Into the Light (Axe Druid Book 1) Read online

  Now, don’t get me wrong, like everyone else I’ve dreamed most nights my whole life. In the last five years, ninety percent of them have been nightmares… Five percent of those are so bad that Freud would probably fudge his Huggies.

  It felt like a weight just fell from my shoulders when I heard the voices plea.

  Excuse me for feeling more than a little relieved and curious about a dream that was asking for my help. Even if it had seemingly been invading my other dreams. Okay, wait, that seemed creepy. The light began to pulse, and the thought fell away to curiosity. A whole world needs my assistance? Sure, I’ll bite.

  No sooner had I made that decision, the dream stopped.

  “Oh, COME ON!” I snapped as I sat up, light from the sun hitting my eyes.

  Wait… light?

  I had curtains that blocked the light, not blackout curtains by any means, but sure as hell more than that. I blinked my eyes, and I was surrounded by the blue light.

  “Am I still dreaming?” I asked out loud. This was already so different from anything I had ever experienced, and my nerves about crapped out on me that I might receive an answer.

  “Welcome traveler,” the voice greeted me. “We have been watching you for some time and have been pleased to see that you are familiar with the ways of our world.”

  I am? I thought. Maybe I would learn more from being silent like my aunt and uncle had always said.

  “We believe you refer to them as video games?” the voice continued. “If you will take a moment to think or speak the command ‘status’, a screen will appear and you can adjust your basic statistics.”

  “Status.”

  Sure enough, an opaque screen and keyboard popped up in front of my eyes. The screen itself was mildly translucent. I could touch it and feel it, but it didn’t move from its place in front of my eyes.

  Name:

  Race:

  Level:

  Strength:

  Dexterity:

  Constitution:

  Intelligence:

  Wisdom:

  Charisma:

  Unspent Attribute Points:

  It seemed pretty straightforward, but I’d had some games come with different definitions on stats.

  “Can I ask questions?” I asked aloud.

  “We encourage it,” the voice stated.

  “Okay, what world?”

  “Brindolla.”

  Odd name, I thought. Oh well, I’ve heard worse.

  “Can I see what each of the individual stats means?” I asked, then followed it up quickly with, “Like, an abbreviated explanation of what they affect?” I didn’t need a ten-page explanation on how each one worked.

  “Yes, we will also allow you to know that we calculated what we gathered from your life and experience into your statistics as well.”

  “Interesting,” I mumbled quietly.

  Strength – Allows the traveler to lift more weight, increases melee damage with certain types of weapons, and increases defense. Base strength increased by 3 for time spent working out and practicing close-quarters combat techniques.

  Dexterity – Allows traveler to move faster and dodge attacks more effectively. Also increases melee and ranged weapons damage and accuracy. No increase to base dexterity.

  Constitution – Directly affects how much damage the traveler can take before death. 1 point of constitution equates to 10 HP. Also affects endurance and susceptibility to poison and disease. Base constitution affects regeneration of HP (Hit Points) outside of combat. HP recovers at .01% per second. Shapeshifted forms benefit from base statistics as well. No increase to base constitution due to increased levels of sickness in recent times.

  Wisdom – Responsible for recovery of mana and mana pool for healers. 5 points of wisdom equate to 0.01% of mana recovered every 5 seconds and 10 mana for healers. Also, higher wisdom assists with the perception of traps and lies. May further affect certain types of spells. Base wisdom increased by 2 for life experience.

  Intelligence – Responsible for the potency of most spells and increases spell damage and mana pool. 1 point of intelligence equates to 10 mana for battle casters. Base intelligence increased by 2 for the pursuit of knowledge when required. Base intelligence increased by 3 for advanced knowledge of lore for unknown worlds and mythological creatures.

  Charisma – Affects others perceptions of the traveler and how they will interact with them. Increases potency of certain spells and abilities. Base charisma increased by 3 due to a willingness to and successfully interacting with others.

  I read and reread each of the explanations. It seemed I had a lot of caster heavy stats.

  A caster, as a lot of my fellow gamers called them, was a player who specialized in spell casting. There are several different kinds of casters, most usually dealing heavy damage with little to no healing ability, which sounded like me, to be completely honest. I usually play some kind of sneak-thief assassin build or a fireball-slinging caster when I played online with my friends.

  But I don’t know if that’s what I wanted this time through. May as well see what else there was to offer.

  “What does it mean with the race space being blank?” I asked. Before the voice could respond, I tapped the prompt that said Race and looked through some of the ones available. There were a few that reached out to me right away.

  “There are many different races and subraces amongst the denizens of this world, many of them are tolerant with each other, if not friendly. Although, there are those who would seek the rise of their own race above the others.” The voice paused, as to let me digest the information before continuing, “We have translated the names of certain races into names like those you may have seen before.”

  I nodded and kept looking. They were the races and subraces you might see in normal fantasy or role-playing games, commonly referred to as RPGs. Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Halflings, Humans, and Orcs; those seemed to be a majority of the populace of the world. Next to each race’s name there was a percentage. Looked like humans were doing what they did best and populating the world, making up a solid forty-three percent.

  I saw a couple that grabbed my attention, though.

  Fae-Orc – Made by the coupling of nomadic Orcs and Elves who came together when the plains and forests met. Fae-Orcs are a seemingly perfect blend of their parents. They typically boast well-developed muscles and lithe bodies with strength Elves cannot claim naturally. They also seem to have an affinity for magic that Orcs rarely have. Fae-Orcs often sport oddly colored skin and have different racial abilities based on their parent’s lineage. Relations: Fae-Orcs are well accepted by plains-roving tribes of Orcs, forest-dwelling Elves, and most humans and other races. They are seen as inferior by High Elves and Northern Orc tribes. Increase strength by 2 and intelligence by 1.

  Kitsune – Fae by nature, this race is a humanoid fox who can shapeshift at will between human and fox forms (humanoid and true fox). Kitsune have strong affinities for magic and stealth, although some have been known to become exceptional warriors. Kitsunes’ fur color may change depending on their environment and region. Relations: Kitsune are seen as kindred spirits by most Sylvan, Fae creatures, and by Nature itself. Elves will often live in harmony with their fox-like cousins, and Beast-kin treat them with respect as they seem to be like them. Humans are leery of them at times, especially in the countryside where they are rarely seen. Some hunters and Northern Orcs have been known to hunt Kitsune for their tails. Increase intelligence, dexterity or strength, and Charisma by 1.

  Beast-kin – The result of magical experimentation on animals, Beast-kin have varying forms and often live in tribes. Beast-kin typically do not have strong ties to magic, as their beings were formed by it; however, newer generations are being born with more magical abilities and are recruited as tribe shamans and spiritual leaders. Beast-kin have strong bodies depending on their animal forms and high magical resistances. Relations: Beast-kin have strong ties to the Kitsune and Fae races who understand they didn’t ch
oose their existence. They often have treaties and trade agreements with plains Orcs and some Elven tribes. Humans seem to be accepting of them, but some hunt the Beast-kin or enslave them for their strength. Older Beast-kin are wary or even hostile toward mages. Increase strength, wisdom or dexterity, and constitution by 1.

  These races and subraces seemed to have good depth. I was loving this so far. The Beast-kin seemed cool, but I was already leaning toward more magical means. Their hostility toward magic users seemed like I was asking for trouble. The Kitsune looked intriguing; being able to switch between forms and the bumps to my stats played into my favor. And the Fae-Orc? Man, they seemed awesome as well. The strength boost was unsettling. I could be a well- rounded individual with that. Depending on how the classes worked, I could metagame the hell out of this.

  I tried to click back to the classes, but a red X popped up.

  I guess I had to choose a race first. Hmmm… Well, I was already kind of strong, I think?

  “Hey, voice,” I said out loud, “what is the average stat?”

  “If you mean how powerful someone might be, the average person will be around a ten in any given statistic. A knight or mercenary might have a higher constitution and strength, whereas a mage or shaman may have exceedingly high wisdom and intelligence.”

  “Ah, thank you.”

  “You are welcome, traveler.”

  I chuckled to myself and chose my race. I used some sliders on the status bar to shift some of my avatar’s features. I moved the color for this back and forth; it was interesting to see how certain colors stood out and looked better than others. There were a few advanced options that I didn’t much care for like scarring and any kind of ritualistic tattoos that some races may have, but I didn’t want any kind of marking that I hadn’t earned. You know? One thing was for certain and would probably never change—I did really have a thing for playing creatures with tails.

  When I finalized my looks as much as my stats would allow, I moved over to the class options and began to scroll through.

  Same as before, they were the ones that you would typically find in an RPG. You had your sword-swingers like the Barbarian and Fighter and your sneaky and dexterous Thief and Ranger with their daggers and bows. The caster classes had a few more options. The healer everyone tries to avoid— the cudgel carrying Cleric. Mage—your spell-slinging juggernaut with next to no life, a real glass cannon. Wizard, no not like the ones in the movies, these guys usually read from a spell book—think magical librarian who lost his job for burning the library down that one time. We don’t talk about that.

  There were two classes that really stuck out to me, though, almost on a personal level because I had a lot of love for them in other games I had played.

  Bard, the literal jack-of-all-trades. These guys can be shifty, shady, and loud—all kinds of amazing if played right. They can use weapons, spells, and buffs to cause some serious mayhem on and off the battlefield. I had a guy in one of my tabletop gaming groups who used a bard with crazy high charisma to seduce a Dragon instead of fighting it. It was beautiful.

  Whoa, whoa, whoa! I thought to myself as I looked over the next one. This was one I hadn’t seen in a while in anything I had played.

  Druid. Mother Nature’s personal warrior. Tarzan with a pet at times and better smelling. Sometimes. Druids can do all kinds of great things: shapeshift into animals, cast spells, heal, and do some serious damage when they need to. I’ve known a couple people to play them, hell I had when I first discovered PC gaming.

  Ah, those were the days.

  A brief glimpse at the class overview and description confirmed what I had already known, but it also reiterated the fact that transformations benefit from base statistics. I didn’t understand that, though, and I raised my query to the voice.

  “If you were to transform yourself into a bear, which has a typical strength of fifteen for an average sized bear, then you would be almost as strong as the average bear with your current base strength. The same could be said if you were to transform into something that is dexterous like a forest cat. You would be less agile than an average one with a typical dexterity of thirteen. Your base statistics will reflect in your transformations.”

  “Wow,” I said. Some possibilities came to mind, and I liked the way they were playing out in my head. I chose the Druid as my class and went back to the stat screen.

  It appeared I had some choices to make. Down in the right-hand corner, I noted that I had ten attribute points to spend.

  “How do attribute points work?” I asked before I went and screwed myself up on the start screen.

  “You, and those like you, will be as newborn babes to this world. With that in mind, we have armed you with the means to increase your stats to a more reasonable level.

  “Attribute points are gained upon reaching the next level. Most of the citizens of this world gain only two per level to spend freely while one point goes automatically to one of their racial statistics that they use the most. You, as a traveler, will receive five at each level. Also, statistics can be improved by reaching certain milestones, upon completion of certain events, or as quest rewards—although that is uncommon.”

  I nodded to myself and got started. I pressed the strength stat and bumped it up by two. Next, constitution went up by five. Couldn’t have someone one shot me, you know? That left me three points to play with. I grumbled to myself and finally decided to evenly distribute the last three points into dexterity, wisdom, and charisma.

  That left me looking pretty good, especially after my racial bonuses.

  Name:

  Race: Kitsune

  Level: 1

  Strength: 15

  Dexterity: 12

  Constitution: 15

  Intelligence: 16

  Wisdom: 13

  Charisma: 15

  Unspent Attribute Points: 0

  There was still the not-so-small matter of my name. I had a name I used for everything. Every time I played a character in a game, it was always my moniker. Why change the formula, I thought to myself. I selected the name tab, and a keyboard popped onto my status screen. I typed it in: “Zekiel Erebos”. Then I hit enter. There, all done with that bit.

  “So, what’s the premise of this game, Voice?” I asked as I cycled through the settings to change some of the aspects of my avatar. I decided on one for my fur and my eyes. Excellent, this was going to be awesome.

  “War has found my world.” The voice took on a lighter, more feminine lilt and tone. “I am the goddess Radiance, and I will be responsible for caring for the travelers. Throughout the time that we have become aware of this threat, we have evolved our world and its people to mirror facets of the video games from your world. We used some of the ones produced over the last few decades so that we might find better-suited champions. Thank you for accepting our request for aid, traveler.”

  “Damn, this is one hell of a game,” I muttered to myself. “What of the other gods? Where are they?”

  “They watch over the world and prevent War from coming here directly while the travelers amass their strength. This is no game, traveler. It is the fate of my people. Please, save them from War.”

  “What?!” I shouted the question, but the voice was gone. The darkness claimed me.

  * * *

  I sprang to my feet as soon as my eyes were open. I looked around and slowly sank to the floor. The truth had come to light.

  I was in another world.

  This clearly wasn’t my room. It was a much nicer room with wooden panels for walls and oak floorboards. The bed was a mat with what felt like fresh straw inside it and a simple, green wool blanket. The furnishings were all wooden as well. A small desk and chair in the corner with a window view—the whole room was a comfortable sixteen by thirteen feet and filled with a sweet scent of straw. The smell was so strong it was almost suffocating.

  I saw a wooden chest at the foot of the bed and went to go for it when I caught a glimpse of the mirror near the doorw
ay. The face staring back in horror and awe was my avatar’s.

  It—I—was a couple inches taller than I had been back home—five feet, eight inches with broad shoulders, a waist narrower than I had seen in years—like when I had just come back from boot camp narrow. I had muscle and looked like some of the bodybuilders I had envied growing up.

  I mean… lifting the way I did, usually five times a week and for a couple hours at a time, I would never reach this kind of definition on my own. I was used to being strong and not cut, but this was nuts—I’d need a kick-ass trainer to reach this level.

  Oh, did I mention I had a tail? I set about trying to wag it. It moved, the air causing the fur to wave like a flag, and I lost my mind. Don’t hate.

  I’m not proud, but it’s what happened.

  I looked again, noticing the black fur coating my body. It was sleek, and there was a slightly blue-tinted highlight when the light hit it. I looked to see if my choice of eye coloring had stuck, electric blue—so blue it was crazy—almost like they glowed.

  My facial features were vulpine—a short muzzle with whiskers, sharp teeth like a fox’s, and ears on top of my head. I could smell everything: the bed, the wood in the room, the musty scent in the air. I could hear more than I ever could in real life. The birds chirped and sang outside, and I heard a clanging and awed voices in hushed tones in what had to be other rooms.

  I clacked my teeth together and practiced making different facial expressions. Smiling was equally funny and scary depending on the look in my eyes. I could pull my ears back and snarl almost convincingly, but it was going to take practice to refine the look. I closed my eyes and hoped that it would work, the last thing that could possibly go wrong.

  “Testing. Testing one two,” I said aloud. YES! Okay, I could talk. Time to test out the one ability I had. I closed my eyes.

  “Shift!”

  I watched the mirror intently and grunted. Nothing had changed. I may or may not have spent ten minutes trying to get the ability to work, but nothing I did seemed to get me to switch between my forms.