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screamingatanemptyroom · 2 days

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The Healer Pt 4

The story continues. I'm still enjoying this one, so we'll keep going!

Part 1 / 2 / 3 linked here. (If I get to 5+ parts I'll make a master post)

Enjoy!

___________________________

ONE YEAR EARLIER

“Natalie! You’re here!”

Jack shouted with excitement when he saw me. Garrett and Rita trailed behind him, their expressions happy, if a bit mild and unenthused. I was still sitting on the ground, catching my breath after my first battle in this strange world. The corpses of the monster flowers had faded into the grass, leaving little evidence of my fight behind. I waved to them, feeling a strong sense of relief in seeing familiar faces.

The three of them had been my teammates in Fantasy Realm, even if they weren’t the kindest people I had ever known. While playing together they were often inpatient with me, unforgiving of mistakes, and constantly pushing me to spend more time and money improving my character when they knew I had very little of both. I had always given in, and disliked myself for doing so, hoping it would improve their opinion of me, knowing deep down it wouldn’t. I might call them friends… and I would be shocked if they called me the same. But after waking up in this weird real world of the game, I was just happy to know anyone at all.

I was afraid to be alone.

The group reached me, and with a grin, Jack reached out and helped me to my feet. I brushed the dust off of myself and looked them over. They all looked like they had in our old world, the only difference was their clothing. Jack was dressed in leather armor, reinforced my metal along the chest and back. Garrett had a large sword strapped across his back, with scant coverings over the rest of his enormous frame. Rita had a simple cloth robe and a large wooden bow.

“We all chose our familiar classes.” Jack saw my studying look and informed me. “Seemed the safest thing to do given that we don’t know what happens if you die in here.”

Rita rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you guys are taking this seriously! This can’t be real. We're still in the game! It’s just some hoax, someone hacked the game. Eventually my dad will tear the VR company apart, sue them into oblivion and then we’ll be let out!”

I paused at that. “We weren’t playing the game when this happened though.”

“We just forgot.” She answered forcefully, her gaze annoyed as usual as she met my own.

Rita had always disliked me. Our parents knew each other, her father was a well-known lawyer who had pushed her to follow in his footsteps. As someone who had struggled with the weight of parents’ expectations, I sympathized. But she had quit law school after a week, turning to full time gaming instead. She didn’t do well enough to make any money, but fortunately her mother paid her bills.

Her father was disapproving to say the least. He apparently used me as an example to her of someone successfully “taking over the family business,” never mind that I hated the pressure, resented my parents’ strict expectations and escaped whenever possible. It didn’t matter. Rita despised me, and no attempts from myself or from Jack could smooth the rift between us.

Garrett looked me over from head to toe, confused. “You don’t have a weapon.”

I froze at his words. Garrett had a large sword, obviously a barbarian type class. Jack had a one-handed sword, a fighter or swordsman. Rita was an archer with her bow. But me…

There was only was class in the game that couldn’t use weapons.

“No…” Rita started laughing, so hard that tears were forming in her eyes. “No… you DIDN’T do something so STUPID….!”

Garrett was shaking his head, frowning disapprovingly. I ignored them, my entire attention was on Jack. We had been friends since freshman year of college. He had helped me find my first class, I tutored him in chemistry. We had supported each other through ups and downs, told each other about our fears and dreams…

And he was looking at me with hatred in his eyes.

“You are a Healer.” His voice was quiet, but the lack of emotion in his tone made my hackles raise. I started to back away.

“Jack… I…”

His hand gripped my throat, and I was lifted off the ground. I gasped, unable to get air, and struggled against him, but with a strength stat of -10 I knew there wasn’t much hope. I wouldn’t be able to cast my healing spells either, without being able to speak the activation word.

I need to be able to cast without speaking. My brain focused on that, almost desperately avoiding dealing with the situation I was currently in: My friend was killing me.

**The Healer enters an early hypoxic state - 10 damage for each second that airway compression remains in place. **

**The Healer takes 10 damage. **

I had only seconds to live.

** The Healer takes 10 damage**

I grabbed his hand, focusing all my desperation into the need to cast my only spell: Small Incision.

** Through sheer force of will, The Healer has discovered Wordless Incantation**

**The Healer casts Small Incision. Jack the Hero takes 1 damage.**

As the messages floated across my vision, Jack yelped in pain, clutching his bleeding hand, dropping me to the ground. I laid still for a few moments, focusing on breathing, the pain of my neck and in my lungs a reminder of what had just occurred. I stared up at Jack, hoping to see remorse on his face.

There was nothing but rage.

“How DARE you pick a useless class like healer?” He snarled, holding pressure on his hand to stop the bleeding while staring down at me. “Our lives could depend on doing well in this game, and you seriously chose a class with minimal fighting potential, whose healing abilities are worse than any potion that can be purchased in a shop?”

He stepped closer, and I flinched back, my heart beating wildly. “You are so obsessed with your parents’ disapproval, that even in a life-or-death situation you had to pick being a doctor? Are you really so messed up?”

I opened my mouth to explain. I knew this class well, the strengths and weaknesses. I could use it to the team’s benefit. I had been a good teammate, one of the reasons we had placed so highly in the last tournament. I wanted to say all this and more.

But as I stared into the disappointment in his eyes, I felt myself slipping into old habits. Of staying quiet and nodding. Of keeping the peace and letting myself take the blame. I hated it, despised myself for it… but kept silent all the same.

“Should we just leave her behind?” Rita asked, giving no concern to me as I struggled to catch my breath after Jack’s strangling attempt. “She’s useless after all.”

“She used to provide good support.” Garrett spoke up. “We can keep her on the team until we find someone more useful…”

“I am not giving a spot on our team to a healer.” Jack closed his eyes and rubbed his temples for a moment, as if trying to calm himself down. Finally, he looked down at me coldly. “You can tag along with our team, without an official spot. You will do your best to be useful. Otherwise, we will leave you to die.”

Leave them! My heart screamed at me. Being alone is better than this! You didn’t commit some great sin by becoming a Healer! You just chose the best you could! Tell them!

Slowly, I nodded. “Fine.” My voice was still hoarse from the pressure he had placed on my throat. I adjusted my tone with the ease and familiarity of practice. “I’ll follow along.” I pushed the screaming voice in my head back, along with my pride. I knew I was worthless, a failure. I had been told that every day by the two people on the planet who were supposed to love me the most. Jack was only the latest person to say it out loud.

This was what I deserved.

The first month passed quickly. We went on multiple quests together, and settled into a comfortable rhythm. Jack would take the lead, with Garrett beside him to tank. Rita picked off far away opponents, and supported from the back. And I…

I did everything I could.

Outside of fights, I was cooking, keeping inventory, asking for quest information, and keeping the gear repaired and functional. Many nights I stayed up late, sharpening swords or repairing gear, only to have my hard work receive a nod and no other recognition.

In fights, I demanded even more of myself. Slipping in between enemies, causing damage. I delved down most of the “surgical” pathway of the healer ability, which allowed me to cause a diverse array of damage. I built up my MP until I could activate Wordless Incantation, as I found the group's irritation was a lot less if they couldn’t hear me. I immobilized enemies and allowed the others to finish them off. Because I had a hand in almost every single enemy’s death, I received a good amount of XP and fame from each fight, which angered Jack to no end.

“Stop stealing our experience!” He snapped after a fight, reading the notification that stated the rewards and experience given out.

“You asked me to immobilize them.” I answered quietly, feeling tired. “Do you want me to stop?”

“…” He glared at me silently for a few moments before answering. “Figure out a way to do it without taking my XP.”

“…sure.”

“I mean it, Healer.” From the moment he heard my class, he had never called me by my name. Our friendship, the time we had spent together… none of it meant anything next to the weight of the one undeniable fact:

I was a Healer. And therefore, in his eyes, I was a burden.

I kept my head down, trying to help out as much as possible. I learned not to ask for recognition. To not expect thanks. And I thought things would never change.

And then came the day we met Winter.

________________

PRESENT DAY

“Ouch!” Stephanie yelped as I carefully placed the needle through her skin, placing a simple suture across the wound on her calf. I didn’t hesitate with her cry of pain, tying the knot and moving on to the next stitch.

“The area has been numbed with magic, don’t pretend it hurts.”

“Yeah, I was just messing with you.” Stephanie laughed stuck her tongue out. “How did you know?”

“Because I know how it feels to sew my wounds shut without the local anesthesia spell.” I kept working without looking up. “You wouldn’t just be saying ‘ouch.’”

“Uh…Well, thank you.”

I felt surprised at her words. After a year with the Hero’s party, I was so used to doing things without any gratitude or recognition. You’re not with them anymore. I let out a mental sigh of relief at the thought, and smiled at Stephanie. “You’re welcome.”

“YOU SMILED!” Stephanie tried to get up to hug me, but Alton reached over from where he was sewing cloth nearby and pushed her back down, shaking his head with a grin.

“Don’t interrupt her work.” Winter’s response was much colder, causing Stephanie to freeze in place.

“I’m on the last one anyways.” I squared off the last knot on the suture, cutting the tails and placing a clean bandage over my work. “Keep it dry for 48 hours, and then you can remove the outer covering and bathe.”

“Not to cheapen all the work you just put into repairing this cut for me…” Stephanie hesitated. “But wouldn’t a healing potion be easier?”

Alton shook his head, but before he could say anything Winter spoke up. “Stupid human.”

“HEY! I’m not stupid!” She glanced at me. “Right?”

“No, you’re not.” Raising an eyebrow at Winter, who settled down with a grunt, I continued. “Have you noticed that over time you’ve had to use more powerful healing potions?”

She thought that over. “Well, yeah, but… I’m higher level, and have more HP… Isn’t that normal?”

“Have you tried to use a basic potion recently?” I pulled one out, and tossed it to her. “Here.”

Stephanie caught it, clearly confused. “I’m only missing 5 HP… I don’t need something that heals 10…”

“Try it.”

“Okay.” She shrugged. “If you insist…” She drank the potion quickly, and then flinched at the notification. “…It didn’t work? … Not even the cut healed.”

Alton continued to sew, but spoke up. “The more you use healing potions, the less they work. Fortunately, this seems limited to healing potions… mana recovery and other types of potions such as detoxification seem to not develop the same resistance. It’s also a slow process, but it’s becoming a universal issue. If you check the world chat this is a heated topic of discussion. Most people believe the that it’s related to level… but that’s not the case.”

“How do you know that?”

“They still work on me.” I answered quietly. “That’s why I carry the basic ones around.”

“Foolish humans… these potions were meant for true lifesaving emergencies… a basic healing potion should be enough to recover up to 50% of your health… but you drink them like water until they are worthless to you.” Winter sighed, looking over at me with a small smile. “That is why the Healers are such a vital class. In a world of constant danger and battle, of destruction and pain, only they have the power to heal and preserve. They are a noble, selfless light that protects those around them… someone to be protected at all costs. There should be a Healer in every party… but instead Nat is the only one left.”

“You did save me before!” Stephanie did get up unobstructed and hugged me. “Thank you!”

“And me.” Winter added, staring at the ground. “She saved me as well.”

“Hey, I distinctly remember passing out in front of her and being saved too, guys!” Alton spoke up, tying up his thread and checking the repair on his cape before looking at me. “I guess we are all indebted to you.”

I stared at all of them, feeling disturbed in my heart. “You guys… I’m…”

I’m worthless. Weak. And my weakness was used to destroy countless lives.

“… Thank you.” I silenced the words in my heart, and spoke a simple thanks instead.

“…” Winter was staring. I always felt he could see more than I wanted him too, as if my hidden thoughts and feelings were on display in front of him. But instead of commenting, he simply bent down, plucking a blue flower from the ground, and handed it to me.

“That’s so cute!” Stephanie clapped her hands, before freezing. “Wait! Are you two…?”

Alton paused in packing up his things and stared in our direction.

I shook my head silently at her before turning back to Winter. “Thank you. The mountain wild flower’s petals have strong anti-inflammatory properties. I’ll dry it out and process it for medication at our next stop." I pressed the flower carefully in one of my books and packed it away.

Winter nodded at my words. “You’re welcome.”

“It’s for medicine?” Stephanie frowned, disappointed. “Well, that’s boring. Where’s my drama?!”

Alton smiled widely. “Oh, don’t worry, I got your drama! Look in the world chat!”

Pausing, all of us pulled up the chat, excluding Winter, who leaned on a tree nearby and watched the display over my shoulder. The top topic in the chat was skyrocketing with engagement… and seeing the title it wasn’t hard to understand why:

___________________________

“TROUBLE IN PARADISE? HERO’S PARTY SEEN ARGUING WITH NEW MEMBER REBECCA THE SORCERESS! IS THE USELESS HEALER MISSED?”

There was great discussion today among players as a loud disagreement broke out among the Hero’s Party after their last quest line. Although it is unknown the exact nature of it, it seems to be surrounding the recent addition to the party. Rebecca the Sorceress is the newest member of the Hero’s Party after the departure of the much-despised Healer. Many had cheered her arrival, as well as supporting the apparent budding relationship between the Hero and his new magical lady.

___________________________

“And you guys ask why I think humans are stupid.” Winter muttered as he read along with me. I shushed him and continued on with the post.

___________________________

But is there a fracture in the once iron-strong team? Words such as “Useless,” “Hiding” and “Potion sponge” were heard shouted by Rita the Holy Archer, with the Hero defending and Garrett the Giant siding beside Rita. Rebecca appeared to be in tears. Is this bullying the newcomer? Is Rebecca actually dragging the team down? What does this mean for the plans to attack the forty second gate in a few days?

Discuss your thoughts below!

___________________________

I sighed and closed the chat, seeing that comments were mostly just going back and forth over the juicy gossip. “What a mess.”

“You don’t sound surprised.” Alton commented with a grin.

“No. I’m not. Rebecca… she’s…”

“Useless?” Stephanie interjected.

“Full of tears and excuses?” Was Alton’s contribution.

“A snake who poisons those foolish enough to trust it.” Winter quietly added.

I laughed. “… I was going to say she’s a lot of drama… but I like your answers better. They are used to a certain standard of having everything done for them, even if I backed off quite a bit towards the end, when things had gotten really bad. I don’t think Rebecca will see my role within the group as appealing, though.”

“Oh well, their loss is our gain!” Stephanie cheered, hugging me again. “Let’s go hunting! I want meat for dinner!” She pulled out her sword excitedly.

“Yes, Natalie should have some meat to help her recover from all the battles we’ve been through.” Winter nodded, checking his bow and following.

Alton stood up and looked over at me. “Meat for dinner doesn’t sound bad… what do you think, Ms. Healer? Do you want to go hunting?”

“I don’t want to ruin their fun…” I started to say, looking at the backs of the two already moving ahead.

Alton’s voice was serious. “No. I’m not asking about them. I’m asking what YOU want to do.”

I paused, and my gaze met his own. After a few moments, I smiled. “Meat sounds great for dinner.” And I meant it.

“Then let’s go hunting with them.” Was his answer.

And hunting we went.

With only two days left before we would face the forty-second gate.

#writing #fantasy #the healer #violence #magic #video game like world #betrayal #friends

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screamingatanemptyroom · 2 days

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I've been on your blog for 5 minutes, have read a single story and oh my god.

You are now the God of writing and stories.

I don't know any other way to put it.

Have fun with being a God.

You are amazing.

Awww, this made me smile! Thank you for writing such a nice message!

Glad you liked the story, and I hope you enjoy my other works which are all here for everyone to read!

Have a wonderful day!

#not writing #response #thanks for reading #this made me smile

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screamingatanemptyroom · 2 days

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found you via a reblog of The Healer and I am so glad I did! I can’t wait to read more of this, and all your other works too - you’re a really talented storyteller!

Thanks for sharing with the internet 🩵

Thank you! Glad you found me and that you liked what you've read so far! I love sharing my work with others and always happy to have new people join in the fun!

Welcome and thanks for reading!

#not writing #response #thank you for reading!#I tend to answer all my asks in bunches before i post my writing #so if i am delayed in answering that's why!

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screamingatanemptyroom · 2 days

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oooh healer story? looks cool!

Glad you think so! Playing around with video game world type setting has been a lot of fun, so I'm glad people are enjoying it so far!

#not writing #response #nice messages that make me smile

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screamingatanemptyroom · 9 days

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The Healer pt 3

The story continues! Hope you guys like it!

Part 1 and 2 linked here.

Enjoy!

_____________________________

The Hero’s party stood with their backs to us, arguing loudly. They obviously didn’t hear Stephanie’s call, and kept their focus on the man in front of them.

“How dare you go back on our deal?!” Jack the Hero snapped, his face twisted with rage. “You have always been our chief supplier!”

Rita the Holy Archer spoke up, flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder as she did so. “Yeah, you never turned us down before!”

The massive and imposing form of Garrett the Giant loomed over the group as he stood by with his arms crossed, nodding in agreement. The fourth and final member, Rebecca the Sorceress, leaned against the Hero, her eyes filled with tears as if everyone in the room had personally wronged her.

Seeing the group together again was… rough, to say the least. I had once considered three of them, Jack, Rita and Garrett, my closest friends. We had played the game together before the Downfall, spending late nights going on raids and completing quests. They had been the brightest part of a life that had been greatly overshadowed by my parents’ expectations and disapproval. I had valued their friendship, so much so that I was willing to break myself over and over again just to stay by their side. I had lied to myself, that I was just as much a part of the team as they were. That I was valued, even if they didn’t always say so. That I was lucky to have them, given that I had chosen the class I did. I hated myself for my weakness, but refused to leave, too dependent on them to try to break off on my own.

Until Jack finally betrayed me enough to wake me up to the truth:

They had never been my friends.

As for Rebecca… my gaze settled on the pitifully crying girl. She was crying when I met her, too.

______________________

“Healer! Help! I have an injured person here!” At Jack’s frantic cry, I forced myself awake and ran out of my house, surprised to see him carrying a young, beautiful woman. Her face was unnaturally pale, her red hair matted with blood, stuck to her forehead. Her clothing was scorched in several areas, making her seem even more pitiful. I paused for a moment, feeling a brief discomfort at the sight of Jack holding her with a tenderness in his eyes I had never seen before.

We were not a couple. He had hinted his interest several times, but we had agreed to wait until the world was more stable before discussing it deeply. I wasn’t sure of my own feelings, having always considered him a good friend, but I knew that in the midst of a life or death battle was probably not the best time to give a real answer. Jack hadn’t been happy with my response, but said he understood. He hadn’t brought it up again, but the sight of his distress for the woman in his arms made me wonder if I had his answer.

Either way, it was no time to work out my feelings on the matter. I pushed away the flash of unease at the two’s closeness and stepped forward to look at the young woman. She flinched away from my gaze, her teary eyes looking up at Jack.

“Don’t bother your friend! I just need a potion and I’ll be fine.”

Jack smiled at her. “Nonsense, you fainted just a minute ago. The Healer may be useless in a fight, but she can do targeted therapy for whatever injuries you have.”

I winced at the word “useless”, a term I was all too used to from my childhood.

“Wait!” Rather than being comforted, this seemed to distress the young man more. She struggled slightly, seeming unable to free herself from Jack’s hold. “I don’t…”

I lost patience, and reached out my hand, putting it on her forehead.

“Scan.”

**The Healer has activated Scan -20MP. Target is not in your party and some information is withheld.

Rebecca the Sorceress

Class –Magic User

Title – Sorceress, Magic Student, Dependent, Poison Master.

Level 56

HP 209/250

MP 280/300

STR ***

DEX ***

INT ***

WIS ***

CHAR ***

Current status: Charm applied + 50 Charisma – 1 hour remaining.

Healing status – mild abrasions to forehead, right elbow, and anterior thigh- 10 sq centimeters total surface area. First degree burns – dorsum of foot, and right wrist – 5 square centimeters total surface area. Mild poison toxicity – side effects include pallor, diaphoresis and generalized weakness. – 10 minutes remaining. **

I frowned as I read through the information. Jack quickly began asking questions.

“How bad is it, Healer? Will she be all right? You can fix it, right?”

“Some scrapes and mild burns, no worse than a sunburn, just needs her wounds dressed and some ointment for pain and to prevent infection. How did she get poisoned?”

“Poisoned?” He brought her into my house and set her down on my bed. “She wasn’t poisoned, she was protecting a family from bandits.”

I shrugged, getting out supplies and carefully cleaning and dressing her injuries. “The scan says she was poisoned, probably about an hour ago judging by the remaining cooldown. Nothing bad, just something that would make her pale, sweaty and weak.”

Rebecca began crying loudly as I finished bandaging her. Before I could react, Jack pushed me out of the way, leaning over to check on her. I slammed by back into the dresser, groaning with pain as it struck.

“Did she hurt you?!” He asked Rebecca, frowning as he looked over her bandages.

She blinked back tears, regaining control of herself. “I’m sorry, I was just so worried… The way she said it… it sounds like she’s accusing me of taking poison on purpose!”

I gingerly stood up, rubbing my back where it hit the dresser. “I didn’t mean to imply…”

“Shut up, Healer!” He laid a hand on Rebecca’s head. “Just ignore her. She’s just a burden our team carries around because we happened to know her before the Downfall.”

I closed my eyes at his words, trying to ignore both the physical and emotional pain.

______________________

“Why can’t you help us?!” Rebecca was sobbing, blinking her tear-filled eyes and staring at the man in front of their group. “Don’t you know we’re humanity’s only hope?”

“They’re our only hope?”Alton leaned in, whispering “We’re so doomed.”

Stephanie and I chuckled quietly in response.

The owner of the shop, Winter, stood silently in front of the Hero’s party. He was tall, although still shorter than Garrett the Giant. Somehow his demeanor made him seem to tower over the entire group. His white hair was cropped short, at odds with his younger appearing face, placing him in his late twenties. His eyes were a bright pale blue, his handsome feature marred only by a large scar tracing across his face, only barely missing his right eye. His face was expressionless, almost bored, unchanged by Rebecca’s tears.

“You seem to be having a bit of a misunderstanding.” Winter finally spoke up, his voice quiet and cold. “I never had a deal with YOU.”

“LIAR!” Jack screamed. “You’ve always…”

“I’ve had a deal with your healer.” He raised an eyebrow. “And she’s not with you anymore. So I have no reason to deal with you.”

“The Healer?” Rita laughed, her sharp features and gaze filled with a mocking light. “That useless baggage? Why would you care if she’s with us or not?”

“…” Winter stared at her silently, and seemingly pressured, Rita stepped back, hiding behind Garrett. “Foolish.”

“We’re foolish?” Jack asked, shaken but still angry. “You’re the one who is turning down the opportunity of a lifetime. Just because of some bit…”

SMACK!

Winter backhanded the Hero, sending him down to the floor with a calm expression.

“Close your foul mouth, or I’ll close it for you.” He raised an eyebrow. “Any questions?”

Stephanie raised her hand. “Where do I sign up to be part of his fan club?” Alton raised his hand as well, nodding.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You never change., Winter”

At my words, Winter turned towards me, his cold blank expression melting into a bright smile.

“Natalie! You’re here!”

“…”

Everyone in the room turned to stare at me. I shrunk back slightly. Alton spoke up first, frowning. “Natalie?”

I sighed. “My real name, or more accurately, my name before the Downfall. I don’t like using it anymore.” I don’t like the person who wore that name, nor the people who bestowed it upon me. “Healer is a much more accurate title.”

Alton smiled and shrugged. “Whatever makes you happy, Miss Healer.”

Winter’s smile faded a bit, and he walked forward, stepping on the Hero as he did so, ignoring his grunt of pain.

“Are you okay? I just heard about the price on your head. Did they hurt you?”

I shook my head. “I’m fine. You know that they couldn’t hurt me if they tried.”

“Anyone can get hurt if they get caught off guard, Nat.” He put a hand on my shoulder, staring into my eyes. “You should have left a long time ago. They didn’t deserve your loyalty.”

“Well, she’s got a new team now!” Alton stepped in excitedly.

“Yeah! We’re much better than those creeps!” Stephanie joined in. The two gave each other and me a thumbs up.

Winter stared at them for a while, before sighing. “I told you that you didn’t have to fight with anyone. Yet you still race towards danger at the side of these… people. What has humanity ever done for you?”

I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a soft sigh. “Not everyone is as terrible as you think.”

“That’s rich, considering what state you were in when we first met.” The disappointment in his eyes was clear. I flinched, trying not to think of the circumstances of our first meeting.

“That’s not…”

“STOP IGNORING ME!” Rebecca cried out, fire blazing at her fingertips as she glared at all of us. As we quieted down, she focused her gaze on Winter. “Why are you so obsessed with her? She’s a useless healer! We are the HERO’S PARTY!”

Winter stepped closer, and she shrank into Jack’s side, trying to get away, but froze when Winter’s gaze met hers. “You know nothing, poison witch. A Healer is a noble profession, only meant for the strongest of heart and mind. “

“Y-you…”

“Now get out of my store.” He pointed at the exit, and after a moment of silence, the hero’s party shuffled out. Jack paused at the doorway, looking at me with a serious expression. “My offer is still open. We will attack the forty second gate in 3 days. With or without you.”

And with that, he was gone, and all was quiet.

“What idiots.” Alton sat down on a nearby chair, frustrated. “They’re going to put all of humanity at risk.”

“No more than they deserve.” At Winter’s harsh tone, everyone turned to him again.

“You don’t like humans?” Alton asked.

“Any reason why I should?”

He pointed at me. “Miss Healer is a human.”

“The exception, not the rule.”

I shook my head at his solemn reply. “We came here for supplies. Can you help us?”

“Of course.” He agreed immediately, pulling out a large bag from behind the counter and handing it straight to me. “On the house.”

“You know I’ll never agree to that.” I dropped some custom potions and gold on the table. “You have to stay in business.”

Winter shook his head, but I insisted. “Take it or I go somewhere else for supplies.”

“…Fine.” After a long hesitation, he finally reached out and took the items, carefully arranging them on the shelf on the back wall.

“…” Stephanie and Alton stared silently at the exchange between us.

“I smell drama!” Stephanie whispered loudly.

Alton nodded silently, frowning.

“Speaking of which, PREPARE TO BE AMAZED!” Stephanie stepped forward, dropping the pelts onto the counter. “BEHOLD! I HAVE COMPLETED MY QUEST!”

Winter looked over the wolf furs, nodding silently. “This is what I asked for.” His tone was unimpressed. Stephanie grinned, not intimidated.

“So you’ll pay me this time?”

“This time?” I turned to her. “How many times has he scammed you with fake quests?”

“They aren’t fake!” She defended, clutching the bag of gold he handed her. “He just has high standards.”

“Did you count your payment?”

“… I was about to.” She opened the sac of gold and muttered to herself, before staring accusingly at Winter. “It’s only half!”

“Because you didn’t get the pelts.” He inclined his head towards me. “I know Nat’s work when I see it.”

“I helped, though! I lured them all the way to her!”

“And I bet she asked for half.”

“How did you know?!” She paused. “I was going to give it to her.”

I sighed. “Just pay her the whole amount. Your deal was for the pelts, it doesn’t matter how she got them. If I want the cash, I’ll get it from her.”

“…”

“Besides, she’s my teammate…”

Stephanie jumped in. “AND BEST FRIEND!”

“…In a way it’s paying me.”

“…” He sat a second bag of gold down, which Stephanie snatched up and counted with glee. Winter ignored her, looking at me.

“You’re really doing this again? Trusting humans?”

I shook my head. “I don’t trust anyone.”

“You trust too much… you just pretend like you don’t to comfort yourself.” He thought things over. “Where are you going next?”

Alton joined in. “We’re going to go hunting in the fortieth level forest. Try to get a feel for our fighting style.”

“What about your fourth party member? Your team is incomplete.”

“Maybe we’re just picky?” Alton offered.

Winter stared at us. Stephanie broke first. “Everyone’s too scared to work with Alton, and they think Healer is a burden.”

“…”

“We don’t though! We think she’s awesome.”

Winter finally smiled at that. “Alright then.” He began packing a bag. “I’ll join your team.”

“AWESOME!”

“Is that even possible?”

“You’ll what?!”

Stephanie, Alton and I spoke up at the same time. Winter continued to pack, undisturbed by our shouts.

“You need a fourth teammate, and Nat needs someone to watch her back. It’s a win-win. ”

Alton stared at him. “Why do you think she needs your help?”

Winter didn’t flinch. “She needs it. Needed it since the beginning.”

After studying him a long moment, the dark wizard turned towards me. “It’s your call. I trust your judgement with this.”

I rubbed my forehead, feeling tired. “Why don’t we do a trial before making anything official? Go fight together. See how it goes from there.”

“… You don’t trust me?” Winter asked quietly.

“You’d have to be their teammates as well, fighting to protect humanity. I don’t see why you are volunteering. You’ve never cared before.” Was my equally quiet answer.

After a long moment of consideration, he nodded in agreement. “…Fine. A test mission first.”

“Wait!” Stephanie chimed in. “Can NPCs even join human parties? Aren’t they the ones who give quests?”

Winter placed his packed bag on his back, grabbing a bow and some arrows. “My kind are not a part of the Rules. We follow them, just like you do.”

“So you’re like us?” Alton asked, curious.

“No.” His tone was flat. “I am nothing like you humans. But I can join your party.”

“Great! Let’s go on an adventure!” Stephanie ran towards the door, and shaking my head, I followed her.

“Should be interesting.”

____________________________

The fortieth-floor forest was filled with death. Black twisted trees, grey, dried out grass. Shadows from nothing, movements that didn’t make sense. I stood in place, feeling the constant overwhelming sensation of being watched.

Alton smiled, seeming right at home. “Alright guys, this place is chocked full of undead, perfect for a good fight. We just need to get a sense for how everyone else works, and how to help each other.”

“Sounds good!” Stephanie pulled out her enormous sword and grinned. “I’ll tank!”

“Great. I’ll provide crowd control and protection through magic.” He turned towards Winter, who seemed relaxed despite the evil forest around him. “What about you?”

Winter held up his bow. “I’ll pick off monsters from the back.”

“Great. That just leaves Miss Healer…” He turned towards me. “How would you like to fight?”

His question caught me by surprise. When I fought with the Hero’s party, I had often supported them secretly, standing afar, silently using my healing magic to add further injuries to my teammate’s attacks. It was difficult, making myself appear useless while protecting and attacking at the same time.

But now… I was able to openly and honestly take part with the team.

I smiled. “I want to be in the front.”

Stephanie cheered. “Besties tanks!”

“Sounds like we have a plan.” Alton grinned, looking every inch the evil wizard. “Let’s go.”

It didn’t take long before we ran into a large group of undead. Zombies, skeletons, shadowy creatures with claws and spikes, crawled out between the trees, their eyes glowing red with hunger.

“Kill!” A gravelly voice came out of the large skeleton, staring at me. I walked forward calmly, no weapons in my hands.

Undead didn’t have blood. Didn’t have beating hearts. They needed no oxygen, absorbing their energy from the living. Which limited my options. I would have to go for attacks that caused physical damage.

Stephanie ran forward with a loud cry, swinging her large sword and decapitating the first zombie in her field of vision. Alton chanted, his spells separating the zombies out in smaller groups, hindering their movement and slowing their attacks. I could hear the buzzing of arrows as Winter calmly shot down enemy after enemy.

It was my turn.

I held a scalpel in my hand, the cool metal somewhat comforting against my skin. A group of ten zombies shuffled towards me, trying to shake off the bonds of Alton’s magic.

Wordless incantation was still in cooldown. I would have to speak out loud to activate my spells. I stepped closer to the group

“Amputation.”

**The Healer has cast Amputation x 10. – 1000 MP. **

My magic reached out to each of the zombies, chopping off each of their right legs at the mid-thigh, slicing cleanly through rotting muscle and bone. The zombies groaned in confusion, falling to the ground. I watched them carefully, recognizing they were still dangerous despite their helpless appearance.

This is when Jack or the others would rush in to claim the kill… and then complain about the automatic XP share since my magic contributed to the fight. But now that I don’t have them… what now?

Amputation was a spell that could only be applied to limbs. Small and large incision could cut their throats, but not enough to decapitate them which was what was needed.

A brief feeling of hopelessness rose up within me. The despair that had filled my days as I fought in this strange world beside others who had ridiculed me and belittled me. I chose a worthless class, one that struggles to put down wounded zombies…

One of the zombies flipped onto its stomach, beginning to pull itself towards me, teeth bared. Simultaneously, a spell and an arrow hit its remaining leg, pinning it into place. Stephanie was still fighting her group of zombies, but seeing me hesitate shouted out: “Go get ‘em!”

They’re encouraging me. The stark contrast of this fight from my past team made me smile. I wanted to live up to the support of this strange new team. I thought of a plan, and I reached out my hand, focusing.

“Craniotomy.”

**The Healer has cast Craniotomy x 10. – 5,000 MP.**

The skulls cracked open, revealing rotting brains. I kept an eye on my numbers, even with my unusually large mana pool, I couldn’t keep spending so recklessly. I chose a smaller spell.

“Cauterization.”

**The Healer has cast Cauterization x 10. – 100MP.**

The tissue shriveled under the heat of the spell and the zombies grew completely still. As I stared down at the carnage, Stephanie killed her last zombie, prompting the end of the battle.

** Stephanie the Lovely Barbarian is credited with 8 zombie monster kills, awarded 600XP and +8 fame. Alton the Great Evil Wizard is credited for the assist and is awarded 200XP and +2 fame. You receive 8XP as a party member.

The Healer is credited with 10 zombie monster kills, awarded 800XP and +10 fame. Alton the Great Evil Wizard, and Winter the Shopkeeper are credited for the assist and awarded 100 XP and +1 fame each. **

“AWESOME!” Stephanie ran over and hugged me, ignoring my grimace as I realized how badly she smelled after close combat with rotting corpses. “We’re the best team ever! Did you see how fast we took out high level zombies?”

“Strong work everyone!” Alton seemed pleased, “A few more fights, and I think we could get a good rhythm going.”

“Here.” Winter held out a mana recovery potion to me. “Those were high level healer spells you cast today. You probably need this.”

After a brief hesitation I took it. “You recognize Healer spells?”

“Of course.” He spoke sincerely, adding. “It’s the greatest achievement one can have, to take such a path. I’m happy to help you.”

“…Thanks.” I drank the potion.

The Healer has used Potion of Mana Recovery, +800MP. 2 remaining in Inventory.

Stephanie stood in front of me, clasping her hands together with a pleading expression. “So… can we keep him? You said we could consider it after a trial!”

Alton and I exchanged glances. I still felt uneasy about having an “NPC” on our team. For all the time I had known Winter, I still did not understand his true motivations. Why was he in this world with us? Why join our team? And the real question that haunted me:

Why did he help me a year ago when he had no incentive to do so?

But the truth was, he was our best option.

I nodded to Alton, who immediately offered his hand to Winter.

“Welcome to the team.”

**Winter the Shopkeeper has accepted your invitation to join your party! He will have access to shared inventory, and his stats will become visible upon medical scan.**

The usual joining party message popped up, along with something unexpected:

** NOTICE - Due to status of new party member, special restrictions will apply to any stat or data sharing.**

Special restrictions? I shook my head. Not helping with my paranoia about trusting him on our team.

Stephanie cheered as I shook his hand after Alton. Finally, once things had calmed down, we all sat down to regroup.

“What next?” Stephanie asked, grabbing jerky from her pack.

I thought over her question. “The Hero’s party is going to attack the gate in 3 days. We should plan to be there.”

“Oh joy, them again.” Stephanie bit angrily into the jerky, as if hurting the people who annoyed her. "I can hardly contain my excitement."

“Fighting monsters, AND making sure the Hero’s party won’t stab us in the back at the same time?” Alton grinned. “Sounds like a party to me!"

I sighed, and grabbed my own food from my bag.

We had 3 days to get ready.

#writing #part 3 #healer #fantasy #violence #magic #video game like world #betrayal

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screamingatanemptyroom · 9 days

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Another lovely fanart by @madishhatter that I wanted to share with everyone! Bel and Liam's meeting!

I love this, especially the expressions. Thank you for sharing it with me!

#not writing #fanart #other people's art #cool art #this always makes me smile

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screamingatanemptyroom · 9 days

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Thanks for the feedback! I'll keep going with whatever feels natural, which will probably still be around 3k words or so, as it seems to me the most natural "part" for me when I write longer stories.

I was traveling for the last week, but I'm back at home and ready to write! Wish me luck!

I've been thinking about this a lot, especially since I've been working on some part 2s to a few of my newer stories. I get short bursts of inspiration, so might be easier to just post shorter bits, but also might make for a more fragmented reading experience, in which case waiting until I've written a longer piece might be better.

In general for Please Fix the Story I always did longer updates, since it felt the most natural for reading.

Let me know your thoughts!

#not writing #thanks for the responses.#this was helpful #poll

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screamingatanemptyroom · 24 days

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The Healer pt 2

Decided to continue this, let me know if you want me to keep going!

Part 1 linked here

Enjoy!

________________________

“What have you done?”

My voice was strained in a horrified whisper.

Jack the Hero was calm despite my obvious distress. He leaned back in his chair, his face smiling but his eyes freezing cold. “That’s the wrong question, Healer. The right question is: what have YOU done?”

“Everyone… they’re dead… you promised you needed it to clear the gate… you told me…”

“I told you a lie.” His smile didn’t change. “You were the fool who believed me. Their deaths are on your hands as much as mine.”

I stood up, checking my inventory and beginning to drop any group items. “I’m quitting your team. I’d rather die alone out there then stay on under you. After what you've done."

“I’d rethink that, Healer.” He held up a hand, and a bright red gleam shined between his fingers.

“You bastard.” I froze at the sight, unable to move, as realization slowly dawned on me of the extent of his betrayal. “You…”

He stood up, not bothering to listen to the rest of my cursing. “Save your energy.” He paused at the doorway, his gaze settling on my tear-stained face without much interest. “You’ll need it. We ride early tomorrow, Healer. Be ready.”

______________________

“JACK!” I sat up in bed, breathing heavily. I was filled with terror and rage, and it took a moment to realize my familiar surroundings. Light blue walls, intricate draperies, stacks of large books on topics ranging from anatomy to pharmacology. My room. I sighed with relief.

Thinking of my dream, and the bad memory contained within, I stiffened again, slowly slipping my hand into my collar and gripping the cold hard surface of the amulet within. I sat silently, clutching it so tightly that the hard edges began to dig into the skin of my palm. Eventually my speeding heart rate slowed, and my breathing normalized. I was in my house, out of Jack’s reach.

As I calmed down, a notice popped up in my vision.

**You have rested through the night. HP and MP are restored in full. Adverse conditions such as fatigue are eliminated. You are encouraged to continue your mission in securing the advancement of the human race! Good luck!**

I waved away the notice with a frown. Since the Downfall, since we had woken up in this strange world crafted after a VR game, there had been only vague references to the “purpose” behind it. The original message had mentioned an “opportunity for improvement” but given little other information. Who was it that trapped us all here? Why did they do it? And are they still watching us?

I shook my head. All we knew was that there were one hundred gates to pass to “complete” this mission. Perhaps then we would understand the purpose behind all of this, the meaning of all this pain, death and suffering.

But we were only on the forty-second gate.

I went downstairs, and paused when I spotted Alton the Great Evil Wizard, looking nothing like his terrifying reputation as he was sitting cross-legged on the floor, calmly sewing a black robe. Hearing my footsteps, he looked up and grinned, waving with the hand holding the threaded needle.

“Good morning, Miss Healer!”

The address caught me by surprise. Jack and the party had always just called me “healer” or “the healer.” The word was always said dripping with disdain. They had hated my profession, hated the embarrassment of having me on their team, made even worse by the fact that they actually needed me around. But when Alton said it… it just seemed normal.

I think my sense of normal has been greatly skewed.

I regained my composure and nodded at him. “Good morning. What are you working on?”

“Repairing my torn robes.” He gestured a pile next to him on the floor. “They have low durability so they break down easily.”

“Shouldn’t you just buy new ones?”

He nodded. “I could… but prefer to save my money for the things I really want. Better to keep it close, since you never know what important things you might need it for… especially in this world.”

“Says the guy who put a 100,000 gold bounty on the head of the Hero?”

“Exactly!” He grinned viciously. “I save my money for important things like annoying idiots like him.”

I laughed at that. After another pause, I sat down on the floor next to him and grabbed a piece of dark cloth from the pile. Pulling a needle and dark thread out of my inventory, I began to stitch.

“You sew?” Alton asked, seeming surprised.

I pointed at his chest, where the stitched wound was still visible. “If I can patch you up, pretty sure I can sew up a sleeve.”

“…Good point… although I guess I didn’t realize the skills were transferable. Did you take on a Tailor side quest?”

“It’s not a skill, not a Fantasy Realm type skill at least.” I kept my eyes on my hands that were picking up speed as muscle memory took over. “I always liked to sew, even before the Downfall… it was a good way to relax. It seemed logical to decompress doing the type of sewing that didn’t have the possibility to kill someone if your stitch came loose.”

“Wait…” He held up his hand, shocked. “Were you a doctor before the Downfall?”

“Yeah, but I was still in surgery residency. So wasn’t like I was operating on my own… “

Alton blinked, seemingly trying to absorb this information. “That’s… impressive.”

I kept my head down, my hands moving smoothly without hesitation. “Not in my family.”

“Ah… familial disappointment. Something with which I am quite familiar.” There was a sad tone in his voice, a look in his eyes that seemed almost close to despair. “Unlike you, I did not go into the family business… making me somewhat of the black sheep of the family.”

“Your family business?” I probed, curious.

“Well, it wasn’t wizardry, that’s for sure.” I sensed he was avoiding the question, and dropped the topic. I didn’t know Alton that well, certainly not enough to push him to open up. I tried to find something else to talk about instead.

“So… what do you think about what I said yesterday?”

He seemed quietly relieved that I moved on. “Which sentence?”

“About finding a couple other people for our party.”

He continued to sew, thinking it over. “I guess it depends…”

“Depends on what?”

Alton looked up, his eyes serious. “On if you trust them.”

I paused at that, before finally answering in a cold tone. “I don’t trust anyone.”

The amulet around my neck felt icy cold against my skin, as always, as if reminding me of its presence, reminding me of the consequence of trusting someone.

“Not anymore.”

Alton nodded seriously at that, and I remembered the title that I saw in his Stat screen. “The Betrayed.” Given the particulars of the system of this world, I didn’t want to know how severe of a betrayal it would have to be to actually bestow a title like that.

Looks like we are both haunted by the consequences of trusting the wrong person. I feel like I already know the kind of person he is... even if it's not been a long time.

As if he heard my thoughts, he spoke up. “We have a lot in common. I’ve been watching you for quite some time. I have a good understanding of the type of person you are… and aren’t. I considered all the options before inviting you into my party. If you have someone you know that well… I would at least be willing to meet them.”

“You were watching me?” I raised an eyebrow at that. “Why?”

“First, I was interested because you were a healer. I didn’t think any had survived. Then I noticed you cleaning up after the Hero’s party’s antics. And then… it was partly because I was scared of you.” He smiled to soften the blow, but I still froze for a moment, before forcing my hands to continue.

“Scared of me?”

“Yeah… since I’m fairly certain that you are the only human in this world who is strong enough to kill me.”

I processed that. “So it’s a ‘keep your enemies close’ type deal?”

“Nah, nothing like that.” He laughed quietly. “It’s just the more I got to know you, the more I couldn’t escape a thought: That I thought you would be a good friend.”

“… You shouldn’t trust me.” My tone was flat.

Alton seemed unfazed. “Why not? Are you planning to betray me?”

I shook my head.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“You don’t know everything yet… even if you’ve been watching… there’s things… terrible, awful things you need to know about me before making any decisions.”

“None of us are saints in this world.” He briefly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, before meeting my gaze once more. I could see the guilt within. “We were trapped here, forced to survive. We’ve all done things we regret. Don’t forget: I’m not far behind you in human kill numbers.”

There was a long pause.

“What are you thinking?” He finally asked, breaking the silence.

I knotted off the thread as I finished closing the tear, cutting it off with a neat motion. “I think you’re strangely naïve for someone called the ‘great evil wizard.’”

“If you say so.” Alton chuckled.

“I do.”

“So are you going to introduce this naïve evil wizard to your friends?” He finished sewing his robe, tying it off somewhat clumsily.

I froze at the word “friends."

______________________

“I need your help.” Jack’s eyes were intense as he cornered me, my back against a cold brick wall. The solidity of it grounded me, the realness of it reminding me that this strange world I lived in was my new normal.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. If the power gets into the wrong hands…” As I tried to turn away, he grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. My skin crawled at his touch, but the hard grip prevented me from pulling away.

“We don’t have a choice. The next gate is impossible without your help. If you refuse… everyone will die.”

He finally released me, and I tried to back away, but only succeeded in hitting my head against the brick. After a few long moments, I sighed.

“Just for the gate, right? You promise?”

“Of course…” He smiled. “We’re friends after all.”

______________________

I took a deep breath, ignoring Alton’s concerned look. “No. Not friends. But strong people who might be interested in partnering with us.”

I had no friends. I didn't dare. Not since I stopped calling Jack and his group that.

“Ah of course. `And you think these strong people will be okay partnering with me?” He pointed at himself with a quizzical expression.

I smiled confidently. “I have no doubt.”

______________________

SLAM!

The door slammed in our faces for the third time. Inside the building we could hear a muffled “GO AWAY!”

Alton looked over at me with a smile. “No doubt, huh?”

I frowned. “ I underestimated your bad reputation… or maybe mine.”

“I resent that. My bad reputation is more than enough to scare good prospects away on its own.” He glanced back at the door with a raised eyebrow. “Besides if they are too scared to even join us, I imagine they wouldn’t be that much help in a fight.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry. I’ve run out of suckers… I’m mean strong heroes to ask.”

He grinned at that, as we walked away from the last house and towards the 38th level City. The main road was deserted, this was one of the higher levels, and very few people advanced this far. Many chose to stay in the lower levels, avoiding danger. I kept a close eye on the surrounding forest, tense. The roads were generally safe, but the wariness remained all the same.

“So, just the three prospects, huh?”

“People on the World Leader Board who aren’t already in a party and not total psychopaths?” I shook my head, distracted from my obsessive watching of our surroundings. “You’re lucky I could think of three.”

“Well maybe it will just have to be you and me. I mean we ARE the top two players on the World Leader Board. It could be enough.”

We walked forward as I continued to ponder his words. I had not really seen Alton in action. However, his ranking and reputation as the world’s strongest player couldn’t be denied. “It might be enough, for a while. But I don’t know if that will carry us to the end. The gates are getting harder and harder… “

“Well, it’s not like teammates are going to just fall from the sky…”

“LOOK OUUUUUT!”

Alton and I rolled out of the way of the person falling from a nearby tree, both readying for battle. Alton whispered quietly, activating a dark magical flame that danced around his fingers. I on the other hand, simply stood in place, hands resting at my sides. If there was one thing I was good at, it was killing. I just needed to know if it was necessary. In the corner of my vision I confirmed my filled HP and MP, with some reassurance.

The falling person hit the ground with a loud CLANG and her metal armor slightly deformed from the impact. She the rolled several times, coming to a loud stop on her back at my feet. Her young, bright eyes stared up at me with delight.

“Healer!”

I looked down at her, and sighed. “Hello, Stephanie.”

Alton glanced at her, and then looked at me. “You know her?”

“WE’RE BEST FRIENDS!”

“No.”

Stephanie and I answered at the same time. Alton laughed, and held out a hand to the teenage girl. “Nice to meet you, Miss Healer’s best friend. I’m Alton.”

Her eyes widened. “The evil wizard?” I braced myself for her to scream or run away similar to the prior “strong” people I had tried to recruit. Instead, she smiled with great relief. “THANK GOODNESS!”

“Huh.” Alton seemed just as confused as me. “Never had that reaction before.”

Stephanie in response pointed a group of monsters emerging from the nearby forest, heading towards us. “Can you guys lend a hand?”

I studied the new threat carefully. There were eight wolf like creatures, 5 feet tall with long horns, large jaws and rows upon rows of blood-stained teeth. They moved as a pack, snarling and howling as they closed in on their prey.

Alton shrugged nonchalantly at the sight, and pointed at me. “I’ll help if she says it’s okay.”

“Great!” Stephanie sat up with difficultly, her armor hindering the movement, and placed her hands together in a praying gesture. “Please?”

I pushed up my sleeves. “Sure. I had some energy I wanted to get out anyways. Alton, you take the four on the left?”

He nodded in response and began chanting.

I faced the four beasts on the right with a thoughtful expression. One out of the group was larger than the rest, likely the leader of the pack.

**The Healer has activated wordless incantation. -300MP per use.**

The wolf monsters were racing closer. I sensed the end of Alton’s chant coming and raised a hand, pointing.

**The Healer has cast Immobilization -10MP/sec while active.**

The three smaller wolves froze, tumbling to the ground. The larger stumbled, but shrugged off the spell, obviously having some magical resistance. I moved forward, going at my highest speed. If a spell won’t work… I pulled a syringe out of my inventory. As I reached the leader. I saw Alton finish his chant out of the corner of my eye. A black flame surrounded the monsters he faced, burning them to ash.

**Alton the Great Evil Wizard is credited with 4 monster kills, awarded 160XP and +4 fame. You receive 20XP as a party member.**

The lead monster snapped at me as I leapt over its head, its teeth missing my arm my a hair. I jumped and straddled its back, grabbing its rough, stained fur in one hand, and plunging the syringe into the large muscle near its shoulder joint with the other.

**The Healer has used custom potion – Anesthetic. Patient is paralyzed and sedated for 3 minutes.**

The monster under me let out a groan and collapsed to the ground. Letting out a sigh of relief, I looked over at the smaller wolf monsters and reached out a hand.

**The Healer has cast Debridement x 3. – 60MP.**

Black blood spilled out from large wounds in their necks, pooling under the three bodies, soaking the grass beneath them.

**The Healer is credited with 3 monster kills, awarded 120XP and +3 fame.**

Now that the small fry are out of the way… I waved away the notification and pulled a scalpel out of my inventory, the small blade in my hand reflecting the bright sunlight.

If spells won’t work, then I’ll just do it the old-fashioned way. I couldn’t use weapons, only medical/healing potions and tools. A scalpel although tiny, was the closest thing I had to a bladed weapon. I reached out towards the wolf’s neck.

“WAIT!” Stephanie cried out, causing me to pause before I cut the monster’s throat. “Don’t cut it!”

I raised an eyebrow. “You want me to spare the monster that was hunting you?” I noticed that Alton had kept a small amount of magic around his hand, ready to strike at any moment. It was strangely reassuring to see that he wasn’t always so trusting of others.

Stephanie looked at me, confused. “What? No! I just meant please don’t CUT it! I need an undamaged pelt for a quest. Can you kill it without hurting its pelt?”

I thought it over, still holding the scalpel to its throat in case the potion wore off. “Depends. What about the quest rewards?”

She deflated slightly at the question. “50-50 split? I did spend days tracking them down.”

“Deal.” I put my scalpel away, and pull up a buckled strap. With a quick practiced movement, I placed it around the wolf’s head, and tightened it over the neck.

**Healer has utilized tourniquet. Blood flow to the affected area is cut off. Please utilize caution, patient received 10 damage for each second that the tourniquet is in place.**

I waited patiently.

**WARNING! Patient airway is compressed and is becoming dangerously hypoxic. Please secure airway to continue healing. Patient will receive 50 damage for each second that airway compression remains in place.**

I continued to wait.

**The Healer is credited with 1 level 20 monster boss kill, awarded 200 XP and +5 fame.**

I removed the tourniquet, wiping down the strap before replacing it into my inventory. I glanced over at Alton and Stephanie who stared at me in surprise. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“…Umm… did you just kill a boss monster… with a syringe and a belt?”

“It’s a tourniquet, but yes.”

“Cool.” Alton gave me a thumbs up.

Stephanie shrugged off her apparent shock and ran to the boss monster, using a skill to remove the pelt without any tools. She then paused, and stood in front of both of us, shuffling back and forth slightly.

“So…”

I cleaned my hands with a handkerchief and some water, not looking at her. “What do you want this time?”

“This time?” I waved away Alton’s question and looked at Stephanie, who didn’t make eye contact.

“Well, I guess I wasn’t here JUST for the wolf pelt… I may have also come here looking for you… and remembered to finish the quest when I saw them in the forest on my way over.”

I didn’t change my expression. “What do you want?”

Striking a pose, slightly hindered by her dented metal armor, she answered dramatically: “…I heard you were recruiting… Can I join your party?”

"..."

Alton and I stared at her.

“Wait. How did you know we were recruiting?”

“After you asked three people you are seriously asking this?" She shook her head in disgust. "You both are famous! It’s been all over the world chat since you were first sighted together!”

Groaning, I pulled up the display that I rarely opened anymore. After the Downfall, the people pulled into this game like world had quickly discovered a worldwide chat option. There were many different topics, guides and other discussion available to read through and comment on.

In the first few weeks after waking up in this world, I used to read through the gossip and other new topics daily, hoping desperately that someone would discover what had happened, why we were here, or perhaps some tips on succeeding as a healer. Instead I quickly discovered it was a toxic cesspool of humanity, filled with petty arguments, lies and gossip.

I quickly became a common topic of discussion on the chat board. As the only high level healer, part of the Hero’s party, and the player with the highest number of human kills, I was infamous, with entire forums dedicated to analyzing how I was accomplishing it. The conclusions they often came to were often not very flattering towards me.

There were also fan clubs and forums dedicated to the Hero and his party, and they were also my strongest critics as well, accusing me of dragging the hero and his party down. I flinched from the memories, but quickly pulled up the world chat, noting that the top topic of discussion was about Alton and me.

______________________

“THE HEALER AND THE EVIL WIZARD HAVE TEAMED UP AND ARE RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS!”

The infamous mooching healer from the Hero’s party has officially split from them and joined the Evil Wizard! No one knows what horrific plans they are concocting, but whatever it is must require strong people, as they have been sighted trying to recruit two free agents on the leader board, and were last seen on level 38, likely to recruit Dallas the Barbarian! We’ll keep you posted!

______________________

I frowned at the post, quickly scanning the comments below.

______________________

“ Good riddance! It was always a drag to see her running behind the hero’s party, getting carried by them. “

“That’s terrifying! The Evil Wizard has friends? If you see them, you better run!”

“Who would want to joined such a cursed party?”

“… So who else is shipping them?”

“Weirdos will ship anything with anything. Get out of here with that nonsense.”

“Pieces of trash will always gravitate together.”

______________________

I looked at the last comment, which was posted by Rita the Holy Archer. She was a member of the Hero’s party as well, and not someone I had ever gotten along with.

Alton was staring blankly, obviously scrolling through the chat as well. He made a weird expression and waved his hand back and forth, dismissing it and muttering to himself. I stepped forward, patting his shoulder comfortingly.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a bunch of idiots chattering.”

“Worried?” He looked at me, confused. “I’m not worried about the comments. There’s a whole thread dedicated to taking bets on what sort of horrible death I’ll have. This is child’s play.”

“Then why the weird face?”

He looked away awkwardly, mumbling something I couldn’t hear.

“What did you…?”

“I saw FAN ART, okay? They made fan art of the two of us…” He covered his face with his hand.

“Why would they…?” I paused. “Can I see it?”

“No. No. I would rather die.”

What on earth did he see? Before I could ask further, Stephanie pushed again.

“Guys? I’m still here! Can I join?”

Alton stared coldly at her. “I don’t know you, or trust you. It depends on what Miss Healer has to say.”

Stephanie turned towards me, but only received an eye roll in response to her puppy eyes. “I can vouch for the fact that she’s strong. She’s a barbarian warrior, and obsessed on leveling up her strength stats.”

He looked at the girl in her late teens and her tiny frame. “…If you say so”

I sighed. “Show him your sword.”

“Sure!” Grinning, Stephanie raised her hand, an enormous cleaver type sword longer than her body appearing in it. It looked incredibly heavy, but she waved it around as if it were weightless. Alton applauded politely at her show of strength. Finally, she put it away. “I’m forty-third on the Leader Board, partially due to the fame I gained for my strength stats, which are the highest in the world here.”

“The real question is…” Alton turned towards me. “Why wasn’t she on your list of people to recruit?”

“I told you my list was strong people who weren’t in a party who weren’t total psychopaths.” I looked at Stephanie pointedly. “She is absolutely crazy AND she’s in party already.”

She grinned. “Not anymore, Healer! I quit my party the minute I saw you were recruiting on the forum! I owe you my life, how could I not take advantage of that opportunity?”

“And your fan club of a party allowed that?”

“I had to chop off a hand or two, but eventually they got the point and agreed to let me be happy and follow my dream.” Seemingly unconcerned by the intense violent acts she spoke about, she held out her hand to me with a smile. “So do we have a deal?”

I looked up at the sky. “We do need a tanker…” Crazy or not, she is really strong... I took a deep breath, and shook her hand. “Fine.”

“YAY!”

**Stephanie the lovely Barbarian has accepted your invitation to join your party! She will have access to shared inventory, and her stats will become visible upon medical scan.**

“Should we head on, or are anymore of your friends going to suddenly jump out of trees to join us?” Alton finally asked, breaking the silence.

“Who knows?” I turned to Stephanie. “Where do you need to turn in your quest?”

“Where else?” She grinned. “Winter’s General Store.”

"..." Rubbing my forehead, and trying not to cry, I asked quietly, “Are you out of your mind? You realize he would kill you if you didn’t bring back the pelt?” Alton looked at me questioningly, but I gestured at him to let it go and he remained silent.

“No he wouldn’t!” Stephanie burst out. “He promised that since I was your friend he wouldn't kill me! ... He would only maim me if I failed.”

“You’re not my friend.”

“That’s right, we’re not friends… we’re BEST friends!”

“Heaven help us.” I groaned and pulled up a traveling artifact. “Let’s go see Winter before he decides to come see us.”

______________________

As we arrived in level 1 City, we quietly moved towards the back alleys near the water front. It was a mostly deserted area known for its paid killers, black markets and the most desperate part of humanity. The few people we ran into were cloaked and minding their own business, but I kept my guard up, refusing to dismiss wordless chanting despite the mana drain. I wanted to be able to fight at a moments notice.

“Who is Winter?” Alton asked finally as he followed us through the winding and increasingly dark streets.

“An NPC!” Stephanie answered cheerfully. “A really powerful one. He really likes the Healer too”

Alton was shocked, as I knew he would be. There were scattered being that looked like humans, but weren't that could give quests, termed Non Player Characters given their similarity in role to NPCs in the game. However, since their discovery in this world since the Downfall, their interactions with humans were limited. There were a few that would hand out quests, a few that ran shops, but all of them had one thing in common:

They despised humans.

They treated human players as lesser beings, only worthy of cheap and dirty missions or tasks that they didn’t want to take care of. Many attempts at befriending or learning about them were made in the beginning, but universally they responded with only vitriol and disdain.

No one knew why they were here. If they were part of whatever scheme this was that had trapped us in this world. But we knew one thing: Any attempt to harm them went poorly. They could be harmed. Could even be killed. But any player who did so would find themselves hunted relentlessly by the City 1 guard, who wouldn’t rest until the offending player was dead. After a handful of deaths, this became the new normal and people learned to leave NPCs alone for the most part.

I gave most NPCs a wide berth. I didn’t understand them, or trust them.

But Winter was the exception.

We arrived at the store, pushing it open to the sound of a tinkling bell overhead.

“Winter! Guess who I brought?!!” Stephanie crowed as she pranced in, before coming to a sudden stop. I halted behind her, and Alton beside me as we stared silently at the group already in the store, arguing with an annoyed appearing Winter.

“What bad luck.” Alton whispered, and I had to agree.

It was the Hero’s party.

#writing #fantasy #part 2 #video game world #violence #betrayal #monsters #was fun to continue

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screamingatanemptyroom · 24 days

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Guys! I have to show you this! This is fan art I received from @madishhatter of Lenora from I Can't Eat Love! and Bel and Liam from Please Fix the Story

I thought this was so awesome, so wanted to share it!

Thanks, @madishhatter for sharing it with me! You are an awesome artist and you made my day!

#not writing #fan art #other people's art #cool art by awesome #this is cool!#thank you!

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screamingatanemptyroom · 24 days

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OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I'm such a big fan and I can't believe I haven't found you on Tumblr before this! I found you on AO3 last year and I've read and re-read your works so many times that I downloaded them onto my Kindle for continuous reading pleasure :) This genuinely makes me so happy :D

So happy to see you here too! Glad you' like my work and you've enjoyed my writing on AO3 and thank you for sending this message! I have more stuff on tumblr (since this is where I started out) so definitely the best place to find newer stuff!

Thanks for reading my work!

#not writing #response #thank you #always fun to see someone who came across my writing somewhere else and found me here!

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screamingatanemptyroom · 29 days

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In general for Please Fix the Story I always did longer updates, since it felt the most natural for reading.

Let me know your thoughts!

#not writing #question #poll #I've been struggling with this #thanks to everyone who reads my stuff #thank you to anyone who responds

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screamingatanemptyroom · 29 days

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Hello!

I wanted to know whether you will continue the healer story? I really liked your rendition of it. Also loved your new story on the werewolf and vampire!!

Thanks, glad you liked it! I actually am working on a part 2 for the healer story! It's been a little slow, (I'm already mad about myself for writing a story with stats to keep track of), but I just genuinely fell in love with the concept and want to flesh it out a bit! I should be posting in the next day or so, so keep an eye out!

#not writing #response #thanks for reading!

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screamingatanemptyroom · 1 month

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“DIE FOUL BEAST!”

The hunter stabbed the silver blade into shoulder of the werewolf, shouting in triumph as smoke poured from the wound and the wolf-creature screamed in pain. “It’s weakened! PRESS THE ATTACK!”

The villagers, who were standing a ways away, clutching pitchforks and other farming tools, their paces pale with fear, jumped collectively at his order. One of the older gentleman, his features worn deep by the wind and the sun, stepped forward, swallowing nervously. “But Sir… we don’t have silver… only you can kill the beast.”

“Distract it! Hurt it!” The hunter cried, trying to pin the werewolf to the ground. He was quickly bucked off, hitting the dirt with a grunt of pain, his knife left in the wolf’s shoulder. “Only then can I make the killing blow!”

The villagers shuffled slowly forward, raising their tools half-heartedly.

The wolf threw the Hunter against a nearby wall, roaring in rage. Stumbling to his feet, he pulled out a second silver blade. “HURRY!”

Three of the men ran forward at his cry, swinging their tools at the werewolf, who dodged their attacks easily. The Hunter followed and stabbed his second blade in the closest area he could reach… the thigh. More smoke, more screams of pain followed the blow, and the villagers cheered, rushing to help.

As if the creature had a second wind, it shook off its attackers, and with a roar of fear and pain, rushed away into the forest, faster than any human could follow.

The hunter and the villagers stared in defeat at the empty grove. Nothing remained as proof of the attack other than a small amount of blood and crushed grass.

“It escaped.” It was the villager who had spoken earlier. He stared at the path into the forest with a grim expression. “Who knows if it will return.”

The Hunter glared at him. “Well, it’s not my fault! I was the only one with silver! You all were useless!”

“As if any of us have the wealth to afford silver weapons. Even in times like these, with beasts roaming the nights, we can only tools for farming, not killing, especially of the silver variety.”

“Well thanks to you I lost two silver blades tonight.” The Hunter began packing his bag. “Do not call on me again, I will not help you.”

The man watched him go, shaking his head. “And if the beast returns?”

He paused at that. “Then I think you are simply too poor to survive.”

And with that, he was gone.

_________________________

The werewolf moved into the cave, breathing heavily as it shook itself off. I sat in front of the fire, stirring a pot full of a stew. Its eyes locked in on me, its eyes lighting up with a sudden hunger, reflecting the firelight as it moved forward, trailing small drips of blood as it moved closer. I looked the beast up and down, and then smiled.

“Two knives? Not a bad haul, Shay!”

Shay, the werewolf paused at my words, before chuckling, a low guttural sound, and pulling two blades out from his shoulder and leg. They fell to the cave floor with a clatter. With a grunt of pain, and the sounds of cracking bones, he shifted back, now a young muscular man with long messy hair and a carefree grin.

“I was hoping he had a third one, but if I stuck around too much longer I was going to have to start ripping limbs off of villagers.”

“Wouldn’t want that.” I picked up the daggers, wiping the blood off of them with a handkerchief. “Good silver, though.”

“Like you care about humans.” He grunted, sitting down in front of the fire.

“I care about humans… after all, I used to be one once.” I threw a blanket over his lap, more worried about the possibility of thermal burns than the nudity.

“And how long ago was that?” Chuckling at my actions, he leaned forward to smell the stew and grinned. “It smells good. Is it ready?”

“Be my guest.” At my words, he quickly served himself and ate ravenously. For a moment there was only the crackling of the fire and the sounds of eating. After a few bowls, however, he slowed down and looked at me more carefully.

“How did you make it happen?”

I stared into the flames. “What?”

“How did you make smoke come up when he stabbed me? After all…” He shook his head. “…that silver nonsense is just a myth. But when he stabbed me, even I started to belief for a minute.”

“Just a special powder. Reacts to silver. Very dramatic.” I laughed. “Of course, the painful screams were really what sold it.”

“I’ve always been very convincing.”

“Clearly.”

He paused. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” I poked the fire between us, causing sparks to fly into the air. “Doesn’t mean I’ll answer though.”

“Of course, of course.” He hesitated, running a hand through his long hair. “Why on earth are YOU doing this?”

I raised an eyebrow at his tone, and he continued, stuttering a bit in his haste. “I-I mean, I know why I’m doing this! I’m a werewolf, the bottom scum of society. We’re good for nothing but death and being hunted. We all try to stay human, stay under the radar…” He sighed. “But I trusted the wrong person… Young, dumb, and in love, a dangerous combination. But once my cover was blown, I was sentenced to be chased and hunted like an animal.”

“…I’m sorry.” It felt like the right thing to say.

“No. I’m lucky. Inevitably, all werewolves who are exposed die within a few weeks. I’m luckier than most. But that’s not what has me confused… Why are YOU doing this?”

“I can’t want to make money?”

His eyes stared into mine., “You’re a vampire, Jeannette. You should be living in luxury in a castle. Why are you in cave scamming wolf hunters out of their silver?”

“Why?” I broke his gaze, unable to persevere against the genuineness I saw there. “Because, like you, I was meant to die… but I’m a bit too stubborn for that.”

I stared into the fire again, and in it, I could see the memory…

_________________________

“No hard feelings, Jeannie.” My fiancé smiled, showing his fangs, as he quietly pushed a stake into my chest. “Power is just too much of a temptation.”

_________________________

I shook my head, pushing the face and words away. Vampires were the ruling class in this world ,with humans’ role being the work force and food source.I had lived in luxury since being turned. I thought I understood my place in life, my role.

I understood nothing.

“They think I’m dead… and that’s how I want it, for now. Right now, I need money. Untraceable silver. And a partnership with you achieves that. I supply the plans, the navigation, the powder to fake out the hunters… and you bleed.” I met his gaze once more. “You shouldn’t trust me.”

He grinned, despite my serious tone. “If I shouldn’t trust you, wouldn’t you be saying to trust you?”

“…Perhaps.”

“What are you going to do once you have enough money?”

“Revenge.” I clenched my hands, feeling a yearning for it. “The streets will run with blood.”

“So like a free meal for you?”

I laughed at that. “The legends, much like steel, are greatly inaccurate.”

“You don’t drink blood?”

My smiled widened, showing my fangs. “I didn’t say that.”

“Forget I asked.” He shuddered, falling silent for a few moment. “Hey… even if you are just using me for revenge… thanks.”

I looked at the eager werewolf, excited and scheming. I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Don’t thank me until we’re rich.” I pulled out a map and pointed at a new village. “We’ll move out at dawn.”

“Wait vampires can’t go out during the day…” He trailed off at my expression. “Never mind, you already told me… inaccurate.”

“There’s an up and coming hunter in this area…. Rich, dumb, specialized in hunting werewolves.”

“Shay grinned wolfishly. “I might even set a new record for number of knives I grab in a fight.”

“Safety first.” I leaned back. “But first… we rest.”

We both settled in for the night, waiting for the dawn.

And in the morning… I would continue towards my revenge.

You are both poor and a werewolf. Also contrary to the belief, werewolves are not deathly allergic to any metal. You decide to pull the greatest scam any werewolf has ever done.

#writing #story start #werewolves #vampires #legends #just had a quick thought and wanted to write it.#fantasy #writeblr

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screamingatanemptyroom · 1 month

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“I’m sorry.”

I looked up from the ground I had been forced to kneel on, lifting my hands slightly, feeling the cold weight of the shackles on them. My eyes met those of the man who I had grown up with, his own colder than I had ever seen them.

My brother.

I smiled at him, enjoying his surprise at the lighthearted expression. I could feel his many emotions from where I was: annoyance, distrust, and a mild anxiety… but no guilt. No guilt whatsoever.

“No you’re not, Benjamin.”

He looked away first.

“It’s not like I had a say in this, Meg. Someone gets chosen every year. It’s a blind vote. Just because I’ve got a higher up position, doesn’t mean I can change it. In fact… “ He looked at me again. “I’m held to an even stricter standard. I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his repeated apology. It was just as insincere as the first. He wasn’t sorry.

“Is that what you told Alicia?” I couldn't hold back and asked with a mild tone, only to fall to the ground with a hard slap. The anger in his eyes burned brightly now, much more interesting now that he no longer attempting any façade at regret.

“Don’t say her name! You don’t understand it. You don’t understand anything.” He turned away. “I’ll see you at the Entrance, tomorrow. I hope your last night on this earth is a pleasant rest, at least.” At his words the prison door closed behind him, and I was left alone in the darkness, awaiting the morning of my sentence.

I was the Chosen, and it was my time to die.

_______________________

The next morning, I was woken up, fed a light meal, and moved out of my cell. Two guards walked me towards the entrance, each one holding an arm in a painfully tight grip. The younger of the two I recognized vaguely from school, we had been in the same graduating class a few years ago. He glanced over at me frequently, his expression troubled.

“This has to be done.” The other guard, a middle-aged man with a stern look, noticed his hesitation and spoke up. “It’s the only way to protect the Community.”

The younger looked even more anxious. “What’s out there?” He asked quietly, sending another look in my direction.

“Who knows?” The older guard shrugged. “It’s been centuries since the Time of Darkness drove humanity underground. Every exploration party we’ve sent out since has never come back. Whatever is out there… it doesn’t leave survivors.”

I stayed silent, unbothered by the discussion as if it had nothing to do with me. If anything, the younger guard seemed even more anxious.

“Maybe it’s not too bad? Maybe the world has changed… and no one has just been able to come back to tell us?” His voice trailed off as he spoke, obviously unconvinced.

The older guard scoffed at his words. “Look, Matt. I know it’s hard when the Chosen is a younger pretty girl like this…” he glanced at me then looked away. “Normally it’s an older person. But it’s necessary. We have limited resources in the Community, and too large of a population. The Choosing allows us to fairly decide who gets sacrificed. If you are going to stay in this job, kid, you’re gonna have to get used to this.”

My hand reached out towards the younger man and brushed his skin. I closed my eyes briefly, focusing.

Immediately he relaxed, his posture and tone less anxious. “I was just asking. I didn’t mean anything about it.”

“Good. We don’t question the Choosing. That’s not our job. We just escort them to the Entrance.”

The rest of the trip through the increasingly complex tunnels was passed in silence. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was worried the young guard had gotten it into his head to rescue me. But I didn’t need or want to be rescued.

After all, I was the one who had submitted my name for the Choosing in the first place.

_______________________

We arrived at the Entrance. A solid steel door representing the end of the known safe world, and an entrance into the Unknown. My brother was waiting for me, holding a large tome in his hand, the Community Census. With a solemn expression he drew a line through my name, marking it with a red “C.”

“Megan, Daughter of Simon, descendant to the last of humanity. You have been Chosen. Your task is a noble sacrifice, to abandon the safety of your home and venture out into the Unknown, so that others may live free and healthy beneath the earth. We applaud you your bravery in protecting humanity.”

I snorted at the last sentence, the clanking of the chains on my wrists seeming to echo the derisive noise. My brother paused at the sound, taking in a slow breath, before continuing on with the ceremony.

“You must make two promises, before you are sent out on your own:” He held up a finger. “First, you must do your best to survive, and seek out other remnants of humanity. Perhaps you will find larger resources or shelter and be the savior of future humans.”

How does he say this with a straight face?

He held up another finger. “Second, no matter what. You must never return.” His face turned grim. “You must never risk leading a danger back here. Once you walk out of the door, you are no longer one of us. You are only a threat. If you try to come back you will be shot on sight.”

“With such a sweet sendoff…how could I bear to leave?” I lifted my chained hands, pretending to wipe a tear from my eye. “Don’t worry, brother, I have no intention of coming back here.”

His expression was unchanged. “See that you keep your promise. I regret the necessity of your sacrifice, but I’m proud of you for it.” He turned towards the door. “I will lead humanity to prosperity, and think of you often.”

“Think of me often…” I muttered. Before anyone could react, I reached out and grasped his hand in between my own, focusing on my power.

“I hope you think of me often, brother. I hope you feel the weight of my sacrifice every single day.”

Benjamin ripped his hands away, his face pale. Seeing his expression, one of the guards stepped forward. “Are you okay, sir?”

“It’s fine!” He snapped, pointing towards the door, which another guard opened. “Send her out.”

I smiled widely at my brother, enjoying the fear in his eyes. “Goodbye, Benjamin. I’ll give Alicia your regards.”

I walked out through the metal doorway before he could respond, and the door shut behind me with a loud thud, the sound echoing and mixing with that of my laughter.

I was cut off from humanity. From the world I had known since childbirth.

Exactly where I wanted to be.

_______________________

I followed the tunnel for what seemed like hours. They had not provided me with any food or water, after all, what was the point of feeding a dead woman? But as I continued to walk forward, trying to ignore the weight of the chains around my wrists, I felt a bit of regret that they didn’t let me take anything with me.

I might kill for a drink of water. I glanced down at my chained arms, and their distinct lack of muscle. Or I guess more likely someone might kill me for it.

Despite the scraps of info I had been able to glean from hacking my brother’s computer, it was still quite the unknown that I was walking towards. But it hadn’t been a fruitless exercise. I had still learned several things.

Such as that we knew that everyone who left the Community was still alive.

I kept walking.

Eventually the light in the tunnel brightened, much more than the low power UV lamps that had dotted the walls could provide. I walked slower, giving myself time to adjust. I had grown up around fake sunlight my entire life. I knew nothing about the sun except what I had read in books.

And then, I was on the surface.

Bright.

Much brighter than the artificial light our lamps provided, with an associated warmth that was foreign to me. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling. I took a deep breath, the scent of earth and grass stronger than any scent from the greenery rooms underground. It was foreign, alien, but somehow, so familiar.

I took a step forward.

“Lifeform Detected.”

Well, crap.

Metal bars sprung up from the earth forming a cage around me. The ground was replaced by a metal plate, and the entire cage rolled forward on an invisible track. I looked around, seeing a mostly empty field to the sides, but as the cage continued to move forward, a building came into view over the horizon.

After briefly testing the strength of the bars, I gave up. I sat down on the floor of the cage, conserving my energy, and watched.

The building was enormous, the size of a small city. It branched out in every direction, towering above me, stretching towards the sun. As we got closer I shielded my eyes. The ceilings were all made of a clear material like glass, and the glare of sunlight off of it was painfully bright.

It was a sunlight-filled city. The opposite of the world I had left behind.

Before I could ponder it too closely, a small opening formed in the side of the building closest to me, and the cage rolled into it.

Immediately I was in a large white room, the sunlight still shining brightly through the clear ceiling and multiple windows. As the cage entered the building, the opening sealed shut behind me, as if it was never there. I reached the center of the room, the cage stopped with a quiet thud, and the bars and plate retracted into the floor, leaving only a bare white room.

I looked around at the empty room, confused.

“Hmmm… Now what?”

“Lifeform detected.” A robotic voice spoke up again, and a large screen slid down from the ceiling. A bright light enveloped me, scanning me from head to toe, and immediately the screen in front of me filled with information.

_______________________

LIFEFORM: HUMAN FEMALE

INPUT NAME

AGE: 20 years old.

Nulliparous. Fertile. Pheromone level high.

Level SSS Empath

Skills testing to commence…

_______________________

I stared at the screen with a frown. Not a good start.

Just as I thought this, the robotic voice spoke once more. “Skills testing to commence. Please select a skill to be tested in. Know that the higher and more numerous your skills, the better your work assignment will be. “

I raised an eyebrow at the words “work assignment” but after thinking for a moment, spoke up.

“Computer programming.”

A keyboard on a pedestal lifted up from the floor, stopping in front of me. “Write a basic program. Testing to commence in three… two… one…”

“Gotcha.” My chained hands flew across the keyboard before the countdown could finish.

“ERROR! ERROR! CODING ERROR! SECURITY BREACH!...”

After a few seconds, the alarm settled down, and the screen turned black. I kept typing and eventually the screen popped up again with my information.

“First, let’s fix a few things.” I worked for a few moments, and soon my information read differently.

_______________________

LIFEFORM: HUMAN FEMALE-

Name- Megan

AGE: 20 earth years old.

Nulliparous. Infertile. Pheromone level undetectable.

No special abilities.

Skills testing complete – Cleaning – level 5. No other skills present.

Work Assignment – Housekeeping.

_______________________

“Seems safe enough.” I muttered to myself, rubbing my hands and wrists where the cuffs had chafed. Fortunately, they hadn’t restricted my movement enough to prevent me from typing. “Now…” I worked on the keyboard once more, and the screen went dark again except for a single sentence:

Searching personnel database…

“There she is.” I gave a sigh of relief, studying the information in front of me.

_______________________

Human Female

Name – Alicia

Age – 23 years old

Primiparous. Fertile. Pheromone level moderate.

Level D Foresight.

Skills – Cooking- level 8, cleaning – level 3, Language/translation – level 6. Computer programming - level 4. Singing/entertainment – level 2.

Work Assignment: None

_______________________

My eyes focused on the word “Primiparous.” One child. As I did, my thoughts forcibly went to the night burned in my brain from 2 years prior.

_______________________

“Meg!” Alicia ran up to me with a nervous smile on her face, her curly hair falling into her eyes like always.

I grinned back, trying to calm her as I felt her anxiety rushed through me. “What’s up?”

She didn’t speak at first, seeming to grow more nervous.

“Is it about the guy you’ve been seeing? The one you didn’t want me to know about yet?” Her gaze bounced around, and from the upswing in her nervousness I knew I was getting close. “Or is there something else?”

“…” She still didn’t answer, staring at me, wringing her hands.

“You’re not pregnant are you?” I joked, trying to cut the tension.

“…” Her silence became deafening, and my smile slowly faded.

“Alicia, are you crazy? You got pregnant without an approved match?” In the dwindling, starving population of humanity, reproduction was strictly controlled. Any attempt at pregnancy had to be approved by the government prior to starting. She might not face too severe of consequences, after all, she was a young, childbearing woman… but depending on who the father was… it could be a capital offense for him.

“Alicia, listen to me.” I reached out my hands and grabbed her, focusing, calming her storm of emotions down. She had always hated me using my ability on her, but desperate times…

“Tell me… who is the father?”

“…” She stared at me, and her eyes filled with guilt. It came across her contact, and I was drowning in it.

“Alic…”

“...It was your brother.”

_______________________

I shook my head, trying to push the memory from a few years ago away. That had been our last conversation before she was Chosen. I couldn’t prove my brother had arranged it. But the fact that she had been sent away before she could start showing her pregnancy in the midst of the year that led to him being elected… I could never see him the same. There was no point in accusing him. The only evidence was Alicia, and she was gone.

And so I went off to find my friend, and possible niece or nephew. It had been easy for someone with my knowledge of computers to hijack a simple anonymous vote like the Choosing. I’m sure Benjamin suspected tampering, but to be honest he probably thought it was a political opponent, not his own sister sending herself out. I wasn’t sure exactly what I would find out here. But I had learned enough to suspect that everyone Chosen was likely alive.

And I wanted a chance to protect my friend.

“Testing complete.” As the robotic voice spoke up, the keyboard began descending into the floor again. I heard the door begin to open and hit a quick key on the keyboard as it lowered, returning the screen back to my faked data, and stood in place, staring at the ground.

“My, my, it’s time for the colonies' sacrifice already?” A dry voice spoke up, and I couldn’t help but glance upwards to see the source, stiffening in shock at the sight in front of me.

Elves.

At least, they looked exactly like elves from the storybooks. Tall. Thin. Long flowing hair. Long pointy ears. Unnaturally beautiful features, with faces that looked young but eyes that gave the sense of someone who had lived an extremely long time.

My mind raced. I had only been able to gather from the records on my brother’s computer that some other species had taken over the world. I had assumed alien. But now, seeing their appearance, I wasn’t so certain.

Were they actually aliens, and fantasies of elves were actually based on records of contact with otherworldly beings? Or were they also inhabitants of this planet, only remaining in hiding until they decided to take over?

The elf who had spoken, caught my stare and smiled. “Silly humans, always so enamored with us at first glance.”

A darker haired elf behind him, glanced over at me, disinterested, and turned to his friend. “You know she can understand you, right?”

“She doesn’t have the implant yet…”

“The room has simultaneous translation capability, to allow for ease of transition into their new role.” He gestured to the screen in front of me, which had the blinking words in the corner.

Translation active.

The blond elf waved his hand dismissively. “So what? It’s just a human female…” He glanced at the data on the screen and shook his head. “And a very low quality one at that! Looks like she’s only good for cleaning. What a disappointment.”

“What did you expect?” The darker haired elf seemed amused. “That the humans would send their best? The leaders know what they are sending the sacrifices for. If we hadn’t stipulated no more elderly or infirm humans we would have no useful ones at all.”

“Cowardly creatures. I’d rather die than be enslaved.” He stepped over and grabbed my arm, his long slender fingers wrapping tightly in a painful grip. I looked down at the floor, pretending to be passive, but at the same time focused my ability on his emotions. He was irritated, impatient, filled with disdain, most likely towards me.

I reached out through the point of our touch, encouraging him gently towards a more mellow neutrality.

Immediately his grip loosened a bit, and his expression became less severe. “Let’s get her over to the processing room, I feel like going out for a drink tonight.”

“What put you in such a good mood all of a sudden?”

“I don’t know, maybe because it’s nearly the end of the work day?” He shrugged, and looked down at me. His hands reached out and clenched around the steel cuffs on my hands, warping them in his grasp and throwing them to the floor with a loud clank. I froze, shocked at the casual show of strength.

“Follow me human, we will take you to get cleaned, and get your translator chip before your work assignment.” He moved forward dragging me into the next room. This room was also bright white and filled with sunlight, but contained three doorways. The elf holding my arms went to the door with no other markings then a single vertical line.

As he did, the dark-haired elf spoke up, but this time as he spoke it was a in a foreign language I couldn’t understand. Realizing we had left the translator behind, I anxiously focused on his emotions instead.

Nervousness. Irritation. He gestured at the door marked with two vertical lines instead. When he pointed back at the door marked with one line, I felt a strong burst of emotion come from him.

Fear. He was afraid of whatever was behind the door I was headed for.

The elf dragging me shook his head, responding with a nonchalant tone. I tried to sway his emotions towards a more charitable one, but this time he seemed to react poorly, letting out a strong sense of irritation, before opening the door marked with a single line by tapping the upper corner of the screen on the wall next to it three times. He waved cheerfully at me, and before I could even struggle, shoved me through.

_______________________

I stumbled into a narrow hallway, with screens on either side of me.

Welcome to the Processing Room. Prepare for decontamination.

Before I could react, I was sprayed head to toe with warm water from nozzles that pushed out from the walls. The floor began to move like an assembly line under my feet, and soapy water drenched me from a hole in the ceiling. I sputtered and coughed, trying to rub the burning sensation from my eyes only to be sprayed with water again. The floor stopped, now in a dry spot, and a generic grey jumpsuit with a foreign word marked on the chest was pushed out through a slot in the wall.

Please proceed to change into your designated uniform.

Shrugging, and realizing the jumpsuit was better than my wet clothes, I changed into the provided attire, happy that they seemed to provide basic undergarments as well. As soon as I was changed, the floor moved again, only to pause at a new stop.

Prepare for translation implant.

A claw holding a small clear square with a screw attached to it pushed out through the wall. I knew I only had a moment to react.

I reached out to the screen nearby, and tapped the upper corner three times mimicking the action I had seen by the elf earlier. To my surprise, a menu popped out, and the claw holding the implant froze in place. I looked over the screen, frowning as I realized it was all in a language I couldn’t understand. However as I glanced at it, I felt a light vibration nearby, and looking at the square, realizing it came from the implant, I reached out a hand and gingerly touched it.

Immediately the words in front of me made sense. I browsed through the options, which seemed to be a selection menu with different types of translators available. There was over 10 species that I could choose from, which gave me pause. Not knowing how much time I had, however, I quickly selected “human” and tried to see if I could give myself any advantage.

Jackpot!

It allowed me to select a non-traceable option (noted for infiltration work positions) as well as including all known languages of foreign species available. I hesitated, and chose a third selectable option: “Removable.”

Immediately the claw with the square I was touching retracted into the wall, and came forward again, this time with a metal circle, attached to a tiny spike. I picked it off the claw, and after a moment of hesitation, plugged it into the skin of my torso under my arm, where it wouldn’t be noticed.

I either made things easier on myself, or more difficult. But either way, I’m going to play this game by my own rules.

Preparation complete.

The floor underneath me disappeared, and I fell down into a third room. This was the darkest room I had been in so far, with dark grey walls and no windows. There were high intensity UV lamps around, their purplish light casting shadows in the cavernous space. But before I could catch my breath…

GRRRRR.

A large hulking form stood over me, head and shoulders above me, its features indistinct in the poor lighting. It’s hands, however, were clearly visible… and attached to sharp, elongated claws. It stood in place, obviously startled by my presence. Its eyes were glowing a bright shade of green, intensely staring into my own.

It looked hungry.

I looked around, there was no visible exit or entrance to the room.

“Well crap.” I whispered, as the creature in front of me attacked.

I threw myself backwards, feeling the burning sting as one of the claws nicked my arm as I fell. Blood dripped on the floor and the creature sniffed the air, letting out a howl of excitement that made my hackles raise.

A werewolf? Before I could consider the absurdity of the situation, the creature pounced, its weight pinning me to the floor. Saliva dripped on my cheek, hot breath hitting my face as it appeared to study me, letting a low, confused growl.

Confused? It has emotions?

Feeling a ray of hope, I reached my hands forward and made contact with its muzzle. There was the rough touch of fur underneath my hands.

I was flooded with emotions.

RAGE. CONFUSION. LOSS. GRIEF. HUNGER.

I was trapped in a maelstrom of feelings, drowning in it. I closed my eyes, ignoring the creature planning my imminent demise, and focused all my attention of its emotions and trying to change them.

Calm. Peace. Contentment.

I repeated it like a mantra, trying my hardest to force my way into the creature’s head. All of a sudden, I felt my consciousness pop in, as if forcing my way through some sort of barrier. And to my surprise, I found a memory:

_______________________

“Mother? Wake up!”

I was a child who was crying loudly, clutching the dead body of a woman. She had a gentle face, stained with blood. Her hands were transformed into claws, a large slash across her chest and the blood on her fingers seemed to suggest a self-inflicted wound.

“Don’t leave me here alone!”

_______________________

And suddenly I was out, looking back into now very human appearing bright green eyes staring into my own.

“…”

The young man blinked. “Umm… I’m sorry.” He scrambled off of me, his shredded uniform not covering an extremely large, muscular form. He looked down, seeing this, and let out a startled shriek, racing for the corner and curling up in a ball in an attempt to cover himself. He then looked up at me, his long brown hair not covering the tearful, accusing expression on his face. Despite him being twice my size and menacing-looking, I suddenly got the impression of me being the scary one.

I felt guilty, and then absurd for feeling so. “I don’t know who you are, but YOU attacked ME, remember?”

The man blinked, and then realization dawned on him. “I Turned?” He glanced at his hands, and then looked me over more closely. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. A small scratch on the arm.”

“…How?”

“What do you mean?”

He shook his head. “if I Turned, I would have become an uncontrollable beast. There’s no way to return to sanity after Turning…” He glanced at the room. “This is a collection room, they must have pushed me in here to hold me until I could be collected for disposal. How am I human again? How are YOU okay?”

“…” I didn’t know how to answer him. Obviously I had triggered something with my ability, but I didn’t know how to explain it without saying more than I wanted to.

He seemed to sense my hesitation and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I should be thanking you for saving my life, not berating you or demanding explanations.”

“…Umm, it’s fine…” I walked closer and offered a hand to shake. “I’m Megan, by the way.”

He stared at my hand, and then gingerly reached out a large palm, clutching his shredded clothing with his other hand. “Kvelton.”

“I’m assuming you’re not human…”

“Wolf tribe.” Was his short answer.

“And you’re not from this planet?” Will I get my answer about aliens?

His bright green eyes widened for a moment, as he asked innocently: “Do we even know which planet we are on?”

I thought about that for a moment. “To be fair… I guess not. I’ve always assumed this was a human planet, but I was born underground so…”

“Umm… This is really interesting but…” he trailed off, curling tighter into a ball. “Do you know where I can get some clothes? I’m… indecent.”

I snorted, trying to hold back a laugh, and looked around. There was a small screen on the wall, nearly unnoticeable. I walked over, tapping it awake in the upper corner. I was able to get a virtual keyboard, and after taking a moment to familiarize myself with it, I began to type.

A folded jumpsuit and associated undergarment rolled out from the hole in the ceiling. I picked it up and tried to hand it to Kvelton.

His eyes were mildly accusing again. “You want me to wear that?”

I glanced down, realizing what I had ordered was a small size. Looking at his hulking form, I winced. “Sorry.”

I repeated this process, this time handing him an extra-large jumpsuit. After facing his concerned gaze once more, I turned my back to him, focusing on the keyboard. His data jumped up.

_______________________

Wolf-Hybrid Male

Name– Kvelton

Age – 22 years old

Virility – High, Unmated.

Level SS- Instinct, Level SSS- Telepathy

Skills – Unarmed fighting- level 10, Strength – level 9, Agility – Level 9. Combat leadership – level 7. Cleaning – level 7. Singing/entertainment – level 10.

Work Assignment - Soldier

_______________________

I get the combat skills, but… Singing level 10? Really?

“What are you doing?” Hearing his voice closer than I expected, I jumped, and then turned, having to crane my neck upwards to see his face.

“Changing your data. If we don’t want these guys realizing you somehow got fixed, we have to mess with the system a bit. “ I looked back at my work. “I’ve changed the data of the Turned wolf tribe member to someone already dead, and recorded the body as incinerated. You are a new capture, and I’m setting your skills now.”

“You can do that?” He asked, surprised.

I shrugged. “Computers and I have an understanding. They are a lot less complicated then people.”

“… If you say so.” His doubtful tone made me chuckle.

“What work assignment would you like?”

Kvelton thought it over. “What are you doing?” seeing my questioning look at his words, he stuttered, bending a bit so to be closer to my eye level. “I want to thank you for helping me. I can look out for you.”

I gestured towards the computer. “I can take care of myself.”

“Yes…” He nodded, then shook his head. “How about heavy lifting, or fighting?”

I paused at that, seeing him not trying to look at my obviously weaker form, and sighed. “...I guess there’s areas I could use help in.”

“Great!” He beamed, reaching over and shaking my hand enthusiastically. “Partners!”

“…Umm… Sure.” I quickly reset his stats and skills, weirdly enough able to keep his natural cleaning skill which was already high and changing his work assignment to match my own.

“So what’s our goal, Megan?” He asked seeming much more cheerful and confident now that he was clothed.

“I have a friend who was taken before me. I’m trying to find her.”

“Okay. Save the friend.” Kvelton nodded agreeably.

“Her work assignment was blank but…” I hesitated. “She was pregnant when she arrived.”

His face turned grim. “Pregnant women… generally don’t have good outcomes here. But the system said she was alive?”

“Yes. I just want to find her, make sure she’s safe and…” I paused again… “If her child is alive, save them too.” My niece or nephew. If you were born… Your aunt is coming for you.

“Okay! Save friend, save the baby!” He clapped his hands. “When do we start?”

A door opened up, and two bored appearing elves walked in, obviously here to pick us up.

I grinned at him. “Right now.”

The underground society known as the Community, the last known surviving humans on Earth, are facing a serious resource crisis. In order to survive, they must make a grim decision, one person must leave each year. You got the least amount of votes. You must now go up to the unlivable surface.

#writing #fantasy #powers #elves #wolves #aliens #betrayal #friendship #i have ideas and thoughts #i might write a part 2 for this soon #writeblr #stories

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