tiffany found that none of the others seemed particularly keen or eager to strike up a conversation. So, it was up to her to get the ball rolling right? Nah, she wasn't that good of a person. She just wanted her own damned questions answered was all.

"So... Where... Where am I right now?" The youth asked, noticing that her voice sounded slightly off, but disregarded it for now.

"You're currently in the Summoning Chamber in Morganna's Temple. All Otherworlders summoned by Lady Morganna arrive here in the capital city of Ilios. My name is Mirielle. I serve as the high preistess of the goddess." This Mirielle replied softly and politely. So, she was in a temple in some city called Ilios, got it.

"I ... Heard a voice talking about... Race selection and, skills? What's any of it mean?"

Mirielle chuckled lightly.

"I think you'll need to see for yourself." It looked like the priestess was just about to explain further, when another voice suddenly piped up. Turning their heads, both Tiffany and Mirielle could see that the midget had... Some... Kind of weird, glowy screen-thing hovering infront of her face now. The high priestess just smiled and looked back to Tiffany. "Try that. Just say; Status Open."

"Oh, alright... Status Ope-nnnnh!?"

Bweet!

There it was! The weird glowy thing! But it wasn't infront of the tiny munchkin's face anymore, it was infront of hers! Wait, the tiny one still had her own glowy thing still there. Did they each get one of their own? She had to blink a few times, before looking back at the... Screen? That was the only way to properly describe it, 'cuz this weird thing had a bunch of stuff on it. Text, and tabs, and displays, and more text. Tiffany fiddled around with the various tabs and doodads, quickly learning and grasping how to use it. After all, she was an avid user of smartphones. This was basically the same thing, just... Without an actual phone... Oh well, at least she wouldn't need to worry about keeping this thing charged, right?

There was, however, a matter that needed addressing. Yes. Right here. On the tab with her personal information. She was... Nameless? And this! Elf Squire was her race? Wait, so she wasn't human anymore? Had that goddess reincarnated her as some other, fantastical species? And these... Skill--things... She read through them, but couldn't quite wrap her head what it all entailed. It seemed like they were some kind of natural abilities or talents? It was weird to see them listed though, especially since most people back on Earth didn't just know or couldn't see what they were good at or had a natural affinity for. It was... Helpful! That's for sure, but a bit weird. Shaking her head, she swiped the Status Screen to close down, and then looked back over at their priestess.

"I... I'd like to thank the Goddess who brought me ehre... Who...Gave me this second life. Is there anything I can do for her?" Tiffany asked, with surprising eearnesty and sincerity. This wasn't the lip-service or dismissive off-handed devotion she'd given that God of hers back on Earth, no. Tiffany always believed that those who treated her well, who showed her kindness and genuine warmth deserved her gratitude in return. And this Goddess had just given her a second life. It was... Kinda of hard to think of anything more valuable and any other reason that was more deserving of her heartfelt thanks.

"If you wish to offer a prayer in thanks, we have several chapels here in the temple. Or you can make an offering at the fountain in the entrance hall." Responded the dutiful servant of god.

... A prayer or offering though? Really? Prayers... They'd always felt like such a one-sided, self-serving waste to her back in her old life. All you did was sit on your knees, talking to yourself, wishing to nobody but empty air for things or asking for stuff or hoping for someone else. Honestly, she'd never been a fan. But then again, she had first-hand experience that the Goddess of this Vecta place was actually, y'know, rela! So maybe prayers to her actually did reach the goddess? As for offerings... She would've been happy to... But... Searching her own person, she found that well... SDhe was lacking... In the whole... Money-department... Actually, she didn't seem to have anything on her except for this weird white dress that obviously wasn't hers. And a cape? Clak? Also white though. Where'd she gotten these anyway? Had Mirielle given them to her before she woke up? Bah, who cared! Moving on.

"Uh, so about these skill-things.. Can we... Get more of them? New ones? It'd be a bit rough if all we got were the ones on the list." Yes, this was important. Very important. She knew she could get by with her looks, she'd done that her entire previous life. But. This wasn't earth. Who knew what awaited her here? Especially since she was an elf now! What if those... What were they called? Orgs? What if one of those showed up! What if anothet truck came barreling at her? She needed more than good luck and gorgeous looks! She needed a means to stay alive, because she sure as heck wasn't going to die again! Not a chance! The Goddess had given her a miracluous gift, and she wasn't going to even dare squander it, even by accident.

"Of course, the longer you're here in Vecta, you will gradually get stronger and more accustomed to your new form and role. You can progress at a faster rate as well if you decide you want to become an adventurer or pursue ways to more thoroughly develop your skills."

Good, good. Wait, an adventurer? What was that? That was the thing in games, right? The ones who ran around grassy fields, getting into fights with dragons and kobalds and wearing bikini armor? ... Well... At least she knew she could pull off the bikini-bit, but fighting dragons and orgs though? Perhaps there were less scary things to fight first? Like... Oh, like slimes! Those little jelly blobs. They weren't scary. Just kinda gross and icky, but they were weak and easy to beat right? She'd seen her brother play some game on their console once, and he beat those silly things in droves. She almost felt a bit bad for them. But now, on to the actual, most important question of all.

"Thanks for your help, Mirielle. So... Uh... What... What should I do now? Where should I go from here?" This, this was a really good question. She had no money, no home, no friends, no family and she was an elf. So... Like... Was there a temp-agency or some kind of unemployment office or...? She needed cash, okay!! You couldn't buy food or a hotel if you couldn't pay! Dad had always been very careful about teaching her the importance and weight of money. And she knew, you couldn't do squat without it! Unless you were one of those weird, outdoorsy camping people who like, ate weeds and bird eggs... Geh, she got the shivers just from thinking about it.

"That's why I'm here. It's the duty of the high priestess to ensure the well-being of Otherworlders when they arrive. I have a friend in town who runs the local Adventurer's Guild. Her name is Moira. She can secure you all a bed for the night and find some employment to get you started."

A veritable weight lifted from Tiffany's chest and she let out a huge sigh of relief. So, she wasn't going to have to sleep in the streets or some back-alley after all tonight. Thank goodness. Truly, thank goodness! The young girl couldn't help but smile, step off her raised platform and approach Mirielle. Then, with a firm but gentle clasp, she grabbed the hands of the pirestesa and gave her a soft squeeze.

"Thank you... Thank you so much." It was all she could do. It was all she could say. At least for now. After calming down and making sure not to start bawling, she released the other woman and smiled.

As she was about to turn around though, a thought popped up. Quickly, she opened her Status Screen again and flipped to the tab with her information.

"That's right, my name." She paused and stared at the screen. Should she just go with what she'd been called on Earth? No... That person... That name belonged to someone who'd been smushed by a god-damned truck outta nowhere. She made a somewhat sour face thinking about that. Then, a little light bulb dinged above her head, and she began tapping something into the empty space next to 'Name:'.

"Tiff...an...ia. There. Tiffania, the Elf Squire." She stated, out into the open, to nobody in particular except herself. As she finished the name, there was a small flash, and a ... Strange... Locking sound? When she tried to tap the place with her name again, nothing happened. It seemed this was a one and done deal. Once you'd chosen, you were stuck with whatever you put in. Oh well, this was what she'd decided on anyway, so all was good. Swiping the screen shut again, she started to walk... But then paused, and turned to look at the other three still on the elevated platform.

"So... I'm gonna go look for this Adventure Guild now... Any of you guys wanna tag along?"

She wasn't going to wait around too ong, but she could at least be nice and ask if anyone else wanted to join her. After all, from what the high priestess had said, it seemed all four of them were these so-called 'Otherworlders', so perhaps... Perhaps they were from Earth too? And maybe they'd died unfair, unjust and undeserved deaths like her? If so, at least they had that in common.

She couldn't help but a feel a bit of anxiety but also excitement. Once she left this temple... Once outside... There'd be a brand new world... A new sky, a new sun.... A new... everything! It was scary, but... Also, perhaps it would be just mind-blowingly amazing!

---

---

Sam spotted a light up ahead, then realized she'd been passing candle-stubs along the wall, like something had blown them out. Was that from her arrival? And with the light, came the ability to see something other than shades of grey....

...my skin is green...! she marvels, detachedly. It didn't feel real, somehow.

Up ahead, she could dimly hear voices, more a faint murmur. The tunnel would branch out, but there wasn't anyone in them, so she just moved towards them. Until it turned suddenly and she got the glimpse of a massive cave, lit by small fires and green creatures, like herself....

...Except they were wearing clothes, and she was most definitely naked.

"So," she sighs. "He really dropped me in it, didn't he?"

Sam sighs again, then starts moving back away until she found the first branch tunnel, and decided to follow it

“Hnn…Fuck off…” Kyouka reached out a hand blindly, searching for her phone.

“…your time yet. RISE, HUMANS!”

Wait. That wasn’t her phone.

She rolled around…It felt weirdly floaty, as if nothing of substance was there. Kyouka opened her eyes, and saw an imposing black-winged man.

“…Shinigami?” she asked. But she had never heard of a death god that was such a pretty boy. He also wore what seemed to her western styled armour which was heavily accented with gold. Bit gaudy, but not bad. Not bad at all.

“Hm, are you here to take me to the afterworld?” The way he had phrased it was a tad strange. Even so, Kyouka only gave the briefest of glances to her corpse before entering the portal. Her once beautiful body was just a pitiful, bloodied mess that would soon become a rotting skeleton. Nothing for it but to see what this brooding angelic man had to say.

Though she was already floating towards the portal, the thing pulled her in. It was a dreadful yank which landed her somewhere she could only assume was the soul realm. Everything was gray and vague; she couldn’t pinpoint anything besides the ghosts of two other women standing (floating) next to her.

“Your world? Say, what about my world’s gods?” Unfortunately, Drasil didn’t seem to know. So, Vecta would be her new home. “Hmpf, whatever. Just don’t make me a baby, please.”

Kyouka looked on arrogantly as the god smirked at her, but returned a self-satisfied smile. “Thank you, Shinigami~” she gave a cheery wave, “You won’t regret picking me to give a new life to.”

Then, her life flashed before her eyes, again. Something warm and electrifying spread throughout her body; she instinctively knew it was magic. She shivered even as a spirit; the core of her being received a shock. It felt like pure power, and it was better than even the most extravagantly expensive sake she’d tasted. It was overwhelming, and she fell to her (disembodied) knees, breathing heavily. Even so, a sensual grin spread over her ghostly features.

“Mmm,” she purred. “If that’s just a preview, I bet I’d just love the real thing.” She smirked as she gave the god a mock-teasing, cheeky, yet insinuating look up and down. She doubted he was interested, and neither was she, but why not play it up? He seemed to enjoy theatrical displays. A tired chuckle passed her lips as she shrugged. “See you around, then.” A glow suffused her, and she was gone.

The next time she came to, she felt different. Alive and strangely vigorous. She breathed in – the scent was sharply fresh and clear. She was in the middle of a mountain, surrounded by lush grasslands and forests. The nearest sign of civilization was the oddly gloomy mansion set at the base of the mountain, and a large city off into the distance.

She didn’t think she could make it to the city any time, not on foot.

…Something felt off just then. It didn’t feel like she standing exactly. There was an odd wriggling and swishing. She looked down.

Strangely dark complexion with an ashen undertone. Long white hair.

A blue dress?

…That-that was a dress wasn’t it?

Kyouka tried to move a leg.

Swish.

Nausea overtook her as her lower body moved sinuously.

She glanced behind her.

There was a long tail behind her. It began at her waist – she had no legs!

“HIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!” she screeched as the realization struck her.

S-she, she, t-there–

The tail happily wiggled back and forth.

Her eyes rolled within her skull, and Kyouka fainted, upper body landing in a sprawl across her coiled tail.

Interactions: @ERode@SilverPaw@TheMushroomLord@Xaltwind@Expendable@Zeroth

Sam and Petra
As the goblin and slime were getting used to their new appearances, neither of them noticed shadows creeping along the cave wall. A pack of feral goblins were out hunting in the tunnels, and it just so happened, Petra found herself dropped right into their hunting ground. The large cavern - lit by pockets of bioluminescent moss - provided ample enough light for the small creatures to see by. Normally, their preferred prey were the bugs and other cave dwellers they could get their hands on. Imagine their shock when the cavern was noticeably darker than the last time they'd entered.

Through a series of feral and incomprehensible growls, the pack argued amongst themselves as to whether or not they'd come to the right cavern. The true reason for the darkness was the translucent ball of slime that had once been Petra. As she moved along the floor, the once girl was blissfully unaware of the four monsters arguing at the mouth of the massive space. It wasn't until she accidentally fell off a ledge and landed on the floor with a soft "Plop!" that echoed throughout did the goblins cease their debate. Finally listening, they could hear the squelching sound of a particularly delectable trat: a slime. Their lips salivating at the possibility of an easy meal, the four little creatures fanned outward as they began to comb the cavern for the creature that had 'stolen' their light source.

Sam meanwhile, had little choice but to wander aimlessly through the tunnels with the vain hope that following the torches and markings would eventually lead her somewhere. She hadn't been given much when she woke up in... wherever she was. In addition to her new body, all the female goblin carried were scraps of tanned leather to cover her body and a small knife with a serrated edge. In a larger hand it might have been mistaken for a butterknife, but it fit her current hand quite well. In the enclosed space of the tunnel, it was much better than any long weapon she could have been given.

Sam's suspicions were proven correct when she came to the mouth of a large cavern. Despite the darkness, there were a few spots where something that looked like moss left off a soft glow. Somewhere in the darkness, she could hear the guttural growls of several smaller creatures. From her spot at the entrance, the assassin could recognize the sounds of predators hunting. Suddenly, one of the voices erupted in a cheer. It seemed whatever the creatures were looking for... they found it.

Minami
"I'm sorry, Milady, but I've never heard of this 'Japan' you speak of. You are currently on the continent of Vecta. The land of Drasil, the Lord of Black as he's known to the vampires. If you truly have met with Drasil, then it means he's chosen you to become an Otherworlder. If you don't mind..." A smirk played at the corner of the vampire's mouth, but he kept it concealed. "Simply say these words after me 'Status Open'."

Dragomir watched in fascination as Minami repeated the worlds and a golden status window flared to life in front of her face. Apparently, her name had not been set and her race was designated as a fledgling vampire. A pity, thought the elder vampire. She truly must have first arrived if she's only this strong.

"This is status magic, Milady. It's a power that is unique to those who arrive here from another world. It seems as though Drasil has graced you with being reborn as a Vampire like myself. To answer your question, the sun is going to hurt for awhile. Newly turned vampires have a natural aversion to the light and it drains our strength and mana. The stronger you become, you'll be able to move about in the light, but you'll still feel tired and unable to cast spells effectively. As a result, it's much safer for you to stay in the darkness when possible." As if to demonstrate his point, Dragomir gracefully moved through the hall and pulled open a hidden door to reveal a descending staircase. "My home is a refuge for vampires on their travels. I have a spacious crypt in the dungeon and quite a large host of guests this morning. You may sleep there until the evening if you so wish." Even if she was weak, having an Otherworlder under his employ wouldn't be an opportunity the lord would waste.

Kyouka
As if waking up to discover she was a snake hadn't been weird enough, Saki awoke once against to find herself being carried down a tunnel into the mountain! Immediately thrashing to break free, the woman found her new body was considerably stronger than before as she broke free with ease; her tail knocking someone away and into the wall of the tunnel. She would have continued if a high-pitched voice hadn't cut through her panicked state.

"Peace, sister!" The voice almost sounded like a pre-pubescent child. The lamia blinked as a creature no taller than three feet stepped out of the shadows. It looked like as though someone had taken a dragon, removed the wings, and added human arms and legs. "Sister, lamia! We wish you no harm! We only wanted to protect you from predators!" Seeing that Kyouka had paused her attack, the Kobold continued, "If you would stop your attack, we have summoned our Elder to speak with you. It's rare to see one such as yourself roaming the southern lands. Much less alone and without your guards!" Before Kyouka could utter a reply, a vision suddenly appeared in her mind. She saw... herself? Or at least, whatever thing that winged god had turned her into. She sat coiled in the tunnel across from another of these lizard people. This one was much older, frail, and hobbled on a walking stick. Was this the future? Whatever it was, it seemed these creatures truly meant her no harm.

Dalton
Inara shook her head at the strange ramblings of this Merrick, "You... don't wish to kill unworthy prey?" This was a foreign concept to the girl as Merrick's were often taught to use their natural shapeshifting abilities and underhanded tactics in order to win battles at any cost. Clearly, whoever this was, he was raised improperly or... he was just an idiot. Inara suddenly fell to the gound laughing, "Oho-ho-ho! A MERRICK with a sense of honor! That's a good one!" In that moment, Dalton suddenly felt as though his combat sense no longer detected any threat from Inara. To his surprise however, she picked herself up and shook his hand. Then she promptly grabbed his wrist...

"Of course I can take you back to the tribe, Da-ru-tan! They are never going to believe me otherwise! An honorable Merrick!" Inara continued to laugh as she started dragging Dalton through the forest. "If you love honor so much, perhaps I can convince our Alpha to let you challenge the Mouthclaw in the caves! Members of our tribe have been trying to claim that skin for nearly a century. I'm sure that will be perfectly worthy prey for the mighty skinless hunter!" Dalton was so distracted by Inara's laughter that he didn't notice the branch the girl had pushed aside swing back to hit him in the face. Picking him off the ground, Inara began carrying him, "I'm Inara by the way. I'm training to become the next Alpha of the Silverclaw Tribe!"

After she eventually set him down again, Inara continued leading Dalton by the arm through the Penrithe Forest until she came to a large wall of gorse vines. With a practiced motion, the Merrick pulled aside a group of vines to reveal a hidden passageway, "After you, skinless hunter Da-ru-tan!" Dalton climbed through the opening and followed the passage down into a ravine which opened to reveal a large encampment! A large group of Merricks busied themselves on the ravine floor while other had carved dwellings into the cliff face. As you might expect, several faces turned to stare at the (essentially) naked newcomer who just walked into camp.

Belo
After what felt like hours, Belo eventually discovered a light at the end of the tunnel he was exploring. There hadn't been many threats in the cave. A few large bats here and there, and a small gangly green creature covered in leather scraps. He thought he could make out the sound of something 'slithering' deeper within, but good sense had made him not investigate further. Upon exiting, Belo found himself in the middle of a massive forest. The trees grew taller than anything he'd ever seen back on Earth and everything was a lush shade of green. He had to stop and take it all in for several moments before remembering he was on a mission to find... something.

From his back, the little goblin child began to mewl pitifully. It seemed as though the whelp was starting to get hungry after hours of traveling through the darkness. Feeling a rumbling in his own stomach, the captain realized food was going to be priority number one now. As if by fate, he spied something that resembled an elk in the distance. Seeing a chance, the orc produced his weapon and began to quietly stalk the beast.

Little did he know, a new pair of eyes were fixed upon him. From it's hiding place in one of the trees, the red-eyed Merrick lept from the branches and - using a feathered headband - transformed into a falcon and flew off into the trees.

As Oriel was playing around in her menu, she listened intently to the conversation between the Elf and the priestess. So, they can get more skills, though the answer of exactly how was a little vague. Obviously experience was going to make them stronger, and taking on quests was the most efficient way of gaining experience. Of course, Oriel's priority right now wasn't getting more skills when she couldn't even utilise the ones she had. Some of her skills mentioned passive buffs to her strength and magic, so the first things Oriel needed besides finding her tree, were spells and equipment. That was probably true of the Elf as well going by the questions she was asking. 'Where do we go from here? What do we do?' We can do anything we want!

Oriel had to pause and let that thought truly sink in. This wasn't a weekend. She didn't need to study, or go to work today, tomorrow or even in a few week's time. She could literally do anything she wanted...provided it was ideally in or near nature....after she found her tree...and unless there really was some kind of larger purpose they'd been sommoned here for. Okay, so she wasn't totally free. Plus she wasn't even human now. She was a fae. It only felt right that she did fae things. But...she didn't just want to live in a secluded forest clearing waiting for visitors to make faustian bargains with. She didn't have to be alone this time.

Just as she was thinking this, the Elf asked the group if anyone wanted to join her in visiting the adventuer's guild.

"Sure! I'll come with you!" Oriel replied, cheerfully. She stopped and massagecd her throat in confusion. Was that her new voice? It suited a Fae, she guessed, but it didn't have to be so high and squeaky.

She gave her wings some more flaps and managed a very shaky hover which let her maintain eye level with the Elf. A whole new set of appendages she'd never had before weren't the easiest thing to control, but she wouldn't get better without a lot of practice. Most of her current success was purely down to the natural instict this body had.

---

“Aye, shush,” Belo whispered, pulling the mewling child off of him. It had been hours of wandering through the dark tunnels, scaring off anything that dared approach, but the fatigue was felt now. A heavier, weightier fatigue, one that reminded him that he literally could not remember the last time he ate food or drank water.

It had been a merciful thing then, for the light in the tunnel to be finally reached and for him to be able to breathe air that didn’t smell of soil and stagnation. Tall trees, so far removed from the scraggly groves he recalled, blotted out the sky. The brush itself was thick too, enough to swallow him whole if he simply sat down. If there was so much vegetation, then that had to mean that there was a source of water somewhere, no? He swallowed his saliva, looking about slowly. But it was movement, not the sound of a gurgling stream, that caught his attention.

A strange creature.

Bold antlers curved out from its crown like tree branches, its form similar to the gazelles in the center of his homeland yet packed with even more flesh, even more muscles. There was something distinctly masculine about it, dark fur hanging from its neck like a beard. Could he kill it? He regretted the lose of his knife twice-fold. The sword he held would be too unwieldy to carve the creature with. But even a leg or two would suffice. His stomach grumbled again. The runt of a child continued to mewl. He gave it a couple leaves to chew on, hoping that it’d be distraction enough.

And for himself?

It was impossible to move silently. There was too much undergrowth, and only a fool would consider the ‘silent’ stalking of a human to be imperceptible to the senses of a beast. He could mask his footsteps, but what about his smell? The smell of blood, the smell of sweat, the smell of desperation?

So Belo instead dropped into a sprinter’s posture, his black eyes staring at his quarry as it padded through the forest. His muscles tautened. His breaths deepened. He waited for it to stop. To graze. To chew. To relax. To…

Go!

He sprang forth, clods of dirt kicking up behind him. His ears flattened back from the resistance of the wind, his lungs heaving as his heart rate skyrocketed. Already, his muscles were protesting, tearing from the exertion. But his body had never been lighter, and that surreal cocktail of chemicals and hormones hit his brain to give Belo a vicious high like no other! The creature looked up, turned to flee, but his sword was faster! He had flung it and it spun in a murderous arc, the nicked edge slicing into the creature’s hindleg. Ah, there it was! The pop of a tendon rupturing!

And though the creature could still run with only three legs, its balance was lost. It crashed into the earth, its magnificent size enough to snap the sword in two halves as it fell. But that just made the weapon more useful to Belo. He swept it up on approach and leapt upon the creature, driving the broken tip into its throat as he ducked to evade its swinging horns.

More violence soon followed. Blood loss was not enough to dissuade the desperation of a prey animal, but the result itself had been decided.

…

Once more, Belo was soaked in blood that wasn’t his own and, as he watched steam rise up from the scalding blood that he was splattered with, he let out a slow sigh. It was a good thing that he had no hair or fur. A clump of dirt was all that he needed to wipe off most of the blood, before he went to retrieve the kid once more, who was certainly bawling over the bitterness of the leaves.

Raw meat wouldn’t be the best, but considering the circumstances?

“Eat up,” Belo spoke, as he sliced a bloody strip of flesh off the creature’s side. There were probably parasites and shit, but maybe he’d get lucky and miss out on those. If only they had a day and plenty of sun. Could sun-dry the meat, turn it into jerky. The air was too humid though. It’d rot before then. “C’mon, chomp chomp. Boys don’t cry.”

Wait, was this child even a boy?

“And it’s tasty too. Yum yum.”

The meat wasn’t tasting of anything except for iron. Awful stuff, but the body demanded fuel.

"Ah, right. Can you even talk?"

The kid had to be conscious enough to eat, and the ones who were his kind looked to have some sense of language, so...

...well, what was even the point? Not like he understood the language.

@TheNoCoKid

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So... This man had never heard of Japan? That was... Strange... Perhaps he was from a country that didn't know much about geography or countries outside of his own? However, once the mention of the continent of Vecta came up, Minami threw that line of thinking out the window. While she hadn't been a grade A student back in school by any means, she was fairly certain that she'd never heard of any landmass or country with that name. Ever. Which meant... She'd wasn't in Japan, or on Earth, anymore? That was... Disturbing and distressing in its own right, but at least she knew now.

When the lord of the castle explaiend the whole 'status open'-thing, Minami was lost in thought and only absentmindedly did as instructed. But when the glaring golden screen appeared out of nowhere like a holographic screen from some B-rate sci-fi movie, she almost jumped. Luckily, she didn't. The woman stared at the thing that floated infront of her, hesistant at first, but then opting to try and poke it with a dainty, slender finger.

Poke.

Oh! Something happened!

Wait.... This thing was just a smartphone! Sure, it looked fancy and sparkly and stuff, but it had a bunch of tabs and a map and ... Yeah, this was just a fancy-pants phone, but without the ability to call anyone! At this revelation, the black haired woman was far less impressed. Sure, it was strange that she could summon this screen from nowhere just by saying a phrase, but it wasn't that impressive. Far less so than this dude who could apparently appear out of shadows and whatever.

She flipped through the various tabs on her smart-status, looking at the skills tab, the map tab and the tab with her personal information. The fact that her name-filed was blank was a bit weird, but weirder still was that her race was listed as 'Vampire Fledgeling'.

Wait... Vampire?

As in those vampires? The ones that sucked blood from young women, transformed into bats and slept in coffins? Those vampires!? Was she going to have to go around sucking peoples necks now and start sleeping underground in a casket and say stuff like: "I VANT TU SUKK YUR BLUD, BLEH!"...? That... That wasn't going to be the case, right? She didn't really have to start doing any of that stuff, right? RIGHT!?

As she stood there, trying to wrap her head around the fact that, y'know, she was no longer even human, let alone still on her own planet! The mysterious lord suddenly opened a mysteriously concealed trap door... And... Suggested she go down... Into his crypt... To... Sleep...

Wut.

Was this guy serious? They'd met like, what? 5 minutes ago? Sure, he'd been nice enough to let her into his really lavish home, but ... Did he really expect a young woman, no matter how frumpy or non-descript she may be, to just willingly go into some random man's basement? Sure, her ta-ta's may have grown larger for some reason, by c'mon! Was he so desperate that he'd just settle for any girl that stepped over his threshold? Minami might not be the smartest or sharpest, but even she knew that when a strange, unfamiliar guy invited you to his basement after just meeting you, somehting was definetely sus. And this guy was already pretty shady before this.

"Uh... No... No, thank you, Mr. Dragomir." Minami apologetically bowed in a cordial manner, trying her best to hide her appregensive expression. "I'm not... Feeling particularly tired, and I've got a lot to think about. I don't think I could sleep right now even if I tried." She really didn't wanna go down there. No sir. Rising up again, she looked at the old maid, then back at the lord.

"You shelter... Vampires... So, does that mean that Ms. Rowena is one too?" Looking at the older woman, she didn't exactly get the feeling that the servant was really vampire-ish in appearance. Though, the lord being one made total sense! After all, nobody looked that dark and handsome without some kind of cheat. "Also... Willl... Do I have to... Uhm... Drink blood now, to stay... Alive...?" She felt really awkward asking this question, hrabbing her own left forearm and rubbing it lightly, while averting her eyes.

What would she do if she had to that? What if she'd become some kind of giant, living leech in human shape? Could she? Would she be able to just walk up to strangers in the night and start snacking on them? She'd never even held hands with anyone except her parents when she was young, let alone kiss or do anything naughty! So how whas she going to be able to go from 0 to 100 just like that!?

... Maybe... Maybe she didn't need to. Perhaps there was a loophole? Like... Drinking the blood of animals or... Or... Wait, that wasn't any better! In fact, that was probably worse! Who'd wanna go and bite a live horse or pig!? Who did that!? Freaks, that's who! You don't just go around nibbling on other living things, that was just wrong.

"I, well, can I... We... Can vampires not survive by just eating... Food...? like, humans do?" Of course, Minami had no idea that humans in this world weren't called humans, so that question was probably not going to get across too well. Still though... What the heck was she supposed to do now? This was all very stressful.

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A large open cavern, without torches. Strange, that. Did the people who tend the torches not come in here? Or did something here like it dark? At least they hadn't taken away the moss that glowed dimly. Still, she could hear others in the cavern, moving about, hunting for something...?

There were ledges along the cavern wall, Sam pulled herself up on one, hampered slightly from having to carry this small blade without sheath.

Now a little higher, she looked down into the gloom, hoping to spot whoever else was in this dark place with her - and she did. Were these goblins, like herself? It was looking at something gray in the dim light - but what wasn't gray here? Was it food? Was it alive? She couldn't tell. Inching forward, some pebbles got knocked loose and fell off the ledge,

Sam swore as the falling pebbles hit the stone floor of the cavern, echoing in the small space. She better move, now.

Interesting… This was really interesting! When Petra had ventured deeper into the caves in search of new things to eat, she’d fully expected to find fewer living things about in the depths, than she'd found in the cavern within which she’d arrived in Vecta. It was a simple matter of fact that plants – upon which this ecosystem seemed to be based – wouldn’t be able to survive without the sun, and by extension, fewer things would be found the further from the sun's light Petra stayed. Except, apparently that line of reasoning didn’t apply here in Vecta, because as Petra ventured into the dark, she found not a lack of moss, but instead a strange type of moss that persisted anyway. Namely, moss that somehow glowed.

That was really weird! Not only was the moss somehow surviving down here without the sun, but it was actively glowing, something that surely must be taking some amount of energy for the moss to achieve. Perhaps the light was a side effect of some metabolic process going on within the moss, or maybe the moss used its own light for photosynthesis – but that would still leave the question as to what exactly it was using to sustain that reaction? Petra was pretty certain it wasn’t chemoautotrophic; she’d consumed a fair few loose rocks and soil samples while exploring and thanks to Archivist she was confident that there wasn’t anything reactive enough for that to be the case. So, what could it be then?

Curiously, Petra slid over to a patch of the glowing moss, tentatively poking it with a pseudopod and suddenly things became a lot clearer to her – and also a hell of a lot more confusing. The moss was constantly releasing tiny amounts of magic! The particles were similar to those Petra had been seeing by, but where those had seemed to collect information from their surroundings, these particles instead seemed to have somehow been filled to the brim with… concepts? When Petra came in contact with the magic, she somehow saw that they were filled with ideas – things like light and nourishment and sunshine – as if those concepts were simply colours that things could have the property of being and which could be identified at a mere glance. Weirder still was that the tiny magic particles were clearly somehow expressing the concepts they contained, at least for the fleeting moments they lasted before fizzling out entirely.

Were these particles so short-lived compared to the ambient ones because they were tiny or because they were actively expending energy to do their thing? Intuitively Petra imagined the answer would be both, but to simply assume that as fact would be jumping the gun a little. If only she had the slightest clue on how to test it.

Unable to think of any clever ideas for how to further experiment with this particular sample, and confident that she’d be able to find another one even if she did think of something, Petra finally engulfed the glowing patch of moss to let Archivist have a crack at it. Apparently, the moss was simply called glowmoss – or rather that’s what its name directly translated to in English – which seemed a little uninspired to Petra, not that she was likely to do any better. As for how it actually worked, all Archivist was able to provide her with was a confirmation that the moss sustained itself through the use of magic – she wasn’t even able to confirm whether it was photosynthesizing the light it produced or somehow metabolising the mana directly.

Frustrating as it was, Petra wasn’t all that surprised to find Archivist had hit a wall; one of the first things she’d done when she’d discovered the power was adsorb a rock and try to use it to reverse engineer herself a complete understanding of particle physics. That particular test had amounted to a whole lot of nothing, in fact, she hadn’t even been able to analyse the chemistry of the rock much beyond her existing understanding of chemistry. Well, even if she could wish for more, it wasn’t like Petra was going to complain about Archivist’s limitations, the ability was still awesome after all.

After some contemplation, Petra decided to go about the cavern and collect the rest of the glowmoss. She doubted she’d find the means to crack the plant's secrets down in this cave and if Archivist was mainly limited by her own understanding as she currently suspected, it’d be good to have some samples on hand – pseudopod? – for when she was finally ready to take a crack at it. Petra was just about done gathering all the reasonably accessible glowmoss – having painstakingly manoeuvred herself up onto a raised outcropping with an audible plop – when she noticed something, or rather, several somethings moving about below her.

Petra could only describe the creatures as little green men – actually, if she were feeling particularly uncharitable, she could call them ugly, but that was beside the point. It was the first time she’d gotten a look at anything both moving and larger than a bug with Magic Sight and the effect was a little weird, to say the least. The skill did interpret motion to an extent, but apparently, that was more of an educated guess than anything, because, at the edges of the cavern where updates came less frequently, Petra noticed her vision having to make repeated adjustments where its best guesses diverged from reality between updates. Also, were the creatures searching for something?

Stretching her body out over the edge for a better view, Petra felt the exact moment she overextended her body and her centre of gravity shifted over the edge. With the odd control scheme this body operated off of Petra had no chance of reacting in time, or for that matter stopping her body from trying to further extend even as it started to fall.

How exactly had she been stupid enough to fall off ledges doing almost exactly the same stupid shit twice in a not even 24-hour period?! At least this time the fall wasn’t from quite as high, and she didn’t exactly have any internal organs to worry about hurting.

Petra landed almost dead centre in the area the little green men had fanned out to search, and with an audible splat, prompting all four of them to immediately spin around her direction and lock their gazes upon her. From the cheer that went up amongst the creatures Petra suddenly suspected the thing they’d been looking for had been her, and based on the way they advanced upon her, Petra had a sinking feeling they weren’t particularly friendly.

Thinking fast, Petra wracked her mind for a way out of this situation. She couldn’t exactly communicate in this body; even if Petra wanted to try her hand a charades, actually wrangling her body into making complex gestures would take a long time – far longer than she had to react. Well, creating pseudopods was pretty easy at least, so maybe… Petra kludged together a reflex to create several pseudopods and wave them about in the air in a manner she hoped would either communicate “I’m friendly, please don’t hurt me”, or “I’m a threat, stay away for your own good”.

If the humanoids comprehended either message, they didn’t show it or slow their approach.

What else then? Useful as it was, Archivist didn’t seem like it’d be helpful here. It’d probably be pretty intimidating if she could engulf one of the creatures and then shunt it off to wherever things went when she used Adsorption, except, even if the creatures didn’t struggle, they were large enough that Petra very much doubted she’d be able to engulf one. Also jumping to murder, even as a second resort, might be a bit much. But what if she tried to…?

Petra reproduced a clump of the glowmoss she’d consumed within her cytoplasm, causing her body to be briefly lit up by the glow. That at least gave the creatures some pause – one of them even backing up a couple of steps – though they seemed more surprised by the display than anything else. Deciding to press what little advantage she’d been able to find, Petra started flashing chunks of moss in patterns across her pseudopods in a manner that she hoped would indicate either that she was very poisonous or else that she was some sort of magical creature that it would be best to avoid messing with. After a moment’s consideration, Petra adjusted the pattern of flashes a little.



She doubted creatures from this world would recognise more code, but it didn’t hurt to try right?

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Inara's response was...to laugh at him.

Deep in the pit of Dalton's gut, a cold burning sensation surged. His fear and anxiety dulled, just a bit, as familiar memories ate away at him. This wasn't the first time a girl had simply laughed in his face. But, with the strength only an abused customer service representative can understand, he kept his expression completely neutral.

Then she jumped up and grabbed his hand. Still giggling as she seemed to believe his behavior was incredibly unusual, she started to drag him in an unknown direction. He immediately stiffened, but it didn't really matter--she just kept going, oblivious, as his feet wore small furrows into the earth.

"--perhaps I can convince our Alpha to let you challenge the Mouthclaw in the caves! Members of our tribe have been trying to claim that skin for nearly a century. I'm sure that will be perfectly worthy prey for the mighty skinless hunter!"

"Oh yeah, sounds perfect!" I HAVE FUCKED UP!

Then again, she isn't hostile anymore, and that was our goal, correct? We've bought ourselves some time to think! said his tactical side.

Aargh, I can't figure out if she's honestly making fun of us or not! She's holding our hand, though! came the emotional side's response. But it was easier to repress those thoughts, because Dalton was still sulking internally about being laughed at and how pushy Inara had been thus far. If he had decided that he would live "differently," this time, then he didn't want to be anyone's doormat any longer. But the question was, what exactly did he need to do to be a different person?

A branch whacked him in the nose just then, and as he rubbed at it with the hand not currently bound in Inara's iron grasp she prattled on to introduce herself. If she was in training to be the next Alpha, then not only was she probably way stronger than him, but she was going to have a lot of pull within this tribe. Staying on her good side was paramount now--or else, getting far, far away from the Silverclaws.

They soon came to a place where the forest floor dipped among rocky cliffs, and Inara led him down the slopes of a rugged ravine. Apparently, the Merrick settlement was hidden--was it because they had other rival tribes, or because the monsters in the forest didn't fear humanoids? Dalton winced as the thorny vines prickled him, and tried to take note of the surroundings with a sharp attention to detail.

He was reminded of a history class where they'd studied Native Americans, and the textbook had a picture from the Mesa Verde National Park. Within the cave dwellings, the Merricks had either built or carved a few primitive structures, but rather than just houses it seemed like these were more along the lines of strictly necessary things--kilns and stoves of fired clay; storage for tools, water, and food; and what seemed like a communal area for meetings or meals.

Outside the cave, any other structures looked distinctly temporary--tents of thatched grasses or hides strung between wooden poles or bone spikes, simple bedrolls under lean-tos, and so forth. Dalton assumed that meant they were at least semi-nomadic, perhaps following the migration patterns of animals whose pelts they harvested most often?

Speaking of pelts, Dalton felt even more naked now that he stood within eyesight and earshot of the first "people" he'd encountered in this new world. Just like Inara had implied, even some of the kids who didn't even look old enough to have gone through puberty still used small bits of animal skin in addition to woven grasses to cover themselves. Teenagers had clothes made entirely of pelts, and several adults even had capes or makeshift "armor" made from the layered hides of creatures. Some of the faces that now looked at him did so from beneath the visage of wolves, mountain lions, or boars that still had their tusks intact.

I think it's the "number" of pelts, rather than the strength of the creature it comes from, that determines their ranking... theorized the analytical voice as Dalton took in the other tribe members.

Great, so our bluff is for sure not gonna work! But we can't change tunes now, we've already somewhat convinced Inara! What do we do!? What do we say!?

Don't panic. Dalton futilely told himself. He crossed his arms to try and hide a shiver that passed through him. How many assholes did we know before who got by solely by talking out of their ass at every opportunity? If lying and cheating is what it takes to succeed no matter what world we're in, then that's what we've got to do!

"Well, you weren't lying after all!" He said to Inara, trying to project his non-existent confidence with a smirk. "Compared to where I came from, everybody here at least looks like they can handle themselves!"

"I told you so!" Inara put her hands on her hips and grinned wolfishly--pun intended. "Now, let's find my--"

"Inara! You've returned!" Both the wolf girl and the newcomer turned to see a male Merrick, somewhat older than Dalton and a fair deal more muscular, swaggering towards them. The Otherworlder couldn't be sure, but he made an educated guess as to what the man was wearing: deerskin leggings and breechclothes, a vest of something like buffalo or yak hide, and a badgerskin cap. In addition he had a belt that looked like some kind of snake skin, and a few other trinkets like bone necklaces, leather pouches, and more. Dalton couldn't be sure just how much of a pelt was needed to transform, but he was certain this guy probably had at least four, maybe five "combat ready" forms and at least one or two others that weren't immediately obvious. "How was your hu--what?" He blinked when he registered Dalton standing next to the female Merrick.

He and Dalton locked eyes for a moment.

Standard isekai flag--make your bets! Jerk With a Heart of Gold? The Rival? Red Herring? Intellectual Dalton once again metaphysically pushed his glasses up on his nose.

He's giving us "new fish in the prison block" eyes! And it's gotta be BAD if it's this obvious, because we've never BEEN to prison!

"Who is this outsider!?" boomed the man, drawing even more attention from those who hadn't yet noticed Inara's guest. He pointed at Dalton, who turned his chin up and stared, once again, dead center at the man's forehead. "Why're you bringing him into our camp unannounced?!"

"Stop shouting, Reidun!" Inara growled, wrinkling her nose. "Your bellowing is more likely to give the camp away than anyone I've brought!" She swept her hand towards Dalton. "This is Darutan, a lone hunter! Listen to this--" She smiled again as she laughed, "He doesn't have any pelts, because he says he hasn't met prey worthy enough to wear! Isn't he interesting?"

"Interesting? Him?!" Reidun's dark eyes narrowed. "And...what do you mean, he doesn't have any pelts?" Now the bigger male laughed at him as well, as he looked Dalton up and down.

"She means, I'm strong enough they don't make a difference." The Otherworlder wrinkled his own nose. He had to stick to his story, and stand up for himself. It didn't seem like Inara would let this guy attack him outright... "Nothing I've hunted before was enough of a challenge--why wear its pelt if it barely benefits me?" He made a show of looking at Reidun's own pelts with a snort of disdain. "If you stack a bunch of weaklings up on one another, aren't they still weaklings?"

"Hah! Do you mean to say you think you're stronger than I am?" Dalton lazily dug a pinky finger into his ear while closing one eye, in the hopes of giving the illusion that he was completely unconcerned about the bigger Merrick.

This dumbass is gonna take everything we say with hostility, but what do we do if he swings first?! He's DEFINITELY stronger than us!

Primal Rage's intimidation effect will probably work on him at least temporarily, like it did with Inara, but what if it affects the rest of the tribe too? Do we know its AOE?

"I don't really care how strong you are, bud." he quipped to the bigger Merrick, whose face started to redden. "Inara just brought me here to introduce me to your Alpha." To his internal self, Dalton added, And if he doesn't want to offend the Alpha-in-Training, or whoever their leader is, he'll have to back off, right?

"To introduce you...?" Reidun's expression changed again as he looked at Inara, and Dalton caught the slight quiver in the man's jaw. "Inara, what are you thinking?! Surely, you can't be--!"

Oh shit. Did he just jump to the conclusion I think he jumped to?

An Unsuitable Suitor, then. His analytical side sighed deeply.

That bastard! Stay away from Wolf Waifu! With his own sigh, which he actually did in real life, Dalton repressed his emotional personality.

"Reidun, you are being too loud again! Unless you know where my grandfather is, get out of our way." Inara seemed to bristle at all this questioning. But, just then, all three of them heard the rustle of beating wings and a shrill cry!

A falcon landed on a small tree growing out of the cliffside just above them, its roots clinging steadfast to the rocks. As they watched, it transformed into a Merrick scout wearing a feathery headband!

"Inara! Where is your grandfather!?" said the wildling, as the branch he'd landed on cracked when the weight of his original form replaced that of the falcon. Just when it was about to snap, however, he nimbly leaped and turned a somersault before landing like a cat in front of the young woman. "I must report to him immediately! Orcs have been driven into the forest by an elvish attack, near the shoreline!"

Dalton, in the manner of those who spend too much time analyzing every little thing that happens to them and who lacks the social ability to properly express their feelings, froze with a completely neutral look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Havardr, but I've only just gotten back. I'm looking for him, too!"

"Then let us hurry!" Havardr the Scout said with a nod. But once again, Reidun stepped in front of Dalton, who simply continued to stare at the man's forehead.

"I will keep watch on this outsider, Inara!" declared the warrior. "It seems the Alpha will have more important matters to attend to!"

"Get out of the way, Reidun--Darutan is my guest!" The girl's eyes turned into bestial slits, and the larger Reidun took a step back as she growled.

[Combat Sense] has been triggered.

Wait, what?!

The Skill's description said "potential attackers" would be detected! In game terms, our reputation with this NPC just flipped to "hostile!"

We're not even doing anything! Inara and this scout are both on our side, aren't they?! So why--

That's it! He's outnumbered and Inara outranks him! I think we can safely assert ourselves without worrying about him causing any more of a scene, and get past this already!

Reidun looked between Dalton and Inara, and gulped.

"In, I-Inara, I only meant that--"

"Didn't you hear her, pissant!?" Dalton suddenly shouted, putting his hands on his hips and puffing his chest out. "I'm here by invitation, and now there's something else going on your Alpha needs to know about. So stop your whimpering and GET! OUT! OF MY FUCKING! WAY!"

Yeah, channel everything we've ever wanted to say when we get cut off in traffic! This is our new life in a new world--no more Mr. Nice Guy!

It's a bit pathetic we only feel we can act like this when we outnumber the opposition, though...

Unbeknownst to Dalton, however, Reidun's reaction towards Inara was not entirely due to their difference in rank. In fact, his thoughts went more along these lines:

Inara brought another Merrick to the tribe? A male? She thinks he's interesting? She wants him to meet her grandfather!? She can't...she can't possibly be thinking of taking him as her mate, could she?!

This peltless fool says he's stronger than me!? He wants to meet the Alpha--he can't possibly be pursuing Inara as a mate too, could he?! No! I'm the one who's going to win her over!

Why's Inara angry at me? I'm trying to help her by keeping track of this outsider! What if he's a spy from another tribe?! Does she REALLY like him better than me!?

He tells me to get out of HIS way!? As if he has a right to see the Alpha?! If he's so determined, then he really must be after Inara! She invited him! Me? Whimpering?! He really does see me as weaker!

I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!

"Inara, I shall go ahead--" Havardr, clearly having no patience for this kind of thing, spoke up. For an instant, Inara turned away.

Reidun let out a sudden roar, launching himself at Dalton.

But Dalton already knew he was hostile, thanks to [Combat Sense]. With that tenth of a second of forewarning, he ducked out of the way! Reidun was in mid-transformation--great horns began to grow from either side of his head, and shaggy fur sprouted all over his back, as his bare feet began to twist into hooves--

Then he hit the wall of the cliff the three of them had been standing next to. The impact shuddered the rocks, and caused Reidun to reel back! His transformation was canceled as angry red bump swelled on his forehead.

OH GOD WHAT DO WE DO WHADDA WE DO!?

We have to defend ourselves, we don't have a choice! There's not enough room to run past him and Inara's behind us, we can't let her get hurt!

Activate Skill, please! Primal Rage! Please work!

Reidun whirled on his opponent--and Dalton, once again, had frozen up with a completely blank expression. Any other fighter would know that once shit hit the fan, the only options were to fight, or flee. Freezing would only get you killed.

However...

The branch that had cracked under Havardr's weight, earlier, had been shaken completely loose by Reidun's charge slamming against the cliff. Just as the man raised his fist, his face already beginning to sprout fangs as white fur bristled and two black stripes appeared running down his eyes, the wooden bough came down.

Again, a dull SMACK echoed from Reidun's skull.

And by that time, Dalton had actually decided on what to do.

With a sudden scream as his whole body flushed red, the Otherworlder stepped forward and threw a punch. It was a wild swing, uncoordinated, undisciplined. Dalton had never taken a martial arts class or really ever worked out, after all. However, his opponent had just taken two stunning blows to the head. A punch that anyone else would've seen coming, he didn't see at all.

Then there was the matter of Dalton's punch, in and of itself.

His new body was not as weak and unathletic as he had once been. On top of this strength, he had the true intention to hurt someone--he was done with playing by the rules, with trying to be civilized. He wanted a NEW life, a BETTER life! What was more, was the boost given to him by Primal Rage.

Primal Rage: (Active/Legendary) - You turn your anger into a weapon. When activated, you can impose fear upon any creatures weaker than yourself. Stronger creatures lose the will to fight for a brief period. When used in combat, your strength will grow in proportion to your anger.

Dalton already had anger building beneath the surface. He'd just DIED, after all, because of stupid people, after getting yelled at by other stupid people all day.

Primal Rage Active: 0.02s - Anger is building...

Then some girl had just ATTACKED him out of nowhere, just because he happened to be in her "territory," and now he was being dragged around and involved with a bunch of shape-shifting cavemen!

Primal Rage Active: 0.04s - Anger is building...

And NOW, just like every other bully he'd ever dealt with in life, some stupid meathead who wanted to cause him problems wouldn't leave him alone!

Primal Rage Active: 0.06s - Anger is building...

Dalton had more than two full decades of repressed, untapped, utterly cringe-worthy anger to draw on.

Primal Rage Active: 0.08s - Anger is building...

Reidun blinked--and then Dalton's fist collided with his face.



Specifically, by little more than sheer luck and the fact Reidun hadn't been able to defend himself, Dalton had gotten him square on the chin. And as the Merrick Warrior's head rocked back, there was the cliff right behind him, yet again.

Dust fell from the rocks as the man slumped to the ground, barely conscious, his eyes rolled up to reveal blank whites. Dalton stood there for a moment, fist outstretched--and, again, aside from his widened eyes, his face was completely blank. This time, rather than freezing up, it was more that he was completely shocked at himself and his behavior.

Unbeknownst to Dalton, however, it didn't quite look like that to the outside observer. Havardr, a particularly sharp observer befitting his status as a scout, happened to be thinking along these lines:

I didn't register him at first, despite the fact that he should've clearly stood out--he has no pelts, even though he's an adult! Yet when I arrived, he didn't flinch at all--he was completely calm, with a stony expression.

When Reidun stepped up to him, he never once broke eye contact. And his expression remained unreadable--to be completely unphased, despite facing a warrior with several pelts like Reidun, even if he's a bit of a braggart...

And when Reidun attacked, he moved like he'd already seen it coming! Not to mention...did he intentionally move towards the wall, knowing that if Reidun hit it, it would dislodge the branch I broke earlier? That's an impressive level of environmental awareness--and to come up with such a keen strategy in an instant!

He knew Reidun would be distracted, and so he put all of his power into a punch that would've been too obvious otherwise--sacrificing technique for strength, yet with the full confidence it would work! Without a single pelt, he felled one of the famed Silverclaw Tribe's warriors with only a punch!

"Inara...who have you brought to us?" he asked, as Dalton stood stock still over Reidun. The falcon scout had seen that kind of look before--a wise predator who knew that the moment they became complacent, the prey might suddenly spring to life again. Just how many life or death struggles could this Merrick have survived, to reach such a level while wearing no skins?

"His name is Daruton!" Inara grinned, as if she were proud of herself for some reason. "I think grandfather will like him!" Then she called out to the Merrick in question. "Daruton! Let Reidun sleep off his stupidity! We need to go!"

"Y-yeah! Sure!" Dalton snapped to attention and jogged after the two of them as they continued deeper into the encampment in search of the alpha, leaving some of the other tribe members to gather around Reidun, all talking among themselves of what had just happened...

We fucked up.

Did we, though?

Oh we absolutely fucked up, but it was AWESOME!

Except now his knuckles hurt really badly. Absently, he rubbed them and hoped he hadn't broken anything.

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