Story Road Ahead, Road Behind

I sling the Frozen Blade over my shoulder, strapping it to my back as the Goblin horde approaches. This… Does not look good. Turning to Acuna, she just shrugs at us, clearly having no idea as to what the Goblin was talking about.

Glancing at Alex, they still seem to be ready for battle… But against an entire RACE? Maybe, if the Frozen Blade wasn't tiring me out like it was, it could help tip things in our favour. In my current state, I would be lucky to prolong the battle more than a few minutes.

I sigh, and walk forward, “Well, do you know why the Goblins need the ‘Goblin Lord’ for?” I glance at Acuna, who has also realised the situation we are in, and she walks forward as well. Alex is still on guard, but is still following along, seeing no other option.

The Goblin pants as they still try to catch their breath, “No… You will have to ask our current leader, for that. I'm just meant to bring the Goblin Lord with me.”

I groan, and follow the messenger, “I guess we have no choice. Lead the way, then.” I turn to the others, and whisper, “Our best bet is to take down this leader of theirs… No way we are winning against them normally.”

As Alex nods solemnly, and Acuna nods idly while glancing around at the Goblin horde. And we walk forward, not knowing just what was in store for us.
 

I sling the Frozen Blade over my shoulder, strapping it to my back as the Goblin horde approaches. This… Does not look good. Turning to Acuna, she just shrugs at us, clearly having no idea as to what the Goblin was talking about.

Glancing at Alex, they still seem to be ready for battle… But against an entire RACE? Maybe, if the Frozen Blade wasn't tiring me out like it was, it could help tip things in our favour. In my current state, I would be lucky to prolong the battle more than a few minutes.

I sigh, and walk forward, “Well, do you know why the Goblins need the ‘Goblin Lord’ for?” I glance at Acuna, who has also realised the situation we are in, and she walks forward as well. Alex is still on guard, but is still following along, seeing no other option.

The Goblin pants as they still try to catch their breath, “No… You will have to ask our current leader, for that. I'm just meant to bring the Goblin Lord with me.”

I groan, and follow the messenger, “I guess we have no choice. Lead the way, then.” I turn to the others, and whisper, “Our best bet is to take down this leader of theirs… No way we are winning against them normally.”

As Alex nods solemnly, and Acuna nods idly while glancing around at the Goblin horde. And we walk forward, not knowing just what was in store for us.
Great chapter today! I'll add it now!
 

As we walk forward, a giant horde of goblins come upon us, with a big sign in front of them with the number 1 on it. They yell at us to hand over the lord, and when we reject, a horde with the number 2 sign, and they throw flaming pitchforks at us. Thomas seems to be so exhausted that he finally drops the sword.


Around us, forms a giant ice dome. we hear clings, and screams. We can’t see what is happening, but the ice seems to be marble hard. The pitchforks clang against them, but the fire melts it.


We see groups with the signs 3 and 4 in front of us, as flaming arrows and throwing knives are being hurtled at us. I raise my sword defensively, and it glows. Time seems to slow down, and the world gets darker, with my sword being the only beam of light. The world suddenly brightens, and suddenly 3 dark beams shoot out of my sword, and realize that my sword shot that out. Instantly, half the army falls down.


A giant white flag goes up, and a giant goblin walks out. “Sign my scar and the lord will be safe with you.” she says as she flexes, and a deep black scar is formed on her bicep. We sign it, and the goblins disappear.


“Well, that was weird.” Thomas says, now fully replenished.
 
I stretch, glancing around at the now clear mountainside. I glance at Alex, who seems to have been tired out a little, but is otherwise fine. Maybe he just has more energy than me, to begin with. Either way, I think it is time for us to get going.

As I pick my way along the rugged rock face, Acuna thinks out loud about what had just happened, “We will come to kidnap the goblin lord any instant... Let us take her in peace… I have no memory of ever being a goblin lord, even in my cursed form.” She glances at Alex, who is oblivious to the mutterings due to climbing over a particularly steep rise, “Well, we got out fine, which is all that matters…”

I wander along, and pull out the Frozen Blade to take a look at it. A surprisingly useful weapon, and a powerful one as well. Perhaps I should practice with it, so it drains me less… And then I glance at the inscription, “Theodore.”

Turning to Acuna, I sling the Blade across my back again, not wanting to drop it, “So… Acuna. We couldn't really talk about it earlier, but I don’t ever remember being called Theodore.”

She glances up from her musings, and blinks as she replies, “The fault there lies with me, I'm afraid. As you may now, the First Priest of Healing is a title normally bestowed with much more… Selective criteria. The only reason I got the position at all was because of a battle that had been fought, lessening the number of priests suitable for it.”

I nodded, knowing full well how narrow minded a lot of the villages could be. It was an unfortunate truth, in these parts. I listened, as she continued, “Well, due to the rather unfavourable opinions on whether I was suited for the task, and how I even got it in the first place, I grew fearful. I sent you away, to be cared for by those I trusted. And not even a year later, I was cursed by that evil magician, proving my fears to be true. I will tell you more of the tale later… Right now, this climb is taking the breath out of me...”

I nod, breathing hard myself. Crossing mountains was never easy work, unfortunately. And so, I pondered Acuna's tale, curious as to the rest… But mostly panting. Stupid mountains.
 
I stretch, glancing around at the now clear mountainside. I glance at Alex, who seems to have been tired out a little, but is otherwise fine. Maybe he just has more energy than me, to begin with. Either way, I think it is time for us to get going.

As I pick my way along the rugged rock face, Acuna thinks out loud about what had just happened, “We will come to kidnap the goblin lord any instant... Let us take her in peace… I have no memory of ever being a goblin lord, even in my cursed form.” She glances at Alex, who is oblivious to the mutterings due to climbing over a particularly steep rise, “Well, we got out fine, which is all that matters…”

I wander along, and pull out the Frozen Blade to take a look at it. A surprisingly useful weapon, and a powerful one as well. Perhaps I should practice with it, so it drains me less… And then I glance at the inscription, “Theodore.”

Turning to Acuna, I sling the Blade across my back again, not wanting to drop it, “So… Acuna. We couldn't really talk about it earlier, but I don’t ever remember being called Theodore.”

She glances up from her musings, and blinks as she replies, “The fault there lies with me, I'm afraid. As you may now, the First Priest of Healing is a title normally bestowed with much more… Selective criteria. The only reason I got the position at all was because of a battle that had been fought, lessening the number of priests suitable for it.”

I nodded, knowing full well how narrow minded a lot of the villages could be. It was an unfortunate truth, in these parts. I listened, as she continued, “Well, due to the rather unfavourable opinions on whether I was suited for the task, and how I even got it in the first place, I grew fearful. I sent you away, to be cared for by those I trusted. And not even a year later, I was cursed by that evil magician, proving my fears to be true. I will tell you more of the tale later… Right now, this climb is taking the breath out of me...”

I nod, breathing hard myself. Crossing mountains was never easy work, unfortunately. And so, I pondered Acuna's tale, curious as to the rest… But mostly panting. Stupid mountains.
Nice chapter, today! I'll upload it now!
 

As we reach the bottom of the mountain, without further distractions, and we come across another mountain. Made of glass. I trip over the ledge, and slide down, on my face. The other two face me, stunned, as we try to plan a way out. A spout of water comes out of the top, and the glass gets slippery again. We realize it is shorter than we thought, but it goes on as long as we can see.


“We could dig under it” Acuna says, and we agree, so we start digging with our hands, but it was slow and tedious.


I feel a small but powerful change nearby. Both me and Thomas’ swords turned to shovels, so we pick them up. Thomas’ freezes the ground and shatters it, and mine digs out the dirt as fast as I can move my hand. We soon make it to the other side, and our tunnel is flooded, We swim out, but the ice sword is making the ice jarringly cold. When we surface, we all gasp, and we hear clapping.


“Welcome to Fam-Ran-Fee, the village of quests. You got past the first quest, of getting in. Now you need to fit into our society before you leave…”
 
I looked around at this... Fam-Ran-Fee. Old legends of trickster towns immediately come to mind, and straight after that, the bandit town we already came across. My first instinct is to run. My second is to freeze the villagers that have started to approach, eager to see the new adventurers. And then, the more sensible option... I think to ask a simple question.

"The town of Quests? I am sorry, we are already on our own quest, to find the only Dragon to have bested mighty Alex the Dragon Slayer. We just wanted to pass through." I glance at Alex, hoping they play along. He looks surprised, but seems to like the idea...

The spokesperson for the town ignores us completely, and waves to the awaiting crowd, “These townsfolk you see here will gladly help you in your next quest, to best find a role for each of you. Can’t have you wandering around aimlessly, after all!”

I reconsider my options. Pulling out the Frozen blade is now seeming more and more appealing. “And, pray tell, what reason do you have for us to do side quest, rather than simply digging a hole under the wall on the other side of town? We are in a hurry…”

The spokesperson hesitates, ever-present smile growing strained, “Well, in a town such as this, you would find an abundance of ways to make yourself renown. This town does hold the legendary Mountain-Hewer, after all!”

Both Acuna and I perk up at the mention of that, “The Mountain-Hewer? Legendary sword capable of manipulating earth on such a large scale, that entire continents have changed form due to it?”

The spokesperson nods enthusiastically, “That’s the one! And for proof, simply look behind you. That wall was made by the Mountain-Hewer by the founder of Fam-Ran-Fee.”

We nod to each other. “Perhaps we can stay… For a short while.”
 
You just know its gonna be good if Derunih is working on it.

you can probably tell i like your stories, especially the lamentation of the moon lord :happy:
 

You just know its gonna be good if Derunih is working on it.

you can probably tell i like your stories, especially the lamentation of the moon lord :happy:
No recognition :,(

In all seriousness, I knew Derunih was good, but after writing with him for a while, there is nobody I would rather collaborate with.
 

What is the Mountain Hewer? It could be kind of like Thomas’ sword, but with the earth. By the way they described it, that could be it. The glass structure, which is sand heated to 1760 degrees Celsius. Sand is earth, so that sword could probably heat up earth and shape it. That said, this sword could be ultra powerful.


Wait, how did I realize all of this? I know statistics, and weird heat numbers, and have a greater overall awareness. It all started when I passed the border of the glass. “Excuse me, leaders of Fam-Ran-Fee, when I passed the border, I got a whole lot smarter. Any excuses for that?”

“Well, we gave anyone of you that did not have the capacity of brain to join us in our search for knowledge.”


So they called me stupid. That sucks. “Give us the mountain sword, and we’ll be on our way.”

Several guards draw their swords. “I’m afraid we can’t let you do it.”


I swing my sword, and so does Thomas, and we both use our special powers. We use it twice more, and we’re both exhausted already, but everybody is gone. Dead, or just gone. Acuna walks over, and picks it up. Instantly, the dead bodies gain life, and about 20 bodies appear.


“Congratulations, you’ve passed another test. Discovering your intelligence and fighting your way past our defenses of the sword. You’ve earned it, and may go on. On one condition. The girl stays with us. We need a potent healer.”


“I’ll go” Acuna speaks up. She puts the sword on the ground, and a golem forms and picks it up. “Goodbye, Theodore. Alex, I will remember you forever.” and we all say our goodbyes. We walk out, and hear several clashes, and a scream.


We run back in, and about 60 goblin males surround a hideous female, and I instantly know what happened.


“Acuna, what did they do to you?”

“Go away you wretched hag, they showed me my true form…” And we run away…
 
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Panting, we reach the far glass wall, and start to dig immediately. The wall is just as thick on this side, so even with the transformed swords we don’t get very far before we look back, seeing that nobody tried to follow us.

I collapse against the wall of our impromptu tunnel, shaking, “What? Just… What? Her true form? Just how many ‘true’ forms does she have? Or are none of them real?”

Alex stands guard, glancing back at me silently, not knowing what to say. Looking at the Frozen Blade in my hand, he smiles a little, “Think of this… You still have that sword, and it still works. That part can’t have been a lie then, can it?”

I look up at Alex, and laugh unexpectedly. I run my thumb over the engraving… Theodore. “You have a point. Sigh… The question is, do we go back and find out exactly what happened, or do we leave?”

Alex sets his shield down, stretching as best he can in the cramped tunnel, “I say we leave. We should get more help, before trying to deal with those goblins. And if there is any of Acuna left there, she will be able to work something out, being the first priest and all.”

I nod, picking up my sword… Shovel-thing. Grinning, I nudge Alex in the side, “I guess that town really did make you smarter. Best plan I have heard out of you yet.”

Alex blushes, scowls, and goes to reply, but closes their mouth mid way instead. They settle for grumbling as they dig, then cheers up after a moment, “Let’s just hope that spell continues past the wall. Because if it does, they will regret giving us such a fine parting gift.”
 
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Panting, we reach the far glass wall, and start to dig immediately. The wall is just as thick on this side, so even with the transformed swords we don’t get very far before we look back, seeing that nobody tried to follow us.

I collapse against the wall of our impromptu tunnel, shaking, “What? Just… What? Her true form? Just how many ‘true’ forms does she have? Or are none of them real?”

Alex stands guard, glancing back at me silently, not knowing what to say. Looking at the Frozen Blade in my hand, he smiles a little, “Think of this… You still have that sword, and it still works. That part can’t have been a lie then, can it?”

I look up at Alex, and laugh unexpectedly. I run my thumb over the engraving… Theodore. “You have a point. Sigh… The question is, do we go back and find out exactly what happened, or do we leave?”

Alex sets his shield down, stretching as best he can in the cramped tunnel, “I say we leave. We should get more help, before trying to deal with those golems. And if there is any of Acuna left there, she will be able to work something out, being the first priest and all.”

I nod, picking up my sword… Shovel-thing. Grinning, I nudge Alex in the side, “I guess that town really did make you smarter. Best plan I have heard out of you yet.”

Alex blushes, scowls, and goes to reply, but closes their mouth mid way instead. They settle for grumbling as they dig, then cheers up after a moment, “Let’s just hope that spell continues past the wall. Because if it does, they will regret giving us such a fine parting gift.”

And the twentieth chapter is out! I found a typo in mine, which made you believe the wrong thing, so I'll fix both of them. Blame is on me.
 

We walk outside, and a horde of dragons is upon us. A multitude of fire, and poison, and many other elements hurtle at us. Thomas collapses, and I am feeling overpowered. I don’t have enough energy to swing my sword.


I wake up, and feel the same as when I woke up on the cart, which seems like eternities ago. I open my cracked eyes, and hear a muttering voice in the background.


“Yes sir. She is in our custody. We will release her soon enough.”


She? That can’t be right. I sit up, and the army of dragons is staring at me, and an enormous dragon that is purple with gold encrusting at its ridges silenced himself, and stares at me.


“Alex, you have come far without your memories. Our agreement will come to a close soon. Your friend will be dispatched”


A smaller dragon whispers into the big one’s ear. “Aren’t we just going to torture him to see if he gives us the info?”

“Yes, but we won’t tell him that.”


I break free of the chains I must’ve been to, and the dragons stare. “GET HIM!” The king yells, and dozens of projectiles soar towards me. Time seems to slow down, and I run through them, with ease. I head past the king, as he jumps for me, and see Thomas chained up. My sword comes rushing to me, and I catch it. I slice the bars.


“C’mere buddy. We’ll kill these selfish dragons” Thomas takes out his ice blade, and we walk back out. My adrenaline slows down, and everything comes back up to speed again. I shoot 8 bolts of darkness, and 8 dragons go down. Our golem catches up and smashes dragons down with his earth blade. I forgot about him! Thomas makes ice spears kill Dragons. I point my sword towards his throat, and he snaps his claws. I blank out, and wake up laid up against a wooden pole, and I feel Thomas’ hand. Our swords are next to us, and we both seem to have just woken up. I stand up, still wobbly, and I see 6 signs.


Northeast - Fam-Ran-Fee

North - Dragon Lair

South - Lake Underwood

Southeast - Batam Village

Southwest - Southern Centaur Village

Northwest - Northern Centaur Village


“Thomas, let’s go to the southern centaur village, I feel compelled to go there…”

 
We walk along slowly, occasionally leaning on the Golem for support. It doesn't seem to mind, nor have I heard it speak. Or seen it emote. Huh, I am feeling curiosity as to how it moves. That must mean I am recovering from the dragons.

I groan, and look at Alex, “I can see why I found you lying in a crater. Those dragons weren't easy to deal with.”

Alex glances up at me, eyes focused on their feet most of the way, “... Yeah. I can’t really remember what they looked like though… Everything is fuzzy again.”

I hesitate. Again? Looking back at how we met, he did seem… Confused. About a lot of things. They seemed fine afterwards, so maybe they just got hit harder, being a renown Dragon Slayer after all. Might look into an extra healing spell later though…

Not much else is said between us, the Golem remaining completely silent. I find myself questioning it’s motive, hoping it doesn't just up and run away. I push that worry to the side though, as the sun is setting, and we are exhausted from the constant surprises.

We soon see a village up ahead. We begin to walk faster, eager to reach a safe haven. As we get close, we see the buildings are larger than usual, and a centaur or two passes between the buildings. Southern Centaur Village lives up to it’s name, I suppose.

As we pass by the outer buildings, a centaur clad in armour glances at us… And ignores us completely, letting us pass on by. A surprisingly large wave of relief surges through me, and I can see the reason: The last village we saw was chaos from start to end, and the one before that was full of people that wanted to murder us. Here, we might be able to stay for more than an hour or two.

I take the lead, eyes scanning for an inn. A few blocks down, I notice a building with a second floor, and said addition looked shorter than expected for a centaur dwelling. In fact, it was human-sized. I point the way, and we sidle on in, the Golem entering last.

The entryway was dimly lit, and was slightly hazy. In the common room off to the side, a centaur looked up from the fireplace, before returning to their book. We ring a bell, to await the attention of the inn keeper.

A centaur comes out, clad in an apron. We haggle a bit, and we manage to land ourselves a single room with 2 beds at a reasonable price. And so we clamber on upstairs, Golem included, and head inside.

The room was musty, and the sheets smelled. I did not care. The last thing I remember is collapsing on the bed, hearing a thump from the other mattress, and the sound of the Golem closing the door, sitting down in front of it.

Oh mattresses, how I missed thee.
 
We walk along slowly, occasionally leaning on the Golem for support. It doesn't seem to mind, nor have I heard it speak. Or seen it emote. Huh, I am feeling curiosity as to how it moves. That must mean I am recovering from the dragons.

I groan, and look at Alex, “I can see why I found you lying in a crater. Those dragons weren't easy to deal with.”

Alex glances up at me, eyes focused on their feet most of the way, “... Yeah. I can’t really remember what they looked like though… Everything is fuzzy again.”

I hesitate. Again? Looking back at how we met, he did seem… Confused. About a lot of things. They seemed fine afterwards, so maybe they just got hit harder, being a renown Dragon Slayer after all. Might look into an extra healing spell later though…

Not much else is said between us, the Golem remaining completely silent. I find myself questioning it’s motive, hoping it doesn't just up and run away. I push that worry to the side though, as the sun is setting, and we are exhausted from the constant surprises.

We soon see a village up ahead. We begin to walk faster, eager to reach a safe haven. As we get close, we see the buildings are larger than usual, and a centaur or two passes between the buildings. Southern Centaur Village lives up to it’s name, I suppose.

As we pass by the outer buildings, a centaur clad in armour glances at us… And ignores us completely, letting us pass on by. A surprisingly large wave of relief surges through me, and I can see the reason: The last village we saw was chaos from start to end, and the one before that was full of people that wanted to murder us. Here, we might be able to stay for more than an hour or two.

I take the lead, eyes scanning for an inn. A few blocks down, I notice a building with a second floor, and said addition looked shorter than expected for a centaur dwelling. In fact, it was human-sized. I point the way, and we sidle on in, the Golem entering last.

The entryway was dimly lit, and was slightly hazy. In the common room off to the side, a centaur looked up from the fireplace, before returning to their book. We ring a bell, to await the attention of the inn keeper.

A centaur comes out, clad in an apron. We haggle a bit, and we manage to land ourselves a single room with 2 beds at a reasonable price. And so we clamber on upstairs, Golem included, and head inside.

The room was musty, and the sheets smelled. I did not care. The last thing I remember is collapsing on the bed, hearing a thump from the other mattress, and the sound of the Golem closing the door, sitting down in front of it.

Oh mattresses, how I missed thee.

Great story today! I'll add it now!
 
Long chapter today! I'll add it now.

After me and Thomas pass out on the bed, we wake up with several Centaur in the room.


“Well, they’re up! We were worried! Anyways, let’s get you fed up!” A huge brown stallion with a muscular human upper body tells us.


The other few centaurs in the room, not worrying about clothes, much like the first, are slightly smaller than the first, but just as magnificent. There was a female that was a white mare that had a beautiful body. There was also a colt that looked young, but still taller than me. He was a black stallion, like the older horse.


They lead us into a giant bakery, crowded with more equines, and we look around. It’s huge!


“Well, travelers. I must admit, I had doubts about you, but I will be happy to accompany you on your quest to slay the dragon.” The female says. I noticed how muscular she was before, but I never quite realized how tall she was. She was a good three feet towering over my head.


“Helping us with our quest? We don’t need help.” Thomas says, waking me up to reality


“Hang on, let’s let her come. We could use someone like her.” I say, smiling.


A baker holds out a small piece of bread to me. “Try it” She says, happy. I bite into it, and it is delicious. It is like the best thing I ever tasted, but everywhere. I felt instantly better, not even realizing I was sore and cramp until after I was healed up. I was more aware of my surroundings, and I had insights that I wouldn’t have had before. I felt myself growing, but don’t think of it as anything.


“What did you DO?” Thomas yells at the baker.


“Well, you can have some as well, boy. It helps with the clarity of mind, as well as the soul. Nothing feels better than being a centaur.”


Huh? What was she talking about. I feel a cold breeze across my chest, but my legs are warm. They… Feel different, as well. I look down, and see my chest is bare. I am much more muscular than I was before, and I have four legs. They are furry, and I realize I’m a Centaur! Woah! “Excuse me, what happened?” I say, politely, surprising myself.


“We gave you our transformation bread. It only works on those willing, and your friend here” She gestures to Thomas, “Is unwilling. You can take it as much as you like, and it wears off in about 2 hours. You have better insights, and will think like a centaur. This means you are polite, and smarter than you would be. We also have a more potent variety of bread, which turns you into one permanently, but you shouldn’t take that until you grow used to the Centaur anatomy.”


Wow. That’s a lot to take in. Already, though, am I getting used to being shirtless. It feels good. I never felt this good when I was a man, and it is amazing. I feel revitalizing, and I realize I never even knew my age! That really is insightful! Now that I think about it, I looked and felt about fifty. I look down, and see that I am turning younger. I feel about twenty, and look twenty now. With my new knowledge, I just seem to know that is because Centaurs age a lot slower, but the bread won’t let me get to young. These centaurs have worked out everything!

“I… Really like this. Say I do become a permanent Centaur, what happens?” I ask the Baker.


“Well, you for one would need to buy a home, which your friend can stay in as well, and you couldn’t go out anymore, unless the council calls on you for a quest, in which you would have to go out on whatever quest the council needs done, and usually with a female; we find that the two genders work better together than apart. You would then have to settle down into our society, which is very complex. Soon after, you would want to get a mate, since Centaurs age 8 times slower than humans, and we mate for life. You are expected to have kids in this society. Take your time, but don’t wait too long. It is important, here.”


Huh. I thought it would be simpler, but I guess that would be okay.


Suddenly, the female gallops up to me. “Time to go, sir. That bread rejuvenates your stomach to, so since you and your friend had some, we can go.”


Thomas hops onto my equine back, and we gallop. I never even realized she left, and she looks much more beautiful now that I am a Centaur as well. About an hour later, we stop at a huge tree.


“Heddo” I hear a deep voice


“Heddo? What kind of word is that?” I say, out loud.


“Heddo. I am a tree. I am tree of dife.”


That makes sense. The tree was the tree of life! Ancient trees that speak to mortals, because they get bored sitting around for all eternity. This tree was big, but Trees of Life are absolutely huge, and this was a little smaller than it should be. Maybe it was a baby? It seems to have trouble pronouncing words, as well.


“Well, Life Tree, mind if we use you as camp? You could wake us up if danger comes, and have to be silent until danger or we tell you to. Like a game!”


“Dokay! Tree of Dife dikes games!” The tree of life says excitedly


“Okay, we’ll sleep, and you play with us!”


Suddenly, I feel something strange happening. I fall forwards, and get cramps in my ankles and feet, and my back is sore. I feel 50 again. I get down, and see the bread wore off.


As I’m about to eat another piece of it, the lady centaur says “No, don’t eat it. It’s hard to sleep as a Centaur. You much rather sleep as a human.”


Oh. That would have been uncomfortable. I’m glad she pointed that out! I realize I’m still laying down, and I can hardly get up. The ground seems to spin, and I am wobbly. I miss the stabilization of having four legs, and the balance on the ground is terrible. This stinks. The centaur is probably right, though.


“Oh, and my name is Chei. Let’s get some sleep.”


We all go to sleep, and I have good dreams about me and Chei…
 
Rolling over, I feel a slight thud as my head meets with something rather hard. I shoot upright with a yelp, rubbing my head as I glare at the culprit: A rather larger tree root, which I had accidentally rolled into. Glancing up at the Tree of Life, I see that it didn’t respond. Either plants could sleep, or it just didn't notice.

One person that did notice however, was Chei our new centaur companion. At the sound of my yelp, she had been startled awake, from what looked like a slightly uncomfortable sleeping position. Alex snored deeply, dead to the world after having tried out a different way of getting around.

Chei blushed, and lowered herself back to the ground, “Bad dream?”

I chuckled quietly, “No, I just prefer a mattress to the hard ground. And in my tossing, I accidentally managed to headbutt our protector here.”

She giggled quietly, and glanced up at the stars in thought. I glance at her, before lying back down, slightly further away from the root, “Say, Chei… Any particular reason you came with us?”

She smiled, eyes still closed as she murmured, “Just wanting to get out, and see more of the world. Isn't that why you two are together?

I smile, already feeling myself drift back to sleep, “Tr- True enough… Sorry for… *Yawn* waking you…”

I don’t know if she replied to that last bit, as I was asleep the moment the sentence was done. My dream had Acuna in it, from before… That town. It was a peaceful dream, one I wished had lasted longer.
 

Rolling over, I feel a slight thud as my head meets with something rather hard. I shoot upright with a yelp, rubbing my head as I glare at the culprit: A rather larger tree root, which I had accidentally rolled into. Glancing up at the Tree of Life, I see that it didn’t respond. Either plants could sleep, or it just didn't notice.

One person that did notice however, was Chei our new centaur companion. At the sound of my yelp, she had been startled awake, from what looked like a slightly uncomfortable sleeping position. Alex snored deeply, dead to the world after having tried out a different way of getting around.

Chei blushed, and lowered herself back to the ground, “Bad dream?”

I chuckled quietly, “No, I just prefer a mattress to the hard ground. And in my tossing, I accidentally managed to headbutt our protector here.”

She giggled quietly, and glanced up at the stars in thought. I glance at her, before lying back down, slightly further away from the root, “Say, Chei… Any particular reason you came with us?”

She smiled, eyes still closed as she murmured, “Just wanting to get out, and see more of the world. Isn't that why you two are together?

I smile, already feeling myself drift back to sleep, “Tr- True enough… Sorry for… *Yawn* waking you…”

I don’t know if she replied to that last bit, as I was asleep the moment the sentence was done. My dream had Acuna in it, from before… That town. It was a peaceful dream, one I wished had lasted longer.
Nice! Adding it now!
 

“Red adert, red adert!” the Tree of Life yells, clumsily


I wake up to a loud thumping and look around. It’s dawn, and I see a pack of big, ugly men. Their stench was overwhelming, and I could feel my life slipping away just near it. No, I can’t die. I take a bite of bread, and the process seems to take less time, this time around. I can smell the odor more clearly now, but it is, instead of something that is a weapon, it is now a tool of navigation. I can see 8 different paths, and know that they are ogres.


“Bump you, me kill you!” the female attempts to say, as she rips a tree out of the ground. She seems to be more aggressive than the males, as they just stand there. Suddenly, the tree comes flying in our direction, but before I can react, a sword comes through the air, and slices the trunk in two.


“Before you become a Centaur, get better reactions.” Chei tells me,


Phew. that could have been close. What a relief! I run up to the ogres and kick them with my hind legs, knocking them down, until only the female is left. Chei is fighting her, and she appears to be winning, until the ogre provides a stunning smash, knocking her to the ground. I punch the female ogre, in a desperate attempt to avenge Chei, and my renewed strength grants me what I need. The ogre takes a devastating blow to the head, and I try to turn around and kick her with my hind legs, I succeed, but she grabs a leg in the process. I whip around, dragging her around, until she’s limp on the ground.


“Ogres are deadly” Thomas says, frightened
 
I seem to have something against short chapters `:p I hope that isn't an issue~

I run over to Chei, who is lying still on the ground, not showing signs of recovery from the attack she received. I gently place my hands on her side, closing my eyes to focus on healing her. I work quickly, but with care so nothing goes wrong.

I wince as I see the damage, one of her lungs was completely crushed. I work the healing energies through her, reforming everything into proper shape, and stitching together broken tissue. Then, I go a bit further, spending more energy to cause some of the dead tissues to regenerate, replacing any that was too damaged from the blow. Normally skin can just be left to do that on it’s own, but not something as serious as this.

Falling back to sit on the grass, I pant from the effort. Chei stirs, and groans as she sits up, gingerly feeling at her side. Her eyes widen as she sees the Ogres, and she bows to me, “You never said you were a priest. I thought you were a mage of some form, but I never thought to be travelling with one so skilled.”

I smile at that, as Alex comes galloping up in his centaur glory, “Well, it isn’t easy to be granted this magic. Harder still to use it skilfully. The lower acolytes can manages cuts and bruises at best.”

Alex holds a hand down to Chei, which she gracefully takes and stands up. Alex nodded at me, thankful for my help. As I ease myself up, Chei went back to the Tree of Life at and rested a hand on it’s trunk, “Thank you for waking us. Could you do me a favour, and send a message to the Village, telling them that the Ogres have ventured all the way here?”

The tree rustles, and a giggle can be heard, “Oday! Anything for da centaurs!” The tree rustles even more, almost as if straining. As I sit down on one of it’s massive roots, the tree stops, done with sending the message somehow.

Chei crosses her arms, thinking, “Hmm… Hopefully, no more come down. It is rare to see them around here. Anyway, Alex, your reactions really are a bit slow. we need to have you adjust to your new body, before we leave. We don’t want to tax Thomas to much now, do we?”

I chuckle, “No complaints from me. Training would be good though, I can get some practice in with this Frozen Blade. Perhaps another thing for you to try, as we stay here a bit.”

Alex nods, and picks up his trusty sword. After a moment, they put it back, and pick up a large fallen branch, stripping the leaves from it, “Centaur training first, before the bread wears off. I don’t think it would be a good idea to use a proper sword for that.”

And so, for the next hour or so, Chie led alex through some exercises, to help familiarise himself with four legs. Galloping, weaving through obstacles, and sparring whilst moving. As they sped back and forth across the grassy plain, I swung my blade in the opposite direction, trying to perform various tricks on a boulder in the distance. Freezing it, slicing it clean in half with the chill wave, forming an ice wall between me and it. The first was easy. The second nigh impossible so far, but I did manage to chip it a little. And the wall shattered far too easily, which I found disconcerting. I need to look into improving that.

By the end of the hour, I was exhausted, and Alex had just as much trouble readjusting to human legs as they did last time. We rested in the shade of the tree of life, as some centaurs of the village galloped up, some pulling carts. Looks like they were planning on taking the ogre bodies away.

I stood, and waved as the Centaurs came closer.
 
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